New Hampshire has two proposed laws dealing with same-sex marriage. “One (bill) would repeal the same-sex marriage law enacted last year,” said Kevin Smith, executive director of Cornerstone Action. “The other would put the question of a constitutional amendment to give the people of New Hampshire a chance to finally have their say on the issue.” There’s also a grassroots movement of people petitioning their local town governments to put the question on the ballot, according to Smith. “Now it would be non-binding, but it would certainly be significant and symbolic for the townspeople to go and vote on it […]

On Jan. 12, Gov. Bob Riley said he will not be hustled into believing video slot machines are the answer to state revenue problems. “I can’t imagine anyone who thinks the best way to help our economy is to have Alabamans lose billions of dollars gambling,” he said in his annual State of the State address. The Alabama Baptist Convention (ABC) held a News conference announcing a resolution against gambling legislation. The group spoke out against the continued push by out-of-state slot manufacturers trying to gain ground in local communities, and is asking the Legislature not to pass any laws […]

A school district in Tennessee has agreed to stop handing out Gideon Bibles to students during the school day, under threat of a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union. The Tennessee chapter of the ACLU wrote Wilson County school officials in October, on behalf of the parents of a fifth-grade student. The parents objected to their daughter being pressured to come forward and take a Bible, along with fellow students. The parents, who were not identified by the ACLU, said their daughter was brought into a school gym with other fifth-graders during the school day for a presentation by […]

Despite assurances by President Obama that the debate over health care reform would be a public one, Democrats are moving to close the meetings to the public. The House and Senate passed different versions of the health care reform bill, and those differences must now be resolved in committee. Rules in both the House and Senate say conference committee meetings must be open to the public, and multiple promises were made during Obama’s presidential campaign that negotiations on health care would be an open process and televised. But after a meeting with her leadership team, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said […]

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has launched “Hidden in Plain Sight,” an initiative aimed at educating people about human trafficking. Linda Smith, former congresswoman and president of Shared Hope International, said most people don’t realize middle-school children are being sold every day in the U.S. “These kids are hidden in plain view,” she said. “They are in our foster care system. And they’re in the strip club or the adult venues where they sell sex or produce pornography.” Billboards will be put up in 14 cities across the nation, with a toll-free number for people reporting possible trafficking victims. Smith […]

Three prominent Democrats have announced that they are not going to be running for their seats this year. Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., said he wanted to write books. Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., told reporters it was just time for a change. Moments later, Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter announced that he would drop out, because he wanted to spend more time with his family. What each incumbent hinted at, but left unsaid, was that they were facing long odds in their upcoming races. Ritter and Dorgan didn’t even have announced opponents, but still trailed prospective rivals by 8 and 20 points, […]

Every time I write about marriage, I hear from readers who lament their sexless marriages. The comments are all from men, and they tell of years, sometimes decades, of living together without love, affection or sexual intimacy. The writers describe an arid life of “going separate ways” and “living separate lives.” Often a man will speak admiringly of his wife as the mother of their children and a fine person, but sadly relate that there is no longer any personal interaction between them as a couple. These are the ones who haven’t bothered to divorce, yet they lead lives of […]

Emerson Eggerichs and his wife, Sarah, are bringing their Love & Respect marriage conference to Fort Lauderdale on Feb. 12–13. They will be offering couples a unique way to celebrate Valentine’s Day by investing time in their relationship. “We see people that are newly married attending the conference, as well as couples that have been married for decades,” Eggerichs says of the live two-day event, which also attracts singles who desire to learn more about marriage. The Eggerichs (pronounced Eggerich) have been married for more than three decades and have three children. The couple started hosting the conferences in 1999, […]

Growing up, many of us create an image of what our lives will be like when we are older. We imagine the type of career we will have, who our spouse will be, what hobbies we will pursue, etc. We have dreams, and we set future goals to achieve them. If we haven’t become believers in Christ when we are setting up our plans for the future, we haven’t yet realized that no matter what dreams and goals we have for ourselves, God ultimately has the perfect plan for our lives. When we turn our lives over to God, and […]

As I grow older, the years seem to go by faster. I’m still in disbelief that 2010 is here already! Each year, as Christmas ends, I know I will soon be in the midst of hearing scores of New Year’s resolutions from friends, families, and even myself. As we each replay the past year in our minds, we pull out certain events or memories that spring from a desire to change something about our lives or ourselves. We look forward to the new year, because it gives us an opportunity to wipe our slate clean and start fresh. It instills […]