news Archives

Olympic Commercial Shows a Parenting Truth

Have you caught Olympic fever yet?

Here at Focus we have. Our staff is celebrating “Olympic Fridays” by wearing the red, white and blue. We watch and marvel at the athletes’ prowess – their talent, tenacity, discipline and courage.

And behind these dedicated men and women stand families who helped them achieve their dreams of representing their respective countries on a world stage after a seeming lifetime of training.

I want to share with you a commercial from Proctor and Gamble (P&G) that highlights some of the sacrifices these athletes’ mothers went through to see their children compete at the Olympic level.

Topics: Current Events Tags: kids, news, parenting February 7, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

5 SCOTUS Cases to Watch

History tells us U.S. Supreme Court decisions often have a far-reaching impact on issues we care about – things like life, marriage and religious liberties.

To that end, I wanted to provide you with a list our experts compiled of SCOTUS court cases to watch. I hope this short summary will help you navigate the news.

As always, we encourage Christians to pray for the things that go on in our government. Pray for our Supreme Court justices, that God would grant them wisdom as they hear these cases.

Topics: Current Events Tags: homosexuality, news, policy, pro-life, religious liberty February 6, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

One of the Most Controversial Super Bowl Ads of All Time?

Amid all the hoopla surrounding this Sunday’s Super Bowl, I can’t help but think back to the 2010 game. That’s the year Focus on the Family debuted its now-famous ad featuring Pam and Tim Tebow. It still gives me a chuckle to think how some groups branded our innocuous commercial “inappropriate,” “offensive” and “hate masquerading as love” – all without ever seeing it!

These allegations led to an intense media blitz leading up to the game that had me speaking with and appearing on what seemed an endless number of media outlets.

Topics: Current Events Tags: news, parenting, pop culture, pro-life January 31, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Did You Know About This Scandal at the Super Bowl?

Here in Colorado, we’re still basking in the glory of Jan. 19 AFC Championship game victory that bought our beloved Broncos a trip to this Sunday’s Super Bowl.

Unfortunately, it won’t all be fun and games in New Jersey this weekend. Beyond the talent of the players on the field and the glitz of the halftime show, the sad reality is that the Super Bowl is, according to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, “the single largest human trafficking incident in the United States.”

Human traffickers are ready to exploit the party atmosphere and lowered inhibitions of the thousands of men who will be checking into local hotels.

Topics: Current Events Tags: broadcast, news, pop culture January 28, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

3 Lessons Christians Can Learn From the Grammys’ Wedding Ceremony

I’m the type who turns on the TV to watch a football game, not an awards show, but I did hear about the mass wedding at the Grammys last night.

Here’s a recap: actress and rapper Queen Latifah officiated a marriage ceremony for 33 same-sex and straight couples. The ceremony was part of a performance of the song “Same Love” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.

“Same Love” came to prominence during Washington’s Referendum 74 campaign, which ultimately legalized same-sex marriage in the state.

Topics: Current Events Tags: entertainment, homosexuality, news, pop culture January 27, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

VIDEO: Pro-Life Movie “Gimme Shelter” Opens Today

I want to tell you about a new movie – and a modern-day hero.

Kathy DiFiore is the head of a network of shelters for pregnant teens in New Jersey. Kathy has spent the past 35 years “in the trenches.” Her five shelters are run 100 percent on donations, and have saved more than 20,000 babies.

But DiFiore’s work goes beyond saving preborn children – she also helps their moms. Several Sources Shelters provide teen moms with childcare support, education and assistance programs.

Topics: Current Events Tags: entertainment, news, pop culture, pro-life January 24, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

VIDEO: Looking Back on 41 Years Since Roe v. Wade

Today, pro-life advocates will be participating in the 41st annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. Their participation – despite the snow and cold temperatures – solemnly testifies to the beauty of preborn life, the worth of each and every woman facing an unplanned pregnancy, and the need for us, as a country, to embrace a culture of life.

I was supposed to participate in that march today. I traveled from my home in Colorado to New York City for some work-related meetings before the march.

Topics: Current Events Tags: broadcast, kids, news, policy, pro-life January 22, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Marriage Still the Best Hope to Combat Poverty

Focus on the Family has long promoted an important truth: men, women and children do better when they are part of a family knit together by marriage. There’s a mountain of research that helps prove this claim, showing that marriage does more than any other single factor to protect families against poverty and financial hardships.

Well, new research is seemingly debunking this assertion. Last week, NBC News ran a provocatively-titled article, “Marriage may not be the silver bullet for poverty, study says.” It cites a study suggesting marriage is an “ineffective weapon in the War on Poverty.” Meanwhile, the article also quotes the professor who wrote the paper, Dr.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: kids, marriage, news, parenting January 20, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Moral and Biblical Thoughts About Marijuana

By now you’ve probably heard that Colorado is the first state to legalize marijuana. If you watch late night television at all, chances are good that you’ve heard a number of jokes about it.

Here’s a thumbnail history of how we got here:

A couple years ago a majority of voters in Colorado backed an amendment to the state constitution making it legal for individuals age 21 and over to possess and use a small amount of the drug for recreational purposes.

Topics: Current Events Tags: news, policy January 15, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

3 Revealing Things About “Atheist Churches”

You might have seen some of the media coverage of so-called “atheist churches.”

The concept started with two British comedians, Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans. Jones told the AP, “If you think about church, there’s very little that’s bad. It’s singing awesome songs, hearing interesting talks, thinking about improving yourself and helping other people — and doing that in a community with wonderful relationships. What part of that is not to like?”

The only problem for Jones was, “at the heart of it, it’s something I don’t believe in.”

And so “Sunday Assembly” was born: a “church” where men and women gather together to sing, listen to an inspirational talk and reflect … all without any mention of God.

Topics: Current Events Tags: church, faith, news January 8, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura