Dear Friends,
Do you ever find yourself exasperated at a friend or family member because they don’t share your beliefs, even though you’ve witnessed to them time and time again? Or maybe you harbor this frustration in a subtler way by privately hanging on to feelings of sadness or bitterness toward someone because of their lack of understanding and belief. This has been a common part of my own faith journey, and I’m sure it is for others as well.
It is at times like these that we should keep in mind that old familiar saying: “Patience is a virtue.” Yes, I know this phrase is dull and perhaps overused, but when we think about it in biblical terms, patience takes on a new dimension of meaning. For example, at the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew, we see the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:1-17). This passage is a stark illustration of the fact that God used a lineage full of sinners to become man. In the words of one commentator: “Even in the midst of all this sin and unfaithfulness, God remained faithful. He continued to work patiently to bring his plan to fulfilment.”
By paying attention to the faithfulness and patience that God has shown His people throughout salvation history and up to today, we begin to see that God does not do His work on man’s schedule. In the words of a priest I heard recently, “We have to be patient with the growth of His grace. This should prompt us to be patient with others.” This is a great reminder for us to not fall into discouragement and frustration when it appears that our words and prayers seem to have little effect on those we encounter. The important thing is to stay faithful in thought, word, deed, and prayer, always mindful that God is continually doing His faithful work and answering our prayers in ways we both can and cannot see.
As the Advent season draws to a close and our Savior’s birth approaches, the virtue of patience takes centerstage in the Christian life. Let us patiently await the coming of the Savior, ever faithful in the promises He has kept and continues to keep every day of our lives.
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
Editor’s Note: The Social Conservative Review will be on hiatus through Christmas. It will resume again on January 15, 2019.
FRC Articles
NEW Policy Publication: Religious Liberty and the “Wedding Vendor” Cases – Alexandra McPhee
Congress Must Repeal Its Tax on Churches and Charities – Travis Weber and David Closson
On Sex, the Science Is Deafening – Tony Perkins
Avoiding anti-religious decision-making – William G. Boykin
Season for Giving to Religious Groups – David Closson
Obamacare 2019: Fewer options and more funding of abortion – Patrina Mosley and Chuck Donovan
Stats Show People Still Want Reason for the Season This Christmas – Alexandra McPhee
Fairness for Whom? – Peter Sprigg
Obamacare and Abortion: Tell Us Your Story – Patrina Mosley
What to Know About Indonesia’s New “Blasphemy Reporting App” – Travis Weber
Supreme Court Pass on Defunding Cases Reminds Us of the Horrors of Planned Parenthood – Patrina Mosley
Supreme Court Refuses to Rule on State Decisions to Defund Planned Parenthood – Travis Weber and Alexandra McPhee
Pronoun Police Get VA Teacher Fired – Cathy Ruse
Speaking the Truth in Love: Lauren Daigle and the Reality of Being a Christian in Modern America – David Closson
Will Asia Bibi Be Forgotten? – Arielle Del Turco
Starbucks for Coffee, Not Porn – Cathy Ruse
Christian Healthcare Alternatives to Obamacare – Patrina Mosley
Religious Liberty
Religious Liberty in the Public Square
Ohio city removes Nativity, Ten Commandments display from public property after atheist complaint – Stoyan Zaimov, The Christian Post
YAF Wins Landmark Free Speech Lawsuit, UC Berkeley To Pay $70,000 And Rescind Unconstitutional Policies – Spencer Brown, Young America’s Foundation
'In God We Trust' Returning to Public Schools, Buildings in More States – Steve Warren, CBN News
Treasury Dep't issues guidance softening parking tax burden on churches, nonprofits – Leonardo Blair, The Christian Post
Compromising religious freedom – Everett Piper, The Washington Times
Group protests Bible Clubs in Wood County Schools – Jess Mancini, The Marietta Times
Virginia high school teacher fired for refusing to use transgender student's new pronouns – Graham Moomaw, Richmond Times-Dispatch
Principal Bans Santa, Christmas Carols, Candy Canes & Jesus – ToddStarnes.com
Wise men will remain atop Newaygo Elementary – News 8
International Religious Freedom
President Trump, Asia Bibi is a Christian under threat of death in Pakistan -- please help her – Mike Huckabee, Fox News
USCIRF wants more sanctions to punish Myanmar's abuse of Rohingyas, Christians and others – Samuel Smith, The Christian Post
