There are two dates on my mind today. The first is January 22, 1973, the day the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Roe v. Wade, opening the door for virtually unlimited abortion on demand. Since that day, over 61 million Americans have perished at the hands of medical practitioners who shun the Hippocratic Oath. Let that number sink in for a minute. 61,000,000. That equates to about the total populations of California and Texas combined!

There have been so many deaths from abortion that many Americans are becoming desensitized to the issue. I remember the initial response to Roe v. Wade. There were grief-stricken people of faith across the nation standing in peaceful protest and turning out for marches, walks, and human life chains so long they passed through cities. But today, the silenced innocents are all but forgotten. To most, they are nameless, faceless, soulless numbers. But God remembers.

Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you.” (Isaiah 49:15)

Medical science has revealed that these babies were far more than numbers. Even though they were doomed never to take their first breath, they had beating hearts, working organs, functioning brains, and souls that cried to the Lord for justice. We didn’t hear their screams. But God heard.

Imagine the horror of seeing such things done to the bodies of our living children. God doesn’t have to imagine. He sees.

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. (Psalm 56:8)

But these realities are not stopping “progressive” politicians from doing what they can to facilitate more deaths. On the 46^th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade, Illinois’ new governor, J.B. Pritzker, while signing an executive order supporting taxpayer-funded abortions, declared that Illinois “will be the most progressive state in the nation when it comes to guaranteeing women’s reproductive rights.”

Equally damning, the majority of elected state lawmakers in New York erupted in applause at the passing of the Reproductive Health Act, a measure which legalizes the death of babies, even up through the ninth month of gestation. The bill was quickly and joyfully signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo. New York, the state with the highest percentage of abortions per capita, will see even more innocent babies executed—legally. These forsaken children will have no memorial, outside of those detailed in Planned Parenthood’s annual report.

Ironically, there is one famous public memorial that urges New Yorkers to remember and to validate the lives of New Yorkers—an eerie reminder that human life is precious—all human life. Regardless of sex, race, creed, color, or age, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. In this place, there is a statement affirming the value of the unborn.

That is the memorial to those lost on September 11, 2001, the second date on my mind. A day of great tragedy and heartache—one that still haunts America to this day. Almost 3,000 innocent people died that day. The victims of the tragedy could not protect themselves. The decision to terminate their lives was made by others.

Yet, we remember and honor these precious lives. A solemn monument was erected in downtown New York City called the 911 Memorial. At this sacred site, the names of all those who perished are forever chiseled into the American psyche—inscribed in gray granite for future generations to see and remember.

Ten of those listed include unborn children. The unborn who perished inside their mothers are listed for the world to see and mourn! They are not callously called “fetuses.” They are not referred to as a “biological mass.” They are called what they are: children!

The names of each individual are there to remind us about the horror of deaths of innocent people caused by the decisions and actions of others. This memorial is in the center of New York City, ironically a place where the lives of many other babies are extinguished daily.

And, we are not to forget—unless you happen to be a “progressive” politician with an agenda.

“DEANNA LYNN GALANTE AND HER UNBORN CHILD.”

“LAUREN CATUZZI GRANDCOLAS AND HER UNBORN CHILD”

“JENNIFER L. HOWLEY AND HER UNBORN CHILD”

“HELEN CROSSIN KITTLE AND HER UNBORN CHILD.”

“VANESSA LANG AND HER UNBORN CHILD”

‘PATRICIA ANN CIMAROLI MASSARI AND HER UNBORN CHILD”

‘RENEE A. MAY AND HER UNBORN CHILD”

“SYLVIA SAN PIO RESTA AND HER UNBORN CHILD.”

“RAHMA SALIE AND HER UNBORN CHILD”

“DIANNE SINGER AND HER UNBORN CHILD”

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Illinois’ newly installed governor, billionaire J.B. Pritzker, looked at the mess that decades of “progressive” rule has made of Illinois and had an epiphany: OMG, the problem here in Illinois is that it’s not progressive enough! That set him on a quest to out-“progressive” every “progressive” state in the union—well, at least regarding feticide. At a press conference pregnant with symbolism held at Chicago’s Planned Parenthood (PP) office on Tuesday, Pritzker issued this proclamation:

On the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, I’m proud to declare under my administration, the State of Illinois will be the most progressive state in the nation when it comes to guaranteeing the right to choose for every single woman…. And today, I’m proud to sign an executive order that will further protect and expand the right to choose in Illinois.

Someone just arriving from Mars may wonder about the odd construction of those sentences. They might ask, “Right to choose what?” A translator would then explain that Pritzker was using a script written by the denizens of the Upside Down. For those who are unfamiliar, the Upside Down is “a dimension that is a dark reflection or echo of our world. It is a place of decay and death. A plane out of phase. A place of monsters. It is right next to you and you don’t even see it.” Those denizens are the monsters of Planned Parenthood, and the “choice” they and Pritzker avoid identifying is the choice to have one’s offspring offed.

Pritzker knew it would be challenging to follow in the colossal footsteps of that colossal failure Pinocchio Rauner who became the first governor in the country to mandate public-funding of abortion. Pritzker knew he had to do something BIG to capture the hearts and wallets of those who celebrate human slaughter and shout the killings of their children, like Amelia Bonow, seen here indoctrinating children in a lighthearted discussion of the absolute, unrestricted right to abortion:

In the service of his morally disordered fan-base, Pritzker signed an executive order to ensure that all state insurance policies are quickly up to snuff in ensuring that women can snuff out their babies on the public dime.

Americans must disabuse themselves of the notions that killing humans is healthcare and that PP is deeply invested in providing mammograms. In an recent interview, PP president, Dr. Leana Wen, who absurdly claims there is “no more important organization than Planned Parenthood,” shared that,

The last thing I would want is people to get the impression that we are backing off of our core services…. What we will always be here to do is provide abortion access… it’s who we are.”

While everyone is aware of PP’s body-snatching-for-profit business, few remain aware that “Planned Parenthood is one of the largest sources in the US of transgender healthcare.” According to The Guardian,

[Planned Parenthood’s] centers use a newer model for gender transitioning that gives the patient input on whether to start their transition, rather than turning the decision over entirely to a psychiatrist. Some clinics have staff with detailed knowledge of how to update driver’s licenses, passports and social security cards to reflect someone’s name and gender.

Perhaps that’s another reason for J.B. Pritzker’s personal and political investment in PP. Who can forget his first cousin James/”Jennifer” Pritzker. Since not everyone who wants to masquerade as the opposite sex is a billionaire, maybe J.B. thinks the public should pay for their chemically and surgically constructed flesh costumes as well. If he’s willing to use public money to destroy the tiny bodies of young humans, why not use public money to destroy the bodies of bigger, older humans?

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo also used the shameful occasion of the 46^th anniversary of Roe v. Wade to sign into law a bill that guarantees the legal right of women to have their offspring killed in the womb without restrictions until 24 weeks of pregnancy and to have their offspring killed up until birth if the “health” of a woman is deemed at risk or the baby is “not viable.” Prior to the passage of this law, New York—which legalized abortion in 1970, three years prior to Roe—has had a law on the books that “defined homicide as ‘conduct which causes the death of a person or an unborn child with which a female has been pregnant for more than 24 weeks.’”

New York mothers now have a legal right to have their babies killed for virtually any reason one day prior to their  birth day. One day after birth, such a killing would be murder. Nowhere in America do we permit the non-voluntary killing of terminally ill humans, so we shouldn’t permit the non-voluntary killing of 40-week-old “non-viable” humans.

Alaska, Colorado, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, and Vermont have no restrictions on late-term abortions, and now New York joins the ranks of the 23 other states that permit abortions up until birth days if the non-defined “health” of the mother is deemed at risk by preventing the killing of her baby. “Health” includes factors pertaining to well-being, including physical, emotional, psychological, and familial. In other words, anyone who wants an abortion can get one in these states.

The product of conception between two humans is inarguably a human. Slowly, over decades, proponents of the legal right to kill humans in the womb have been forced to abandon their intellectually untenable early claim that the unborn were mere clumps of cells. Feticide-advocates now admit that humans in the womb are, indeed, human. What they say now is that, well, yes, it is a human but it’s not a person because essential to personhood are some abilities. One’s person-ness is constituted not by what one is but by what one can do. But if that’s the case, then the whole foundation for the Leftist “social justice” project is threatened. As philosophy professor  Francis Beckwith writes,

For if human ability (or achievement) is the sine qua non [i.e., something essential] of an individual’s right to life, then it is difficult to explain why we shouldn’t abandon the idea of human equality, since all our abilities come in degrees at every stage of human development.

If our moral status as persons with unalienable rights depends solely on our abilities—rather than on our existence as humans—then on what basis can we argue for the importance of equality in human affairs? To “progressives,” ability—a continually shifting phenomenon—precedes and determines personhood and, therefore, the rights conferred by personhood. According to the pro-abortion ideology, all humans are not equal. Equality based on humanness alone does not exist. I guess a panel of personhood judges is going to have to evaluate human worth and award those coveted and hard-to-earn rights. Woe to those who, once deemed persons, lose cognitive or physical abilities.

Listen to this article read by Laurie:

https://staging.illinoisfamily.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Pritzker-Recording-3.mp3

Save the Date!!!

On Saturday, March 16, 2019, the Illinois Family Institute will be hosting our annual Worldview Conference. This coming year, we will focus on the “transgender” revolution. We already have commitments from Dr. Michelle Cretella, President of the American College of Pediatricians; Walt Heyer, former “transgender” and contributor to Public Discourse; Denise Schick, Founder and Director of Help 4 Families, and daughter of a man who “identified” as a woman; and Doug Wilson, who is a Senior Fellow of Theology at New Saint Andrews College in Moscow, Idaho, and pastor at Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho .

The Transgender Ideology:
What Is It? Where Will It Lead? What is the Church’s Role?
Click here for more information!

The zeal, knowledge and dedication of the IFI Team exhilarates me, and at the same time it humbles me. They understand our purpose and mission, and as our Judeo-Christian foundation disintegrates, the need for truth-telling becomes increasingly important.

We long for the resources to battle toe-to-toe with cultural giants like Planned Parenthood, Equality Illinois, Big Marijuana and the ACLU. Unfortunately, we do not have the same kind of resources they do to influence hearts and minds in Illinois. We can, however, do what we can with what God has graciously provided. That is why I am hoping that you will respond to this appeal.

We have been blessed with a $100,000 matching-challenge from faith ministry partners that you can help us double as we enter 2019. Your $25 becomes $50, $100 is $200, and $250 becomes $500.

The good news is, with 12 days remaining in the year, we have raised approximately 40 percent of our goal thus far. That is wonderful progress. However, we still have a long way to go.

Regardless of the deteriorating cultural condition of our state and nation, judicial activism in the courts, bias in the media, Left-wing ideology in government schools, or frustrating election cycles, we will never give up.

Upholding the sanctity of human life, the biblical definition of marriage and family, the scientific definition of sex, robust religious liberty, and freedom of conscience is vital to our form of government. If we want America to be a beacon of hope and a blessing to the world, Christians must intentionally engage our culture to defend these precious values. It is not just important that we defend them. It is imperative!

You and I know now this is not time to give up or give in. The journey before us will require resilience, vision, courage and perseverance to rebuild the culture and restore our republic.

Can you imagine where we would be in Illinois if we weren’t leading the pro-family resistance in the Land of Lincoln? Can you imagine silence in the face of Leftist ideology and intolerance? Can you imagine a state without the work of IFI to alert, equip and encourage Christians?

Cultural revival will take decades, but we are committed to doing this work as long as the Lord tarries. By God’s grace and through your consistent prayers and financial support, we can and will continue to be salt and light in our state. We are committed to leading the way in all that God has commanded us in His Word.

Please give whatever you are able to help us meet our matching challenge goal!

As we partner together, God is moving in Illinois. That which is TRUE and GOOD is worth fighting for — all across the Prairie State.

