COUNTING THE COST: Christians Stand Strong Under Increased Persecution.

Page 17

OCTOBER 2011

Finding Harmony in Nashville

If citizens will become informed and engaged, and pastors will lead, there are so many positive things that can be accomplished.
David Fowler, president of the Family Action Council of Tennessee

by Ashley Horne, Page 12

www.citizenmagazine.com

$3.50

PLUS THE CHURCH AND THE STATE: A Taxing Issue. Page 22

Contents
FEATURES

October 2011 Vol. 25, No. 8 ISSN 1084-6832 Editor Tom Minnery Managing Editor Catherine Snow Political Editor John Paulton Contributing Editor Karla Dial Contributing Editor Matt Kaufman Copy Editor Scott DeNicola Publishing Editor Kevin Shirin Production Dan Collins Circulation Helen Mills Design Pixel Dance, Inc. Jim Daly President

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Finding Harmony in Nashville

Learn how the Volunteer state overturned Nashvilles harmful anti-discrimination law. Christians are standing strong against persecution and paying the price.

Counting the Cost

The Church and the State: A Taxing Issue

The tax-exempt status of churches is under attack like no other time in modern history.

BOOK REvIEW

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The Ring Makes All the Difference

The Hidden Consequences of Cohabitation and the Strong Benefits of Marriage.

Focus on the Family Citizen is published 10 times a year (combined issues in June/July and August/September) by Focus on the Family, a nonprofit organization recognized for tax-deductible giving by the federal government, and CitizenLink, a 501(c)(4) organization. Focus on the Family Citizen is a registered trademark of Focus on the Family. Copyright 2011 Focus on the Family. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. INTERNET: Referral to websites not produced by Focus on the Family is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites content. IMPORTANT NOTICE: By submitting letters, comments or stories, you agree: 1. you are at least 18 years of age; 2. the submission becomes the property of Focus on the Family Citizen magazine and Focus on the Family and will not be returned; and 3. Focus on the Family, its assigns and licensees, are granted the nonexclusive right to use, adapt and/or reproduce the submission in any manner for any purpose. Our agreement is made in Colorado and controlled by Colorado law. CITIzEN SUbSCRIPTIONS: A one-year subscription to Focus on the Family Citizen magazine is available for $24. Write Focus on the Family, 8605 Explorer Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80995-7450. To use your credit card, call 800-A-FAMILY. Current subscribers also can call that number to renew. Discounted rates available for group subscriptions of five or more delivered to one location. For group information only, call 800-232-6459, or email volumesubscriptions@family.org ADVErtISINg: adsales@fotf.org Focus on the Familys acceptance of advertisements for publication in this magazine does not necessarily imply a complete endorsement of the goods or services advertised. PERMISSIONS: family-permission@custhelp.com or 719-531-3400 CONTACT: 800-A-FAMILY or 8605 Explorer Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80995 Email citizeneditor@family.org Find us online at www.CitizenMagazine.com.

BRIEFINgS

4 7

Answering the Call

Two Texas teens step forward to share the truth about the Girl Scouts agenda.

Planned Parenthoods Scandalous Policies

An in-depth report chronicles the breadth and persistence of the organizations abuses...

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If We Dont Speak The Truth, Who Will?

Preachers are being called to speak up on the moral issues of the day. New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan on the push to redefine marriage.

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True Meaning of Marriage

IN EvERY ISSUE

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Whee! The People Letters to the Editor Advisories

EDITORS DESK 30 Tom Minnery

October 2011

Book Review
The Ring Makes All the Difference
by Paul J. Batura
oliticians (Winston Churchill) and even musicians (Bon Jovi) have popularized the observation of French poet Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, and for good reason. The more things change, he wrote, the more they remain the same. In the arc of political and cultural history this has always been true, but especially when considering the state of the family. Focus on the Familys Glenn Stanton is a student of not only the social science surrounding and supporting traditional marriage, but also the culture both religious and secular in which it resides. With a strong command of these two spheres, this makes Stanton the ideal author to examine the chronic but worsening trend of cohabitation. In the early 1970s, at the apex of the Cultural Revolution, American model Lauren Hutton succinctly put to words the fears of her generation. In an interview with Time Magazine, Hutton was unapologetic when acknowledging that she lived with her boyfriend. When asked about the prospect of marriage, she said that it was great for taxes, necessary for children, abominable for romance. That such a lie actually took root amid the tumultuous turn of cultures tide is not surprising. However, as Stanton convincingly points out with grace, just believing a lie doesnt make it true. More than three decades removed from HutOctober 2011

The Hidden Consequences of Cohabitation and the Strong Benefits of Marriage

tons progressive perspective, there is conclusive evidence that the cohabitation experiment has failed, and miserably so. This is a rare instance where theres a chasm the size of the Grand Canyon between what

Ironically, liberation from marriage was considered a cornerstone of the feminist movement, and yet decades later, the research now concludes living together outside of marriage is nothing short of a relationship on the guys terms, whereby a man enjoys easier access to sex, minus any formal commitment.
many young adults believe and the proven reality of their experience, Stanton writes. And it is not the moralizing preachers and traditionalists saying so. Indeed, Stanton wades through the scientific research indicating that cohabiting couples, if they ever marry, are 50 percent to 80 percent more likely to divorce than those who live apart prior to the big day. Cohabiting couples are also at much greater risk of suffering serious relational impairments a gentle term for

general discord and dysfunction. Orthodox Christians will resonate with the early part of the book, which affirms the multi-millennial and biblical case for marriage. Stanton saves the latter-half, though, for his most compelling and original material. Cohabitation, the author argues, clearly favors men over women. Ironically, liberation from marriage was considered a cornerstone of the feminist movement, and yet decades later, the research now concludes living together outside of marriage is nothing short of a relationship on the guys terms, whereby a man enjoys easier access to sex, minus any formal commitment. The tone of Stantons analysis is redemptive, suggesting that despite disconcerting trends, the institution of marriage remains solid. Such optimism brings to mind the man who once suggested that the large number of divorces indicate that America is still the land of the free. Yes, replied his friend, and the marriage rate shows that its also still home of the brave. l Paul J. Batura serves as senior writer to the President at Focus on the Family and is a biographer of both Paul Harvey (Good Day!) and Arnold Palmer (Mentored by the King). This book is offered by Focus on the Family at Focusonthefamily.com/ resources.
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