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The First World War began a little more than 101 years ago. It shattered a generation and its cost in lives and treasure remains stunning to contemplate.
Yet out of the war came C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, two of the 20th century’s greatest proponents of the importance of Christian virtue for all of culture. Unlike a generation of young writers who lost faith in the God of the Bible, Tolkien and Lewis produced epic stories infused with the themes of guilt and grace, sorrow and consolation. Giving an unabashedly Christian vision of hope in a world tortured by doubt and disillusionment, the two writers created works that changed the course of literature and shaped the faith of millions. Dr. Joe Loconte’s new book, A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War: How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Rediscovered Faith, Friendship, and Heroism in the Cataclysm of 1914-1918 is the first book to explore Tolkien and Lewis’ work in light of the spiritual crisis sparked by the conflict.
One of the things these men came to value was a core Christian commitment to the dignity of every person. As image-bearers of God, each of us has a primary duty to Him – which is the very foundation of the religious liberty which undergirds all of our other freedoms. As Lewis wrote in The Screwtape Letters, “Every Government consists of mere men … if it adds to its commands ‘Thus saith the Lord,’ it lies, and lies dangerously.”
At noon on Thursday, October 8th, join us at FRC or watch online as Dr. Loconte shares the circumstances which bound together and inspired these two dearly loved authors.
Joe Loconte (Ph.D., King’s College, University of London) teaches history at The King’s College in the heart of New York City. He has written thoughtfully on many of today’s most pressing issues, and his commentary on religion and democracy, human rights, and international religious freedom appears in the nation’s leading media outlets, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the New Republic, the Weekly Standard, and National Public Radio. He is also a regular contributor to the London-based Standpoint Magazine and Italy’s La Stampa.
To register for this important lecture (either to attend or watch online), go to http://www.frc.org/events/book-event-with-joseph-loconte-phd. We hope you can join us.
Sincerely,
Rob Schwarzwalder
Senior Vice-President
Family Research Council
P.S. Be sure to watch the speeches of leading presidential contenders and other compelling panels and events at this year’s Values Voter Summit. The stakes for the 2016 election are high, and VVS helps us understand what they are and how each of us can make a difference.
Religious Liberty
“Free to Believe” –
- Pope Francis met privately with Kentucky clerk Kim Davis, Vatican confirms - Abby Ohlheiser, Sarah Pulliam Bailey and Justin Wm. Moyer, Washington Post
- The Next Religious Liberty Fight? Pharmacists and a family owned company in Washington state are challenging rules regarding the distribution of emergency contraception - Kimberly Leonard, U.S. News and World Report
- A Millennial’s Take on Godly Civil Disobedience – Bryan Ballas, Juicy Ecumenism
International Religious freedom-
- 10 Stats That Show the Dire State of Christian Persecution - Elisabeth Doherty & Kody Kness, Relevant
- Naghmeh Abedini to Iran: 'Saeed Is Not Collateral' – CBN News
- Persecuted Christians Tell Horrors of Starvation, Brutal Electric Shock Torture for Refusing to Deny Jesus Christ – Samuel Smith, Christian Post
- Victims of China’s Religious Liberty ‘Crackdown’ Appeal to Obama. But Will He Help? – Madaline Donnelly, The Daily Signal
Military Religious Freedom
- “God Bless” sign draws ire from some on Marine Corps Base – Fox News
- Why the US Military Needs Religious Literacy - Nilay Saiya, Cornerstone
Religious Liberty in the public square –
- A Holy See Change on Religious Liberty – Tony Perkins, Washington Watch
- Janice Shaw Crouse: Homosexual activists peddling ‘falsehoods’ about World Congress of Families, Interview, Lifesitenews.com
- Pope Francis: Refusing to sign gay ‘marriage’ licenses is a human right – Lisa Bourne, Life Site News
- Pope Francis and Those Radical, Permanent Things – George Weigel, National Review
- What Ben Carson Got Right about whether a Muslim Should Be President – Charles C.W. Cooke, National Review
- Francis and the Politics of Projection - Matthew Hennessey, City Journal
- The Corruption of the Faith: Where Has Francis-Style Catholicism Ever Thrived? - George Neumayr, Spectator.org
- The New-Time Religion - William Voegli, Claremont Institute
- Did America Have a Christian Founding? –Mark David Hall, Heritage.org
- Brave new world: Obama says gay rights trump religious liberty – Gregory Tomlin, Christian Examiner
- Against the Flow: The Inspiration of Daniel in an Age of Relativism – Duane Liftin, The Gospel Coalition
Threats to Religious Institutions–
- Taxing Churches Would Marry Church And State - Paul R. DeHart and Kevin Stuart, The Federalist
- An alarming new era for religious liberty in America – Kelly Shackleford, Washington Times
Life
Abortion
- Senators Fight To Protect Abortion Survivors – Bre Payton, The Federalist
- How Many Women Are Pressured Into Abortions? – Greg Scandien, The Federalist
- On Abortion, Medical Science is Still Waiting to be Heard – Phillip Howley, Public Discourse
- Planned Parenthood’s California Counsel - Steven Greenhut, City Journal
- What the Creator of Planned Parenthood Videos Had to Say About Cecile Richards’ Congressional Testimony – Kate Scanlon, The Daily Signal
- Forensic report finds Planned Parenthood videos are ‘authentic’ and unaltered – Ben Johnson, LifeSiteNews
- I Went To Planned Parenthood For Birth Control, But They Pushed Abortion – Sarah Owens, The Federalist
- Why the pro-life Fiorina’s ascent should terrify Democrats – Marc Thiessen, Washington Post
- China’s One Child Policy Turns 35 — Open Letter to Xi Jinping – Reggie Littlejohn, Women’s Rights Without Frontiers
- Congress should end Federal Funding to Planned Parenthood and Redirect it toward Other Health Care Options - Sarah Torre, Heritage.org
Adoption
- Adoption agency to send pro-life ads to smartphones inside abortion clinics – Calvin Freiburger, LifeSite News
- China relaxes adoption rules for abandoned, trafficked children – Reuters
- Delayed 2 Years: US Urges Congo to Let Adoptions Go Through – Associated Press
Fetal Pain
- FIORINA WAS RIGHT – Glenn T. Stanton, First Things
- The Painful Legacy of J. Marion Sims and the Painful Practice of Planned Parenthood – Austin L. Hughes, Ethika Politika
- Democrats Defeat Pro-Life Senate Bill Banning Late-Term Abortions After 20 Weeks – Steve Ertelt, LifeNews
Healthcare conscience
- Pope Francis meets with Little Sisters of the Poor, nuns involved in an Obamacare lawsuit - Sarah Pulliam Bailey and Abby Ohlheiser, Washington Post
- The Supreme Court Probably Isn’t Done With Obamacare Litigation – Dan Mclaughlin, The Federalist
Obamacare
- How Obamacare Will Cost Native American Tribes Millions of Dollars, Melissa Quinn, Daily Signal
- Federal Court Sets Up Supreme Court Review of HHS Mandate, Becket Fund
- Millions Trampled in ObamaCare’s ‘Success’ - Grace-Marie Turner, Galen.org
Family
Human Sexuality (Homosexual/ gender issues)
- Pick your gender - there's six to choose from – Bob Kellogg, One News Now
- Will Committed Christians Be Committed (to an Asylum)? – Napp Nazworth, Christian Post
Human Trafficking
- Prostitution, porn, and abortion: three sides of the same coin – Jonathan Von Maren, LifeSite News
- Old mark of slavery is being used on sex trafficking victims – Sara Sidner, CNN
Marriage
- Marriage as a matter of social justice – Bradford Wilcox, The Atlantic
- Pope Francis Celebrates the Traditional Family - Matthew Hennessey, City Journal
- It’s Time to Get Serious about Infidelity - Beverly Willett, The Public Discourse
- Why Do So Many Christian Marriages End Up in Divorce? – Eric Metaxas, Breakpoint
Pornography
- This company’s big decision shows why we can’t give up the fight against porn – John StoneStreet, LifeSite News
- History and Importance of Law in Combatting Pornography – Robert Peters, National Center on Sexual Exploitation
- 10 Ways to Begin Talking to Your Children About Sex & Porn - Cory M. Schortzman, Covenant Eyes
