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Dear Friends,

“As fiscal pressures mean the public sector must contract, organized religious groups are stepping into the void.” So argues Lewis M. Andrews in “Religious Alternatives to the Public Sector” in The American: The Journal of the American Enterprise Institute.

Andrews notes that “congregations of all faiths” are helping in many ways, ranging from initiatives to help young women who have been sexually trafficked to providing food to needy families. Churches provide homeless shelters, job training programs, free clothing and household goods, marital counseling, palliative care for the sick and dying, and a host of other expressions of Christ’s compassion.

This goes on throughout the country, in communities large and small. But it is not new: from its earliest days, Christians have sought to help those in need, whether those needing assistance are themselves Christian or not. The early church leader Tertullian, writing in 197 AD, wrote that he and his fellow Christians gave “to support and bury poor people, to supply the wants of boys and girls destitute of means and parents, and of old persons confined now to the house.”

In addition to serving in your own local church, visit FRC’s www.RealCompassion.org for links to ministries that are addressing the great needs of our time, at home and abroad. The early Christians reshaped their culture through persistent, effective ministries to those society had rejected. Let’s all follow their example.

Sincerely,

Rob Schwarzwalder
Senior Vice President
Family Research Council

P.S. Today, Dr. Carol M. Swain came to FRC to speak about her book, “Be the People: A Call to Reclaim America’s Faith and Promise.” Click here to watch her remarks.

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Educational Freedom and Reform
Homeschooling

• “GOING DEEP: The athletic, homeschooling Gelbaughs hope to reinvent the image of homeschoolers,” Stefanie Loh, The Patriot-News
• “Home schooling hit by Austin diocese and in article by renowned priest,” Patrick B. Craine, LifeSiteNews
• “13 virtual programs can teach across Va. Divisions,” Hattie Brown Garrow, The Virginian-Pilot

Legislation and Policy Proposals

• “Restoring American educational exceptionalism,” Justin Paulette, The Daily Caller
• “Thiel’s Dropout Deal Misses the Point,” Andrew P. Kelly, American Enterprise Institute
• “Sociology and Other ‘Meathead’ Majors,” Joe Carter, First Things
• “Protestant, Catholic graduates differ,” United Press International
• “Advocate sees opportunity in Pa. for education reform via school vouchers,” Editorial Board, The Philadelphia Inquirer
• “Notre Dame and Emily’s List,” William McGurn, National Catholic Register
• “Saying ‘Howdy’ to the Faith,” Anthony Flott, National Catholic Register
• ““Christian” Colleges, the Gospel, and Identity,” Gene Fant, Evangel
• “Labor Board Rejects Religious Exemption for Saint Xavier U. and Says Adjuncts Can Unionize,” Peter Schmidt, The Chronicle for Higher Education
• “Intelligence,” James Schall, The Catholic Thing

Government Reform
Regulation

• “The Problems with Precaution: A Principle without Principle,” Jonathan H. Adler, The American
• “In Praise of Debt Limit ‘Chicken’,” John B. Taylor, The Wall Street Journal
• “From Heels to Wheels: American Zoning Laws and the End of Western Public Space,” Hans S. Roegele, The Public Discourse

Waste/Fraud/Abuse

• “Cut Spending + Raise Taxes = Budget Problem Solved? It’s Not That Easy,” Peter J. Wallison, American Enterprise Institute
• “What Your Taxes Do (and Don’t) Buy for You,” Bruce Bartlett, New York Times

Health Care
Abstinence

• “Illinois Sex Ed Law Requiring Teachers To Talk Contraception Passes Senate,” The Huffington Post
• “Is teaching abstinence really the best form of sex education?,” Julie McCaffrey, The Mirror

Conscience Protection

• “Senate panel approves ‘conscience protection’ changes as part of abortion bill,” Bill Barrow, The Times-Picayune
• “Veteran Chaplains Speak Out for Conscience,” Chuck Donovan, The Heritage Foundation
• “States’ License to Pill Increases Conflicts,” Bobby Ross Jr., Christianity Today

Health care reform: Political and Legislative efforts

• “Last stop for Obamacare before Supreme Court,” Ken Klukowski, The Washington Examiner
• “Are Drugs Made in Emerging Markets Good Quality?,” Roger Bate, Economic Affairs
• “Medicaid, Planned Parenthood and the law,” Aaron Carroll, The Washington Post
• ““Where’s Your Medicare Plan?” Anti Obama Attack as Futile as Picket’s Charge,” Wesley J. Smith, Secondhand Smoke
• “Are 3 Liberal Appeals Court Judges Preparing to Give Cuccinelli a Victory Over ObamaCare?,” Tom White, Virginia Right
• “HHS rejects Indiana Medicaid changes,” Henry C. Jackson, Associated Press
• “ObamaCare’s Next Constitutional Challenge,” Richard A. Epstein and Mario Loyola, The Wall Street Journal
• “1 in 3 Employers Will Drop Health Benefits After ObamaCare Kicks In, Survey Finds,” Fox News

