Equipping Christians for the Ballot

Elections,

Early voting is underway and candidates are making their final push to reach the voters before Election Day arrives. The rush of election season can be a demanding process as voters and candidates get to know one another and discuss the issues of the day. 

Voting is a right and responsibility. It is something many men and women have fought and died for to preserve. Though many Christians exercise this right, others choose not to participate. 

According to a George Barna survey conducted in 2024, 56% of self-identified Christians voted but 44% did not. Although turnout was historically high overall, millions of Christians still did not participate. This can always be approved upon. 

The American electoral process gives millions of Americans the opportunity to choose who leads federal, state, and local government. It is important to vote wisely. This is one reason Family Council produces the Arkansas Voter’s Guide. Many of the issues that are important to Christians are decided at the ballot box and that is one more reason Christians should engage in the political process.

The voter’s guide is a non-partisan, educational resource that shows voters where candidates stand regarding the issues that matter most to them. Candidates get the opportunity to answer a survey with a wide variety of issues and Family Council publishes their answers. Simply put, Family Council provides an impartial resource and voters get to decide who they want to represent them. 

Since Family Council first began publishing the Voter’s Guide in 1990, staff members have contacted hundreds – if not thousands – of candidates and distributed millions of guides to churches, individuals, civic groups, libraries, and others across Arkansas. Countless supporters have contributed to this effort because they recognize it as a vital resource for voters. 

Founding Father Samuel Adams once wrote in the Boston Gazette, 

“Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual – or at least that he ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.”

Christians are accountable for many things, including how they steward voting. May it not be a responsibility that is taken lightly.

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Revisiting Marijuana’s Mental Health Crisis

Marijuana

Marijuana legalization is creating a mental health emergency among America’s most vulnerable populations.

A troubling study published in JAMA Psychiatry found that cannabis use among people with a history of psychosis “sharply increased” in states where recreational marijuana was legalized. The increase in prior 30-day use was three times higher than in the general population.

This is especially alarming because high-potency marijuana can trigger serious mental health problems.

Another study from Massachusetts General Hospital showed teen psychiatric emergencies spiked after marijuana commercialization began in the state. Teen marijuana use jumped from 5% to 17.3% in psychiatric emergency cases, while cannabis-related disorders among teens increased from 3.2% to 12.1%.

Today’s marijuana is not the same drug from decades past. Modern marijuana — and the drugs and extracts made from it — is far more dangerous. High-potency marijuana can contain 15% to 30% THC, sometimes even 60% THC, compared to just 3% THC in marijuana from the 1960s.

Arkansans should learn from experiences in other states when it comes to marijuana’s legalization and expansion.

All of this simply underscores what we have said for years: Marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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How Sports Betting Corrupts College Athletics and Exploits Student-Athletes

Gambling,

Sports betting is corrupting college athletics and putting student-athletes at risk of harassment, bribery, and exploitation.

Federal prosecutors recently announced major indictments in college sports betting corruption. On January 15, the U.S. Department of Justice and FBI unsealed indictments against 26 people in connection with an alleged bribery and point-shaving scheme to fix NCAA basketball games.

The scheme involved “fixers” who recruited NCAA players to help ensure their teams failed to cover the spread. Players were offered bribe payments ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game to participate in the scheme.

The NCAA has opened investigations into dozens of student-athletes across 20 schools for sports betting violations over the past year. Twelve have already been permanently banned from competition. Many cases involve wagering on individual prop bets and first half under spread markets.

It’s now almost routine for the NCAA to announce player suspensions for student-athletes who colluded to bet on one another. Basketball players may scheme to help each other win bets by, for example, missing free throws or scoring fewer points than expected in some games.

Student-athletes face constant harassment from bettors. A recent NCAA study found that 36% of Division I men’s basketball players reported harassment from bettors on social media. When gamblers miss their bets, they often blame the athletes.

The NCAA is calling for immediate action to protect players. NCAA President Charlie Baker recently urged state gambling commissions to eliminate player prop bets and other high-risk bets that target student-athletes. “Player prop bets attach an individual student-athlete’s name to a bet and therefore increase the likelihood of betting harassment being targeted toward that student-athlete,” Baker wrote in a letter to state gambling commissions.

Besides the NCAA, recent news stories show that Major League Baseball, the NFL, and the NBA have all dealt with serious corruption in the wake of sports betting’s legalization.

Sports betting destroys what makes sports special. People play and watch sports for entertainment, athletic competition, and team spirit. When gambling is introduced, fans have a financial stake in the game, and athletes have an incentive to change how they play. Officials may be tempted to cheat, and fans forget why they enjoyed sports in the first place. All of that is a problem.

Sports betting is not a harmless pastime. As powerful corporations try to make gambling part of everyday life, it’s important for Arkansas to protect citizens and families from predatory gambling. Otherwise, problem gambling will simply hurt more and more people in our state.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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