Those words were added to our Pledge of Allegiance in 1954 by an act of Congress, which was signed into law on June 14 by President Eisenhower. The context in which those words were added are important. America was arguably at the height of the Cold War. As a nation we faced an existential threat. Children practiced the art of duck and cover in classrooms across the country fearing a nuclear attack from the U.S.S.R. Eisenhower reportedly prompted Congress to adopt the declaration “under God” after hearing a sermon on February 7, 1954 from the Reverend George M. Docherty, pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. In Docherty’s message, he noted that our pledge had no distinction from any other republic — in fact, it could be claimed and recited by the Soviets. What made our nation distinct was it was a nation not under man, but under God.

Our nation today is once again facing not just one existential threat, but many. Our children are not practicing drills for something that had never happened. Our children, our churches, our communities are now practicing emergency drills for terrorist attacks that are happening all too frequently here on our own soil.

Now is the time to stop those in government who have either in principle or in practice attempted to remove these two words, “under God” from public life. It is for this reason that I wrote a letter to Special Agent in Charge Jeff Sallet regarding his omission of “under God” from his reciting of the pledge in a call for unity on Monday at a press conference in Baton Rouge regarding the murder of three police officers on Sunday.

As I said in the letter to him, “Sharing your desire for unity, I wanted to bring to your attention that in your reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance you omitted the fundamental element that has historically unified us, the fact that we are one nation under God. The omission may have been inadvertent, but it was noticeable and concerning given the steady attacks on religious liberty by the present administration.”

I asked Agent Sallet to correct the record, but he has not responded to me or to the press that has inquired about the glaring omission.

Originally published here.

Citizen Action Brings Runaway Transgender Train to a Halt

When the Fairfax County (Virginia) Public Schools (FCPS) added gender identity to their non-discrimination policy last year — over the protest of hundreds of outraged parents and other citizens — they insisted the change meant nothing in particular with respect to bathroom or locker room assignments. This year, the (shower) curtain was pulled back on that lie when a new policy on “Gender Non-Conforming and Transgender Students” was proposed to the School Board—a policy that would guarantee the right of male students who identify as transgendered to use the girls’ restrooms, locker rooms, and showers throughout the school system.

The School Board made plans to discuss and possibly approve this proposal (without allowing public comment) on Thursday. FRC Senior Fellow Peter Sprigg was among numerous national experts who wrote to FCPS Superintendent Karen Garza and the School Board explaining why the proposal — largely in line with recent “guidance” offered by the Obama administration — should be rejected. The effort to silence the voice of the public could not stifle the people’s outrage, and the Board has now postponed Thursday’s “work session” on the policy, noting legal uncertainty over the issue.

This is a huge (if temporary) victory for concerned parents and citizens in the country’s tenth-largest school district, just outside Washington, D.C. It should encourage pro-family citizens around the country to realize that your voice can still make a difference.

Originally published here.

Grand Old Celebration of Life, Liberty, Family

As with every election cycle, the press likes to recycle old headlines; headlines that suggest social conservatives and evangelicals have lost interest and/or influence in the political process. This may be more than they can handle, but this kind of recycling won’t work! Not when it comes to what has played out here at the 2016 GOP convention.

The core values that have made America great are not throwaway lines or even just applause lines. They are central to the party’s identity and stated mission as reflected in the 2016 platform, which is being described as the most conservative in party history. To borrow a familiar line from the insomniacs who watch late night infomercials – “But there’s more!”

[Yesterday] FRC Action joined with Susan B Anthony List to host a celebration of these core values of life, liberty and family with hundreds of delegates, GOP leaders and more than a dozen Members of Congress. Speaking at the “Celebrating Life & Values” party were Governors Phil Bryant (R-Miss.) and Sam Brownback (R-Kansas), former Governor Rick Perry (R-Texas), Senators Deb Fischer (R-Nebr.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.), and Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-Va.). Pro-life champions David Daleiden and Jason and David Benham also joined the celebration and energized the crowd.

The Benham Brothers, who lost their HGTV show because of their biblical view of marriage, kicked off the party with a charge to be courageous. “Boldness precedes miracles. We die the day we stand silent on the things that we should speak up for. It’s time we stand and speak up for life and the values we hold dear. Let’s be courageous to stand. Do not fear the bullies. Do not fear the threats. Do not fear an angry tweet or Facebook post. Just stand strong.”

Gov. Rick Perry, who in his last term in office called a special session of the legislature to ban late-term abortions, gave inspiring remarks saying, “If there’s a phrase that describes who we are, it’s ‘protectors of life.’ There’s been no government created on the face of the earth that has freed more people, saved more people than the United States. The message of the Republican Party is that we are the party of life. May that never change.”

In a day when our views are often mocked and marginalized, it’s important to take time to not only stand for, but celebrate the values we hold dear. We are thankful for all of our friends who came out and did just that [yesterday].

Originally published here.