| Welcome to the Family Beacon, your source for news and commentary on life, family, and religious freedom in Minnesota and beyond! This week: One quick note: If you have friends and family who want to get pro-life, pro-family Minnesota news every week, here's a shareable link so they can sign up. |
|
|
| Tickets Now Available for Minnesota Leadership Forum with Leading Candidates for Attorney General |
|  | We are excited to announce that the Minnesota Leadership Forum with leading conservative candidates for Attorney General is coming up on March 31st, and tickets are now available! In December, the five leading conservative candidates for Governor presented their vision for Minnesota in front of a sold-out crowd! Based on the incredible success of that event, we're expecting this one to sell out, as well. Make sure to get your tickets now! Tickets are $20-$25 for regular admission — buy now so you don't miss out on this event! We're grateful to our cosponsors, AM1280 The Patriot, Freedom Club, and Alpha News. They're helping us bring this event to YOU so that you can hear from these great candidates. And remember, we're conducting a straw poll at the debate to hear who YOU want to see on the ticket next November! Want to see more information about the event before locking in your tickets? Click here! |
| | |
|
| Three Big Things This Week: U.S. Senate Rejects Abortion Extremism, Counseling Ban Considered by Minnesota House, "Equal Rights" Amendment Would Hurt Women |
|  | Abortion Extremism Fails to Pass U.S. Senate, Senator Tina Smith Praises Planned Parenthood On Monday of this week the U.S. Senate voted on the most radical abortion bill in history. The “Women’s Health Protection Act” would have established a “right” to abortion in federal law and removed state-level protections for the unborn, allowing abortion up until birth in all 50 states. The bill would also have prevented the government from holding abortion facilities to certain medical standards and would have removed limits on mail-order abortions. In a vote that fell almost entirely along party lines, it did not receive the 60 votes it needed to pass. Both of Minnesota’s Senators, Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, voting in favor of abortion extremism. Former Planned Parenthood executive Tina Smith used the vote as an opportunity to praise Planned Parenthood and push the abortion lobby’s agenda. In her remarks, Senator Smith openly acknowledged that Roe is on its way out. “It is 2022, and that moment is here,” she said. “The Supreme Court seems poised to overturn Roe. If this happens, half the states in the country will ban abortion entirely.” What a victory that would be for the unborn! As Smith recognized in her remarks, this is the result of decades of work from the pro-life movement. Let’s continue to fight for the rights of the unborn until abortion is illegal and unthinkable! Counseling Ban Considered by Minnesota House Panel On Wednesday, the House Preventive Health Policy Division held a hearing on HF 2156. This so-called “conversion therapy ban” would threaten First Amendment rights and would infringe on the client-counselor relationship by limiting what licensed therapists and counselors can say to clients who are struggling with unwanted same-sex attraction or gender dysphoria. One testifier shared how she struggled with gender dysphoria for 34 years and that this bill would have prevented her from getting help. “The most loving thing you can do is allow people that right,” she said. The House panel voted along party lines in favor of the bill, and it was re-referred to the Health and Finance Policy Committee. At this moment, no hearings are scheduled for the companion bill in the Senate. We will continue to keep you updated on this legislation throughout the session! Click here to read testimony from True North Legal and here to read testimony from Minnesota Family Council! "Equal Rights Amendment" Would Hurt Women This week a House committee considered a group of bills known as the “Equal Rights Amendment.” Far from upholding rights as the name suggests, these bills would discriminate against women. In a statement to the State Government Finance and Elections Committee, Minnesota Family Council’s Rebecca Delahunt wrote, “The bills’ discrimination of women is one among many concerns regarding the ERA. These bills seek to create a gender-neutral culture and erase women from participation in society.” Earlier in the session, our Policy Director, Veronica Missling, submitted written testimony on these bills. Click here to read what she had to say! |
| | |
|
| Taking the Fight for Religious Freedom to the Supreme Court |
| | Can you imagine being fired from your coaching job because you prayed on the football field? Religious freedom is under attack, but we’re fighting hard to ensure the inalienable rights of every American. Minnesota Family Council and twenty-eight other state Family Policy Councils are joining forces with Family Policy Alliance in favor of Coach Joseph Kennedy, who was fired from a public school in Bremington, WA because he prayed briefly at the 50-yard line after football games. You can read the brief here. Once, several of Coach Kennedy’s students inquired if they could pray with him and he readily agreed, stating that we live in a free country. Following this event, Coach Kennedy’s employer at the public school informed him that he was not permitted to pray publicly going forward. While he did act in accordance with the order at first, it was not long before Coach Kennedy became firmly convinced that their orders were unjust under the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees every citizen the right to the freedom of speech and religion. With this growing conviction, Coach Kennedy boldly continued public prayer. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before the school district fired him, citing the Establishment Clause. However, it is important to note that the Supreme Court’s precedent with this clause has been thrown by the wayside. In modern America, SCOTUS has interpreted this clause based on the belief that religious pluralism requires neutrality. It is clear that this attack on religious freedom is not neutral, and Coach Kennedy has been singled out for his Christian beliefs. |
| | |
|
| Assisted Suicide Creates a Culture of Death |
|  | Our modern culture takes pride in twisting the meaning of words. Abortion is now “maternal healthcare,” and physician-assisted suicide is now “death with dignity.” Unfortunately, this disturbing change in semantics has real-life impacts, subtly changing our culture’s views on these issues and normalizing the devaluation of human life. As activists attempt to pitch physician-assisted suicide to the world, it has devastating consequences for our society. A report from the Journal of Ethics in Mental Health found that when assisted suicides are present in a society, the number of non-assisted suicides increases dramatically. It should be obvious to many that when ending one’s own life in a hospital is seen as a solution to suffering, non-assisted suicide will become accepted as well. This is the sad truth of the situation, and it cannot be covered up with weak attempts to change the semantics. The state of Oregon has long been a proponent of physician-assisted suicide. Death with Dignity, an organization devoted to the subject since 1989, “believe[s] individuals with terminal illness have a right to die with the same autonomy and agency in which they lived their lives.” Sadly, as Oregon has embraced a culture of death, they have seen a spike of youth suicides in recent years. In 2018, suicide was the leading cause of death for youths across the state. |
| | |
|
| LEAD Registration is Open - Sign Your Teen Up for Our Leadership Camp (July 24-29) |
|  | | At LEAD, we are equipping the next generation of leaders to stand for life, family, and religious freedom in all walks of life! We’re thrilled to be welcoming Emmy Award-winning creative professional, author, and renowned pro-life speaker Ryan Bomberger as one of our speakers who will inspire students and empower them with tools to become leaders in their communities! Hearing from Ryan will be an incredible opportunity for LEAD’s students to learn address to culture-shifting issues from a fact-based, hope-filled, Biblically-sound perspective. To register now, click here or go to www.leadminnesota.org to learn more about LEAD. More Info: Who: Highschool students ages 13–19. What: A hands-on leadership and worldview camp equipping the next generation of Christian leaders to engage the culture. When: July 24-29, 2022 Why: LEAD equips the next generation by providing students with an opportunity to strengthen their worldview, develop leadership skills, and learn the legislative process! We hope to see your teen at LEAD next summer! Click here to learn more and register. Watch the LEAD 2022 video now. |
| | |
|
| Promoted: Homeschool Day at the Capitol - March 16 |
|  | From the Minnesota Association of Christian Home Educators (MÂCHÉ): 2022 MÂCHÉ Legislative Day Learn about recently proposed legislation and how to effectively engage with your legislators. Amy Buchmeyer, Staff Attorney with HSLDA, will analyze and explain the recently proposed homeschool-related legislation. Patience Griswold, LEAD Minnesota Program Coordinator, will discuss how to engage with elected officials and the legislative process. Then, meet us at the Capitol for a MACHE group tour! |
| | |
|
|  | 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! |
| | |
|
| | Get the Parent Resource Guide Responding to the transgender trend with truth and compassion starts with the Parent Resource Guide. Get your copy HERE today and invite a friend to do the same! Click to order your copy today: |
| |
|
| | 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, |
|
|
| John Helmberger, CEO Minnesota Family Council and Institute |
|
|
| | Minnesota Family Council
2855 Anthony Lane S, Suite 150 | Minneapolis, Minnesota 55418-3265
612-789-8811 | [email protected] |
| Share The Family Beacon on social media |
|
| |
|
|
