FamilyFoundationBlog.com

We all remember the rhyme “sticks and stones,” and those of us in the pro-family movement are certainly used to being called just about every name in the book. So the recent attack by the far left Southern Poverty Law Center (see Christianity Today) on Americans who believe in the sanctity of human life and traditional marriage certainly doesn’t bother me — but it does reflect the desperation of the far left.

Unfortunately, SPLC and other leftist organizations have gone as far as urge that pro-family spokespersons, such as the Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins, be denied the opportunity to be guests on national news programs. In response to the SPLC’s labeling of pro-family organizations and leaders as “hate groups,” The Family Foundation has joined with nearly 150 other national and state organizations to denounce the SPLC’s attack and call for a civil debate on the merits of the issues.

Name-calling reveals a lack of strength and character — and of valid arguments. By dismissing debate and dialogue, SPLC and its liberal funders simply are avoiding having their assumptions challenged.

The Family Foundation and the other pro-family groups that have signed on to the response welcome the debate. We have the truth, the facts, on our side. To read more about the response, go to startdebatingstophating.com. You also can sign onto the response at that site (and share this link to encourage others to do so).

We are proud of our association with Focus on the Family, The Family Research Council, the Alliance Defense Fund and the other nearly 40 Family Policy Councils around the country! It is indeed sad that the divisions in our country have brought us to the point where believing that marriage as we have always known it — between a man and a woman — is viewed as hateful. It is even more distressing that there are organizations working, literally, to silence voices that carry the pro-family, pro-life message.

We are blessed with tens of thousands of people across Virginia who support The Family Foundation and our pro-family message! You and I know that our principles, our values, make society stronger and more stable. That is a message that will not be silenced!

If recent news stories about a Pew Research Center poll are correct, that is a question that few people are going to be asking in the coming years. According to reports, nearly four in 10 Americans say, “marriage is becoming obsolete.”

But as usual, there is more to the story. Even The Washington Post says so.

In fact, when you look at the entire study, Americans still absolutely believe in marriage and want to be married. In fact, only 13 percent indicated no interest in getting married; even cohabiters expressed a desire to marry, with 84 percent saying they still wished to be married. Nearly 70 percent of 18-29 year-olds also stated in the survey that they wanted to be married, and a significant number of Americans are more optimistic about the future of marriage than they are about the moral standards of the nation.

Unfortunately, in a culture where the media rarely portrays marriage in a positive light — when was the last time you saw a movie or television show with a happily married couple? — people’s perception of marriage is that the culture sees it as outdated even if individually most still respect and desire marriage. Not that the Pew study is all good news; there are negative indicators as well.

A large number of Americans, around 40 percent, believe “it doesn’t make much difference” if unmarried couples raise children together or live together outside of marriage. Not surprising considering that cohabitation and out-of-wedlock births have skyrocketed since 1960 — a retreat from marriage that has had a devastating impact on America’s children.

Yet social science clearly states that men, women and children are more likely to succeed emotionally, financially and educationally within a two-parent, married family. In an excellent article, Focus on the Family marriage and family expert Glenn Stanton provides a detailed overview of the research that tells us what a majority of us understand — marriage matters.

So, what’s the story here? The truth is that Americans still believe in marriage and want to get married while at the same time they are concerned that marriage is becoming outdated. More Americans are waiting longer to get married and living together prior getting married, resulting in a generation of children being raised in the uncertainty of a life with uncommitted parents.

The question remains whether these trends will reverse. Will Americans begin to live out what they claim to believe — that marriage is a good thing? For our children’s sake, we have to work toward making sure the answer to that question is an unequivocal “I DO!”

The Family Foundation, in association with Focus on the Family, is pleased to offer our next The Truth Project® group leader training Saturday, November 6, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in Newport News at the World Outreach Worship Center, 1233 Shields Road. The Truth Project® is a DVD-based small group study that practically and personally introduces viewers to the truth claims of God.

This dynamic training event will prepare you to lead this innovative small group curriculum, imparting a Biblical worldview into the lives of others. The event is open to everyone, especially small group ministers and leaders.

Click on the image to register today using our secure form.

You can only get The Truth Project® DVDs by attending a training event or by completing the 13-week study. So, don’t miss this great opportunity. It may very well be the most transformational four hours of your life.

Registration is $99.00 per individual or couple and is only $50 for students who present a valid student ID at the door. The cost includes entire 8-disc DVD curriculum with Leader Training DVD. For more information about The Truth Project®, visit www.TheTruthProject.org.

