So far, four Christian organizations on campus have been told by the university that they are in violation of the policy, and they are in danger of losing their registered student group status.  This comes after Vanderbilt University conducted an investigation of a Christian fraternity, Beta Upsilon Chi, and found the organization discriminated against a student based on sexual orientation.  Additionally, another group, the Christian Legal Society, was asked to remove Bible verses and the words, “Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior” from their constitution.

The real issue at stake here is religious liberty.  Denying an organization the right to worship freely or being able to stand up for what their faith teaches them is wrong, and it is persecution.  According to Professor Carol Swain, who advises the Christian Legal Society:

“There are people on campus who are very threatened by the idea of religious freedom and they would like to create an environment where no one hurts anyone else’s feelings – unless it’s Christians.”

What would our founding fathers think of what is happening at Vanderbilt?  They would probably think this is a travesty.  After all, they fled from the religious persecution in England by coming to America, where they could worship freely without being forced to attend the King’s church.

In fact, when our founding fathers drafted the Constitution, they made certain that religious liberty would be protected in our country.  The First Amendment of the United States Constitution states:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” (Bold, emphasis mine)

Vanderbilt’s decision to ban student religious organizations is a violation of the First Amendment, but it is limiting the group’s ability to worship freely, as our founding fathers envisioned.

Dear Friends,

The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) is one of America’s most respected and learned journals. It is a forum in which some of our finest minds publish articles on everything from “Evidence for the extraterrestrial origin of a natural quasicrystal” to “In-feed antibiotic effects on the swine intestinal microbiome.” To a non-scientist like me, even the titles are intimidating.

In the most recent edition of PNAS, three Stanford University scholars argue that both liberals and conservatives engage in a “dramatic projection of one’s own views onto those of Jesus.” While it is only human for us to want the Savior to confirm our own predilections, there can be no doubt that, objectively, Jesus affirmed the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman, Old Testament teachings about human sexuality and personhood within the womb, or the dignity of every person such that liberty — religious, political, and economic — should be the normal state of society.

As theologian Andreas Kostenberger wrote in his recent FRC booklet, “The Bible’s Teaching on Marriage and the Family:”

Marriage and the family were God’s idea, and as divine institutions they are not open to human renegotiation or revision … the Bible clearly teaches that God instituted marriage as a covenant between one man and one woman, a lifelong union of two partners created in God’s image to govern and manage the earth for him. In keeping with his wonderful design, the Creator will normally bless a married couple with children, and it is his good plan that a family made up of a father, a mother, and several children witness to his glory and goodness in a world that has rejected the Creator’s plan and has fashioned a variety of God-substitutes to fill the void that can properly be filled only by God himself.

We all like it when people agree with us. Yet it’s more important that we agree with the God of the Bible, Whose path for human relationships and sexuality is clear in His written Word and evidenced in the natural order.  It’s up to each of us to choose whether or not to take it.

Sincerely,
Rob Schwarzwalder
Senior Vice President
Family Research Council

P.S. FRC President Tony Perkins has been offering some sage counsel about the current state of American politics in a series of recent television interviews. To view Tony’s comments, click here.

Educational Freedom and Reform
Homeschooling

• “Why Urban, Educated Parents Are Turning to DIY Education,” Linda Perlstein, Newsweek
• “‘Tim Tebow homeschool law’ gains momentum in Virginia,” Valerie Strauss, The Washington Post
• “Catholic Homeschool Group’s Appeal will be Argued Before the Indiana Civil Rights Commission (ICRC),” Christian NewsWire

Legislation and Policy Proposals

• “College Debt and 2012,” Chris Gacek, Family Research Council
• “The State of Education,” Chester E. Finn, Jr., National Review Online
• “Why You Should Postpone College,” Brett Nelson, Forbes
• “Jindal’s Education Moon Shot,” The Wall Street Journal
• “Golden Missed Opportunity,” Larry Sand, City Journal
• “Redeeming Higher Education,” James R. Stoner, Jr., Claremont Review of Books
• “Our Inequality,” Peter David Gross, The Examined Life

Government Reform
Regulation

• “Geithner Says ‘Basic Elements’ of Finance Reform Done This Year,” Ian Katz, Bloomberg
• “Obama Comes Around on U.N. Reform,” Brett Schaefer, National Review Online
• “Trust-Busting and Trusting in the Administrative State,” Michael Fragoso, The Public Discourse
• “It’s Working in Walker’s Wisconsin,” Christian Schneider, City Journal

Waste/Fraud/Abuse

• “Average federal pay matches Microsoft,” Andrew Biggs, The Enterprise Blog
• “The Debt Trap, Part (1),” Michael S. Greve, Library of Law and Liberty
• “Is President Obama Creating A Nation Of Dependents?,” John Merline, Investor’s Business Daily
• “Dining with Vultures: Rent-to-Own, the Feds, and the Housing Sector,” Jay Weiser, The American

Health Care
Abstinence

• “Abortion-contraception arguments are really about teen sex,” Sarah S. Brown, The Washington Post
• “New sex education standards released,” Kimberly Hefling, Associated Press
• “‘Safe sex’ is a myth, & CDC stats prove it,” Kelly Boggs, Baptist Press

Conscience Protection

• “ObamaCare and Religious Freedom,” Timothy M. Dolan, The Wall Street Journal
• “Respecting religious exemptions,” Editorial, The Washington Post
• “An Unconscionable Threat to Conscience,” Donald P. Condit, The Acton Institute
• “Ruling on Contraception Draws Battle Lines at Catholic Colleges,” Denise Grady, New York Times

Health care reform: Political and Legislative efforts

• “The Wyden-Ryan proposal-a foundation for realistic Medicare reform,” Joseph Antos, The New England Journal of Medicine
• “If we knew then what we know now about healthcare reform,” Andrew Biggs, The Enterprise Blog
• “The HHS Contraception Mandate vs. the Religious Freedom Restoration Act,” Ed Whelan, National Review Online
• “Free Birth Control vs. Freedom of Religion,” Wesley J. Smith, National Review Online
• “The Obama Mandate to Catholics: “To Hell With You?”,” Paul G. Kengor, The Center for Vision and Values

Homosexuality

• “Gay marriage gaining momentum in WA Legislature,” Rachel La Corte, Associated Press
• “Catholic Conference chides same-sex marriage supporters,” John Wagner, The Washington Post
• “The Same-Sex “Marriage” Proposal is Unjust Discrimination,” Patrick Lee, The Public Discourse
• “Reclaiming the Rhetoric of ‘Family’: 3 Reasons Why Same-Sex Marriage Recognition in the Military Matters,” Katie Miller, The Huffington Post
• “UN Secretary General Tells African Nations to Stop Discriminating Against Homosexuals,” Stefano Gennarini, J.D., Turtle Bay and Beyond
• “Vulgarity and Vengeance,” Anthony Esolen, The Catholic Thing

Human Life and Bioethics
Abortion

• “Feathers Ruffled at Greater DC Girl Scout Council,” Cathy Ruse, Family Research Council
• “A New Study Finds Abortion Safer than Giving Birth,” Krystle Weeks, Family Research Council
• “Roe v. Wade: A Constitutional and Moral Tragedy,” Sen. Orrin Hatch
• “The mental toll of abortion,” Jeanne Monahan, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
• “Roe v. Wade and Equal Opportunity,” Ken Thomas, The Ashbrook Center
• “The Mounting Tragedy of Missing Baby Girls,” Matt Ridley, The Wall Street Journal
• “The Vision of a Pro-Life Generation,” Kathryn Jean Lopez, National Review Online
• ” Pro-Life Is Prettier: Beauty in the Pro-Life Movement,” Katrina Fernandez, Patheos
• “The Unbearable Wrongness of Roe,” Michael Stokes Paulsen, The Public Discourse
• “Two Cheers for Pro-Life Europe,” Austin Ruse, The Catholic Thing
• “Focusing on the fetus changes abortion debate,” Margaret Somerville, The National Post

Bioethics and Biotechnology

• “Archbishop Chaput Blasts Growing Eugenics in Fetal Medicine,” Gerard Nadal, LifeNews.com

Euthanasia and End of Life Issues

• “Is it morally wrong to take a life? Not really, say bioethicists,” Michael Cook, BioEdge
• “‘Incompatible with Life’ is a judgment not a diagnosis,” Nancy Mayer-Whittington, 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.

• “The Stem Cell Debates,” The New Atlantis
• “The End of Embryonic Stem Cell Research?,” Nathaniel Peters, First Things
• “Stacking the deck on the stem-cell program,” Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times
• “Politics obscure science of stem-cell debate,” David Baugher, The St. Louis Beacon

Human Trafficking

• “The Human Face Of Modern Slavery,” Corban Addison, The Huffington Post
• “Human trafficking: Hunting the predator,” Elizabeth Prann, Fox News
• “‘All I Was Good for Was Sex’,” Nathan Clarke, Christianity Today

Women’s Health

• “When the State Took Away My Life: North Carolina Grapples with Sterilization Practice,” Karen Swallow Prior, Christianity Today
• “How the CDC is overstating sexual violence in the US,” Christina Hoff Sommers, American Enterprise Institute
• “The Vitrification Fertility Option,” Rebecca Dana, Newsweek

Marriage and Family
Adoption

• “The Joy of Pretty Things,” Nancy French, National Review Online
• “Va. legislators to consider gay adoption issue,” Zinie Chen Sampson, Associated Press
• “‘Too old to keep baby’,” Linda Fort, Get Reading
• “Utah adoption bill aims to give unwed fathers more protections,” Brooke Adams, The Salt Lake Tribune

Family Economics

• “The Keystone Pipeline, Energy, and Family Economics,” Chris Gacek, Family Research Council
• “The Tax Rate Scandal,” Mark W. Hendrickson, The Center for Vision and Values
• “Beyond Blue Part One: The Crisis of the American Dream,” Walter Russell Mead, Via Meadia
• “The “Immobile Class”: On College and Work in the New America,” Owen Strachan

Family Structure

• “The New American Divide,” Charles Murray, The Wall Street Journal
• “The Untapped Potential of the At-Home Mom,” Suanne Camfield, Christianity Today
• “Child’s Play,” Carrie Lukas, National Review Online

Media
Pornography

• “House of Lies’ and Mainstream Pornography,” Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Atlantic
• “Protecting Children From Internet Pornographers Act: 5 Things to Know About H.R. 1981,” Connor Adams Sheets, International Business Times
• “Should I Marry a Man with Pornography Struggles? My Response,” Russell D. Moore, Moore to the Point

Internet

• “SOPA Pro and Con,” Justin Shubow, FedSoc Blog

Media

• “Nudity on the Rise in Broadcast TV,” Parents Television Council
• “Damsels in Undress,” Sean Daly, New York Post

Religion and Public Policy
Religious Liberty

• “Christians Say Obama is Trampling Religious Liberty,” Todd Starnes, Fox News
• “On Religious Freedom, Years of Battles Ahead,” David Skeel, The Wall Street Journal
• “Parochial Schools And Peyote: How Illegal Drugs And Christian School Teachers Are Related,” Kevin Theriot, Alliance Defense Fund
• “Vanderbilt Univ. Christian Group Says It’s Being Forced Off Campus,” Stephanie Samuel, The Christian Post
• “Religious Liberty and Civil Society,” Yuval Levin, Ethics and Public Policy Center

Religion in America

• “John 3:16: Tim Tebow’s Verse?,” Robert Morrison, Family Research Council
• “What Will It Take To Transform The Mountains Of Culture?,” Chris Robertson, The Acton Institute
• “What the Bible Teaches About Capitalism,” Aryeh Spero, The Wall Street Journal
• “Anger, Bad-And Good?,” Austin Ruse, The Catholic Thing

Secularism

• “Stubborn Amish and Stubborn Atheists,” Peter Berger, The American Interest

International
Israel

• “Column One: The Zionist imperative,” Caroline Glick, The Jerusalem Post
• “Israel’s future: Risks or opportunities?,” Uri Dromi, The Miami Herald

International Economy and Family

• “The (Almost) Triumph of Offshore Balancing,” Christopher Layne, The National Interest
• “Why Growth Matters More than Debt,” Steve Conover, The American
• “Will German Politicians Wreck Europe To Save Their Own Skins?,” Walter Russell Mead, Via Meadia

Religious Persecution

• “Responding to Islamism and Persecution of the Church,” Rob Schwarzwalder, Family Research Council
• “The Muslim-American Muddle: Where Do Muslims Fit in American Society?,” Lecture, American Enterprise Institute
• “The Church Persecuted – 2011,” George J. Marlin, The Catholic Thing

Sharia law — U.S., foreign

• “Aquinas on Islam,” Matthew Hanley, The Catholic Thing
• “Slaughterhouse Rules,” Elli Fischer, Jewish Daily Ideas
• “Opposition mounts to growing use of sharia law in Britain,” Barnabas Aid

