Life

Colorado March for Life: Save the Date!

Colorado pro-life friends, please save the date for the second annual Colorado March for Life on Friday, April 11th, at the state Capitol in Denver!

The event will be co-hosted by the National March for Life and Pro-Life Colorado.

The rally and the March aim to promote life-affirming values in our state.

It is a family-friendly event, so plan on bringing your kids and show them what it means to peacefully advocate for life.

The day will kick off with a pre-rally concert at 10 a.m., followed by an hour-long rally on the steps of the Capitol and the March at noon.

More details will be available closer to the event date, including speakers, marching route, and parking information.

You can RSVP now to let organizers know you plan on attending.

We hope to see you in April as we rally together and march for life in Colorado!

Image credit: March from Life

Pro-Life Wins in 2024

As 2024 draws to a close, let’s take a moment to consider the pro-life wins we saw this year and thank God for His faithfulness to preborn babies and their mothers.

First, we celebrate the fact that 12 states remain abortion free.

Abortion free states include Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia.

Pro-life laws in those states save the lives of over 111,400 babies annually.

Another four states (Florida, Georgia, Iowa and South Carolina) have heartbeat laws in place that protect preborn babies beginning around six weeks gestation. And still, another two states (Nebraska and North Carolina) protect preborn babies from abortion at 12 weeks and beyond.

Laws in these six states protect another 83,700 babies from abortion every year.

Collectively, pro-life laws in these 18 states are protecting more than 195,000 babies from abortion every year!

Second, abortion amendments were defeated in three states this year.

Victories in Florida, South Dakota and Nebraska represent the first wins against extreme abortion amendments across the country since the fall of Roe in June of 2022.

As reported by the Daily Citizen, they also represent three different pathways to victory for future abortion amendment battles at the ballot box.

Third, pregnancy resource centers are growing in number and impact.

The Charlotte Lozier Institute released a report, A Legacy of Life and Love: Hope for a New Generation, cataloging the growth in services and people served by pregnancy resources centers.

The report analyzed data from 2022, the most up-to-date information available on pregnancy resources centers, and found that there are 2,750 centers in the United States, up 50 centers since 2019.

The report also found that the value of life-affirming pregnancy services and goods provided to clients was nearly $368 million, up from $266 million in 2019.

This includes about $206 million in free medical services, $83 million in education and support services, and $78 million in material goods.

Source: A Legacy of Life and Love: Hope for a New Generation

According to the report, pregnancy resource centers have provided more than 16 million sessions with clients.

The report estimates that ultrasound services were up 12% in 2022 compared to 2019, participation in educational offerings was up by 41%, abortion pill reversal services were up 16%, and material resource items provided were up 194%.

Pregnancy resource centers are the future of the pro-life movement, and it is exciting to see them thriving like never before.

Fourth, state funding for pregnancy resource centers is growing.

Since Roe’s reversal in 2022, it is estimated that nearly $500 million has been appropriated by as many as 21 states for pregnancy resource centers.

Some states have gone above and beyond in their support for pregnancy resource centers.

In Florida, state support for pregnancy resource centers increased from $4.5 million in 2022 to $25 million in 2023.

Tennessee’s spending increased from $3 million in 2022 to $20 million in 2023.

Fifth, 29 abortion clinics were closed in 2024.

According to a new report by Operation Rescue, 29 abortion clinics closed in 2024.

Abortion Care Network writes in its latest report that at least 11 of those closures were independent abortion clinics.

Since 2020, Operation Rescue noted that a total of 238 abortion clinics have closed.

Looking ahead to 2025, we already know there will be a multitude of challenges that face the pro-life movement as it seeks to make abortion unthinkable.

Today, let’s take a moment to be thankful for all the ways God has demonstrated his goodness and faithfulness in advancing the cause of life.

Image from Shutterstock.

These Fortune 100 Companies Offer Abortion Travel Benefits

A new report released by the Ethics and Public Policy Center reveals that at least 42 of the Fortune 100 companies have publicly disclosed that their employment policies specifically include covering the costs of out-of-state travel for an abortion.

The report takes a comprehensive approach to look at publicly available information related to policies impacting the family, including abortion travel benefits, parental leave, In vitro fertilization, surrogacy and adoption.

Authors of the report, Nathanael Blake and Alexandra DeSanctis, suggest that there are probably even more companies that offer abortion benefits within health care plans, but that information is not publicly available.

Since Roe’s reversal in June of 2022, the abortion industry has lobbied aggressively for companies to support abortion benefits to their workers.

Many businesses complied with the demands of abortion activists and now offer abortion coverage as a covered employment benefit.

The authors note that while many companies were happy to go public with their pro-abortion policies, transparency was lacking for many of them when it came to providing details about family benefits like parental leave and adoption.

In fact, DeSanctis and Blake suggest that when a company incentivizes abortion without increasing support for parenting, the company is sending the message that they would rather pay for abortions than employ moms and dads.

