On today's Focus on the Family radio broadcast, guest host Frank Pastore talked with pro-family leaders about the threats life, marriage and other family values face with a new administration in Washington.
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, and Gary Bauer, president of American Values, told Pastore they are both concerned about what's on the line as Barack Obama takes office.
Perkins said the battle over marriage is on center stage.
"We have an administration that supports the redefinition of marriage in many, many ways," he said. "We’ve got a number of issues that are going to be coming out of Washington. The Defense of Marriage Act, Employment Non-Discrimination Act, hate crimes are all going to be on the table right after the Obama administration begins."
Bauer described the situation as a "witch's brew."
"You’ve got people in government, willing to use the force of law to push the radical gay-rights agenda," he said, "and you’ve got a gay-rights movement that is willing to use the tactics of intimidation in the streets of America to silence those that would dare oppose them."
Also on the line: more than 30 years of pro-life legislation. Obama has put the Freedom of Choice Act near the top of his priority list.
"That law will literally wipe off the books every restriction on abortion," Bauer said. "And that means restrictions at the federal level, but also all the laws that have been passed over the years at the state level."
Still, Bauer said there's reason to be optimistic.
"Conservatives and Christians need to be very careful that we don’t internalize what big media is saying," he said. "There’s been no massive swing to the Left in this country. Americans are troubled by abortion on demand. Americans are against most abortions.
"We need to be confident and understand that there’s a great reservoir in this country of people that still believe in family, faith and freedom. We’ve got to be active citizens and stop allowing small special-interest groups to remake America in their image while we hold back or hesitate or are afraid to be in the great struggle that’s going on in the country."
Pastore concluded with some encouragement of his own.
"I’m very optimistic. If the church gets energized and they engage in culture and seek to redeem it, we, yet again, will be able to advance our values, because I don’t think most Americans want to live in a world where the Left’s values, or lack thereof, are the rule of the day."
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Listen to today's broadcast.
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