The Social Conservative Review: January 5, 2012
by Krystle Gabele
January 6, 2012
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“When all government, domestic and foreign, in little as in great things, shall be drawn to Washington as the center of all power, it will render powerless the checks provided of one government on another. Thomas Jefferson, letter to Charles Hammond, August 18, 1821
Dear Friends:
The size and scope of the federal government continues to expand. The larger government has become, the more constraints it has placed on the way we live our lives.
Most particularly, to pay for its many programs, Washington has placed a substantial tax burden on citizens and the companies where they work. As a result, families are able to retain less of their incomes and not only become more reliant on government for benefits, but also have fewer resources to provide for their own daily needs.
Economic growth and family stability are interwoven. The extensive data available on FRC’s Marriage and Religion Research Institute website prove it. As the 2012 campaign season - for everything from President to county resource commission - begins in earnest, policymakers (including would-be ones) should come to understand this.
As FRC’s distinguished Senior Fellow for Family Empowerment, Ken Blackwell, wrote recently, “We who are pro-life and pro-marriage know that families need jobs. They need a growing economy. But economic conservatives need to recognize that stable married families having children are what drive economic growth.”
Family, growth, life, and hope - they’re all part of the same package. And since it was designed by God, a wonderful package it is.
Sincerely,
Rob Schwarzwalder
Senior Vice President
Family Research Council
P.S. FRC began the new year with a bracing lecture by scholar Michael Brown on the homosexual social and political agenda and the need for Christians to stand for the truth about human sexuality in our culture. Click here to watch.
Educational Freedom and Reform
Homeschooling
- “What the U.S. Census says about homeschool families,” Julie Mack, Mlive.com
- “Arlington Stumbles on Switch from Exemption to Notice of Intent,” Home School Legal Defense Association
Legislation and Policy Proposals
- “Unemployment Varies by College Major, Study Finds,” Beckie Supiano, The Chronicle of Higher Education
- “Charter School Enrollment Surpasses 2 Million,” Ashley Bateman, Heartlander Magazine
- “Half of U.S. Schools Fail to Make ‘Adequate Progress’ in 2011,” Joy Pullmann, Heartlander Magazine
- “Is Learning a Foreign Language Necessary for a High School Education?,” Casey Miller, The Huffington Post
“The New Stupid,” Rick Hess, Education Week
- “Why getting a good education and a good job doesn’t necessarily mean going to a four-year college,” James Pethokoukis, The Enterprise Blog
- “Groups won’t challenge Bondi’s rewrite of ‘Religious Freedom’ amendment,” Ashley Lopez, The Florida Independent
Government Reform
Regulation
- “Sebelius’ Sensible Decision ,” Gerald Nadal, Coming Home
- “Lisa Jackson’s Power Play,” The Wall Street Journal
- “Capitalism and the Right to Rise,” Jeb Bush, The Wall Street Journal
- “Obama and the Regulatory State in 2011: Cut $1 billion in old rules, add $232 billion in new ones,” James Pethokoukis, The Enterprise Blog
Waste/Fraud/Abuse
- “Contempt for Congress,” The Wall Street Journal
- “The Spenders Won 2011,” The Wall Street Journal
- “Coburn report claims $6.5B in ‘egregious’ 2011 government waste,” Josiah Ryan, The Hill
Health Care
Abstinence
- “Abstinence-Only Education Debate Resurfaces,” Jason Koebler, U.S. News and World Report
- “Abstinence funding restored in fed. Budget,” Baptist Press
Conscience Protection
- “Improve conscience protection,” Opinion, Catholic Sentinel
- “HHS Mandate No Longer Just a Catholic Fight,” Patrick J. Reilly, First Things
- “Stormans v. Selecky, Washington (2010 - current),” The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
Health care reform: Political and Legislative efforts
- “ObamaCare’s Latest Casualty,” The Wall Street Journal
- “Getting Ryan-Wyden Wrong,” Bryan Dowd, The American