Perhaps if employers considered the long game, they might realize that their pro-abortion policies are, at the very least, a short-sighted business model. Without today’s employees embracing parenthood and having families, how will companies hire the next generation of employees?

Companies would do better to embrace and support motherhood and fatherhood through pro-life employment policies that recognize the sanctity and value of every human life.

Companies that Pay for Abortion as an Employment Benefit:

  • Allstate
  • Alphabet/Google
  • Amazon
  • American Airlines
  • American Express
  • Apple
  • Bank of America
  • Boeing
  • Cardinal Health
  • Chevron
  • Cigna
  • Citigroup
  • Comcast
  • CVS Health
  • Dell
  • Disney
  • Elevance Health
  • Ford Motor
  • General Motors
  • Goldman Sachs Group
  • Hewlett Packard
  • IBM
  • Intel
  • Johnson & Johnson
  • JPMorgan Chase
  • Kroger
  • Meta (Facebook/Instagram)
  • Microsoft
  • Morgan Stanley
  • Nationwide
  • Nike
  • Nvidia
  • Oracle
  • Phillips 66
  • Procter & Gamble
  • Target
  • Tesla
  • Tyson Foods
  • UnitedHealth Group
  • Walgreens
  • Walmart
  • Wells Fargo

Image from Shutterstock.

Texas Sues New York Doctor for Prescribing Abortion Meds

Last week, the Texas attorney general sued a New York doctor for prescribing abortion medication to a Texas woman in violation of state law that makes abortion-inducing drugs illegal.

The lawsuit is the first of its kind to challenge shield laws that abortion-supporting states passed in an attempt to protect abortionists from the legal ramifications of prescribing abortion-inducing drugs to women in states with laws restricting abortion.

Background

Texas law protects preborn babies from abortion with a few limited exceptions. The law also includes provisions for private citizens to sue those who aid or abet an abortion.

This lawsuit involves a New York doctor who allegedly prescribed mifepristone and misoprostol, the two-pill cocktail known as “the abortion pill,” through a telehealth appointment. The abortion-inducing drugs resulted in serious medical problems for the 20-year-old Texas woman, which required medical intervention.

Legal Arguments

Texas contends that New York-based Dr. Maggie Carpenter knowingly violated Texas abortion law by providing medication to induce an abortion.

In their lawsuit, Texas argues that telehealth appointments must follow state law, even if the doctor is based outside of the state.

The lawsuit claims that the doctor’s continued “violations of Texas law places women and unborn children in Texas at risk.”

Texas is asking for $250,000 in damages and that the doctor be prohibited from violating Texas state law in the future.

Response

New York’s attorney general released a statement in response to the Texas lawsuit claiming New York “will always protect our providers from unjust attempts to punish them for doing their job, and we will never cower in the face of intimidation or threats.”

New York is one of 18 states that passed shield laws to limit the culpability of abortion providers. New York’s shield law helps abortionists by prohibiting cooperation with prosecutions and lawsuits in other states.

Implications

There are far-reaching consequences for this case when it comes to abortion law. This case highlights the growing tension between states that have moved to protect life and states that seek to expand abortion access. If Texas is successful, it would have a significant impact in curbing telehealth abortion services to states with pro-life laws on the books.

This case could reach the United States Supreme Court and become a landmark case addressing abortion rights and state sovereignty.

The Daily Citizen will continue to follow this developing story.

Image from Getty.

States Exclude Christian Parents From Foster Care

California law requires foster parents to affirm a child’s “sexual orientation” or “gender identity.” The mandate is being used to exclude Christians with biblical views about sexuality and relationships from the state’s foster care system.

Authored by gay-identified state Senator Scott Weiner and signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2023, Senate Bill 407 is now being enforced with new guidance from the California Department of Social Services (CDSS).

Other states, including Vermont, Oregon, Washington and Massachusetts, also exclude parents from foster care if they believe in God’s male-female design for humanity.

This, despite the fact that “there are about 368,000 kids in foster care in the United States,” with “around 68,000 children moving in and out of foster homes annually” in California.

Focus on the Family’s Director for Foster Care and Adoption, Dr. Sharen Ford, decried the exclusion of Christians from caring for children in need. A nationally recognized child welfare consultant, she told the Daily Citizen:

I am gravely concerned about SB 407 as it is a way of forcing Christians to choose to bow to Ceasar by checking their faith at social services’ door or stop caring for children. Christian families have been honoring God’s call to open their hearts and homes to serve “the lonely” (Ps. 68:6, NIV). 
In this new era of you must do it my way, government is throwing down the gauntlet to Christian families telling them to choose. Each family facing these potential changes will need to carefully and prayerfully ask the Lord to order their steps.

The new guidelines from CDSS state:

A Resource Family (RF) applicant and approved RF must demonstrate an ability and willingness to meet the needs of a child or a non-minor dependent (NMD) inclusive of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

CDSS explains how the legislation changed the requirements for foster care families:

The bill also requires that [Resource Family Approval] pre- and post-approval training curriculum provide a caregiver with the knowledge, skills, and ability to parent any child or NMD in foster care inclusive of their … sexual orientation [or] gender identity.”

