Social Conservative Review - November 15, 2018

November 15, 2018

Dear Friends,

In this age marked by cultural brokenness and political division, it can be easy for Christians to shake our heads in resignation to this seemingly discouraging predicament and say, “God’s Kingdom is obviously not here right now.”

Or is it? In the Gospel of Luke, the Pharisees ask Jesus when the Kingdom of God will come. He said in reply, “The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you” (Luke 17:20-21).

What does this mean? When Christ said these words in first century Judea, they would have caused great confusion amongst the Jews since it was clear from the Roman occupation of their ancestral land that there was certainly no “Kingdom” currently present. But Christ wasn’t speaking of the potential reign of an earthly king. He was asking those who were listening to realize that God’s Kingdom was right in front of them—in Christ’s own witness of love, mercy, and healing. He was asking them, and therefore all of us, to look into our hearts and see that whenever we act with love, compassion, and sacrifice, God’s Kingdom is literally “among” us.

It should give us great encouragement to know that whenever we show Christ’s love to others, we are an ambassador for Christ’s Kingdom on earth. Keep in mind that showing love can take the form of seemingly small acts, such as simply giving encouragement to someone we encounter in our daily lives who seems like they are in need of a boost. Whenever we do any act of love, whether great of small, we bring God’s Kingdom in our midst.

Thank you for your prayers and for your continued support of FRC and the family.

Sincerely,

Dan Hart
Managing Editor for Publications
Family Research Council

 

FRC Articles

Evangelicals Power Republicans to Senate Victories – David Closson

Voters Say ‘Full Steam Ahead’ On Judges – Travis Weber and Alexandra McPhee

America Deserves Better Than the Broward County Disaster – Ken Blackwell

School Board Says Boys and Girls Have Different Brains — Except in the Bathroom – Cathy Ruse

Post-Midterm optimism for religious freedom – Alexandra McPhee

Is the Republican Senate Ready to Advance Pro-Life Policy? – Patrina Mosley

The Supreme Court can fix Establishment Clause jurisprudence with the Peace Cross case –  Alexandra McPhee

Speaker Series: The Reality of Faith-Based Adoption Services

Truth Obscured by Hollywood Take on Sexual Orientation Therapy – Peter Sprigg

Must the State Recognize All Identities? – Dan Hart

The Times En-“genders” Controversy with Ignorance of “Sex” – Peter Sprigg

Notre Dame Students Take a Stand Against Porn – Patrina Mosley

 

Religious Liberty

Religious Liberty in the Public Square

Supreme Court's latest church-state conundrum: Must a 'peace cross' memorial to World War I vets come down? – Richard Wolf, USA Today

Muslims, the Bladensburg Cross, and the Preservation of Order – Ismail Royer, Public Discourse

Professor Sues after University Requires He Use Student’s Preferred Pronoun – Jack Crowe, National Review

Trump Administration Updates Conscience Exemptions for Contraceptive MandateNational Catholic Register

The State of Hate – David Montgomery, The Washington Post

Christian student senator at UC Berkeley harassed for abstaining from pro-LGBTQ vote – Caleb Parke, Fox News

Fordham University Political Science Department Mandates Use of Students’ ‘Preferred Pronouns’ – Alana Mastrangelo, Breitbart

International Religious Freedom

What you should know about the persecution of Kachin Christians – Joe Carter, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission

78 Kidnapped Cameroonian Students from Christian School Freed – Aliya Kuykendall, The Stream

Christians Dragged Out of Cars and Beaten, Haunted With Fear as Asia Bibi Case Tears Pakistan Apart – Stoyan Zaimov, The Christian Post

Christians, pray for your brothers and sisters in North Korea – Christopher Summers, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission

Asia Bibi Leaves Pakistani Prison–Open Doors Calls for Urgent Prayer – Lindy Lowry, Open Doors USA

 

Life

Abortion

The Point of Gosnell – Charlotte Allen, First Things

6 claims of Planned Parenthood’s new president debunked – Kristi Burton Brown, Live Action

