Remember and fight. That’s what Nehemiah called the remnant of Judah to do as they faced staunch opposition in their effort to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. More specifically…
“Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” - Nehemiah 4:14b
My team and I are determined to do both of these things – remember and fight – as we engage in the vital work of rebuilding our culture.
And like Nehemiah, we cannot do it alone. Nehemiah asked God to bless his endeavor and called on the people of Jerusalem to participate in the actual labor. And the people responded with great enthusiasm because they believed in the work.
A few of our most loyal supporters have come together to create a matching gift opportunity through the end of the year. Because of their generosity, all gifts received by January 8th will be matched, up to $60,000!
In a recent column for Vice, a pro-abortion writer complained that the pro-life movement’s use of ultrasound imagery has “hijacked” and “politicized” abortion. “Today, feminist movements across the world are going up against imagery that associates abortions with baby-killing,” writes Amarans Eggeraat, noting that the abortion movement has yet to find an equally powerful image to support their movement. The abortion industry is not “associated” with baby-killing because of the imagery used by the pro-life movement; the abortion industry kills babies. Ultrasound technology makes it impossible to argue that abortion is nothing more than the removal of a “blob of tissue.” By giving us a glimpse into the womb, it draws attention to the horror of abortion. Eggeraat is right that the abortion industry has never found an equally compelling image. This is not because the pro-life movement is being “unfair,” but because there is no image and no argument that justifies intentionally taking the life of an innocent child.
It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and this has proven true when it comes to abortion. Images of babies in the womb are a stunning, silent rebuke of the abortion industry, forcing us to see the devastating loss of human life that has taken place in the US since Roe v. Wade. The tragic reality is that our society tolerates and even celebrates the brutal murder of unborn children.
Earlier this month, a UK court issued a landmark ruling in favor of Kiera Bell, now 23, who sued Tavistock gender clinic for causing permanent harm by prescribing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to her when she was in her teens. The court ruled that minors under the age of 16 are not able to consent to puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones because they are not able to fully considerthe life-long effects. As a result of the ruling, the clinic has stopped referrals for children under the age of 16.
25 years ago today, on December 15, 1995, the Minnesota Supreme Court decided Doe v. Gomez. The U.S. Supreme Court had already invented the right to abortion on a federal level in Roe v. Wade in 1973. Doe v. Gomez enshrined abortion in Minnesota law, as well, and took it one step further. The Court decided that the state constitution guarantees a right, not only to abortion, but to abortions funded by taxpayer dollars.
The consequences of this decision have been huge. First, this ruling has created a significant hurdle to ending abortion in Minnesota. Even if the US Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, Minnesota will not be able to end abortion in our state until our state constitution is amended or the Minnesota Supreme Court overrules Doe v. Gomez.
Cali was trafficked and abused beginning at the age of nine. At 23, she is five years out of that life, but videos of her abuse continue resurfacing on pornography sites no matter how many times she asks to have them removed. “Pornhub has become my trafficker,” she told Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times. Her story is one of many documented in Kristof’s recent investigative column “The Children of Pornhub,” documenting how the pornography industry profits off of rape, abuse, and exploitation, wreaking havoc on the lives of innocent victims, many of whom are minors. Kristof’s article has drawn public attention to the evil being done by Pornhub, prompting a swift response that will hopefully have lasting effects.
Pornhub, owned by Mindgeek, the largest pornography company in the world, is notorious for its willingness to profit from exploitation and abuse. Laila Mickelwait of Exodus Cry launched a petition in February to shut down Pornhub after publishing an article detailing the ways that the company was complicit in exploiting women and children for profit. In March, lawmakers called on the Justice Department to launch an investigation into the companyafter a missing teenage girlwas found in over 50 videos on the website. Pornhub confirmed that she had been a “verified user” when the videos were uploaded, unintentionally highlighting the way that their lax verification standards had enabled her abuse. Her rapist was prosecuted, but Pornhub faced no consequences.
Last month, the nine members of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board voted unanimously to allow female toplessness in city parks by repealing Park Board ordinance PB2-21which stated, “No person ten (10) years of age or older shall intentionally expose his or her own genitals, pubic area, buttocks or female breast below the top of the areola, with less than a fully opaque covering in or upon any park or parkway, as defined in PB1-1…”
Under Minnesota state statute and Minneapolis city ordinance indecent exposure is prohibited, but neither specifically mentions female toplessness. The November 18 vote means that female toplessness in Minneapolis city parks is now allowed under any and all circumstances.
I want to share with you a new, informative, and FREE resource for parents and grandparents with some crucially important information. This guide is the perfect complement to our Parent Resource Guide, which you can download HERE.
Our national allies at Family Policy Alliance and Focus on the Family have just released a new guide designed to help parents navigate the cultural and legal landmines their children increasingly face at school.
Called "the most important book a parent will ever read" by Dr. Michelle Cretella, executive director of the American College of Pediatricians, this guide offers parents help and hope to face challenging school situations.
Recent school closures have given parents a unique glimpse into classrooms, and they may not like what they’ve seen. Classroom content may be overly sexualized, teach radical viewpoints as fact, or shut down faith-based perspectives – just to name a few concerns. Family Policy Alliance and Focus on the Family hope this guide will help parents navigate these challenging waters.
Late in the day on December 7, 1941, the Japanese high command was jubilant. Thick, black smoke rose over Pearl Harbor as fires raged on dozens of vessels that made up the American Pacific Fleet, including eight battleships!
One hundred and sixty-six years earlier on the north side of Boston, British forces celebrated as the upstart colonial militia withdrew at the end of what became known as the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Had they been able to see the future though, the Japanese, and the British before them, would have been a bit more circumspect. In the end, these wins were more like losses.
I think there’s a lesson here for many on the Left, who have been giddy with self-congratulations after last month’s election. They would be wise to consider the overall narrative, to observe which way the winds are actually blowing, and to plan accordingly.
That’s what we’re doing. Yes, there’s a sense of mourning among conservatives over the likely loss of the presidency, but we can’t afford to mourn for long – nor should we in light of the bigger picture. Now is the time to press on, prepare, and build on the positives.
