Illinois Family Action Endorsement

The general election is only a few weeks away!  As you may know, early voting is already underway. Registered voters can cast a ballot at their township offices as well as at their county clerk’s office.

It is critically important to exercise your civic duty to vote and be good stewards of God’s amazing gift of self-government. We the people have the responsibility of selecting honest, wise and God-fearing people to represent us locally, in Springfield and in Washington D.C.… Continue Reading

Who is Karl Marx? This PragerU Video Reminds Us

Written by David E. Smith

It’s likely been quite a while since most of us cracked open a world history textbook or attended a political science lecture. So, if someone were to engage you in a conversation extolling the virtues of Marxism, would you be knowledgeable enough to form a response? Do you have a clear understanding of the Marxist ideals that laid the foundation for the monolith of communism?

Watch as Dr. Paul Kengor, a political science professor at Grove City College, details the inherent deception and devastating legacy of Marxism.… Continue Reading

SPOTLIGHT: The Centrality of Prayer

Following last week’s prayer breakfast in Springfield, IFI’s Dave Smith spoke with Pastor Pat McManus of Aurora. Pastor McManus is the Illinois director of Watchmen on the Wall, an initiative of Family Research Council that works to educate and activate pastors to pray, partner, preach, and promote a biblical worldview in order to effect a change in the liberal culture and climate in which we live.

In this Spotlight podcast, David and Pastor Pat discuss the centrality of prayer, especially as we fight a spiritual battle (one we cannot afford to ignore) in our state and nation.… Continue Reading

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

Written by David E. Smith

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

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

Don’t Let Them “Bork” Judge Kavanaugh

Written by Dr. Jerry Newcombe

Soon the U.S. Senate will hold hearings as to whether or not to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. One can only imagine the fireworks to come.

Beware of the Saul Alinsky model of the politics of personal destruction. Saul Alinksy, a Marxist and the father of the community organizers, wrote Rules for Radicals (1971), in which he states, “In a fight almost anything goes. It almost reaches the point where you stop to apologize if a chance blow lands above the belt” (pp.… Continue Reading

SPOTLIGHT: Raising the Next Generation of Culture Warriors

The recent Illinois Christian Home Educators (ICHE) convention in Naperville was the setting for this week’s Spotlight conversation between Monte Larrick and his guest, Kirk Smith, Executive Director of ICHE.  Monte and Kirk discuss various motivations families have for homeschooling and current trends in home education. Smith shares why he and his wife have chosen to homeschool their eleven children and he encourages parents to exercise due diligence and discretion in choosing curriculum that is Christ-centered.… Continue Reading

The Democratic Party’s Christian Problem

Written by David Limbaugh

People on the left are outraged when you question their patriotism, their dedication to the nation as founded and their respect for the U.S. Constitution as originally written, but they continually vindicate our concerns.

The most recent example is the left’s unhinged mania at Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s inclusion on President Trump’s list of potential U.S. Supreme Court appointees. In times of perceived crisis — and this is certainly one of those times for leftists — they show their colors, and you can color them militantly opposed to Barrett, in large part because of her Catholicism.… Continue Reading

Summertime Matching Challenge Update

I wanted to share some good news with you about the $20,000 matching challenge I wrote about earlier this month.  The response to this challenge has been positive, and we are making good progress toward our goal of raising a total of $40,000 before the July 4th holiday.

Thanks to the generosity of moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas of Illinois – our supporters, we have raised almost 65 percent of our goal thus far.… Continue Reading

SPOTLIGHT: Freedom Realized

Written by Ben Smith

Monte Larrick caught up with Stephen Black at the National Religious Broadcasters convention a few months ago. Black has been the Executive Director of First Stone Ministries since 2000 and is the author of the recently released book, Freedom Realized: Finding Freedom from Homosexuality and Living a Life Free from Labels.

In this podcast, Monte and Stephen address the scientific reality that people are not born homosexual, as well as discuss Illinois’ ban on reparative therapy and the resulting attack on churches that desire to offer help and hope to gender-confused youth.… Continue Reading

Congressional Leaders Demand HHS Investigate Planned Parenthood’s Cover Up of Sex Crimes

Written by Brandon Showalter

WASHINGTON — Fifty-six members of Congress are urging the Department of Health and Human Services to investigate Planned Parenthood for covering up and not reporting the sexual abuse and trafficking of minors.

Speaking at a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, several pro-life activists and members of Congress spoke about a newly released report by Live Action titled, “Aiding Abusers: Planned Parenthood’s Coverup of Child Sexual Abuse,” that they say details Planned Parenthood’s long history of complicity with sexual exploitation.… Continue Reading