Podcast appearances and mentions of Christian Concern

Recorded on 4June 2026 for ICMDA Webinars.Peter Saunders chairs a webinar with Andrea WilliamsAndrea Williams will explore how transgender ideology and tightening speech rules are reshaping healthcare for Christian clinicians seeking to follow Jesus with truth and courage.She will examine the Darlington midwives' landmark stand for female‑only spaces and what it means for dignity, safeguarding, and lawful single‑sex provision.She will review the case of senior nurse Jennifer Melle, disciplined for speaking truthfully about biological sex, highlighting her reinstatement and the broader regulatory risks.Rooted in the Lordship of Christ, Andrea encourages courageous, compassionate care that protects patients, colleagues, and conscience while preserving freedom of expression in clinical settings today.Having qualified as a barrister in 1988, Andrea Williams founded Christian Concern and the Christian Legal Centre, which have run some of the most high-profile Christian interest campaigns and legal cases in Europe.A prolific media commentator, she has been a frequent presence on major TV channels and radio stations. She is passionate about seeing every area of society transformed by the gospel.She is married to Gareth and they have four adult children. On overcoming cancer in 2010 she took up marathon running and has recently completed her 11th race.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠To listen live to future ICMDA webinars visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://icmda.net/resources/webinars/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠For more from Christian Concern visit https://christianconcern.com/

Recorded on 30 April 2026 for ICMDA Webinars.Peter Saunders chairs a webinar with Tim DieppeTim is passionate about reading and encouraging Christians to see the importance of reading. For several years now, Tim has aimed to read over 100 books per year. He has achieved this six times and is currently on target to get there again this year! Tim also runs an online book club with some friends to discuss a book they read and agree what to read next.In this talk Tim will discuss:Why you should read?How you should read?What you should read?When you should read?The aim is to get you motivated to read more intentionally, to read more skilfully, and to make the most of your reading.Tim Dieppe is the Head of Public Policy at Christian Concern where he has worked for ten years.Tim regularly appears in the media and writes articles on current moral and political issues of interest to Christians. He also often teaches in churches and at various conferences and events.Tim is the author of The Challenge of Islam. This book discusses the increasing influence of Islam in the UK and how we can respond. Tim also co-authored the book Questions to Ask Your Muslim Friends with his friend and expert on Islamics Beth Peltola. Additionally, Tim has written a commentary on the book of Daniel subtitled: Lessons for living in a post-Christian culture, set to be published by Wipf and Stock this year.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠To listen live to future ICMDA webinars visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://icmda.net/resources/webinars/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

With the prospect of the Assisted Dying Bill being resurrected as early as this summer, instead of being allowed to die a dignified and permanent death, it is important that we do not rest on our laurels. While the next month or so will be a welcome respite to organisations like UKMFA, Right to Life, Care Not Killing and Christian Concern, a few of the many individuals and organisations who have worked tirelessly to stop Assisted Suicide becoming law, it looks inevitable that we will face a serious fight again very soon. With that in mind, this conversation with Amanda Hunter, co-founder of Unlock Care Homes and FAIME (Families Against Involuntary Medical Euthanasia) is the first in a series of interviews we are conducting, dedicated to scrutinising all aspects of Assisted Suicide and the attempts to make it legal in the UK.This fascinating and informative conversation delves into the complexities and controversies of the Bill and the intense scrutiny and challenges it faced in the House of Lords. Amanda highlights the concerns raised by medical professionals, the serious implications for vulnerable populations, and the current state of palliative care. Emphasising the dangers of the bill to us all, the lack of public support, and the ethical considerations that must be addressed before any legislation can be safely implemented, if that is indeed possible at all.CALL TO ACTION - Right to Life (https://righttolife.org.uk/ascommons2026) and Care Not Killing (https://carenotkilling.uk/priorities/) have easy email tools to contact your MP to urge them to oppose any attempts to force assisted suicide into law with the use of the Parliament Acts.UK Medical Freedom Alliance freely offers this video and article. However, a donation will help us continue to expose the truth and uphold our medical rights and freedoms.UKMFA:CALL TO ACTION: Please follow us and subscribe on our YouTube and Rumble channels and please share our content on social media and with friends and family, to help us get the message out and increase our reach.All our podcasts can also be found on the major audio platforms e.g. Apple and Spotify.Our Substack is found here: https://substack.com/@ukmfa1We are grateful for all donations to help us to continue and grow our work; lobbying decision makers; educating and empowering the public; running campaigns and producing our podcasts. You can use this link to donate directly: https://donorbox.org/ukmfa_podcastPlease visit the UK Medical Freedom Alliance at www.ukmedfreedom.org and https://substack.com/@ukmfa1 to access all our material and resources.

Steve Beegoo joins Premier Radio to respond to tax on Christian schools by Christian Concern

Tim Dieppe discusses 'Anti-Muslim hatred' definition on Premier Radio by Christian Concern

Tim Dieppe discusses Felix Ngole judgment on Premier Radio by Christian Concern

Tim Dieppe discusses surrogacy on Premier Christian Radio by Christian Concern

Head of Education Steve Beegoo discusses the government's draft gender guidance for schools on Premier Radio by Christian Concern

Livestream: Police lie after enforcing Islamic demands to ban Israeli fans by Christian Concern

It's Thursday, December 11th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark UK Supreme Court: Religious education in Ireland unlawful The U.K. Supreme Court ruled last month that religious education in Northern Ireland is unlawful. State-funded primary schools in Northern Ireland currently include religious education in the curriculum. Schools also have a time of daily worship. However, the U.K. Supreme Court ruled the curriculum was not “objective, critical and pluralistic.” In response, Christian Concern is defending Christian education in schools. Listen to comments from Steve Beegoo, Head of Education at Christian Concern.  BEEGOO: “Parents, don't retreat. There is an authority that is truly higher than even our courts that we must appeal to and that we must obey. We must stand for truth and to obey Jesus Christ.” In Matthew 19:14, Jesus said, “Let the children come to Me, and do not hinder them.” Fewer British Christians, more pagans The Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life released a new survey on adults in Britain who changed religion.  Christianity experienced the most losses with people usually becoming atheist. Islam saw a modest net gain, mostly from Christianity. Also, movements like Paganism, Wicca, and broad spiritualism saw noticeable growth.  The study said, “Media reports over the past decade document a visible revival of Pagan and Wiccan practices in Britain, particularly among women over 30 and those disillusioned with organized religion but seeking ethical and emotional coherence.” Isaiah 8:19-20 says, “And when they say to you, ‘Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,' should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Spanish court acquits 21 pro-lifers A court in Spain acquitted 21 pro-life activists on Tuesday. Authorities had arrested the pro-lifers back in 2022 for praying outside an abortion mill. They were participating in a 40 Days for Life prayer chain in the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz. The ruling stated, “There is no doubt that the defendants did nothing more than exercise their right to free assembly. … The defendants conducted themselves at all times in an exemplary, peaceful manner.” 71 U.S. abortion mills closed this year In the United States, 23 independent abortion mills closed this year as of October. That's up from 12 closures last year. Since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, 100 locations closed. Independent abortion mills are not affiliated with Planned Parenthood and account for 58% of abortions in the U.S.  Life News reports that Planned Parenthood has closed 48 locations so far this year. Dept. of Justice supports Christian students who spoke truth The U.S. Department of Justice supported two Christian students on Monday in a court case involving transgenderism. Virginia's Loudoun County School Board previously suspended the two male students. They had simply objected to a girl, pretending to be a boy, in their locker room. Harmeet Dhillon is Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the Justice Department. She said, “Loudoun County's decision to advance and promote gender ideology tramples on the rights of religious students who cannot embrace ideas that deny biological reality.” Frustrated homesellers pulling homes off market Realtor.com released their November 2025 Monthly Housing Market Trends Report. The report found that home prices are rising in traditionally affordable metros. Meanwhile, expensive metros are seeing price drops. The market has also seen record de-listings as frustrated sellers pull their homes off the market without a sale. Realtor.com noted, “One home was de-listed for about every 3 to 4 new listings nationally.” Fellowship of Christian Athletes distributed 244,000 Bibles this year And finally, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes distributed over 244,000 Bibles this year across the U.S. and 68 other countries. That's up from 219,000 last year.  The achievement is due to 900 FCA camps worldwide, 23,000 huddle groups, and about 400 FCA sports club teams.  A Fellowship of Christian Athletes spokesman told The Christian Post, “FCA's overarching aim is to reach coaches and athletes with the Gospel, help them grow spiritually and then enable them to help others do the same. We believe this spiritual foundation extends beyond sports, positively influencing teammates, schools, families and entire communities.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Thursday, December 11th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Guest: Jeff KingMinistry: International Christian ConcernPosition: PresidentTopic: commentary on a recent attack in a church in Syria, the overall conditions for Christians in Syria, and other hotspots for Christian persecutionWebsite: persecution.org

