Dear Friends,
When I was attending mass a number of years ago, the priest said something that I’ll never forget. He thanked God for giving us “the consolation of the truth.”
Since then, I have thought often about how knowing the Truth and believing in it has indeed been a tremendous consolation to me. I’m the kind of person who inclines toward a more melancholic view of the world, and I find that I have a tendency to easily get discouraged about life. This is why I am especially grateful for my faith. When I find myself getting a little down, I know exactly what I need to do: to turn to the Lord, thank him for all he has done for me, and ask for his help. This simple act gives me tremendous peace of mind—I know that I’m not the one in control of anything. God alone holds all of our lives in the palm of his hand.
Knowing the peace that my faith has brought to my life, it’s greatly saddening to know that there are so many in our culture who don’t have any belief in the eternal to fall back on, which according to Pew, is now at roughly 23 percent of the country. Even though there are so many who are not believers, one thing I do know is that we all long for the eternal. In the words of Bishop Barron: “No matter how much we know, we want to know more; No matter how much we love, we want greater love; No matter how much beauty we attain, we sense that there is a perfect beauty that we haven’t seen.”
In this Easter season of the Lord’s defeat of death, let us proclaim what we know to be true: that the longing we all have for our lives to be perfect is not mere silly sentimentality. This longing was built into us by our Creator—it reflects the fact that we are longing for unification with he who is Perfect. It is only in surrendering our lives to this Perfect Truth that we find true happiness and true consolation.
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
Bolton could be the first national security chief to prioritize religious freedom – Ken Blackwell and Frank Wolf
Citizenship Matters – Ken Blackwell
Supreme Court should spare pro-lifers from compelled pro-abortion speech – Cathy Ruse and Patrina Mosley
Dems refuse to recognize Trump's first-rate federal court picks – Ken Blackwell
As Science Advances, the Pro-Life Movement Grows – Patrina Mosley
Ben Shapiro: America Must Have a Shared Duty to God to Survive – Dan Hart
Drug Addicts Need Treatment and Tough Love, Not Facilitation of Their Habit – David Krayden
How to Find Healing When Your Spouse is an Addict – Caleb Anderson
Attacks on Counseling Threaten Pastors and Churches – Travis Weber
Does Down Syndrome Keep the “Good Life” Out of Reach? – Patrina Mosley
Of Guns and Prodigal Fathers – Peter Sprigg
Religious Liberty
Religious Liberty in the Public Square
University Reverses Ban on Conservative Student Who Said There Are Only 2 Genders – Samuel Smith, The Christian Post
Archdiocese appeal over Christmas ads on Metrobuses back in federal court – Chantalle Edmunds, WTOP
Google defeats lawsuit claiming YouTube censors conservatives – Jonathan Stempel, Reuters
Google snubbed Easter with no doodle for 18th year in a row, Christians say – Frank Miles, Fox News
International Religious Freedom
'Jesus is Building His Church' Inside Iran, Millions Watching Christian Satellite TV – George Thomas, CBN
Nigerian Christians call for abducted schoolgirl’s freedom – Onize Ohikere, WORLD
America shouldn't send endangered religious minority refugees back to Iran – Nina Shea, Fox News
After the fall: the church in Vietnam – June Cheng, WORLD
Ambassador Brownback: World faces a 'critical moment' for religious minorities – Courtney Grogan, CNA
Court: Pakistani Christians Must Reveal Religion to Vote or Apply for Jobs – Christianity Today
Young Mom Clings to Christ as Tolerance Shifts in India – Brian Orme, The Gospel Coalition
Xi Jinping’s Village – Dan Hitchens, First Things
Religious Totalitarianism, Secular Totalitarianism, and Other Threats to International Religious Freedom – Daniel Mark, Public Discourse
China makes ‘major change’ in religious freedom oversight – Mindy Belz, WORLD
Military Religious Freedom
Exonerated! Air Force Restores Career of Colonel Punished for Religious Beliefs – ToddStarnes.com
