January 2016 – Family Council

Family Council Releases Voter’s Guide Ahead of 2016 Primaries

Jan 21, 2016Jerry CoxArkansas Voter's GuideArkansas Voter's Guide

LITTLE ROCK, ARK.—On Thursday Family Council released its voter’s guide for the 2016 Arkansas Primary Elections.

Family Council President Jerry Cox released a statement, saying, “I am pleased to announce the 2016 Arkansas Voter’s Guide from Family Council is available. We surveyed candidates for every state and federal office this year—including candidates for U.S. President. We asked them to respond to eleven survey questions. Our 2016 survey covers everything from abortion and marriage to economics and gun legislation. This will help voters understand where candidates stand on a wide variety of issues.”

Cox noted the response rate from candidates for the 2016 Arkansas Voter’s Guide was one of the highest ever. “Family Council has been surveying candidates each election year since 1990. This year, seventy-eight percent of candidates completed our survey. Altogether, almost ninety percent of candidates for Arkansas House, Arkansas Senate, U.S. House, and U.S. Senate completed our survey. That’s the highest response rate ever. It is refreshing to see all these candidates displaying greater transparency to the people of Arkansas.”

Cox said the 2016 Arkansas Voter’s Guide includes survey responses from Arkansas Supreme Court candidates as well. “In addition to candidates for state and federal office, we also surveyed and received completed surveys from all candidates running for the Arkansas Supreme Court,” Cox said. “Judicial candidates often get overlooked during election cycles, but I think everyone agrees judges play a major role in state government. This guide will help Arkansans better understand their Arkansas Supreme Court candidates as well.”

Cox noted the 2016 Arkansas Voter’s Guide is nonpartisan and free to anyone who requests a copy of it. “Our goal is to help Arkansans cast informed votes. The Arkansas Voter’s Guide does not favor one candidate over another. Family Council does not endorse candidates. We simply ask the candidates where they stand on issues Arkansans care about, and then we share the candidates’ responses with voters. We also have included contact information voters can use to contact candidates who chose not to complete our survey. Anyone can request copies of the Arkansas Voter’s Guide. All they have to do is call our office in Little Rock at (501) 375-7000, and we will send them as many guides as they need. Voters also can see candidates’ survey responses online at www.ArkansasVotersGuide.com.”

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NE Arkansas School District to Offer Academic Course on the Bible

Jan 21, 2016Jerry CoxCurrent Events, Religious FreedomCurrent Events, Religious Liberty

A public school district in northeast Arkansas has announced plans to offer students an elective, academic course on the Bible.

According to Christian Post, Westside Consolidated School District hopes to have course material lined up in time to offer the course to students during the 2016-2017 school year.

Act 1440 of 2013–sponsored by Rep. Denny Altes and enacted under Governor Mike Beebe–permits public schools to offer elective academic courses that study “the Bible and its influence on literature, art, music, culture, and politics.”

The law states the course must be objective and nonsectarian, and it must meet the same academic standards as other elective courses offered in public schools. Anyone wishing to teach the course must be licensed to teach in the State of Arkansas.

Courts have indicated the U.S. Constitution does not prevent public school students from being taught about the Bible and its significance throughout human history, provided the instruction is conducted in an educational and neutral manner.

In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court even went so far in its Stone v. Graham decision as to say, “the Bible may constitutionally be used in an appropriate study of history, civilization, ethics, comparative religion, or the like.” The key is the state has to have a legitimate, secular purpose in offering elective courses on the Bible.

In the case of Act 1440, the purpose is clear: To study the Bible’s influence on multiple facets of our culture. Since no single book has held more sway over western culture than the Bible, this purpose seems more than reasonable.

Of course it’s also worth remembering students and teachers do not shed their First Amendment freedoms simply by walking into a public school. Students and teachers can peacefully read their Bibles or pray during breaks, before school, and after school. Students are free to form religiously-based student organizations–such as Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Students can even discuss their faith, if relevant, as part of course assignments and homework.