Homosexuality

• “Americans Believe There Are More Homosexuals in the U.S. Than There Are Catholics,” Joe Carter, First Things
• “They know where you work,” Megan Basham, WORLD Magazine
• “Same-Sex Marriage and Human Fulfillment,” Carson Holloway, The Public Discourse
• “Frank Asks Obama to Threaten Defense Bill Veto,” Adam Martin, The Atlantic
• “Marriage equality floodgates,” D.C. Innes, WORLD Magazine
• “U.S. Tax Dollars Will Sponsor a Gay Film Festival in…Bulgaria,” Billy Hallowell, The Blaze
• “Why a Gay Rights Group Is Endorsing AT&T’s Mega Merger,” John Hudson, The Atlantic
• “Obama Administration Youth Summit: Gov’t ‘Has Finally Come Out of the Closet‘,” Penny Starr, CNSNews.com
• “UN Bureaucrats Push Homosexual Rights Against General Assembly Wishes,” Lauren Funk, The Friday Fax
• “Christian Churches File Court Papers Today in Fight over Sodomy in Belize,” The C-fam Staff, The Friday Fax

Human Life and Bioethics
Abortion

• “Don’t Worship at the Altar of Guttmacher,” Jeanne Monahan, National Review Online
• “Abortion impacts men, too,” Jeanne Monahan, Family Research Council
• “Debunking Elite Opinion on Abortion Policy,” Michael J. New, National Review Online
• “Girl Scouts, Sullied,” Austin Ruse, The Catholic Thing
• “Africa Needs Population Growth, Not Birth Control,” Chinwuba Iyizoba, Crisis Magazine
• “Denver bishop: Girl scouts could make girls more open to pro-abortion agenda,” Patrick B. Craine, LifeSiteNews.com
• “Legislatures Protecting Women, Teens From Unsafe Abortions,” Bill Saunders, LifeNews.com
• “New Zealand Court: unborn have no right to life,” Rebecca Millette, LifeSiteNews.com
• “The Story of Baby Joseph,” Judy Roberts, National Catholic Register
• “NPR Poll: 59% of Americans Say Having an Abortion is Wrong,” Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com
• “Coupon Offers Women Free Exam With the Purchase of…an Abortion,” Billy Hallowell, The Blaze
• “Baltimore pregnancy counseling law being appealed,” David Hill, The Washington Times
• “Death Row Inmate Execution Pain an Issue, Abortion Pain Ignored,” Father Frank Pavone, LifeNews.com
• “WHO-Approved Drug Promises Life, and Death,” Susan Yoshihara, The Friday Fax

Bioethics and Biotechnology

• “Good Ethics Makes for Good Science,” Wesley J. Smith, Secondhand Smoke
• “‘No patient will wait longer than 18 weeks’,” Lyndsay Buckland, The Scotsman

Euthanasia and End of Life Issues

• “Jack Kevorkian R.I.P.?,” Cathy Ruse, Family Research Council
• “Australia’s Dr. Death Lobbies for Euthanasia Down Under,” Marina Kamenev, Time
• “Doctor-Assisted Suicide Is Moral Issue Dividing Americans Most,” Lydia Saad, Gallup
• “UK doctors prescribe drinking water to prevent death of elderly in hospitals,” Kathleen Gilbert, LifeSiteNews.com
• “Bishops Will Vote on Statement Opposing Assisted Suicide,” Catholic News Agency

Stem Cell Research

• “Human Neurons from Skin Cells,” Dr. David Prentice, Family Research Council
• “NIH Approves More Human Embryonic Stem Cells for Funding Rewards,” Dr. David Prentice, Family Research Council
• “Scientists turn human skin cells directly into neurons, skipping IPS stage,” Physorg.com

Women’s Health

• “Contraception Crisis,” Joan Frawley Desmond, National Catholic Register
• “SlutWalks and the future of feminism,” Jessica Valenti, The Washington Post

Marriage and Family
Adoption

• “Public Adoption Ceases in Rockford Diocese,” Benjamin Mann, National Catholic Register
• “State makes church choose between conscience and service,” Charles A. Donovan, The Kansas City Star
• “Santa Fe nonprofit that uses snapshots to place foster kids still has heart after 10 years,” Kathaleen Roberts, The Daily Journal
• “Protecting the most vulnerable,” Judy Roberts, Legatus Magazine
• “Catholic Leaders Take Legal Action Over Risk of Losing Foster Care Services,” The Thomas More Society

Family Economics

• “Families Hurting in Current Housing Market,” Chris Gacek, Family Research Council
• “Has the Financial Crisis Jeopardized the Fed’s Independence?,” John H. Makin, The International Economy
• “Left Still Clueless about Financial Crisis,” Peter J. Wallison, The Enterprise Blog
• “Jobless Claims Fall Less Than Expected, Productivity Gains,” Reuters
• “As the Family Goes, So Goes the Economy,” Carolyn Moynihan, Crisis Magazine