- “Ryan-Wyden: The Best Medicare Proposal Yet,” Grace-Marie Turner, The Galen Institute
Homosexuality
- “Understanding the GLBT Political Agenda - And What You Can Do About It,” Peter Sprigg, Family Research Council
- “Both lesbian moms have parental rights, Florida court rules,” Rene Stutzman, The Los Angeles Times
- “Advocating Same-Sex Marriage: Consistency Is Another Victim,” Matthew J. Franck, The Public Discourse
- “D.C. weighs same-sex divorce bill,” Katie Rogers, The Washington Post
- “Attorney: ‘Gender liberation’ to spread,” Becky Yeh, OneNewsNow
- “Why Fight Same-Sex Marriage?,” Douglas Farrow, Touchstone Magazine
Human Life and Bioethics
Abortion
- “12 New Jersey Nurses Stand Up to Obama’s Abortion Crusade,” Cathy Ruse, Human Events
- “A Great Day for Life in Virginia,” Rob Schwarzwalder, Family Research Council
- “A Pro-Life Hero: Minka Disbrow,” Jeanne Monahan, Family Research Council
- “A Summary of CDC’s Most Recent Abortion Surveillance Report,” Jeanne Monahan, Family Research Council
- “Planned Parenthood’s Annual Report: Got $487.4M in Tax Money, Did 329,445 Abortions,” Penny Starr, CNSNews.com
- “Redefining Human Dignity,” Rob Agnelli, Ethics & Medics
- “Obama’s Push to Legalize Abortion in Kenya Broke U.S. Law,” Scott Fischbach, LifeNews.com
- “2011: The year of the abortion restrictions,” Sarah Kliff, The Washington Post
- “A Life of Passion: Progressive Eugenics and Planned Parenthood,” Angela Franks, The Public Discourse
- “Virginia Women Under Attack,” E.M. Barner, Bearing Drift
- “India: 50,000 Girls Become Victims of Abortion Monthly,” Barb Lyons, LifeNews.com
- “Personhood Battle Shifts to Mississippi Capitol,” USA Today
- “Saying Yes to Life,” Kathryn-Jean Lopez, The Catholic Thing
Bioethics and Biotechnology
- “When Seconds Count,” Daniel Allott, The Catholic World Report
- “The Danger of a New Medical Care ‘Bioethics,’” Jerome Arnett, Jr. M.D. and John Dale Dunn, M.D., The American Thinker
- “Embryos Spur Legal Fights,” Ashby Jones, The Wall Street Journal
Euthanasia and End of Life Issues
- “Readied To Donate Organs, 21-Year-Old Emerges From Coma,” Susan Donaldson James, Good Morning America
- “Should Doctors Tell the Non Terminal Elderly When They Will Die?,” Wesley J. Smith, Secondhand Smoke
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.
- “Lead Into Gold: IPSCs Continue to Amaze,” Wesley J. Smith, Secondhand Smoke
Human Trafficking
- “From Pretty to Slavery,” Gerard Nadal, Coming Home
- “Christian Youth Conference Gives $100,000 To Fight Human Trafficking,” KWTX
- “State Lawmakers Toughen-up on Human Trafficking Laws,” Scott Sarvey, INCNow
Women’s Health
- “Planned Parenthood Releases Latest Annual Report,” Jeanne Monahan, Family Research Council
- “Planned Parenthood Banks Tax Money Hurting Women With IUDs,” Abby Johnson, LifeNews.com
- “Planned Parenthood Pulls in Nearly Half Billion in Taxpayer $,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, RedState
Marriage and Family
Adoption
- “Birth mom explains adoption decision,” Allyson Bird, The Post and Courier
- “Adopting a 3-Year-Old Child,” Christie Findlay, The Washingtonian
- “Adoption in Congo: Machine Guns and a Sweet Baby Girl,” Rhona Murphy, Newsweek
Family Economics
- “Eating our broccoli,” David Skeel, WORLD Magazine
- “Samuelson and Dionne: The Politics of Denial,” Robert W. Merry, The National Interest
- “What’s the problem with work?,” Janie B. Cheaney, WORLD Magazine
- “Jobs Picture: Claims Fall, Job Creation Surges; Layoffs Ease,” CNBC
- “Is a Woman’s Place at Work?,” Christina Hoff Sommers, The American
- “Food Fights and Free Enterprise,” Jordan J. Ballor, The Acton Institute
Family Structure
- “Sermon on Marriage,” Mike McManus, Marriage Savers
- “The Redemption of Newt Gingrich,” Ramesh Ponnuru, National Review Online
- “Marriage, Church Membership, and the Gnostic Spring,” Michael Horton, The White Horse Inn
- “Why young couples aren’t getting married — they fear the ravages of divorce,” Physorg.com
- “HuffPo: Monogamy is Killing Marriage,” Paul Wilson, Culture and Media Institute
Media
Pornography
- “The Postmodern Pedophile,” Anne Hendershott, The Public Discourse
