4 Questions About Surrogacy For Conservatives Who Support Gay Marriage
Surrogate mothers (L-R) Daksha, 37, Renuka, 23, and Rajia, 39, pose for a photograph inside a temporary home for surrogates provided by Akanksha IVF centre in Anand town, about 70 km (44 miles) south of the western Indian city of Ahmedabad August 27, 2013. REUTERS/Mansi Thapliyal by Jennifer Roback Morse This article was first […]
Why Moms and Dads Both Matter in Marriage
by Jenet Erickson, a Ruth Institute Circle of Experts member This article was first published at Public Discourse on May 18, 2015. Mothers and fathers are not interchangeable—they both add distinct benefits to the development of children. Courts and legislatures can change legal definitions, but they cannot alter biology or psychology. As the Supreme Court […]
Detroit Archdiocese to host international Courage conference in August
By Mike Stechschulte, Catholic News Service Posted in National News, on April 23rd, 2015 DETROIT (CNS) — The Archdiocese of Detroit will host an international conference this summer dedicated to exploring some of the complex challenges the Catholic Church faces in ministering to those with same-sex attraction. The Aug. 10-12 conference at the Inn at […]
World Congress of Families heading to Salt Lake City in the fall
By Dennis Romboy and Lois M. Collins This article was published on May 12, 2015, at deseretnews.com. SALT LAKE CITY — The World Congress of Families will be held in Salt Lake City Oct. 27-30, marking the first time that the international family-focused gathering has taken place in the United States. But Salt Lake City […]
Brandon Dutcher: Appreciate home teachers on teacher appreciation week
By BRANDON DUTCHER This article was first published on May 2, 2015, at tulsaworld.com. Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week, a time to celebrate the 3.5 million school teachers in this country, including some 400,000 working in private schools. But there are hundreds of thousands more teachers who also deserve our gratitude, including one who […]
Marriage Advocates Warn High Court: Children Will Suffer Most From Marriage Redefinition
by JOAN FRAWLEY DESMOND This article was first posted at ncregister.com on April 16, 2015. NEWS ANALYSIS: Churches, scholars and activists weigh in with amicus briefs as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments in four key cases. WASHINGTON — “Given both the unique capacity for reproduction and the unique value of homes […]
Pro-family activist: needs of children come second after gay ‘marriage’
by Charlie Butts This article was first posted at onenewsnow.com on April 27, 2015. For the sake of children, marriage should be between a man and a woman, says a pro-family activist. Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse, founder and president of the Ruth Institute, says legally redefining marriage would “redefine parenthood” to allow same-sex […]
Your Revolution is Killing Us
A review of The Sexual Revolution and its Victims by Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse By Austin Ruse This article was first posted at Crisis Magazine on May 1, 2015. It is inevitable that advocates for the Sexual Revolution will say all we need is a bit more of it. More orgasms. More sex-ed. More abortion. […]
Religious Liberty Is Not Enough
by Jennifer Roback Morse This article was first posted at Crisismagazine.com on April 29, 2015. I want to thank those who took the time to respond to my recent article, “Why Religious Liberty Arguments Aren’t Working.” Our focus at the Ruth Institute is crafting sound arguments and clarifying the proper context for their use. Religious liberty arguments are a case in point. While there is merit in religious liberty arguments, we propose a broader strategy that will help all who are engaged in this greatest struggle of our time. What I’m Not SayingI am NOT saying that lawyers like Matt Bowman and his colleagues at the Alliance Defending Freedom should stop taking religious liberty cases. I am NOT saying that advocates should stop sticking up for Christians who have been harmed. I am NOT denigrating the people who have lost their jobs, their businesses or their educational opportunities for the sake of their religious beliefs. Never in a million years. In fact, I support them all. Nor am I saying that we don’t need religious liberty. So what am I saying? A Hypothetical DialogueA Christian baker refuses to bake and deliver a wedding cake for a same-sex couple’s wedding reception, citing deeply held religious beliefs. At one time, this might have been an acceptable legal argument providing protection from prosecution under anti-discrimination laws. This appears to be no longer the case. But I’m not so interested in what will or won’t fly in a court of law. I trust the attorneys like Charles LiMandri, Jay Sekelow, Brad Dacus, Dean Broyles and all the wonderful men and women at the Alliance Defending Freedom to know their business. They know what arguments can and should be made in a court of law, under different sets of facts. I’m getting at something else. Suppose someone other than a lawyer questions the Christian baker: a news reporter or their next door neighbor or their lesbian co-worker. “Why won’t you bake and deliver this cake?” “Because my religion forbids gay marriage.” “Why does your religion forbid gay mar
Does marriage have a public purpose?
BY JENNIFER ROBACK MORSE Posted on mercatornet.com on April 22, 2015. The Ruth Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to healing the American family from the structural injustices of the sexual revolution headed by Dr Jennifer Roback Morse, in collaboration with Sharee Langenstein, an Illinois attorney, has submitted an Amicus brief to the US Supreme […]
Refining Marriage Violates Children’s Civil Rights
Posted April 20, 2015 at americanclarion.com. SAN DIEGO, California — April 20, 2015 — The Ruth Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to healing the American family from the structural injustices of the sexual revolution, in collaboration with Sharee Langenstein, Attorney at Law in the state of Illinois, submitted an Amicus brief to the United States […]
Press Release: Redefining Marriage Creates Civil Rights Violations for Children
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Redefining Marriage Creates Civil Rights Violations for Children Ruth Institute Submits Amicus Brief to the U.S. Supreme Court SAN DIEGO, California — April 20, 2015 — The Ruth Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to healing the American family from the structural injustices of the sexual revolution, in collaboration with Sharee Langenstein, Attorney […]
Judicially Mandating Same-Sex Marriage Would Put the US at Odds with the Western World
by Lynn D. Wardle (Ruth Institute Circle of Experts member), Elizabeth A. Clark and W. Cole Durham Apr 21, 2015 http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2015/04/14874/ Fewer than 9 percent of the countries belonging to the United Nations have redefined marriage to include same-sex relationships—and only one of those did so via its judiciary. A judicial redefinition of marriage would […]
Pleading for marriage before the Supreme Court
Defenders of traditional marriage file briefs ahead of this month’s oral arguments byMary Reichard This article first appeared April 20, 2015 at WorldMag.com. Among the 147 friend-of-the-court briefs filed in the Supreme Court’s upcoming case on same-sex marriage, one unusual, personal story stands out. Doug Mainwaring is one of several same-sex attracted men who believe […]
Help Archbishop Cordileone: take this survey at SFGate
On April 17, 2015, SFGate.com posted the following survey question: “Should Pope Francis remove Archbishop Cordileone from the San Francisco archdiocese?” We are encouraging all of our fans and supporters to go there, and to choose this answer: “No, the archbishop is upholding the values of the Catholic Church.” As of right now, 77% of […]
Pointers for your letter to the Apostolic Nuncio
by Jennifer Roback Morse I’m not leaving this alone! If you found your way to this blog, you should write to the Nuncio in support of Archbishop Cordileone! Here are some ideas of things to say. I suggest you keep the text of your letter around 200-250 words. I would suggest you keep a balance […]
My letter to Apostolic Nuncio, Supporting Archbishop Cordileone
by Jennifer Roback Morse April 20, 2015 His Excellency, the Most Reverend Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano Apostolic Nuncio Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See 3339 Massachusetts Avenue N.W. Washington DC 20008 Dear Excellency, I am writing to convey my heartfelt support for the Archbishop of San Francisco, the Most Reverend Salvatore Cordileone. I became acquainted […]
How You Can Help Archbishop Cordileone
by Jennifer Roback Morse The Archbishop of San Francisco, Salvatore Cordileone, has been ruthlessly attacked by the Gay Left and their allies. Someone (no one seems to know who) has hired an expensive public relations firm to smear the Archbishop. The final straw was a full-page ad in the San Francisco Chronicle by “100 Catholic […]
Why Religious Liberty Arguments Aren’t Working
by Jennifer Roback Morse This article was first posted at crisismagazine.com on April 16, 2015. I am a very committed, very public advocate of marriage as a gender-based institution. Many of my fellow proponents of man/woman marriage cite religious liberty as an argument against redefining marriage. While I have great respect for those who promote this view, I must respectfully disagree with their assessment. The uproar over the Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act demonstrates that religious liberty arguments don’t work anymore. I take no pleasure in saying this. But religious liberty arguments are not compelling enough to induce our fellow citizens to sacrifice something they value, namely, sexual liberty. I can think of three reasons for this. An increasing number of our fellow citizens do not believe in any god. A substantial number describe themselves as spiritual but not religious. The American religious situation at the time of the American Founding was quite different. James Madison spoke for most when he regarded religion as “the duty which we owe to our Creator and the manner of discharging it.” When so many people do not regard themselves as having any “duty to the Creator,” the social foundation that made religious liberty appealing or even intelligible, no longer exists. So, Reason #1 why religious liberty arguments are not working: People who don’t believe in God, couldn’t give a rip whether we religious believers are inconvenienced in our religious practice. Secondly, the controversies over religious liberty are not about transubstantiation or the Trinity or predestination. We are arguing about sex: abortion, contraception, homosexuality and similar topics. Our fellow citizens have absorbed and are committed to a particular view about the meaning of human sexuality and its place in our lives. Millions of people have ordered their lives around these beliefs. They are not going to give up those views, in the absence of an attractive alternative. Reason #2 why religious liberty arguments are not
Dear Heterosexual Community: Your Kids Are Hurting, Part 2
by Jennifer Johnson, Associate Director How savvy are you about step-families? Do you understand the structural similarity between step-families and same-sex marriage? Take the Step-Family Quiz to test your knowledge.I created this quiz as an engaging way to help defenders of marriage understand the cultural blind-spot that we have about step-families. Of course anybody is […]
Is it ok to have sex with a robot?
by Jennifer Roback Morse (and other questions you thought you’d never hear….) So, the Christian Post asked me to comment on this question. The sum total of my answer: “I thought I had heard it all, but robot sex is too much, even for me,” Jennifer Roback Morse, founder and president of The Ruth Institute, responded. “You may […]
The Ruth Institute files a Friend of the Court brief
by Jennifer Roback Morse The Ruth Institute and I, filed a Friend of the Court brief to the US Supreme Court for the upcoming marriage cases, called Obergefell v Hodges. We are not hopeful of a good outcome in this decision. Nonetheless, we filed a brief for these reasons: To give the dissenters some ammunition. To […]
Dear Heterosexual Community: Your Kids Are Hurting, Part 1
by Jennifer Johnson, Associate Director for the Ruth Institute I am pleased to see that the community of natural marriage defenders is taking notice of kids in gay households: Dear Gay Community: Your Kids Are Hurting Wonderful! But what if I told you that it’s only a start? Consider this: kids in gay households […]
Ten Simple Steps to Keeping Romance Alive
by Betsy Kerekes This article was first published at aleteia.org on February 15, 2015. Anyone who tells you that kids won’t take a toll on romance in your marriage is a fool or someone desperate for grandkids. You do have to try harder to keep that courtship feeling alive when it seems that a needy […]
Recipes for Peace
Our Ruth Institute Recipes for Peace campaign is winding down. I want to thank everyone who participated by posting cute family photos and survival tips for the holidays! I had a lot of fun, and I can tell that all of you did as well. Let us remember that Jesus is the King of Peace. […]
Did the Christian god rape Mary?
This article was first published December 26, 2014, at ChristianPost.com. In the midst of all our preparations for our Christmas celebrations, something serious appeared on the horizon. A former Evangelical, Valerie Tarico, wrote an article on Salon called “Why rape is so intrinsic to religion.” With a title like that, the week before Christmas: one […]
Why the Ruth Institute cares what Marriage Data the Census collects
The Ruth Institute inspires and equips the Survivors of the Sexual Revolution to recover from their negative experiences and reach out to help the young. We move people from being Victims to Survivors to Advocates for positive change. Yesterday, I posted a story about the Census Bureau dropping questions about marriage, as well as a […]
Sample email to stop the Census from wiping out marriage
Dear Ms. Jessup I am concerned that the Census is considering removing the questions about changes in marital status in future American Community Surveys. Marriage is different from other relationships. The recent trends in marriage show that the institution is in decline. If you quit asking the questions, you will not be able to detect […]
Sneak Attack on Marriage by The Sexual State
The US Census Bureau is in the process of removing questions about marriage from its surveys. According to the Washington Examiner: Members of Congress and agencies rely on demographic data to shape policy. Marriage has been declining, and the presence of single mothers is among the largest factors in the growth of entitlement programs. But […]
More detailed information about the Census’ sneak attack on marriage
In a previous post, I described the Census Bureau’s proposal to eliminate questions about changes in marital status from future data collections. This post provides you with more detail, so you can examine this issue for yourself. Go here for more information on the Request for Comments. Go here for more information about the specific […]
Recipe for Peace: Overcoming Loneliness
Christmas is the saddest time of the year in which to feel lonely. We can feel alone in a crowded room, when we feel no one really knows or understands us. We can feel alone because we literally have no one around us. There are so many reasons today why people are estranged from their […]
Four Christmases: The Superstition of Divorce
A superstition is something we believe in spite of the evidence, because we like the way it makes us feel. For example: “I can solve all my problems if I could just divorce my spouse, and try again to find the Perfect Soulmate.” Do you remember the movie, Four Christmases, the Reese Witherspoon, Vince Vaughn […]
Recipe for Peace: Overcoming Despair
Hope is anticipating a positive future. During the Christmas season, sometimes reality does not live up to our expectations. We feel discouraged, which can cause despair. We give up thinking that our lives will ever work the way we want them to, or that our lives and struggles have meaning. We need an antidote to […]
"No One Told Me It Was Wrong"
The California Catholic Daily picked up my MercatorNet article, with this new and I think, more appealing title. My husband and I traveled to St. Joachim’s parish in Madera, CA to participate in a marriage preparation/marriage enrichment weekend. This parish is manned by an order of priests, the Oblates of St. Joseph. They have been […]
Recipe for Peace: Overcoming Doubts
Christmas, the season of peace and joy, feelings which sometimes elude us. When our reality does not live up to our expectations, we feel disappointed. And that disappointment can cause us to doubt: doubt the love of our family for us, or doubt God’s love for us, or doubt ourselves and our worthiness. We need […]
A Recipe for Christmas Peace
Christmas, the season of peace and joy: sometimes, the peace and joy seem elusive. We have too much to do. Or we have old family wounds. Or we are dreading another year of non-stop driving from the afternoon of December 24th, and all day on Christmas. Going between all the broken and rebuilt families can […]
Christianity without Christ
Jody Bottum’s new essay at The Weekly Standard explores the way religious themes are emerging in some of the most radically secularized movements of our time. He observes that “white privilege” has become the modern equivalent of original sin. Political correctness includes the “shunning” of sinners, akin to that practice by sects such as the […]
What should Conservative Catholics say when someone says “I just love this new pope?”
We are in the midst of a curious phenomenon. Everyone loves the pope except conservative Catholics. Elton John loves the Pope.I think he thinks the Pope is about to change Church teaching on homosexual practice and the definition of marriage. “He is a compassionate, loving man who wants everybody to be included in the love […]
Tough Love is Still Love
My Latest, over at MercatorNet. November 19, 2014 The recent two-week-long synod on the family in the Vatican has been an on-going source of headlines around the world, and not just in Catholic media. After a year of reflection, it will resume next year. In the meantime, many critics are claiming that it is impossible to […]
Why Sandra Fluke is a household name and wait, who is that other lady?
