Current Events Archives

Does American Christianity Have a Future?

On today’s program I ask Dr. Ed Stetzer, the executive director of LifeWay Research, a very straight-forward question: Is Christianity in America dying?

Based on some of the headlines in the media, you might believe that it’s on the brink of extinction.

Most of the news reports in recent months were based on a study by the Pew Research Center, which asserted that American Christianity is in decline. Not surprisingly, the secular media latched on to the story and offered dozens of interpretations and theories about Pew’s findings – most of them negative.

Topics: Current Events Tags: broadcast, church August 14, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How to Respond When Your Child Notices Magazine Covers at the Supermarket

The “sex sells” mantra is obvious at the grocery checkout line where magazine covers featuring sexually provocative images are displayed eye-level to impressionable children.

What’s a parent to do?

That was the dilemma Joann Condie recently faced. A registered nurse and licensed professional counselor with Focus on the Family’s counseling department, Joann was at the supermarket with her elementary school-aged grandson and his friend. As the cashier rang up their groceries, Joann noticed the boys looking at the scantily clad brunette on the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine.

Topics: Current Events Tags: parenting, pop culture August 12, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Are Pro-Lifers the Abolitionists of Today?

Although Monday’s vote in the United States Senate to defund Planned Parenthood fell seven votes short of the necessary 60 to move forward with cloture, pro-life leaders are vowing the fight has only just begun.

I wholeheartedly agree.

Although tremendously disappointing, Monday’s vote marked the first time since the partial-birth abortion debates of the late 1990s and early 2000s that we’ve had an open debate on the Senate floor about what happens during abortion.

I want to applaud strong pro-life women like Iowa’s Sen.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, policy, pro-life August 5, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Guest Post: Help Defund Planned Parenthood By Doing This

How did Planned Parenthood become a billion-dollar-a-year non-profit?

Why did U.S. taxpayers provide $528 million in grants and reimbursements to the organization in 2014 alone?

The answer is partly because Planned Parenthood is very good at marketing its products.

For instance, Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards recently posted a meme to her Facebook page touting the services the group provides. The meme enumerated the number of pap tests, breast exams and STI tests conducted by the organization.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, policy, pro-life July 30, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How Does Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage Impact Our Schools?

We’re about to enter the first school year after the Supreme Court’s sweeping redefinition of marriage, a decision that will deeply impact our children’s schools and education. Today I want to share a Q&A with Focus on the Family’s Education Analyst, Candi Cushman, where she’ll help explain how the legalization of same-sex marriage will affect the way we educate our children. –JD

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Q. Give us the big picture: How will this court decision change the environment in our schools?

Topics: Current Events Tags: family, kids, parenting, policy, religious liberty July 29, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Planned Parenthood: A Tragedy Beyond Qualification

The release yesterday of the latest undercover Planned Parenthood video exposé from the Center for Medical Progress is a horrifying illustration of evil on parade in modern America. To see and hear the former president of the organization’s Medical Directors’ Council negotiate over the price of baby body parts in the hope of raising enough money to buy herself a Lamborghini leaves one mortified and speechless.

The greatness of a nation is measured by many things, but especially by how it treats the vulnerable and defenseless.

Topics: Current Events Tags: news, policy, pro-life July 22, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Four Things You Can Do NOW About the Latest Planned Parenthood Scandal

The Center for Medical Progress released a secretly recorded video yesterday of Planned Parenthood’s top doctor describing how the organization sells the body parts of aborted preborn babies.

It’s difficult to watch:

Over lunch and wine, Dr. Deborah Nucatola, the Senior Director of Medical Services, describes how she harvests organs during the abortions she performs on babies up to 24 weeks gestational age. She explains how the procedure involves the doctors using ultrasound technology to guide their forceps:

You’re just kind of cognizant of where you put your graspers, you try to intentionally go above and below the thorax, so that, you know, we’ve been very good at getting heart, lung, liver, because we know that, so I’m not gonna crush that part.

Topics: Current Events July 15, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Seven Things You Should Know About the Oregon Bakers

By now you’ve heard the news: the devout Christian bakers in Oregon who declined to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding ceremony because of their faith convictions have been fined $135,000. They’ve been told to pay this week.

In light of this development, I want to share seven facts about the Sweet Cakes by Melissa case that might surprise you:

1. The case hasn’t been seen by a judge in a court of law. The authority issuing the amount?

Topics: Current Events Tags: homosexuality, policy, religious liberty July 14, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Video: A Beautiful Rendition of Amazing Grace

Former U.S. Secretary of State and accomplished pianist Condoleezza Rice and Grammy-nominated violinist Jenny Oaks Baker recently teamed up to play a touching rendition of the favorite hymn “Amazing Grace.” I hope you enjoy.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, pop culture July 10, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Miley Cyrus Thinks All You Need is This

I want to draw your attention to an insightful post on Plugged In’s blog that explores the growing view in today’s culture that, when it comes to sex, consent is the only thing needed to make a sexual relationship appropriate: “as long as there’s consent, there need be no other questions.”

In “Miley Cyrus Has Become the Poster Child for Consent,” Focus’ own blogger and movie critic Adam Holtz examines this troubling perspective by comparing it to historic Christian teaching on sexuality:

“To deal with the consent-only sexuality worldview that Miley Cyrus represents, we must ask a couple of simple but crucially important questions: What is the purpose of sexuality?

Topics: Current Events Tags: entertainment, pop culture, sex July 6, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura