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Welcome to the Family Beacon, your source for news and commentary on life, family, and religious freedom in Minnesota and beyond! 

• Watch or listen to this week's podcast! 
• Blog: "Intentional Childlessness" On the Rise
• November 12-13: Clarity Student Apologetics Conference
• GiveMN Makes it Easy to Support Our Work!

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Local Elections Have BIG Consequences - Vote November 2!

The news media wants to keep your attention focused on Washington, D.C., but in just a few days an election much closer to home may have a bigger impact on your daily life.

On Tuesday, November 2, all across Minnesota, city and school board elections will be held! Note that not all areas have elections this year, so use this tool to make sure an election is happening where you are.

If you haven’t already voted, make a plan now to get to the polls on November 2!

Municipal government makes a big difference in your home, your neighborhood, and your local economy. If you live in Minneapolis, you will be voting on the future of the Minneapolis Police Department which will affect public safety in the entire metro area. If you live in St. Paul, you’ll be voting on an unprecedented rent control measure that could have disastrous consequences.

And chances are that wherever you live, school board candidates on YOUR ballot will have a direct impact on how kids in your community are educated. Focus on the Family's Jeff Johnston wrote a great piece on why school boards are one of the places where change is needed most. Minnesota Family Council is strategically engaging in several key school districts to support pro-parent, pro-family leaders!

To find out who is on your ballot and to locate your polling place, which may be different for local elections, visit the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website. Remember, in these local elections, even a few votes make a BIG difference in your community. Make sure to vote on or before November 2!

"Intentional Childlessness" on the Rise

“I never expected to be the poster child for sterilization,” Rachel Daimond told Suzy Weiss in a recent article titled, “First Comes Love, Then Comes Sterilization” focusing on a troubling trend among American young adults. For several months, Diamond has been using social media, especially TikTok, to document her decision to undergo sterilization to guarantee that she would never have children. Diamond, like a growing number of young adults, is part of the “intentionally child free” or anti-natalist movement. Weiss notes that many of the young adults embracing this movement cite concerns about climate change, with one study finding that 39% of Generation Z does not want children because they are concerned about the environment. But as Weiss’s article shows, there is more to the story. Many young adults who are choosing not to have children and even sterilizing themselves to make sure they remain child-free also express a hostility toward the very idea of family.

One young woman, Isabel, told Weiss that she is planning a “sterilization celebration” at a local sushi joint, explaining that she believes it is morally wrong to bring children into the world because “no matter how good someone has it, they will suffer” and because she hopes to retire in her fifties or earlier.

Others expressed their lingering bitterness toward their parents and a fear of becoming like them. Diamond told Weiss that her relationship with her father was part of her reason for deciding to “never ever ever” become a parent. Family division is increasingly common — more than one in ten mothers over the age of 65 are estranged from their adult children. No family will ever be perfect and families need to have grace for one another. Gracelessness is a cruel thing, and it is clear that many of these young adults who have no grace for their parents also have no grace for themselves as they choose sterilization out of fear that they would not be perfect parents.

Reality Student Apologetics Conference - Minneapolis - November 12-13

We see it every day. Gender confusion, racial turmoil, and human inequality. It’s a disorder of ideas. It’s chaos.

That’s why this year we’re bringing an ancient truth to speak into the world we live in. We’re bringing clarity to make sense of the confusion.

Don’t miss this conference as we show how Christianity can move our culture from chaos to clarity.

GiveMN is an amazing way to support Minnesota Family Institute. Help us meet our fundraising goal by November 18 by clicking GIVE NOW below.

Did you know that when you shop with Amazon Smile, Amazon makes a donation to Minnesota Family Institute at no cost to you? You can support LIFE, FAMILY, and RELIGIOUS FREEDOM while you shop by clicking here (smile.amazon.com/ch/41-1439560) or with AmazonSmile ON in the Amazon Shopping app and AmazonSmile donates to Minnesota Family Institute. Bookmark Amazon Smile in your browser so that Amazon will donate every time you make a purchase!

Thank you for sharing Minnesota Family Council’s vision for strong families, communities and culture through Christ. As we rise to meet challenges at the state and federal level, we need your support now more than ever. Click here to give now. We are grateful for your partnership with us through prayer and financial support.

For life, family, and religious freedom,