Faith and Law

Faith and Law hosted our yearly panel discussion with Capitol Hill veterans to explore ethical issues encountered by Hill staff, especially as they reach senior leadership positions. Panelists including John Cusey, Melika McKinnis, and John Shelton shared their stories of success and failure as they navigated the complicated ethical waters of the Hill. The discussion was moderated by Bill Wichterman, President of the board of Faith and Law.Due to technical issues with one of the hearing room microphones, parts of our recording have subpar audio quality. We regret any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.Support the show

As a leader of the largest ever global study on human flourishing, Dr. Byron Johnson, Distinguished Professor of the Social Sciences at Baylor University and Visiting Distinguished Professor in the School of Public Policy at Pepperdine University, joined us to discuss why a "focus on flourishing" is important for all policymakers whatever their political party. In conversation with Pepperdine School of Public Policy Dean Pete Peterson, Dr. Johnson went beyond the theoretical to reveal what the latest data are telling us about the importance of faith in promoting healthy societies, and how policy decisions can either inhibit or promote human flourishing.Support the show

Gary Haugen's firsthand experience investigating systemic human rights abuses helped him recognize a troubling pattern: people living in the world’s poorest communities experienced constant physical danger because their local justice systems weren’t equipped to defend them from the violence they faced every day. Haugen was told that this would never change, but he believed otherwise, leading to the founding of International Justice Mission (IJM). Since 1997, IJM's reach has expanded globally into 31 program offices in 16 countries working to combat trafficking and slavery, violence against women and children and police abuse of power.Still, these issues of violence persist, affecting millions around the world – an estimated 50 million people live modern slavery globally and nearly 736 million women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence at least once in their lifetime.Government officials in the United States are uniquely positioned to create policies and foreign assistance programs that protect vulnerable people from these human rights abuses. How can policymakers work to increase access to justice, hold criminals accountable, and reduce the prevalence of violence and exploitation?Support the show

The American political order, and the civilization from which it emerged, are under unprecedented assault—from both the political Left and the New Right. Yet the ideals and institutions that have shaped Western Civilization—concepts such as individual freedom, natural rights, and belief in a loving God—have made profound contributions to human flourishing. Dr. Joseph Loconte, Presidential Scholar in Residence at New College of Florida and the C.S. Lewis Scholar for Public Life at Grove City College, joined us to discuss how transmitting this part of the human story is the most urgent educational task we face.  Support the show

Mark Tooley, president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy joined us to discuss how Dutch and English Whiggish principles birthed by Anglo Protestantism created ordered liberty and self government. These principles are not static but dynamic. And once shaping society they are not easily erased. Confidence about tomorrow can come if we recall and better live out these principles. They remind us that we each bear God’s political image and are stewards of His creation. And they point us away from nostalgia or temptations towards authoritarianism and instead towards enriched democracy amid providential hope.Support the show

In our day, "social justice" is a loaded term. While it is easy to agree that every relationship carries responsibilities -- friend and friend, business and client, government and people -- identifying the terms and principles of those responsibilities is a trickier task. What makes one party a giver and another a receiver? When injustice abounds, who is to blame? Is it correct to associate "social justice" with an image of the people pressing its government for goods and services?Dr. Russell Hittinger, Executive Director of the Institute for Human Ecology at Catholic University, presented clear principles, classical and timeless, for identifying what justice is, who gives it, and what order it upholds. Support the show

V. Bradley Lewis, Associate Professor Philosophy at Catholic University, and Jonathon Askonas, Assistant Professor of Politics at Catholic University, engaged in an interview-style discussion on the current standing, risks, and allure of artificial intelligence.Support the show

The development of medical treatments often requires use of human subjects, as well as human cells and body parts as models of human systems, to investigate mechanisms of action and to test therapeutics. Biotechnology has provided many successful therapies for previously intractable conditions, but also increasingly complex techniques that can alter what it means to be human and blur ethical lines. When we consider stem cells, cloning, gene editing, human-animal chimeras, organoids, embryoids and so-called synthetic embryos, what is ethical and what crosses the line of human dignity? Is any scientific endeavor justifiable because of a potential for cures, or are there ethical limits to efforts to heal or eliminate certain diseases all together? Do ethical alternatives exist that would benefit humanity without losing our ethical integrity?The Charlotte Lozier Institute has developed the Handbook of Nascent Human Beings to explain the science and to stimulate discussion on the ethics and moral permissibility of modern medicine and biotechnology. The place of this research in policy will also be discussed.David A. Prentice, Ph.D. is Vice President for Scientific Affairs at the Charlotte Lozier Institute. He is also Advisory Board Chair and a Founding Member for the Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center, a unique comprehensive stem cell center in Kansas that he was instrumental in creating. In 2020, he was appointed by the Secretary of HHS to the federal Human Fetal Tissue Ethics Advisory Board. Dr. Prentice has almost 50 years’ experience as a scientific researcher and professor, including previous service as a staff member at Los Alamos National Laboratory, senior fellow at the Family Research Council, Professor of Life Sciences at Indiana State University, Adjunct Professor of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, and Adjunct Professor of Molecular Genetics at the John Paul II Institute, The Catholic University of America. He has provided scientific lectures, policy briefings and testimonies in 40 states and 21 countries, including before the U.S. House and Senate and numerous state legislatures, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the President’s Council on Bioethics, European Parliament, British Parliament, Canadian Parliament, Australian Parliament, German Bundestag, French Senate, Swedish Parliament, the United Nations, and the Vatican.Tara Sander Lee, Ph.D., is Vice President and Director of Life Sciences at the Charlotte Lozier Institute. A scientist with over 20 years’ experience in academic and clinical medicine with an emphasis on the cause of pediatric disease, Dr. Sander Lee earned a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the Medical College of Wisconsin followed by postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital in molecular and cell biology. Dr. Sander Lee was an appointed faculty member at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where she directed a research laboratory investigating congenital heart disease in children and served as Scientific Director of Molecular Diagnostics at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. She has also served as a scientific consultant and is currently a member of the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Advisory Committee on Infant and Maternal Mortality.Dr. Sander Lee is dedicated to promoting ethical advancements in healthcare that protect the sanctity of every human life. She has given expert legislative testimony, numerous national media interviews, and provided scientific advice for legislators, policymakers, and organizations. Dr. Sander Lee is published in various medical journals and textbooks, including her most recent contribution to the book, Choose Life: AnsSupport the show

The divisions in America increasingly create an environment where everything is political, and the places in society where people who disagree can come together are dwindling as a result. How does our faith act as a compass to guide us through this culture of litmus tests and virtue signalling? When our culture wants us to pick sides and put our faith in politics, how do we lead a different way?Andrew Hanauer, President and CEO of the One America Movement, joined us to discuss how to reject toxic forms of division and offer a moral vision that transcends our divisive and disconnected culture.Support the show

For over half a century, pro-life advocates have fought to protect the sanctity of human life. Now that the decision the pro-life community has been waiting and praying for has finally become a reality, a question remains: Now what? How do we continue to stand for life for everyone who bears the image of God—from womb to tomb? And if abortion disproportionately impacts the poor and the marginalized, specifically Black Americans, why should we seize this new opportunity to make right what has gone terribly wrong?Benjamin Watson, author and a former NFL player who now serves as VP of strategic relationships with Human Coalition,  joined us to discuss how we can create a culture where abortion is both unthinkable and unnecessary by relentlessly pursuing a more just world—for everyone.Click here to order Benjamin Watson's latest book "The New Fight for Life Roe, Race, and a Pro-Life Commitment to Justice".Support the show