Daly Focus Blog
The death today of former first lady Barbara Bush, the wife of the 41st president, George H.W. Bush and the mother of the 43rd, President George W. Bush, marks the earthly conclusion of a remarkable and well-lived life. She was 92.
Lovingly nicknamed the “Silver Fox” by her adoring husband, Barbara was married to George for 73 years, a record for a presidential couple. As a wife, her commitment was unprecedented and as a mother to six, her love was unconditional.
A little over three years ago, in February of 2015, 21 Christian men were martyred by ISIS on a beach in Libya. Their story captured the world’s attention for a brief time, but soon other stories, both important and trivial, stepped in to grab the spotlight. Such is the nature of the news cycle.
On occasion, I have used this blog to bring updates on what is happening in the area where those brave men sacrificed their lives in Christ’s name.
A bill threatening free speech and religious freedom is quickly moving through the California state assembly.
What’s it all about?
Assembly Bill 2943 (AB 2943) uses the state’s consumer fraud statute to penalize religious freedom and free speech on the issues of homosexuality and gender identity.
The bill adds “sexual orientation change efforts” to the state’s “Consumer Legal Remedies Act.”
How does this affect people of faith?
Both Scripture and Christian teaching are clear about God’s good plan for marriage and sexuality: God designed marriage to join one man and one woman in a committed, exclusive, lifelong relationship.
This past Easter Sunday, Stephen Colbert’s animated television show, “Our Cartoon President,” not only lampooned the President (which is expected), but Colbert also had the nation’s chief executive talk crassly about severing a part of God’s anatomy.
Of course, his defenders will says it’s just a joke – satire on steroids. After all, how can we take a cartoon seriously?
Mr. Colbert is an entertainer, and as such, he understands how to get a strong response from a crowd.
Today is Good Friday, the day Christians remember Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins. Sunday is Easter, the day we celebrate His resurrection.
The rest of the world spends this season conjecturing about who Jesus is or debating whether or not He ever existed.
Throughout the culture, the story of Easter is seen as having everything to do with personal faith and nothing to do with objective truth. Religion, it’s believed, doesn’t deal with facts, it deals with personal experience and feelings.
In a surprise move yesterday, the retail giant Walmart announced that it will stop selling the controversial magazine Cosmopolitan at the checkout shelves in over 5,000 of its stores.
The Bentonville, Arkansas-based company will still continue to carry the magazine, but it’ll be housed in a less prominent part of the store.
Meggan Kring, a spokesperson for Walmart, said, “While this was primarily a business decision, the concerns raised were heard.”
Over the years, those concerns came from plenty of frustrated parents and organizations like Focus on the Family, but most recently from the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE).
In recent years, reporters and commentators have repeatedly and regularly alleged that Focus on the Family has practiced and endorsed so-called “gay conversion therapy.”
Here are the facts.
As an unapologetically Christian organization, we believe sexuality is a gift from God designed to be stewarded according to the principles He has outlined in Scripture. As part of that understanding, we believe in and support the availability of professional counseling in matters of sexuality that is respectful, safe, ethical and responsive to the client’s values and desires.
Social media is abuzz today concerning HBO’s John Oliver’s Sunday night attack on Vice President Mike Pence and Focus on the Family. The “satirical” late-night talk show host’s screed was not just vicious in tone, but also vulgar and vile in every sense of the word and way.
Mr. Oliver’s rant was motivated by the release of a new book by Mrs. Karen Pence and daughter, Charlotte. Entitled, “Marlon Bundo’s Day in the Life of the Vice President,” the second family’s project is centered on the Pence’s pet rabbit.
Week Ending March 9:
The Will of a Man & the Way of a Woman (by Robert & Pamela Crosby)
Family: How to Love Yours (and Help Them Like You Back) (by Jessie Minassian)
Raising a Modern-Day Knight (by Robert Lewis)
Enjoy!: The Gift of Sexual Pleasure for Women (by Cliff and Joyce Penner)
The Married Guy’s Guide to Great Sex (by Cliff and Joyce Penner)
Heaven: My Father’s House (by Anne Graham Lotz)
10 Ways to Say “I Love You” (by Josh McDowell)
Little Book of Great Dates (by Dr.
You’ve likely heard about the national school walkout happening tomorrow:
Thousands of students will engage in a historic, national demonstration by walking out of their classrooms for 17 minutes—at 10 a.m. in all time zones– to honor the 17 students and staff who were tragically murdered in the Parkland, Florida, school shooting. It will likely impact your community—more than 180,000 school kids are expected to participate.
Why the walkout?
Many students simply want a significant way to memorialize those who lost their lives, several of whom heroically sacrificed their own life or incurred injuries while protecting others.
Jim Daly is a husband, father and President of Focus on the Family and host of its National Radio Hall of Fame broadcast. His blog, Daly Focus, is full of timely commentary and wisdom designed to help you navigate and understand today’s culture. His latest book is Marriage Done Right.
