religious liberty Archives

Are American Christians Ignoring the Mayhem of the Middle East?

Our 24/7 news cycle is consumed these days with American politicians sparring over the debt ceiling and the implementation of President Obama’s controversial healthcare plan, both important debates to be sure. Meanwhile, the tragic fact that followers of Jesus Christ are being targeted and slaughtered across the globe is given scant attention.

We learned recently of the horrific attack against a Pakistani church by Muslim extremists that killed 85. In Kenya, the jihadists that attacked an upscale mall in Nairobi reportedly killed hostages that couldn’t recite the Koran.

Topics: Current Events/ Family and Home Tags: church, faith, religious liberty September 30, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

VIDEO: The 2 Questions We Should Ask Before War

The situation in Syria is dominating our evening and online news outlets. It can be challenging to think through what type of response, if any, the United States should take in response.

CitizenLink, our sister organization dedicated to issues that impact the family in the public policy world, recently released a video that explores the two questions we should ask before entering any armed conflict. I hope you’ll take a look.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: news, policy, religious liberty September 16, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Today, We Remember 9-11

Today marks the 12th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Today, we remember what happened and those who lost their lives. We pray for the families and friends of the victims, whose hearts are undoubtedly hurting today.

I want to shine a light on the memorials either planned or under development at the sites that commemorate that day. The memorials at New York City’s Ground Zero and the Pentagon have been opened, and the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Penn.

Topics: Current Events Tags: news, religious liberty September 11, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

New Mexico, the Media, Religious Liberty – and You

Last week, the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled that a husband and wife who own a photography business illegally discriminated against a homosexual couple for refusing to shoot their same-sex “commitment ceremony.”

Back in 2006, Elaine and Jon Huguenin, co-owners of Elane Photography in Albuquerque, politely declined to accept the job, citing their Christian faith. The homosexual couple filed a complaint with the New Mexico Human Rights Commission. A one-day trial ensued, and in 2008 the commission issued a report claiming the Huguenins had committed “sexual orientation discrimination.” They were ordered to pay nearly $7,000 in fines.

Topics: Current Events Tags: news, religious liberty August 30, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Let Churches Burn in Egypt?

The terrible violence besieging Egypt and the attacks on the nation’s Christian minority are heartbreaking. And in fact, for many of us here at Focus, we’ve been receiving daily updates about the bloody unrest from our friend, Sami Yacoub, who is the regional director of Focus on the Family Middle East, which is actually headquartered in Cairo.

Sami is a godly man whose spiritual maturity has been shaped in part by the hardships of living in a country undergoing sociopolitical turmoil.

Topics: Current Events Tags: church, news, religious liberty August 22, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Analyzing the Supreme Court’s Decisions on Marriage

I’m still away with my family in Virginia, but I was able to record an important broadcast on Wednesday’s Supreme Court rulings on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and California’s Proposition 8.

On today’s Focus on the Family Daily Broadcast, you’ll hear as Dr. Al Mohler, Focus Board member and president of Southern Seminary and George Mason University law professor Helen Alvare and I discuss the rulings expected impact to families and the Church. (To read my post that discussed the rulings, click here.)

It was a heavy conversation at times, as the decisions were largely disappointing to those of us who believe in God’s design for marriage and family.

Topics: Current Events Tags: broadcast, homosexuality, marriage, policy, religious liberty June 28, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Five Questions and Answers About the Same-Sex Marriage Issue

The Supreme Court is expected to rule on two key marriage cases before the end of June. And as the nation awaits the decisions to the Prop 8 and DOMA and cases, good people are asking thoughtful questions on why marriage matters. However, it’s not always easy to wade through the research and pundit talking points to get trustworthy information on this important issue. You might even find yourself in a conversation with a friend who might see things differently than you.

Topics: Current Events Tags: homosexuality, marriage, policy, religious liberty June 18, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Teach Them Why They Died So That We Might Live

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it said several hundred times:

It’s difficult to raise a child these days.

There’s the sliding culture to deal with, of course, and the loss of a unified Christian ethos, of a government attempting to force us to violate our conscience on numerous levels.

There are the practical demands of parenting, many of which seem more acute these days. Our neighborhoods don’t feel as safe or secure as they did when we were kids.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: religious liberty May 24, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

President Obama’s Prayer Proclamation 2013

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER, 2013
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

Americans have long turned to prayer both in times of joy and times of sorrow. On their voyage to the New World, the earliest settlers prayed that they would “rejoice together, mourn together, labor, and suffer together, always having before our eyes our commission and community in the work.” From that day forward, Americans have prayed as a means of uniting, guiding, and healing.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, news, policy, religious liberty May 2, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Have You Heard About the Day of Dialogue?

This won’t come as a shock, but there seems to be precious little tolerance for the views and opinions of Christians in public schools lately.

Here are just three examples of the escalating tension involving the expression of faith within educational circles:

Christian student groups are being told they can’t require their own club leaders to share their biblical beliefs.
An esteemed university for deaf students placed its chief ‘diversity’ officer on leave after she signed a petition in favor of allowing voters to have a referendum on a same-sex marriage law.

Topics: Focus Events Tags: events, faith, religious liberty April 16, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura