Dear Friend,

This week, we experienced a political earthquake. The leaked decision revealed a Supreme Court intent on overturning Roe v. Wade. And the Left came unhinged.

In the process, we got two sneak peeks:

And that’s where my urgent concern arises. So far, Planned Parenthood and their allies are simply better equipped for that battle. That’s because the abortion industry is raising money like it never has before!

One Big Tech titan just poured $275 million into Planned Parenthood and their state affiliates. That’s on top of $3.4 billion in annual cashflow for nearly 200 pro-abortion groups around the country.

Abortion groups are about to go hog wild with that money for three things:

Yes, the battle is headed to the states. And for 18 years – since we started as Focus on the Family Action – the states have been our prime focus. Electing state leaders. Training state legislators. And serving an alliance of 40 state allied groups.

Critical needs are already taking shape. An allied state leader just told us that they are gearing up for a generational fight, with the abortion industry likely to file a ballot measure on the heels of a Supreme Court decision that lets states decide.

That state illustrates what’s at stake: Within six months, virtually all babies there could be protected OR abortion could be enshrined in the state constitution!

That leads me to an urgent request. Family Policy Alliance needs your financial support for the state-by-state battles ahead.

We don’t need to match every Planned Parenthood dollar. After all, we have the Truth on our side. But we must be competitive! And by joining with thousands of others – each giving something of significance – you will stand toe-to-toe with Planned Parenthood in the most critical battles, state-by-state.

The support of friends like you has helped Family Policy Alliance prepare for this moment for a long time:

If you’ve been a part of making that possible, thank you for laying the foundation.

Now, will you equip the pro-life team for winning action? Please join this effort today with your best gift to stand against the onslaught from Planned Parenthood and their pro-abortion allies!

It’s the moment we’ve been waiting for. With God’s help, let’s go win!

For Life,

Craig DeRoche
President & CEO

P.S. I need you to go big today! We finally have a chance to fully protect life. Your gift, now more than ever, will go to the front lines to save little lives, state by state.

Dear Friends,

Despite our nation’s focus on Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, today will be a significant day for U.S. policy and jurisprudence as well. This afternoon, President Biden announced Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as his U.S. Supreme Court nominee to replace Justice Stephen Breyer.

If confirmed, Judge Jackson’s decisions will significantly impact life, families, and religious freedom in our country. The U.S. Supreme Court has recently ruled on key cases in each of these areas, and this trend will continue. As an associate justice, Judge Jackson would likely sit on the bench for an important religious freedom case the Court has already agreed to hear in the next term – and a lifetime of a cases on other key constitutional issues that impact everyday life for American families.

Judge Jackson has a background as a policy attorney who was confirmed to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for D.C. just last year. She has written very few opinions for that court, but unfortunately her record is one of opposing protections for unborn life and religious freedom.

Family Policy Alliance will be closely watching the confirmation process and seeking to understand how Judge Jackson would handle these critical issues.

We will keep you updated on the confirmation process as we assess how a potential Justice Jackson will impact families across America.

Sincerely,

Joseph Kohm

Joseph Kohm III
Director, Public Policy

Roe v. Wade has been a dark cloud hanging over our nation since 1973. But now, there is a case going before the Supreme Court that has the best chance of ending Roe’s reign of terror that we’ve ever seen.

The nine justices who wrongly decided Roe decades ago, largely by conjuring up a “right to abortion” in the U.S. Constitution that doesn’t exist, could never have contemplated that their decision would take the lives of 62 million Americans—and counting.

Now the entire pro-life movement holds its breath—and the abortion lobby braces itself—as the case out of Mississippi, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization goes before the Supreme Court on December 1st.

You can stand with us at the Supreme Court or virtually – keep reading for details!

About the Dobbs Case

The Dobbs case originated when the state of Mississippi overwhelmingly passed a law limiting most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Within 24 hours after Mississippi passed their law, the last abortion provider in the state, Jackson Women’s Health Organization (JWHO), sued. JWHO claimed the law was unconstitutional.

The lower federal courts that heard the case both sided with JWHO, largely based on the precedent set in Roe v. Wade.

When the Supreme Court agreed to hear the appeal of the Dobbs case, pro-lifers across the country took that as an encouraging sign that the Court may finally reconsider its devastating decision in Roe.

The Mississippi Attorney General, Lynn Fitch, has been vigorously defending Mississippi’s pro-life law since it was passed in 2018 and will continue her defense at the Supreme Court on December 1st.

