SPOLIGHT: Star Parker on The Root of Chicago’s Poverty and Violence

Written by David E. Smith

This week on Illinois Family Spotlight we welcome Star Parker, founder and president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE), a policy institute based in Washington, D.C. that promotes market-based solutions to fight poverty.

IFI’s own Monte Larrick sat down with Ms. Parker while she was attending a recent summit on violence and poverty with pastors and community leaders in Chicago. Their conversation delves into the root cause of the violence and poverty that is destroying urban communities: breakdown of the family; lack of paternal influence; the perpetual welfare state mentality of big government; excessive taxation and regulation that suppress economic development and growth in black neighborhoods and communities, and much more.… Continue Reading

It’s Our Constitution — Not Kavanaugh

Written by Walter Williams

One of the best statements of how the Framers saw the role of the federal government is found in Federalist Paper 45, written by James Madison, who is known as the “Father of the Constitution”: “The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce.… Continue Reading

Gov. Rauner Doubles Down

Written by David E. Smith

Evidently, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has learned nothing from the razor-thin primary election. Instead, he’s doubling down on his pro-abortion, pro-“transgenderism” and pro-sanctuary state policies, suggesting that signing them into law was the “right” thing to do.

In a speech yesterday, he almost admits mistakes but asserts that his mistakes were, in reality, evidence of his over-zealous commitment to courage in the pursuit of right action.  In other words, he’s trying to spin his anti-conservative policy decisions as “courageous.”… Continue Reading

Kicking Off More Contempt for America

Written by Robert Knight

What is it with our ruling elites? How did they come to have so much disdain for America?  Some recent events have yet again brought this unfortunate situation to the surface.

Let’s start with Nike, the Portland, Oregon-based sportswear mega-company.  It did not become a Fortune 100 corporation by chance or careless management.

Debuting as Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964, the firm under Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight officially adopted the Nike name and the famous Swoosh logo in 1971.… Continue Reading

Christian Socialism Is a Sinful Mix of Greed and Envy

Written by Peter Heck

I recently read a thought-provoking, though ultimately misguided, article by Daniel Jose Camacho from the faith-oriented left-wing commentary website Sojourners.  In it, Camacho argued against the preoccupation many American Christians have with capitalism, suggesting that,

“Capitalism is so deeply ingrained in our Christianity that it is the default.  Yet, this arrangement is neither natural nor inevitable.”

Such a perspective was anything but surprising coming from a Sojourners publication.  After all, the online magazine is the modern iteration of socialist Jim Wallis’s anti-capitalist magazine “The Post American.”  … Continue Reading

Mr. Anonymous Exposes an Even Deeper State

Written by David Limbaugh

If Democrats and resistance Republicans think they are going to depose President Trump or thwart his presidency by endlessly savaging him in the name of protecting the republic, they don’t have any concept of the fierce resolve of his supporters.

The latest salvo in the resistance’s efforts to nullify the will of the American electorate is an anonymous New York Times op-ed purportedly penned by a “senior official” in the Trump administration.… Continue Reading

As Progressives Move Left, They Must Replace the American Electorate

Written by Robert Knight

The progressive game plan to re-acquire power in Washington and make it permanent has been shockingly obvious for some time:

Import millions of illegal immigrants, hook them on government aid, and turn them into voters – legally or illegally.

Two Democrats running for Congress in Texas have come out for decriminalizing illegal immigration, along with Beta O’Rourke, who is running for Ted Cruz’s U.S. Senate seat.  Virtually all Democrat office holders oppose voter ID laws.… Continue Reading

SPOTLIGHT: Prayer and Fasting to End Abortion? Really?

Written by David E. Smith

We start off our first Spotlight podcast of September with a timely conversation as Monte Larrick hosts Steve Karlen, North American Director of 40 Days for Life. This year’s 40 Days for Life campaign will run from September 26 through November 4.

The purpose of the campaign is “to access God’s power through prayer, fasting, and peaceful vigils outside abortion centers to end abortion.” Steve stresses that prayer is the foundation of 40 Days for Life and the means by which God’s people are able to “overturn Roe v.… Continue Reading

Will the GOP Back Its Pro-Life Platform With Action? (Video)

Written by Tamara Jackson

Our nation was founded unlike any other nation in history. England embraced a feudal system, followed by a system of peerage and a (dead) state church whose head was the country’s sovereign and often tyrannical ruler.

France endured a godless revolution, resulting in a political system constrained by the motto: “liberté, égalité, fraternité.” (i.e. “liberty, equality, brotherhood”)

That sounds noble, but devoid of God and godly principles, only freedom and equality are left, both determined precariously by the whims of the masses rather than transcendent Truth.… Continue Reading

Liberal Nonsense on Parade

Written by Dr. Everett Piper

It’s “1984” and we are living in schizophrenic times. Dickensian times. Orwellian times. The best of times, but yet the worst.

Times where we demand the truth while reveling in our lies. Times of great material gain but times of even greater moral loss. Times of monetary advancement, yet times of shocking mental decline. Times of the pathology of the intellect and the reprobate mind. Times of calling good evil and evil good; bitter sweet and sweet bitter.… Continue Reading