Family Structure

• “Want to Help the U.S. Economy? Stay Married,” Simon Saavedra, The Christian Post
• “Children of divorce score worse in math, social skills,” Reuters
• “The Cohabitation Conundrum,” Eddie O’Neill, National Catholic Register
• ““Buy More” Children?,” Gayle Trotter, Evangel
• “In Croatia, Pope Benedict Fights For Marriage, Condemns Cohabitation,” Thomas Peters, Catholic Vote
• “Divorce ‘permanently harms learning and affects their ability to make friends’,” Jenny Hope, The Daily Mail

Parental Rights

• “Christian Parents and the HPV Vaccine,” Christopher Kaczor, First Things
• “Making Marriage Law Quaint,” Hadley Arkes, The Catholic Thing
• “Biological Father Can’t Get Paternity Rights in Michigan,” FedSoc Blog

Media
Pornography

• “One Child Policy Leads to Human Trafficking,” Colin Mason, Crisis Magazine
• “Pornography: We’re In the Denial Stage,” Tom Hoopes, Catholic Vote

Internet

• “The End of the Book?,” John Steele Gordon, The American
• “The U.N. Declares Internet Access a Human Right,” Adam Clark Estes, The Atlantic

Religion and Public Policy
Religious Liberty

• “First Amendment protects prayer, not obscene violence,” Ken Klukowski, The Washington Examiner
• “New Jersey School and ACLU Compromise on Graduation at Christian-Owned Site,” Lauren Green, Fox News
• “Understanding Anti-Catholic Bullies,” Matthew Hanley, The Catholic Thing

Religion in America

• “A Strong Tower in Challenging Times,” Rob Schwarzwalder, Family Research Council
• “Not Whether to Help the Poor, But How,” Rev. Robert A. Sirico, The Acton Institute
• “No Adam, No Eve, No Gospel,” Editorial, Christianity Today

Secularism

• “Pope Arrives in Croatia, Challenges Secularism,” Edward Pentin, National Catholic Register
• “Quebec’s Christian March draws around 1,000 in defence of Christian heritage,” Rebecca Millette, Life Site News

International
Israel

• “Lessons of Netanyahu’s Triumph,” Caroline Glick, Jerusalem Post
• “Where Obama Is Leading Israel,” Caroline Glick, Jerusalem Post
• “A Worldview That Doesn’t Have a Place for Enemies,” Joe Carter, First Things
• “Drawing lines,” Jill Nelson, WORLD Magazine

International Economy and Family

• “Muslim Women and Entrepreneurship,” Elise Hilton, The Acton Institute

Religious Persecution

• “Public Enemy: Iran’s Persecution Backfires,” Trevor Persaud, Christianity Today
• “The Foot-Washers of Ethiopia,” Tim Stafford, Christianity Today

Sharia law — U.S., foreign

• “From Strong Horse to Hobbled Horse,” Ken Blackwell, WORLD Magazine
• “War and Moral Sanity,” William Doino, Jr., The Public Discourse
• “War and Moral Sanity: Nuclear Attacks,” William Doino, Jr., The Public Discourse
• “American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee bans Pro-Freedom Singer,” Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic

The Courts
Constitutional Issues

• “Don’t panic,” Holly Vradenburgh, WORLD Virginia
• “Institute defends Second Amendment right to “bear” arms,” The Claremont Institute
• “The Mirage of Enumerated Powers,” Hadley Arkes, Claremont Review of Books

Judicial Activism

• “Court ruling ‘jeopardizes public safety’,” Russ Jones, OneNewsNow
• “Engaged Judges Needed to Protect Vital Freedoms,” Jeff Rowes, TheHuffington Post

Other News of Note

• “Hubert Horatio Hundred,” Robert Morrison, Family Research Council
• “Tony Perkins’ Remarks at the Faith and Freedom Coalition Conference,” FRC Press Office
• “The Preferential Option for the Poor,” R.R. Reno, First Things
• “On College Campuses, Obama’s Not Cool Anymore,” Elspeth Reeve, The Atlantic
• “Radical Graffiti Chic,” Heather Mac Donald, City Journal California
• “UN: World Faces “Overpopulation” Despite Population Declines,” Steve Mosher, LifeNews.com

Book reviews

• “When a Nation Forgets God,” Erwin W. Lutzer, Blogging Theologically
• “War of the Worldviews,” Jordan Ballor, Comment Magazine
• “Henry Hazlitt, Literary Critic,” Allen Mendenhall, Mises Daily
• “Orsini on “Principled Conservatism”,” Kevin Schmiesing, The Acton Institute
• “Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Marble Faun,” Lindsay Marshall, The Examined Life
• “A Second Look at First Things,” Francis Beckwith, The Catholic Thing

Tags: Social Conservative Review

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