In a recent article, Holly Griggs Spall observes that women on the Pill have many potential problems to deal with, including health concerns, problems with relationships, psychological side-effects and more. She complains that a lack of feminism is the problem. Why is it that we hear most about the side effects of the pill that […]
Thinking Strategically and Faithfully, about the Pope
I have received many responses to my somewhat tongue in cheek article last week, “Mom’s Home,” imploring my fellow Conservative Catholics to stop disrespecting the Pope. The responses were all over the map. I thought it would be well to offer a window into my strategic thinking. This post should help you understand what I’m […]
My prediction about the Vatican’s “Humanum” conference
According to the Catholic News Agency, “the Vatican is hosting a colloquium seeking to find ‘new and creative language to speak to people where they are.’ This is according to Helen Alvaré, professor of law at George Mason University, and communications liaison for the Humanum Colloquium, which will run from Nov. 17-19 at the Vatican.” […]
Mom’s home: A word to Conservative Critics of Pope Francis
For purposes of this article, I set aside my Ph.D. degree: I am speaking strictly on the authority of my MOM degree. Archbishop Kurtz’ contribution to the working group was wonderful! Did you read it?[/caption] Ok, everyone. I realize I have been out of the loop for a while. I have been trying to finish […]
6th Circuit decision to uphold marriage
Dr. Morse is quoted in this article on the 6th Circuit Court’s upholding of natural marriage: ““It lays out some places where the Supreme Court is going to have to rule,” said Jennifer Roback Morse, founder of the Ruth Institute. Sutton, she noted, calls attention to the fact that the high court already ruled that marriage […]
Mercy, Compassion and Orthodoxy
My husband I attended a marriage preparation retreat in a small town in central California a few weeks ago. We were by far the oldest people there. The retreat was developed by an order of priests who are very orthodox in their teaching about marriage, family and human sexuality. They do not soft-pedal anything. They […]
Wanted: Academic Freedom, (or even just a decent conversation)
My friend Robert Oscar Lopez has been writing about his on-going problem of being systematically harassed by the Gay Establishment. One of the precipitating events was the “Bonds that Matter” conference, held in Simi Valley, CA, on October 3. My organization, the Ruth Institute, was proud to act as co-sponsor to that historic event. The […]
In celebration of Blessed Paul VI, Prophet and Pope
Pope Francis beatified Pope Paul VI at the close of the Synod on the Family. This means two things. First, the Church officially recognizes the personal sanctity of Paul VI. Second, the Church has no intention of backing away from its ancient teachings on artificial contraception. For Paul VI is the author of the 1968 […]
Pope Still Catholic: Francis to Beatify Paul VI!
Ok, everyone, listen up. There is no longer any doubt: Pope Francis is definitely Catholic! And completely orthodox on sexual morality! At the end of the Synod, he will beatify Pope Paul VI, author of Humanae Vitae. This action leaves no doubt at all where the Holy Father stands. He absolutely does not have to […]
Take Heart! The Church is Still Catholic! Cardinal Pell explains it all!
Take heart from this video interview with Cardinal Pell of Australia. These 5 minutes will lower your blood-pressure if you are a supporter of the ancient Christian teachings on marriage, family and human sexuality. Cardinal Pell is reacting to the “relatio post disceptationem” published midway through the Synod, the unofficial document touted by the media […]
George Weigel: a good article and missed opportunity
George Weigel has a good article on the Synod on NRO today. He correctly states that the Church will not change her teachings on marriage, the family and human sexuality. However, he misses an opportunity in this paragraph. What the Catholic Church believes about the ethics of human love and about marriage is not a […]
A Modest Proposal to Regulate Sperm Banks
I suppose you have heard the dismay over the lesbian couple who ordered a white baby from a sperm bank and got a black baby. They are suing the sperm bank for “Wrongful birth and breach of warranty.” Not surprising: it is after all, a commercial transaction. Suing the business is what dissatisfied customers do. […]
It is not their fault: why I am not angry at the lesbians suing the sperm bank
One only has to look through a few comments on websites, Left or Right, to see that the lesbian lawsuit for breach of warranty and wrongful birth over a mixed race baby has struck a very negative chord. Decent people, Right and Left, feel all wrong about a mother suing the sperm bank because she […]
Dr Morse quoted on LifeSite News
In an article on the Republican mega-donor Paul Singer and his attempts to steer the GOP away from the social issues, I am quoted thus: Dr. Jennifer Morse, who founded the Ruth Institute, agreed that if the Republican Party changes its formal views on marriage, “the millions of ordinary people of all ages, races, and religions […]
Ruth Institute reacts to Supreme Court with Sorrow, but not Surprise
