Why Family Policy Councils Matter
Last week our Church Ambassador Network (CAN) Director and General Counsel Josh Hershberger sent out an excellent email to our church network regarding Colorado’s bill challenging parental rights, addressing “Pride Month,” and providing a brief SCOTUS update. These topics are deeply important to us at IFI, and we know you’ll benefit from Josh’s analysis. Read his email below:
The Challenge to Parental Rights in Colorado
Pastor Tate Throndson leads a growing church he planted in Colorado, and he developed strong concerns about a recent Colorado bill challenging parental rights (HB 1312). In addition to preaching on biblical principles related to identity and human sexuality, he signed up and showed up to testify against HB 1312-along with more than 700 Coloradans.
In this interview, Pastor Tate Throndson explains why and how he engages in public life, how he disciples his congregation in the area of citizenship, his experience at the Colorado State Capitol at the hearing in HB 1312, and why other church leaders and committed Christians should promote biblical principles in their churches and in the public square.
Colorado is one of only nine states that do not have a family policy council like IFI defending faith, family, and freedom in their communities and legislature. This attack on parental rights showcases the importance of organizations like ours standing as the first line of defense for parents and families. In fact, IFI was the first state in the nation to protect parental rights from this sort of evil. We will continue standing in the gap for Indiana families and supporting other states in their fight to do the same. Will you consider contributing financially toward that mission today?
How to Respond to Pride Month; The Curious Rise of the Religious Left (Revisited)
With the arrival of June comes the often-asked questions about how Christians and the Church should respond to Pride Month. Here are three thoughts. Also, the culture war in the United States has, to a large degree, been a contest between the religious right and a more secular left. No movement is a monolith, and this does not tell the whole story of the struggle for the soul of America. But the religious right/secular left divide has generally and accurately characterized American public life for some time. That is changing now with the rise (or, perhaps, resurgence; see comments below) of the religious left. Here is an analysis of this development and what it means for Christian citizenship moving forward. Link to the article here.
Supreme Court Update: Religious Exemptions and Employment Discrimination Take Center Stage
The Supreme Court handed down two remarkable opinions last week: In Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc. v. Wisconsin Labor and & Industry Review Commission, Justice Sotomayor wrote the unanimous opinion that Wisconsin and specifically the Wisconsin Supreme Court imposed a denominational preference (and violated First Amendment neutrality) by refusing a religious exemption to Catholic Charities because they “do not proselytize or serve only Catholics.” This case strongly underlines the First Amendment’s requirement that Courts defer to religious doctrine and practice and remain neutral toward religion. Link to the case here.
In Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, Justice Jackson wrote the unanimous opinion that individuals in majority and minority groups are equally protected in the employment context. The court held that a heterosexual woman does not have to meet a special burden to prove employment discrimination if passed over for promotion due to her sexual orientation. And Justice Jackson concluded, “Congress left no room for courts to impose special requirements on majority-group plaintiffs alone.” In short, equal protection means equal protection. Link to the case here.
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