PODCASTS

Tag: #FaithUnderFire

Faith Under Fire – Parental Rights and Children’s Gender Identity Laws – 07/20/23

Faith Under Fire – Parental Rights and Children’s Gender Identity Laws – 07/20/23

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Family Life’s “Faith Under Fire”

A parents-rights advocate says proposed laws are putting children and teen at risk. Randy Thomasson of SaveCalifornia.com updates us on a proposed California law now up for amendments and a vote this month (July 2023) in their state senate. This, he says, opens dangers for underage children in every state.

The legislation seeks to place a parent’s affirmation of of their child’s preferred gender identity among the criteria considered in child custody cases. That would mean in a case of a divorce or when a child or teen runs away (even from outside of California), judges would consider a parent who disagrees with the child’s announced gender role, the health and safety of the child could be considered “at risk” with that parent.

Thomasson tells Family Life’s Greg Gillispie that hundreds of California parents (from both sides of the aisle) showed up in the capitol building during hearings, strongly opposed to the proposed change in the law. He predicts it will pass and get the governor’s signature.

There have been similar pushes for such laws in New York and other states. Thomasson offers advice for families everywhere, in how to protect their own children and teens amid the current culture wars.

More on the California legislation, and its potential effects elsewhere:

  • Many lawmakers in Sacramento support Assembly Bill AB-957,
  • Lobbying by SaveCalifornia.com.
  • Multiple thousands who had body-altering procedures, while they were underage, are now regretting that choice. Some want to reverse the surgery or hormone treatments.
Faith Under Fire – Coach Joe is back with his football team – 08/17/23

Faith Under Fire – Coach Joe is back with his football team – 08/17/23

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“Faith Under Fire”

Joe Kennedy became a high school assistant football coach at Bremerton High School, as a part of a strengthening Christian faith and a deep sense of calling. After personal prayers on the field after games, later some students and fans would join him at the 50-yard-line.

After he was suspended and eventually fired because the school did not want him promoting religion, an eight-year legal battle followed. This spring, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that his First Amendment rights to “free exercise of religion” superceded the school’s contention that a school employee could not promote a specific religion (the First Amendment’s “establishment” clause).

This week as the fall football season begins, “Coach Joe” and his faith and his team are drawing new coverage from Seattle-area and national media, Family Life revisits an interview we had with Kennedy when he came to New York State on a speaking tour. 

More about Joe Kennedy’s life, faith, ministry and sense of calling is available here.

Faith Under Fire – Paul Kengor – Faith and Freedom Institute – 08/10/23

Faith Under Fire – Paul Kengor – Faith and Freedom Institute – 08/10/23

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When the founding generation of the United States were developing the Bill of Rights, freedoms of religion and speech and press and assembly were written into the Constitution. One guarantee which did was discussed by James Madison — but which did not make it into these amendments — was freedom of conscience. The guest on today’s “Faith Under Fire” feature tells us that the founders presumed that personal beliefs and conscience were covered by the freedom of religion.

Dr. Paul Kengor tells Family Life that — amid a “cancel culture” — there are dangers when certain speech and thoughts are considered off-limits. Kengor is the director of the Institute for Faith and Freedom at Grove City College in Pennsylvania gives us the history of free speech and free thought, then discusses the implications of a society which divides itself into ideological factions.

Kengor says individuals and religious groups must be allowed to stand up for their core values, even to those who oppose those positions. He challenges anyone who promotes “diversity and inclusion” to be inclusive in return to other people who have divergent views from theirs.

Paul Kengor is a professor of Political Science at GCC and is the editor of the American Spectator, a magazine and online journal of political and social thought.  “Faith Under Fire” airs Thursdays on the Family Life Noon Report, exploring where Christ, Christians and Culture intersect, overlap, and hopefully seek truth.

Faith Under Fire – Craig DeRoche – Which are Problems, Which are Solutions? – 07/27/23

Faith Under Fire – Craig DeRoche – Which are Problems, Which are Solutions? – 07/27/23

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“Faith Under Fire”

When people of faith look at the realities of abuse, violence, addictions and so many more social issues, a lot of the analysis describes these as the culture’s “problems”. Craig DeRoche told a New York pro-family, pro-faith conference — and now tells Family Life listeners — that the vocabulary and perspective on “problems” and “solutions” need to change…if we are to bring a resolution and hope to all these circumstances around us.

DeRoche is the president of the Family Policy Alliance. He says we need to reverse the terms “problems” and “solutions”. The troubles around us are less about problems to be solved, but can be better understood as inadequate and unhelpful solutions to the deeper problems people have. As a follower of Christ, he says lives of faith and discipleship are the only solutions that work. He tells his first-person story about how Jesus resolved his own inner problems, and thereby his marriage, family and vocation became better than they ever were before.

DeRoche, in his own work with the national organization, also advocates for this understanding of problems and solutions as he advocates for public policy in his interactions with lawmakers. He calls on people who have discovered the True Solution to be active in their households, local communities, regional and statewide groups, and other ways of faith-sharing and solution-solving.

 

The Family Policy Alliance has partnerships with organizations in 40 states, including New York and Pennsylvania. Craig DeRoche also spoke at the 2023 Legislative Day in Albany. He hosts a weekly podcast on with stories on culture and faith.

Special Feature – Supreme Court Rulings on Religious Freedom – Jeremy Samek – 07/05/23

Special Feature – Supreme Court Rulings on Religious Freedom – Jeremy Samek – 07/05/23

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“Ramifications of Recent Supreme Court Rulings”

The U.S. Supreme Court majority announced major rulings in the past week, deciding cases related to religious freedoms, affirmative action, and the write-offs of some students’ college loans.