Guest: Jeff KingMinistry: International Christian ConcernPosition: PresidentTopic: commentary on a recent attack in a church in Syria, the overall conditions for Christians in Syria, and other hotspots for Christian persecutionWebsite: persecution.org

It's Monday, June 23rd, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus Christian persecution pervades Christian-majority nations in Africa & Latin America Many Christians across Africa and Latin America continue to suffer for their faith because of Islamic oppression, dictatorial paranoia, and criminal cartel organizations, reports International Christian Concern. Large populations in Cuba, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mexico, Mozambique, Nicaragua, and Nigeria are predominantly Christian. Yet, many Christ followers in these nations are often brutally attacked for following Christ, and their governments are failing to protect them.  In Congo, Christians represent 95% of the nation's population, yet they are being slaughtered at alarming rates. Much of the killing is being done by Islamist groups like ISIS-DRC, also known as the Allied Democratic Forces. Likewise, in Mozambique, 62% of the population is composed of Christians, yet Islamic extremists still target them for their faith. According to Open Doors, these extremists have “target[ed] Christian places of worship, abducted religious leaders, and killed numerous believers.”  And in Cuba, the Catholic Church estimates that 60% of the population practices Catholicism. Cuban churches that publicly oppose the government's human rights abuses are targeted by authorities for harassment and intimidation. British House of Commons passes dangerous bill legalizing assisted suicide Members of the British House of Commons voted Friday to pass a dangerous bill to legalize assisted suicide, reports LifeNews.com. In a vote of 314 to 291, Members of Parliament put their stamp of approval on the bill that will likely result in pressuring disabled and elderly people to kill themselves. Isaiah 59:7 says, “Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. They pursue evil schemes; acts of violence mark their ways.” Tim Dieppe, Head of Policy at Christian Concern, was outraged. DIEPPE: “Once you legalize assisted suicide, you will put pressure on vulnerable people. Vulnerable people will feel like they're a burden to others. People will be suggesting assisted suicide. Doctors could suggest it. I mean, that's horrific. You know, my wife died of cancer three years ago. I can't imagine what it would be like if her consultant had suggested suicide.” Labour legislator Diane Abbott said she's concerned that for-profit companies will run assisted dying businesses that take advantage of killing people for money. Members of Parliament had only 10 hours to consider over 130 amendments to the bill, or less than 5 minutes per change. America bombed Iran's nuclear facilities On Saturday, the U.S. military bombed three sites in Iran, directly joining Israel's effort to decapitate the country's nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran's threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict, reports the Associated Press. TRUMP: “A short time ago, the US military carried out massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear facilities in the Iranian regime: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Everybody heard those names for years as they built this horribly destructive enterprise. Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's number one state sponsor of terror. “Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier. For 40 years, Iran has been saying, ‘Death to America, Death to Israel.'” The decision to directly involve the U.S. in the war comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that aimed to systematically eradicate the country's air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. TRUMP: “I want to thank and congratulate [Israeli] Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. We worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before, and we've gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel. I want to thank the Israeli military for the wonderful job they've done. And most importantly, I want to congratulate the great American patriots who flew those magnificent machines tonight and all of the United States military on an operation the likes of which the world has not seen in many, many decades.” (Learn more about the timeline that led up to America's bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities.) Iran threatens to block Strait of Hormuz, blocking 20% of oil shipments In response, Iran is reportedly saying it will block the Strait of Hormuz and stop oil shipments for what amounts to 20% of the world's daily oil flow and up to $1 billion, which will send oil prices soaring globally, reports NewsMax. Needless to say, Iran has no legal authority to block traffic through Hormuz, and blockage would mean direct combat with U.S. naval assets, including the U.S. Fifth Fleet warships patrolling the region. Dear Lord, We pray for peace. Amen. The 30,000-pound bunker bomb that made the difference In a post on TruthSocial, Trump said, “There is not another military in the world that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!” Indeed, America's 30,000-pound bunker buster bomb offered the best chance of destroying heavily fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear program buried deep underground. Appearing on ABC News, Retired Lt. General Doug Lute explained. LUTE: “The original purpose of building this bomb was actually concern about the North Korean deeply buried nuclear related sites. So, this didn't originally have anything to do with Iran. But most recently, it's the only bomb in our inventory, or frankly, in the global inventory, that promises some prospect of actually penetrating the mountainside in which the crown jewel of the Iranian nuclear program, the Fordow site, is located. So, this is our best technological advantage in terms of trying to get to that site.” 90% of Trump Republicans say “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon” Appearing on Fox News Channel with Dana Perino, Chris Stirewalt summarized Trump's mindset about Iran. STIREWALT: “I think that Donald Trump has never wavered from the ultimate objective, which is that the Iranian nuclear program has to end. It has to be dismantled. It has to be destroyed. The only question has been whether it's done militarily or whether it's done voluntarily. “He gave them a 60-day deadline. They let the deadline pass, and so Israel began bombing on Day 61 and now he is basically holding out. ‘This is your last chance. The time for negotiation is over. There's not going to be any kind of deal.' “This is a question of whether Iran cries ‘amo,' which is Persian for ‘uncle,' and allows U.S. to come in and blow up Fordow from the inside, or we do it from without, from the skies above, with B2 bombers. But I think there is zero chance that the Fordow nuclear facility survives this encounter.” Stirewalt asserted that the Make America Great Again crowd is supportive of Trump's decision to bomb Iran. STIREWALT: “The idea that there's a schism in the Republican Party, or that the Trump Coalition is breaking up is completely absurd. The Reagan Institute is coming out with a new poll this weekend. 90% of self-described [Make America Great Again] Republicans say Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. 80% say that Israel's security is vital to our security. 64% support Israel bombing the nuclear facilities. There is absolutely no daylight between Donald Trump and the  [Make America Great Again] movement. The MAGA movement is absolutely behind Donald Trump in getting rid of this nuclear program.” On Truth Social, President Trump posted, “I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal.” He concluded, “This is an historic moment for the United States of America, Israel, and the world. Iran must now agree to end this war.” Texas answers  “What is a Woman?” in state law Last Friday, Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott signed into law the “What is a Woman Bill” also known as House Bill 229, reports Texas Values. Now, in Texas, men can no longer pretend to be women. The law accurately defines the terms “man”, “woman”, “boy”, and “girl” by scientific definitions and biological reality. The effect would be that biological  women will have their rights, opportunities, and privacy protected by law. Genesis 1:27 states,  “So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.” While Texas already has laws protecting women's sports, there have been many other threats to women's prisons, sororities, and private spaces like locker rooms.  Hockey player gives glory to God after winning Stanley Cup The Russian-born goaltender of the National Hockey League's Florida Panthers, Sergei Bobrovsky, gave glory to God upon his victory after his team won the famed Stanley Cup, the championship trophy in the NHL, for the second year in a row, reports LifeSiteNews.com. REPORTER: “What makes this one special?” BOBROVSKY: “I mean, it's amazing feeling, and I want to say glory to the father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. I want to thank him for everything I have, for my parents, for my family.” Worldview listener in California is grateful the whole family can listen I invited Worldview listeners to share what they enjoy about the newscast in 2-6 sentences by email.  You can share your thoughts — along with your full name, city and state — and send it to adam@TheWorldview.com Carri Andry in Morgan Hill, California wrote, “Hi Adam! My family really appreciates The Worldview in 5 Minutes. We discovered you through Kevin Swanson‘s Generations radio program and have enjoyed listening to what is going on in the world from an informative, Christian point of view. We're grateful for a newscast that the whole family can listen to. Keep up the great work!” 38 Worldview listeners gave $ 14,243.25 to fund our annual budget And finally, toward our $92,625 goal by this past weekend  to fund three-quarters of The Worldview newscast's annual budget for our 6-member team, 38 listeners stepped up to the plate. Our thanks to Felix, age 10, in Sexsmith, Alberta, Canada, who gave $2.25, Michelle in Lexington Park, Maryland who gave $20, Augustine in Auburn, California who gave $25, Cara in Mebane, North Carolina who gave $30, Ben in Eureka, California who gave $35, and Steve in Loveland, Colorado and Nathan in Cobleskill, New York – both of whom gave $50. We appreciate Kevin in North Bend, Oregon, James in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom, Josiah in Tigard, Oregon, Trevor in Nikiski, Alaska, and David in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey – each of whom gave $100. We're grateful to God for Josie, age 16, in Sexsmith, Alberta, Canada who gave $146, Ursula in Great Falls, Montana who gave $150, Lorraine in Farmington, Maine and Joel and Heidi in Columbus, Nebraska – both of whom gave $200 as well as Kevin and Rachelle in Columbus, Nebraska who gave  $225 and Wade and Susan in Suffolk, Virginia who pledged $20/month for 12 months for a gift of $240. We appreciate the generosity of Todd in Davenport, Iowa and Joanne in Vasteras, Sweden – both of whom gave $250 as well as Sarah in Madera, California who gave $300, and Cathy in Fate, Texas, James in St Johns, Florida, and Stephen in Plainview, Texas – each of whom pledged $25/month for 12 months for a gift of  $300 each. We were touched by the gifts of Nicki in Carthage, Missouri who pledged $35/month for 12 months for a gift of $420, Zephaniah in Lomax, Illinois and Jennifer in Abingdon, Virginia – both of whom gave $500, Heather in Brenham, Texas, John in DeMotte, Indiana, Tim in Huffman, Texas, Louise in Middletown, Delaware, Charles in Sandpoint, Idaho, and Jennifer in West Milford, New Jersey – each of whom pledged $50/month for 12 months for a gift of $600 each. And we're grateful for the sacrifice of Todd and Kim in Monument, Colorado who gave $650, Mary in  Midlothian, Virginia who gave $1,200, Jill in Hendersonville, Tennessee who pledged $100/month for 12 months for a gift of $1,200 as well, and Scooter in Naples, Florida who will give $2,000. Those 38 Worldview listeners gave a total of $14,243.25 Ready for our new grand total? Drum roll please.  (Drum roll sound effect) $62,573.25 (People clapping and cheering sound effect)  That is the most donors and the largest amount given thus far this entire month. Wow!  We are amazed at God's goodness. Even 10-year-old Felix in Canada gave $2.25 of his own money.  That's awesome! Toward this past weekend's goal of $92,625, we missed it by $30,051.75. Would you be one of 13 people to pledge $100/month for 12 months for a gift of $1,200?  And another 25 people to pledge $50/month for 12 months for a gift of $600? Go to TheWorldview.com and click on Give on the top right.  Click on the recurring tab if you want to make it a monthly pledge. We're on the downhill slide to June 30th at which point we need to have raised $123,500 to fully fund our 6-member Worldview newscast team. What is the Lord asking you to do?  Close And that's The Worldview on this Monday, June 23rd, in the year of our Lord 2025.  Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Richard Harris sits down with Andrea Williams, founder of Christian Concern, to discuss how the woke agenda harms individuals and fuels a culture of punishment. They expose the growing efforts to silence the Church, restrict free speech, and intimidate believers, emphasizing the need to stand firm in biblical truth without fear.   Join us in person at the Truth & Liberty Banquet, May 2nd:  https://www.truthandliberty.net/award  Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.truthandliberty.net/subscribe   Get "Hope For The Future" here: https://info.truthandliberty.net/hope   Donate here: https://www.truthandliberty.net/donate   Original Air Date 04-16-25

Richard Harris sits down with Andrea Williams, founder of Christian Concern, to discuss how the woke agenda harms individuals and fuels a culture of punishment. They expose the growing efforts to silence the Church, restrict free speech, and intimidate believers, emphasizing the need to stand firm in biblical truth without fear.Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.truthandliberty.net/subscribe  Get "Faith for America" here: https://store.awmi.net/purchase/tal102Donate here: https://www.truthandliberty.net/donate  

Giles Fraser meets the Revd Canon Fr Phil Harris, of the Anglican Church in North America, to discuss defending Britain's Christian heritage.Christianity has been deployed as a tool by those who have been labelled as far-right by their opponents, or by people supporting far-right views. Is right-wing appropriation of the faith a problem that needs solving and what issues does this claim to Christianity pose? To explore Giles is joined by:Dr Maria Power, Senior Research Fellow in Human Dignity at Blackfriars Hall, Oxford and a Research Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence, and Co editor of The Church, the Far Right, and the Claim to Christianity.Dr. John Onwuchekwa, Sr. Director of Innovation at Redeemer City to City and former pastor of the Cornerstone Church in Atlanta which was part of the Southern Baptist Convention. Andrea Minichiello, Chief Executive of Christian Concern and the Christian Legal Centre.Beyond Belief is a BBC Audio North production for Radio 4.

Tim Dieppe, the head of public policy at Christian Concern, joins Dr Gavin Ashenden for this 97th episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald, to discuss his new book, The Challenge of Islam. This book discusses the increasing influence of Islam in the UK and how non-Muslims might respond. Chapters include: “Is Islam a Religion of Peace?”, “Is Islam Antisemitic?”, “What's wrong with Multiculturalism?”, and “What's wrong with Islamic Finance?” The book concludes with some policy proposals that would make a difference. In their conversation, Mr Dieppe and Dr Ashenden also confront the theological question of whether Allah is the same as the God of the Bible.

In the UK today, an increasing number of our colleagues and neighbours come from Muslim backgrounds. Although there are issues arising from the clash of Islamic theology and Western values, how can we interact constructively and lovingly with Muslims we meet? Today on PEP Talk we look at the challenge of Islam and the opportunities for sharing the gospel with those who follow it.Tim Dieppe is Head of Public Policy at Christian Concern with a specialist interest in Islam. He regularly writes and comments in the media on Islamic affairs and is passionate about encouraging Christians to respond with confidence to the growing influence of Islam in the UK. Tim holds a degree from Oxford University and an MA in theology from Westminster Theological Centre. He co-authored Questions to Ask Your Muslim Friends with Beth Peltola. He is also the author of The Challenge of Islam published this year by Wilberforce Publications, which seeks to equip and inform Christians how best to respond to the rise of Islam in Britain.

Christian ConcernText: Ephesians 6:21-24. (Cf Colossians 4:7-9)Here we have Paul's final words, in his letter to the Christians in Ephesus, as he brings his epistle to a close and in closing he brings them a word of consolation, a word of commendation, and a word of blessing. It is an expression of Christian fellowship and love.This sermon was recorded live at Ballymacashon, - please excuse the sound quality.Read the NOTES HERE. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sponsored by WatersEdge: Invest with purpose? With WatersEdge Kingdom Investments, you can! We offer great rates that multiply your resources and build churches. Learn more at: https://bit.ly/3CxWtFzTop headlines for Tuesday, March 4, 2025In this episode, a judge has halted two executive orders by former President Donald Trump that sought to ban federal funding for trans surgeries and chemical castrations in young people, setting a significant legal precedent. Meanwhile, a new law in Wyoming offers protections to educators and state officials, exempting them from mandatory use of trans-identified pronouns, sparking debates on freedom of speech and identity rights. We also explore Idaho's bold move towards educational reform with Governor Brad Little's signing of a $50 million school choice program, aimed at expanding educational opportunities by covering tuition and various education-related expenses. Subscribe to this PodcastApple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastsOvercastFollow Us on Social Media@ChristianPost on TwitterChristian Post on Facebook@ChristianPostIntl on InstagramSubscribe on YouTubeGet the Edifi AppDownload for iPhoneDownload for AndroidSubscribe to Our NewsletterSubscribe to the Freedom Post, delivered every Monday and ThursdayClick here to get the top headlines delivered to your inbox every morning!Links to the NewsJudge blocks Trump ban on funding trans surgeries on kids | PoliticsMiddle school teacher arrested for child porn possession | U.S.Wyoming protects teachers from having to use preferred pronouns | PoliticsIdaho passes $50M school choice program to give families options | EducationMike Pence stokes backlash for calling Pope Francis 'Holy Father' | PoliticsSuicide law: Christian Concern launches Lent prayer campaign | WorldBrooklyn Tabernacle Choir releases album ‘I Will Not Be Moved' | Entertainment

Christian persecution is growing globally, and the biggest reasons are radical Islam, Communist regimes, and Secular forces in the West. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Jeff King, President of the watchdog non-profit International Christian Concern, delves into its most recent Global Persecution Index. One of the most dangerous places to be a Christian is Nigeria, where in the last 20 years nearly 100,000 Christians were murdered and about 3.5 million Christian farmers have had their land stolen by the extremist Muslim group Boko Haram. King says, "It's slow-motion genocide and stealth Jihad."  While in Communist China, face-recognition AI technology monitors more than a billion people for the purpose of assigning a social credit score determining where they can work or go to school. And going to Church or reading a Bible assigns a much lower score. But in the West persecution is happening as well where the legal system has been weaponized to malign or marginalize certain believers. In one state, conservative Christians weren't allowed on a jury because of their religious views. King says he has hope that the incoming Trump administration will turn the tide and strengthen religious freedom around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Dr. Joe Boot and Dr. Michael Thiessen sit down with Christian Concern's and Ezra Fellow for Public Policy Tim Dieppe to talk about the British effect on the foundations of constitutional freedoms the world over. Episode Resources: Christian Concern: https://christianconcern.com/; Tim's Website: https://dieppe.co.uk/. Think Christianly about politics with the help of Dr. Boot’s latest book “Ruler of Kings:” https://ezrapress.ca/products/ruler-of-kings-toward-a-christian-vision-of-government; CHAPTERS:00:00 Intro00:20 Opening00:41 Welcome01:52 Magna Carta & British Constitutionalism09:52 From Whence Do Our Liberties Come?18:15 Freedom vs. Rights 20:24 The Coronation Oath & the Obvious Christian Foundation of Great Britain25:10 Recovering a Christian Covenantal Foundation for Civil Authority in Britain and the West30:30 The Ghost of Our Christian Past34:10 The Prophetic Role of the Church in Politics & Culture37:41 Principle vs. Pragmatism in Politics41:30 Brexit: British Sovereignty & the European Union45:11 Criticism of English Constitutional Arrangements51:08 Faith is Essential for Freedom52:28 Who is Truly Sovereign?55:21 One Final Criticism: What's with the House of Lords?01:00:35 Wrap-up01:02:30 Upcoming Events01:04:07 Joe's Unabashed British Patriotism01:05:34 Conclusion01:05:59 Outro01:06:37 Rule Britannia! UPCOMING CONFERENCES:Join us this October 31- November 2 @ The Presence of Christ Conference at Trinity Bible Chapel in Kitchener/Waterloo: https://mytrinitybiblechapel.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2343549; The Mission of God Conferences:UK | Sat, 2 Nov 2024 10:00 – 17:30 GMT @ Birmingham City Centre: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mission-of-god-conference-2024-tickets-932486039847; Canada – Ontario | Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, 9:00 EST @ Harvest Bible Church Windsor: https://brushfire.com/ezrainstitute/missionofgod2024-ontario/587020/details; Alberta | Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, 9:00 MST@ Fairview Baptist Church: https://brushfire.com/ezrainstitute/missionofgod2024-alberta/587306. REFORMCON '25 | "Out of the Ashes" | April 24-26, 2025 @ Tucson, AZ: https://reformcon.org/ The WAIT is OVER!!! Pre-order your copy of the NEW updated and expanded version of Dr. Boot’s Mission of God with a brand-new study guide! Get it here: https://ezrapress.ca/products/mission-of-god-10th-anniversary-edition; Got Questions? Would you like to hear Dr. Boot answer your questions? Let us know in the comments or reach out to us at https://www.ezrainstitute.com/connect/contact/; For Ezra’s many print resources and to join our newsletter, visit: https://ezrapress.com. Stay up-to-date with all things Ezra Institute: https://www.ezrainstitute.com;Subscribe to Ezra’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPVvQDHHrOOjziyqUaN9VoA?sub_confirmation=1;Fight Laugh Feast Network: https://pubtv.flfnetwork.com/tabs/audio/podcasts/8297;Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ezra-institute-podcast-for-cultural-reformation/id1336078503;Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0dW1gDarpzdrDMLPjKYZW2?si=bee3e91ed9a54885. Wherever you find our content, please like, subscribe, rate, or review it; it truly does help.

Dr. Joe Boot and Dr. Michael Thiessen sit down with Christian Concern's and Ezra Fellow for Public Policy Tim Dieppe  to talk about the British effect on the foundations of constitutional freedoms the world over.  

Dr. Joe Boot and Dr. Michael Thiessen sit down with Christian Concern's and Ezra Fellow for Public Policy Tim Dieppe  to talk about the British effect on the foundations of constitutional freedoms the world over.  

In this episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Dr. Joe Boot and Dr. Michael Thiessen sit down with Christian Concern's and Ezra Fellow for Public Policy Tim Dieppe to talk about the British effect on the foundations of constitutional freedoms the world over. Episode Resources: Christian Concern: https://christianconcern.com/; Tim's Website: https://dieppe.co.uk/. Think Christianly about politics with the help of Dr. Boot’s latest book “Ruler of Kings:” https://ezrapress.ca/products/ruler-of-kings-toward-a-christian-vision-of-government; CHAPTERS:00:00 Intro00:20 Opening00:41 Welcome01:52 Magna Carta & British Constitutionalism09:52 From Whence Do Our Liberties Come?18:15 Freedom vs. Rights 20:24 The Coronation Oath & the Obvious Christian Foundation of Great Britain25:10 Recovering a Christian Covenantal Foundation for Civil Authority in Britain and the West30:30 The Ghost of Our Christian Past34:10 The Prophetic Role of the Church in Politics & Culture37:41 Principle vs. Pragmatism in Politics41:30 Brexit: British Sovereignty & the European Union45:11 Criticism of English Constitutional Arrangements51:08 Faith is Essential for Freedom52:28 Who is Truly Sovereign?55:21 One Final Criticism: What's with the House of Lords?01:00:35 Wrap-up01:02:30 Upcoming Events01:04:07 Joe's Unabashed British Patriotism01:05:34 Conclusion01:05:59 Outro01:06:37 Rule Britannia! UPCOMING CONFERENCES:Join us this October 31- November 2 @ The Presence of Christ Conference at Trinity Bible Chapel in Kitchener/Waterloo: https://mytrinitybiblechapel.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2343549; The Mission of God Conferences:UK | Sat, 2 Nov 2024 10:00 – 17:30 GMT @ Birmingham City Centre: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mission-of-god-conference-2024-tickets-932486039847; Canada – Ontario | Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, 9:00 EST @ Harvest Bible Church Windsor: https://brushfire.com/ezrainstitute/missionofgod2024-ontario/587020/details; Alberta | Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, 9:00 MST@ Fairview Baptist Church: https://brushfire.com/ezrainstitute/missionofgod2024-alberta/587306. REFORMCON '25 | "Out of the Ashes" | April 24-26, 2025 @ Tucson, AZ: https://reformcon.org/ The WAIT is OVER!!! Pre-order your copy of the NEW updated and expanded version of Dr. Boot’s Mission of God with a brand-new study guide! Get it here: https://ezrapress.ca/products/mission-of-god-10th-anniversary-edition; Got Questions? Would you like to hear Dr. Boot answer your questions? Let us know in the comments or reach out to us at https://www.ezrainstitute.com/connect/contact/; For Ezra’s many print resources and to join our newsletter, visit: https://ezrapress.com. Stay up-to-date with all things Ezra Institute: https://www.ezrainstitute.com;Subscribe to Ezra’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPVvQDHHrOOjziyqUaN9VoA?sub_confirmation=1;Fight Laugh Feast Network: https://pubtv.flfnetwork.com/tabs/audio/podcasts/8297;Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ezra-institute-podcast-for-cultural-reformation/id1336078503;Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0dW1gDarpzdrDMLPjKYZW2?si=bee3e91ed9a54885. Wherever you find our content, please like, subscribe, rate, or review it; it truly does help.

In this episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Dr. Joe Boot and Dr. Michael Thiessen sit down with Christian Concern's and Ezra Fellow for Public Policy Tim Dieppe to talk about the British effect on the foundations of constitutional freedoms the world over. Episode Resources: Christian Concern: https://christianconcern.com/; Tim's Website: https://dieppe.co.uk/. Think Christianly about politics with the help of Dr. Boot’s latest book “Ruler of Kings:” https://ezrapress.ca/products/ruler-of-kings-toward-a-christian-vision-of-government; CHAPTERS:00:00 Intro00:20 Opening00:41 Welcome01:52 Magna Carta & British Constitutionalism09:52 From Whence Do Our Liberties Come?18:15 Freedom vs. Rights 20:24 The Coronation Oath & the Obvious Christian Foundation of Great Britain25:10 Recovering a Christian Covenantal Foundation for Civil Authority in Britain and the West30:30 The Ghost of Our Christian Past34:10 The Prophetic Role of the Church in Politics & Culture37:41 Principle vs. Pragmatism in Politics41:30 Brexit: British Sovereignty & the European Union45:11 Criticism of English Constitutional Arrangements51:08 Faith is Essential for Freedom52:28 Who is Truly Sovereign?55:21 One Final Criticism: What's with the House of Lords?01:00:35 Wrap-up01:02:30 Upcoming Events01:04:07 Joe's Unabashed British Patriotism01:05:34 Conclusion01:05:59 Outro01:06:37 Rule Britannia! UPCOMING CONFERENCES:Join us this October 31- November 2 @ The Presence of Christ Conference at Trinity Bible Chapel in Kitchener/Waterloo: https://mytrinitybiblechapel.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2343549; The Mission of God Conferences:UK | Sat, 2 Nov 2024 10:00 – 17:30 GMT @ Birmingham City Centre: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mission-of-god-conference-2024-tickets-932486039847; Canada – Ontario | Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, 9:00 EST @ Harvest Bible Church Windsor: https://brushfire.com/ezrainstitute/missionofgod2024-ontario/587020/details; Alberta | Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, 9:00 MST@ Fairview Baptist Church: https://brushfire.com/ezrainstitute/missionofgod2024-alberta/587306. REFORMCON '25 | "Out of the Ashes" | April 24-26, 2025 @ Tucson, AZ: https://reformcon.org/ The WAIT is OVER!!! Pre-order your copy of the NEW updated and expanded version of Dr. Boot’s Mission of God with a brand-new study guide! Get it here: https://ezrapress.ca/products/mission-of-god-10th-anniversary-edition; Got Questions? Would you like to hear Dr. Boot answer your questions? Let us know in the comments or reach out to us at https://www.ezrainstitute.com/connect/contact/; For Ezra’s many print resources and to join our newsletter, visit: https://ezrapress.com. Stay up-to-date with all things Ezra Institute: https://www.ezrainstitute.com;Subscribe to Ezra’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPVvQDHHrOOjziyqUaN9VoA?sub_confirmation=1;Fight Laugh Feast Network: https://pubtv.flfnetwork.com/tabs/audio/podcasts/8297;Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ezra-institute-podcast-for-cultural-reformation/id1336078503;Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0dW1gDarpzdrDMLPjKYZW2?si=bee3e91ed9a54885. Wherever you find our content, please like, subscribe, rate, or review it; it truly does help.

Dr. Joe Boot and Dr. Michael Thiessen sit down with Christian Concern's and Ezra Fellow for Public Policy Tim Dieppe  to talk about the British effect on the foundations of constitutional freedoms the world over.  

Church of England school chaplain Bernard gave a coherent, reasoned and measured sermon to the student body one day, giving them permission to disagree respectfully and lovingly with the recent Queer Theory they had been presented with. Five years later, having been removed from his post, and despite four secular safeguarding rulings vindicating him, the Church of England still considers him a safeguarding risk to children. His treatment has been mystifying and outrageous, but he remains gracious, steadfast and firm in the faith. You will repeatedly shake your head in disbelief, frustration and anger as you listen to his story, but I think it's an important one to engage with.Read the actual sermon which led to Randall's persecution: christianconcern.com/resource/a-school-sermon-by-bernard-randall-competing-ideologies/At the time of recording, the Bishop and/or Diocese of Derby had not responded, as I said in the interview. Subsequently I did receive a ‘No comment' from their offices.Do write to encourage Randall through us and we'll pass it on hello[@]greatlakesoutreach.org Do check out and support Christian Concern https://christianconcern.com and the Christian Legal Centre https://christianconcern.com/about/services/christian-legal-centre/---Support our work in Burundi: greatlakesoutreach.org/inspired ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠---Weekly episode WhatsApp link: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠greatlakesoutreach.org/whatsappWeekly email notification: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠greatlakesoutreach.org/inspiredemail⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠For more from Simon, visit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠simonguillebaud.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠---Produced by Great Lakes Outreach - Transforming Burundi & Beyond: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠greatlakesoutreach.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Guest: Jeff KingMinistry: International Christian ConcernPosition: PresidentBook: The Whisper: Lessons of Renewal Whispered from the Prisons of the PersecutedTopic: an explanation of the work of ICC and instances of Christian persecution making inroads in the U.S.Website: persecution.org 

Guest: Jeff KingMinistry: International Christian ConcernPosition: PresidentBook: The Whisper: Lessons of Renewal Whispered from the Prisons of the PersecutedTopic: an explanation of the work of ICC and instances of Christian persecution making inroads in the U.S.Website: persecution.org 

Continuing our series Conversations & Presuppositions, Drs. Boot and Thiessen are joined this week by Ezra Fellow for Public Policy Tim Dieppe to discuss the steady Islamization of the West.Episode Resources: Questions to Ask Your Muslim Friends by Tim Dieppe: https://amzn.to/3Kc6Uig"Is Islam a Religion of Peace?" by Tim Dieppe | Christian Concern:https://christianconcern.com/resource/is-islam-a-religion-of-peace/;"What’s wrong with Islamic finance?" | Christian Concern: https://christianconcern.com/resource/whats-wrong-islamic-finance/;"Is Islam Antisemitic?" | Christian Concern: https://christianconcern.com/resource/is-islam-antisemitic/;"The Challenge of Islam in the UK"| Christian Concern: https://christianconcern.com/resource/the-challenge-of-islam-in-the-uk/ Chapters:0:00 Cultural Leadership Academy AD1:17 Podcast Opening1:40 Intro & Show Set-up4:20 Ezra Events7:00 Topic Introduction & Palestinian Protest Footage10:03 What is Islam?14:00 Relationship of Islam & Sharia Law16:20 The Islamization of the West23:22 Islamic Finance & Sharia Entryism27:54 Jihad35:30 The Elitist's False View of Islam, the Weaponization of Multiculturalism & a How Radical Two Kingdoms View Helps the Destruction of the West40:45 Islam, Progressivism, and the Massive Rise of Antisemitism in the West50:28 What Can Christians Do About It?54:11 Outro56:55 Closing Credits For Ezra's many print resources and to join our newsletter, visit: https://ezrapress.com. Stay up-to-date with all things Ezra Institute:https://www.ezrainstitute.com.Subscribe to Ezra's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPVvQDHHrOOjziyqUaN9VoA?sub_confirmation=1;Fight Laugh Feast Network: https://pubtv.flfnetwork.com/tabs/audio/podcasts/8297;Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ezra-institute-podcast-for-cultural-reformation/id1336078503;Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0dW1gDarpzdrDMLPjKYZW2?si=bee3e91ed9a54885. Wherever you find our content, please like, subscribe, rate, or review it; it truly does help.

Continuing our series Conversations & Presuppositions, Drs. Boot and Thiessen are joined this week by Ezra Fellow for Public Policy Tim Dieppe to discuss the steady Islamization of the West.Episode Resources: Questions to Ask Your Muslim Friends by Tim Dieppe: https://amzn.to/3Kc6Uig"Is Islam a Religion of Peace?" by Tim Dieppe | Christian Concern:https://christianconcern.com/resource/is-islam-a-religion-of-peace/;"What’s wrong with Islamic finance?" | Christian Concern: https://christianconcern.com/resource/whats-wrong-islamic-finance/;"Is Islam Antisemitic?" | Christian Concern: https://christianconcern.com/resource/is-islam-antisemitic/;"The Challenge of Islam in the UK"| Christian Concern: https://christianconcern.com/resource/the-challenge-of-islam-in-the-uk/ Chapters:0:00 Cultural Leadership Academy AD1:17 Podcast Opening1:40 Intro & Show Set-up4:20 Ezra Events7:00 Topic Introduction & Palestinian Protest Footage10:03 What is Islam?14:00 Relationship of Islam & Sharia Law16:20 The Islamization of the West23:22 Islamic Finance & Sharia Entryism27:54 Jihad35:30 The Elitist's False View of Islam, the Weaponization of Multiculturalism & a How Radical Two Kingdoms View Helps the Destruction of the West40:45 Islam, Progressivism, and the Massive Rise of Antisemitism in the West50:28 What Can Christians Do About It?54:11 Outro56:55 Closing Credits For Ezra's many print resources and to join our newsletter, visit: https://ezrapress.com. Stay up-to-date with all things Ezra Institute:https://www.ezrainstitute.com.Subscribe to Ezra's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPVvQDHHrOOjziyqUaN9VoA?sub_confirmation=1;Fight Laugh Feast Network: https://pubtv.flfnetwork.com/tabs/audio/podcasts/8297;Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ezra-institute-podcast-for-cultural-reformation/id1336078503;Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0dW1gDarpzdrDMLPjKYZW2?si=bee3e91ed9a54885. Wherever you find our content, please like, subscribe, rate, or review it; it truly does help.

Firebrand barrister Andrea couldn't just implement flawed laws, she had to challenge the whole system. Not for the faint-hearted, her courageous stands led to her starting Christian Concern, to fight for victims of injustice and help equip people to be effective ambassadors for Christ in today's antagonistic culture. Listen here: Check out www.christianconcern.com --- Support our computer Appeal: ⁠⁠⁠greatlakesoutreach.org/computers⁠⁠⁠ Check out Bike for Burundi at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠greatlakesoutreach.org/bike⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠greatlakesoutreach.org/inspired⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠--- Weekly episode WhatsApp link: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠greatlakesoutreach.org/whatsapp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Weekly email notification: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠greatlakesoutreach.org/inspiredemail⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For more from Simon, visit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠simonguillebaud.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Produced by Great Lakes Outreach - Transforming Burundi & Beyond: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠greatlakesoutreach.org⁠⁠⁠⁠

Jeff King's life and career led him to an unexpected ministry - serving the world's persecuted for Christ and drawing attention to their plight through ICC-International Christian Concern. He has written a new devotional titled "WHISPER: LESSONS OF RENEWAL WHISPERED FROM THE PRISONS OF THE PERSECUTED CHURCH." Also in this episode, a visit with NRB President Troy Miller and their pro-life stand.

Many Christians are naïve about the ways Islam has gained much ground within western society in recent years, influencing numerous spheres of culture, politics, and law. The vision of Islamic beliefs ruling all spheres of society (‘Islamism') may not be adopted by all western Muslims, but it is a belief entirely consistent with Islamic tradition. Where Muslims are often very bullish about defending their values and public symbols, Christians often happily give away such cultural ground, fearing the accusation of ‘Islamophobia'. What are the implications of allowing elements of Shariah Law to be imposed within western societies today? What can Christians draw upon to think through and respond to these challenges with love, confidence, and clarity? In this special episode in our mini-series on Islam, Andy and Aaron are joined by Tim Dieppe (Christian Concern), a regular media commentator on Christianity and Islam in British public life, to talk through these important issues. LOVE POD OF THE GAPS? PLEASE CONSIDER HELPING US ... Pod of the Gaps needs your help to keep going! If you enjoy our adventures in culture and theology, please consider a small monthly tip to keep us recording: www.patreon.com/wkop RESOURCES: - Tim Dieppe, “What's Wrong With Islamic Finance?” (2018) https://christianconcern.com/resource/whats-wrong-islamic-finance/ - Christian Concern resources on Islam. https://christianconcern.com/ccissues/islam/ - Andy Bannister, “Do Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God?” (2021) - Rodney Stark, “God's Battalions: The Case for the Crusades” (2010) - Raymond Ibrahim, “Defenders of the West: The Christian Heroes Who Stood Against Islam” (2022)