I sincerely hope you agree.

Thank you so very much,

David E. Smith
Executive Director

P.S. We have a HUGE task and a wonderful OPPORTUNITY in front of us. IFI cannot succeed in our mission to “boldly bring biblical perspectives to public policy” in Illinois without your help.  Together, we are salt and light! 

Please click HERE to send your most generous year-end donation by December 31st. Remember, your gift will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $100,000! To make a credit card donation over the phone, call the IFI office at (708) 781-9328. You can also send a gift to:

Illinois Family Institute
P.O. Box 876
Tinley Park, IL  60477

Written by Erin Philen

Many states are rushing to legalize powerful recreational marijuana, but they’re running headlong into mental-health issues that should stop them in their tracks. Thanks to recreational marijuana legalization, we are steadily deciding as a nation that widespread availability of marijuana is worth the mental-health risk to our youth, the medical evidence for which is growing stronger every year.

Marijuana is obviously not a new trend, and for the many adults who used it during their adolescence, there seems to be no lasting damage. That’s one reason why, over the past 50 years, the effort to legalize and normalize marijuana use has steadily grown into a movement that has changed minds and laws. So why make marijuana use a big deal now? After all, marijuana, compared to narcotic and psychedelic drugs, seems relatively harmless. However, the big issue here is that marijuana is much more potent now. Today’s marijuana has been hybridized by specialty farmers into an incredibly powerful mind-altering drug. A study labeled the “Functional Consequences of Marijuana Use in Adolescents” found that the average THC content of marijuana has increased from an estimated one percent in the 1960s, to just under three percent in the 1990s, to almost 13 percent today. Recent studies found that adolescent marijuana users demonstrated poorer performance on tests of attention, verbal learning/memory, sequencing, and psychomotor speed compared to non-using adolescents.

At least until the early or mid-20s, “the brain is still under construction,” says Staci Gruber, PhD, Harvard neuroscientist and director of the Cognitive and Clinical Neuroimaging Core. During this period of neurodevelopment, the brain is thought to be particularly sensitive to damage from drug exposure.

The frontal cortex — the region critical to planning, judgment, decision-making and personality — is one of the last areas to fully develop, Gruber says. She has further shown that these commonly high levels of THC permanently degrade the brains’ “white matter,” which helps enable communication among neurons. This rewiring has been linked to major mental health issues including anxiety and depression.

Even so, state governments continue to normalize marijuana’s use and provide easier and easier access to it. As a result, marijuana has become the most frequently used drug by adolescents in the U.S., with statistics showing that 15% of adolescents have tried marijuana by 8^th grade and 45% report use by 12^thgrade, as published by the Journal of Drug Issues in 2015. The rates among high school students are increasing, with daily use the highest it has been in the past 30 years.

Of course, most states’ marijuana laws make its use illegal for those under 21, but, just like alcohol, the prohibition hasn’t prevented underage kids from getting their hands on it.

State lobbyists and political libertarians have worked hard to give recreational marijuana a positive reputation, gradually spreading its influence across the United States as its legalization movement expands, riding in on the white horse of the health benefits provided by THC marijuana’s therapeutic cousin, the non-psychoactive forms of medical cannabis.

So, why are states ignoring the growing body of evidence that recreational marijuana has long-term damaging effects on young brains and instead focusing their anger on the relatively benign nicotine addiction potential of smokeless vaping among the young?

It’s simple. The “sin tax” revenues that will come into government coffers from recreational marijuana sales, just like gambling revenues from state lotteries, will be significant.

That may be true, of course, but if lawmakers think that this tradeoff is worth damaging young brains and jeopardizing America’s future, they’re the ones that must be smoking something!

Erin Philen is an undergraduate student at the Annenberg School of Communications and Journalism at the University of Southern California.

This article was originally published at AmericanThinker.com

On Tuesday, November 27th, 2018, the Springfield Nativity Scene Committee (SNSC) will host a display depicting the birth of Jesus Christ. For the 11^th year in a row, the Crèche will stand in the center of the State Capitol Rotunda Building located at South 2nd Street & East Capitol Avenue in Springfield, Illinois.

The SNSC’s primary goal is to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  The secondary mission of the SNSC is to inform the public and media regarding the constitutionality of such expressions of religious faith in the public square.

In 2008, the SNSC made history when the Illinois Sec. of State’s office granted a permit to the group, allowing a Nativity Scene to go on display in the Capitol for the first time in state history.  Since 2008, 13 other states have followed Illinois’ lead.  The crèche will stand in the center of the Illinois Rotunda, in accordance with the U.S. Constitution which provides for such religious expression in the public square–as long as such displays are privately-funded and temporary in nature.

Join us at 12 Noon on Tuesday, November 27^th, 2018, for the unveiling.  Christmas carols will be performed by John Hume, music director of Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church, Jacksonville, Illinois.  An invocation will be given by Bernie Lutchman, of Business Men In Christ (Springfield) and an SNSC member. The event will last for one hour.

Among those scheduled to say a few words are Tom Brejcha, Founder and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Society Pro-Life Law Center * and SNSC’s legal counsel; Pastor Jeremy Byrd of Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church, in Jacksonville; State Representative Brad Halbrook (102^nd District); State Representative Tim Butler (87^th District) and Beth Rogers of Springfield, Illinois.

Military Veteran Rosemary Connolly will represent Wreaths Across America and honor our military by placing a wreath in front of the five flags representing all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.  This is Wreaths Across America’s 7^th year with the SNSC.

The Nativity scene will be on display during normal business hours from November 27th through January 2^nd, 2018.

Musicians and singers are encouraged to sing Christmas carols near the Nativity scene when the Capitol is open.  A permit is required.  If interested, please contact Salli Chernis with Sec. of State Jesse White’s office, Department of Physical Services / Division of Special Events at 217-782-8996.  NOTE:  Music is limited to the noon hour.

