PODCASTS

Tag: #politics
Elections: Christian voter turnout falls short at the ballot box – 8/27/24

Elections: Christian voter turnout falls short at the ballot box – 8/27/24

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Elections: Christian voter turnout falls short at the ballot box

One public opinion poll says one-third of Christian voters stay home on election day and don’t cast ballots.

A Christian social advocate says people of faith who choose not to practice what he calls their “Biblical Citizenship” are instead handing over their influence to other groups who do not share the same values.

Executive Director Jason McGuire of the New York Family Foundation says other constituencies have voter turnout that tops 90 percent for every election.

 

This week (8/27/2024) Family Life News is airing (and podcasting) a series of extended interviews giving a deeper dive into this year’s elections, beyond the individual candidates and campaigns.

In this conversation about Christians’ roles to shape government, McGuire also talks about:

  • Biblical mandates for faithful interaction with voting, campaigns and social action
  • Why some Christians believe they should avoid all of politics and partisanship
  • How Christians should consider an entire ballot and its consequences, not just the presidential choices
  • What a proposed Constitutional amendment in New York State could mean for Christ-centered citizens, people who hold traditional values, and all of their neighbors too
  • An effort to increase Christian turnout for early voting and on November 5 locally and in all 50 states, and how to sign up for non-partisan e-mail reminders

 

PA as a swing state, and the narrow slice of undecided voters – 8/26/24

PA as a swing state, and the narrow slice of undecided voters – 8/26/24

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PA as a swing state, and a narrow slice of undecided voters – 8/26/2024

 

In this special Family Life Interview, political scientist Mark Caleb Smith analyzes how the two major political parties will need to focus on about 5% of eligible voters, and to push huge turnout among their own base voters — in order to win the presidential race, seats on Capitol Hill, and other November races.

Dr. Smith also gives his insights into Pennsylvania’s role as perhaps the most-signficant among a handful of “swing” states in this election battle, and why Gov. Josh Shapiro was not the running mate on the Democratic ticket.

 

 

Dr. Mark Caleb Smith is dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at Cedarville University, where he is also professor of political science.

Cedarville is a Christian university in southwestern Ohio.

 
City On The Hill – Part Two – Today’s young Christian and cultural leaders – 8/12/24

City On The Hill – Part Two – Today’s young Christian and cultural leaders – 8/12/24

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The next generation of young leaders — or, perhaps said more accurately, the incoming generation of young leaders — gets leadership development and hands-on training from the annual summer project called City On The Hill. The Pennsylvania Family Institute brought together 57 high school and college students for worship, workshops and a simulation of a state senate session with debates and legislative proposals.

This podcast features Part Two of our conversation with two of those participants, Jacob Reece and Amiya Montijo.

In Part One, we focused on the activities of that week of Biblical worldview and leadership development. [ It aired 8/01/2024 on Family Life. Listen to, share or download it here. ]

In this new interview, Greg Gillispie asks these guests about what is true for young people who have grown up in today’s culture. They offer their personal perspectives of hope, reassurance and commitment, coming from today’s Christian young adults.

Jacob Reece is a pre-law student from Blandon, PA. He also interned this summer with PFI.  Amiya Montijo is a 2024 high school graduate. She has attended COTH across multiple summers.

Information about the 2025 City On The Hill — the 25th anniversary — is available on their website.

 

 
Staycation – Theodore Roosevelt Historical Site – 8/09/24

Staycation – Theodore Roosevelt Historical Site – 8/09/24

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It’s “Staycation Destinations” on Family Life

This week, we give you a radio tour of the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site

In 1901, President McKinley — and thousands of others — were in Buffalo for the Pan-American Exposition, a world’s fair celebrating the promise of the dawning century. There, an assassin shot the president, who died about a week later. Vice President Theodore Roosevelt was rushed by stagecoach to Buffalo, and at the home of friend and attorney Ansley Wilcox was administered the oath of office to become America’s 26th president.

The Wilcox home is now an official historic site operated by the National Park Service. The museum commemorates the 1901 exposition, the dawn of new identities for the United States, and the life and work of this “Rough Rider” President.

TR Site Executive Director Spencer Morgan talks in this podcast about the exhibits and stories visitors will find.

 

By Dunn, Robert Lee, photographer - Library of CongressCatalog: via Wikimedia Commons

  Newspodcasts
Vocabulary & Tone matter, to communicate Faith & Values – 8/05/24

Vocabulary & Tone matter, to communicate Faith & Values – 8/05/24

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:12 — 8.5MB)

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How to “word” an Abortion Debate, to be more likely to change hearts and minds…..

A Christian public-relations specialist says people with a particular “take” on the pro-life/pro-abortion debate — or any other contentious cultural issue — would do well to choose productive tones and words to influence people who disagree. People can use productive vocabulary when we speak, and listen for accurate or inaccurate wording in speeches, news coverage and public debate.

Thomas Ciesielka has recommended a number of experts for other Family Life interviews on multiple”hot topics”. Family Life News Producer Greg Gillispie asked if he would do his own interview, about the best processes and techniques that shape public conversation.

Ciesielka says it is vital to be intentional and conscientious in choosing the wording of your statements and questions. Such choices determine whether you earn a hearing, then ultimately whether you can win or lose the argument.

Pennsylvania native Tom Ciesielka has a quarter-century of experience in public relations and business development. After working at another PR agency which wanted him to work for clients which violated his personal and religious values, he founded TC Public Relations which centers its media and messaging services toward Christian groups, pro-life organizations, and other nonprofits with traditional values:
City on the Hill – Motivation for the Next Generation of Faithful Activitists – 8/01/24

City on the Hill – Motivation for the Next Generation of Faithful Activitists – 8/01/24

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City on the Hill – Motivation for the Next Generation of Faithful Activists

A Family Life Interview on “Faith Under Fire” – 8/01/2024

Some five dozen young-adult Christians spent a week getting information and inspiration on how to live faithfully and act Biblically in the public square.

 

“City on the Hill” just completed its 24th year of motivating the next generation of Christian activists. The program is an outreach of the Pennsylvania Family Institute. It uses workshops, guest speakers, open discussions, and a simulation of a legislative debate to help the high school and college students wrestle with the social, political and cultural issues of the day. The subject matter ranges from Christians in the Public Square to The Case for Life to Why Religious Freedom Matters.

This is the first of a two-part interview with Amaya Montijo, a high school student from Annville, and Jacob Reece, a college student from Blandon. Both are multi-year participants in City on the Hill.

 

For your follow-up:

  • The Pennsylvania Family Institute presents City on the Hill as a leadership development and worldview conference each July. Details are here.
  • Their promotional video is also online.
  • Jacob Reece also wrote a blog post, telling his first-person account of how he has been changed through his experiences at COTH.

 

Part Two of this conversation aired on 8/12/2024.  The podcast version is available here.
Strategies for Presidential and Senate Races: National and in PA — Jeff Bloodworth

Strategies for Presidential and Senate Races: National and in PA — Jeff Bloodworth

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A Family Life Interview: Political Strategies, in Changeable Times — 7/29/2024

A week ago, Erie-based political scientist Jeff Bloodworth offered us analysis of how the Democratic Party is handling a quick conversion of its ticket for the presidential and vice-presidential campaign.

During today’s Family Life Noon Report, Professor Bloodworth surveys options and strategies available to the Republicans, in light of Joe Biden’s withdrawal from seeking reelection. During this conversation, he says the GOP has immediate opportunities to allow the Democrats to publicly try to sort out its winning ticket. The political history professor at Gannon University also zooms in on three Pennsylvanians with prominent roles heading into the 2024 general elections:

  • Governor Josh Shapiro, considered by many to be a likely candidate to run for his party nationally this fall
  • Incumbent Democrat Bob Casey Junior, whose prospects for the U.S. Senate may be hampered by his vocal support for President Biden before and after the consequential June debate
  • Republican Senate challenger Dave McCormick, whom Bloodworth says could campaign on whether Casey was telling the truth to his constituents or prioritizing his own political party’s interests

Dr. Bloodworth also gives us his current evaluation of how the 2024 results will shape up — two options, subject to potentially more week-by-week swings in political trends as have happened every week so far this summer.

 

FOR FURTHER LISTENING:

In addition to this interview about likely Republican strategies, a parallel conversation about Democratic strategies [online here] is also available from the “Family Life News” podcasts from the Family Life Now mobile app, most other podcast platforms, and on the NEWS tab at www.FamilyLife.org.

     

“Doing Church” in the Aftermath of an Assassination Attempt – 7/25/24

“Doing Church” in the Aftermath of an Assassination Attempt – 7/25/24

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“Doing Church” — “Being Church” — in the Aftermath of an Assassination Attempt

A Family Life Interview

For much of the nation, so much has happened in a two-week period, that the news-cycle has moved on from the assassination attempt in Butler County, Pennsylvania.

However, for the people of that immediate region an hour north of Pittsburgh, the trauma and the questions that started a mere two Saturdays ago will continue for quite some time.

Local churches there are responding — and will, into the long term.

Our Greg Gillispie talked with regional pastor Tom Harmon, asking about Christians’ local response, to an internationally-famous incident. Theirs is among many local congregations of multiple traditions and denominations reaching out in faithful responses in the aftermath of this shooting.

 

The Rev. Dr. Tom Harmon is executive presbyter for Beaver-Butler Presbytery, a network of 60 congregations in western Pennsylvania.

The organization to which Dr. Harmon refers is “Search for Common Ground”. The USA component of this worldwide movement released a public statement regarding the shooting of Donald Trump and three attendees at the Butler rally. The organization’s website is www.SFCG.org

Family Life News seeks to bring a Christian Worldview to what’s happening in New York, Pennsylvania, across the country, and around the world with 12 daily newscasts, special features, podcasts, and extended interviews like this one.
A Family Life Interview – Local analysis of the Biden-Harris campaign swap

A Family Life Interview – Local analysis of the Biden-Harris campaign swap

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:29 — 13.0MB)

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A Family Life Interview – Local analysis of Democrats’ next steps, post-Biden

In these early days since President Biden released a statement that he was stepping away from his reelection campaign, attention has centered around Vice President Kamala Harris becoming the leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination.

We get local analysis on these fast-changing political and governmental developments, with a Family Life Interview with Professor Jeff Bloodworth of Gannon University in Erie.  Bloodworth gives his initial reactions to Biden’s withdrawal from the race, historical perspectives on this year’s political machinations, and his observations about steps Democrats should take next to strengthen their electoral prospects.

Among those considerations, recruiting Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro to be the vice-presidential nominee — or perhaps even the new presidential candidate.

Dr. Jeff Bloodworth is one of our commentators for Family Life News on politics and history. He teaches both of those subjects at Gannon University.
The Attack on Trump — Political & Christian perspectives from Michael Geer – 7/18/24

The Attack on Trump — Political & Christian perspectives from Michael Geer – 7/18/24

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:12 — 9.9MB)

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The Attack on Trump — Political & Christian perspectives from Michael Geer – 7/18/2024

As part of the Family Life News continuing coverage of the attempt on Donald Trump’s life on July 13,  we continue to seek out reactions and perspectives from the Family Life listening area.

Michael Geer is the founding president of the Pennsylvania Family Institute. (He had been a resident of that area north of the Pittsburgh metro area.) Family Life news producer Greg Gillispie asked Geer to comment on the likely political fallout in Pennsylvania. Winning a majority of Keystone State voters is seen by both major political parties as a key to who will win the presidency this fall. Geer says the assassination attempt, plus the former president’s actions in the immediate aftermath, are likely to influence a number of uncommitted and independent voters.

Geer also offers a faith-based perspective on how, moving forward, this near-death experience is likely to affect the 45th president — and many people for whom this event can be a significant turning point.

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