Current Events Archives

How Young is Too Young to Walk to the Park Alone?

Do you or will you allow your children to walk to school or to the park alone?

If you said “yes” and happen to live in the state of Maryland, you could find yourself on the wrong side of the law.

Danielle and Alexander Meitiv of Silver Spring, Maryland, learned that the hard away.

Mr. and Mrs. Meitiv practice “free-range parenting,” a philosophy where moms and dads give their children a great degree of independence. So when they allowed their two children, Rafi and Dvora, ages 10 and 6, to walk home alone from the park, the police got involved.

Topics: Current Events Tags: news, parenting April 15, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Remembering Terri Schiavo with Jeb Bush on Today’s Broadcast

It was ten years ago, on March 31, 2005, when Terri Schiavo drew her last breath. The nation followed her final days, which were marked by an army of people doing everything possible to preserve her life.

You likely remember the uproar.

Terri was not dying or terminally ill. She was not brain-dead or in a coma. She was a mentally disabled woman able to breathe on her own; her only dependency was on a feeding tube into her stomach for liquids and nourishment.

Topics: Current Events Tags: broadcast, news, pro-life April 13, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Six Stories You Should Be Aware Of

A news summary on issues that matter.

South Carolina Tragedy

The death of Walter Scott, an unarmed black man, earlier this week at the hands of a white North Charleston police officer has understandably reignited a national conversation on racial injustice and the conduct of law enforcement officials.

Caught on camera, Mr. Scott is seen running away from the officer, only to be shot numerous times in the back. Details of the case are still emerging, and so I don’t pretend to know all the facts.

Topics: Current Events Tags: news April 10, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Indiana’s Sore Winners?

We’ve all heard about sore losers.

But sore winners?

Kirsten Powers, who writes for USA Today and regularly appears as a guest commentator on FOX News, penned a provocative column yesterday lamenting the fallout from Indiana’s contentious religious freedom debate.

Kirsten and I don’t see eye to eye on everything, including the definition of marriage, but I’m grateful for the candor and honesty with which she writes. In fact, she’s often a breath of fresh air.

Topics: Current Events Tags: homosexuality, news, religious liberty April 8, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Easter Puts Indiana Into Perspective

As our thoughts turn to the core realities of our faith this weekend, we have great cause to rejoice that we live in a country whose foundational principles let us stand firm in our beliefs.

But we also have reason to grieve, because laws that buttress that foundation have come under criticism. As Christians, we have a duty to tell the truth—and call on others to tell the truth—about religious liberty policy that has served our nation well for decades, policy that is one of our greatest resources to live together peaceably despite our deepest differences.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, news, religious liberty April 3, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Do You Think of Christ’s Sacrifice As Current Reality?

Here at Focus, and for Christians everywhere, this is a sacred weekend.

Today is Good Friday, and this Sunday is Easter.

It’s this weekend that we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago.

But let me ask you, do you think of Christ’s sacrifice more as historic fact or current reality?

In the day-to-day grind of life, it’s easy to forget that the God of history is also the God of today.

Topics: Current Events Tags: broadcast, faith April 3, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Inclusive Indiana Law Protects Religious Liberties of All Americans

It’s been hard to ignore the firestorm that’s erupted since Indiana unveiled its Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). Since Governor Mike Pence signed it into law last week, the national news and social media have been consumed with debating this law.

Critics of the law raised concerns the legislation will give license and rise to discrimination – in other words, not serving homosexuals simply because of their orientation. For example, some are suggesting the act will allow restaurant owners to refuse service to homosexuals because they are gay.

Topics: Current Events Tags: news, policy, religious liberty April 1, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How to Reclaim Marriage

This month’s issue of First Things magazine features a powerful argument for upholding and proclaiming the truth and beauty of God’s design for marriage.

“The Two Shall Become One Flesh: Reclaiming Marriage” is a product of Evangelicals and Catholics Together, a group founded 20 years ago by one of my heroes, the late Chuck Colson, and another highly regarded statesman of the faith, the late Fr. Richard John Neuhaus.

Several prominent Evangelical and Catholic leaders have endorsed the statement.

Topics: Current Events Tags: marriage, news, policy March 26, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Should This Woman Be Charged with Murder?

This is one of those difficult stories, so disturbing and repulsive that you instinctively don’t want to read about it. Frankly, I don’t either. But the “culture of death” is real and from it flows evil that we must confront and grapple with as believers.

The police officers who responded to the 911 call last week in Longmont, Colorado, followed the blood trail down to the basement. They knew they were about to encounter a woman, seven months pregnant, who had been stabbed.

Topics: Current Events Tags: news, pro-life March 25, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Focus on the Family President Mourns the Loss of Kara Tippetts

Jim Daly released the following statement in response to the passing of Kara Tippetts.

***

Today, the world said goodbye to a godly and courageous woman.

Kara Tippetts, wife to Jason and mother to four young children, went home to the Lord at the age of 38. In her battle with cancer, she showed all of us what dying well looks like. The peace she found in God was hard fought, borne out of a deep and profound trust that He is present in pain and that He is good and faithful.

Topics: Current Events Tags: broadcast, faith, news, pro-life March 22, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura