Dear Friends,
By now, you have probably seen or heard about the viral video of a dad whose kids unexpectedly burst into his home office during a live BBC interview he is doing over Skype. It was a hilariously endearing moment, and not just because of the panicked yet heroic efforts of the man’s wife as she swooped in to grab the kids. For me, it was also a messily beautiful reminder of the intimate connection between work and the family.
In today’s culture, work is often trumpeted as an end in itself. A high-paying career is frequently seen as something that can be pursued at all costs, without regard to the detrimental effects that this can have on one’s personal life. This attitude causes a tragic segmentation in life, which should be holistic in nature. A career should never be pursued at the expense of neglecting the relationships that sustain us and that we are called by God to nurture. A “career first” mentality has it exactly backward—work should always be in the service of our families and our communities.
Another sad tendency in modern culture is to distort the definition of “work” itself. When studies come out showing that wives on average do more housework than husbands and husbands on average engage in more paid work than wives, cries of “inequality!” are yelped from the rooftops of mainstream media outlets. But let’s stop and think about this for a minute: one person works for the money to pay for the groceries; the other uses the groceries to prepare the meals. Both activities are different kinds of work that are equally important and intrinsically united—if either of the two are not done, nobody eats.
I say all this to illustrate my central point: an increasingly secular culture tends to strictly divide “professional life” from “personal life.” But in a wonderfully unscripted moment during a live BBC newscast, this artificial edifice was briefly torn down with the help of an excited toddler and her sibling.
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
I’m Grateful for the Restoration of the Mexico City Policy This International Women’s Day – Arina Grossu
Another Chance for President Trump to Make Sure Foreign Governments Play by the Rules – Ken Blackwell
Judge Neil Gorsuch: The Case for Confirmation – Travis Weber and Chris Gacek
The Refugee Implications of President Trump’s Executive Orders – Travis Weber
Joseph Nicolosi, Father of “Reparative Therapy” for Homosexuality, Dies Suddenly – Peter Sprigg
A Biblical Perspective on Immigration – Travis Weber
President Trump’s Executive Orders on Immigration: Religious Freedom and Other Implications – Travis Weber
The U.S. No Longer Funds Overseas Abortions. Canada and Europe Grind Their Teeth – Dan Hart
Voiceless: Christians Must Engage the Culture to Fight Abortion – Dan Hart
Religious Liberty
Religious Liberty in the Public Square
The Rioters Are Winning – David French, National Review
Over 150 conservative leaders urge Trump to sign order protecting religious liberty – Claire Chretien, LifeSiteNews
School: Trump Chant is Hate Speech – ToddStarnes.com
Just Because Liberals Call Something ‘Discrimination’ Doesn’t Mean It Actually Is – Ryan T. Anderson, The Daily Signal
International Religious Freedom
Christians are the world’s most persecuted religious group, according to studies – Zoe Romanowsky, Aleteia
United Nations Committee Demands Ireland Legalize Abortion – Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews
Pro-Life Counseling Becomes Illegal in France – Marie Meaney, Crisis
Liberal bill empowers gvmt to take kids from Ontario parents who don’t accept gender ideology: legal experts – Lianne Laurence, LifeSiteNews
Christian Group Compassion International Closes India Operations Amid Crackdown by Hindu Nationalists – Anugrah Kumar, The Christian Post
2016 Annual Report: Chinese Government Persecution of Churches and Christians in Mainland China – China Aid
Military Religious Freedom
Air Force Says Words Like ‘Boy’ & ‘Girl’ Could be Offensive – ToddStarnes.com
Religious Freedom Group Defends Military Chaplains' Right to Pray at Official Events – Liberty McArtor, The Stream
Life
Abortion
Canadian gvmt pledges $650 million to increase abortion globally – Lianne Laurence, LifeSiteNews
Hawaii considering bill to force church, pro-life centers to promote abortion – Bradford Richardson, The Washington Times
One Planned Parenthood Clinic Has Injured Women in 64 Botched Abortions, Has 39 Health Violations – Cheryl Sullenger, Life News
Pro-Life, Pro-Truth – Alexi Sargeant, First Things
In Iceland 100% of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted. Think about that. – Lauren Bell, LifeSiteNews
Human Rights Activist: Forced Abortion Policy Leads to 23 Million Abortions a Year in China – Penny Starr, Breitbart
Adoption
New South Dakota law could protect religious adoption agencies – Catholic News Agency
How 5 siblings pleading to stay together as a family became a ‘great crisis’ – Rick Montgomery, The Sacramento Bee
Nebraska's budget squeeze puts post-adoption help at risk – Martha Stoddard, Omaha World-Herald
Bioethics
Embryo Experiments Reveal Earliest Human Development, But Stir Ethical Debate – Rob Stein, NPR
Science confirms that human life begins at fertilization – Luke Faulkner, Live Action News
Alaska Legislature Will Hold Hearing on Dangerous Bill Legalizing Assisted Suicide – Steve Ertelt, LifeNews
Democrats Push Bill to Legalize Assisted Suicide in Wisconsin – Erin Parfet, LifeNews
Maryland Pro-Life Advocates Stop Bill to Legalize Assisted Suicide – Dave Andrusko, LifeNews
Obamacare
Repealing Obamacare Will Create, Not Kill, Jobs – John R. Graham, Independent Institute
Pro-Life Groups Sound Caution on Obamacare Replacement Bill – Rachel del Guidice, The Daily Signal
Family
Economics/Education
Can Declining Productivity Growth Be Reversed? – Bourree Lam, The Atlantic
Marriage
Your Marriage: You Have No Idea of the Good You Are Doing – Doug Mainwaring, Public Discourse
Married Parenthood Remains the Best Path to a Stable Family – Alysse ElHage, Family Studies
Couple with Down Syndrome Criticized over Engagement. But after Twenty-Two Years of Marriage, See Them Now – Noell Wolfgram Evans, Liftable
Is Your Smartphone Coming Between You and Your Spouse? – Greg Smalley, Focus on the Family
Sex in the Modern Marriage – Ashley McGuire, Family Studies
How Faith Influences Divorce Decisions – Steven M. Harris, Family Studies
Faith/Character/Culture
Ideology and the Corruption of Language – Randall Smith, Public Discourse
Throw Like a Girl: Why Feminism Insults Real Women – Rebekah Merkle, Desiring God
‘Day Without Women’ Measures Women’s Value The Wrong Way – Gracy Olmstead, The Federalist
Out of the Ashes: Anthony Esolen's Clarion Call to Restore Culture, Faith, and Sanity – Michael Bradley, Public Discourse
Emma Watson Explains Perfectly Why I’m A Woman Who Is Afraid Of Feminism – Monica Gabriel Marshall, Verily
Human Sexuality
A Requiem for Friendship – Anthony Esolen, Touchstone
Life in a Foreign Country: Navigating Our Culture’s Change on Sexuality – Ed Shaw, The Gospel Coalition
Biology Isn't Bigotry: Christians, Lesbians, and Radical Feminists Unite to Fight Gender Ideology – Emily Zinos, Public Discourse
Americans having less sex than they once did – Tara Bahrampour, The Washington Post
Putting genies back into bottles: Sex before marriage – Katrina Fernandez, Aleteia
Human Trafficking
Film spotlights human trafficking as Trump promises action – AP News
Human trafficking growing problem in metro Atlanta – Nathalie Pozo, Fox 5
Pornography
The High Cost of Free Porn – Owen Strachan, Desiring God
Is Life Better Without Porn? – Frank Honess, The Christian Post
