14 questions for Christians to ask about their social media engagement

Earlier this week, a bipartisan group of senators introduced a bill to protect children from the potentially harmful impacts of social media. While it’s important to build safeguards on social media for our children, every Christian adult should also consider what guardrails they are putting up for themselves. Here are are 14 questions for self-reflection that we can ask ourselves about our social media engagement.

A Message From Our Friends at Prison Fellowship

Do you believe in second chances?

Every person has dignity and potential. But one in three American adults has a criminal record, which limits their access to education, jobs, housing, and other things they need to reach that potential.

Join our friends at Prison Fellowship as we celebrate "Second Chance Month" in April, unlocking brighter futures for 70 million Americans who have repaid their debt to society. Click the button below to get access to a free Second Chance Month Toolkit!

This Week in Washington, D.C.

Yesterday in Washington, D.C., lawmakers passed a Continuing Resolution to avoid a shutdown, just hours before government funding was set to run out out at the end of the week. This short term spending bill funds the government through March 11 and allow appropriators from both parties to continue negotiating an omnibus bill to fund the government for the remainder of the fiscal year.

As these negotiations continue, the ERLC is actively working to ensure that longstanding pro-life riders, such as the Hyde and Weldon amendments, are included in the appropriations bill. Additionally, the ERLC is advocating against any appropriations riders that would deny religious freedom and conscience protections to millions of Americans through harmful sexual orientation and gender identity language.

You can read more about the ERLC’s advocacy in the appropriations process here.

Learn practical steps to pursue greater unity in your church and community

The evil of racism has long plagued humanity. Yet Jesus, through the power of the gospel, shows us a better way — a way to find true reconciliation and unity. But that isn’t without its challenges.

So we ask ourselves questions like: What does racial reconciliation look like on a daily basis — in our homes, our churches, and our communities? What are some practical ways we can pursue unity — not just in our theology, but also in our actions?

Join SBC President Ed Litton, former SBC President Fred Luter, Missie Branch, and Jon Kelly on Wednesday, February 23 at 11 a.m. ET for a free online event about racial reconciliation in the SBC.

From The Public Square

Many faith leaders wary of religious exemptions for vaccine
Associated Press

By the thousands, Americans have been seeking religious exemptions in order to circumvent COVID-19 vaccine mandates, but generally they are doing so without the encouragement of major denominations and prominent religious leaders.

Abortions in Texas fell 60% in 1st month under new limits
Associated Press

Abortions in Texas fell by 60% in the first month under the most restrictive abortion law in the U.S. in decades, according to new figures that for the first time reveal a full accounting of the immediate impact.

Does Getting Married Really Make You Happier?
Institute for Family Studies

"Newlywed” happiness boosts are very clear, but even in the longer run, it seems like being married is associated with a person being happier than before marriage.

U.S. Department of Education dismisses Title IX complaint against BYU
BYU News

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has dismissed a Title IX complaint against BYU that alleged discrimination related to students involved in same-sex romantic relationships.

Featured Podcasts

This week on the Digital Public Square podcast, Drs. Jessica and Robert Joustra, co-editors of a new volume called Calvinism for a Secular Age: A Twenty-First-Century Reading of Abraham Kuyper’s Stone Lectures, join Jason Thacker to talk about Kuyper’s influence and a Reformed approach to our secular age.

What You Need to Read

Brad Hambrick with Why is it so hard to have constructive conversations about abuse?

One obstacle to receiving care for current victims and survivors of past abuse is the tensions that emerge in the public discourse about abuse. While this obstacle exists in almost every setting, it is uniquely present within the church and Christian communities.

Jason Thacker with China's path to power

The gross human rights violations committed by the Chinese Communist Party and their authoritarian rule have been in the news lately because of the Winter Olympics. But China’s citizens, and specifically minorities like the Uyghur people, have lived under oppression and persecution for years.

Jill Waggoner with Richard Land on Southern Baptists’ history of abortion advocacy and the future of the pro-life movement

Richard Land served as the president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission from 1988–2013. Prior to his time at the ERLC, he worked in a variety of church and political roles, many of which were involved closely with the modern pro-life movement in its earliest days. Here, he shares his experiences and brings perspective to the current cultural moment, the story of Southern Baptist involvement in the fight against abortion, and what comes next.