The Independent Republic of Mike Graham returns to provide a daily dose of common sense as Mike is joined by Head of Public Policy at Christian Concern, Fox News Contributor Joe Concha, Daphne Barak who is a Confidante of Ghislaine Maxwell and many more! So tune in! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Labour Party has adopted a wide-ranging definition of "Islamophobia", which it currently expects all of its councils to accept. If Labour wins the General Election, it is expected to introduce this draconian restriction on free speech as legislation, either on its own or as part of a Race Equality Bill. This is chilling. No religion should be above criticism. Criminalising anti-Muslim or anti-Jewish or anti-Christian hatred is one thing. But to criminalise criticism of the religion and ideology of Islam is another thing entirely. To discuss this we are joined by Tim Dieppe, Head of Public Policy at Christian Concern and author of "Banning Islamophobia: Blasphemy Law by the Back Door" (a Free Speech Union Publication). You may download it here: https://freespeechunion.org/banning-islamophobia-blasphemy-law-by-the-backdoor/ --------------- SUBSCRIBE: If you are enjoying the show, please subscribe to our channel on YouTube (click the Subscribe Button underneath the video and then Click on the Bell icon next to it to make sure you Receive All Notifications) AUDIO: If you prefer Audio you can subscribe on iTunes or Soundcloud. Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-923838732 itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/s... SUPPORT/DONATE: PAYPAL/ CARD PAYMENTS - ONE TIME & MONTHLY: You can donate in a variety of ways via our website: http://www.newcultureforum.org.uk/#do... It is set up to accept one time and monthly donations. JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Web: http://www.newcultureforum.org.uk F: https://www.facebook.com/NCultureForum/ Y: http://www.youtube.com/c/NewCultureForum T: http://www.twitter.com/NewCultureForum (@NewCultureForum)

