Current Events Archives

Notre Dame Sues – What You Can Do

At last count, 43 Catholic institutions, including the University of Notre Dame, have filed lawsuits challenging the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate that religious organizations provide medical coverage that violates their conscience and religious liberties.

I thank God that there are individuals and organizations in this nation willing to go to the wall for freedom and our First Amendment rights.

As a reminder, it was this past January when HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that nearly every healthcare plan was required to cover the cost of sterilizations and contraceptives, including ones that can cause abortion.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, religious liberty May 22, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

MTV’s Good and Bad News

This report is a mixture of good news and bad news, all wrapped up within the same story.

Several weeks ago MTV announced plans to launch a new reality show titled “Losing It” – as in losing one’s virginity. It promised to chronicle “sexual firsts” in candid fashion.

Obviously, that’s bad news.

Yesterday, it was reported that MTV has scrubbed plans for the show.

That’s good news.

But that executives at MTV would even consider such a tawdry feature in the first place is bad news.

Topics: Current Events Tags: entertainment, pop culture May 21, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

What I Saw at Chuck Colson’s Memorial Service

The National Cathedral sits atop Mount Saint Alban, the highest point in Washington D.C. It is a majestic and stately site, and it was there on a sunny and breezy May morning this past Wednesday that I had the privilege of joining with friends and family to publicly thank God for the life of my friend, Chuck Colson.

I want to tell you about it.

I want to share with you some of things I heard and some of what I saw throughout the 90-minute service.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, news May 17, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The President Should Have Called The Pastors First

There’s a curious article in this morning’s New York Times detailing the evangelical fallout from President Obama’s decision last week affirming his support of same-sex marriage.

The headline reads:

After Obama’s Decision on Marriage, A Call to Pastors

The article described a presidential conference call two hours after Mr. Obama’s announcement with approximately eight African-American ministers, followed by additional phone conversations with several of his spiritual advisors. In each of the calls the president attempted to explain his rationale for the decision.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, homosexuality, news May 14, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Majority Support For Same-Sex Marriage is a Myth

Political consultant Frank Luntz calls it “poll-driven language” – the tendency to phrase a question in a way that will generate a desired answer. Operatives on both sides of the aisle have been doing this for years, but it’s especially blatant when it comes to the reporting of support/opposition to same-sex marriage.

Case in point, a recent New York Times story which was headlined, “Support for Gay Marriage Outweighs Opposition in Polls.” The report was based upon an average of various polling data which supposedly revealed that 50% of Americans support same-sex marriage while 45% oppose it.

Topics: Current Events Tags: homosexuality, marriage, news, policy May 10, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Will Marriage Be a Major Issue in 2012 Election?

I’m obviously very pleased with the results of yesterday’s election in North Carolina, where voters passed a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.I am less pleased, as you might imagine, with President Obama’s announcement today that he has changed his position and now personally supports same-sex marriage.

To help put the vote and announcement in context, I’d like to share some comments and observations, which are excerpts from my recent Washington Post editorial on the subject.

Topics: Current Events Tags: homosexuality, marriage, policy May 9, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How I Will Vote in November

The following editorial was first published in The Washington Post on May 1, 2012:

A Chance to Vote Your Values — And Act On Them, Too

Jim Daly

With the withdrawal of Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich from the race, the Republican Party all but has its presidential nominee. That means our country’s major issues will be faced by former governor Mitt Romney or President Obama after the ballots are counted on Nov. 6. But before the ballots are cast, voters must first address two critical challenges.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, policy May 3, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

President Obama’s Prayer Proclamation

From the President of the United States:
2012 NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER PROCLAMATION

Prayer has always been a part of the American story, and today countless Americans rely on prayer for comfort, direction, and strength, praying not only for themselves, but for their communities, their country, and the world.

On this National Day of Prayer, we give thanks for our democracy that respects the beliefs and protects the religious freedom of all people to pray, worship, or abstain according to the dictates of their conscience.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, news, religious liberty May 3, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

It Takes Guts To Walk Away From a Fight

Have you been following the controversy surrounding homosexual-rights advocate and writer Dan Savage and remarks he made at the National High School Journalism Convention this past April?

The address was billed as an anti-bullying talk but quickly digressed into a series of highly critical comments decrying orthodox Christianity. After Mr. Savage used a vulgarity to describe the Bible, approximately one-hundred students made their exit in protest. However, this quiet response raised the ire of the columnist, who then used another vulgarity to criticize the protesters.

Topics: Current Events Tags: homosexuality, news, religious liberty May 1, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Million Dollar Bounty on Tim Tebow?

A raunchy website that facilitates extramarital affairs has announced it will award one-million dollars to any person who can prove that New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow has engaged in a sexual relationship.

Since the onset of his success at the University of Florida to his ascent in the NFL, Tim Tebow has endured a litany of personal attacks. He’s been mocked for attempting to live up to the tenets of his Christian faith, including his willingness to publicly evangelize and pledge celibacy prior to getting married.

Topics: Current Events Tags: entertainment, faith, intimacy, pop culture April 25, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura