Welcome to Breakpoint, a daily look at an ever-changing culture through the lens of unchanging truth. For the Colson Center, I'm John Stone Street. In a letter dated June the 1st, several organizations under the leadership of the Alliance Defending Freedom urged every member of the U.S. Congress to pass the Family Rights and Responsibilities Act. This bill would enshrine into law the primacy of moms and dads in the care of their own kids.
Among other things, it would recognize the following. First, the nature of the parent-child relationship endows parents with the primary responsibility and obligation to care for their child. Second, from these responsibilities and obligations, comes the pre-political natural right of parents to care for their children. And third, the role of parents in the raising and rearing of their children is of inestimable value, and deserving of both praise and protection by all levels of government.
Now, the organizers chose June 1st in order to mark the 100th anniversary of a consequential Supreme Court case that clarified parental rights. Back in 1925, Pierce v. the Society of Sisters unanimously recognized a parental right to school choice, affirming what should be obvious: that parents, not the state, are the final authority for their children's well-being. Though this case was formally about education, it had strong implications for the relationship between home and government. In his majority opinion, Justice James McReynolds wrote this: The child's not the mere creature of the state.
Those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations. End quote.
Now, that common sense approach to the relationship between family and the state is now being challenged. A dangerous alliance of government agents, medical professionals, educators, self-appointed activists, and media outlets have decided. To champion the world's children, by challenging the role of parents. essentially making moms and dads temporary and optional caretakers. That is not God's design.
There are already cases of kids being taken from their families. families that refuse to play along with transgender ideology. Parents have been charged with child abuse for refusing the dangerous and now largely debunk practice of chemical sterilizations. Most recently, Colorado Governor Jared Polis and the state legislature attempted to grant themselves the power to take kids from parents that misgender their child. With HB twenty five thirteen twelve, quote, A court shall consider deadnaming, misgendering, or threatening to publish material related to an individual's gender affirming health care services as types of coercive control.
A court shall consider reports of coercive control when determining the allocation of parental responsibilities in accordance with the best interests of the child. These are all examples of government overreach and clear violations of the First Amendment. Americans have good reason to be confident that that many of these things will be overturned before long. And yet, With the long persecution of people like Jack Phillips, much damage can be done in the meantime. A dark and powerful world view of sexual idolization drives these laws and their proponents aren't backing down.
That's why it's crucial that laws like the Family Rights and Responsibilities Act are passed. Parental authority should only be questioned and supplanted in extreme situations. Parents do not love and care for their children because the state asks them to. Instead, as the bill describes it, their rights and authorities are God-given, a pre-political natural right. Please help ensure that the family and government spheres are in proper order.
Contact your senators and representatives in Washington, D.C. like the persistent widow in Luke eighteen, call and call again. Call these elected officials to Common Sense. And for more information you can go to the Promise to America's Parents website and download a free resource, quote, Parents in Control, A Guide to Your Rights in Education and Healthcare. Parental rights precede the state's power.
Any attempt to undermine that order usurps both common sense and what scripture tells us. For the Colson Center, I'm John Stone Street with Breakpoint. Today's Breakpoint was co-authored by Dr. Timothy Padgett. If Breakpoint is a helpful part of your daily worldview diet, please leave us a review wherever you download your podcast.
And for a version of this commentary that you can print and share with others, visit us at breakpoint.org. What is a human being worth? In a culture that devalues life, getting this question right couldn't be more important. That's why we want to invite you to sign up for Why Life: Courageous Faith in a Culture of Death. This is a series of four short video excerpts from some of the best Colson Center National Conference sessions on life and human dignity.
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