Riley Gaines Barker is a 12-time all-American collegiate swimmer who gained national notoriety for her common sense stand that men and women are different.

In her collegiate swimming career, Riley faced firsthand the harm that “gender-affirming care” brings to women when she and her teammates were forced to share a locker room with a biological male during NCAA competitions.

In her speech from the 2025 Faith, Family & Freedom Banquet, Riley affirms the biblical realities of gender, sexuality, and life in the womb.… Continue Reading

What happens when the state becomes God?

Dr. Erwin Lutzer, pastor emeritus of the Moody Church in Chicago, answers this exact question in today’s episode of Illinois Family Spotlight.

“It is the role of the pastor to speak about the controlling realities of the culture.”

If you are interested in reading more about this topic, consider purchasing Dr. Lutzer’s book, The Church in Babylon.

Listen to this episode anywhere you find podcasts or click the link!… Continue Reading

What happened at Cities Church last Sunday should matter to all of us. It isn’t possible to outline all of the ways in this [article], and there are many others providing helpful perspectives. But if you haven’t read and shared the public statement issued by the leadership at Cities Church, I encourage you to do so. You can read their statement here.

Let me add a few related thoughts to consider as well.… Continue Reading

Great news! The U.S. Supreme Court ruled once again in favor of parents’ rights.

The Justices recently reversed a terrible decision by the 2^nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that allowed the State of New York to force Amish parents to vaccinate their children. When the families asked for religious exemptions, they were denied and faced catastrophic penalties from the state, directly violating their religious freedom and parental rights.

The Supreme Court instructed the appeals court to reconsider this case in light of its decision in Mahmoud v.… Continue Reading

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of the 2025 Religious Liberty in the States (RLS) index!

Each year, First Liberty’s Center for Religion, Culture and Democracy (CRCD) publishes a nationwide index of domestic religious freedom. It ranks religious liberty protections for each of the 50 states. RLS focuses on select legal safeguards of religious exercise in state laws and constitutions.

[Earlier this month], the CRCD team unveiled the results at a special First Liberty event in Florida alongside Gov.… Continue Reading

Before 1954, pastors, priests and rabbis could openly endorse political parties or candidates.

Then came the Johnson Amendment, named for Lyndon Baines Johnson, then an U.S. Senator from Texas who tweaked the IRS code. Suddenly, tax-exempt nonprofits were barred from “participating or intervening in any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.” The “opposition to” phrase was added in 1986.

A ruthless political strategist before and during his presidency, Johnson engineered this coup after two Texas nonprofit groups had supported his Senate primary opponent.… Continue Reading

Corporate America appears to be moving away from Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies, which could be good news for religious employees in the workplace.

Forbes recently reported that use of the acronym DEI in Fortune 100 company reports showed “the steepest decline between 2024 and 2025, decreasing by 98%, while each individual term also declined significantly: Mentions of “diversity” dropped 62%, “equity” decreased 48% and “inclusion” declined 43%.”

Words explicitly referring to diversity, including DEI, “declined 72% overall between 2024 and 2025,” according to a recent study from Gravity Research, a firm that studies how companies manage their reputations and respond to social pressures.… Continue Reading

In this special episode of Illinois Family Spotlight podcast, Dave Smith sits down with IFI’s Senior Counsel, James Odom, to discuss the legal implications of the Homeschool Registration Act (HB 2827).

Their conversation focuses on Illinois State Rep. Terra Costa Howard’s claim that HB 2827 is intended to protect children through forcing homeschooling families register with their local regional office of education.

Smith notes that homeschooling families are thriving socially, academically, and spiritually far above their peers in the public school system.… Continue Reading

In this episode of the Illinois Family Spotlight podcast, Monte Larrick is joined by Attorney Will Estrada who highlights the dangers associated with HB 2827, the ominous “The Homeschool Act.”

Will Estrada works as Senior Council to HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association) and is himself a homeschool graduate along with his wife.

“One of the arguments that we’ve seen from the sponsors of HB2827 is that homeschooling is unregulated, and that is not true…

There are educational neglect laws on the books in Illinois, so there really is no problem that HB2827 is needed to fix.”

The Homeschool Act, also known as HB 2827, poses a grave danger to all homeschooling families across Illinois.

If passed, this bill would stifle the freedoms of homeschooling families through heavy regulations. If these regulations are not followed, families would face hefty fines and possible jail time.

Illinois Christian Home Educators (ICHE) is an organization that is passionately leading the charge against this dangerous legislation, and Kirk Smith, executive director of ICHE, sits down to discuss the consequences of the bill and how to oppose it.… Continue Reading

This special episode of Illinois Family Spotlight highlights Pastor Douglas Wilson’s remarks given at the 2015 Illinois Family Banquet.

Pastor Douglas Wilson preaches at Christ Church in Moscow, ID, and is senior fellow of theology at New Saint Andrews College. He is a prolific author of many books and his blog, dougwils.com, is home to his witty and rapier thoughts on culture, the church at large, and politics.

In his speech, Pastor Wilson challenges Christians to fight for biblical sanity and morality.… Continue Reading

Shortly after taking the oath of office on Monday [January 20th], President Trump signed a multitude of executive orders repealing the Biden administration’s promotion of radical gender ideology, ending the weaponization of government against religious and pro-life Americans and safeguarding free speech.

First Liberty President & CEO Kelly Shackelford discusses how these actions will help protect people of faith and the free exercise of religion. Watch below:

Five Major Executive Orders That Will Impact Religious Liberty

1. … Continue Reading

On January 14, 2025, Thomas More Society attorneys submitted to the incoming Trump administration formal requests for presidential pardons on behalf of 21 pro-life advocates who have been unjustly prosecuted, convicted, and in several cases, imprisoned, by the Biden Department of Justice.

In their letter submitted to President Donald J. Trump, Thomas More Society attorneys

“urge that these pro-life Americans are deserving of full and unconditional pardons.”

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has proposed a new rule regulating the distribution of grants. HHS has historically held that any program or organization receiving a grant may not discriminate based on religion, race, ethnicity or sex. The proposed rule would redefine “sex” to include sexual orientation and gender identity.

There are no religious liberty exemptions included in this new proposal. As such, this rule could harm religious organizations that hold sincere convictions that human beings are created in the image and likeness of Almighty God as male and female.… Continue Reading

We’re in the final days of the election season now.

Maybe you’ve already voted. Maybe you’re still trying to decide. Regardless of anything I or anyone else writes to sway you one way or another, I pray God gives you the wisdom to honor Him in good conscience with your ballot. Walk before Him in righteousness.

Yet, I do think that He often uses other human voices to help guide us into wisdom, and I hope I’m able to contribute a little truth here and there to that end.… Continue Reading

Women’s rights are the central theme of the Harris/Walz campaign and central to Eric Sorensen’s campaign for reelection to Illinois’ 17^th Congressional District.… Continue Reading

In this exciting episode of Spotlight, we are featuring Allie Beth Stuckey’s keynote speech that she delivered at the annual Faith, Family & Freedom Banquet! Allie is a dedicated wife, mom, cultural commentator, and is the beloved host of her podcast, Relatable.

In her speech, Allie breaks down her popular catchphrase: politics matter because policies matter because people matter. Politics affects policy, policy affects people, and people matter.

“While it is absolutely true– yes and amen– that Jesus is coming back one day, He is not here yet.

Dr. Erwin Lutzer is the pastor emeritus of Moody Church in Chicago and is the author of the highly acclaimed books including The Church in Babylon, When a Nation Forgets God, and The Eclipse of God.

In this special episode of Spotlight, Dr. Lutzer sits down with Monte Larrick to discuss what inspired his newest book, The Eclipse of God.

“If the baboon is our grandfather– if we are only animals on a continuum with animals… we have no argument against abortion, euthanasia.

As a young girl, Anni Cyrus was sold as a child bride in Islamic Iran. Because of the courage of her grandmother, Anni was able to escape the horrors that she faced at the hands of Islam and make her way to America– to freedom.

As a legal American citizen, Anni Cyrus is now a human rights activist that speaks out against the horrors and oppression that Islam brings.

In this special episode, Anni specifically addresses Christians in America and how they can embrace their God-given freedoms.… Continue Reading

Is praying outside of an abortion clinic terrorism?

In this episode of Spotlight, Monte Larrick sits down with Constitutional attorney David Shestokas to discuss how pro-life activists in Illinois have been targeted by Eileen O’Neill Burke, a candidate for the Cook County State’s Attorney position, as it regards their Constitutional rights.

“She’s going after free speech… Possibly potentially freedom of religion… She’s intending to prosecute people not necessarily based on their conduct, but based on the content of their message.”

Are you a faith voter? Do you want to know how President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have approached the issues that matter to you?

