Faith and Law

The central question of this cultural moment, the one behind the most difficult issues we face as a society, is what does it mean to be human. Who are we? What is our value? What is our responsibility to one another? The vision of humanity at the heart of the Christian story is true and good, the most compelling account of who we are, and the best opportunity for Christians to offer life and hope to individuals, communities, and cultures. John Stonestreet serves as president of the Colson Center. He’s a sought-after author and speaker on areas of faith and culture, theology, worldview, education and apologetics. John is the daily voice of BreakPoint,the nationally syndicated commentary on the culture founded by the late Chuck Colson. He is also the voice of The Point, a daily one-minute feature on worldview, apologetics, and cultural issues. Before coming to the Colson Center in 2010, John served in various leadership capacities with Summit Ministries and was on the biblical studies faculty at Bryan College (TN). John has co-authored five books: A Practical Guide to Culture, A Student’s Guide to Culture, Restoring All Things, Same-Sex Marriage, and Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview. John holds degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL) and Bryan College (TN). He and his wife, Sarah, have four children and live in Colorado Springs, CO. Connect with John at BreakPoint.org, or follow him on Twitter (@jbstonestreet).Support the show

In 1973 in Roe v Wade, the Supreme Court found an implied right to abortion in the Constitution. By the end of this term in June, it will rule on a case - Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Women's Health Organization - that challenges the continuing validity of that holding. Professors Helen Alvaré of George Mason Scalia School of Law and William Saunders of The Catholic University of America will discuss the prospects for overturning Roe.Below are three readings that will provide background to the discussion."Roberts's roadmap to reversing Roe v. Wade", Helen Alvaré, The Hill, March 4, 2022.Amicus Brief of 141 International Legal ScholarsBrief of 240 Women Scholars et al In Support of Petitioners DobbsSupport the show

Abandoning the view of human nature that guided the country’s Founders, Americans for two centuries have justified democracy on false and romantic grounds. We think too highly of ourselves, and this comforting misperception magnifies our partisan polarization, intensifies our frustration with democratic institutions, and heightens our susceptibility to authoritarianism. A necessary first step to a healthier democracy will be to redefine ourselves as “We the Fallen People.”During this Friday Forum, Dr. McKenzie argued that we must take an unflinching look at the very nature of democracy—its strengths and weaknesses, what it can promise, and where it overreaches. For further reading, feel free to read Thomas J. Wilson's review of Dr McKenzie's book, "Reappraising American Goodness: A Review of McKenzie’s We the Fallen People" January 26, 2022 in Providence Magazine.Support the show

Faith & Law hosted a panel of senior Capitol Hill Veterans, moderated by John Palafoutas, founder of Faith & Law, to explore the "Trials and Tribulations of Living an Ethical Life on Capitol Hill." Panelists included:Arne Christenson, former Chief of Staff to then Speaker Newt Gingrich.Nicole Gustafson, former senior policy advisor and chief counsel to former Majority Leader/Minority Whip Eric Cantor.Luke Murry, former National Security Advisor for Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy.Support the show

Federal law protects the civil rights of medical conscience and religious freedom in health care. These defend the rights of medical professionals, clinics, hospitals, and other health care entities who refuse to participate in specific medical procedures or health care activities, based on moral objections or religious beliefs. In recent years, advocates and politicians have been trying to pressure health-care providers to compromise their convictions and compel them to perform procedures or activities they believe are immoral or unethical.In this talk, Louis Brown demonstrates that medical conscience and religious freedom, defended by a culture of life, is necessary for just healthcare, particularly for those who have been historically marginalized – the unborn, racial minorities, and the disabled.Introduction and discussion with William Saunders, Director of the Program in Human Rights at the Institute of Human Ecology.Support the show

How should Christians arrive at political positions? How does Biblical political judgement differ from secular judgement? Is there a place to exercise Biblical judgment at all in our modern politics? Dr. Micah J. Watson of Calvin University and Dr. David Corey of Baylor University discuss Scripture, faith, and reasoning by natural law.Support the show

