Daly Focus Blog
All eyes are on the Supreme Court this week as we await the historic decision in the Obergefell v. Hodges case. Seven cases remain on their docket. The justices will be issuing rulings tomorrow and Friday and possibly again on Monday. It’s impossible for us to know exactly when the decision will be announced, but this much is certain:
By this time next week we’ll know whether or not five or more justices have found a constitutional right to same-sex “marriage” in all 50 states.
When I first blogged about the horrific shooting at Charleston’s historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, authorities were still piecing together what had happened. What we’ve learned since then makes the tragedy all the more awful.
The pastor and eight congregants killed on last Wednesday night were targeted because the suspected shooter, 21-year-old Dylan Roof, wanted to start a race war.
By all accounts, this young man was filled with hate. Friends say he talked of the “need for whites and blacks to be segregated,” and that “he wanted to hurt lots of people.” An online manifesto that authorities say appears to be written by Roof is laced with racism, including statements that blacks are inferior to whites.
Do most men know the difference between love and sex?
A lot of men assume they have that distinction pretty well settled – until they realize the lines are more blurred than they thought, and their marriage suffers because of it.
The fact is, struggles related to sex and intimacy within a marriage are one of the top reasons we’re contacted here at Focus on the Family. So it’s an important issue for us to address.
I was in my early 20s and returning from a year of college in Japan when a friend invited me to hear Elisabeth Elliot speak in Kansas City.
She lit that auditorium of more than 18,000 people on fire.
As you most likely know by now, Elliot passed away on June 14 at the age of 88. She was a heroine of the faith, one of the most influential Christian women in the 20th century.
Here was a woman the world first met in 1956 when her husband, Jim Elliot, was among the five missionaries speared to death by the Auca Indians in Ecuador.
In celebration of Father’s Day this weekend, let’s look at one sometimes-overlooked characteristic of a good dad …
He is, quite simply, a hero.
Forget Superman, Batman or Captain America. When you’re in trouble, you need Dad to save the day.
Dad will save kids from the brink of danger:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoQssWPRNR0
He’ll risk his life to save his child.
And sometimes, Dad will even give his life to save his child.
The benefits involved fathers provide to their children are countless.
We grieve with our brothers and sisters in South Carolina today as they mourn the deaths of nine people – including their beloved pastor, the Rev. Clementa Pinckney – at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Authorities believe the shooting was racially motivated. The suspect, now in custody, is a 21-year-old white male, Dylann Roof. Inexplicably, he was said to have sat in on the worship service for almost an hour prior to opening fire on those in attendance.
Just as Roe v. Wade didn’t end the abortion debate, it’s unlikely the Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage via the Obergefell v. Hodges case will stop our nation’s passionate discussion on marriage.
On the contrary, I suspect the forthcoming ruling will mark the beginning of a long and protracted controversy about not only marriage, but religious freedom.
Why?
Before I answer the question, let’s briefly look to the possible outcomes expected at the end of the month.
Augustine of Hippo called the Bible “our letters from home.”
Abraham Lincoln once reflected that the Bible, “is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this Book.”
The late Dr. Adrian Rogers, former pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church and a longtime member of our board, said, “The Bible is not a book of the month, but the Book of the Ages. It’s so majestically deep that scholars could swim and never touch the bottom.
Talk shows discuss it.
Researchers study it.
Too many articles and books to count have been written about it.
I even chime in on this blog from time to time with my thoughts on it.
What’s the it I’m talking about?
It’s the secret to a happy and successful marriage.
There are a lot of practical steps couples can take to build a healthy relationship. Hopefully, you’ve learned some solid advice right here at Focus from our radio programs, periodicals, and other materials we offer.
A news summary on issues that matter.
North Carolina Law Protects Freedom of Conscience
Good news: A bill that will permit court officials to decline performing same-sex marriage responsibilities became law yesterday in North Carolina. According to House Speaker Tim Moore, the law “protects sincerely held religious beliefs while also ensuring that magistrates are available in all jurisdictions to perform lawful marriages.”
The Value of Children in an Anti-Natality Age
World magazine features an insightful article about the growing anti-natality perspective in our culture, which often pits the environmental movement against childbearing.
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.
