Loving God and loving your neighbor are central tenants of the Christian faith. On those two commands rest the teachings of the Bible. Those who honestly and faithfully follow the teachings of Scripture work tirelessly to show love all over the world, sometimes in very difficult places.

This week I spoke in a church where a young man shared his burden to return to the tiny kingdom of Lesotho. There, he would continue to live among young shepherds, sharing their hardships and living in mud huts as they follow sheep among the craggy peaks of a mountain range in South Africa. How can a young man from an industrialized and comfortable society be so willing to live in such conditions? The only answer is, a deep and abiding love for God and others.

The same weekend I met this young man, I turned on the news to find that a similar message encouraging young people to “share God’s love,” given by a football star, had in a strange twist, become a message of “hate” according to some.

The “offending” video of NFL quarterback, Drew Brees, was 22-seconds long and was designed to show young people why they should bring their Bibles to school. The reason it was deemed so offending is because it supposedly was released on behalf of an organization that promotes a Christian, biblical worldview.

This same ugly tactic of calling Christians “haters” is used by a small but loud few every election season in an attempt to intimidate Christian men and women who desire to serve their neighbors in public office.

Tragically, it can sometimes work. When a good-hearted and loving Christian, who has never hated a day in their life, is called by radicals a “hater,” they sometimes retreat from the name-calling.

That is why the Family Policy Alliance® stands strong in a culture that daily challenges our values, seeks to silence our beliefs and disregards the time-tested Biblical values that gave the world the freest nation in history.

As we move toward launching Family Policy Alliance of Wyoming, would you consider standing with us as we seek to promote a nation and Wyoming where God is honored, religious freedom flourishes, families thrive and life is cherished!

Sincerely,

Nathan Winters
Family Policy Alliance

We are fortunate enough to live in a nation where we can live out our God given rights in many scenarios. Yet, one of the places that children’s religious freedom is under attack is in schools. A lot of this is simply because either intentionally or unintentionally there is a lot of confusion around what students’ rights actually are in the public-school system. This confusion has opened the door for several self-avowed atheist groups to attack students for simply living out their faith.

To begin bringing clarity in the midst of the confusion, we have introduced a Student and Educator Religious Freedom Bill in two states – Kansas and Georgia – over the last two years. This is a comprehensive bill that reinforces the basic freedoms that students, teachers, administrators, and coaches have on school property and at school events.

These basic rights include things like student-led prayers and Bible Studies during non-class time, the ability to incorporate their religious beliefs in homework and class presentations, student-led prayer at sporting events in certain circumstances, and of course carrying their copy of Scripture with them at school. Many students are shocked that they even have this ability.

I understand. When I was a student, my friends were told they couldn’t even bring their Bibles with them to school on Wednesdays before church. This sort of censorship is absolutely not acceptable in the United States. Our Supreme Court has reinforced that students do not lose their rights at the “schoolhouse gate.”  Much of this push back comes from ignorance of the law and the abdication on the part of Christians to exercise their God given rights.

That’s why Bring Your Bible to School Day is so important for every student. Bring Your Bible to School Day is this Thursday, October 3^rd.  This is a day sponsored by our national ally, Focus on the Family, to encourage children to exercise their freedoms and also to open doors for children to talk about their faith in Christ. This is an easy way for students to begin to be comfortable with carrying their Bible to school and with talking about their faith with their classmates.

Encourage students in your life to stand strong and bring their Bible to school with them this Thursday.

Supporting students in living out their faith,

Brittany Jones, Esq.
Policy Manager