The United States is facing a moral crisis prompted by rapid increases in cross-border migration and global displacement. For too long, the debate around immigration policy has been framed with false choices that have resulted in political stalemates at a great human cost. Crisis after crisis, Americans are asked to choose between security and unbridled compassion. Is there a better way to safeguard our immigration system while welcoming the stranger? Daniel Garza is the president of the LIBRE Initiative. Born in the Central Valley of California, he would migrate with his family annually from their ancestral hometown of Garza Gonzalez in Nuevo Leon, Mexico- throughout California, Nebraska and Washington State following the crop season as farm workers until he was 19 years of age.Mr. Garza began his in public service career as congressional staff assistant for U.S. congressman Richard "Doc" Hastings and was later elected as councilman for the city of Toppenish, Washington in 1996. In 2001, he was tapped by the George W. Bush Administration to serve as Deputy Director of External and Intergovernmental Affairs in the Office of the Secretary at The Department of Interior, and was appointed in 2004 to Associate Director of the Office of Public Liaison in the White House. In 2007, Daniel joined Univision to host and co-produce "Agenda Washington", a weekly Spanish-language news talk show covering the issues impacting the U.S. Hispanic community. Mr. Garza was appointed to serve on the Board of The Harvard Journal of Hispanic Policy in 2016, was designated as one of Washington, D.C.’s “Influentials” by Congressional Quarterly Magazine in 2018, and in 2019, Daniel was named 1 of the 50 most influential voices in Washington DC by The National Journal.Elizabeth Neumann served during the George W. Bush administration managing President Bush’s Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, which involved working with the Departments of Education and Housing Development. From 2003 to 2005, Neumann worked at the White House as part of the inaugural staff of the Homeland Security Council post 9/11. The job included working with the different government security agencies to counter terrorism. Neumann served as an executive assistant to Homeland Security Advisor, John A Gordon, shifting eventually to serve as a Homeland Security policy advisor for a year and as Associate Director of the Domestic Counterterrorism Directorate. As a director, she advised the presidential appointee on Homeland Security policy initiatives. Neumann left the Bush Administration and worked with the Senior Advisor to the Program Manager for the Information Sharing Environment, Office of the Director of National Intelligence.Neumann joined DHS Secretary John Kelly as his Deputy Chief of Staff in 2017; and she served in the same capacity under Acting DHS Secretary Elaine Duke. In 2018, Neumann transitioned into her role as DHS Assistant Secretary for Threat Prevention and Security Policy, where she served until her resignation in April 2020.John Cusey is the Vice President of Communications at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). He has a long record of government service including working for multiple presidential administrations and members of Congress. In 2019, John served in the Office of Refugee Resettlement at the Department of Health and Human Services. In his time on Capitol Hill, he served as the Executive Director of the Bipartisan Congressional Pro-life Caucus for five years with Congressman Chris Smith and as the Legislative Director and Press Secretary for Congressman Gary Miller for two years. Prior to working in DC, John worked for three different Members of the California State Legislature where he focused on budget issues.Support the show

On the eve of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month, it is appropriate to reflect on how public policy, current healthcare protocols, and our own lack of understanding can compound the trauma of the loss of a child and contribute to prolonged grief reactions. In addition to gaining a better understanding of the unique obstacles facing bereaved parents and their families, we will discuss evidence-based reproductive grief care best practices that can be employed individually and corporately to bring comfort and hope to these grieving individuals.Jamie Dangers, the Legislative Director of Susan B Anthony List will be providing an introduction as well as an update on the Texas Senate Bill 8.A recording of this talk will be made available online.Support the show

America’s national and international crises have thrown a stark spotlight on leadership, and shown up once again the strong differences between secular views and Christian views. But what are the defining features of a biblical view of leadership? How do we ensure that servant leadership is more than a cliché? How do we make our distinctive dimensions of leadership real in these turbulent times?Os Guinness is an author and social critic. Great-great-great grandson of Arthur Guinness, the Dublin brewer, he was born in China in World War Two where his parents were medical missionaries. A witness to the climax of the Chinese revolution in 1949, he was expelled with many other foreigners in 1951 and returned to Europe where he was educated in England. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of London and his D.Phil in the social sciences from Oriel College, Oxford. Os has written or edited more than thirty books, including The Call, Time for Truth, Unspeakable, A Free People’s Suicide, The Global Public Square, and Last Call for Liberty: How America’s Genius for Freedom Has Become Its Greatest Threat. His latest book,The Magna Carta of Humanity - Sinai’s revolutionary faith and the future of freedom, was published in May 2021.Pete Peterson is the Braun Family Dean of Pepperdine’s School of Public Policy. Prior to this he was the executive director of the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement at the School where he remains a senior fellow. Through the Institute, Peterson’s work focuses on improving public policy processes at the local level and the use of technology to make municipalities more transparent and responsive. His training seminar, "Public Engagement: The Vital Leadership Skill” has been attended by over 4,000 municipal officials around the country.In 2017, Peterson helped launch the “American Project” at Pepperdine, which convenes activists, academics, and policymakers to discuss and write about the American conservative movement. Citing loneliness and alienation as significant cultural maladies, the “Project” argues for a communitarian politics reimagined for the 21st century.Peterson writes widely on public engagement and the conservative movement for various newspapers and blogs. He contributed the chapter, "Place As Pragmatic Policy" to the edited volume, Why Place Matters: Geography, Identity, and Civic Life in Modern America (New Atlantis Books, 2014), and "Do-It Ourselves Citizenship" for Localism in the Mass Age (Wipf & Stock, 2018). Peterson was the Republican nominee for California Secretary of State in 2014.Support the show

Many young professionals have sought answers to the important question: “How exactly do I discern God’s will, and determine what life and career path to take in the days ahead?”While countless responses to this question have been suggested and published, the biblical answer is profoundly simple and truly liberating. Join Congressman Mike Johnson as he presents the answer that may change your life and perspective in dramatic ways.Congressman Mike Johnson is a Republican member of Congress proudly serving Louisiana’s Fourth District. He represents the nearly 760,000 residents of 15 parishes in the northwest and western regions of the state. Mike was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives on December 10, 2016, by the largest margin of victory in his region in more than 50 years and is currently serving his third term in Congress.In January 2021, Mike was elected by his colleagues to serve as Vice Chairman of the House Republican Conference, one of the seven elected leadership positions for Republicans in the House of Representatives. In this leadership role, Mike helps guide his Republican colleagues to fight for core conservative principles and policies. Mike also serves as an Assistant Whip for the 117th Congress, to help implement the Republican agenda. He was previously honored to serve as chairman of the Republican Study Committee, the largest caucus of conservatives in Congress, known as "the intellectual arsenal of conservatism in the House."With two decades of previous experience in Constitutional law, Mike serves on the House Judiciary Committee, and is the top-ranked Republican for its Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. He also serves on the House Armed Services Committee and is honored to represent Barksdale Air Force Base, headquarters of the Air Force Global Strike Command, and Fort Polk and the Army's Joint Readiness Training Center, as well as the Louisiana National Guard's Camp Minden Training Site and other military assets.Mike is a dedicated husband and father of four and an attorney who has devoted his life and career to fighting for the fundamental freedoms and traditional values that have always been a priority to the people of Louisiana. Mike spent nearly 20 years successfully litigating high profile constitutional law cases in district and appellate courts nationwide and is widely recognized as a leading defender of the right to life, religious liberty, free speech, the Second Amendment and free market principles. In his law practice, he drafted landmark legislation for many states and municipalities and provided legal counsel to members of Congress, governors, state legislatures, city councils, school boards, law enforcement agencies, ministries and non-profit organizations around the country.Mike solidified his reputation as a principled, full-spectrum conservative when he served in the Louisiana Legislature from February 2015 to January 2017. He was elected to the state legislature twice without opposition, and he was honored to be appointed Vice Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and to the Select Committee on Leadership. As a legislator, both in the state capital and now in the nation's capital, he has received top awards from business and industry, limited government, and pro-life and pro-family groups. Mike earned his Juris Doctorate from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University in 1998. He earned his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Louisiana State University in 1995.Mike and his wife Kelly, a former school teacher from Webster Parish and now a Licensed Pastoral Counselor, have been married since 1999 and have four children, Hannah, Abigail, Jack and Will. Today, they reside in Bossier Parish.Support the show