“Elections have consequences.” My friend Barth Bracey from RI Right to Life is prone to say this often. You’re not just voting for a person: you’re voting for the policies that person will help make. In Rhode Island, I’m sad to report that many of our elected officials are passing legislation that is devastating for life, families, and religious freedom.
Yet in spite of this, many Rhode Islanders (including those in churches) are unaware of these dangerous laws. Here are a few recent bad laws to know about – and what you can do to start changing the tide!
The Conversion Therapy Ban was passed in August of 2017 after a hard push for it by the LGBTQ lobby. While radical activists like to use the term “conversion therapy” as a negative and scary term, “conversion” therapy as they describe it is not a real accepted form of therapy today. Instead, what this bill (very sadly) bans is talk therapy aimed at helping people overcome unwanted feelings about their body or sexual attractions. For people who want to work through these feelings, such therapy can be very helpful. Yet, this law outlaws such therapy for children and adolescents younger than 18.
RI’s Extreme Abortion Bill was passed in June of 2019 by elected officials, and was especially pushed by Representatives Anastasia P. Williams, Edith Ajello, Senator Gayle Goldin and Senate Judiciary Chair Erin Lynch Prata. Senate President Dominick Ruggiero and House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello brought this bill to a vote even though it had been tabled twice. The barbaric bill removed any abortion restrictions right up to birth. Ultimately, even once a baby is born, allowing it to live is not treated as a fundamental right but as a decision between the mother and the doctor.
The Uniform Parentage Act passed last month, pushed through by radical activists who used it to redefine “parenthood.” It creates a path to legal parental rights beyond natural or adoptive parenthood to include LGBTQIA+ and even surrogacy. It erases the basic understanding of what it means to be a mom or dad.
These are just a few of the many dangerous proposals (and actual laws) we’ve seen in our state. Every one of those decisions was made by a body of individual people chosen in an election.
What can you do to change the tide?
Get out and VOTE! Rhode Island primaries are September 8th. Voting places and info for registering can be found here. Not sure who to vote for? This list of pro-life candidates can be a good starting place: while being pro-life does not guarantee family values across the board, it is often a good indicator in the absence of other information. Please note the listed candidates are not endorsed by Family Policy Alliance, and the list should be only used as a general guideline and starting point for your own research.
Want to learn more about voting or share this message with your friends? Please post and forward this video that highlights the importance of participating in elections. Voting gives us the power to change our state and ultimately, our nation.
Thank you in advance for sharing! In today’s climate, it’s more important than ever that believers know what’s going on and what they can do about it.
As we pray for the future of Rhode Island and our nation, voting is an important act of faith toward a state where God is honored, religious freedom flourishes, families thrive and life is cherished.
Blessings,
Dave Aucoin
Chairman, Board of Advisors – Rhode Island
P.S. We are currently $15,000 short of our goal of $50,000 for our fiscal year that ends on September 30. Would you consider a sacrificial gift to help us meet our goal?
