Welcome to the Friday Five! Every Friday we share our top five
articles, stories, and quotes for you to read and share with your
friends and church families. We would be very grateful if you
could make
a donation of $100, $50, $25, or $10 today towards our work
producing these Friday Fives and fighting for your values on the
public square!
1. NC VALUES: We wish you all a
Happy New Year
We wanted to wish all of you a very happy New Year. We are grateful
for all that you have helped us accomplish this year (which was a
lot). As we turn a page to a new year, we look forward to what we can
accomplish together in 2024.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your
own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make
straight your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6).
2. CAROLINA JOURNAL: The gift of
religious freedom
"As we remember all that we’re grateful for this Christmas, whether
our families, jobs, homes, or comforts, we should consider our right
to worship how we please near the top of the list. It may seem an
obvious arrangement to us, but it only became so after centuries of
bloodshed."
Read more: https://www.carolinajournal.com/opinion/this-christmas-give-thanks-for-your-freedom-to-worship/
3. NORTH STATE JOURNAL: Recapping
the 2023 General Assembly long session
"The North Carolina General Assembly had a busy year on Jones
Street. Over the course of the 2023 session, 704 bills were introduced
in the Senate and 895 in the House with 402 making the crossover
filing deadline. As of the end of November, 151 bills had become law,
including hot topics such as a 12-week limit on abortion, universal
school choice expansion and Medicaid Expansion. One of the most
significant dates in this year’s session came on Thursday, April
5."
Read more: https://nsjonline.com/article/2023/12/recapping-the-2023-general-assembly-long-session/
4. THE DAILY SIGNAL: When
Marriage Becomes a Countercultural Phenomenon
"Unfortunately, marriage these days is something of a
countercultural phenomenon. According to a 2020 Pew Research survey,
the percentage of 23- to 38-year-old Americans who are married
steadily decreases by generation: 81% for the Silent Generation, 61%
for baby boomers, 53% for Generation X, and 44% for millennials. The
percentage of unmarried Americans 15 years or older has risen from 23%
in 1950 to 34% in 2022. No one should expect Gen Z to stem the tide,
either. According to a Thriving Center of Psychology survey, 41% of
Gen Z men and a whopping 52% of Gen Z women believe that marriage is
an 'outdated tradition.' Alas, what else would we expect from a
generation hopelessly addicted to Chinese TikTok spyware and
indoctrinated by left-wing activist teachers to think of the nuclear
family as 'patriarchal' and 'repressive'?"
Read more: https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/12/27/thoughts-on-marriage-in-a-post-wedding-dispatch/
5. CAROLINA JOURNAL: Parties
have a week to resolve key piece of federal election law
dispute
"A federal judge has given parties in two North Carolina election
law disputes one week to work out a deal that could avoid a possible
court order. US District Judge Thomas Schroeder set the seven-day
deadline during a hearing Thursday in Winston-Salem. Both suits target
provisions within Senate Bill 747. The election reform legislation
became law when the Republican-led General Assembly overrode
Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto in October."
Read more: https://www.carolinajournal.com/parties-have-a-week-to-resolve-key-piece-of-federal-election-law-dispute/
Weekly Prayer: NC Officials
LORD, you also have instructed us to pray for our governing
officials, and we come to you in the spirit of this petition. We pray
for our state government and its executive, legislative, and judicial
servants. May they indeed be servants unto the people, and govern in a
manner that protects liberty and virtue. In the same spirit, we pray
for public servants across our local governments. May they all heed
your mandate in Romans 13:4 to be in positions of authority as "God's
servant" and for the "good" of the public. They govern in what we
confess are difficult times. May they plead with you to give them
wisdom, and may your grace to govern wisely be poured out on
them.
Protect us from the oppression and loss of freedoms that other
countries have experienced, and help us to value and preserve freedom,
which we know comes only from You.
"I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I
have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free." Acts
7:34
Amen
Will you chip in $100, $50, $25, or even $10 to help
the NC Values Coalition continue to fight for your rights? You can
donate by clicking here.
Sincerely,
Tami & Team
NC Values
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