Current Events Archives

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

Are Evangelicals Christian Nationalists?

Earlier this week, USA Today published a provocative editorial titled, “Christian nationalism is a threat, and not just from Capitol attackers invoking Jesus.”

Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO), our guest on today’s broadcast, was singled out by the essayist and falsely accused of being one of those dangerous individuals who uses his faith for political purposes.

It’s true the senator is a devout believer in Jesus Christ and a strong defender of his country – but that doesn’t make him a religious nationalist – that is, someone who fuses his love of God with his country in idolatrous fashion.

Many of us cringed when we saw Christian symbols and signs inside the Capitol melee of January 6th.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, politics February 4, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Censoring and Silencing of Conservative Speech

The late Democrat senator from New York Daniel Patrick Moynihan once famously observed, “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.”

But not according to Twitter, the social networking service with 330 million users.

As I mentioned last week, Focus on the Family’s Daily Citizen was blocked from the site and accused of “hate speech.”

The tweet in question simply stated, “On Tuesday, President-elect Joe Biden announced that he had chosen Dr. Rachal Levine to serve as Assistant Secretary for Health at the Department of HHS.

Topics: Current Events Tags: free speech February 1, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

President Biden Champions Abortion – But the March for Life Goes On

On the eve of the March for Life, in what can only be considered as a poke in the eye to those of us seeking to protect preborn life, President Joe Biden rescinded the “Mexico City Policy” on Thursday – a safeguard that has prohibited the use of taxpayer money to fund abortions overseas.

What happened to your call for unity, Mr. President?

In a recent poll, over 77% of Americans oppose this action. Yet as he signed the executive order in the Oval Office, President Biden suggested the policy would ensure healthcare for women.

Abortion is not healthcare, but what about the health and care of those little babies, President Biden?

Fittingly, an icy, winter wind is blowing across Washington, D.C., today, less than 24 hours before the start of this year’s March – the annual commemoration of the Supreme Court’s tragic 1973 ruling that legalized abortion in all 50 states.

I’m in our nation’s capital, absorbing the sights of National Guard troops and barbed wire – but still grateful for those who will be standing in solidarity for the innocent children who have no voice.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is forcing this year’s March to look very different than previous editions, when hundreds of thousands of people usually descend on this city.

Topics: Current Events Tags: march for life, pro-life January 29, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Twitter Censors Focus on the Family’s The Daily Citizen

As I’ve noted before, Big Tech titans are the new emperors of the twenty-first century, wielding an inordinate amount of power by silencing individuals and organizations that don’t comport or cave to their political or social point of view.

In recent weeks, high-profile, outspoken individuals have been banned from social media, including former President Donald Trump and Mike Lindell, CEO and founder of My Pillow.

You can now add Focus on the Family’s The Daily Citizen to the list.

Topics: Current Events Tags: free speech, the daily citizen January 27, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How You Can Join the Pro-Life Movement

Focus on the Family has been unashamedly pro-life since our inception 44 years ago. The affirmation of human life is one of our foundational principles, and I pray that however long the Lord allows our organization to exist, it will remain so.

Each of us as individuals has an important part to play as well. It’s not enough to vote for pro-life candidates and ballot initiatives and then wish women with unplanned pregnancies, “Good luck.” We have to be ready physically, spiritually, and emotionally to walk alongside women in need.

Topics: Current Events Tags: march for life, pro-life January 21, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Inauguration Day Thoughts

It’s been a unique Inauguration Day, beginning with now-former President Donald Trump’s early morning departure from Washington, D.C., and then President Joe Biden’s swearing-in on the western front of the Capitol.

At Focus on the Family, we began the day with a call to the nation for prayer – for President Trump and his outgoing administration and for President Biden and his team. If there was ever a time requiring God’s mercy and divine intervention in America, today’s events seem to cry out for it.

Topics: Current Events Tags: culture, politics January 20, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Focus on the Family to Host Prayer Event on Inauguration Day

Focus on the Family will host a virtual call to prayer event on Wednesday, January 20 at 10 a.m. ET at www.FocusOnTheFamily.com/NationalPrayer.

The public is invited to join Focus representatives in praying over families, marriages, children, churches, and the incoming and outgoing elected officials on Inauguration Day.

“I can be extremely concerned with current circumstances—even burdened,” said Focus on the Family President and CEO Jim Daly. “But we’re called to act—and trust. Prayer is a powerful way to do just that, so we’re encouraging Christians around the nation to join us in corporate prayer for some of the most foundational aspects of our culture.”

The event will premiere on Focus on the Family’s Facebook and YouTube channels.

Topics: Current Events Tags: prayer January 19, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura