Family Research Council

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Dear Friends,

The central irony of Christian citizenship is that no country will find better citizens than those willing to defy its laws if those laws demand a loyalty to the state greater than that owed to the God of the Bible. As Declaration of Independence signer and Princeton president John Witherspoon put it,

Another reason why the servants of God are represented as troublesome is, because they will not, and dare not comply with the sinful commandments of men. In matters merely civil, good men are the most regular citizens and the most obedient subjects. But, as they have a Master in heaven, no earthly power can constrain them to deny his name or desert his cause.

In other words, to be good citizens in time, Christians must be ever mindful that they belong to an eternal kingdom.

Political engagement by Christians is, at a foundational level, unavoidable. If you pay taxes, if you serve in the military, if you get a driver’s license, if you sign a property deed, if you have medical or life insurance, if you turn on the shower or pay a heating bill, what you are doing is in some way touched by government regulation and law.

This engagement does not need to be consuming, of course. Not everyone is called to be equally active in the public square. However, the other extremes — of passivity and pretending politics neither matter nor really exist, or of withdrawal and despair after one’s (false) expectations are dashed — are a matter of either an impoverished grasp of Scripture or, worse, mere religious pretense, not fidelity to the Bible. Never to vote, never to speak, never to defend those without a voice, the weak and powerless and helpless, is to accede to evil.

“Do good unto all men,” writes Paul the Apostle (Galatians 6:10). This is a charge with an active voice. Christians cannot fulfill this command unless, in the public arena, we stand for truth with a gracious but undauntable spirit. Our fellow citizens, and our country as a whole, deserve no less.

Sincerely,

Rob Schwarzwalder

Senior Vice President

Family Research Council

P.S. What is the status of conservatism in America? Family Research Council’s Senior Fellow for Family Empowerment, Ken Blackwell, appeared on CNS News August 12, 2011 to discuss the conservative movement in our country today.

Educational Freedom and Reform

Homeschooling

• “DNPE Softens Impact of New Policy,” Home School Legal Defense Association
• “Why choose to homeschool?,” Kate Kerman, Sentinel Source
• “Home school students learn year round,” CBC News

Legislation and Policy Proposals

• “Reforming Higher Education: To What End?,” Lee Skallerup Bessette, Inside Higher Ed
• “Grade Inflation for Education Majors and Low Standards for Teachers,” Cory Koedel, American Enterprise Institute
• “Scott explores changes in higher education,” Denise-Marie Balona, The Orlando Sentinel
• “The Atlanta Cheating Scandal’s Tough Lessons for Business Leaders,” Frederick M. Hess and Whitney Downs, The American
• “Pupils Delighted,” Anthony Esolen, Touchstone Magazine
• “Catholic schools in Kenya prohibit Muslim head covering,” Fredrick Nzwili, Mere Comments
• “No Child Left Behind by Executive Overreach,” Lindsey Burke, National Review Online
• “Do We Spend Too Much on Education?,” Peter Thiel et al., New York Times
• “Online Enterprises Gain Foothold as Path to a College Degree,” Tamar Lewin, The New York Times

Government Reform

Regulation

• “Empower the Regulated,” Richard Rahn, The Washington Times
• “Regulatory Overreach Smothering Economy: Obama Review Has Killed One Regulation,” Sen. John Barrasso, The Washington Times
• “More Regulation Is the Last Thing Economy Needs,” Ramesh Ponnuru, Bloomberg

Waste/Fraud/Abuse

• “Human nature and the Obama Economy,” Rob Schwarzwalder, The Greece Post
• “That’s Government Stimulus Alright,” Nick Schulz, The Enterprise Blog
• “It’s the Spending, Stupid: A Crucial Historical Look at Federal-Government Spending,” Paul G. Kengor, The Center for Vision and Values
• “Spending, not entitlements, created huge deficit,” Byron York, The Washington Examiner
• “The Proverbial folly behind our debt crisis,” D.C. Innes, WORLD Magazine

Health Care

Abstinence

• “Sex Ed Mandates and Children’s Innocence,” Greg Pfundstein, The Public Discourse
• “HHS: Children Are ‘Sexual Beings’,” Penny Starr, CNSNews.com
• “The Immorality of Nice Fornication,” Anthony Esolen, The Catholic Thing

Conscience Protection

• “Federal Government Tramples Conscience Protections,” William A. Estrada, Esq., Home School Legal Defense Association

Health care reform: Political and Legislative efforts

• “Higher Health Benefits Costs Bring Along More Consumer Control,” Gabriel Sudduth, The Enterprise Blog
• “Health Spending’s Economic Effects,” Gabriel Sudduth, The Enterprise Blog
• “Court Rules Against a Breathtakingly Expansive Mandate,” Grace-Marie Turner, The Galen Institute
• “Cuts in Health Care May Undermine Role in Labor Market,” Reed Abelson and Katie Thomas, The New York Times
• “As Hospitals Push ERs, States’ Medicaid Budgets Pressured,” Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News

Homosexuality

• “Federal Agency Admits Violating DOMA in Conducting Survey,” Peter Sprigg, Family Research Council
• “Gay Marriage a Tricky Issue for Obama, GOP,” Michael Barone, American Enterprise Institute
• “We’re Arguing Definitions, Not Rights,” Amy K. Hall, Evangel
• “For the Kids,” James M. Thunder, The American Spectator
• “Our Gay-Marriage Experiment,” Michael Barone, National Review Online
• “Straw Votes and Revelations,” Hadley Arkes, The Catholic Thing
• “Chaplaincy Groups Urge Congress To Increase Religious Liberty Protections In Face of DADT Repeal,” Alliance Defense Fund

Human Life and Bioethics

Abortion

• “Another Abortion Apologia from the NYT Mag,” Cathy Ruse, Family Research Council
• “VP Biden on one-child policy in China: It is so repugnant we only send them $50 million a year to do it,” Tom McClusky, The Cloakroom
• “Joe Biden: ‘I Fully Understand’ China’s One Child Policy,” Mark Hemingway, The Weekly Standard
• “Sex Selection Abortion and IVF Shopping Coming To USA,” Wesley J. Smith, Secondhand Smoke
• “Protect the Weak and Vulnerable: The Primacy of the Life Issue,” O. Carter Snead, The Public Discourse
• “40 Years Later: How to Undo the Autonomy Argument for Abortion Rights,” Erika Bachiochi, The Public Discourse
• “Abortion’s Slippery Slope: The “Two-Minus-One Pregnancy,” David Ayers, Townhall.com
• “Study Confirms Abortion Not Needed to Halt Maternal Mortality,” Bill Poehler, LifeNews.com
• “Missing Children: How Falling Birthrates Turn Everything Upside Down,” Phillip J. Longman, The Family in America
• “Tenth Texas Abortion Practitioner Under State Investigation,” Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com

Bioethics and Biotechnology

• “Coffee and Chocolate to Prevent Sunburn,” Dr. David Prentice, Family Research Council
• “Human Experiments as Creepy or Ethical?,” Dr. David Prentice, Family Research Council
• “The Failure of Liberal Bioethics,” Ross Douthat, The New York Times
• “Genetic Patents: Moral Concerns,” Kenneth Spence, The Acton Institute
• “Babies for Sale Buyers Beware,” Jennifer Lahl, To the Source
• “Teaching Character, Not “Moral Enhancements,” Key to Ethical Society,” Wesley J. Smith, Secondhand Smoke

Euthanasia and End of Life Issues

• “BC Court Rejects “Farewell Foundation” Assisted Suicide Suit,” Wesley J. Smith, Secondhand Smoke
• “Surprise poll: young Christians more concerned about abortion/euthanasia than older believers,” Thaddeus Baklinski, LifeSiteNews.com

Stem Cell Research

To read about the latest advances in ethical adult stem cell research, keep up with leading-edge reports from FRC’s Dr. David Prentice, click here.

• “Thou Shalt Not Murder,” Chuck Hurley and David Prentice, The Classic
• “Whatever Happened to Stem Cell Research?,” Austin Ruse, The Catholic Thing

Women’s Health

• “Women Increasingly Sexually Exploited By Media,” Jeanne Monahan, Family Research Council
• “Sex slavery is not just overseas anymore,” Jeanne Monahan, The Sonoran News

Marriage and Family

Adoption

• “Major blow dealt to Catholic Charities in Illinois over homosexual adoption,” Peter Baklinski, LifeSiteNews.com
• “Things We Control,” Nancy French, National Review Online
• “Social media spurs adoption for Roseville family,” Jon Brines, Roseville Press Tribune
• “Social services board delays adoption regulations,” Anita Kumar, The Washington Post

Family Economics

• “How the Debt Deal Will Really Work,” Joseph Antos, The Enterprise Blog
• “The Moral Consequences of Economic Philosophy,” Amy K. Hall, Evangel
• “Obama’s Secret Jobs Plan,” Robinson O’Brien-Bours, The Ashbrook Center
• “Keynesian Economics vs. Regular Economics,” Robert J. Barro, The Wall Street Journal
• “Why Americans Hate Economics,” Stephen Moore, The Wall Street Journal

Family Structure

• “In Defense of Second-Rate Parenting,” Gregory K. Laughlin, First Things
• “Defend Marriage: Moms and Dads Matter,” Maggie Gallagher, The Public Discourse
• “Rachel’s Last Fund-Raiser,” Nicholas D. Kristof, The New York Times
• “Before Kids, Put a Ring On It,” Kathryn Jean Lopez, National Review Online

Media

Pornography

• “Pornography and National Security,” Jennifer S. Bryson, The Public Discourse
• “Christians ponder the secretive use of pornography on the Web,” Helen T. Gray, The Bradenton Herald
• “CNN on porn: Smart people vs. Bible folks,” tMatt, GetReligion.org

Internet

• “Is Google an Indictment of Higher Education’s Failures?,” Tracy Mitrano, Inside HigherEd
• “Chinese Flock to Free Lectures on Happiness, Justice,” Chengcheng Jiang, Time

Religion and Public Policy

Religious Liberty

• “Church decline across the pond,” David T. Koyzis, Evangel
• “Table Manners,” Russell D. Moore, Touchstone Magazine
• “Nine States File in support of Becket Fund Brief,” Eric Kniffin, The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty

Religion in America

• “Jesus Behind Bars,” Robert Morrison, The American Thinker
• “Does the Tea Party Have a Religion Problem?,” R.R. Reno, First Things
• “Is “Christian” the New “Gay”?,” Gayle Trotter, Evangel
• “Mormonism and Natural Law,” Francis J. Beckwith, The Catholic Thing
• “Tipping Points: Time to Engage the Culture Again,” Chuck Colson, Crosswalk
• “Mark David Hall on Roger Sherman, Puritan Patriot,” Research on Religion Podcast
• “Rescuing the American Dream: Culture’s Power to Reduce Poverty,” Peter Wehner, Ethics and Public Policy Center
• “Do Irreligious Realize They’re Intolerant?,” Rod Dreher, RealClearReligion

Secularism

• “Inequality Grows As Poor, Ignorant Atheists Swamp US,” Walter Russell Mead, Via Meadia
• “The Anti-Church of Antonio Gramsci,” George J. Marlin, The Catholic Thing

International

Israel

• “The Mideast: Safe for Democracy?,” Ken Blackwell and Robert Morrison, The Huffington Post
• “Blood in the Streets,” Caroline Glick, The Jerusalem Post
• “Hamas’s Deadly Reminder: There is no Palestinian State,” David French, National Review Online

International Economy and Family

• “Gandhi’s Revenge,” Sadanand Dhume, American Enterprise Institute
• “Lesson From Europe (Take 2),” Bret Stephens, The Wall Street Journal
• “Reversing the Decay of London Undone,” Jonathan Sacks, The Wall Street Journal
• “China’s New Lucrative Business: Dead Babies Turn into Stamina Booster Pills,” International Business Times

Religious Persecution

• “HOSTILITY TOWARD RELIGION: Pew sees uptick in 1/3 of world,” Mark Kelly, Baptist Press
• “Q&A with former diplomat Thomas F. Farr,” The Media Project
• “Can Taiwan Escape China’s Ever-Tightening Embrace?,” Doug Bandow, Forbes

Sharia law — U.S., foreign

• “Martyrdom in Pakistan,” George Weigel, First Things
• “On the Fragility of Islam,” James V. Schall, S.J., The Catholic Thing
• “A Thrilling Spectacle in Tripoli,” Fouad Ajami, The Wall Street Journal
• “Enlisting Allah,” Brian Mockenhaupt, The Atlantic

The Courts

Constitutional Issues

• “Obama DOJ Picks a Fight Against Religious Freedom,” Ed Whelan, National Review Online
• “Should We Deregulate the Legal Industry?,” Publius, FedSoc Blog
• “Display of Ten Commandments in Dixie County, Florida,” Publius, FedSoc Blog

Other News of Note

• “What? Another Department of Jobs?,” Ken Blackwell, The Huffington Post
• “TV Bias Book Not Ready for Primetime,” Bruce Edward Walker, The Acton Institute
• “Churchill and Welfare,” Robinson O’Brien-Bours, The Ashbrook Center
• “Actor Corey Feldman Says Pedophilia No. 1 Problem for Child Stars, Contributed to Demise of Corey Haim,” Steven Baker and David Wright, ABC News
• “After 2009 Turmoil, Town-Halls Are Scarce,” Sophie Quinton, The Atlantic

Book reviews

• “Book Review: Surprised by Oxford,” Mark Trammell, Family Research Council
• “Book Review: Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys Over Girls and the Consequences of a World Full of Men,” Susan Yoshihara, C-FAM
• “Sickness Unto Death,” Robert S. Wistrich, Claremont Review of Books
• “An Introduction to Plato’s Laches,” Gary Hartenburg, The Examined Life
• “The Book Behind the Musical: Hugo’s Les Miserables,” Curt Swindoll, The Examined Life

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