If you would like to bring a Truth Project training to your area, please  contact Roger Pogge at 804-343-0010 or e-mail at roger@familyfoundation.org.

The Family Foundation is putting together two more group leader training sessions for Focus on the Family’s The Truth Project®. The Truth Project® is a DVD-based small group study that practically and personally introduces viewers to the truth claims of God.

This dynamic training prepares people to lead the innovative small group curriculum, imparting a Biblical worldview into the lives of others. It has been called “Dynamic,” “Inspiring” and “Transformational.” The events are open to everyone, especially small group ministers and leaders. The next session is in Fredericksburg on September 11. Following that is one in Newport News on November 6.

You can only get The Truth Project® DVDs by attending a training event or by completing the 13-week study. So don’t miss this great opportunity. It may very well be the most transformational four hours of your life. We hope you sign up today (click here). Here are the details:

Saturday, September 11

8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Hosted by Calvary Christian Church

2222 Jefferson Davis Highway

Fredericksburg, VA 22401

Saturday, November 6

8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Hosted by World Outreach Worship Center

1233 Shields Road

Newport News, VA 23608-2062

Registration is $99.00 per individual or couple and only $50.00 for students with valid student identification at door. The cost includes the entire 8-disc DVD curriculum with Leader Training DVD. Registration is available online using our secure form (click here). For more information, visit TheTruthProject.org or call 804-343-0010.

We love it when we’re accused of intolerance and closed mindedness, either as an organization or as conservatives in general. The accusations typically come from the left who actually are closed minded and intolerant who make the accusations as a way to shield themselves from that which they accuse others. Two recent blog postings illustrate the point.

In one case, our friend Citizen Tom was banned from Vivian Page’s Blog simply for disagreeing with an assertion she made in an op-ed piece. If you read the comment trail, neither Tom, nor the other conservative, Warren, posted anything inflammatory. They simply disagreed and made their points adamantly, but respectfully. 

While Tom was banned, we incured the wrath of a homosexual activist blogger simply for writing something about which he should agree. In this post, where we clearly make the case for strict enforcement of bullying bans in school, Michael In Norfolk uses vile and hate-filled rants. Of course, he must be exempted from “hate speech,” I suppose, because he’s a left-wing and homosexual activist. But, in addition to calling us a “Foul Odor,” he wrote:

In a state that has more than its share of Bible beating fascists — Pat Robertson, Liberty University, Regent University, the Arlington Group, Chuck Colson’s prison indoctrination “ministry,” AG Ken Cuccinelli — The Family Foundation (“TFF”), an affiliate of Daddy Dobson’s Focus on the Family, is nonetheless one of the most insidious. …

Ms. Cobb is so anti-gay obsessed that she likely pats herself on the back telling herself “job well done” each time a story breaks of a gay teen committing suicide because he/she can no longer stand the abuse. How a supposed Christian can make a career out of causing misery. …

Lies, character assassination, hateful language. Can you find those types of words here? One must have some serious pent up rage to go off on Chuck Colson, who helps criminals get their lives together. In fact, this particular blogger does exactly what he accuses us of: If you don’t practice hisform of Christianity, he excoriates you. He, and the homosexual left, apparently are the arbiters of faith.

Imagine if we, or any conservative organization, ever issued a statement filled with such vitriol as the left does against us or if we banned a left-winger from our blog. We suppose it never occurs to such producers of vile that if every Virginian who disagrees with them is a hatemonger, about 58 percent of Virginians are hatemongers (about the vote for the Marriage Amendment and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli). Maybe they want to change Virginia’s tourism slogan? We love the double standard.

Yesterday, I was honored to receive Focus on the Family’s 2010 Family Policy Council Family Champion Award in recognition of our successful Winning Matters 2009 campaign. Winning Matters was the largest voter education and mobilization campaign in our 25-year history. I received the award while attending Focus’ annual Family Policy Council Leaders Conference in Chicago.

We are particularly flattered to have been selected from nearly forty family policy councils from around the country to receive this special recognition from Focus on the Family. In presenting the award, Focus on the Family Action (CitizenLink) Vice President Tom Minnery said:

Because the results of their successful efforts were so decisive, Victoria Cobb and The Family Foundation of Virginia have distinguished themselves as a 2010 Family Champion Award recipient.

Winning Matters proved that with the right plan and the right message, values focused voters can be motivated to turn out and can make a difference in any election. We plan to use what we learned from our successes in 2009, combined with the instruction I am receiving this week in Chicago regarding campaigns, to begin formulating our strategy for next year’s crucial state Senate elections.

You may recall the Winning Matters campaign included eleven staff, nine that were in the field working with churches across Virginia, meeting pastors, attending community and political events, and using social networking to educate and mobilize our voters. Together, they contacted more than 4,000 churches, distributed nearly 125,000 General Assembly Report Cards — more than twice as many as ever before — and conducted or initiated hundreds of voter registration drives. The Family Foundation Action also produced Get Out The Vote phone calls with Chuck Colson, Mike Huckabee and Alveda King, the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Family Foundation Action mailed thousands of voter education pieces to key House districts and distributed nearly one million non-partisan Voter Guides for the three statewide races and 38 House races, to educate voters — including Spanish and Korean statewide Voter Guides for the first time. In another first, the non-partisan organization created a video Voter Guide as well, to distribute virally through social networking sites.

According to exit polls, the number of evangelicals who voted in 2009 surpassed the previous 2004 Virginia election benchmark, and 83 percent of these voters voted for pro-life, pro-family candidates. Consequently, nearly half of all Governor Bob McDonnell’s votes came from self-identified evangelicals.

I would also like to express my appreciation to all of you who supported Winning Matters either financially or through your hard work on the campaign!

I am also pleased to report that there were no protests at today’s award presentation!

A recent Gallop poll showed that Americans are as divided as ever over key moral issues, several of which are reflected in the deep political divisions that we regularly encounter. On several of these important values issues, The Family Foundation is on the frontlines when moral issues confront public policies.

Sadly, yet not surprisingly, with few exceptions the national trends we see are leading our nation further from the ethical standards necessary for a civil and safe society. For example, for the first time since the poll was done, a slight majority of Americans view “gay and lesbian relationships” as morally acceptable. A slight majority also finds “having a baby outside of marriage” as perfectly moral. In what comes as no surprise at all, our culture is completely comfortable with sex outside of marriage, with nearly 60 percent of the population finding it morally acceptable (I’m actually encouraged that number isn’t higher).

From these numbers we can see that public policies that encourage traditional marriage and family as God intended are running square into a culture that is daily becoming more self-seeking. What is encouraging, however, is that a majority of Americans still believe that taking the life of an unborn child through abortion is morally unacceptable.

One issue addressed in the poll shows how important framing the question can be to the result. According to Gallop, 59 percent of Americans find “medical research using stem cells obtained from human embryos” as morally acceptable. One wonders, however, if the question had been more accurate and instead asked if it was morally acceptable to use stem cells obtained from the destruction of human embryos, if the response would have been different.

Suffice it to say, our culture is in moral decline — but I don’t think that’s news to anyone. The question is, what can be done? At The Family Foundation, we know that we must educate an entire generation on the ethical truths that have been the bedrock of our nation and of any successful society. We believe the best instrument for making this happen is through The Truth Project. The Truth Project is a DVD-based small group study that seeks to impart a Biblical worldview in its participants. The Truth Project looks at every aspect of life from science to the family, from arts to politics, from anthropology to theology in order to see what God’s Word has to say in regards to it.

Nearly 70 people from across the state (and even some from out of state) came to Hope Church in Richmond last Saturday to be trained as small group facilitators for this comprehensive, Bible-based worldview curriculum. Led by Family Foundation volunteers Jerry Daniel and Ron Gallagher, people left inspired and equipped to take this training back to their churches, their homes and their small groups.

We have hosted several of these training sessions across Virginia over the last several months and we will continue to host them. But we do need some help — it takes good audio-visual equipment to pull off a modern, quality presentation, including the DVD inventory we must purchase, a new laptop and a video projector, not to mention publicity for each training session, and the travel costs for our dedicated team of volunteer trainers.

Gifts for this mission are tax deductible. If you are interested in helping, please click here. Or, if you want more information about receiving the training, please contact our office (804-343-0010). With your help, as a dedicated Truth Project trainer and/or someone who can help us financially, we look forward to doing our part to reverse the disturbing trends among people’s attitudes in these crucial areas of cultural and policy concern. Thank you for your support!

What if one 13-week small group experience could transform your congregation? What would you do as an involved and concerned parishioner, clergy or pastor to make that happen?

The Truth Project® wants parishioners to learn how to live in a way that is informed and guided by the truths of Scripture. Focus on the Family’s The Truth Project® is a DVD-based small group study that practically and personally introduces viewers to the truth claims of God.

There is a bit of urgency in this if you live in Central Virginia: Although The Family Foundation, in association with Focus on the Family, has offered The Truth Project® group leader training across the state in recent months, this Saturday, June 5, will be the last Leadership Training in the Richmond area until 2011! We urge churches to send representatives from their congregations to be trained as Truth Project® leaders. We have out-of- state registrations — that’s how powerful The Truth Project® is — but we want as many people as possible to receive the training since we will not offer it again in this region for many months. 

This dynamic training event will prepare you or someone from your church to lead this innovative small group curriculum, imparting a Biblical worldview into the lives of others. It is a DVD-based small group study that practically and personally introduces viewers to the truth claims of God. The event is open to everyone — especially pastors, small group ministers and leaders.

You can only get The Truth Project® DVDs by attending a training event or by completing the 13-week study. So don’t miss this last convenient opportunity! It may very well be the most transformational four hours of your life.

Click here to sign up today by using our secure online form.

Saturday, June 5

8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Hope Church

12445 Patterson Avenue, Richmond

Here are some tools for your pastor, ministers, deacons or, if you are clergy, for your parishioners: » Preview video, » Printer-ready flyer, » Power Point slide.

Registration is $99.00 per individual or couple and only $50.00 for students (with a valid student ID at the door). The cost includes the entire 8-disc DVD curriculum with Leader Training DVD. Walk-up registration opens at 8:00 a.m. So even if it’s last minute — you are more than welcome to just come! For more information about The Truth Project®, visit www.TheTruthProject.org or call 804-343-0010.

Do you see things happening in our culture, government and even in the Christian community that concern you? Do you want to make a difference, but don’t know where to begin? You can start by volunteering at The Family Foundation this summer.

Since 1985, The Family Foundation has been at the forefront of critical public policy debates, helping Virginia citizens, lawmakers and business leaders better understand and apply to law the principles of life, marriage, parental authority, constitutional government and religious liberty. We are currently holding several Truth Project training sessions across Virginia to affect the hearts and minds in our culture and in the Christian community.

Non-profit and non-partisan, The Family Foundation of Virginia is the commonwealth’s oldest and most influential family public policy organization. Our mission is to strengthen the family through accurate research and education, prompting civic activism and affecting public policy outcomes. The Family Foundation is proud to be associated with Focus on the Family and its network of nearly40 independent state policy councils.

Any college, high school or home schooled student looking to fulfill community service requirements for graduation or who would enjoy assisting us in our mission on a weekly, bi-monthly or monthly basis — we can use your help this summer (and beyond)! In fact, entire families, including  middle school students, provide great help to us regularly. If you are interested in public policy and the issues of the day that directly affect our culture, lives and values, then you will enjoy and be fulfilled by contributing your time to our shared cause.  

The Family Foundation headquarters is located across from the State Capitol in downtown Richmond. Parking is located only a few blocks from our office building and we can assist you with your parking fees in specific garages.

Responsibilities and duties include:

» Data Entry (basic computer skills, in office or at home);

» Mailings (production and processing);

» Database Management (basic computer skills); and

» Constituent Interaction.

If you are interested in volunteering your valued talent in order to advance the cause of traditional values in the Commonwealth, then please take a moment to e-mail Marie Edwards at marie@familyfoundation.org or call her at (804) 343-0010. Thanks!

Why am I here? What is the meaning of life? Can we prove the existence of God, or are we left to grapple in the dark and take blind leaps of faith about what we believe?

Focus on the Family has produced a new DVD series called TrueU that presents scientific facts supporting a Christian worldview in order to equip Christian youth to defend their faith, especially when heading to college or into the workplace. In the first of the series, TrueU: Does God Exist?, Dr. Stephen Meyer plays a “philosophical survival” game pitting four worldviews against one another in the quest to decide which one gives the best answer.

Broken down into 10 30-minute lessons, TrueU is ideal for an older teenage Sunday School group, a home study group, or even as a curriculum for seniors in a Christian high school. From the creators of The Truth Project, TrueU builds a life-long foundation to prepare students to enter the world with a Biblical worldview and Christian values.

The Family Foundation is excited to be able to offer this series prior to release on Amazon.com or in bookstores at the special price of only $35.00. Don’t miss this opportunity to equip the young people in your life with the knowledge and values they need to defend their faith from the onslaught they are sure to face as they enter college or the workplace.

Click here to see a TrueU preview video featuring Dr. Meyer.

To order your set, click here to log onto The Family Foundation’s donation page. When filling out the form, type “TrueU” at the bottom in the block that asks, “How did you find out about The Family Foundation.” This will ensure your order in processed quickly and your DVDs will be sent in an expedited manner. Alternatively, you can send a check with True U in the memo line, made payable to The Family Foundation, to 830 East Main Street, Suite 1201, Richmond, VA 23219.