Current Events Archives

The Abortion Debate Returns to the Supreme Court

Unanswered – or poorly answered questions, never go away.

Nevertheless, it’s very good news that the United States Supreme Court announced earlier today that they’ve agreed to review Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

At issue is a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks.

The nine justices should use this case to re-evaluate Roe and Casey and best case, overturn them both. At the very least, the court should allow the states more leeway in prohibiting abortion pre-viability, including for things like gender, race or disability.

History tells us not to pin our hopes on the court in cases like this.

Topics: Current Events Tags: abortion, supreme court May 18, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

President Biden’s “American Families Plan” Risks Hurting the Very People it’s Supposed to Help

President Joe Biden’s “American Families Plan” is being touted by the administration as “an investment in our kids, our families, and our economic future.”

In reality, it’s a very bad bet – and for numerous reasons.

Of particular interest to me in the bill is the president’s proposal to spend an extra $225 billion on childcare and another $200 billion on “free” preschool. The premise and rationale for such a massive expenditure is that more federal dollars equate to healthier kids and families.

Topics: Current Events Tags: politics May 5, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Tragic Death of Teen Represents a Collapsing Culture Not Police Brutality

Last week’s fatal shooting of a Columbus, Ohio teenager by a police officer set off another fierce debate about the competence and racial motivations of law enforcement.

As you will recall, Columbus police were called out to a violent knife attack. Body camera footage later revealed one of the teen girls attempting to stab the other just prior to the gunfire.

To be sure, the police officer, who was white, was faced with a horrific dilemma that required an almost instantaneous decision.

Topics: Current Events Tags: culture April 28, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

No, Secretary of State Antony Blinken – Abortion is Not a Human Right

I sometimes wonder if government officials who champion abortion are blinded to the truth – or just knowingly embrace an indefensible position for the sake of ideological partisanship.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken comes to mind. He recently declared, “Standing up for human rights everywhere is in America’s interests.”

I would agree – it’s never right to embrace a wrong and defending the dignity of each person is a noble ideal. The United States may not be the world’s police force, but America has historically stood up for those in need, something we can all be proud of.

Yet during the same speech, Mr.

Topics: Current Events Tags: abortion, pro-life April 16, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

NY Times, Washington Post Attempt to Connect Massage Parlor Murders to Biblical Sexual Ethic

Details continue to emerge regarding last week’s murder of eight people at three different massage parlors in suburban Georgia.

The alleged gunman, Robert Aaron Long, reportedly told police his actions stemmed from a sex addiction he’s battling. Angry with himself, he apparently targeted women who enabled his desires.

It’s impossible to fathom how someone in that position would carry out such evil and horror – but that hasn’t stopped both the Washington Post and The New York Times from trying to pin the blame not just on Long, but his supposed belief system.

In short, reports in both papers have alluded to the 21-year-old’s self-described evangelicalism as the root of his actions, specifically a biblical sexual ethic that calls sex outside marriage sinful.

Sunday’s New York Times cited Dr.

Topics: Current Events Tags: current events March 23, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Confirmation of Xavier Becerra as HHS Secretary is a Troubling Turn of Events

Given his previous record of hostility to pre-born life, today’s confirmation of Xavier Becerra to serve as head of the Department of Health and Human Services foreshadows the coming of government sanctioned antagonism towards people with deeply held religious convictions.

Mr. Becerra has been a strong supporter of taxpayer-funded abortions, sex-selective abortions and while a member of Congress, voted in favor of partial-birth abortion. In the past, he’s also tried to force pregnancy resource centers, organizations committed to the preservation of life, to actively promote the destruction of it.

Topics: Current Events Tags: politics March 18, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Politics is Putting Children at Risk on the Southern Border

According to official reports, nearly 10,000 children arrived at our southern border last month without a parent – three times more than in February of 2020.

Although some are struggling to define and quantify the extent of the situation, there’s little doubt that it’s a growing humanitarian crisis, especially as facilities explode beyond capacity.

Why is this happening? What’s going on? And why should we care deeply about it?

While it seems obvious that many of those coming across the border believe President Biden’s immigration policies are more favorable to them than President Trump’s, this current crisis has been years in the making.

In part, it’s the combustion of tyrannical, oppressive regimes driving desperate people to exploit inconsistent and unenforced American immigration laws.

Topics: Current Events Tags: family, politics March 17, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

If the Stimulus Bill is Supposed to “Rescue” Americans – Why is it Funding the Killing of Babies in the Womb?

President Joe Biden is expected to sign by week’s end the latest COVID-19 relief bill, a hotly contested and fiercely debated piece of legislation filled with massive pork, including funding for abortion.

Known as the “American Rescue Plan of 2021,” the stimulus doesn’t include language from the Hyde Amendment, legislation that has historically prohibited taxpayer dollars from funding elective abortions. Money from this will further fill the coffers of groups like Planned Parenthood.

Public opinion polls suggest the American people favor this third round of government spending, particularly because most taxpayers will see payments of $1400 per family member.

Topics: Current Events Tags: abortion, government March 10, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Three Things Every Family Needs to Know About What’s Happening in Washington D.C.

President Biden’s administration is just over one month old, but there are many developments since Inauguration Day of interest and relevance to the family and the issues we as believers at Focus on the Family care deeply about.

Congress is expected to begin debate this week on H.R. 5 – otherwise known as, “The Equality Act.” The legislation would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity.”

Don’t be fooled by the title of the bill.

Topics: Current Events Tags: policy, politics February 24, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

YouTube’s Silencing of LifeSite is Chilling Example of Censorship

Just weeks after the social media giant Twitter blocked Focus on the Family’s Twitter account, it was announced earlier this week that YouTube had banned and removed all videos from LifeSite News, one of the internet’s most popular venues for pro-life information.

Their offense?

A spokesperson for YouTube suggested the pro-life site violated its COVID-19 misinformation policy.

“In accordance with our long-standing strikes system, we terminated the channel LifeSite News Media for repeatedly violating our COVID-19 misinformation policy, which prohibits content that promotes prevention methods that contradict local health authorities or WHO,” the spokesperson said.

Topics: Current Events Tags: free speech February 12, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura