Urge your senator to support parental rights

1/11/24

Even in Indiana, there is mounting evidence demonstrating the need for legislation to elevate parental rights to the status of a fundamental right! Sadly, many parents feel that they may jeopardize their rights to raise their children as they see fit. This is unacceptable. Good parents who want the best for their children should not fear the loss of custody of their children by the government.

Senate Bill 46 is a bill that seeks to establish parental rights as fundamental, which elevates the legal protections parents have in how they raise their families. It’s alarming that the ACLU, the Indiana Teacher’s Union, and the Judge’s Association are opposing legislation to protect parental rights. Unfortunately, these groups are gaining traction in opposing a parent’s right to direct their children’s religious instruction, education, and healthcare.

SB 46 was heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday, January 10th. IFI was there standing up for parental rights on your behalf. IFI General Counsel Josh Hershberger, IFI national ally Matt Sharp from Alliance Defending Freedom and others gave great testimony on behalf of Hoosier parents. We are hopeful that the bill will be voted out of committee next week, and we will keep you updated on any progress.

Please stand up for your family and reach out to your state senator to let him or her know that you support parental rights. Click here to contact your senator in support of parental rights.

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Good news for the new year

1/5/24

Through the generous contributions of our faithful members, we made IFI history by raising over $800,000 in 2023. We are immensely grateful to each and every person who contributed to this achievement. These funds will enable us to fight for your rights and represent your values at the Statehouse as our legislators begin the new session in just three days. 

Here are a few topics you can expect to hear about in the upcoming session:

Strengthening Parental Rights

We know parental rights are fundamental rights that deserve the highest level of protection from our government. In 2023, we fought for the Cox family, who experienced one of a parent’s worst nightmares: their son was taken from them after they refused to acquiesce to his new “gender identity” as a female. The bill HB 1407, “Strengthening Parental Rights and Protecting Parents from Trans Activist Bureaucrats,” unfortunately did not pass through the legislature in 2023, but we are mapping out a similar bill to propose in the upcoming session. We have high hopes for its success. 

Banning Pornography Access for Minors

We believe Indiana should follow in the footsteps of the seven states that have already banned pornography access for minors, requiring adult content websites to verify the age of its users before granting access. These bipartisan bills are sweeping the nation – because if there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that kids shouldn’t be exposed to pornography.

Fifteen states have declared pornography consumption a public health crisis due to its links to stunted brain development and depression and suicide. We know that the porn industry targets susceptible minors; the average child is exposed to porn at least once between the ages of 7 to 13. 

We must protect our children from the evils of the porn industry. This is the first step to doing just that.

Protecting Kids from the LGBT agenda

If “Pride Month” taught us anything this year, it’s that the LGBT agenda is after our children. Not only did they shout it in the public square (“We’re here, we’re queer, we’re coming for your children”), they proved it with their contradictory “kid-friendly drag shows.” 

Kids should never be exposed to adult sexuality – full stop. Not through porn, not through drag shows, and not through Pride festivals. Let’s put an end to all the above in Indiana, once and for all.

We believe that God can and will do great and mighty things in the political realm this year. Please pray with us as we enter into the 2024 session of the Indiana General Assembly on Monday, January 8th. We will be standing alongside our lawmakers every step of the way on your behalf, advocating for faith, family and freedom.

We will continue to update you on legislative developments as they come. Remember to follow us on social media for daily updates!

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Merry Christmas from IFI

12/24/23

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6 KJV

This Christmas Eve, we’re taking time to reflect on the gift of Christ and all He means to us. Let’s lift up His name this Christmas season – above all the hustle and bustle, presents, and travel plans – and rejoice in His birth, which made His saving death and resurrection possible. We would be nowhere without Him, and we are humbled to call Him Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace. 

President Harry Truman’s words from his Christmas Eve Address in 1949 still ring true today:

“Since returning home, I have been reading again in our family Bible some of the passages which foretold this night. . . . We miss the spirit of Christmas if we consider the Incarnation as an indistinct and doubtful, far-off event unrelated to our present problems. We miss the purport of Christ’s birth if we do not accept it as a living link which joins us together in spirit as children of the ever-living and true God. In love alone – the love of God and the love of man – will be found the solution of all the ills which afflict the world today.” 

Merry Christmas to you and your family! We hope you enjoy a restful holiday centered on celebrating the birth of Christ.

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Let’s help families flourish in Indiana

12/13/23

Here at IFI, we have a long list of goals. Each goal is identified to help us accomplish our overarching vision: to create an environment in Indiana where families can flourish. Defending parental rights, protecting life, promoting traditional values, and fighting for your First Amendment rights are all deeply important to us at IFI. All of these goals work in tandem to help us achieve our vision. 

We know what it will take for us to finally see the environment in Indiana we so desire. We also know what is hampering our success right now.   

We know that families will not flourish if the Church avoids applying the Gospel to the most pressing challenges facing our communities. The immense confusion surrounding gender and sexuality that is running rampant in our society today cannot be solved by secular notions of psychology – it can only be solved through understanding God’s design for humanity. We know that God created us male and female, to be united in the covenant of marriage, and raise children in a God-honoring family unit. These are the truths we cling to; these are the truths that will bring revelation and revival to our nation.

We know that families will not flourish if Hoosiers are in legal danger for living out their faith, like John Kluge and Kathy McCord, who were both public school teachers fired for expressing their convictions. Both of these cases are currently wrapped up in ongoing litigation, and through our close partnership with Alliance Defending Freedom, we hope to see both John and Kathy vindicated by the U.S. Supreme Court.

We know that families will not flourish if schools are teaching students to hate God, each other and their country. We must stand as one in opposition to the lies of Critical Race Theory and the LGBT agenda in our schools. These curricula are brainwashing our children with leftist ideology and pulling them away from God. IFI is actively working with over 20 school districts across the state to organize and help them bring common sense back to our communities. 

Hoosier families will flourish if parents are able to raise their children according to the dictates of their conscience with government and other institutions encouraging them in this effort rather than attacking them. “Train up a child in the way he should go: And when he is old, he will not depart from it.” – Proverbs 22:6

Hoosier families will flourish if we have servant leaders in the church and our state’s institutions, with Jesus as their model, who are committed to applying the Gospel to the biggest challenges in our communities. We need public policies that punish evil and reward good – not the other way around.

Hoosier families will flourish if students are allowed to live out their faith at school and are taught to love each other and their country, even though it is imperfect. 

IFI is on the frontlines fighting to ensure that your values are protected and your family has the opportunity to thrive in our state. We have seen incredible progress over the past year that we are immensely grateful for – but it has not come without a price tag.

Thankfully, we have received over $700,000 in donations this year thanks to our incredible sponsors and supporters.

That means we are only $50,000 away from our year-end goal!

For us to continue our mission of defending your values and creating an environment in Indiana where families can flourish, it is absolutely essential that we meet this goal.

We know we can accomplish this with your support. Every dollar counts! Your pledge of $25, $50, or $100 goes a long way.

We’re excited about what God has in store for Indiana in 2024. Wouldn’t you like to be part of the next and best chapter for Hoosiers?

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What to expect from the 2024 legislative session

12/5/23

As we look forward to the celebration of Jesus’ birth at Christmas, we are also preparing for the upcoming 2024 legislative session. We are amazed at how quickly 2023 has flown by. It was an incredible year of progress and we pray that God will continue to move in Indiana during the coming year.

On November 21st, Indiana’s lawmakers met at the Statehouse for “Organization Day,” a ceremonial start to the 2024 session in which our legislators plan the details of the upcoming session, like swearing in members of the General Assembly, the annual first roll call, sorting out committee chairs, and other important work that ensures a smooth entry into the session. 

Indiana’s General Assembly alternates between “short” and “long” sessions every other year – even-numbered years are short, odd-numbered are long. 2024’s “short” session will run from January to March.

Although it will be a shorter session, we have high hopes for all that will be accomplished on the “Faith, Family, and Freedom” front. IFI is focused on the following issues:

Strengthening Parental Rights

We know parental rights are fundamental rights that deserve the highest level of protection from our government. In 2023, we fought for the Cox family, who experienced one of a parent’s worst nightmares: their son was taken from them after they refused to acquiesce to his new “gender identity” as a female. The bill HB 1407, “Strengthening Parental Rights and Protecting Parents from Trans Activist Bureaucrats,” unfortunately did not pass through the legislature in 2023, but we are mapping out a similar bill to propose in the upcoming session. We have high hopes for its success. 

Protecting Kids from Online Pornography

We believe Indiana should follow in the footsteps of the seven states that have already banned pornography access for minors, requiring adult content websites to verify the age of its users before granting access. These bipartisan bills are sweeping the nation – because if there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that kids shouldn’t be exposed to pornography.

Fifteen states have declared pornography consumption a public health crisis due to its links to stunted brain development and depression and suicide. We know that the porn industry targets susceptible minors; the average child is exposed to porn at least once between the ages of 7 to 13. 

We must protect our children from the evils of the porn industry. This is the first step to doing just that.

Protecting Kids from the LGBT agenda

If “Pride Month” taught us anything this year, it’s that the LGBT agenda is after our children. Not only did they shout it in the public square (“We’re here, we’re queer, we’re coming for your children”), they proved it with their contradictory “kid-friendly drag shows.” 

Kids should never be exposed to adult sexuality – full stop. Not through porn, and not through drag shows. Let’s put an end to all the above in Indiana, once and for all.

Now more than ever, we are focused on strengthening laws to protect children from the LGBT agenda, and putting power back in the hands of the parents who deserve it. We hope you’ll consider donating to this important mission and equipping us with the funds we need to take on the 2024 legislative session. 

Thank you for your steadfast support of Indiana Family Institute and your commitment to life, faith, family, and freedom!

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