First Liberty has a side-by-side comparison of their records. Here’s a quick look at how both candidates fare on religious liberty:

Donald Trump and the Trump Administration on Religious Freedom

• Created a religious liberty task force at the U.S. Department of Justice
• Provided religious exemptions from the contraceptive mandate
• Advocated for the repeal of the Johnson Amendment
• Supported wedding vendors and faith-based foster care providers in Supreme Court cases
• Strengthened religious liberty protections in the military

Kamala Harris and the Biden/Harris Administration on Religious Freedom

• Introduced a bill to weaken the Religious Freedom Restoration Act
• Opposed religious exemptions from the contraceptive mandate
• Co-sponsored the ‘Equality Act,’ which some view as the most serious threat to religious freedom ever considered by Congress
• Opposed free speech for religious wedding vendors and business owners
• Opposed a landmark Supreme Court ruling that held Americans do not lose their religious freedom when they open a business

Our legal experts also break down how Trump and Harris approached the Supreme Court, judges, free speech, families, life and other important faith-related issues.… Continue Reading

The Democrat Party of 2024 bears no resemblance to the Democrat Party of the 1960s. To be fair, neither does the Republican Party. The important difference is that the Republicans have maintained a commitment to and love for our original principles, while the Democrats have become the party that is ashamed of our founding.

In an August 15^th post on X, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. wrote that the Party today “would be unrecognizable to my father and my uncle .… Continue Reading

The alarms were sounded throughout every village and upon every non-existent city hill—the Democrats are coming to Chicago! And indeed it’s true! The Democratic National Convention chose Chicago as their host city in 2024.

The dates are Monday, August 19th through Thursday, August 22nd.

They could hardly have picked a more like-minded community in which to gather. A cursory look back at the city’s history would inform us that William Lane Thompson was the last of his kind to be Mayor of Chicago.… Continue Reading

How can Christians faithfully live in a culture that is actively opposed to God?

Martyn Iles, Attorney and Chief Ministry Officer at Answers in Genesis, answers this question at the 2024 ICHE Convention.

They [Daniel and his three friends] were now living in a pagan culture, in a pagan society. And the question they had to face is: How then shall we live? What should we do? How do we live fruitfully and faithfully for God in a culture that is completely different– that is actually God-opposing?

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke before the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) last Thursday. This was her first speech as a presidential candidate, since President Biden ended his campaign and endorsed Harris as the Democratic nominee.

Rather than hiding the fact that the AFT has had a tremendous amount of power and influence on the Biden administration and the country, Harris proudly announced it, thanking AFT president, Randi Weingarten, in particular saying that she has been a “great force” and “an incredible friend and adviser” to the president and her.… Continue Reading

How did our Founders view freedom?

In this episode of Spotlight, former Illinois state representative, Peter Breen, tackles this question.

Peter Breen is the executive Vice President and Head of Litigation for the Thomas More Society, a non-profit national public interest law firm that is dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, religious liberty, and election integrity.

In his speech, Breen proves that the Founders not only tolerated Christianity, but they also directly promoted it.… Continue Reading

This episode of Spotlight focuses on the topic of homeschooling.

Kirk Smith, ICHE’s (Illinois Christian Home Educator) executive director, gives encouragement to parents who don’t know how to homeschool, gives direction on how to choose good curriculum, and much more.

Parents, especially moms, feel like they’re unworthy- that they are not capable of homeschooling… if it’s [homeschooling] is a principle of God, it works– regardless of how good or how unprepared we feel as parents.

Can pastors endorse candidates? Are houses of worship allowed to invite candidates to speak? Can my church help register voters or serve as polling places?

This week on First Liberty Live, our President & CEO Kelly Shackelford explains why people of faith should be involved in our political process. He dives into the legal rights that religious leaders and houses of worship have during election season.

Election 2024: The Future of Faith and Religious Freedom Are at Stake

America’s founders made religious freedom our First Freedom for a good reason.… Continue Reading

First Liberty and legal experts around the country are sounding the alarm about the Biden administration’s recently proposed changes to Title IX.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a civil rights law that protects students from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. It was signed into law to give female athletes equal opportunity and treatment in sports, from elementary schools to colleges.… Continue Reading

In this episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, Tom Brejcha discusses President Biden and his State of the Union address.

Tom Brejcha is the Founder, President, and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Society. He is a legal expert with over 50 years of experience in the federal and state courts.

Abortion is a top issue for the 2024 election, and Brejcha comments on states who are codifying abortion into their state laws and gives insight on how Christians and conservatives can counter this.… Continue Reading

This episode of Illinois Family Spotlight features Reverend Ceasar LeFlore.

Reverend LeFlore is the director of Public School Exit , an IFI-affiliated organization dedicated to facilitating the exit of children from government schools. He is also the director of Good Soil Good Seed (GS2), a scholarship foundation designed to help children afford to attend Christian schools.

Reverend LeFlore has an event on April 18th, called “Saving Our Children for God.”  Attendance is free and the discussion will focus on the danger of Illinois government schools.… Continue Reading

This edition of Illinois Family Spotlight features Mark Houck, a devout Catholic and peaceful pro-life protestor who was falsely accused of violating the FACE Act.

Houck was arrested and handcuffed in front of his wife and children by the Biden Administration’s Department of Justice.

With legal representation from the Thomas More Society and a unanimous jury verdict, Mark Houck was declared to be innocent.

This is a conversation you won’t want to miss.… Continue Reading

Why does CVS want to force employees to violate their religiously informed conscience? Why would they terminate a faithful, high performing health care professional of more than 20 years? Why would CVS previously grant a religious accommodation from prescribing contraceptive abortifacients from 2014 to 2022 and then abruptly revoke it?

Why would they fire a wonderful employee because of her sincerely held religious beliefs and open themselves up to a civil rights lawsuit?… Continue Reading

In this episode of Spotlight, Monte Larrick interviews Scott Lively, author and founder of Biblical Worldview Resource Center.

Scott Lively emphasizes the importance of pushing against the status quo of the culture. He also has a strong message to send to parents who continue to keep their kids in the public school system:

If you are intentionally keeping your kids in public schools, you know the children are being indoctrinated in secular humanist presuppositions in every field.

In a paroxysm of panic about Americans’ rejection of the Biden administration’s policies of open borders, rampant crime, runaway inflation and profligate spending on foreign wars, the Left has decided that the real cause of the widespread dissatisfaction and demand for policies that place Americans first is “Christian nationalism.”

They’ve been tossing this term around for a while, but it has picked up steam in recent weeks. It attracted widespread attention last week when Politico reporter Heidi Przybyla appeared on MSNBC to expound upon the article she penned warning of the presence of “Christian nationalists” in America who are flexing their political muscles.… Continue Reading

This episode of Spotlight features the legacy of Joe Schiedler, who passed away at the age of 93.

Joe Schiedler leaves a 50 year legacy of peaceful, pro-life activism that took him around the nation and the world. Schiedler and his wife, Anne, co-founded the Chicago based Pro-Life Action League, and he authored Closed: 99 Ways to Stop Abortion and Racketeer for Life.

Back in 2017, IFI hosted a Pro-Life Forum where Joe Schiedler reflected on his work and his calling in the pro-life movement.… Continue Reading

Upon reading a recent article in The Diplomat, written by Illinois Democrat Congressman, Raja Krishnamoorthi, I wanted to present some analysis and context to what he shared.

Congressman Krishnamoorthi was considering whether competing with the Chinese Communist Party meant “kicking it when it’s down.” His answer was, “No,” and he instead offered up his 4 Ps of “people, production, partnerships, and protection” and advocated for American “self-examination.”

Let’s unpack this.… Continue Reading

In February, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee and its Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government began a lengthy investigation into the FBI’s categorization of Catholic Americans as potential “domestic terrorists.” The committees recently published a 30-page interim report titled, “The FBI’s Breach of Religious Freedom: The Weaponization of Law Enforcement Against Catholic Americans.”

“Under the guise of tackling the threat of domestic terrorism… the FBI abused its counterterrorism tools to target Catholic Americans,” the report states.… Continue Reading

The Left is very good at making up bogeymen, and one of their favorites is Christian nationalism. The latest iteration of this madness is an article in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion; a subsequent analysis of it was recently published in psypost.org. As a sociologist, I am particularly interested in this issue: sociologists are the ones most responsible for promoting the fiction that America is threatened by Christian nationalists.… Continue Reading

Will this be another landmark term for religious liberty at the U.S. Supreme Court? The Justices have not agreed to hear specific religious freedom cases this year. But it’s still early. There’s still a possibility that the Court will agree to hear one—including one of our own.

In the meantime, we’re keeping a close eye on 12 cases. The Court will be hearing arguments in several of these. Others are still pending review.… Continue Reading

I’ve been writing about Denver-area baker Jack Phillips for over a decade now. It’s clear to me he’s going to be badgered into the grave by authoritarians intent on punishing him for thought crimes. From the first time his name appeared in the news until this day, the media have misled the public about him, about the case and about the law.

The latest chapter in Phillips’ Kafkaesque saga involves a transgender lawyer named Autumn Scardina, who demanded Phillips create a pink cake with blue frosting to help celebrate a gender transition.… Continue Reading

In this episode of Spotlight, we are featuring Part 2 of David Smith and Monte Larrick’s conversation with Dr. Mark Zumhagen, MD.

As noted last week, Dr. Zumhagen has been practicing family medicine since 1986. In 2009, he opened his private, holistic practice in Orland Park called Fearfully and Wonderfully Made with the mission of re-activating “the body’s own healing ability that God put in there.”

In this segment, Dr. Zumhagen goes back to the basics– the foundation of science.… Continue Reading

In this episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, we are featuring the second part of Scott Klusendorf’s speech at the 2023 Worldview Conference.

Scott Klusendorf is the founder and president of the Life Training Institute, which is an organization that is dedicated to equipping pro-life advocates to effectively defend Life in the public square. He is the author of The Case for Life: Equipping Christians to Engage the Culture.

In this portion, Klusendorf tackles the topic of how one’s church can effectively engage the culture with pro-life apologetics.… Continue Reading

If we fear God, we fear nothing else. If we don’t fear God, we fear everything, and everyone else.

~Pastor Stephen Lee

This special episode of Illinois Family Spotlight features an interview with Attorney David Shestokas and the charges that have been brought against his client, Pastor Stephen Lee.

Pastor Lee is the interim pastor of the Living Word Church in Orland Park, is a former police officer, and a former police chaplain.… Continue Reading

This episode of Illinois Family Spotlight features remarks from Ariella Del Turco on the topic of religious liberty in the first half, along with a question and answer segment with Ambassador Sam Brownback during the second half.

Arielle Del Turco is the director of Religious Liberty at the Family Research Council (FRC) and is the co-author of FRC’s “Hostility Against Churches” report.

Sam Brownback is the former governor of Kansas, formerly representing Kansas in the U.S.… Continue Reading

In this episode, Illinois Family Spotlight features remarks and insights made by the honorable Sam Brownback that took place during an IFI Forum on religious liberty.

Sam Brownback served as governor of Kansas, represented the people of Kansas in the U.S. House & Senate during President Trump’s administration, served as the U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, and is currently the chairman for the National Committee for Religious Freedom.… Continue Reading

This episode of Illinois Family Spotlight features remarks made by Kevin Sorbo during IFI’s 2022 Faith, Family & Freedom Banquet.

Kevin Sorbo is an actor, director, author, and is best known for his role in Hercules: The Legendary Journey, Andromeda, and God’s Not Dead, to name a few. He has also become an outspoken and witty conservative pundit with 1.7 million Twitter followers. We recommend that you follow him @ksorbs.… Continue Reading

This episode of Illinois Family Spotlight features remarks given by Sam Sorbo at Illinois Family Institute’s 2022 Faith, Family, and Freedom Banquet.

Sam Sorbo is an actress, filmmaker, radio host, and a staunch advocate for educational freedom. Her book, They’re Your Kids: An Inspirational Journey from Self-Doubter to Home School Advocate, chronicles her family’s experience with homeschooling.

In her speech, Sam insightfully notes the lies of the educational framework in America, what true education is, and how parents can fight for their child’s education.… Continue Reading

In this episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, Monte Larrick interviews Horace Cooper. Cooper is a senior fellow with the National Center for Public Policy Research, chairman of the Project 21 National Advisory Board and a legal commentator.

In response to the attack that Christianity and the Church is facing, Cooper notes,

As Christians, one of things we need to understand… American Christians are one of the most powerful forces on the planet.

In this episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, Monte Larrick interviews attorney David Shestokas, a former 2022 candidate for Illinois Attorney General. Mr. Shestokas is involved in the battle for election integrity, and is the author of two must-read books: Creating the Declaration of Independence and Constitutional Soundbites.

In this episode, Shestokas emphasizes the important role that the Declaration of Independence currently plays in preserving American freedoms. He notes,

“What the Constitution is intended to do is to execute the ideals that are found in the Declaration of Independence… the Constitution itself is a pretty mechanical document, but the Declaration of Independence defines really what it means to be an American.”

In this episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, Monte Larrick interviews former state representative, Peter Breen, who now serves as the Executive Vice President of the Thomas More Society, which is a non-profit national public interest law firm that is dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, religious liberty, and election integrity. They discuss at length the tyrannical Senate Bill 1909, which is designed to shut down pro-life pregnancy care centers through litigation, fines, and more.… Continue Reading

The Left often whines about religion being shoved in their faces, claiming that religious beliefs are being forced upon them by Christian conservatives. If you try and talk to a liberal about abortion, gay marriage, or the indoctrination occurring in the public school system, you’ll be bombarded with demands to keep religion out of government, even if you never brought your religious beliefs into the conversation in the first place. They claim to take a firm stance against having religious talk forced on people who don’t want it.… Continue Reading

In January 2019, Gerald Groff left the Holtwood Post Office in the small rural community of Holtwood, Pennsylvania, located in Lancaster County. When he left, he figured it was likely for good. He resigned his mail carrier position there because he knew that he was inching closer and closer to being fired. He had already endured various steps of the Post Office’s progressive discipline. What drove him to leave the USPS was its failure to accommodate his sincerely held religious convictions.… Continue Reading

Everywhere we look, we see confidence in the American experience on the wane. A recent Wall Street Journal/NORC poll found that patriotism has declined among Americans from 70% to 38% since 1997. Part of the explanation for that alarming trend is how the left creates a narrative that America is inherently a racist and oppressive nation.

Furthermore, that narrative has asserted that Christianity is a harmful religion, creating division, violence, misogyny and justifying slavery.… Continue Reading

First Liberty’s landmark U.S. Supreme Court victories in our Coach Joe Kennedy and Treat Children Fairly cases continue bearing fruit.

Thanks to these wins, our legal experts predicted this would be a school year with more religious liberty than ever before. By God’s grace, our prediction is turning out to be true. Multiple states are moving to protect religious liberty in schools.

For decades, public school districts often misunderstood their obligations under the First Amendment.… Continue Reading

What would you say if you were asked what one worldview poses the greatest threat to life, liberty, and human flourishing?

Would your answer be Marxism and its march across history that has left 100 million men, women and children dead in its wake?

Would it be the Third Reich’s socialism and the untold numbers of Jews executed in its “work camps” such as Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, Dachau and Buchenwald?

Or maybe you’d say it’s radical Islam and the bloodlust of Boko Haram, al Qaeda, Abu Sayyaf or the Taliban?… Continue Reading

I am sure many of you know the story of Mark Houck, a pro-life activist and father of seven who was accused of harassing and shoving 73-year-old abortion clinic escort, Bruce Love, in an incident last year. Mark and his 12-year-old-son were doing sidewalk counseling at an abortion clinic in Pennsylvania. Mr. Love started verbally harassing the 12-year-old and that’s when the pushing ensued. Local authorities decided not to press charges against Mr.… Continue Reading

Big news: The U.S. Supreme Court announced it will hear our case involving former postal worker Gerald Groff, who was wrongly forced out of his job because of his religious beliefs.

Along with First Liberty, he is represented by Baker Botts LLP, the Church State Council and the Independence Law Center.

The U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is not required to grant a religious accommodation for an employee to observe the Sunday Sabbath.… Continue Reading

It’s December 2022, and the winner of this week’s woke Olympics goes to the nation’s public libraries.

Here’s how news outlets across the country are reporting the story.

“’Growing Pains’ star Kirk Cameron has a new Christian children’s book out, but he’s being banned from hosting story hours at publicly funded libraries across the nation. Cameron’s book, ‘As You Grow,’ teaches the value of producing the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.”… Continue Reading

This week, a federal appeals court issued a favorable ruling impacting thousands of military service members. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upheld an injunction protecting U.S. Air Force service members from being punished or involuntarily terminated from the military for requesting religious accommodations to the vaccine mandate. Importantly, this protects First Liberty’s own Senior Counsel Danielle Runyan, a member of the Air Force Reserve, whose religious accommodation request was denied.… Continue Reading

Congress is considering two major bills, the “Right to Contraception Act” (H.R. 8373) and the “Respect for Marriage Act” (H.R. 8404), Both bills have already passed the U.S. House and are currently pending in the U.S. Senate.

At first glance, their names sound benign. But don’t be fooled. Both threaten religious Americans who want to live according to their deeply held beliefs. If signed into law, these could cause serious damage to religious liberty in our country.… Continue Reading

The Biden administration recently announced the formation of the Disinformation Governance Board (DGB). The agency—which falls under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—is purportedly being created to ensure the safety of Americans by stopping “false information that is deliberately spread with the intent to deceive or mislead.”

The draconian Ministry of Truth that was once a dystopian fantasy now appears to be a reality in our country. The Biden administration is giving power to a group of bureaucrats who will—without court oversight or electoral accountability—decide whether your speech, viewpoints and beliefs constitute “disinformation.”… Continue Reading

The U.S. Supreme Court recently announced it will hear 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, a free speech case that could have major implications for religious liberty. This is a case being handled by our friends at the Alliance Defending Freedom.

It involves Lorie Smith, a Christian web designer from the Denver-area who declines to create wedding websites for same-sex couples, because of her religious beliefs. The case is expected to be heard during the Court’s next term, which begins in October.… Continue Reading

A federal judge recently issued a temporary order preventing disciplinary action against two officers who requested a religious accommodation to the military vaccine mandate.

Judge Steven Merryday—serving on the District Court for the Middle District of Florida—strongly rebuked the military’s approach to religious accommodation requests. His order stated:

“The military is well aware of the frailty of their arguments in defense of their practices… The two service members are very likely to prevail on their claim that their respective branch of the military has wrongfully denied a religious exemption from COVID-19 vaccination.

According to a recent survey conducted by the Freedom Forum, fewer people in our country consider religious freedom as the first and most foundational freedom.

It’s indeed alarming to see there’s waning knowledge about religious liberty being the cornerstone of a free society, the wellspring from which all other liberties flow.

We’re at a point in our nation’s history when religious freedoms—indeed all of our constitutional rights and freedoms—are under attack like never before.… Continue Reading

The Biden administration appears to be testing the idea of putting together a list of Americans who have religious objections to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Recently, the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia announced a new records system that will store the names and “personal religious information” of all employees who make “religious accommodation requests for religious exception from the federally mandated vaccination requirement.”

But this is only one agency implementing this type of tracking system.… Continue Reading

As the new year approaches, we close out 2021 with a nativity-focused edition of Spotlight. In our first segment, we feature the homily given by the Most Reverend Thomas John Paprocki, Bishop of the Springfield Diocese, at the blessing of the nativity scene displayed in the Capitol rotunda of the Illinois Statehouse. The nativity crèche is a public expression of Christian faith and is presented, through private funding, by the Springfield Nativity Scene Committee.… Continue Reading

U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ)—joined by more than two dozen of his Democratic colleagues as co-sponsors—recently reintroduced the “Do No Harm” Act (DNHA), a bill they claim would help “restore the Religious Freedom Restoration Act’s (RFRA) original intent.”

To refresh your memory, RFRA is a federal law crucial to the protection of religious liberty. Signed into law in 1993 by Democratic President Bill Clinton, RFRA has stood for over a quarter century as a legal bulwark and helped protect Americans from government infringement on their constitutional rights.… Continue Reading

This week, Illinois Family Spotlight focuses on current issues regarding religious freedom and the U.S. judicial system. To start the podcast, Monte Larrick interviews well-known Colorado baker and cake artist, Jack Phillips and general counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, Kristen Waggoner.

Phillips describes the persecution and targeting he has endured at the hands of the LGBT faction in his ongoing battle for religious freedom within the context of his business.… Continue Reading

James Madison once wrote, “Government is instituted to protect property of every sort” and that “conscience is the most sacred of all property.” Yet just before July 4 weekend, the U.S. Supreme Court, by denying an appeal in an important religious liberty case, has essentially abrogated both property and conscience rights, as well as the right to use one’s own property in accordance with deeply held religious beliefs. So much for self-evident truths, inalienable rights, and the institution of government to secure these rights.… Continue Reading

Colorado baker Jack Phillips is a perpetual offender. He simply will not do. His offense? Unswervingly honoring his deeply held, and constitutionally protected, religious beliefs.

We’ve all heard of Phillips and his travails. Leftist bullies have been tormenting him for years, beginning in 2012, when the Colorado Civil Rights Commission targeted him for refusing to make a custom-designed cake to celebrate a same-sex wedding.

After several setbacks in various tribunals, Phillips was finally vindicated in a 7-to-2 U.S.… Continue Reading

June could be a critical month for religious freedom in America like never before. Over the next few weeks, the U.S. Supreme Court is likely to release most of the decisions for its current term—including cases in which First Liberty is fighting to defend people of faith and religious organizations.

Below, we’ll recap several First Amendment cases pending before the nation’s highest court and how the outcome in each of these could be a turning point for the constitutional freedoms of millions of Americans.… Continue Reading

For those who think that America could never descend into dictatorship, let this be a warning sign that tyranny could already have arrived on our shores.

The latest indication comes from examining China’s newest rules for religious personnel that went into effect earlier this month. Set by China’s State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA)—a Big Brother-style religious oversight body—these regulations outline the rights and characteristics of religious work in China, and the obligations of those with religious roles.… Continue Reading

On Tuesday, April 20, 2021, President Joe Biden and his administration filed an appeal in federal court seeking to force all doctors and hospitals in the United States, regardless of religious conviction, to provide transgender surgeries to all patients who request such services.

If this doesn’t disturb you, then your heart is black and your soul is cold.

This is not just a story about the Democratic Party’s undeniable disdain for religion and its ongoing war against Judeo-Christian morality.… Continue Reading

This past week while the nation was distracted by Joe Biden’s dementia-ridden incompetence and Andrew Cuomo’s predatory misogyny, The Satanic Temple of Texas filed suit to defend its religious right to engage in child sacrifice as a spiritual ritual.

The Dallas Observer reports as follows.

“[On Feb. 23, 2021] The Satanic Temple [of Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston] filed a lawsuit against the State of Texas alleging certain state-mandated abortion regulations violate the religious liberty of its members … [and] violate the temple’s religious teachings.

On Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Equality Act by a vote of 224-206.

Proponents of the legislation, such as U.S. Representative David Cicilline, Rhode Island Democrat, declared, “Every American deserves respect and dignity and [this is why it’s] important that the Equality Act become law …”

But here’s the thing: He’s lying. And so is every single Democrat who aligns with him and parrots this deceptive blather.… Continue Reading

“All we can do is pray.” How many times have you heard someone utter these words, often with a somewhat defeatist attitude? Our Spotlight guests this week want you to know that the first thing, the most important thing, Christians can do is pray!

Speaking at an online event hosted by the Illinois Prayer Caucus Network in celebration of National Religious Freedom Day, Randy Forbes and Peter Breen stress the preeminent priority of prayer, especially as the practice and proclamation of our faith increasingly comes under fire.… Continue Reading

President Joe Biden likes to talk about unity and his intent to rise above partisan rancor to heal the divisions that led a pro-Trump mob to swarm the Capitol on Jan. 6. Given his history of cutting deals with Republicans, I believe he wants to work across the aisle.

But a hail-fellow-well-met demeanor can’t paper over his party’s intolerance and readiness to use government as a club to beat dissenters into submission.… Continue Reading

Just when you thought Leftists couldn’t be more cynical, hypocritical, dishonest, tyrannical, and cruel, they step up to prove you wrong. When Democrats, by whatever janky standards they’ve made up, think Republicans have gone “low,” they–that is, Democrats–dive headlong into the abyss of hypocrisy and nastiness.

They’ve been doing their theatrical performative best to argue that the attack on the Capitol is particularly heinous because of the building’s symbolic significance—which, of course, it has.… Continue Reading

This past week a group defining themselves as Secular Democrats of America submitted a 28-page letter to Kamala Harris and Joe Biden calling on them to expunge religion from all sectors of American public life and to “re-educate” Christian Americans that they should keep their “religious dogma” to themselves.

In their document, titled “Restoring Constitutional Secularism and Patriotic Pluralism in the White House,” congressional Democrats Jamie Raskin of Maryland, Jared Huffman of California and Jerry McNerney of California bemoan life under the Trump administration:

“The constant entanglement of religion and government … sweeps far beyond hot-button ‘culture war’ issues … It permeates every aspect of government policy — health care, public and private education, foreign policy, tax policy, environmental policy, military policy, and more …”

They continue:

“[Government] decisions should be guided by science and evidence … We believe that now is the right time to make a case for reviving a Jeffersonian approach to governance that favors reason … and to disentangle government policy from the influence of … religious interests that have become dangerously entrenched at all levels of government.”

Vice President Joe Biden has announced his intent to nominate California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). But Becerra raises deep concerns among religious conservatives fighting to protect their First Amendment free speech and religious liberty rights. They are leery of Becerra because he defended the anti-free speech California law (AB 775), struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court, that forced pro-life care centers to promote state-sponsored abortions.… Continue Reading

Four hundred years ago this month, a weary band of Christians from England came ashore in New England after a grueling 66-day voyage aboard the Mayflower.

The Pilgrims came for one purpose, which they spelled out in writing: “for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith.”

It was all about religious freedom. They wanted to worship Jesus in the purity of the gospel.

150 years after the Pilgrims came, the founders of this nation enshrined religious freedom in our national charter, the U.S.… Continue Reading

In his opening address at the recent IFI Worldview Conference, Dr. Robert Gagnon poses the question “Is ‘LGBTQ’ Pressure Beginning to Crack the Evangelical House?” Dr. Gagnon believes that exposure to the daily indoctrination of culture is resulting in a Stockholm Syndrome of sorts among our youth, even those in evangelical churches, and he considers whether this same phenomenon is afflicting evangelicalism as a whole.

Emphasizing a reliance on Scripture, he encourages Christians, both in the pews and at the pulpit, to refute the false narrative of the LGBTQ agenda and stand firmly against immorality.… Continue Reading

Sometimes, the facts of a case have an emotional appeal in addition to a strong constitutional basis. Espinoza v. Montana certainly qualifies.

Kendra Espinoza, a hard working (three jobs) and determined single mom, decided to take her two daughters out of the local public schools and enroll them in Stillwater Christian School in Kalispell, Montana. She explained that she “wanted them to be able to read the Bible and be taught how to pray, and taught from that faith-based perspective.”… Continue Reading

Give me your young, your old, your faithful masses yearning to worship freely. This revision of The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus could well be the rallying cry of Pastor Steve Cassell of The Beloved Church in Lena, Illinois. On this edition of Spotlight, Pastor Steve joins me for a timely discussion regarding the perilous intersection of COVID-19, governmental “authority,” and Constitutionally-guaranteed personal liberties.

Pastor Steve and I consider how churches and people of faith should respond to Illinois’ lockdown and examine the dangerous precedent that could be established by our governor’s abuse of his executive power.… Continue Reading

While numerous businesses have been designated as “essential” and allowed to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic, Illinois’ governor has deemed houses of worship for all faith traditions as non-essential entities, denying people of faith access to these facilities for corporate worship and prayer.

Illinois Family’s Monte Larrick recently spoke with Pro-Life Action League’s Ann Scheidler at a May 1st prayer vigil, held outside Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago, to protest Governor JB Pritzker’s overreach.… Continue Reading

Let’s start by giving credit where it’s due.

It’s admirable that houses of worship can adapt so quickly in times of crisis. Millions of Americans are staying spiritually engaged thanks to the incredible effort of churches and faith leaders who harnessed the power of technology, social media and the Internet. Even more remarkable is that churches surpassed virtual attendance records even though the quarantine forced them to transition overnight to online services.… Continue Reading

The biggest threat to the United States today is not a virus, but rather “virus-shaming.” The greatest challenge the American experiment faces in this dark hour is not our need for safety but our loss of liberty. And the complicity of the church in the wholesale abandonment of this self-evident truth is no less than stunning.

While governors across the nation fall over themselves to break their oath of office, the church remains quiet.… Continue Reading

In a 2017 USA Today op-ed, journalist Jonathan Merritt, who has distinguished himself by persistently undermining the authority of Scripture while wearing the name of Jesus, fretted over a potential Christian boycott of Disney and its LGBT activism. He wrote:

It risks making Christians look like antiquated bigots, and it reeks of moral hypocrisy. Worse, it diverts energy from a more worthwhile effort: teaching Christian children to coexist in a pluralistic society.

Latasha Fields, founder and director of CHESS – Christian Home Educators Support System, joins IFI executive director David Smith on this edition of Spotlight. In the first half of the podcast, David and Latasha discuss egregious legislation pending in the Illinois General Assembly that aims to eviscerate parental rights and eliminate religious liberty.

State Representative Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston) recently introduced HB 4870 would mandate the HPV vaccination for ALL Illinois students at the 6^th grade level.… Continue Reading

The U.S Senate unanimously passed a bill this week to support pro-democracy efforts in Hong Kong, a move that prompted an angry response from Beijing. According to Reuters, the measure requires that the U.S. “certify at least once a year that Hong Kong retains enough autonomy to qualify for special U.S. trading consideration.” A separate bill, also passed unanimously, places a moratorium on selling crowd control “munitions” (such as tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets and stun guns) to Hong Kong police, who have been accused of brutality in dealing with protestors.… Continue Reading

“Separation of church and state.” There may be no reference to, inference of, insinuation of, or display of religion anywhere in any government operation or public school, even if there is no coercion to participate in any Christian event or prayer. That is enshrined in every clause of the U.S. Constitution.

That is essentially what the Left has been telling us for years, and those principles have been enforced to varying degrees in many lower courts and, intermittently, even by the U.S.… Continue Reading

Freedom of speech is in the First Amendment for a reason. Freedom begins with the ability to speak your opinion without fear of censorship or violent reprisal or imprisonment. This is a precious human right, not something that most countries in the world revere like we have. But here in America, free speech is most dangerously under attack in the one place you would not expect: the universities.

Dennis Prager and Adam Carolla have created a new documentary on the subject called “No Safe Spaces.”… Continue Reading

At the MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 26, Taylor Swift won the video of the year award for her latest song “You Need to Calm Down.” It’s a song that trashes anyone still dissenting from the LGBTQ agenda and begs them to “control your urges to scream about all the people you hate / ‘Cause shade never made anybody less gay.”

The network news shows gushed over her leftist activism and the “Taylor Effect” they expect it to provide.… Continue Reading

The Islamic State (ISIS) has now taken credit for the Muslim massacre of Christians in Sri Lana. On average over 300 Christians a month are killed for their faith globally. This is the end result of a campaign of disrespect and hate towards Christians that have become a significant theme of American politics as well.

Is it merely coincidental that the most rapidly rising candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, Pete Buttigieg launched his campaign with an unfounded and unprovoked attack on America’s vice president because he is a Christian?… Continue Reading

The U.S. Constitution says there can be no religious test applied to those seeking office at the federal level (Article 6, clause 3). But lately some on the left are trying to apply a type of religious test against some would-be Trump nominees.

Two years ago, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) raked a Trump nominee over the coals because of the man’s theological views. Russell Vought, a nominee to the Office of Management and Budget, attended Wheaton College.… Continue Reading

Happy New Year and welcome to the first Spotlight podcast of 2019! For this edition of Spotlight we are revisiting highlights of an earlier episode featuring IFI’s own Monte Larrick and J.D. Mesnard, Regional Director with Alliance Defending Freedom’s Church Alliance. This interview took place in May 2018 at IFI’s fourth annual Worldview Conference. Mesnard begins the podcast by detailing the range of vital legal assistance the ADF Church Alliance provides to churches.… Continue Reading

Various leftist grievance groups have insisted for years that they just want equal treatment and equal rights, that they only want to end discrimination and that they come with an attitude of “live and let live.” Nope.

We’ve long known that the “tolerance” police don’t merely want equal rights and to be treated with civility. They require that you honor their ideas as superior, reject your own contrary ideas and do penance for ever having held your own ideas.… Continue Reading

This week’s edition of Spotlight begins with a focus on the importance of the nativity display at the Illinois state capitol – as well as the value of nativity scenes in state capitols and public places across the US — as Thomas Brejcha (from the Thomas More Society) joins our host, Monte Larrick.

Brejcha and Larrick discuss the connection between free exercise of religion and free speech, and they consider whether religious freedom is at risk in Illinois, especially in light of a democratic governor-elect and the supermajorities in the Illinois legislature.… Continue Reading

The anti-conservative hate group, Southern Poverty Law Center, wants to censor people it disagrees with and it’s asking the top social media companies to help.

On Thursday, October 25, the liberal organization announced that it had formed a coalition with five other groups to encourage the prohibition of so-called “hate speech” online. SPLC partnered with four George Soros funded organizations: the Center for American Progress, Color of Change, Free Press and Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, as well as the National Hispanic Media Coalition.… Continue Reading

In this week’s podcast, Monte Larrick interviews Alliance Defending Freedom’s (ADF) Regional Director J.D. Mesnard. This interview took place at IFI’s fourth annual worldview conference in early May. In the first half of the podcast, J.D. identifies the importance of ADF’s Church Alliance program, which supports the legal needs of churches across the nation during a time in which attacks on religious liberty are increasing.

During the second half of the podcast, in his capacity as Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives, J.D.… Continue Reading

This week’s U.S. Supreme Court decision in NIFLA v. Becerra should drive a stake into the heart of an Illinois law that requires pro-life medical professionals to refer patients for medical procedures/services they find morally objectionable such as abortion, sterilization and certain end-of-life care protocols.

This tyrannical legislation (SB 1564) was signed by Republican impostor Bruce Rauner and sponsored by Chicago Democrats. In writing the majority opinion of the Court, Justice Anthony Kennedy offers some constructive criticism to totalitarian policy-makers:

[B]egin by reading the First Amendment as ratified in 1791; to understand the history of authoritarian government as the Founders then knew it; to confirm that history since then shows how relentless authoritarian regimes are in their attempts to stifle free speech; and to carry those lessons onward as we seek to preserve and teach the necessity of freedom of speech for the generations to come.

The “author” of the piece was Starbucks Executive Chair Howard Schultz. The op-ed mocked how Starbucks was shamed into closing all of its 8,000 stores because leftist social justice warriors claimed that one Philadelphia store manager’s decision meant the entire company was full of racists.

This is the same Starbucks which endorsed left-wing ideologies on LGBT issues long before they were popular.… Continue Reading

Since November 2016, the Deep State and its media allies have spent considerable time and money cultivating animus toward President Trump and the Republican-led Congress among younger voters.

Many Millennials came unglued in the wake of the election and still are.  The Left is counting on their turning out to elect progressives in November.  Social media bristle with anti-Trump and anti-conservative invectives, and some of it spills over into anti-American rants.

As author William J.… Continue Reading

Stonestreet insightfully addressed a wide range of topics from pending Supreme Court legislation to Kanye West and the dangers of celebrityism, identity politics, division in our nation, and the need for discernment in regard to Facebook and other forms of social media.… Continue Reading

A year or so ago, there were a spate of articles about the red pill videos on YouTube – millennials turning off to the bullying by feminists and race hustlers, thinking for themselves, becoming conservative, and posting a video of their personal journey from blue to red online. I googled ‘red pill’ and had a cheerful time following links. I learned about Candace Owens at that time, and a lot of other black and white millennials who had posted articulate, heartfelt, intimate, sometimes funny YouTubes explaining why they’d become conservative.… Continue Reading

Monte Larrick interviewed John Stonestreet at Illinois Family Institute’s Fourth Annual Worldview Conference. Stonestreet is the president of the Chuck Colson Center and BreakPoint Radio co-host. They discuss why Christians should be concerned about the Culture when we have seemingly lost; the next major cultural shift after the Sexual Revolution; the continued attacks on religious freedom; and when it is right for Christians to engage in civil disobedience.

Monte and John also discuss the cost of following Jesus, and legalization of recreational marijuana.… Continue Reading

The dominant force in America and many other Western countries today is fear of the left.

This is a result of the fact that the most dynamic religion of the past 100 years has been neither Christianity nor Islam. It has been leftism. Whoever does not recognize this does not understand the contemporary world.

What is Leftism?

Leftism — in its incarnations, such as Marxism, communism and socialism; expressed through egalitarianism, environmentalism and feminism; in its denigration of capitalism and Western civilization, especially America and Israel; in its supplanting of Christianity and Judaism; through its influence on Christianity and Judaism; in its celebration of race; and in its replacing of reason with romanticism — has almost completely taken over the news and entertainment media and institutions of education.… Continue Reading

Keeping a candidate’s policy positions straight isn’t easy when the candidate appears to come out on both sides of an issue. Sometimes it is due to a simple mistake, as people can misspeak without even realizing it.

When the issue is taxpayer funding of abortion, however, a person is either for it or against it. The same comes to religious liberty and conscience rights. There is no middle ground, even though some candidates would love for there to be some.… Continue Reading

The Springfield Nativity Scene Committee* (SNSC) recently held its annual opening day ceremony for their privately sponsored and funded display depicting the birth of Jesus Christ.  This display marks the 10th straight year that this display has had a place in the center of the State Capitol Rotunda.  This is possible, thanks in large part to the help of the Thomas More Society, including our guest Tom Brejcha. … Continue Reading

A measure within the federal tax overhaul bill that would end the IRS regulation barring churches from endorsing political candidates has been removed from the proposed legislation.

The U.S. Senate’s parliamentarian struck out the language overturning the Johnson Amendment, with the Hill reporting last week that the reason was because it “did not meet Senate rules that require elements of the tax bill to have something to do with the budget.”

“The Senate is seeking to move a House-Senate conference report under special budgetary rules that prevent Democrats from using a filibuster,” explained The Hill.… Continue Reading

Last month, Illinois Family Institute teamed up with Restore Our Constitution to host a special event with historian David Barton in Decatur. Mr. Barton is the founder and president of Wall Builders, and an author of a number of best selling books.

David Barton touched on a number of topics in his presentation, including the push for a Convention of the States, the problem of rouge federal judges and indoctrination centers known as colleges and universities — pointing out that only 27 percent of college graduates get a job related to their major.… Continue Reading

As conservative Christians continue to push for religious freedom protections in the wake of the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage, there might be lessons religious freedom advocates can take away from the successes of the pro-life movement.

Two pro-life leaders and a religious liberty scholar participated in a panel discussion on Saturday titled “What the Religious Liberty Movement Can Learn From the Victories of the Pro-Life Movement” at the Family Research Council’s Values Voters Summit.… Continue Reading

The Alliance Defending Freedom has been doing important work to free America’s pulpits from government censorship. The organization is now pushing Congress “to fix the unconstitutional Johnson Amendment through the Free Speech Fairness Act (FSFA)”:

The FSFA restores free speech to churches and other nonprofits by allowing them to freely speak on current cultural and political issues without jeopardizing their tax-exempt status.

How can you help? Congress needs to know that America’s pastors want this legislative fix.

A few Democrat U.S. Senators, including Illinois’ own Dick Durbin, have been criticized for their questioning of 7th Circuit Court of Appeals nominee Amy Coney Barrett on the grounds that they were attempting to impose a religious test in contravention of the U.S. Constitution.

The National Review’s Alexandra DeSanctis provides the background:

Barrett is a law professor at the University of Notre Dame who has written about the role of religion in public life and delivered academic lectures to Christian legal groups.

A few U.S. Senate Democrats recently grilled a judicial nominee to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals over her Roman Catholic beliefs.

During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing for Notre Dame Law School Professor Amy Coney Barrett held Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., expressed concern over the nominee being too religious.

At issue were comments made by Professor Barrett going as far back as 1998, which some have interpreted as saying that Catholic teaching should take precedence over the law.… Continue Reading

Roughly four years ago, then Prime Minister David Cameron announced that MP’s would decide whether or not to redefine the meaning of marriage. The announcement came as somewhat of a surprise as David Cameron had not made any mention whatsoever in his pre-election manifesto (or platform) signalling his intention to initiate this possible shift.

In the ensuing chaos leading up to the vote, David Burrows MP, a mild-mannered supporter of the ‘Coalition for Marriage’, had excrement thrown at his house.… Continue Reading

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) is reporting this about the bank JPMorgan Chase and its willful ignorance:

The largest U.S. bank by assets will donate $1 million split between the Southern Poverty Law Center and Anti-Defamation League “to further their work in tracking, exposing and fighting hate groups and other extremist organizations,” according to an internal bank memo sent Monday that was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

Is it possible that the executives at JPMorgan Chase have missed the national news about how the SPLC has disintegrated into a radical Leftist hate group?… Continue Reading

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is so upset that U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) has been tweeting quotations from the Bible, they wrote him a hot letter about it.

Professing themselves to be wise, the group became fools and say Senators quoting the Bible is a “constitutional violation.”

We understand that you have been tweeting bible verses from @MarcoRubio to nearly three million followers. It appears that you began tweeting the bible in mid-May and have been doing so regularly ever since.

The Christian pro-family organization D. James Kennedy Ministries is filing a defamation lawsuit against the leftist Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) for labeling it a “hate group.”

D. James Kennedy Ministries (DJMK), formerly known as Coral Ridge Ministries, is among dozens of organizations opposing the LGBTQ agenda, radical Islam, and uncontrolled immigration that have been tarred as “hate” organizations by the SPLC, which is now receiving millions of dollars in new funding in the wake of the recent racial violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.… Continue Reading

CNN has just published a map and listing of “all the active hate groups where you live.” I’ve got serious problems with lists like this, but apparently CNN doesn’t. It seems to me that if they believe in “hate group” lists, they really ought to include themselves on it.

A list like this one, published days after Charlottesville, is, in theory, meant to warn Americans against groups that might carry similar violence into other cities.… Continue Reading

U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Patrick Leahy claimed that newly confirmed U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch was not in the “legal mainstream.” They were referring to the “living Constitution” approach to constitutional interpretation. That interpretative approach, still thriving today and embraced by the liberal left, says that the U.S. Constitution should be a document that judges regard as one “that evolves, changes, over time, and adapts to new circumstances, without being formally amended.”… Continue Reading

Sanctuary city jurisdictions are local governments that seek to trample upon and undermine the federal government’s constitutional role in enforcing immigration law by offering cover to illegal aliens. However, another sort of “sanctuary” legislation in the U.S. seeks to continually and legally trample the human conscience to protect abortion.

Religious groups in Missouri are now suing to overturn a St. Louis “abortion sanctuary” city ordinance that would have disastrous effects on the freedoms of religion, speech, and association.… Continue Reading

On this week’s edition of Illinois Family Spotlight, Monte Larrick talks to John Mauck, an attorney and partner of the Mauck and Baker law firm based in downtown Chicago.  Mauck and Baker is nationally known for representing churches, religious institutions, businesses, and individuals.

John gives us an update about their lawsuit against HB 217, a new law which bans professional counselors from helping minor children who are struggling with unwanted same-sex attraction. … Continue Reading

A key member of President Donald Trump‘s transition team says it’s only a matter of time before the president and his administration enact a policy, perhaps an executive order, protecting religious freedoms.

Ken Blackwell, who served as the chief domestic policy advisor to the Trump transition team, told The Christian Post during a conference call Thursday that it’s not a matter of “if” but “when” the Trump administration will enact a policy to protect religious liberties.… Continue Reading

In February President Donald Trump made a promise to people of faith across the fruited plain.

“My administration will do everything in its power to defend and protect religious liberty in our land,” the president said at the National Prayer Breakfast.

When he campaigned for the White House he stated that the “first priority of my administration will be to preserve and protect our religiously liberty.”

“The First Amendment guarantees our right to practice our faith as we see fit…all the time, always, wherever,” he went on to say.… Continue Reading

Written by Dr. Michael Brown

Whenever I hear Christian leaders talk about the inevitable collapse of the church of America (or elsewhere) I ask myself, “But hasn’t Jesus risen from the dead? Didn’t He ascend to the right hand of the Father? Hasn’t all authority in heaven and earth been given to Him? And aren’t we commanded to go and make disciples in His name and by His authority?”

If so, how then we can speak of any inevitable collapse of the church (or, specifically, of Christian society), regardless of how inevitable that collapse appears to human eyes?… Continue Reading

Written by Noel W. Sterett

When it comes to religious liberty, America has long had the best laws. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution succinctly and powerfully states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Many state constitutions contain even stronger protections for religious liberty and recognize the God of the Bible as the foundation of good governance and the source of our liberty.… Continue Reading

Written by Todd Starnes

Christians are under fierce attack across the fruited plain and some of the nation’s most prominent conservative leaders are urging President Trump to take immediate action.

More than 150 members of the Council for National Policy are calling on the president to issue an executive order “protecting the practical exercise of religious freedom.”

“For the last eight years, Americans of all backgrounds have suffered the loss of their religious freedoms because of destructive Obama-era policies,” the CNP wrote in a letter to the president.… Continue Reading

Written by Fred Lucas

President Donald Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court could have a say in rulings on religious freedom, transgender bathrooms in schools, and private property rights, if he is confirmed before April 16.

Judge Neil Gorsuch of the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals met with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and other senators Wednesday at the Capitol less than 24 hours after Trump announced his nomination.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.,… Continue Reading

Written by Peter Heck

How appropriate it was that President Obama delivered his farewell address from Chicago, the crime capital of America … for it is indeed his crime against a humble group of nuns that will be forever etched in many people’s memory.

I was unable to watch President Obama’s Farewell Address last Tuesday night delivered appropriately in the crime capital of the country, Chicago, Illinois.  That didn’t break my heart because I found myself indifferent to the spectacle for a number of reasons.… Continue Reading

Written by Billy Hallowell

A new Marist Poll found that the majority of Americans — 89 percent — believe protecting religious freedom is an important undertaking, with 57 percent calling it an “immediate priority.”

While Republicans were the most likely (66 percent) to see the issue as one of immediate importance, the poll, which was commissioned by the Knights of Columbus, found that 55 percent of Democrats and 51 percent of Independents agreed. These are intriguing findings, considering the ongoing debate over the balance between gay rights and religious liberty.… Continue Reading

Written by Sondra Clark

As the calendar year ends, minds quickly turn to losing weight, eating healthy, saving money, and spending more time with family. But just as 2016 caused us to rethink politics, it’s time to rethink this year’s New Year’s resolutions.

The voice of the American voters has never been louder, and with unified Republican control of the House, Senate, and White House for the first time in 15 years, there promises to be a lot happening in 2017.… Continue Reading

Written by Rod Dreher

This is extremely bad news:

Russia’s ambassador to Turkey was assassinated at an Ankara art exhibit on Monday evening by a lone Turkish gunman shouting “God is great!” and “don’t forget Aleppo, don’t forget Syria!” in what Russia called a terrorist attack.

The gunman, who was described by Ankara’s mayor as a policeman, also wounded at least three others in the assault, which was captured on Turkish video, before he was killed by other officers in a shootout.

Written by David Rosenthal

It is no secret that religious liberty is under attack.  The wedding photographer, florist, and cake baker are no longer able to practice their faith at work without fear of retribution for refusing to fall in line with the new government orthodoxy.

The Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment is designed to ensure that all Americans may freely live out their faith.  This is not limited to freedom of worship, but includes the heart, mind, and soul of religious people, thereby guiding how people act in the public square.  … Continue Reading

Written by Dr. Michael Brown

For years I have said that gay activists and their allies would overplay their hand and that their bullying would backfire. It is happening today in front of our eyes as a Christian couple, Chip and Joanna Gaines, who recently graced the cover of People magazine, is now being attacked simply for attending a Christian church. Oh, the thought of it!

Yes, if you are a public figure and you attend a church that preaches that marriage is the union of one man and one woman and you actually believe that homosexuals can be changed by the power of the gospel, you should be shamed, ridiculed, and perhaps even fired.… Continue Reading

Written by Bob Weir

To shed some light on the death of Fidel Castro, I did an interview with U.S. Senator Ted Cruz’s father Rafael Cruz, who lived under the oppressive regime of the Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista.

Have you ever had experiences in which you felt as though your government was taking unfair advantage of you, and it seemed as though you had no power to do anything about it?  Have you written your congressman, senator, or county commissioner several times and only received form-letter responses?  … Continue Reading

Written by John Biver

Wikileaks has made a large contribution to the information war this election season.

The much admired Princeton Professor Robert George had this to say about the recently revealed emails from Wikileaks:

…I can’t say I’m surprised by the noxious anti-Catholic bigotry contained in emails exchanged between leading progressives, Democrats and Hillary Clinton operatives. These WikiLeaks-published emails confirm what has been evident for years. Many elites, having embraced secular progressivism as not merely a political view but a religion, loathe traditional faiths that refuse to yield to its dogmas.

Written by Michael Gryboski

Americans are divided as to whether religious freedom or LGBT rights should be favored when the two concepts conflict with one another.

Recent findings from the Pew Research Center show the American public near evenly split on whether or not a business can refuse to service a same-sex wedding on religious grounds.

Out of a sample of about 4,500 adults, Pew found that 48 percent of respondents believed that businesses which provided wedding services should be allowed to refuse to service gay weddings if the owner has religious objections.… Continue Reading

Written by Anugrah Kumar

Written by Tiffany Bates & Elizabeth Slattery

When Americans cast their ballots for the next president this November, they will not only select the next commander in chief and primary enforcer of the law, they will help select a new Supreme Court justice and countless other lower court judges.

Selecting judges is not an ancillary responsibility — it is a central and critical duty, with long-lasting effects. Indeed, half of the current Supreme Court justices were appointed more than 20 years ago.… Continue Reading

Written by John Biver

Here are just a few of the many resources (articles and videos) available on the topic of church activities deemed “political,” as well as on the Johnson amendment. So few people know this due to the conservative failure in the information war.

Regardless of the Johnson amendment, however, two notes…

First, note this quote from Mat Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel has observed:

Pastors can preach on biblical, moral and social issues, such as natural marriage and abortion, can urge the congregation to register and vote, can overview the positions of the candidates, and may personally endorse candidates.

Written by Onan Coca

Across the country states have been passing laws meant to defend the First Amendment from government overreach, and simultaneously liberals and the media have been decrying these protections as “homophobic” and “bigoted.” These same liberals have argued that conservatives are being paranoid and that no protection is needed…

Sadly, Massachusetts has just proved every conservative fear accurate.

On October 1^st the most draconian “non-discrimination” laws in the nation will go into effect in the Bay State.… Continue Reading

Written by Ilya Shapiro

Plenty of libertarians were wary of seeing former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld as the Libertarian Party’s nominee for vice president. Even those of us who haven’t had anything to do with the LP would like to see the party represented by, you know, libertarians. Weld, who seems like a nice man and was apparently a decent governor, is the living expositor of the difference between a libertarian and someone who’s “socially liberal and fiscally conservative.”… Continue Reading

Written by Micah Clark

Millions of Americans may be watching the Republican national convention this week.  Some data is finding that this in an election year in which record numbers of voters seem to be interested in deciding who will be our next president.   For example, the Republican primary has seen a 62% increase in voter turnout this year over 2012, from 19.2 million votes four years ago to 31 million this year.

This may be why a new study of church engagement has caught pollsters by surprise.… Continue Reading

Written by Matthew Vadum

The far-left Southern Poverty Law Center relentlessly promotes the Big Lie, wildly popular in the media, that conservative Americans are racists and the real threat to the nation rather than Islamic terrorists.

The group claims the principal enemies of the American people are presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, conservatives like David Horowitz, and the Tea Party movement.

The SPLC is a shamelessly hypocritical leftist attack machine funded by radical speculator George Soros and a rogue’s gallery of rich people and established philanthropies that want to fundamentally transform America.… Continue Reading

Written by Kelsey Harkness

The story of the former Atlanta fire chief who was fired from his job after publishing a book that addressed marriage and sexuality from a biblical perspective took center stage at a hearing Tuesday on Capitol Hill, with witnesses from both sides of the aisle voicing disapproval of the city’s decision to terminate the decorated public servant.

“I wish we had a bill to protect him,” former U.S. Representative Barney Frank, a Democrat who represented Massachusetts’ 4th District, said of Chief Kelvin Cochran.… Continue Reading

Written by Michael Gryboski

Written by Joe Newby

For the second time, the George Soros-funded John Kasich told Christians to “get over it” on religious liberty laws and laws that require people to use the bathroom designated for the gender with which they were born.

“What I’d like to say is, just relax,” he said during an appearance at CNN. “If you don’t like what somebody’s doing, pray for them, and if you feel as though somebody is doing something wrong against you, can you just for a second get over it?… Continue Reading

Written by Ryan T. Anderson

If it wasn’t for double standards, some liberals would have none at all. That seems to be the lesson from the past few weeks, where liberals have displayed three distinct forms of hypocrisy.

Liberal governors and mayors signed travel bans to North Carolina and Mississippi, CEOs of major corporations pledged boycotts and relocations, and Bruce Springsteen and Bryan Adams have canceled scheduled concerts in those states.

