SojoMails - Our “family values” can actually value all families

This Is What a Faith-Based, Pro-Family Agenda Really Looks Like Adam Russell Taylor writes in this week’s SojoMail that he’s tired of hearing politicians using “family values” as shorthand for a narrow and often misguided agenda: It is time to broaden and reclaim a truly pro-family agenda to protect and strengthen all families. Since at least the mid-1990s, the political and Religious Right have often claimed a monopoly on “family values.” Many Democrats have only exacerbated this trend with their reticence to frame many of their policies as pro-family. As a result, whenever we hear a politician talking about “family values” or “pro-family policies,” it is so often shorthand for policies that oppose legal abortion or threaten LGBTQ+ rights — policies that neither correspond to the nuanced views most Americans (including Christians) have on abortion nor my strong belief that that our LGBTQ+ siblings are beloved of God and deserve the same rights as everyone else. Of course, if you step outside of the world of politics, it’s obvious that people across a broad spectrum of political and faith backgrounds view the welfare of their family — whether biological, blended, or chosen — as the center of their lives. In other words, our narrow understanding of “pro-family policies” is a lost opportunity to forge common political ground. Protecting families should be a nonpartisan issue with bipartisan support, not another casualty of extreme partisanship. So, I want to set the record straight and outline what I think a truly faith-inspired, pro-family agenda should look like. READ THE FULL ARTICLE Forward Share

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Are you brave enough to talk about money? Faith and Money Network’s study groups meet via video conference to study and discuss faith-driven approaches to daily life’s money choices. New groups forming now! Announcing the Flourishing Futures Campaign On Tuesday, SojoAction launched Flourishing Futures: a campaign to equip faith-rooted early-childhood development champions and allies everywhere to protect and promote the health of children and their primary caregivers. Join Churches, congregations, and leaders like you to meet this moment with courage and faithfulness so every child can thrive.

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