For more info, please contact Julie Zanoza at 217-605-8187 or call the Thomas More Society at 312-782-1680. The Thomas More Society is a national public interest (non-profit, pro-bono) law firm based in Chicago, with a satellite office in Omaha, NE, whose mission is to defend life, marriage and religious liberty, including the right of U.S. citizens to proclaim their religious faith and faith-based values in public squares across our nation.

Seating is limited! So don’t delay!

Illinois Family Institute is excited to be welcoming George Barna to our fall banquet to share his faith, research, political insights and projections for our nation’s future. For more than three decades now, Mr. Barna has conducted national surveys to gauge the sentiment and activity of politically conservative, spiritual active Christians in America. He has also been a pollster in three presidential campaigns.

You will not want to miss this opportunity to hear directly from what many call “the most quoted person in the Christian Church today.” Barna has written more than 50 books, mostly addressing cultural trends, leadership, spiritual development, and church dynamics. He has sold more books based on survey research related to matters of faith than any author in American history.

Illinois Family Institute
Faith, Family and Freedom Banquet

Friday, October 5, 2018
Stonegate Conference Center
2401 W. Higgins Road
Hoffman Estates, IL  60169

“Keeping our eyes on the prize”

Secure your tickets or table now – click here or call (708) 781-9328.

Program advertisements & banquet sponsorships available.

->Click HERE for an event flyer<-

Many people complain about “socialist medicine,” or socialism in the schools. But what is socialism? It is frequently described as an economic system, but it also has some features of religion. This article shows how socialism qualifies as a religion.

What is a religion?

One definition of religion is “a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith.”  [i] Holding to a religion means being concerned with something outside of your mind that you can’t directly prove or touch, but for which you arrange your life in expectation that the “something” will occur (Heb 11:1).

Let’s examine and compare Christianity and Marxist socialism, focusing on these religious concepts:

• A story about origins.
• A story about an ultimate destination, a heaven.
• Rules and morals for the faithful to live by.

Socialism has an origins story

Christianity: Christians understand right away how the universe came to be.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).

God is the beginning, before there was anything else. God was thinking and creating before He invented matter, light, space, time, heaven, or the earth.  His elect were chosen by Him before anything existed (Matthew 25:34; Ephesians 1:4). By His will, His word, everything that has been created was made (Psalm 33:6; Romans 4:17; Hebrews 11:3). And He didn’t use any preexisting stuff – if He had, then He would be a mere mechanic and not truly God Almighty.

Socialism: Socialists work hard to prove that “the Cosmos is all that is or was or ever will be.” [ii] That philosophy is Materialism, which claims life, consciousness, and thought exist only in beings having a body.

“Materialism is the belief that nothing exists apart from the material world (i.e. physical matter like the brain); materialist psychologists generally agree that consciousness (the mind) is the function of the brain. Mental processes can be identified with purely physical processes in the central nervous system, and that human beings are just complicated physiological organisms, no more than that.” [iii]

Socialists must feel insecure about this concept, for they write many articles trying to define what thought really is and where it comes from. [iv] Their big payoff with Materialism is that it makes God impossible. If thought requires a body then God didn’t create everything, but would merely be part of this physical universe.

Compare: The Bible says that God designed and created the universe. Through this act He has authority to tell His creation the meaning of right and wrong. He is not dispassionate, creating things and leaving them alone. [v] Rather, God intercedes in the universe, in human history, all of the time.

Socialism says that the universe (matter) is all that there ever was, and that there is no God, neither as creator or as lawgiver. Rather, human history has evolved from primitiveness to the present conditions where socialism is about to take over. [vi]  There are no grounds for compromise, no way to be both a devout Christian and faithful socialist. You must choose one master or the other (Matthew 6:24).

Socialism has a heaven

Christianity: God has appointed a Judgment Day (Acts 17:31; Romans 14:10), where each of us must answer to Him for our every act and word (Matthew 12:36-37; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Corinthians 5:10). Those able to plead that Jesus’ sacrifice covers their sins will be accepted into God’s eternal presence (John 10:27-29; Acts 3:18-20; Romans 3:21-26; Romans 8:1-2), while the rest will be eternally in judgment (Matthew 13:41-42; Matthew 25:41). God has prepared for us a good place to be with him for eternity (Isaiah 65:17; John 14:3; 2 Peter 3:7-13).

Socialism: Karl Marx, whose writings define modern socialism, claims that human society will transform from capitalism through socialism into true communism. [vii] Global communism will be the final state of humankind, and in it we will all be happy and prosperous. Marx wrote:

“In a higher phase of communist society, after the enslaving subordination of the individual to the division of labor, and therewith also the antithesis between mental and physical labor, has vanished; after labor has become not only a means of life but life’s prime want; after the productive forces have also increased with the all-around development of the individual, and all the springs of co-operative wealth flow more abundantly – only then can the narrow horizon of bourgeois right be crossed in its entirety and society inscribe on its banners: From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs!” [viii]

In this communist heaven there is no government, or need for it, for everyone does the right thing by nature. Production of everything works so efficiently that you’ll have to invent things to fill out your day.

Compare: The Bible says that the universe won’t last forever. God will end it, replacing it with a new heavens and earth (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1-5). For Christians the goal is to live in that new creation, forever in God’s presence. This hope is worth abandoning all earthly things for, even life itself (Matthew 13:44; Philippians 3:8-11; Hebrews 11:13-16). In that future His redeemed are perfected, no more able to sin or otherwise do wrong (Isaiah 35:8-9; Romans 8:30; Philippians 1:6; 1 John 3:2).

The socialist heaven is reached when everybody on earth freely gives their skills and labor for the benefit of the community, expecting only that the community will meet their own needs. Everyone will be generous, honest, trustworthy, and gracious – so much so that government, even police, won’t be needed any more. [ix]

In brief, the transformation to communism requires that everybody fully gain the virtues that the saints achieve only when God’s renews them after the Judgment Day, in His new creation. But socialists can’t accept that, for religion is “the opium of the people” [x] and its morals oppress the working class.

By tossing religious morals, and the authority behind them, socialists make it impossible for society to reach the moral state needed for universal communism. George Orwell was right when he said:

“If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face – forever.” [xi]

Socialism has morals

Christianity:  In the Bible we get encouragement to acquire good character (Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 10:5, 1 Peter 1:15), warnings about failure to repent (Romans 1:18-19; Galatians 6:7-9), and judgment for individual or corporate failure (Jeremiah 25:8-11; Acts 12:21-23).

Socialism: Socialists agree that society needs morals. They merely reject your morals, for they are meant to oppress the “working class.”

“ACCORDING TO the German socialist and philosopher Karl Vörlander writing in the early twentieth century, “The moment anyone started to talk to Marx about morality, he would roar with laughter.”

I don’t know whether Vörlander’s story is true, but there is certainly plenty to laugh about when our rulers talk about morality. Almost invariably they use it as a way of promoting their own interests, pretending they are acting for the common good or for the benefit of humanity.

But it is hard to believe that morality is nothing more than ruling-class ideology.” [xii]

But even socialists don’t yet know what socialist morals should be.

“So while Marxism sees a basis for morality in shared human nature, while society is divided into classes, there can be no universal morality. Nevertheless, by fighting for its own interests, the working class makes it possible for such a morality to emerge.” [xiii]

Compare: Through study of the Bible Christians are assured that they can know God’s mind on good behavior. But socialists can’t say what morality will be in the workers’ paradise, only that it will become evident once their society is implemented. However, we can briefly look at what has been said, and has been done, in over a hundred years of socialist practice since the Russian Revolution.

• From Vladmir Lenin is “he who does not work, neither shall he eat.” [xiv]

• From Leon Trotsky, any behavior is allowed, as long as it is directed only at our enemies.

“From the Marxist point of view, which expresses the historical interests of the proletariat, the end is justified if it leads to increasing the power of man over nature and to the abolition of the power of man over man.” [xv]

• Family values mean abolishing it. [xvi] Freed from managing a household and children, the mother is now able to work in the factory and increase its output. (Note that the Soviet plans for the family are discussed at length in a prior article) [xvii]

• A corollary to abolishing the family is legitimizing “free love”. Woe to those who refuse to give their bodies for casual sex. [xviii]

Socialist morals are thus convenient and ever-changing. Because they are unable to generate the perfect man that would take mankind into communist perfection, a socialist misery would go on for a long time.

What about non-Marxist socialism?

Although Marxist ideas predominate socialist theory, it wasn’t always so. Socialist writers and experiments predate Karl Marx. [xix] How would a non-Marxist socialism differ from what was just discussed?

• A non-Materialist socialism doesn’t care about the origins of the universe or whether God exists. But God cares about socialism, and abhors its promise to steal property from its owners and effectively enslave those under its rule. So the socialists, and society, have the prospects of guilt and God’s wrath.

• The promises of a socialist heaven pale before the consideration of God, heaven and the Judgment Day. This dampens the enthusiasm for implementing socialism, for why risk eternity just to get socialist scraps in the here and now?

So Marxist socialism robs people of their property, enslaves them by demanding their labor and not rewarding them for their work, and brainwashes them into thinking that there is no God, no eternal. Non-Marxist socialism merely afflicts people with the first two evils.

However, non-Marxist socialism is merely an academic exercise. There is too much Marxist teaching, and too many people trained in it, to keep any attempted socialism free from Marxist-influenced thoughts and practices. Socialism and Marxism are forever joined at the hip.

Some people still hope to reach a compromise, a Christian Socialism. [xx] That combination won’t work, for Christianity is all about the worship of God while socialism utterly denies God and His right of rule. One socialist reflects:

“Incidentally, the Socialist Party of Great Britain took a unique position on the subject of religion in the SPGB’s 1910 pamphlet: SOCIALISM AND RELIGION. The SPGB stated that religion was not a private affair and that anyone who held religious views could not become a member of the organisation. The pamphlet stated:

No man can be consistently both a Socialist and Christian. It must be either the socialist or the religious principle that is supreme, for the attempt to couple them equally betrays charlatanism or lack of thought.” [xxi]

You can’t serve two masters at the same time (Matthew 6:24). You can’t be both a Christian and a socialist.

So socialism is a religion – what about it?

So now you’re convinced that socialism is actually a religion. What can you do with this new understanding? Try these things that are easy to remember and do.

Don’t lose your soul. While studying socialism, you might get sucked into arguments so thoroughly that you question your faith. When all that you have in front of you are their books, and perhaps their friends, it is easy to lose sight of God and his wisdom. If you study socialism and Marxism, take time frequently to reflect on your studies, researching what God has said.

Watch your language. Do you consider yourself part of the “working class?” Congratulations, you’ve accepted socialist terms and arguments into your thoughts. There is a truism that says if you can define the terms of the debate you’re half way to victory. Here is a short list of terms frequently used by socialist propagandists.

• Class: As in “class warfare,” “working class,” and even “middle class.” Socialists specialize in putting people in boxes, and insisting that they acquire “class consciousness.” You can see why there is such offense to them when, say, a black man supports President Trump. He’s “not being true to his race.”

• Intersectionality: This word is used when a person can belong to several groups at once. This merely creates more, and smaller, boxes for people to fight over.

• Universal Something: If you’re promised “universal healthcare,” or “free college education for all,” that means society must again let the government do something. It usually means that only the government can provide this.

• Redistribution: Nothing less than stealing, under color of law. Everybody owns it, they say, but only the favorites of the new rulers get it.

• Social Justice: The idea that there is one justice for this group and a different justice for that group. If there are no truths, no common morality, then anything goes.

• Something Privilege: In the end, this is another version of redistribution. In this one the marked people are pressured to inflict themselves with the wounds.

• Progressive: A recycled word that means socialists.

If you’re using these phrases in your speech or writing, ask yourself why. Is it force of habit? Or do you need to unlearn things?

Check it out. When you’ve just been promised wonderful things, such as free college or universal health care, check out who else thinks that these promises are is a good thing. You have the internet, so use it and find your answers. The most interesting places to find agreements will be sites run by socialists or Marxists. If they like something then you know that the thing must be examined more carefully. Know something by its proponents. Know someone by the company he or she keeps.

