Like many of you, I have been dismayed by what has taken place in our great state over the last year. After securing a “trifecta” in the previous election, progressives pushed through the most radical legislation our state has ever seen. This included the passage of the PRO Act and other anti-life policies found in the Health and Human Services Omnibus Bill, making Minnesota abortion laws arguably the most extreme in the nation. Then came the Kidnapping Bill and the “Take Pride Act,” a set of policies encouraging gender confusion and mutilation among our children as well as removing protections against people who seek to harm them. This only scratches the surface the progressive experiment in Minnesota, which even drew praise from former President Barack Obama in a recent Twitter thread.
This legislative session clearly showed that “progressive” values are actively hostile toward the most vulnerable among us: our children. It’s hard to overstate how demoralizing and dispiriting that is for many Minnesotans. You and I have heard that flocks of Minnesotans are fleeing for more conservative states, and maybe you’re wanting to join them. In 2022 alone, 19,400 Minnesotans left the state, the largest number in decades. I certainly understand why many are voting with their feet. Minnesota is becoming a less friendly place to raise a family, run a business, or simply live out our values, and more conservative states seem to offer an easier environment to do all three. To many, Minnesota’s future seems bleak and is beginning to resemble California or Illinois more than what they once knew the North Star state to be.
But hear this: Minnesota is not California. Some of our opponents want conservative Minnesotans to lose all hope, to give into fear, to give up, to retreat, to think they’ve won. As the heat turns up, they’d like nothing more than for us to run for the hills. By draining Minnesota of its conservative and Christian voters, they would get closer to achieving their vision for a new, nightmarish version of Minnesota. But that’s the thing—they haven’t reached their goal. As John Phelan writes,
… the DFL took the state Senate by just one seat and that by just 321 votes. The DFL is governing like a party that just scored 60 percent of the vote, not because they did, but precisely because they didn’t, and they want to ram their agenda through before Minnesotans cotton on to what they’re up to.
This is not the time to back down. We can’t win anything by retreating, and if we flee, what exactly are we conserving? Christian values are worth fighting for, regardless of their current cultural status, because they are good and true principles. Communities thrive when they honor what God honors: life, God’s greatest gift; God’s design for families; and religious freedom, our birthright as Americans and as Minnesotans.
This is why I firmly believe Minnesota is worth it. We have inherited the rich legacy of the many Minnesotan farmers, veterans, business owners, everyday workers, and families who made this state great. We still have much to conserve here, and God has blessed us and this land we call home 10,000 times over. Our state has spectacular natural features with its luscious fields and forests, flowing rivers, prairie grasslands, twinkling lakes, Lake Superior’s North Shore, and our precious Boundary Waters. We can hunt, fish, and explore while enjoying the benefits of all four seasons (something our friends in Florida can’t say).
Even our man-made attractions are unique and special, from the Mall of America to ValleyFair, from the lift bridge in Duluth to county fairs, and the cozy downtowns throughout the state. Don’t forget the State Fair corn, homemade hotdishes, and the world-class restaurants throughout the Twin Cities. This is what made growing up in Minnesota fun—there is always a new adventure to be had—and I want my future kids to experience the same, which is why I am committed to staying here and fighting for their future and the futures of all communities throughout Minnesota. We owe it to this beautiful state—and to the settlers and immigrants who founded her—to see her thrive and not retreat when the going gets tough.
Ultimately, we know this is more than a political battle—it’s a spiritual war. Scripture reminds us that when we stand for the truth, we will face persecution. We have a duty to Minnesota, our nation, and God to not give the enemy a foothold, and, as Jeremiah 29:7 states, to “… seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper” (NIV). Although we may feel like exiles in our home state, we can’t give up when the darkness closes in, and we have an obligation to share the Gospel with our fellow Minnesotans and promote a positive, God-honoring culture in our communities and at the ballot box.
This task is daunting, but now is the time to get in the game, get serious, and be willing to do whatever it takes to not only protect this land from the works of darkness but also to promote a better vision for Minnesota’s future and our children. Good things are never achieved without toil and sacrifice, and the enemy only wins when we surrender. Let’s radically love our Minnesota neighbors according to God’s standards, not those of the world, by staying in the battle and striving for what’s good. Let’s glorify God by remaining faithful in our state. This state is a wonderful gift worth fighting for and has so much potential, during the fight and until God gives us victory. I am more than ready to win for our state, and I pray you are too.
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. – Romans 5:3-5 (NIV)
Editor’s Note: Curtis Ferrin is Minnesota Family Council’s 40th Anniversary Intern.