- “Report: Pedophilia Rampant in Hollywood,” John Nolte, Big Hollywood
Internet
- “Obama Gives Gambling a Christmas Present,” Phyllis Schlafly, The Eagle Forum
- “SOPA Must Be Defeated,” Robinson O’Brien-Bours, The Ashbrook Center
- “How Luther went viral,” The Economist
Religion and Public Policy
Religious Liberty
- “Would Walter Reed be banned from Walter Reed Hospital?,” Robert Morrison, The Washington Examiner
- “The Foundations and Folly of Modern Tyranny,” David Theroux, The Independent Institute
- “Why the (New York) Supreme Court Ruling Is an Opportunity for NYC Christians,” Caleb Clardy, Christianity Today
- “Without Religious Freedom There Is No Other Liberty,” Kevin Theriot, Alliance Defense Fund
- “Why We Need a ‘Stuck with Virtue’ Science,” Peter Augustine Lawler and Marc D. Guerra, The New Atlantis
Religion in America
- “CMI on the War on Christmas,” Darin Miller, Family Research Council
- “Praising God Through Adversity,” Gerard Nadal, Coming Home
- “Two Visions: The Nativity vs. the Occupiers,” Paul G. Kengor, The Center for Vision and Values
- “Beliefs battle hypertension,” Medical Express
- “The Church, Vocation, and Millennials: Losing a Generation,” Dylan Pahman, The Acton Institute
- “Commander and Chaplain: The Faith of Presidents,” Mark Galli, Christianity Today
Secularism
- “Secularism Cannot Change the Truth of Christ’s Birth,” Janice Shaw Crouse, U.S. News and World Report
- “Secularism gains interest as field of study,” Michelle Boorstein, The Washington Post
- “Disestablishing Our Secular Schools,” Charles L. Glenn, First Things
International
Israel
- “Is Israeli society unraveling?” Caroline Glick, The Jerusalem Post
- “Israel claims ‘gay’ envoys needed to improve its image,” Associated Press
International Economy and Family
- “Why We Are Uneasy About the Global Economy in 2012,” Harold James, Bloomberg
- “Headed for the Rocks in European Waters,” Daniel Hanson, The American
- “China’s Economy a Party Plan,” John Lee, The Hudson Institute
Religious Persecution
- “Ministry Warns Iran Could Kill Pastor in Secret,” CBN News
- “Kim Jong Il and the Great Lie,” Jim Tonkowich, Crosswalk
- “Confronting Religious Persecution in North Korea,” Doug Bandow, The American Spectator
- “Arab Spring as Christian Winter,” Justin Paulette, The Ashbrook Center
- “The Christmas Bombings in Nigeria,” Paul Marshall, National Review Online
- “Identity Among Middle East Christians,” Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, The American Spectator
- “Open Doors CEO: Gospel Gaining Unprecedented Ground in Persecuted Countries,” Katherine Weber, The Christian Post
Sharia law — U.S., foreign
- “Is the Arab Awakening a Victory for Islamism,” Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic
- “Islamic countries dominate list of persecutors,” Mission Network News
The Courts
Constitutional Issues
- “On the docket,” Emily Belz, WORLD Magazine
- “The Saviors of the Constitution,” William A. Schambra, The Hudson Institute
- “Chief Justice Roberts Defends Court’s Recusal Policies,” Justin Shubow, The Federalist Society
- “The Constitution Is Clear On Recess Appointments,” Richard Epstein, Ricochet
Judicial Activism
- “Pharmacists’ Conscience Rights on Trial-Violation of Free Exercise Rights,” Ed Whelan, National Review Online
Other News of Note
- “A 2012 Conservative Case for America’s Future,” Ken Blackwell and Ken Klukowski, The Huffington Post
- “RIP, Marion Montgomery,” Richard Bishirjian
- “Remembering the Battlers of the Bulge,” Marvin J. Folkertsma, The Center for Vision and Values
- “America the Generous,” Jason L. Riley, Wall Street Journal
- “The Fourth Best President,” Wall Street Journal
- “Caesars are just Men,” Robinson O’Brien-Bours, The Ashbrook Center
Book reviews
- “George McGovern’s Book of Un-Reckoning,” Mark Stricherz, The Public Discourse
- “Standing in the Need of Prayer,” Richard E. Morgan, Claremont Review of Books
- “Roots of Pearl Harbor,” Charles C. Johnson, Claremont Review of Books
- “Islam’s Inquisitors: A Review of ‘Silenced’,” Thomas F. Farr, Christianity Today
- “The Marriage Plot,” Naomi Schaefer Riley, Christianity Today