California Family Council (CFC) reported that foster care parents are already being removed from the system in California. The Focus on the Family-allied organization received a phone call “from a foster father who, along with his wife, had provided temporary care to multiple young children over several years.”

The family policy counsel, which works for life, marriage and family in the Golden State,  continued:

Despite their history of offering loving homes, their social worker denied the renewal of their foster care license because they could not commit to affirming any identity a child might choose. This was a marked departure from previous practices, where their beliefs were accommodated, and they were not assigned LGBTQ-identified children.

CFC Vice President Greg Burt stated:

Their social worker told them that under SB 407, the promise of affirmation is now a requirement for fostering any child, regardless of age.

The California Legislature also passed a measure in 2019 which requires foster care parents and workers to refer to children “by the child’s preferred name and gender pronouns.”

CFC warns such laws endanger all parents. The organization quoted Chief Counsel for the Pacific Justice Institute Kevin Snyder, who stated:

California parents may think, “This doesn’t concern me — I’m not a foster parent.” In fact, it does concern you.
There is now a very small step for the state to deem any parent as unfit to raise their own children if the family holds a view that contradicts the state’s ideology on gender and sexual orientation. This could result in a visit by Child Protective Services with tragic consequences for the home.

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) said Oregon also keeps Christians out of the system, as the state denied an adoption application from Jessica Bates, a widowed mother of five who wanted “to open her home to children in need.”

ADF explained:

But sadly, when Jessica applied to become certified to adopt, Oregon denied her application because Oregon requires every family to first adopt the state’s view of human identity and sexuality.
This left her with two options: abandon her beliefs or give up the possibility of adopting a child. That’s something Jessica couldn’t do – and shouldn’t have to.

ADF filed a lawsuit on her behalf against Oregon’s Department of Human Services. After losing in a lower court, she appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, where she awaits a ruling.

The legal aid organization has a similar case in Vermont, where Pastor Brian and Katy Wuoti and Pastor Bryan and Rebecca Gantt had their foster care licenses revoked “after the couples expressed their religiously inspired and widely held belief that girls cannot become boys or vice versa.”

The Wuoti’s adopted two brothers from foster care, while the Gants “became foster parents in 2016 and focused on caring for children born with drug dependencies or with fetal alcohol syndrome,” as ADF reported, adding, “The Gantts have since adopted three children.”

Dr. Ford helps raise awareness of the need for adoptive families to provide loving homes for children in the foster care system through Focus’ Wait No More program. She explained the cost to children as parents are forced to choose between following God or bowing to the state:

Families that draw the line in the sand may stop serving as foster parents. Then what will happen to these children? Who will share life with them? Who will help shape them and prepare them for the future? Who will help them heal? Who will train them up so they can become productive citizens? How will they know what it means to be in a family?
For these reasons and so many more, Christians will cry out to the Lord as Rachel did, “A voice heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more” (Jer. 31:15, NIV). 

Ford called for citizens to “not sit back and be quiet on this matter,” stating:

There’s currently a shortage of family foster homes across the nation. This policy will further exacerbate this situation.
Youth are sleeping in social services offices and supervised by casework professionals. Others are staying in hotels with rotating staff and eating takeout food. In some jurisdictions, youth are placed in juvenile detention facilities, having committed no crimes, for the sheer lack of homes for kids to be placed in.
Is this what the state wants?

The Daily Citizen is grateful for Christian organizations like Alliance Defending Freedom and California Family Council that are fighting back against these egregious, damaging policies that violate constitutional freedoms and place children at risk.

At Focus on the Family, we strongly believe that government efforts to force foster parents to affirm gender ideology or support a child’s sexual identity confusion are unconstitutional in that they violate the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause.

Therefore, we recommend Christians consider utilizing every available legal avenue to defend their right to serve as foster parents in accordance with their faith. Focus on the Family cannot and does not give legal advice. However, we can encourage you to prayerfully consider Christian legal aid organizations for help.

Related articles and resources:

Wait No More is Focus on the Family’s foster and adoption ministry, a whole-family approach that provides free resources for foster care and adoptive families – and for churches and allies who walk alongside them. Through Wait No More’s Suitcase Bundle ministry, children in foster care are provided their own suitcase – for their belongings – as well as a teddy bear, handwritten letter and age-appropriate Bible. The suitcase bundle is a simple way to offer dignity, comfort and hope to children in scary, lonely situations. 

California Bill Gives Foster Children Abortion and Transgender “Rights”

California Governor Vetoes One Transgender Bill – But Signs Alarming LGBT Laws

Christians Banned as Fathers to the Fatherless

California Family Council: Faith Under Fire: The Purge of Christian Foster Parents in California

From Foster Care to Family: How a Small Church is Making a Big Impact

Foster Care: Making a Difference During the Formative Years

When Government is Hostile to Christian Foster Parents

Image from Shutterstock.