Articles by David E. Smith
By David E. Smith
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08.12.19
What is culture? For many Christians, “culture” simply means “all the bad stuff that happens in the world,” but according to John Stonestreet, it’s far more than that. The problem is not with culture, for culture is neither good nor...
By David E. Smith
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08.05.19
What grounds human dignity? Without the answers that the Christian ideas of inherent dignity and equality provide, the culture turns to sex.
In the first session at the 2019 IFI Worldview Conference, John Stonestreet spoke on what it means to...
By David E. Smith
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08.02.19
The great preacher of yesteryear, Charles Spurgeon, once said, “I do not think he [the devil] cares how many Baptist chapels you build, nor how many churches you open, if you have only lukewarm preachers and people in them.”
Lukewarm...
By David E. Smith
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08.01.19
“All men are created equal” and “man is created in the image of God”—these two statements are arguably some of the most important concepts in American history and in Christianity, respectively. But what do they have to do with each...
By David E. Smith
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07.17.19
Last month, on June 25th, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation to approve so-called “recreational” marijuana for persons 21 years old and older. When this law (HB 1438 Senate Amendment 2) takes effect on January 1, 2020, it will allow...
By David E. Smith
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06.11.19
You’ll definitely want to save the date for the next IFI Fall Banquet: Friday, November 1st. This year our keynote speaker will be none other than Rev. Franklin Graham, President & CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Christian...
By David E. Smith
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06.04.19
The regular session of the Illinois General Assembly ended at midnight on May 31st. When that deadline passed, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) called for a Special Session of the Illinois House in order to finish what they started--namely the expansion of immorality, exploitation of citizens with new fees and taxes, and irresponsible spending of state government. They finished "business" on Sunday.
By David E. Smith
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05.31.19
If you follow politics and public policy at all, you know well the saying, "elections have consequences." Well, during this most recent General Assembly session (January-May), and especially the last two weeks, we have seen those consequences in spades, as super majorities in both the Illinois Senate and Illinois House passed far-reaching agenda items that can only be described extreme, duplicitous, and destructive.
By David E. Smith
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05.30.19
The Illinois Senate approved the so-called “Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act” (HB 1438 Senate Amendment 2) late yesterday by a vote of 38–17 with two voting present and two not voting. This bill now moves to the Illinois House for consideration. We have been told that Governor Pritzker has been making personal calls to lawmakers, promising them favors for their yes vote.
By David E. Smith
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05.27.19
As you may know, our state lawmakers returned to the Capitol late Sunday afternoon to begin their last week of regular session, which is scheduled to end on Friday, May 31st. At 6:08 PM, SB 25 (House Amendment 1) was...
By David E. Smith
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05.23.19
“There’s other ways to generate revenue, not on the backs of our kids and young adults who are going to be addicted and sucked into this.” So said State Representative Marty Moylan (D-Des Plaines), at a news conference that was held outside the Thompson Center earlier this month. Rep. Moylan is leading a bipartisan effort that opposes Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s precipitous push to legalize recreational marijuana.
By David E. Smith
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05.16.19
“Any change in drug policy should reduce drug use, not increase it,” states Dr. Aaron Weiner, licensed clinical psychologist and Director of Addiction Services at Linden Oaks Behavioral Health in Naperville.
Dr. Weiner succinctly details the facts that refute Illinois...
By David E. Smith
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05.14.19
Abu Edwards, National Director for Smart Approaches to Marijuana, has an impassioned message for Illinois legislators who are pursuing a headlong rush to legalize weed – slow down, or better yet, stop altogether!
Based on personal experience, Edwards describes the...
By David E. Smith
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05.10.19
Pastor Gregory Livingston, interim pastor of New Hope Baptist Church on the west side of Chicago, is bold enough to speak the blunt truth (pun intended) about the “hopped-up super weed” that Governor JB Pritzker and the Democrats in Springfield are eager to legalize – or as Livingston states, “weaponized” against disadvantaged communities.
By David E. Smith
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04.30.19
Illinois State lawmakers are entering into the last month of the 2019 Spring Session. They have much on their legislative agenda, including approving a budget for the next fiscal year, which begins on July 1st. The Illinois State Constitution requires...
