Current Events Archives

The Friendship that Changed a Neo-Nazi’s Heart

Anyone who looked at Michael Kent a few years ago would have been forgiven for thinking he was beyond hope.

He was in jail, and his body bore various tattoos that gave witness to his Neo-Nazi beliefs, including a large swastika on his chest. He was also part of a violent skinhead group.

There’s no way that guy’s ever going to change, right?

Well, not so fast.

Turns out the Michael Kent of today is very different – and it’s all thanks to his friendship with an African-American woman, Tiffany Whittier.

Topics: Current Events Tags: friendship, news October 20, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Three Things Martin Luther Teaches Us about Marriage

The 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation is fast approaching. On Reformation Day, we remember how Martin Luther, a German monk, nailed his 95 Theses on the door of a Wittenberg church on Oct. 31, 1517.

But while Martin Luther is closely associated with his opposition to selling indulgences – monetary payments to receive forgiveness for sin – fewer people today know he was also instrumental in helping change the way Christians look at marriage.

Before the Reformation took place, celibate service to God was often seen as the highest calling.

Topics: Current Events Tags: events, faith, marriage October 18, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Justice Delayed is Justice Denied: Senators, Please Continue to Confirm Judges

One of Focus on the Family’s top public policy priorities for the Trump Administration has been appointing top-notch judges who interpret the Constitution and our laws as written and originally understood.

That’s because our federal courts have been filled with judicial activists who rewrite the laws and Constitution to reflect their own personal preferences. It’s been because of these activist judges that we have legalized abortion, legalized same-sex marriage – and some lower courts are even reinventing the definition of “sex” in discrimination laws to include biological men who identify as women, and vive versa.

Topics: Current Events Tags: news, policy, religious liberty October 13, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

What Benjamin Watson Has to Say About Racial Reconciliation

News outlets and social media have been erupting over issues of racial inequality. There are protests online, protests in the streets, and symbolic protests during the national anthem at NFL games.

Benjamin Watson has a unique perspective on those matters. He’s an African-American, and he plays professional football. He was on our Focus on the Family Broadcast a few weeks ago challenging men to step up in their support of their wives and to be passionate about helping them to be great mothers.

Topics: Current Events Tags: broadcast, news, pro-life October 12, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Four Things We Learn from Immigrants

I didn’t want Hispanic Heritage Month (which is celebrated between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15) to end without recognizing the many Hispanic men, women and families in the U.S., and the contributions they make to our country.

Recent stats put Hispanics and Latinos at about 17 percent of the total U.S. population, or 56.5 million. They’re a varied group of people: Hispanics can come from any of the 21 Spanish-speaking countries around the world, and each country has its own culture, cuisine, and customs.

Topics: Current Events Tags: events, pop culture, relationships October 11, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Birth Control Mandate Rollback Ends “Government Harassment of Religious-Minded Employers”

My statement on the news that the Trump Administration’s Oct. 6 decision to roll back the birth control mandate. – J.D.

“We are pleased to see that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has issued a significant rule change to the Obamacare-based mandate that employers, even those with religious or moral objections, must provide for possible abortion-causing contraceptives in company health plans. This extreme rule forced many employers to make an impossible choice between their deeply held conscience-based objections to abortion, and the prospect of paying crippling fines for non-compliance.

Topics: Current Events Tags: news, religious liberty October 9, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Toxic Masculinity? Not in Las Vegas

Evil and carnage weren’t the only things evident on that terrible Sunday night in Las Vegas when bullets rained down on a crowd of 22,000 concertgoers.

There were also thousands of examples of heroism and self-sacrifice.

Many off-duty doctors, nurses and paramedics who were enjoying the concert sprang into action to help the wounded. These men and women risked their own lives to give CPR, make tourniquets, and apply pressure on bleeding wounds.

A mom used her own body to shield her 4-year-old daughter from the barrage of bullets.

Topics: Current Events Tags: news, relationships October 4, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How Martin Luther Changed the World

Do you know the significance of a man named Martin Luther?

If the first thing that comes to mind is the “I Have a Dream” speech, you’re thinking of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

That’s a common mistake. Martin Luther isn’t exactly a household name to some, but he is an influential figure in world history. In fact, some say he’s as historically relevant as Abraham Lincoln or Julius Caesar. Yet, most Christians know very little about him – or nothing at all.

Topics: Current Events Tags: broadcast, events, faith October 3, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Hugh Hefner has died. How does his view of sex compare to God’s?

You may have heard that the founder of Playboy magazine, Hugh Hefner, died last night at the age of 91. I want to share with you my statement to the media on his passing:

“The death of Hugh Hefner has elicited tributes of many kinds, including that he was a pioneer who liberated the sexual frustrations of a culture. In reality, his efforts and entrepreneurial pursuits helped enslave generations of both women and men.

“Pornography corrupts what God created for enjoyment within marriage and objectifies the gift of our sexuality.

Topics: Current Events Tags: broadcast, news, sex September 28, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

First Grade Student Told Not to Talk About God

It’s been four years since Focus on the Family launched the student-led “Bring Your Bible to School Day,” which has a combined participation of half-a-million students.

You’d think with all the news coverage the event has received, and with all the students who have led events at their schools, that parents, teachers and administrators around the nation would be better attuned to students’ First Amendment rights.

Sadly, that’s still not the case.

For example, just last month it was reported that an Indiana first-grade teacher instructed students to not talk about God or Jesus.

Topics: Current Events Tags: events, kids, news, religious liberty September 20, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura