policy Archives

Why the Proposition 8 Decision Matters

U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker’s decision this past Wednesday nullifying the votes of 7 million Californians was, obviously, deeply troubling. The appeal process will be costly and lengthy, but those of us committed to marriage should be optimistic and hopeful. Our own analysts have carefully studied the ruling and fully expect the decision to be overturned upon appeal.

Nevertheless, you might be wondering why the Proposition 8 decision, an issue presumably only dealing with the state of California, should matter to every person in every state of the union.

Topics: Current Events Tags: homosexuality, marriage, policy August 6, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Condoms for Kids?

There is news out of Massachusetts this week that the Provincetown School Board has decided to revise their controversial plan to make condoms available to children as young as 5 years of age.

Of course, revising an immoral policy without fully addressing the root cause of the objection can sometimes amount to patching a screen door on a submarine.

As originally drafted, any child in Provincetown schools could have requested a condom and received one without a parent ever knowing of the transaction.

Topics: Current Events Tags: kids, parenting, policy June 30, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Your Money and Abortion

Would it shock or anger you to learn that your tax dollars have been paying for abortion, albeit indirectly, for years? Wait until you read some new figures just out this week in a report published by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

During this past winter’s highly controversial debate over the universal health care bill, Focus on the Family and CitizenLink, along with other numerous other pro-life groups, fought passionately, though ultimately unsuccessfully, to prohibit the legislation’s inclusion of federally funded abortion coverage.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: policy, pro-life June 17, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

What Makes a Good Judge?

That’s the question I posed to my friend Chuck Colson during a recent Focus on the Family radio program that discussed President Obama’s nomination of Elena Kagan to the United States Supreme Court.

Solicitor General Kagan is a former Dean of Harvard’s law school and clearly a very bright and accomplished scholar. But during our visit, Chuck expressed some deep reservations about the Solicitor General’s nomination. Chuck’s objections were not based on her intellect but instead her judicial philosophy.

Topics: Current Events Tags: events, faith, policy May 18, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Who Stole the Cross?

About 75 years ago, the Veterans of Foreign Wars erected a 5’8″ white cross in the Mojave National Preserve, an area now controlled by the National Park Service out in California’s desert.

Officially known as the “Mojave Memorial Cross,” it was put in place to honor the fallen heroes of World War I. Not everyone is happy with its presence atop Sunrise Rock. For the better part of a decade, this memorial has been the subject of a fierce court battle.

Topics: Current Events Tags: events, faith, policy, pop culture May 13, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

A Day of Prayer for Judicial Common Sense

The news came as a bit of a shock last week: According to a federal judge in Wisconsin, the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb ruled that a federal endorsement of the day somehow violates the “Establishment Clause” of the First Amendment.

To even the casual observer, Judge Crabbs’s decision was a curious and perplexing one. After all, there have been federally recognized days of prayer in America for as long as there have been stars on the flag.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, policy April 22, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Nebraska Passes Two Major Pro-Life Bills

Something remarkable happened last week which has been largely ignored by the national press. After a quick Google search, aside from the pro-life news agencies whom you’d expect to cover it, I found that just one major media outlet has touched on the story: ABC. Candidly, I would have thought such a big news story would have sparked much more of a national dialogue.

Here’s what happened.

Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman signed into law two groundbreaking measures that will change the way abortions are handled in the Cornhusker State.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: events, policy, pro-life April 21, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Serfdom vs. The Mother of Invention

Townhall columnist John Stossel penned an insightful and unsettling article yesterday entitled, “Hurtling Down the Road to Serfdom.” Here’s what caught my eye. Stossel’s premise is that “we are changing from independent, self-responsible people into a submissive flock. The welfare state kills the creative spirit.”

That’s a strong statement. But Stossel cites data released by the Tax Foundation which documents “60% of the population now gets more in government benefits than it pays in taxes.” Better read that again—it’s unreal!

Topics: Current Events Tags: news, policy February 11, 2010 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Why Sign the Manhattan Declaration?

It’s been several short weeks since the unveiling of the Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience, which initially had about 120 co-signers. I’m thrilled to report more than 275,500 have added their signature to this important document. If you’re unfamiliar with the Manhattan Declaration, let me encourage you to read the entire proclamation and then consider lending your support, too.

In short the Manhattan Declaration is both a celebration of, and a commitment to, preserving life, marriage, and religious liberty in America.

Topics: Current Events Tags: marriage, policy, religious liberty December 9, 2009 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Call of Christian Conscience

I’m in Washington, D.C. today where I had the honor and privilege to join Chuck Colson, Professor Robby George and Bishop Harry Jackson, among scores of others, in issuing the Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience.

The unveiling came during a news conference at the National Press Club here in the nation’s capital, but this was a lot more than a photo op. It was a demonstration of solidarity among more than 125 Christians of all denominational stripes that we will not only continue to speak out in the public square, we will continue to stand firm for biblical principles in that public square.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: events, family, policy November 20, 2009 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura