events Archives - Page 3 of 30

GQ Just Called You a Fool

According to Jesse Ball, a writer in the latest issue of GQ Magazine, the Bible is an overrated and boring book. In fact, the 39-year-old novelist and poet went on to characterize the Old and New Testaments as “foolish,” “repetitive” and “self-contradictory,” among other things.

Understandably, Jesse Ball’s assertions have stirred up significant controversy. But this isn’t the first time that the Chicago-based writer has made curious, perplexing and outlandish pronouncements. For example, just last year he suggested that every American should be put in a maximum security prison once every ten years – for up to ninety days at a time.

Topics: Current Events Tags: events, faith, pop culture April 25, 2018 by Jim Daly

Beauty from Ashes

A little over three years ago, in February of 2015, 21 Christian men were martyred by ISIS on a beach in Libya. Their story captured the world’s attention for a brief time, but soon other stories, both important and trivial, stepped in to grab the spotlight. Such is the nature of the news cycle.

On occasion, I have used this blog to bring updates on what is happening in the area where those brave men sacrificed their lives in Christ’s name.

Topics: Current Events/ Focus Events Tags: church, events, faith April 17, 2018 by Jim Daly

Walmart Removes Cosmo. Could Brio Take Its Place?

In a surprise move yesterday, the retail giant Walmart announced that it will stop selling the controversial magazine Cosmopolitan at the checkout shelves in over 5,000 of its stores.

The Bentonville, Arkansas-based company will still continue to carry the magazine, but it’ll be housed in a less prominent part of the store.

Meggan Kring, a spokesperson for Walmart, said, “While this was primarily a business decision, the concerns raised were heard.”

Over the years, those concerns came from plenty of frustrated parents and organizations like Focus on the Family, but most recently from the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE).

Topics: Current Events Tags: entertainment, events, sex March 28, 2018 by Jim Daly

HBO’s John Oliver Attacks Focus on the Family

Social media is abuzz today concerning HBO’s John Oliver’s Sunday night attack on Vice President Mike Pence and Focus on the Family. The “satirical” late-night talk show host’s screed was not just vicious in tone, but also vulgar and vile in every sense of the word and way.

Mr. Oliver’s rant was motivated by the release of a new book by Mrs. Karen Pence and daughter, Charlotte. Entitled, “Marlon Bundo’s Day in the Life of the Vice President,” the second family’s project is centered on the Pence’s pet rabbit.

Topics: Current Events Tags: events, faith, homosexuality, policy March 19, 2018 by Jim Daly

Focus on the Family Best Seller List

Week ending March 6, 2018:

Raising a Modern-Day Knight (by Robert Lewis)
Family: How to Love Yours (and Help Them Like You Back) (by Jessie Minassian)
10 Ways to Say “I Love You” (by Josh McDowell)
Enjoy!: The Gift of Sexual Pleasure for Women (by Cliff & Joyce Penner)
One More Try (by Gary Chapman)
Raising an Original (by Julie Lyles Carr)
The Married Guy’s Guide to Great Sex (by Cliff & Joyce Penner)
Married But Lonely (by David E.

Topics: Current Events/ Uncategorized Tags: events, faith, family, intimacy, marriage March 9, 2018 by Jim Daly

Less Hollywood, More Heartland: How the Oscars Forgot Middle America’s Values

Guest Post: Paul Asay, Movie Reviewer, Plugged In:

It’s only fitting that Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water took home an Oscar for Best Picture (and three others) at Sunday night’s Oscars.

Both a lyrical, sensual fable and a brutal immolation of Leave It to Beaver-era America, the movie is a study in inclusion and exclusion: It posits that god-like mermen are people, too, while hypocritical Christian Cadillac buyers are the real monsters.

The film feels pretty emblematic of where Hollywood stands right now—a Hollywood that has pushed through the #OscarsSoWhite and the #MeToo movements with a desire to reward new, diverse storytellers, looking toward a hoped-for future while perhaps burning the (in Hollywood’s eyes) problematic past.

Topics: Current Events Tags: entertainment, events March 7, 2018 by Jim Daly

Going Beyond the Gun Control Debates

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Last week’s extraordinary public debates about guns, both at the White House and at CNN’s Florida Town Hall, were highly emotional and contentious events. Over a week after the catastrophic carnage in Parkland, Florida, debate concerning what to do about it is raging red-hot, and understandably so. People committing violent acts with guns is a growing epidemic, particularly in schools. Since early January, in addition to Florida, there have been school shootings in Texas, Louisiana, Kentucky, Alabama, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Topics: Current Events Tags: events, news, policy, pro-life February 27, 2018 by Jim Daly

Remembering Reverend Billy Graham

Reverend Billy Graham, who died early Wednesday at the age of 99, was called “America’s Pastor” for good reason. For over 70 years he worked in ministry, preaching, evangelizing, counseling U.S Presidents and meeting with world leaders. Millions have come to know Jesus as Savior through his sharing of the Gospel.

Those of us in the Christian community may be mourning the passing of this spiritual giant, but Rev. Graham has been looking forward to this day for many years.

Topics: Current Events Tags: church, events, faith February 21, 2018 by Jim Daly

Heartache and Heroes in Florida School Shooting

Yesterday’s tragic violence at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, is the nation’s third-deadliest school shooting in history – and the 7th such shooting in 2018 alone.

Sadly, we’ve grown familiar with the awful rhythm of these barbaric events.

First comes the text alert on our phone or we hear about the horror on social media. Or maybe we learn of it from the lament of a friend or a co-worker.

Before we ask “How could this happen?” we instinctively ask “How many?”

Of course, we intuitively know that even one is too many, and that behind every number is a name of someone who means the world to someone else.

Topics: Current Events Tags: events, kids, news February 15, 2018 by Jim Daly

Guest Blog: Three Things You Can Do Today to Help Your Child Avoid an Opioid Addiction Tomorrow

Chances are good that you know a family that’s been touched by the opioid epidemic. Roughly 60,000-65,000 individuals in the U.S. died from drug overdoses in 2016, with about 42,000 of those deaths caused by opioids. It’s estimated that more than 11 million Americans misused prescription opioids last year, and nearly one million used heroin. Among the fastest growing groups of users are teens.

Opioids are a class of drugs derived from or related to compounds naturally found in the opium poppy plant.

Topics: Current Events Tags: events, news February 13, 2018 by Jim Daly