Put your money where your faith is. Once you’ve educated yourself, act on your knowledge. When you find a candidate belongs to the Fabian society, and you’ve learned what that implies, don’t vote for him anyway because he has a nice family. And when someone says she will implement Marxist plans, believe her. Don’t think that she will be OK because she’ll moderate over time. Rather, become a good deed doer.

[i]       https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/religion

[ii]      Sagan, Carl, Cosmos, the phrase that opens each episode, 1980,

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/178439-the-cosmos-is-all-that-is-or-was-or-ever

[iii]     McLeod, Saul, Mind Body Debate, 2007, found online at https://www.simplypsychology.org/mindbodydebate.html

[iv]    One such dissertation is Mikhailov, Feliks, The Riddle of the Self, Chapter 2, section 3 (The End of the Mind-Body Problem), 1976, found online at https://www.marxists.org/archive/mikhailov/works/riddle/riddle2c.htm

[v]     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism

[vi]    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marx%27s_theory_of_history

[vii]   Ibid.

[viii]  Marx, Karl, Critique of the Gotha Programme, Chapter 1, 1875, found online at  https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1875/gotha/ch01.htm

[ix]    “Criminal activity will be almost nonexistent since the catalysts for anti-social activity—injustice and inequality—will no longer exist.”, from https://www.allaboutworldview.org/marxist-law.htm

[x]     Marx, Karl, Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right, Introduction, 1843, found online at https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1843/critique-hpr/intro.htm

[xi]    Orwell, George, Nineteen Eighty-Four, 1949. The quote can be found online at https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-Four#Chapter_3_3

[xii]   Gasper, Phil, International Socialist Review, Issue #82 (Critical Thinking), 2012, found online at https://isreview.org/issue/82/marxism-morality-and-human-nature

[xiii]  Ibid.

[xiv]  Lenin, V. I., On The Famine, 1918, found online at https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1918/may/22b.htm. We presume that Lenin found a way to ensure that widows, orphans, etc., also got fed.

[xv]   Trotsky, Leon, Their Morals And Ours, The New International, Vol.4, No 6, 1938, found online at https://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1938/morals/morals.htm

[xvi]  Marx, Karl and Engels, Friedrich, A Communist Manifesto, Chapter 2, 1848, found online at https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/ch02.htm

[xvii] A Woman Resident in Russia, The Russian Effort to Abolish Marriage, The Atlantic, July 1926, https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1926/07/the-russian-effort-to-abolish-marriage/306295/

[xviii]        Ibid. 

[xix]  Robert Owen’s experiments in Ethical Socialism, found online at  https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2012/11/socialism_as_religion.html

[xx]   https://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-socialism.html

[xxi]  http://www.socialiststudies.org.uk/sandr%20opposition.shtml

There is an often-repeated falsehood that liberals and some libertarians love to throw out in knee-jerk fashion to dismiss those who support morally ordered liberty.  You may have encountered it on social media.  The retort is “you can’t legislate morality.” This is wrong on several fronts. Someone’s moral view is always a part of almost every piece of legislation. The question then is, “whose morality prevails?”  

What these folks are doing, other than dismissing your cultural concerns, is to claim that you cannot legislate behavior. This too is false.  The law is a teacher. For many, whatever is legal is moral and therefore permissible behavior.  As an example, one reason you likely did not drive to the office at 85 MPH this morning is that it was not legal to do so. Had it been, many drivers would have done so, regardless of the safety of such a behavior.

There is a very good insider political newsletter called Indiana Legislative Insight to which AFA-IN subscribes. A recent story includes a study whose name only a government bureaucrat could love.  It is called the “Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project Post Construction Traffic Monitoring Study.”

To boil it down as concisely as possible, this study claimed that traffic across the bridges would hit 250,318 vehicles per day for 2013.  However, actual traffic counts found that this was overstated by over 30,000 vehicles per day.

What was even more interesting was the breakdown of bridges. The study did not predict the significant change in traffic patterns on the bridges across the Ohio River caused by new laws that created toll bridges. During the study the non-tolled US 31 bridge saw a 75 percent increase in traffic. The non-tolled I-64 bridge saw a 23 percent increase in traffic. The study predicted a much smaller increase in traffic due to new tolls and construction on other bridges.

Traffic on the renovated Kennedy and the new Lincoln toll bridges dropped by 49 percent between 2013 and 2018. Three of five bridges crossing the Ohio are now tolled.

In other words, government predictions of drivers’ behavioral changes significantly underestimated how many people would avoid paying new taxes through the use of other routes.

The study did not look at toll revenue projections. However, Legislative Insight reports that those numbers seem to be close to revenue predictions. It did note that many of the estimated costs for bridge construction fell well below the actual costs.

This article was originally published by AFA of Indiana.

From ILCAAAP (Illinois Church Action on Alcohol & Addiction Problems)

The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association are offering a Marijuana Webinar Series focusing on the impact recreational marijuana has had in states that have legalized it. The nine webinars will be live-streamed at Facebook.com/noweedillinois on the date and time listed and will be permanently posted at that site and at www.noweedillinois.com

Three webinars will be live streamed this week at Facebook.com/noweedillinois:

Sept 11th, 12:00 PM

Topics: Pot problems in Colorado schools increase with legalization. And the toll that legal weed is taking on Colorado’s culture.

Presenter: Ron Castagna. Educator and retired Colorado high school principal of 27 years, 2012 Principal of the Year

Sept. 13th, 12:00 PM

Topics: Marijuana’s hidden price: the environmental, economic and human impact of legalization in California.

Presenter: Roger Morgan. Chairman/founder of Take Back America Campaign; former chairman and executive director of the Coalition for a Drug-Free California; His two step-children became drug addicted and two nephews died from drug related causes.

Sept. 13th, 2:00 PM

Topics: Driving while high, black market pot, the legalization of marijuana in Colorado, more danger on roads and a higher crime rate.

Presenter: Chelsey Clarke. Chelsey joined the Colorado Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (RMHIDTA) program in 2014 and in 2016 was promoted to the Strategic Intelligence Unit Supervisor. She is a primary contributor to the annual The Impact reports on marijuana.

Medical marijuana sellers are “thrilled” Governor signed SB 336
The Illinois Department of Public Health requires the agency to adopt rules by December 1. Once the system is running, people who have been certified by a doctor and have proof they’ve paid the state’s registration fee can visit a dispensary to obtain medical marijuana while the state reviews the application. Marijuana dispensaries can assist people in filling out the forms, the Chicago Tribune reported.

“The main concern for the state is, How do we track patient usage? How do we make sure patients aren’t using more than one dispensary on the same day?,” he said. “How do we track all these new people in the system and (verify them) if the state is not the sole access point? Right now, you wait for state approval and you are in.” Read more

Doctor warns super-strength marijuana a schizophrenia timebomb

And MRI scans reveal that long-term use of skunk shrinks the hippocampus – the part of the brain essential for regulating emotions and long-term memory – by 11 per cent, according to researchers at Monash University in Australia. Only ‘prolonged abstinence’ could reverse the brain atrophy, they concluded. Read more

“You Say You Want a Revolution,
Well You Know, We All Want to Change the World”

Those lyrics to the Beatles’ song Revolution may invoke images of long-haired 60’s hippies protesting the Viet Nam war, but interestingly, such images may be more out of date than the song.

A new poll from Gallup Polling finds that a significant number of Americans today say that they might join a protest.  A little over a third of Americans, 36%, say they have “ever felt the urge to organize or participate in a public demonstration about something.”

There are significant differences in the rates of people feeling more inclined to join a political march.  The rate is much higher among Democrats, self-described liberals, college graduates, and women than their counterparts.    While only 21% of Republicans say that they have ever felt the urge to protest, a majority, 51% of Democrats express that same feeling.   Similarly, only 21% of conservatives have felt the urge to protest compared to 60% of liberals.

Interestingly, in 1965 there was little difference in response to this question, with only 9% of Democrats and 10% of Republicans saying they ever had the urge to demonstrate.

The Gallup Poll found that college graduates were more than twice as likely as high school graduates to desire to protest (46% – 21%).

When asked what kind of issue one would desire to protest, the abortion issue found a big difference.  “Women’s rights/abortion” polled at 17% as the top protest issue.  “Pro-life/Planned Parenthood” issues polled at the bottom at 6%.   As I read this, it doesn’t mean that more than twice as many people support abortion over life.  It means those who support abortion are more than twice as likely to protest as those who support life.  That’s worth remembering the next time you see media coverage of a women’s rights march.  (The media usually downplays or completely ignores pro-life marches.)

Protests grab headlines and attention. They can shape public opinion. They can also distort perceptions. They are not required to be reflective of reality.

Many people today may think that the anti-war protests of the late 60’s and early 70’s were a dominant part of that era based upon history books, documentaries, music and TV shows.  In 1967, Gallup asked Americans if they had ever participated in a peace rally on Vietnam; 99% said they had not. When those who had not participated were asked if they would like to participate if such a rally was organized in their area only 9% said yes.   Years later, in 1990, Gallup found that Americans were split evenly between those who had a positive view of the Viet Nam war protests (39%) and those who had a negative view of them (39%).

This article was originally published by AFA of Indiana.

Dear Pastors and Prayer Warriors,

In conjunction with FRC’s Watchmen on the Wall, Illinois Family Institute is hosting a prayer gathering on September 17th, in Springfield, to pray for our state and nation. The fact that this is an election year only accentuates the urgency of such a gathering.

The prophet Jeremiah told the people of God in Babylon to “seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” (Jeremiah 29:4-7)

The Apostle Paul exhorts us that “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior…” (1 Timothy 2:1-3)

Although Christians may feel as though we are in exile in Illinois, and feel as strangers in this wicked culture, our eyes must remained focused on the prize of our ultimate citizenship in heaven. Nevertheless, we have responsibilities in this temporal life and are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves. As the people of God, we are to seek what is best for our state and nation. Lives that are filled with peace and quiet (as opposed to chaos and strife), are blessings for all.

We can read the local newspaper, turn on cable news or scroll through our social media news-feed right now and see how divided our nation is in so many ways. Violence, sexual anarchy, idolatry, heresies, treachery, animosity, discord and disunity abound. We are constantly contending with issues that are causing people to drift away from God and embrace the works of the flesh — destroying the foundation of our nation. This drift has been going on for years, but over the past decade it seems to have gained speed.

In response to all this, it’s important that the people of God intentionally set aside time to cry out to Him — privately and corporately. At this meeting, we will gather as Christians from across the state not only to pray for the spiritual and moral healing of our nation, but also for God’s hand of guidance and blessing on our president, governor, mayors and all those in government leadership who are in positions to make change happen.

Proverbs 21:1 tells us that the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord. He can turn it however He wants. If we truly believe this, we need to pray.

Please join us as we gather in Jesus name to pray to our Holy Heavenly Father:

Monday, Sept. 17, 2018
10 AM – Noon
Howlett Building Auditorium
501 S. Second St
Springfield, IL
(just south of the Capitol)

Click here to view event flyer

There is no other more beautiful, simple thing we can do for our neighbors than pray. We are going to talk to God. We are going to ask Him to move in us, in our churches, in our communities, and in our state and nation. Please join us if you are able.

Blessings,

David E. Smith
Executive Director

We at IFI identify as theologically orthodox, Bible-believing Christians. Our faith is central to our identity. We did not choose this identity. We were chosen. We must act in accordance with our faith in order to be our authentic selves. We believe compassion and love are irrevocably connected to and dependent on truth.

Our Christian identity prohibits us from lying, which means we are not permitted to pretend that men are women or vice versa.

We are not permitted to pretend that the erotic and/or romantic union of two people of the same sex is or ever could be a true marriage.

We are not permitted to celebrate, facilitate, or serve such a union.

We are not permitted to pretend that either mothers or fathers are expendable or irrelevant.