New Planned Parenthood CEO: “I Plan to Expand” Abortions. We Have a “Moral Imperative” to Kill Babies – Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews

Pro-life ballot measures win passage in two of three states – Valerie Richardson, The Washington Times

Adoption

Philadelphia foster families continue fight for Catholic Social Services – Perry West, CAN

3 ways your church can participate in orphan care and prevention – Brittany Salmon, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission

Bioethics

Canadian Doctors Get Ready for Child Euthanasia – Wesley J. Smith, National Review

 

Family

Marriage

How Expectations Affect One's Happiness in Marriage – Dianne Grande, Psychology Today

When the Military Takes a Toll on Your Marriage: Reflections on 'Indivisible' – Gary Chapman, Military.com

Men and Women: Should We Just Call the Whole Thing Off? – Rachel Lu, The American Conservative

One Couple's Fight to Honor God With Their Bakery – Benjamin Hawkins, Focus on the Family

37.8 Percent in Generation That Starts Turning 21 Next Year Was Born to Unwed Moms – Terence P. Jeffrey, CNS News

Parenting

How to Respond When Your Kids Are Bullied – Jonathan McKee, Focus on the Family

Mothers Against Macron – Joy Pullmann, First Things

I’m Raising an Old Soul And It’s Such a Gift – Heidi Hamm, HerViewFromHome

Making of a Mom: How Motherhood Helped my Anxiety Disorder – Casey McCorry, Verily

New Findings Add Twist to Screen Time Limit Debate – Jean Twenge, Family Studies

Podcast: Your Teenager Needs Discipleship – Jen Wilkin and Melissa Kruger, The Gospel Coalition

Video: How is spiritual warfare involved in parenting? – Phillip Bethancourt, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission

How to Be a Kindness Role Model for Your Kids – Dale V. Atkins and Amanda R. Salzhauer, Greater Good Magazine

Postpartum Depression and the Christian – Kathryn Butler, The Gospel Coalition

Economics/Education

9 Years Into Common Core, Test Scores Are Down, Indoctrination Up – Joy Pullmann, The Federalist

The Wealth of Nations Begins at Home – W. Bradford Wilcox, Family Studies

Your Family, Your Choice – Oren Cass, Family Studies

Faith/Character/Culture

10 ways your unsatisfied life is a blessing – Amy Simpson, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission

Honoring the ‘Invisible Work Force’ of Family Caregivers – Amy Ziettlow, Family Studies

How to Love People You Don’t Like – Greg Morse, Desiring God

Cultural winsomeness will not be enough for Christians – Andrew T. Walker, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission

In An America This Ignorant, It’s No Wonder We Struggle To Stay Free – Stella Morabito, The Federalist

I Cremated My Unborn Son – Tish Harrison Warren, Christianity Today

8 Signs Your Christianity Is Too Comfortable – Brett McCracken, The Gospel Coalition

A Fresh Perspective on Joy – Liberty McArtor, The Stream

'Remarkable' decline in fertility rates – James Gallagher, BBC News

Human Sexuality

Where to Find Hope and Help amid the Sexual Revolution – Sam Allberry, The Gospel Coalition

Kissing Purity Culture Goodbye – Abigail Rine Favale, First Things

What ‘The New York Times’ Gets Wrong on the ‘Transgender Memo’ – Andrew T. Walker, The Gospel Coalition

Jesus Befriended Prostitutes. So This Victorian-Era Woman Did Too. – Kimi Harris, Christianity Today

‘Boy Erased’ Suggests Sexual Desire Can’t Change, So Religion Must – Brett McCracken, The Gospel Coalition

Where Angels Fear to Tread: The Fraud of Transgenderism – Babette Francis and John Ballantyne, Public Discourse

Pornography

The Problems of Pornography: Sexual Dysfunction and Beyond – Freda Bush, Focus on the Family