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Family Life Noon Report – July 4, 2024

“Freedom & Faith”

On this special edition of the Family Life Noon Report:

• Actor Gary Sinise tells his story of how portraying Lieutenant Dan changed his life, and how he and his movie character has changed the lives of those in military service, their families, veterans, and — especially — disabled veterans.

[Spoiler alert: Forrest Gump’s commanding officer became a paraplegic because of his military service in Vietnam.] 

The award-winning, generational-touchstone movie Forrest Gump entered America’s consciousness — and our national conscience — when it debuted 30 years ago this weekend.

• Christian professor Caleb Verbois gives us insight into how the Christian faith shaped America’s founding generation and their documents. The Declaration of Independence and the U.S Constitution are rooted in Biblical tradition and Christian priorities.
• Political History professor Jeff Bloodworth talks about the extreme personal risks taken by Colonists who chose to rebel against the British king. He also told us that modern-day political turmoil and divisiveness is nothing new. Debate, derision and name-calling are a quintessial aspect of being a democracy — and has been throughout two and a half centuries of U.S. history.
• The “free exercise” and “establishment” clauses are the parallel protections of religious freedom in the First Amendment. But, as we hear from Biblical scholar Paul Kemeny, the United States might have come close to having one official religion for at least some colonies in the new nation, but it was stopped by protests in the decade between the Declaration and the Constitution. Without that early advocacy for full religious liberty without government entanglements, freedom of religion would have been shaped very differently.

 

Our guests for this Faith & Freedom-themed holiday special:

       

Dr. Caleb Verbois is Professor of Political Science at Grove City College (Erie, Pennsylvania)

Dr. Jeff Bloodworth is Professor of History and Director of the Public Service and Global Studies Program at Gannon

Dean Paul Kemeny leads the School of Arts and Letters, as well as teaching Bible and Religious studies at Grove City College

Academy-award-winning actor Gary Sinise portrayed Forrest Gump’s commanding officer (and First Mate on Gump’s shrimp boat) in the 1994 movie Forrest Gump. His Gary Sinise Foundation is active in supporting current and previous American service personnel.

• • The American Veterans Center conducted the Gary Sinise interview. You can listen to or watch his longer conversation about Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, his full acting and directing career, and how disabled veterans have given him spiritual renewal and a meaningful life purpose.

 

Family Life’s News Producer Greg Gillispie hosts this July 4 half-hour special.