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 6th grade level.… Continue Reading
| Benjamin D. Smith | February 25, 2020 4:00 AM | Comments Off on “Parental Rights, Religious Liberty and American History” (Illinois Family Spotlight #187)
Claiming to be a Christian, faux-married, homosexual Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg wields the Bible as a political weapon with which to bludgeon conservatives. It’s odd then that fellow “progressives” don’t chastise Buttigieg for violating the separation of church and state as they do when theologically orthodox Christians cite their faith as informing their public policy positions. Let’s not forget the chilling words of homosexual New York Times writer Frank Bruni who re-envisions the First Amendment in such a way as to circumscribe narrowly the heretofore free exercise of religion:
I support the right of people to believe what they do and say what they wish — in their pews, homes and hearts.
Featured in this edition of Spotlight, the Q & A portion of the Illinois Family Institute’s 2018 Worldview Conference featuring John Stonestreet. John is the President of the Chuck Colson Center and a co-host for daily BreakPoint commentaries.
Following his presentations, Stonestreet took questions from the audience ranging from pending Supreme Court rulings, division in America, Facebook, and even Kanye West.
Spotlight
"Choosing Style over Substance" (Illinois Family Spotlight #097)
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
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
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
In a move vigorously applauded by social conservatives and simultaneously denounced by same-sex “marriage” advocates, President Donald Trump has appointed Roger Severino to head the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Civil Rights.
Severino formerly served as the Director of the DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society. As Director, his three main focuses where on religious liberty, marriage, and life issues.
His track record of defending religious liberty, natural marriage, and the sanctity of life go further back then his time at the Heritage Foundation.… Continue Reading
Federal Issues | David E. Smith | April 18, 2017 11:00 AM | Comments Off on Trump Picks Pro Life Heritage Foundation Alum to Lead HHS Civil Rights Office
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
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
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
| Benjamin D. Smith | 
February 25, 2020 4:00 AM | 
Comments Off on “Parental Rights, Religious Liberty and American History” (Illinois Family Spotlight #187) 