Air Force veteran sues after being pulled from ceremony mid-speech – Cristina Corbin and Perry Chiaramonte, Fox News
Life
Abortion
An Open Letter to Pro-Life Sidewalk Witnesses – Constance J. Thatcher, First Things
Mississippi enacts strongest pro-life law in the country – Calvin Freiburger, LifeSiteNews
Family welcomes sextuplets after refusing selective reduction abortion – Nancy Flanders, Live Action
Forcing Pro-Life Pregnancy Care Centers to Advertise for Abortion is Unjust and Unconstitutional – Andrew T. Walker, Public Discourse
Video: How can parents instill a pro-life ethic in their children? – Rachel Metzger, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
Planned Parenthood showed this photo in court…and promptly lost lawsuit against pro-life group – Jay Hobbs, LifeSiteNews
Washington Gov. signs law forcing insurers to cover abortion, contraception – Calvin Freiburger, LifeSiteNews
Planned Parenthood: Force Christian Doctors and Nurses to Perform Abortions – Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews
Obama HHS Abortion Mandate Suffers Massive Defeat, Can’t Force Catholic Employers to Fund Abortions – Steven Ertelt, LifeNews
Adoption
The beauty of open adoption: Birth mother wipes tears of son’s adoptive mother – Nancy Flanders, Live Action
Bucking Trump Deregulation Agenda, State Department Chokes International Adoption – Jayme Metzgar, The Federalist
Catholic Social Services Refuses to Change LGBT Adoption Policy After Philadelphia Halts Program – Stoyan Zaimov, The Christian Post
Family Finds, Adopts Abandoned Baby Just Three Weeks After International Move – Kara Bettis, Faithwire
In the War Against Faith-Based Adoption Agencies, Children Lose – Autumn Leva, The Daily Signal
Bioethics
Report reveals Oregon assisted suicide law crafted with deadly loophole – Anna Reynolds, Live Action
Euthanasia Aloha: Death Laws Come to Hawaii – John Zmirak, The Stream
Obamacare
Abortion Over ObamaCare – Wall Street Journal
Family
Economics/Education
America’s Quiet Carnage – Nathan Nielson, First Things
A Tragic Abandonment of Identity: The Secularization of America's Religious Colleges and Universities – Arthur Goldberg, Public Discourse
Marriage
7 Things the Easter Story Teaches Us About Marriage – Lisa Lakey, Family Life
6 Tools for Healthy Communication in Marriage – Mike Bechtle, Focus on the Family
Resilient Commitment: Overcoming the Intergenerational Effects of Parental Divorce – D. Scott Sibley, Family Studies
Does Faith Reduce Divorce Risk? – Glenn Stanton, Public Discourse
Why you need to hug your kids … even when they try to squirm away – Calah Alexander, Aleteia
For Black Boys, Family Structure Still Matters – W. Bradford Wilcox, Family Studies
No Ring, No Baby: How Marriage Trends Impact Fertility – Lyman Stone, Family Studies
A Good Marriage May Help Keep You Thin, Study Says – Jamie Ducharme, Time
Faith/Character/Culture
We are failures, mired in mediocrity. Then comes Easter – Tom Hoopes, Aleteia
What’s Happening to Men is Alarming for Everyone – Jennifer Hartline, The Stream
Reports Of Christianity’s Death In Europe Have Been Greatly Exaggerated – John D. Martin, The Federalist
It All Comes Back to God – Alan Shlemon, The Stream
The Deficits of the iPhone Generation – Christopher O. Tollefsen, Public Discourse
The Left’s Doomed Crusade to Erase Gender Differences – Ben Shapiro, National Review
Human Sexuality
Should Those Seeking Freedom From Unwanted Sexual Attractions Be Denied Therapy? – Judy Roberts, National Catholic Register
Parents Barred From Questioning 'Gender Identity' Changes at Virginia School District Meeting – Samuel Smith, The Christian Post
Walmart removes Cosmopolitan magazine from checkout aisles – Fox Business
Human Trafficking
Power of FOSTA-SESTA Felt within 48 Hours of Senate Passage: Websites Move Swiftly to Shutter Prostitution Ads – Lisa L. Thompson, National Center on Sexual Exploitation
The Fight to Stop Child Sex Trafficking Far From Over – Jeff Brodsky, The Christian Post
Pornography
Fortify: The New Online Platform That’s Changing Recovery – Fight the New Drug
Resources to Help You Fight Pornography Addiction – Doug Burford, Focus on the Family
There is Nothing ‘Adult’ About Pornography – Rob Schwarzwalder, The Stream