The Courts
Constitutional Issues

• “Wagner’s cautionary tale of latest example of political bias,” Chris Gacek, The Cedar Rapids Gazette
• “Liberty Forum on the Constitutional Amendment Process,” Mike Rappaport, Library of Law and Liberty
• “Beyond Originalism: Conservative Declarationism and Constitutional Redemption,” Ken I. Kersch, Maryland Law Review

Other News of Note

• “The King’s Summit,” Robert Morrison, Human Events
• “Social Justice, Institutions, and Communities,” Adam J. MacLeod, The Public Discourse
• “Patrick Henry, Patriot,” Gary S. Smith, The Center for Vision and Values

Book reviews

• “Trials and Tribulations of Girl Land,” Krystle Weeks, Family Research Council
• “Talking About REAL Marriage,” Susan Wise Bauer, Christianity Today
• “Eden’s Bridge:  the Marketplace in God’s Kingdom, a Partner Spotlight,” Elise Hilton, PovertyCure
• “The Humanity of Christ Matters,” Russell D. Moore, Moore to the Point

In Girl Land, Flanagan looks at how culture has changed over time and how it has become focused on viewing girls as sexual objects and denying them the privacy, daydreams, and crushes that normal girlhood provides. In other words, they are losing their sense of self.

However, Girl Land is also drawing some criticism from those who might agree with Flanagan’s point of view. In a recent RealClearBooks op-ed by Heather Wilhelm, Girl Land received some criticism as painting things too broadly. Wilhelm brings up a great point that this book fosters ambiguity toward men, as well as making excuses for the “boys will be boys” mentality.

On one hand, Flanagan seems to buy into the “all men are predators” narrative, speaking of the pervy uncle and the drunk father hitting on the babysitter as if they are prototypes, not anomalies. Perhaps this stems from an assault Flanagan endured when she was younger, which she details in the book. But it’s an odd quirk, particularly in a girl culture better represented by the aggressive, love-struck babysitter in “Crazy, Stupid, Love” (in the movie, she harasses her charge’s clueless father, leading to mortifying results) than anything else.

But then, on the other hand, Girl Land exhibits a strange sense of “boys will be boys” that excuses even the crassest behavior. “If I were to learn that my children had engaged in oral sex — outside a romantic relationship, and as young adolescents — I would be sad,” Flanagan writes. “But I wouldn’t think that they had been damaged by the experience; I wouldn’t think I had failed catastrophically as a mother, or that they would need therapy. Because I don’t have daughters, I have sons.”

Wilhelm also argues that girls are facing a society that promotes promiscuity over abstinence. Girl Land did not mention anything about respect for this critical moral choice.

Kids need to know how their behaviors will impact them in the long run, and the implications of not making the right choices behaviorally. Shouldn’t Girl Land be focused on holding both sons and daughters to high moral standards? Our society needs these standards now more than ever.

There are some interesting findings from this study commissioned by the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.  One is the fact that the authors of the study, Drs. Elizabeth Raymond and David Grimes, used estimates from the Guttmacher Institute, which is tied to Planned Parenthood.  Another finding that was particularly interesting is that they claim abortion is safer due to the amount of deaths that occurred during live childbirth.

There are some medical risks with childbirth, but the effects of abortion are much more dangerous and long-lasting.  Jeanne Monahan, Director, Center for Human Dignity at FRC, recently published an editorial that appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which focused on abortion’s devastating impact on mental health.  According to Monahan:

In the fall, a meta-analysis was published in the prestigious British Journal of Psychiatry. The report was the most extensive of its kind to date — the author looked at 22 published studies and data from more than 870,000 women. The results showed that women who have an abortion are at an 81 percent increased risk for mental health problems, including anxiety disorders, depression, drug abuse and suicidal behaviors. The study revealed the shocking statistic that close to 10 percent of all mental health problems in women can be directly attributed to abortion.

There are other impacts, as well, that are worth noting.  FRC also released a brochure, “The Top Ten Myths About Abortion,” which provided some insight into the medical complications from abortion.  A surgical abortion could impact whether a woman would be able to conceive and have a healthy pregnancy in the future.

Physical complications include cervical lacerations and injury, uterine perforations, bleeding, hemorrhage, serious infection, pain, and incomplete abortion. Risks of complications increase with gestational age and are dependent upon the abortion procedure.

Long-term physical consequences of abortion include future preterm birth and placenta previa (improper implantation of the placenta) in future pregnancies. Premature delivery is associated with higher rates of cerebral palsy, as well as respiratory, brain, and bowel abnormalities. Pregnancies complicated by placenta previa result in high rates of preterm birth, low birth weight, and perinatal death.

This does not include the physical complications from RU-486, which is prescribed to women who seek a chemical abortion.  These include:  hemorrhage, infection, and missed ectopic pregnancy.  The Food and Drug Administration recently reported that in the ten years since RU-486 was approved in the U.S., at least 11 women have died as a result of complications related to taking the drug.

Additionally, 612 women have been hospitalized, and 339 women required blood transfusions as a result of taking RU-486.  (Food and Drug Administration, “Mifepristone U.S. Postmarketing Adverse Events Summary through 04/30/2011”).

Additionally, government compiled statistics from Poland confirm that the number of abortion-related deaths significantly decreased when abortion was essentially outlawed. The fact that this study was released to coincide with the March for Life activities is not surprising, considering that the pro-choice lobby will do anything to ensure that abortion is in the forefront.

Does NARAL believe that “choice” means punishing a non-profit religious organization from receiving a grant that would aid victims of human trafficking?

In October, the U.S. Conference on Catholic Bishops (USCCB) received notification from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that the funding for their program to aid victims of human trafficking would be ending.  According to an article in the National Catholic Register, the decision fell on the hands of political appointees at HHS, who decided not to give the grant to USCCB due to their opposition of the Obama Administration’s stances on abortion and contraceptive mandates within the new health care law.

Since this decision was made, HHS has come under scrutiny.  The House Committee on Government Oversight held a hearing in December reviewing the politicization of grants by HHS.  You can read the testimony by clicking here.

If “choice” means cutting aid to victims of human trafficking over the core beliefs of an organization, then this is going against the very grain of ensuring human dignity and rights for women.  One would think that NARAL would be up-in-arms over the horrible acts of human trafficking, since many victims are women and young girls.

Collin Raye, country music superstar and spokesman for the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network, will be one of our featured speakers at ProLifeCon.  Raye has sold over eight million albums and has been nominated five times as country music’s Male Vocalist of the Year.  In 2001, he was presented with the Humanitarian of the Year award by country music legend, Clint Black.

Raye, in his role as spokesman for the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network, is focused on helping families and loved ones who are in the same situation as Terri Schiavo was in 2005.  Raye’s family has had their own experience with end-of-life issues, when his granddaughter died of an undiagnosed neurological condition in 2010.

There is no doubt that Raye will empower the audience with his story and the work of the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network.

**The stream will be available on Monday, January 23rd beginning at 8:20 a.m. and the live stream will end at 11:30 a.m.**

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We are fortunate to have Michael Clancy, photographer of the famous “Hand of Hope” picture, and the baby featured in that photo, Samuel Armas, who is now twelve years old, and his mother, Julie Armas.  The “Hand of Hope” picture was captured in 1999, during a spina bifida corrective surgical procedure.  Samuel Armas was only 21 weeks in utero during that picture.  While Clancy was documenting this surgery for a USA Today feature, he had the opportunity to capture Samuel Armas reach his hand out into the world from the womb.  It is a powerful picture that has stirred emotion all over the world.

Clancy is the author of “Hand of Hope:  The Story Behind the Picture,” which will be available for purchase and signing at ProLifeCon.

Dear Friends:

A Massachusetts judge’s decision to order the abortion of “a mentally ill woman’s unborn baby and sterilize her – if it meant she had to be ‘coaxed, bribed, or even enticed … by ruse’ into the procedure” has drawn appropriate fire from officials in the Bay State.

Judge Christina Harms, who retired from the bench last week, not only wanted to compel the woman known only as “Mary Moe” to have an abortion – a procedure serious Catholic Ms. Moe said, explicitly, she did not want – but also to sterilize her. Thankfully, State Appellate Court Associate Justice Andrew R. Grainger has reversed Judge Harms’ ruling, stating that ‘No party requested this measure … and the judge appears to have simply produced the requirement out of thin air.” Justice Grainger has now given the case to another judge.

The forced sterilization of roughly 30,000 Americans occurred in our own country in the years leading up to World War II (U.S. Holocaust Museum). The inherent injustice and cruelty of the practice was not only odious to most of our fellow citizens, but its barbarity was cast into horrible relief with the rise of Nazism in Germany. Hitler’s “Law for the Prevention of Progeny with Hereditary Diseases” (July 14, 1933) compelled “the sterilization of all persons who suffered from diseases considered hereditary, such as mental illness (schizophrenia and manic depression), retardation (‘congenital feeble-mindedness’), physical deformity, epilepsy, blindness, deafness, and severe alcoholism.” In addition to the estimated 400,000 persons sterilized, by 1945 up to 250,000 people had been murdered for their real or perceived physical or mental problems.

All of this poses a troubling question: Our society’s outrage over Judge Harms’ decision, while admirable, is much too muted when it comes to the ongoing death of more than 3,000 unborn children daily in the U.S., as is our culture’s compassion for their mothers, who often are “left uninformed” of the other, non-abortion related options they have.

At FRC, we work with dedicated people across the country to provide those better options. That’s why, on Monday, January 23 – the day of the annual “March for Life” here in the nation’s capital – FRC will launch the second edition of our “A Passion to Serve: How Pregnancy Resource Centers Empower Women, Help Families, and Strengthen Communities.” Make sure to visit our website, A Passion to Serve, where you will be able to download your own free copy on January 23.

Sincerely,
Rob Schwarzwalder
Senior Vice President
Family Research Council

P.S. Be sure to watch the Webcast of FRC’s annual “ProLifeCon,” the premier gathering of online pro-life activists, on January 23.

Educational Freedom and Reform
Homeschooling

• “Major Victory for Homeschool Graduates Enlisting in the Military,” William A. Estrada, Esq., Home School Legal Defense Association
• “Relative’s “Complaint” Launches State-Level Inquiry,” Home School Legal Defense Association

Legislation and Policy Proposals

• “China Evaluates University Curricula as Job Producers,” Chris Gacek, Family Research Council
• “Critical issues in assessing teacher compensation,” Andrew G. Biggs and Jason Richwine, American Enterprise Institute
• “Some States Skeptical of NCLB Waivers,” Sean Cavanagh, Education Week
• “What Americans Keep Ignoring About Finland’s School Success,” Anu Partanen, The Atlantic
• “School Choice Can End the Battle over Sex Ed,” Carrie Lukas, National Review Online
• “Whither, Education?,” Barak Wright, The Examined Life
• “Another victory for school choice,” Opinion, Las Vegas Review-Journal
• “No child left untabulated,” Janie B. Cheaney, WORLD Magazine

Government Reform
Regulation

• “An Imaginary Dustup? The Incalculable Harm of Regulation,” Blake Hurst, The American
• “A Step Backward for Economic Freedom in 2012,” Edwin J. Feulner, The Wall Street Journal

Waste/Fraud/Abuse

• “Obama Brings Back the Constitution,” William McGurn, The Wall Street Journal
• “Public Pension ‘Air Time’ Is an Absurdly Generous Perk,” Andrew G. Biggs, The American

Health Care
Abstinence

• “Former Model Leads Campaign against Cosmopolitan,” Krystle Weeks, Family Research Council
• “New National Standards Address Sexuality Education for All Grades,” Nirvi Shah, Education Week
• “Planned Parenthood Kicked Out of School Classes in New York,” Kristi Burton Brown, LifeNews.com
• “NEA, Liberal Groups Release National Sex-Ed Standards,” Catherine Snow, CitizenLink

Conscience Protection

• “Battle Over Birth Control,” Libby A. Nelson, Inside Higher Ed

Health care reform: Political and Legislative efforts

• “Romney, Perry, and Huntsman: A Tale of Three Governors,” Christopher J. Conover, The American
• “What CBO Says About Raising Eligibility Ages for Medicare, Social Security,” Emily Goff, The Heritage Foundation
• “Using Computer Models to Ration Health Care?” Wesley J. Smith, Secondhand Smoke
• “Private Health Insurers Are Being Driven Out Of The Markets, Affecting Millions,” Grace-Marie Turner, The Galen Institute

Homosexuality

• “Gay history lessons required by new California law will be slow to arrive,” Diana Lambert, The Sacramento Bee
• “Judge: NJ Church Illegally Banned Gay Ceremony,” CBN News
• “WA House introduces same-sex marriage bill,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer
• “Same-Sex Science,” Stanton L. Jones, First Things
• “Public Opinion on Same-Sex Marriage,” Byron Johnson, The Public Discourse
• “Oklahoma National Guard to have ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ under lawmaker’s bill,” Wayne Greene, Tulsa World

Human Life and Bioethics
Abortion

• “Say no to Girl Scout Cookies,” Cathy Cleaver Ruse, The Washington Times
• “State abortion curbs rose in 2011 –Guttmacher Institute cites 92 restrictions,” Cheryl Wetzstein, The Washington Times
• “In South Dakota, Strengthened Legal Efforts to Protect Preborn Children,” Alan Sears, Alliance Defense Fund
• “The Global War Against Baby Girls,” Nicholas Eberstadt, The New Atlantis
• “Mourning in America,” James Taranto, The Wall Street Journal
• “New Research on the Public-Health Benefits of Pro-Life Laws,” Michael J. New, National Review Online
• “Planned Parenthood Wants to Increase Abortions Globally 82%,” Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com
• “Rockford abortion clinic closing draws reaction from both sides,” Corina Curry, Rockford Register Star
• “New ‘Pro-life Nation’ initiative launched to end abortion in U.S.,” Kathleen Gilbert, LifeSiteNews.com
• “Target, Nordstrom praised for using child model with Down syndrome,” Peter Baklinski, LifeSiteNews.com
• “International Planned Parenthood To Increase Abortions in Africa by 82%,” Lisa Correnti, Turtle Bay and Beyond
• “Full of life,” Marvin Olasky, WORLD Magazine

Bioethics and Biotechnology

• “British science needs ‘integrity overhaul’,” Daniel Cressey, Nature
• “Is intellectual disability a reason to deny an organ transplant?,” Michael Cook, BioEdge

Euthanasia and End of Life Issues

• “Purpose, Palliative Care, and Respect for Human Life,” Adam J. MacLeod, The Public Discourse

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.

• “Advanced Cell Technology Touted Again as the The Little Bioetech That Could,” Wesley J. Smith, Secondhand Smoke
• “Adult Stem Cell Researchers Ask Federal Appeals Court to Reverse District Court Ruling Regarding Research Using Human Embryos,” Christian Newswire
• “Milestone: First Adult Stem Cells Made That Work in the Brain,” Barbara Abney, LifeNews.com
• “Embryonic Stem Cell Research Doesn’t Work, But Obama Funds It,” Chuck Colson, LifeNews.com

Human Trafficking

• ““National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month” – What You Can Do,” Rob Schwarzwalder, Family Research Council
• “The worst form of human trafficking,” Youngbee Dale, The Washington Times

Women’s Health

• “Planned Parenthood Made Me Rich, and All I Got Was a Nagging Conscience,” Steve Aden, Townhall.com

Marriage and Family
Adoption

• “Catholic Charities focuses on life across the human spectrum,” Jerry Filteau, National Catholic Reporter
• “The Adoption Option,” Lindsey D. Fry, KFYR-TV
• “‘What heaven looks like’,” Joel Hannahs, WORLD Magazine

Family Economics

• “Rethinking the ‘other’ payroll tax,” Thomas P. Miller, American Enterprise Institute
• “The Great Recession: What Will You Tell Your Grandchild?,” Luis Tellez, The Public Discourse
• “The Moral Case Against Child Tax Deductions,” Greg Forster, First Things
• “We Need Pro-Family Tax Policies,” Phyllis Schlafly, Townhall.com
• “Millennials Embrace the Entrepreneurial Vocation,” Dylan Pahman, The Acton Institute

Family Structure

• “The Nasty Politics of Parenting Research,” Glenn T. Stanton, National Review Online
• “How to Bring More Love and Respect into Your Marriage,” Jill Savage, Crosswalk
• “What’s in a name? New brides are returning to an old custom,” Kristin Tillotson, The Kansas City Star
• “We are All Witnesses: Singleness and the Kingdom,” Matthew Lee Anderson, Mere Orthodoxy
• “For Strong Education and Economy, Legislators Must Strengthen Marriage,” Cynthia Davis, The Heartland Institute

Media
Pornography

• “Greeks Bear Gifts-for Pedophiles,” Peter Sprigg, Family Research Council
• “LA City Council Enforcing Condom Use in Porn Industry,” Ivana Kvesic, The Christian Post

Internet

• “I, iPhone,” Jordan J. Ballor, The Acton Institute

Religion and Public Policy
Religious Liberty

• “Secular Theocracy: The Foundations and Folly of Modern Tyranny, Part 2,” David Theroux, The Independent Institute
• ” New SCOTUScast: Hosanna-Tabor Church v. EEOC,” The Federalist Society
• “Supreme Court Sides with Church 9-0 in Landmark First Amendment Ruling,” The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
• “Religion and Freedom,” David Carroll Cochran, The Public Discourse
• “God Matters: Ethical Theory and Divine Law,” Matthew O’Brien, The Public Discourse

Religion in America

• “Ministers of Common Grace,” Jordan J. Ballor, The Acton Institute
• ““An Awakening of Conservative Christians”: Rick Santorum on Faith and Politics,” Timothy Dalrymple, Patheos
• “Has Obama Waged A War On Religion? (NPR Weekend Edition Sunday),” Barbara Bradley Hagerty, The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
• “I believe in Tim Tebow,” Rick Reilly, ESPN.com

Secularism

• “Faith, secularism, and human rights,” Sonya Nigam, Canadian Lawyer
• “Coptic Christian Priest Prefers Martyrdom to Slave Tax in Egypt,” Michael Terheyden, Catholic Online

International
Israel/p>

• “The Silent Young Jewish Majority,” Matthew Ackerman, Commentary Magazine
• “The Land-for-Peace Hoax,” Caroline Glick, The Jerusalem Post

International Economy and Family

• “Egyptian Raids Seek to Halt Freedom’s March,” Ambassador Richard S. Williamson, The American
• “The European Crack-Up,” Theodore Dalrymple, City Journal

Religious Persecution

• “How Can You Forgive a Killer?,” Laura Walters Hinson, Qideas
• “The Politics of Persecution,” Matthew Schmitz, First Things
• “Muslim Brotherhood Picks Egypt’s House Speaker; Attacks on Christians Inevitable?,” Luiza Oleszczuk, The Christian Post

Sharia law — U.S., foreign

• “Court Deems Oklahoma Sharia Law Ban “Unconstitutional”,” Alana Goodman, Commentary Magazine
• “Use of Sharia Law Rising in UK,” Crosswalk

The Courts
Constitutional Issues

• “Supremes unanimously reject government role in choosing ministers,” Ken Klukowski, The Washington Examiner
• “Shocker! Supreme Court lets stand lower bench’s ban on saying ‘Jesus’ too often in public prayers,” Ken Klukowski, The Washington Examiner
• “A Return to “the Heady Days”? The Supreme Court Addresses Whether the Bivens Doctrine Should Extend to Employees of Government Contractors in Minneci v. Pollard,” Robert T. Numbers and Lisa L. Dixon, The Federalist Society

Other News of Note

• “Candidates must show they can make tough choices,” Rob Schwarzwalder, The Sun-Sentinel
• “Tom Landess, R.I.P.: A Behind-the-Scenes Leader among Christian Conservatives,” Robert K. Knight, The Washington Times
• “Readying Romney for the Class-Warfare Machine,” Paul G. Kengor, The Center for Vision and Values
• “An Old Berliner,” Robinson O’Brien-Bours, The Ashbrook Center
• “Belmont & Fishtown,” Charles Murray, The New Criterion

Book reviews

• “Review: Blue Collar Intellectuals,” Ray Nothstine, The Acton Institute
• “What Should You Read in 2012?,” Alissa Wilkinson, Qideas
• “AMERITOPIA: Mark Levin Connects the Dots,” C. Edmund Wright, American Thinker
• “Lansing’s Endurance: Shakleton’s Incredible Voyage,” Rebecca Card Hyatt, The Examined Life
• “A New Shoah: The Untold Story of Israel’s Victims of Terrorism,” Michael M. Rosen, Claremont Review of Books
• “One-Dimensional Man,” Charles Murray, Claremont Review of Books
• “Omega men,” Andrew Stuttaford, The New Criterion

We are excited to have Rep. Chris Smith from New Jersey as one of our speakers.  As co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, Rep. Smith has been instrumental in advocating for pro-life legislation in the House of Representatives.  Rep. Smith has also been a strong voice against human trafficking, and as co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Human Trafficking, he has successfully written and passed into law The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000.

Rep. Vicky Hartzler from Missouri will also be joining ProLifeCon as a featured speaker.  Rep. Hartzler was elected to serve the Fourth District of Missouri in 2010, and she has been a tireless advocate for pro-life issues.  She supported H.R. 3, No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, which was sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith.  Rep. Hartzler is also a member of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus and Congressional Caucus on Human Trafficking.

ProLifeCon has more exciting speakers who will be featured throughout this week.  Click here to register today and learn how you can spread the pro-life message to others.