At issue are a Mississippi law that narrowly and carefully protects the rights of religious charities, small businesses, and select public servants and a North Carolina law that reasonably protects privacy and safety in public restrooms, while leaving private institutions free to set their own bathroom policies.… Continue Reading

Written by Maggie Gallagher

I don’t know how to describe this, except to say the truth. A handful of believing Christians have sacrificed their family’s livelihoods by being unwilling to facilitate gay weddings. Gov. John Kasich describes this (falsely) as being unwilling to serve a cupcake to gay people:

“I think frankly, our churches should not be forced to do anything that’s not consistent with them. But if you’re a cupcake maker and somebody wants a cupcake, make them a cupcake,” he said.

Written by Robert Knight

What do most Republican presidential candidates have in common with dozens of Christian, pro-family and patriotic organizations?

They’re prominently featured in the Southern Poverty Law Center’s latest report, “The Year in Hate and Extremism.”

The cover has a large picture of an open-mouthed Donald Trump, under whom are a masked terrorist, the Islamist San Bernardino mass murderers, other hate crime suspects, a Nazi Swastika, columnist Ann Coulter, Center for National Security President Frank Gaffney, and, of course, the Confederate battle flag.… Continue Reading

Written by Greg Quinlan

I’m a member of the clergy and for the past eight years have lobbied the powerful in Trenton, covering the administrations of both Governors Jon Corzine and Chris Christie.  I did much of my work on behalf of the New Jersey Family Policy Council, associated with Tony Perkins‘ Family Research Council.  I am currently the President of the Center for Garden State Families.

Those of us who are engaged in the fight to secure the right to believe, speak, and practice the Christian faith in America were all heartened by the election of a Pro-Life Governor in 2009.  

Written by Jon Schweppe

The results of the 2016 Iowa Caucus are in, and U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) won with 28 percent of the vote. Donald Trump finished in a disappointing second place with 24 percent, while U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) surged to a close third place with 23 percent.

Terry Schilling, Executive Director at American Principles Project and contributor to The Pulse 2016, explained the results:

“Tonight proves one thing — if you won’t prioritize protecting religious liberty, you won’t win,” Schilling said.… Continue Reading

Written by Linda Harvey

Suddenly, the left defends religious liberty. They are shocked, shocked that Donald Trump proposed limits on Muslim immigration to America.

But what about all those same-sex “wedding” cakes? What about the Kleins in Oregon – who are citizens, not immigrants – facing a fine of $135,000 because they believed Americans had a right to religious freedom? Where’s the outcry over jail cells for county clerks who have conscientious objections?

In a new campaign ad, Hillary Clinton tells America she doesn’t believe Christians have a right to refuse cakes to homosexual couples.… Continue Reading

Written by Maggie Gallagher

Sen. Rubio has begun a concerted outreach to evangelicals meeting with pastors in a scene reported through David Brody, who is both widely read himself by evangelicals and the “interpreter” of evangelicals for a lot of political reporters.

Rubio is vowing never to change his beliefs on “traditional” marriage and on abortion. That is good. But the real question is: what will you do to protect the civil rights of traditional believers whom the left is redefining as racists?… Continue Reading

Written by J. Matt Barber

And somewhere men are laughing and somewhere children shout, but there is no joy in Libville – the lefties have struck out.

But it’s not just liberal Democrats who lost big last Tuesday. The “centrist” Republican establishment crashed and burned as well, lending credence to the growing narrative that a thoroughly exasperated America has entered the age of the political outsider.

While the midterms saw sweeping victories for both conservative candidates and ballot initiatives nationwide, the big winners were religious liberty and family values.… Continue Reading

Written by Gary Bauer

I am pleased to report that Rowan County, Kentucky, clerk Kim Davis has been released from jail. But I have been very disappointed by the parade of leading Republicans — Donald Trump, Governor Jeb Bush, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, Governor Chris Christie and others — who are distancing themselves from Davis.

This sorry episode is yet another example of our side playing by one set of rules while the other side plays by its own.… Continue Reading

… Continue Reading

Written by Gary Bauer

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has been languishing around three percent in the presidential polls. After his surrender on religious liberty during a Fox News Sunday interview, it is my sincere hope that his support falls to zero.

When asked if Christians could be exempted from participating in same-sex weddings, Christie offered a cramped definition of religious liberty that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton could applaud.

“Religious institutions should be able to decide how they conduct their religious activity,” Christie said.… Continue Reading

Mike Huckabee with reporters in Tinley Park Friday – Photo credit: Al Ashworth

Written by Fran Eaton

Written by Ray Nothstine

On Wednesday, in lieu of the Supreme Court’s recent decision on gay marriage, Democratic Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, was asked about revoking the tax status of religious schools. He and other Senate Democrats claim to be undecided on the matter.

“There’s no question this was an historic decision,” said Durbin, “and now we’re going to go through a series of suggestions for new laws to implement it.”

The Weekly Standard asked Durbin Wednesday if the tax exempt status for religious schools was in jeopardy and Durbin stated there is no “quick answer.”… Continue Reading

Written by Eric Metaxas

In the first century, Jesus was asked whether the Jewish people, who were under pagan, Roman occupation, should pay taxes to Caesar. The Lord, of course, said we are to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and unto God what is God’s. But in 21^st century America, Caesar is angling for a better deal — and he’s getting it.

Our old friend Chuck Colson sounded the alarm several years ago when certain political figures on the Left — including former secretary of state Hillary Clinton — began downsizing the First Amendment’s guarantee of our God-given right to freedom of religion into a more manageable “freedom of worship.”… Continue Reading

Written by John Biver

Here’s a quote for you:

The opposite of courage in our society is not cowardliness, it is conformity. — Rollo May

Here’s what courage sounds like:

Don’t waste your breath trying to bully me in Louisiana. It is absolutely constitutional to have religious liberty and economic freedoms. — Bobby Jindal

It’s also called leadership — you can’t have genuine leadership without courage.

What we’ve heard from most of the Republican candidates for president isn’t exactly inspirational when it comes to the issue of marriage.… Continue Reading

Written by John Biver

Consider for a moment your average big time right-of-center political commentator, writer, the typical talk radio show host, or the guy who authors yet another brilliant study outlining a policy proposal. What might be in their mind when it comes to the size of their audience?

In too many cases their work is read/heard/seen by so few people questions could be raised whether their effort was worth it. Obviously I’m not referring to guys like Rush Limbaugh.… Continue Reading

Written by Vincent Funaro

Republican presidential candidate U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, R-Fla., warned Christians that the church’s mainstream teaching on homosexuality could be considered hate speech in the near future, during an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network this week.

While discussing his Catholic faith and how it influences his positions on social issues and public policy, Rubio commented on the direction America is traveling with its views of the conservative church.

“If you think about, we are at the water’s edge of the argument that mainstream Christian teaching is hate speech,” Rubio said to CBN News.… Continue Reading

Written by Maggie Gallagher

Rod Dreher is right: the rage of the powerful against Indiana for daring to pass a state RFRA without the consent of the LGBT community marks a dramatic cultural and political inflection point,as I have pointed out in National Review. For the first time, a vanilla religious liberty bill similar to those passed in 19 other states was deemed “antigay” per se, and powerful corporations rushed in to punish the people of Indiana economically for their moral views on liberty.… Continue Reading

Written by Gene Van Son

By signing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) into law, Indiana governor and GOP presidential nominee wannabe Mike Pence briefly looked like a real conservative, trying to champion the Judeo-Christian morals and principles that made this country great. But within days of signing the RFRA, under unrelenting fire from the secular progressive MSM, Pence’s conservative resolve withered, and he decided the RFRA needed to be re-written ‘for clarification.’

Unfortunately, Pence is not the only Republican in a leadership position who doesn’t understand that the only way to stop secular progressive relativism is to actually be a Republican .… Continue Reading

By Alfonzo Rachel

Famous, rich, wealthy, influential liberals, from Cher to Kareem Abdul Jabbar using their status to oppose the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (#RFRA). They’re cultural icons, who’s backward worldview is valued by millions. Also here’s the link I Mentioned in the video! If you really want to see more artists promoting conservative values instead of the culture constantly being influenced by influential artists in opposition to to your values, please share the following link I spoke of in the vid!… Continue Reading

Written by David E. Smith

In May 2012, I wrote an article in response to President Barack Obama’s statement that he had “evolved” to support redefining marriage to include homosexual partners.  In this article, I pointed out that it really wasn’t an “evolution” as much as it was a flip-flop.

Let me explain:

In 1996, as a candidate for the Illinois State Senate, Obama went on record in favor of same-sex “marriage.” Then in 2004, as a candidate for U.S.… Continue Reading

Written by John Kirkwood

The Western world reacts in horror when some Third World Imam puts out a fatwa on a cartoonist or an author for merely challenging a point of Islam. We ask the “moderate” Muslim, why have you swallowed your tongue? Why aren’t you decrying this barbarism?

But when a lesbian mayor tries to enforce lavender Sharia against a group of Houston pastors for the crime of being Christian, where is the cry from the “homosexual community”?… Continue Reading

The concept of the “wall of separation between church and state” has been misrepresented by ALCU, and too many Americans believe that this metaphor is found in the U.S. Constitution. A quick read of the Constitution should dispel this myth, which has wreaked such havoc within American politics, and yet it persists.… Continue Reading