Family Life News aired an extended conversation to get beyond the quick headlines — and past the partisan “spin” — and gather analysis on some of these major rulings from the the final days of the Court’s current term. Our guest is Jeremy Samek of the Independence Law Center. He was active in the lawsuits brought by a Christian postal worker in Pennsylvania and a website designer who was sued for discrimination, pushing against First Amendment rights of freedom of religious expression.

Faith Under Fire – Jim Harden – One Year after Dobbs – 06/29/23

Faith Under Fire – Jim Harden – One Year after Dobbs – 06/29/23

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:32 — 9.0MB)

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The Dobbs decision at the U.S. Supreme Court last June transformed the models used by the pro-life movement, abortion providers, and those who favor access to abortion.

We have reached out to numerous entities affected in this first full year since Roe v. Wade was overturned and remanded back to state legislatures to set laws, restrictions and funding for each state and D.C.

Jim Harden, director of Compass-Care in western and central New York joined Family Life this week on the radio and online for “Faith Under Fire”.

Harden offers his reflections on the past year, as well as with the very first-hand experience of having one Comfort-Care facility set on fire before the Dobbs decision was officially announced. He expresses frustration that federal law enforcement to date has not arrested any suspects, even the government agents have numerous interactions with few pro-life advocates across the country.

 

Special Feature – Dobbs Anniversary – 06/26/23

Special Feature – Dobbs Anniversary – 06/26/23

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:46 — 9.3MB)

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Dobbs case overturns Roe v. Wade — One-Year Later

This past Saturday marked the one-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.  By a 6-3 majority, the Court remanded decisions on abortion law back the state courts and state legislatures. The determination confirmed that any “right to abortion” is not a Constitutionally-mandated requirement related to privacy rights.

In the year since, about half of the states have enacted some restrictions and oversight of the abortion industry, while the other half are enacting ways to help doctors end pregnancies via surgical or pharmaceutical means.

For local Pennsylvania and New York perspectives on the pro-life movement a year after Dobbs, Family Life interviewed Alexis Sneller (a pro-life advocate with the Pennsylvania Family Institute in Harrisburg) and John Gramlich (board president at Caring Choices Pregnancy Centers of Rochester and Webster).

    

 

 

 

 

(Family Life News has also reached out to Planned Parenthood clinics in both states, for their perspectives on the anniversary of the end of Roe v. Wade.)

 

Faith Under Fire – Drama in a Vegas High School – 06/22/23

Faith Under Fire – Drama in a Vegas High School – 06/22/23

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:34 — 9.1MB)

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Faith Under Fire: First Amendment protections for students and their parents

Parents are increasingly being ignored, targeted and attacked – for protecting the rights of their children in school settings. Family Life talked with a Christian attorney who says what is happening to the young people is even worse.

A 15-year-old student in a Clark County school district in Nevada was forced to perform a profanity-laced, sexually explicit, and obscene monologue before the entire class as a graded assignment. School officials then lied to the parents. Although the teen girl had been forced to say those words in front of her class the school board prevented the student’s mother from reading aloud those same words in a public meeting of adults.

Abigail Southerland of the American Center for Law and Justice explains the case for us, as well as the multiple efforts which the parents made to complain to the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts. (The girl’s father had to do so virtually, as he was on a military deployment.)

A decision from the Federal Court is expected soon. Because of the First Amendment issues raised, there could be an appeal of the verdict, to address what the plaintiffs call compelled speech for the student and restricted speech for the parents.

 

                    Bonus content:

Faith Under Fire – Coach Joe Kennedy – 06/15/23

Faith Under Fire – Coach Joe Kennedy – 06/15/23

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:32 — 7.6MB)

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The high school football coach fired for praying in public is back on the job this summer, after winning his First-Amendment lawsuit at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Joe Kennedy started his coaching career, after sensing a personal calling in response to watching the Christian sports movie, “Facing the Giants”. In gratitude to God for this privilege, Kennedy began praying at the 50-yard-line by himself, but some students later joined him. He would be reprimanded, then fired, and lost several court cases before winning in the Supreme Court.

Kennedy was a featured speaker at the recent 2023 Legislative Day sponsored by New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms. Greg Gillispie interviewed “Coach Joe” during his time at Albany, New York.

Bonus content:

          • Coach Joe Kennedy’s website
          • Details about the legal processes which led to his successful Supreme Court ruling
          • A video of his story, struggles and successes
Faith Under Fire – Artificial Intelligence – James Spencer – 06/08/23

Faith Under Fire – Artificial Intelligence – James Spencer – 06/08/23

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:08 — 7.0MB)

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Christians & Artificial Intelligence

Today on “Faith Under Fire”: We’ll hear more from James Spencer about the role Christians can play in the development of new technologies. 

Author James Spencer says Artificial Intelligence may increase efficiency, but it can’t replace our God-given desire to work.

Spencer, president of the D.L. Moody Institute, says Christians need to put AI in its proper place, and we have the unique opportunity to do that from a Biblical perspective.

 

You also can listen to our previous conversation with James Spencer here.

“Faith Under Fire” airs most Thursdays on the radio (and online) during the Noon Report, and segments are included in other newscasts during the day. These conversations are also archived on FamilyLife.org/newspodcasts for you to hear, subscribe or download.

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