Dear Friends,
If you pay much attention to what everyone is talking about these days—what some might call “news”—it’s easy to pick up on a troubling pattern. Kyle Smith at National Review has pinpointed it well: it’s “a culture of enmity.” It’s something that both liberals and conservatives are guilty of—a near constant state of indignation, usually aimed at someone who said something “hateful,” that must be made publicly known. As Smith observes, it can be easy to fall into the trap of fighting hate with more hate: “Any uneasy feelings about hate are washed clean when that hate is obviously justified. Hating haters, these days, produces a kind of ecstasy. It is easily mistaken for love.”
As Christians, we are called to something higher. Even when we feel that we are justified in “calling out” someone for something that they have said or written that we find offensive, we need to slow down and give our response careful consideration. As David French has observed: “If you truly hate the offensive speech in question — if you truly believe it’s hurtful — why share it far and wide? Why amplify the offensive voice? Arguably, the worst rebuke for a troll, the worst punishment for the self-promoting radical, is indifference. I have my own standard for engaging bad ideas — First, I wait. I ask myself: Are these ideas gaining traction? Do they threaten to make a material difference in the marketplace of ideas? If the answer is yes, then I engage. If the answer is no, I let the offensive speech die a natural death.” In other words, ignoring offensive remarks can often be the most prudent course of action, especially in our current cultural climate of ubiquitous outrage.
At the risk of sounding a little bit trite and naïve, it’s time for Christians to start a revolution of positivity by infusing the public square with truth, goodness, and beauty. Instead of pontificating about the latest outrage on Facebook, share an insightful spiritual quote you heard from last Sunday’s sermon, or share a link to an inspiring story about the adoption of a needy child. The authentic Christian life should not solely be focused on exposing the darkness of evil. Our primary goal should be to magnify the lightness of good.
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
The Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act: Ensuring a Free Marketplace of Adoption Providers – Travis Weber
Parents Stand Up for Children in Sex Ed Sit Out – Cathy Ruse
More Sex Ed and Even More Stalinism at the Local School Board – Cathy Ruse and Austin Ruse
Pompeo: A Proven Leader for the State Department – Ken Blackwell
Pompeo Is Ready to Lead – William G. Boykin
Why the Alfie Evans Case Is a Full-Blown Example of Forced Euthanasia – Om Narayanan
Can You See Me? – Patrina Mosley
Faith-Based Adoption Providers Must Be Allowed to Serve Needy Children
State Department Defends Actual Human Rights Instead of Made-Up Rights – Travis Weber
12 Resources to Fight Sexual Exploitation, Part 2 – Peter Sprigg
12 Resources to Fight Sexual Exploitation, Part 1 – Peter Sprigg
Who Owns Free Speech on the Internet?
“Suicide Machine” Shows Us Why Combating Euthanasia Is Crucial to the Pro-Life Cause – Om Narayanan
Religious Liberty
Religious Liberty in the Public Square
New California Bill Could Ban Sale of Some Christian Books (Yes, Really) – Mark Meckler, Patheos
School District Forbids Parents From Opting Kids Out of LGBT Lessons – ToddStarnes.com
Senators are failing the religious test for office – Jeremy Dys, The Hill
The Unsoundness of Silencing Hate – Elizabeth Scalia, Word On Fire
School District Bans Principal From Inviting Parents to Pray at Flag Pole After Atheist Complaint – Samuel Smith, The Christian Post
US Christian who refuses to pay taxes until abortion is defunded has first big win in court – Calvin Freiburger, LifeSiteNews
Iowa Senate refuses to confirm Board of Medicine appointee over post on LGBTQ issues – William Petroski, Des Moines Register
Southern Poverty Law Center Quietly Deleted List of ‘Anti-Muslim’ Extremists After Legal Threat – Jack Crowe, National Review
Satanists Declare War on Arkansas Ten Commandments – ToddStarnes.com