The Ruth Institute expresses sorrow but not surprise, at the Supreme Court’s decision to allow challenges to natural marriage to stand. And thanks allies who labored to defend marriage. Press Release from the Ruth Institute October 6, 2014 San Marcos CA—The Ruth Institute expresses its sorrow but not surprise, at the Supreme Court’s decision to […]
Building a Better Fatherhood
Our culture of individualism has trouble seeing the family, or understanding what it is seeing, when it does see the family. Ruth Institute Circle of Experts member, Dr. Scott Yenor has an inspiring article, well worth sharing with the dads in your life. How is our culture’s emphasis on autonomous independence different from an attitude […]
Ayn Rand in the mind of an impressionable twenty-something
I went to see Atlas Shrugged Part III the night it opened. The evening led me to reflect on what had attracted me to Ayn Rand as a twenty-something graduate student in economics. And let it be said: I was very attracted to her ideas. I appreciated how she dramatized the evils of a centrally […]
Stand Up to Elites to Stand for Children
Why should we stand for the family, or for marriage, or for life or for any of the culturally-conservative issues? Living in California during the Proposition 8 debates, I had a front row seat watching the “elites” mangle the meaning of marriage. The judicial elites have handed down a disastrous series of federal court decisions, […]
Married Rugby Buddies and the Point of Marriage
Did you hear about the two young guys in New Zealand who got married to enter a contest to win rugby tickets? I wrote about them the other day. The contest was open to married couples. The two guys are not gay, but have been buddies since they were 6 years old. They got married […]
Dealing with a Guilty Conscience: A Modest Proposal
We talk about some very sensitive issues at the Ruth Institute: sex, abortion, divorce. I have noticed that sometimes, peoples’ reactions are all out of proportion to what we actually said. Many times, I have wondered to myself, “What accounts for this extreme reaction?” Without jumping to an overly broad conclusion, let me suggest that […]
Helping a Victim, without Implicating the Perpetrator
I recently got this message from a Facebook friend. Just so you know, I would “like” and “share” all the divorce stories that you’re posting- only it would compromise some family relationships I have that I am responsible for. God is good and has afforded much forgiveness and reconciliation- I do not want to challenge […]
Family Secrets and Embarrassment
A note from a Facebook friend prompted me to reflect on family secrets and their potentially toxic impact on relationships. I want you to know why I have not responded to your call to “share our stories.” I cannot tell the whole of my story until some in it are no longer living- I guess […]
Tip #3 from "101 Tips for a Happier Marriage"
Remain in solidarity with the other person, especially when he or she is suffering or struggling. Love sits by the bedside, even when it is painful to watch. Be present and available to your spouse when they are going through a challenging time. It might be frustrating to listen to your spouse complain. It might […]
Karen’s Story: Cohabiting with Regrets
I believe we are living under a brutal sexual regime. The Sexual Revolution routinely chews people up and spits them out. Let me tell you a story about a young woman whom I know by reputation, but have never met. I have inferred some parts of her story, based on my experiences that are in […]
World Health Organization: The Pill causes cancer in humans
My doctor won’t give me Hormone Replacement Therapy to help relieve my menopause symptoms. He says those hormones are associated with increased health risks. Yet, if I were 40 years younger and asked the doctor for oral contraception, he would prescribe it in a snap. Even though hormone replacement therapy and oral contraceptives consist of […]
My prediction about the Princeton Professors…
Yesterday, I predicted that the debate between two Princeton professors would not broach what I consider to be the crucial questions on the marriage issue. The opening salvo by Professor Emeritus James Doig seemed more concerned with catching Professor Robert George in some inconsistency than in really exploring what the redefinition of marriage might ultimately mean. In […]
Asking the Right Questions about Marriage
Over at The Public Discourse, Professor Emeritus Jameson W. Doig of Princeton began a dialogue with Professor Robert George also of Princeton on the proper definition of marriage today. Professor Doig’s point appears to be that Professor George has not been consistent in his views. My point is not to defend Professor George: he is a […]
The Sexual State: The Purpose of our government
What is the purpose of government? Let us look around us to draw the conclusion. Based on what we observe our government doing, we would have to conclude: The real purpose of the government is to give people the sex lives they want, with a minimum of inconvenience. You want to have sex without having a baby? […]
Dear Bob: Letters to a Hopeful Marriage Apologist
Note: I get many letters from people asking for studies or quick answers to defend marriage to their friends. I get so many of these requests, I decided to put together a set of standard responses. I hope this series will be helpful for more people than those particular individuals who have written to me. […]
