The Weekly is a highlight of the work the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission is doing to strengthen you and our churches for God’s glory.

What you should know about the March for Life

What is the March for Life?

The March for Life is an annual pro-life event held in Washington, D.C., in January. The overall goal of the march is to “end abortion by uniting, educating, and mobilizing pro-life people in the public square.”

This year’s March took place on Friday, January 18. The event begins with the March for Life Rally, at 11 a.m. on the National Mall. Following the Rally, the March up Constitution Avenue to the Supreme Court and Capitol Building begins at approximately 1 p.m.

Various local events related to the March for Life are also held throughout the United States.

The March for Life Education and Defense Fund’s is also a nonprofit organization that conducts year-round pro-life education and legislative work, as well as hosting the annual March every January.

Why is the March for Life held in January?

Each year the March is held on or around the anniversary of the United States Supreme Court's decision legalizing abortion in the case Roe v. Wade. The first March for Life was held in the nation's capital on Jan. 22, 1974—exactly one year after the Roe decision was announced.

This Week at the ERLC

• The ERLC participated in the March for Life in Washington, D.C., alongside thousands of others who care deeply about the dignity of unborn children.
   

• The ERLC held our annual Evangelicals for Life Conference this week. Visit evangelicals.life and keep checking back on erlc.com for various free resources from the event.
   

• Dan Darling writes at Fox News this week about the March for Life and why he still marches. Read his article here.

What You Need to Know

• Plenty of reports have noted a correlation between social media use and increased levels of depression and anxiety. So, how can parents help their teens stay emotionally healthy while using these platforms? Julie Masson suggests three things dads and moms can do. Read her take here.

Check in with your teen today. Ask him to show you his Instagram Facebook feed, and see if he will tell you what he thinks about each post he sees. This will give you insight into your teen’s emotions so that you can know how to point he or she back to the gospel—the only source of true hope.

• You won’t want to miss this important update from Phillip Bethancourt on the Presidential Study on Sexual Abuse. Southern Baptists are taking proactive steps to address the tragedy of sexual abuse, protect churchgoers, and minister to victims. Find out more here.  

[S]exual abuse is not just a problem outside of the church, or in other religions. This is a human problem. . . . Because this is an evil with far-reaching devastation, and because we realize it can also happen within Southern Baptist churches, we knew we needed to take action. So, we have undertaken the Presidential Study on Sexual Abuse to address this issue with humility, seriousness, and gospel courage.

• There are glimmers of truth everywhere we turn, and this is especially true, if we have eyes to see, in pop culture. Conrad Close points out the surprising pro-life, pro-adoption message in the new movie “Second Act.” Check out his review here.

“Second Act” wasn’t billed as a movie about adoption, but in many ways it’s a testament to the power of choosing life. Stories are powerful, and it’s significant for a mainstream audience to see a beautiful pro-life, pro-adoption storyline in a movie like this one. As Americans watch this story play out on the big screens, I hope that hearts will be moved toward choosing life or adopting a child.

News From Capitol Hill

• This Friday, thousands of people from around the country participated in the annual March For Life in Washington. After the walk up the National Mall to the Supreme Court, the ERLC policy team hosted constituent meetings for people from our Southern Baptist churches to meet with their Representatives and Senators to discuss our pro-life priorities for the 116th Congress. Specifically, the groups focused the advocacy meetings on abortion funding issues.
  
  In the aftermath of Roe v. Wade, the Hyde Amendment was introduced to prevent taxpayer dollars from being allocated for abortion. Americans are divided over the issue of abortion, and many strongly object to their tax dollars being used for what they believe to be a great moral wrong. For over forty years, the Hyde Amendment has been passed in each Congress. It is estimated that the amendment has saved over two million lives since it was enacted. The ERLC strongly urges Congress to bolster these protections against abortion funding by codifying the Hyde Amendment into law. One vehicle to accomplish this is the No Taxpayer Funding For Abortion Act.

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