International Religious Freedom
State Dept. Convinced Andrew Brunson Is Innocent, Says Turkey Lacks 'Credible Evidence' – Samuel Smith, The Christian Post
Attack on Nigerian church kills 15 worshippers – Onize Ohikere, WORLD
Trudeau: ‘We will not apologize’ for valuing abortion over free speech – Calvin Freiburger, LifeSiteNews
Military Religious Freedom
Baptist Army Chaplain Faces Punishment for Religious Beliefs – ToddStarnes.com
San Diego-based admiral declines to probe Bible placement at Okinawa hospital – Carl Prine, The San Diego Union-Tribune
Life
Abortion
House passes bill banning abortions based on Down Syndrome – Liz Navratil & Angela Couloumbis, The Inquirer
State Department: Abortion ‘is not a human right’ – Joel Gehrke, Washington Examiner
Pro-Choice Movement Opposes Abortion Alternatives in South Bend – Alexandra DeSanctis, National Review
Cecile Richards Finally Leaves Planned Parenthood After 12 Years and 3.5 Million Abortions – Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews
Adoption
Adopting Priorities – Kathryn Jean Lopez, The Stream
10 things that will kill your church's orphan care ministry: Part 1 – Rick Morton, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
Finally a family: Inside the adoption process for three Bedford County sisters – Siobhan McGirl, WDBJ7
10 things that will kill your orphan care ministry: Part 2 – Rick Morton, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
Bioethics
The State-Ordered Killing of Young Alfie Evans – John O’Sullivan, National Review
Alfie Evans’ Death Illustrates The Monstrous Logic Of The Welfare State – John Daniel Davidson, The Federalist
Alfie Evans and Our Moral Crossroads – Charles C. Camosy, First Things
Obamacare
Republicans have a long way to go toward fully repealing ObamaCare – Rachel Bovard, The Hill
Family
Marriage
Healing a Hookup Culture through the Goods of Marriage – Timothy P. O'Malley, Family Studies
“The Flash,” Fear, and the Kenosis of Marriage – Rachel Bulman, Word on Fire
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson should put a ring on it — for his kids' sake – W. Bradford Wilcox, USA Today
Effective Marriage Preparation for the Next Generation Is More Important Than Ever – Tiffany L. Clyde and Alan J. Hawkins, Family Studies
The New States’ Rights: Is Parenthood Defined by Biology or Government? – Adam J. MacLeod, Public Discourse
A Marriage Restored – Thomas Jeffries, Focus on the Family
For Most Couples Who Stay the Course, Marriage Gets Better With Time: An Interview with Paul R. Amato – Alysse ElHage, Family Studies
Economics/Education
Anti-homeschooling bill defeated in California – The Desert Review
Why Christian Higher Education Still Matters – Chris Hazell, Word on Fire
New National Test Scores Show Betsy DeVos Was Right About Public Schools – Mary Clare Amselem, Intellectual Takeout
How Colleges Are Ripping Off a Generation of Ill-Prepared Students – Walter E. Williams, The Daily Signal
Faith/Character/Culture
Why you should encourage your child to befriend the kid who’s “different” – Adrian Buntin, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
Make It Easy for Your Kids to Love God – Ray Ortlund, Desiring God
From the Depths of John Krasinski’s Catholic Past: A Quiet Work of Art – Sarah Perry, Benedict XVI Institute
When God Shouts – Pat Flynn, Word on Fire
Christian, choose hope in an age of cynicism – Jason Duesing, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
Human Sexuality
The School System Corrupts And Sexualizes Our Children And Calls It 'Sex Ed' – Matt Walsh, The Daily Wire
Promiscuous America: Smart, Secular, and Somewhat Less Happy – Nicholas H. Wolfinger, Family Studies
How the New Corporate Elite Sold Same-Sex Marriage to the American Public – Scott Yenor, Public Discourse
Encouraging Intentional Dating in a Hookup Culture – Meg T. McDonnell, Family Studies
Human Trafficking
This Man Rescues Children From Sex Slavery And Wants You To Know This About Backpage – Bre Payton, The Federalist
Pornography
Jesus’s Compassion for Those Who Love Porn – Mo Isom, The Gospel Coalition
Why redeeming our thoughts matters – Liz Wann, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