We are not permitted to use opposite-sex pronouns when referring to men who wish they were women or women who wish they were men.

We are not permitted to share restrooms, locker rooms, showers, sleeping quarters, or any other private spaces with opposite-sex persons to whom we are unrelated by true marriage or blood.

In the service of tolerance, comity, and consistency, will “progressives,”–including homo-activists, “trans”-cultists, and the government–accommodate, affirm, and celebrate our identity and protect our right to live in accordance with it?

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me…. (Gal. 2:20)

He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world…. (Eph. 1:4)

No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes. (Psalm 101:7)

God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Gen. 1:27)

Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? (Matt. 19:4-5)

Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise), that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land. (Eph. 6:2-3)

For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. (Rom. 1:26-27)

A woman shall not wear a man’s garment, nor shall a man put on a woman’s cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God. (Deut. 22:5)

Listen to this article read by Laurie:

https://staging.illinoisfamily.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Will-Progressives-Affirm-Identity-of-Christ-Followers.mp3

IFI works diligently to serve the Christian community in Illinois with email alerts, video reports, pastors’ breakfasts, special forums, worldview conferences and cultural commentaries. We do not accept government funds nor do we run those aggravating popup ads to generate funds.  We depend solely on the support of readers like you.

If you appreciate the work and ministry of IFI, please consider a tax-deductible donation to sustain our endeavors.  We need your support, and are deeply grateful for those who stand with.

What is really going on with the “Weinstein women” and the multitude of others who are now coming out and pointing fingers at men who made debauched advances toward them?  Was Harvey Weinstein’s behavior only offensive because the women weren’t interested?  If  the women had been pleased to go along would that mean that his behavior was acceptable?  I have not heard one person even try to suggest such a thing, and I am quite certain I won’t.  No one believes that the only reason Weinstein’s behavior was unacceptable was because these women were a little “prudish.”

The adjectives now attached to the man include “slimy,” “pervert,” “debauched” and, well you get the drift.  In other words, if let’s say a talk show host were to suggest that these women rejected Weinstein’s advances only because they had high moral standards he would be scorned.  If he suggested it was because they were “prudes” he would be out of a job.  It is extraordinarily clear that these women saw Weinstein’s behavior as inherently offensive, and so does everyone else.  Indeed, Hollywood, as an institution, and the Left understand that they have been exposed, pun intended, and have made it abundantly clear that they also KNOW such boorish behavior is objectively offensive.

So, we are led to a very interesting place.  The light finally penetrating the darkness of that community has also exposed something even darker.  If the behavior of Mr. Weinstein et al is inherently offensive, whether the women had welcomed it or not, how can the Left declare that the identical behavior, in the homosexual community, is not only acceptable but to be celebrated?  Just catch their next parade and you will witness the same and much worse, only not in private but before the entire world!

Here is the rub: consider this other pillar of Leftist dogma, that there is no significant difference between the genders.  If certain sexual behavior is right for one gender, it must be right for both, correct?  Is that not foundational Leftist doctrine?  Will the Left now demand that these women “get over it?”  Will they call these women “haters” and “bigots?”  Will they say that it’s only offensive because they are women?  Hmmm.

Are there gender differences after all?  WOW!

The Left is on the horns of an existential dilemma, either their claim that the sexes are the same is wrong, or their claim that common homosexual behavior is normal is wrong, or both!  I vote for both.  But, the Left has never let facts get in their way before, so I have no great expectations of a sudden epiphany now.  For them, on any given day 2+2 may equal 17, 23, 64 or 1, and they see no conflict in affirming this.  We, who know that 2+2 always equals 4?  Well, we’re  just bigots.  The Left, without missing a beat, will, with great hand-wringing, allow these women to call the behavior debauched, but we, calling it debauched, are bigots.

Regardless, for those whose eyes are open it is impossible to miss the fact that the Emperor Left has no clothes.

IFI depends on the support of Christians like you. Donate now

-and, please-

Illinois Family Institute and local ACT for America leaders are hosting a panel of experts to answer your questions about radical Islam in three locations this weekend.

This panel includes:

Philip Haney, former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) whistle blower and counter-terrorism expert. Haney studied Arabic culture and language while working as a scientist in the Middle East before becoming a founding member of the DHS in 2002. He specializes in Islamic theology and the strategy and tactics of the global Islamic movement. He retired in July 2015 and is the author of “See Something, Say Nothing.”

Anni Cyrus of the Glazof Gang. A child bride in her home country of Iran, abused and imprisoned as a teen, she escaped to America and now advocates for women and girls suffering under Sharia. Her mission is to bring hope and healing to women and girls who have been unfortunate enough to be exposed to the plague of Islamic ideology. She experienced first hand, the horrors of living under Islamic theocracy in Iran.

Samya Johnson: Born in Beirut, Labanon, Samya lived through a civil war between Muslims and Christians. Saved from death three times while watching her friends and neighbors be killed, God was at work healing her brokenness and enabling her to forgive and love. The miracle of redemption in her own life grew into a lifetime commitment to bring the Gospel to Muslims while training and educating the Western Church about Islam and reaching its followers. Samya and her husband Mike founded Call of Love Ministries which produces effective equipping resources for Christians and have just launched a 24/7 Christian TV Channel that can reach over 600 million Muslims worldwide!

RSVP — You must have a reservation.

Three Locations!

Arlington Heights

WHEN:        Friday, July 13th
TIME:           7:00 PM
WHERE:      Christian Liberty Academy (map)
RSVP:           Click HERE to reserve your seat(s)

Naperville

WHEN:        Saturday, July14th
TIME:           10:00 AM
WHERE:      Grace for Life Church (map)
RSVP:          Click HERE to reserve your seats(s)

Orland Park

WHEN:        Sunday, July 15th
TIME:           6:00
WHERE:      Stone Church (map)
RSVP:          Click HERE to reserve your seat(s)

Click here for an event flyer

BRING FRIENDS! Come prepared to learn, purchase some materials and, if you can, support their work!

If you have questions, please call us at (708) 781-9328.