When Sandra (Mendoza) Rojas walked into a local children’s home at 17 years old, she discovered her calling. “Right there and then I knew I wanted to be a nurse and to take care of children. I knew that was my calling, and I knew that is what I was born to be—a pediatric nurse.”

Earlier this month, State Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston) introduced a bill in the Illinois House that would require all students in public, private, and parochial schools to receive a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine before entering sixth grade and to complete the series before entering ninth grade. The vaccination (brand name Gardasil, manufacturer Merck Pharmaceuticals) consists of a series of 2-3 shots, depending on the age of the child. We’re already used to vaccination requirements for schoolchildren. Is this one additional requirement a good idea?

Late last week we sent an email alert about a dangerous Illinois House bill (HB 4870) mandating that ALL 6th grade students in Illinois receive the unnecessary and highly controversial HPV vaccine - both boys and girls. Politicians have no business mandating medical treatment for all children to prevent a disease that's contracted solely through sexual activity. Parents should be outraged! But it gets worse.

A federal lawsuit has been filed against New York City and the state, too, over their effort to include abortion in civil rights protections.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) has sent a letter to a south central Illinois City seeking removal of a cross from a mural painted near a local high school. A petition, which now has over 23,000 signatures, has been...

I’d like to offer a few words about the separation of church and state—a concept long abused by “progressives.” The religion clauses of the First Amendment were intended to protect religion from the intrusive power of the state, not the reverse. The Establishment Clause states that “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion.” That does not mean religious convictions are prohibited from informing political values and decisions...

If you missed the Illinois Family Institute’s annual fall banquet back in 2014, or have a vague remembrance of it, you will want to watch this important keynote speech by bestselling author Eric Metaxas. Combining encouragement and a call to action, Metaxas emphasized that “it is time for us to be all in” when it comes to the political and cultural battle.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) revealed new rules Nov. 1 allowing faith-based providers to continue serving their communities in a manner consistent with their religious beliefs. According to a conference call between Vice President Mike Pence’s office and the media, the Obama rule jeopardized the ability of faith-based providers to continue serving their communities, penalizing them for their deeply held beliefs. It did so by forcing these providers to either place children in the homes of same-sex couples or discontinue care.

When U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr addressed law students at the University of Notre Dame his remarks would have been widely accepted 10-15 years ago. Today, the culture has changed making what once were traditional moral standards now controversial positions. He outlined how the Founding Father’s enshrined their belief of religious liberty in the U.S. Constitution, “which provides for limited government, while leaving ‘the People’ broadly at liberty to pursue our lives both as individuals and through free associations.”

Everyone has a cause they’re passionate about. Everyone has convictions that they embrace and opinions they feel strongly about. But this? This is just crazy. It’s nuts. It’s so separated from reality it almost defies logic how...

In June, 2016, when candidate Trump promised a large gathering of evangelical Christian leaders that he was committed to defending our liberties, I was skeptical. Was he just trying to get our votes? Did he really care about our freedoms?...

Last Thursday night, District 211—the largest high school district in the state with 12,000 students and five high schools—held a board meeting to discuss Superintendent Daniel Cates’ boneheaded proposal to allow students who “identify” as the opposite sex to have unrestricted access to the locker rooms of opposite-sex peers. Expecting a large crowd, the district moved the meeting to Palatine High School. The Daily Herald reported that 25 speakers were randomly selected, 16 of whom opposed the proposal, which is well over 50 percent.

Something unexpected happened following the posting on Illinois Family Institute’s Facebook page of my article on the divisive “HATE HAS NO HOME HERE” yard signs. Well, actually two unexpected and related things happened. One of the things is the Chicago Tribune’s restaurant critic Phil Vettel left a response. Here’s his...