How You Can Stand with Mississippi and for LIFE

Family Policy Alliance will be joining the Mississippi Attorney General’s office and many other wonderful pro-life organizations to rally (and pray!) at the Supreme Court on December 1st. Will you consider joining us?

We’ll be there praying for Attorney General Fitch as she defends her state’s pro-life law, for the Justices as they hear the case and form their decision, and for the future of America as a pro-life nation. We’ll also be doing live interviews with pro-life leaders from your states!

We hope you’ll consider joining the pro-life movement in Washington, D.C. at the U.S. Supreme Court on December 1st. The rally, hosted by the Mississippi Attorney General’s office, will begin at 8:00AM Eastern time.

If you can’t make the journey to D.C. for this big day, we hope you’ll still consider praying with us from home! We’ll send out live updates throughout the day, so be sure to watch your email and check-in live from Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Whether you plan to join in person or online, let us know by RSVPing “Going” to our rally event page on Facebook! (Not on Facebook? You can still join in person or stream our live updates on December 1 – more details to come).

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT COMING DECEMBER 1

But that’s not all that’s happening on December 1st. That day, we’ll be making a big announcement about something big you can be a part of. Any guesses? Here’s a hint.

Mark your calendar for December 1st to find out how you can be a part of the next big thing.

We’ll see you on December 1st, in person or live online!

For Life,

Meridian Baldacci
Director, Strategy

 

 

“…and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.” –Deuteronomy 16:18

Dear Friends—

On Friday, September 19, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, passed away following complications of metastatic pancreas cancer. She was 87. Upon learning of her passing, President Donald Trump said of Justice Ginsburg, “She was an amazing woman” who “led an amazing life.”

The passing of Justice Ginsburg further enflamed what was already an extremely heated election season. Democratic leaders immediately called for a delay in the nomination process until after the election. Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate, however, have stated their intent to commence the confirmation process immediately upon the President’s nomination.

Earlier this week, President Trump indicated that he will announce his Supreme Court Nominee this Saturday at the White House, and according to multiple sources, there are three women at the top of his shortlist.

Meet Federal Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Judge Barrett sits on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. She graduated top of her class at Notre Dame Law School and clerked for the late-Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Judge Barrett is a devout Catholic and a married mother of seven children (2 adopted).

Meet Federal Judge Barbara Lagoa. Judge Lagoa currently sits on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. She is a graduate of Columbia Law School, and prior to joining the federal bench, she was the first Hispanic woman to sit on the Florida Supreme Court. Judge Lagoa is a devout Catholic and the married mother of three children.

Meet Judge Allison Jones Rushing. Judge Rushing sits on the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. She is a graduate of the Duke University School of Law and previously clerked for Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch. Judge Rushing is also a devout Catholic and the married mother of one child. At age 38, she would be the youngest confirmed Justice since the early 1800s.

For those committed to the pro-life cause, this nomination represents perhaps the most significant moment in our history since the infamous Roe v. Wade decision in 1973. Some legal scholars suggest that one more conservative Supreme Court Justice may finally pave the way for the Court to overturn Roe (without relying on Chief Justice John Roberts), and thus, overturn one of the gravest human injustices in American history.

Will one of these women be the next Supreme Court Justice? Will one of these women be the vote needed to protect future generations of unborn babies in the womb?

All eyes will be on the White House this Saturday and on the U.S. Senate in the coming weeks.

During this time, I ask you to join me in prayer for our Nation; for our President and members of the U.S. Senate; for these potential nominees and others; and for the upcoming election. While some may use this time to further promote fear and chaos, let us sow hope and faith – knowing that God Almighty is in control, and that we can rest because He never does.

Prayerfully,


Vince Torres
President & Executive Director

By Brittany Jones, Policy Manager

 Can the government force a private entity to speak when the thing they are being forced to promote goes directly against their core beliefs—and even their very reason for existence?

That is what the Supreme Court will be deciding this March in a major case called NIFLA v. Becerra. In California, crisis pregnancy centers are being targeted for their message that all life is precious. California’s government has demonstrated clear bias in favor of abortion and is now forcing these pregnancy centers to display advertising for abortion services.

In 2015, the Reproductive FACT Act was passed, requiring that private pregnancy centers advertise taxpayer-funded abortion to the women entering the facilities. Presumably, this Act applies to all facilities that provide care to pregnant women, but in reality the bill only affects crisis pregnancy centers. Ironically, the Act exempts all facilities that are California government insurance providers – which includes all abortion facilities.

Our ally, California Family Council, has been fighting this law since the beginning. Family Policy Alliance, together with over 40 of our state-based family policy allies, have joined forces to submit an amicus brief in this major Supreme Court case on behalf of the pregnancy centers.

The Supreme Court allows entities to file briefs in support of a party in a case. These briefs are known as amicus briefs and are intended to give justices a fuller understanding of the viewpoints on either side of the issue. These can be very important in the decision-making process for justices. In fact, our amicus brief in Whole Women’s Health v. Hellerstedt, another major abortion-related case from 2016, was cited in Justice Alito’s dissent. These seemingly small documents can have a great effect on the outcome of important cases.

The brief argues that pregnancy centers should not be forced to violate their religious beliefs by conspicuously promoting something they believe is morally wrong and sinful – the killing of a preborn baby. It also argues that the state is compelling speech unconstitutionally. The speech of private entities ought to be protected and only compelled in certain instances. In this case, there is no justification to compel private speech, especially when it interferes a religious belief. The Act is forcing pro-life clinics to essentially become advertisers for the very thing they are fighting against.

We just concluded Sanctity of Human Life month in January, but that does not mean we should stop fighting for the right to life for every child! Please partner with Family Policy Alliance, and our ally in your state, as we advance these critical human rights—the right to life and the right to freely live according to your beliefs.

Part 2 in a 4-part series called “Protecting Life & Ending Abortion”

In the bleak of winter, on January 22, 1973, it looked like the issue of abortion had been decided. The Supreme Court had ruled in Roe v. Wade, so what more was there to say?

And, what’s worse, Christians remained largely silent—at first.

But then, state legislatures slowly started to do what seemed impossible—they started chipping away at the infamous “right to abortion” ruling, proving that courts don’t get the final say. The people, families like yours across our country, get the final say through their elected leaders. As pressure mounted from the grassroots when believers of all denominations started calling on their government leaders to protect the sanctity of human life, laws in states began to change more quickly and more significantly.

Now, in 2018 as we approach the 45th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, our nation looks dramatically different than it did in 1973, with the youngest generation now the most prolife generation yet. And, the variety of laws states have passed to protect life demonstrates more than anything else that all hope was not lost with that Court ruling 45 years ago.

We put together a snapshot of the primary types of laws states passed to save lives and chip away at the Roe v. Wade ruling. In this second part of our 4-part series on “Protecting Life & Ending Abortion,” we focus on laws clearly aimed toward recognizing the humanity of an unborn child and regulating abortion procedures, and those that directly impact abortionists and abortion facilities.

In Part 3 of our series, we’ll look at laws that protect mothers’ and parents’ right to know, as well as those that protect the religious freedom of healthcare providers who don’t want to be forced to provide an abortion.

Do you know whether your state has enacted any of these important laws?

Laws Recognizing the Humanity of the Unborn

In 2010, Nebraska became the first state to pass a law banning abortions after 20 weeks, following the legalization of abortion. Today, 21 states have passed late-term abortion laws and Senator Lindsey Graham (South Carolina) and Representative Trent Franks (Arizona, ) have introduced similar legislation on the federal level with a promise from President Trump to sign the bills if passed. These laws recognize the truth  that at 20 weeks in utero,  a baby is capable of feeling pain.

States and Congress have also considered banning abortions based on the sex or disability of the baby—recognizing that aborting a child for reasons based on genetics is a wrong and dangerous practice. In fact, Ohio just passed a new law that bans abortions if the decision is based on a test result that indicates the pre-born child has down syndrome.

Recently, states have also started working to end the brutal practice of dismemberment abortion, where an unborn child is torn apart and then removed from the uterus. So far, eight states ban this practice.

Most states also have laws criminalizing the acts of others that result in killing an unborn child—further recognizing that both mothers and their unborn children can be victims of violent crimes.

Though it’s hard to believe laws like this are needed, about 30 states also have laws that require proper medical treatment and care be given to any infant who survives a botched abortion. Legislators worked to enact these laws after horrific stories surfaced of babies born alive after a failed abortion were left to suffer and die alone or even thrown out as medical waste.

Laws Regulating Abortion Facilities and Abortionists

The most well-known and best law regulating abortion clinics in order to protect both unborn babies and their mothers was passed in Texas in 2013. The law simply required that abortion facilities be required to operate under the same standards as other out-patient medical facilities, including a requirement that abortionists have admitting privileges at a nearby facility in case of complications during an abortion. Of course, the Left strongly opposed this law because they want abortion-on-demand readily available and challenged the law in Court.

Sadly, the Supreme Court struck down Texas’ law in Whole Women’s Health v. Hellerstedt in 2016, but fifteen other states have laws similar to Texas, protecting women in their states. And, the Court’s ruling doesn’t mean that states can’t continue to regulate abortion facilities.

Many abortion clinics throughout the nation have closed as a result of failing to meet basic health standards such as cleanliness.  The most infamous example was the “house of horrors” – a Philadelphia clinic operated by abortionist Kermit Gosnell – where two female patients died.

All of these efforts are working to gradually limit the lethal effects of abortions. Indeed, studies show that pro-life legislation has significantly reduced the incidence of abortion, particularly among minors.

Each child in the womb has intrinsic value that ought to be recognized not only by the government but by every individual. Putting basic health restrictions on abortionists and their facilities protects not only the baby, should there be a failed abortion, but the regulations also protect the life of the woman as well.

As we head into the 2018 legislative session and Sanctity of Human Life month this January, we invite you to stand with us in support of legislation that will value the humanity of all those involved in this horrific industry. And, please be sure to sign up with us if you’d like to learn more about what prolife laws or pending bills your state has!

READ PART 1 – 45 Years Since Roe v. Wade

READ PART 3 – Roe v. Wade Wasn’t the End…But So What?

READ PART 4 – After 45 Years, It’s Time to End Roe v. Wade!

Family Policy Alliance is proud to be allied with Nebraska Family Policy Alliance.

Keep up the “wall of separation between church and state”—ever wonder what that phrase really means? And is it in the Constitution? Check out the latest video from our allies at Nebraska Family Alliance!

Part 1 in a 4-part series called “Protecting Life & Ending Abortion”

By Stephanie Curry, Policy Manager

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

Over 200 years ago, our Founding Fathers acknowledged and declared life to be our first and greatest right. One that belongs to all. One that is inalienable, absolute, and unable to be taken away without violating the very source of our humanity. Yet, just 45 years ago, the Supreme Court delivered the seminal Roe v. Wade opinion that would contradict what many Americans have believed to be true since our founding: unborn children do not have a right to life, nor are they entitled to the full protection of the Constitution or the State from their own mothers. As you will see in our four-part series, “Protecting Life & Ending Abortion,” Roe v. Wade has become a disastrous example of why it is not the place of courts to decide issues of morality, set national policy, or invent constitutional rights to fit a political agenda.

In 1973, seven justices declared the right to privacy somehow included a mother’s right to have an abortion. The mother’s “right” doesn’t have to be balanced against the life of the child nor the interests of the father, and the Court restricted state interference based upon the unprecedented concept of trimesters. While Roe v. Wade alone was an astonishing departure from the Constitution and the moral perspective of the American people, the Court still couldn’t possibly have anticipated the waves of moral and political debate that would flood the courts and legislatures for decades afterwards.

For over 40 years the pro-life movement has evolved, becoming strategic in standing for the truth that all life is precious. Our people have come to understand elections matter at the local and state levels, and we all win when we place legislators in office who are not afraid to voice the truth that life is God-given, and therefore priceless and worth saving across all political parties, cultures, classes, and ages. Our elected legislators, not the courts, have been the ones on the frontlines, passing laws protecting pregnant mothers from coercion, deception, and unconscionable medical practices that became the results of Roe. Our legislators have protected pregnant minors, pregnant victims of crimes, and helped fund pregnancy centers that offer life-giving solutions to women in difficult circumstances. We will discuss the magnitude of what our movement has accomplished over the past 40 years in this four-part series and why we need the support of voices like yours now more than ever.

Family Policy Alliance, in partnership with you and your families, will continue to advance pro-life bills, support the election of pro-life candidates, and educate future leaders on the biblical truth that life is an inalienable right that belongs to all.

READ PART 2 – The Supreme Court Doesn’t Get the Final Say

READ PART 3 – Roe v. Wade Wasn’t the End…But So What?

READ PART 4 – After 45 Years, It’s Time to End Roe v. Wade!

Family Action Council of Tennessee is moving forward with a lawsuit seeking to get clarity on the Supreme Court ruling that redefined marriage.

The Obergefell case of two years ago  left many state marriage statutes in limbo and David Fowler, president of FACT, tells us that he’s calling out the court to, in Justice Antonin Scalia’s words, “remind the court of its impotence.”

Find an allied group in your state.

Legacy.

What do you think of when you hear the word “legacy”? Since you’re reading this, I’d be willing to guess that the word “legacy” brings to mind something along the lines of leaving your family a better future, a better America. An America closer to what our Founding Fathers sacrificed so much to give each of us. An America where God is honored, religious freedom flourishes, families thrive and life is cherished.

If I’m right about that, then I want to tell you about a book with you that also deals with the topic of “legacy.” The book, Giving It All Away…And Getting It Back Again, was written by a ministry friend of Family Policy Alliance, David Green, with Bill High. You may not know David Green’s name, but I’m sure you’ve heard of his family’s company – Hobby Lobby.

And David Green is no stranger to the need to stand up for our families and our Christian values – and the family of believers – in the public square. In fact, his family has contributed greatly to that legacy of a better America through their courageous stand against the Obama Administration’s “contraceptive mandate” in Obamacare. Their case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where their victory for the conscience rights of business owners – to not be forced to pay for or provide insurance that includes potential abortion-causing medications – is truly a victory for religious freedom in our country.

I hope you’ll read this special excerpt from Giving It All Away…And Getting It Back Again.

Standing for the family of believers,

Paul Weber
President and CEO

 

What I’ve Learned That’s Most Important
I love British cricketer and missionary C. T. Stud’s poem “Only One Life.” The one line that really gets me is “Only what’s done for Christ will last.” I have committed myself fully to this. I believe that God has placed us on this earth to work, to earn, and to care for those he has entrusted to us. Yet I also believe that we are put on this earth to give, to devote ourselves to a radical brand of generosity that changes lives and leaves a legacy. To paraphrase God’s words to patriarch Abraham, we are blessed so that we can be a blessing.

But what do we mean when we talk about being blessed? In our culture, this might be interpreted as financial blessing. And certainly finances can be part of it. I believe, however, that the blessing God talks about encompasses so much more. Since I have been exceptionally blessed in my life, I have determined to give exceptionally as well. And what about the other ways in which I’ve been blessed?

Family.

Friends.

Talents.

Freedom.

Education.

I could go on. I’m sure you could too.

When I consider all of the blessings I’ve been given, it’s hard for me not to pause and thank my Lord and my God. His heart is generous. His blessings are wide and rich.

People may know my name now, but I started out like any Joe. Humble beginnings, working hard. But, as God would have it, my story took a turn. It was a turn marked by a faith that pushed me to my limits. Through it all, I learned to trust, and that trust led me onto a path of generosity. I look forward to telling some of the story of this journey in the pages of this book.

My second purpose is to offer the lessons my wife, Barbara, and I learned while trying to fashion a legacy for those who come after us in our family.

And there it is: legacy. What is a legacy, anyway?

The dictionary gives two definitions. First, a legacy is an amount of money or property passed to someone in a will. Second, a legacy is a thing handed down by a predecessor. I want to use the second definition because I believe it includes everything—from belief to right action to finances. You and I possess so much to hand to our predecessors, things seen and unseen.

My story begins in the unseen things. God took me on a wild trip that landed me where I am today, in the land of seen things—my company, Hobby Lobby. But God has taught me that with great wealth and power comes great obligation to the next generation. Knowing this, I have worked through my legacy plan more than once and have finally landed here, writing you my thoughts on the matter.

This is the story I want to recount now. My hope is that others can learn from it and that perhaps our generation can begin doing what few generations before us have done well: pass a true legacy on to those who follow us.

David Green
David Green is the founder of Hobby Lobby, the largest privately owned arts and crafts retailer in the world. He is soft-spoken, passionate about his faith, and dedicated to his family.

In 1970 David Green borrowed $600.00 to buy a molding chopper, set up shop in his garage at home, and started making miniature wooden picture frames. As of 2015, Hobby Lobby employs over 32,000 people, operates 600 stores in forty-seven states, and grosses 3.6 billion dollars a year.

David & his wife Barbara are the proud parents of two sons and one daughter, grandparents to ten, and great grandparents to eight. David writes what it looks like to leave a lasting legacy in Giving It All Away..And Getting It Back Again (Zondervan).

Bill High
Bill High practiced law for 12 years before becoming the CEO of the National Christian Foundation Heartland. His mission is to change the way people think about generosity and their practice of it. He is married to Brooke and they have four children, two son-in-laws, and one grandchild. He can be found at www.williamghigh.com.

 

Taken from Giving It All Away…And Getting It Back Again by David Green with Bill High.

Copyright © [2017 by David Green. Used by permission of Zondervan. www.zondervan.com.