100 Christians snatched in overnight raids on underground Chinese church – Mimi Lau, South China Morning Post
US groups urge Modi to take necessary measures to curb rise of Hindutva extremism – The Times of India
Colombia: Pastors facing death threats, assassination attempts by extortionists, kidnappers – Stoyan Zaimov, The Christian Post
Asia Bibi apparently still in Pakistan as nations deny, debate appeals for asylum – John Burger, Aleteia
China: Fury as students BANNED from discussing religion – Latifa Yedroudj, Express
Read Powerful Letter Detained Chinese Pastor Wang Yi Wrote, Anticipating Arrest – Tré Goins-Phillips, FaithWire
Trump signs bill to aid ISIS genocide victims; Iraqi Christians ‘beginning to see a difference’ – Samuel Smith, The Christian Post
Egypt’s Silent Epidemic of Kidnapped Christian Girls – Lela Gilbert, The Jerusalem Post
114 Christians Arrested in One Week in Iran – Lindy Lowry, Open Doors USA
Life
Abortion
California Democrats eye mandating that state schools stock abortion pills – Kimberly Leonard, Washington Examiner
Nashville Becomes Largest Abortion-Free City in U.S. After Planned Parenthood Stops Doing Abortions – Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews
'Holding the line' Pro-lifers look ahead to new Congressional session – Christine Rousselle, CAN
Planned Parenthood Caught Selling Aborted Baby Parts Makes Over $100 Million Doing Abortions – Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews
Abortion pill restrictions approved by Michigan House – Jonathan Oosting, The Detroit News
Adoption
New York: ‘Change your beliefs or stop serving children’ – Alliance Defending Freedom
Why I’m Still an Adoption Romantic—Just a Less Starry-Eyed One – Mitch Pearlstein, Family Studies
Worse than foster care? Why not imagine something better for maltreated children? – Ron Haskins and Jeremy Kohomban, The Brookings Institution
Bioethics
The Case Against CRISPR Babies – Nicanor Austriaco, First Things
Pro-life medical expert tells Congressional panel aborted baby tissue isn’t necessary for research – Calvin Freiburger, LifeSiteNews
Obamacare
Christian groups win Obamacare birth control battle – Kimberly Leonard, Washington Examiner
How Catholics Can Ensure Their Health Care Doesn’t Fund Abortion – Lauretta Brown, National Catholic Register
Family
Marriage
The Partisan Divide in Marriage and Family Life: Four Takeaways from the 2018 American Family Survey – W. Bradford Wilcox, Family Studies
Keeping Your Marriage Intact While Grieving the Loss of a Child – Mary Ann Vincent, Focus on the Family
Protecting your marriage during the holidays – MPR News
You Can Reduce Negative Reactions in Conflict – Milan Yerkovich and Kay Yerkovich, Focus on the Family
The Unlikely Marriage of Alexander Hamilton and His Wife, Eliza – Barbara Maranzani, Biography.com
Parenting
3 Things Your Teens Fear the Most – Kevin Leman, Focus on the Family
Why parents constantly get their kids’ names wrong – Calah Alexander, Aleteia
Economics/Education
Modeling Opportunity in America: The Success Sequence and Social Genome Model – Isabel Sawhill, Family Studies
Virginia county wants to nix law allowing homeschooling for religious reasons – Helaina Bock, LifeSiteNews
The New Farm Bill Is So Bad That Supporters Don’t Want Its Details Released – Daren Bakst, The Daily Signal
How John Taylor Gatto Helped Parents And Children Regain Our Freedom To Think – Stella Morabito, The Federalist
Faith/Character/Culture
Study: Half of All High School Students Don’t Trust the Media to Report Accurately and Fairly – A.J. Katz, TVNewser
The Authenticity of Clint Eastwood’s 'Gran Torino' – Dwight Longenecker, Intellectual Takeout
America Was Always Diverse – Jim Geraghty, National Review
An Aging Society Needs Caregiving Superheroes – Amy Ziettlow, Family Studies
Human Sexuality
9 Transgender Patients Complain Of Mutilation, Botched Sex-Change Surgeries In Oregon – Walt Heyer, The Federalist
Parents protest Desert Sands Unified sex ed curriculum changes – Joseph Hong, Palm Springs Desert Sun
Yes, Evangelical ‘Abstinence Culture’ Is A Bust, But The Answer Isn’t A Sexual Free-For-All – Matthew Cochran, The Federalist
Does Cohabitation Still Matter for Children’s Family Stability When It Becomes Common? – Laurie DeRose, Family Studies
Why Puberty Blockers Are A Clear Danger To Children’s Health – Jane Robbins, The Federalist
Pornography
Pornography and the Definition of Power – Scott Beauchamp, The American Conservative
Tumblr will delete all porn from its platform – Lucas Matney, TechCrunch
Federal Employee Downloaded 9,000 Pages of Porn, Infecting Network with Russian Malware – Craig Bannister, CNS News
Starbucks finally bans porn – Kiley Crossland, WORLD
More College Students Wanting Universities to Filter Porn – National Center on Sexual Exploitation