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday , December 20th, 2023. Rowdy Christian Merch Plug: If you’re a fan of CrossPolitic, or the Fight Laugh Feast Network, then surely, you know we have a merch store right? Rowdy Christian Merch is your one-stop-shop for everything CrossPolitc merchandise. We’ve got T-Shirts, hoodies, hats, but we’ve also got specialty items like backpacks, mugs, coffee, even airpod cases! Visit Rowdy Christian Merch at rowdychristian.com, and buy that next gift, or a little something for yourself. Again, that’s rowdychristian.com. https://thepostmillennial.com/kamala-harris-to-take-pro-abortion-reproductive-freedoms-tour-across-us?utm_campaign=64487 Kamala Harris launches 'Reproductive Freedoms' pro-abortion tour across US Vice President Kamala Harris announced Tuesday that she plans to travel around the United States in what she calls a "Reproductive Freedoms" tour. Harris announced that these trips will be taken "to organize, build community, and fight back" against what she calls a "full-on attack on a woman's fundamental freedom to make decisions about her own body" across the nation. The pro-abortion tour will kick off in Wisconsin on Jan. 22, which marks the 51st anniversary of the now-overturned Roe v. Wade. The White House promises that "Vice President Harris will also hold extremists accountable for proposing a national abortion ban," although it does not specify what those consequences may be. https://thenationalpulse.com/2023/12/18/britain-bans-prayer-near-abortion-clinics/ Britain BANS PRAYER Near Abortion Clinics. England’s High Court has upheld a local government order establishing a so-called “buffer zone” against prayers being said near an abortion clinic. Livia Tossici-Bolt, who heads the pro-life group 40 Days for Life Bournemouth, and Christian Concern had attempted to overturn the ban, arguing it “criminalized prayer and reading from the Bible”. Judges determined on Friday that the banning order “lawfully followed the democratic and consultative procedures”. They said any infringements of freedom of religion, speech, and the right to protest were “justified by the legitimate aim of protecting the rights of women attending the clinic.” Christian Concern intends to appeal the decision. “Peaceful witness near abortion centers are helpful to many women in crisis pregnancies, offering genuine choice by providing support,” argued Christian Legal Centre chief executive Andrea Williams. British police are exceptionally rigid in enforcing “buffer zones” protecting abortionists. Lone Christians have in some cases been arrested or fined for praying silently inside their heads near clinics. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/border-officials-encounter-14-509-illegal-immigrants-new-record Biden border crisis shatters record with 14,509 illegal immigrants encountered in one day U.S. border officials encountered the highest number of illegal immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border on Monday than any day, upending all other records that the Biden administration has set over the past three years. The Washington Examiner obtained internal U.S. Customs and Border Protection data Tuesday that revealed 14,509 immigrants were encountered by federal law enforcement at the southern border on Monday. The large majority of encounters were of immigrants who walked around the port of entry and crossed into the country illegally, while a small percentage tried to enter at the port of entry but were denied admission. The most recent record of 12,000 was set last week, according to Fox News. If yesterday's rate of 14,509 arrests per day continued for a month, it would translate to more than 435,000 immigrant arrests. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), whose district runs along 800 miles of the 2,000-mile border, described the situation in his region as "all very sad." Gonzales told the Washington Examiner in a text message Tuesday morning that he believes the situation in Eagle Pass, Texas, a border town where 2,500 immigrants were arrested on Sunday, will continue to decline but that the extent would depend on how the Biden administration responds. "Depends on how much pressure gets put on U.S. and Mexican officials," Gonzales wrote. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) reacted to the new one-day record on X, formerly Twitter. "Another Record: Over 14,500 illegal immigrants have been encountered while entering our country," Green wrote. "This has been the single worst 24 hours for our Southwest border in our nation’s history." Border officials in the Eagle Pass-Del Rio region encountered 3,100 illegal immigrants Monday, while officials in the Tucson region of Arizona encountered 3,089 people. Government numbers obtained Tuesday show 26,758 immigrants were in custody as of Tuesday morning, including 5,197 in Del Rio, Texas; 5,004 in Tucson, Arizona; 4,968 in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas; and 4,722 in El Paso, Texas. Existing Border Patrol stations in the Eagle Pass area are too small to accommodate more than several hundred people, so immigrants are being processed at a large tent facility outside town known as "Firefly" for the road that it is located on. The tent facility was set up last year with the intent of holding up to 1,000 immigrants, but as of Tuesday, more than 3,000 immigrants were at the site — putting the facility three times over the legal limit. Border Patrol is also busing immigrants to other regions for processing. One official at the tent facility told the Washington Examiner that it sends out 30 to 50 large buses of immigrants to other regions each day. Border Patrol highway checkpoints, including the only one north of Eagle Pass, were shuttered this week as agents were pulled to transport and process migrants. President Joe Biden has yet to react to the situation. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment. https://www.dailyfetched.com/germany-begins-deploying-troops-for-first-time-since-world-war-ii/ Germany Begins Deploying Troops for First Time since World War II The announcement was made on Monday in Lithuania, where Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas met Boris Pistoriusto to outline a “Roadmap Action Plan” involving 4,800 permanently stationed German soldiers. The new move was described as “historical” for both nations and NATO. German troops will be stationed in the Lithuanian cities of Kaunas and Vilnius in early 2024, with the majority of troops being deployed in 2025 and 2026 and full-operation capability expected by 2027. Meanwhile, Lithuania committed to providing all necessary civilian and military infrastructure. “The German commitment of permanently stationing a brigade in Lithuania is a historical step for both Germany and Lithuania,” Anusauskas said Monday, according to a press release. “We are turning over to a page of even deeper strategic partnership. Pistorius noted the step as being positive for defense relations, considering the war between Ukraine and Russia, We will ensure reliable deterrence, and we will be ready to [defend] NATO. We are sending a clear signal with this step to those who present a threat to peace and security in Europe.” Newsweek reported that experts within the two defense ministries formulated the plan: “Most of the German troops will be stationed in the territory of Rūdninkai military training ground, while the rest will be deployed in the town of Rukla, where some 1,000 allied troops already reside.” Logistical hubs will cater to the new brigade, including three maneuver battalions and combat support and supply units formed by new and existing units.“ “The 203rd Panzer Battalion, based in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the 122nd Armored Infantry Battalion, based in Bavaria, will be moved to Lithuania. Lithuania’s enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group will be transformed into a multinational battalion to become “an integral part of the brigade,” the release said. The head of the parliamentary National Security and Defense Committee, Laurynas Kasciunas, said the country would allocate 0.3 percent of its gross domestic product to help fund the deployment and to build housing. Earlier this year, Germany faced pressure from the US to provide Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2023/12/18/americans-yawn-at-cdc-warnings-about-tripledemic-n4924835 Americans Yawn at CDC Warnings About 'Tripledemic' While America's public health officials issue one warning after another about this winter's "tripledemic" of COVID, flu, and RSV, the American public is responding with a collective yawn — if vaccination rates are anything to go by. The CDC's most recent weekly vaccination update says that "receipt of the COVID-19 vaccine is low across all socio-demographic subgroups and has consistently varied by age, race and ethnicity, poverty status, health insurance status, and urbanicity." As of December 2, fewer than 18% of adults reported getting the updated COVID-19 vaccine since Sept. 14, and about another 15% of adults said they would "definitely" get vaccinated. RSV — respiratory syncytial virus infection — is another one of those bugs that poses its most serious risk to the 60-and-over crowd. Although a serious RSV infection might require hospitalization, the uptake rate among the eligible 60-plus cohort is just 16%. Vaccinations for the ordinary flu are down a bit, too. "Adult vaccination rates for influenza reached their peak for the 2020-2021 cycle," the Washington Examiner reported on Monday, "with 50.2% of those over 18 getting vaccinated. For the 2022-2023 season, however, only 46.9% of the same population obtained their shot." Rates are expected to be about the same or lower for the current 2023-2024 flu season. The drop isn't huge but the trendline is clear: Americans don't seem to be all that worried about the flu — and aren't concerned at all about COVID or RSV. That's not for any lack of effort on the part of our public health system. The CDC began its big vaccination push more than two months ago, with this tragically hip tweet from CDC director Mandy Cohen. Chicago health officials took a more traditional (and much less wince-inducing) approach on Monday, with Dr. Colleen Nash, associate professor of pediatrics in the division of infectious diseases at Rush University Medical Center, warning, "We’ve now been lucky enough to kind of live with COVID but still enjoy normal life and activities and things. And that is directly attributable, at least in part, to vaccinations. So I would really encourage people to do that if they haven’t already." While reports show that Illinois' hospitalization rate for COVID is "ticking up," the actual numbers aren't anything like 2020, with an additional 1,251 COVID hospital admissions this week statewide. And yet according to the Chicago Tribune, only about 11% of city residents are fully up to date on their COVID vaccinations. The CDC tried on Twitter/X again on Saturday, reminding readers, "‘Tis the season for joy and family. Now is the time to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and flu before you see your loved ones again." "Visit vaccines.gov to find vaccines near you." The ratio, as the kids like to say, is epic. While the replies were all over the place in tone, this one reasonable-sounding tweet captured the general sentiment. When vaccination rates are down even for the innocuous (and generally trusted) flu shot, it's clear that the CDC no longer enjoys the clout it used to with the American public.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday , December 20th, 2023. Rowdy Christian Merch Plug: If you’re a fan of CrossPolitic, or the Fight Laugh Feast Network, then surely, you know we have a merch store right? Rowdy Christian Merch is your one-stop-shop for everything CrossPolitc merchandise. We’ve got T-Shirts, hoodies, hats, but we’ve also got specialty items like backpacks, mugs, coffee, even airpod cases! Visit Rowdy Christian Merch at rowdychristian.com, and buy that next gift, or a little something for yourself. Again, that’s rowdychristian.com. https://thepostmillennial.com/kamala-harris-to-take-pro-abortion-reproductive-freedoms-tour-across-us?utm_campaign=64487 Kamala Harris launches 'Reproductive Freedoms' pro-abortion tour across US Vice President Kamala Harris announced Tuesday that she plans to travel around the United States in what she calls a "Reproductive Freedoms" tour. Harris announced that these trips will be taken "to organize, build community, and fight back" against what she calls a "full-on attack on a woman's fundamental freedom to make decisions about her own body" across the nation. The pro-abortion tour will kick off in Wisconsin on Jan. 22, which marks the 51st anniversary of the now-overturned Roe v. Wade. The White House promises that "Vice President Harris will also hold extremists accountable for proposing a national abortion ban," although it does not specify what those consequences may be. https://thenationalpulse.com/2023/12/18/britain-bans-prayer-near-abortion-clinics/ Britain BANS PRAYER Near Abortion Clinics. England’s High Court has upheld a local government order establishing a so-called “buffer zone” against prayers being said near an abortion clinic. Livia Tossici-Bolt, who heads the pro-life group 40 Days for Life Bournemouth, and Christian Concern had attempted to overturn the ban, arguing it “criminalized prayer and reading from the Bible”. Judges determined on Friday that the banning order “lawfully followed the democratic and consultative procedures”. They said any infringements of freedom of religion, speech, and the right to protest were “justified by the legitimate aim of protecting the rights of women attending the clinic.” Christian Concern intends to appeal the decision. “Peaceful witness near abortion centers are helpful to many women in crisis pregnancies, offering genuine choice by providing support,” argued Christian Legal Centre chief executive Andrea Williams. British police are exceptionally rigid in enforcing “buffer zones” protecting abortionists. Lone Christians have in some cases been arrested or fined for praying silently inside their heads near clinics. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/border-officials-encounter-14-509-illegal-immigrants-new-record Biden border crisis shatters record with 14,509 illegal immigrants encountered in one day U.S. border officials encountered the highest number of illegal immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border on Monday than any day, upending all other records that the Biden administration has set over the past three years. The Washington Examiner obtained internal U.S. Customs and Border Protection data Tuesday that revealed 14,509 immigrants were encountered by federal law enforcement at the southern border on Monday. The large majority of encounters were of immigrants who walked around the port of entry and crossed into the country illegally, while a small percentage tried to enter at the port of entry but were denied admission. The most recent record of 12,000 was set last week, according to Fox News. If yesterday's rate of 14,509 arrests per day continued for a month, it would translate to more than 435,000 immigrant arrests. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), whose district runs along 800 miles of the 2,000-mile border, described the situation in his region as "all very sad." Gonzales told the Washington Examiner in a text message Tuesday morning that he believes the situation in Eagle Pass, Texas, a border town where 2,500 immigrants were arrested on Sunday, will continue to decline but that the extent would depend on how the Biden administration responds. "Depends on how much pressure gets put on U.S. and Mexican officials," Gonzales wrote. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) reacted to the new one-day record on X, formerly Twitter. "Another Record: Over 14,500 illegal immigrants have been encountered while entering our country," Green wrote. "This has been the single worst 24 hours for our Southwest border in our nation’s history." Border officials in the Eagle Pass-Del Rio region encountered 3,100 illegal immigrants Monday, while officials in the Tucson region of Arizona encountered 3,089 people. Government numbers obtained Tuesday show 26,758 immigrants were in custody as of Tuesday morning, including 5,197 in Del Rio, Texas; 5,004 in Tucson, Arizona; 4,968 in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas; and 4,722 in El Paso, Texas. Existing Border Patrol stations in the Eagle Pass area are too small to accommodate more than several hundred people, so immigrants are being processed at a large tent facility outside town known as "Firefly" for the road that it is located on. The tent facility was set up last year with the intent of holding up to 1,000 immigrants, but as of Tuesday, more than 3,000 immigrants were at the site — putting the facility three times over the legal limit. Border Patrol is also busing immigrants to other regions for processing. One official at the tent facility told the Washington Examiner that it sends out 30 to 50 large buses of immigrants to other regions each day. Border Patrol highway checkpoints, including the only one north of Eagle Pass, were shuttered this week as agents were pulled to transport and process migrants. President Joe Biden has yet to react to the situation. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment. https://www.dailyfetched.com/germany-begins-deploying-troops-for-first-time-since-world-war-ii/ Germany Begins Deploying Troops for First Time since World War II The announcement was made on Monday in Lithuania, where Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas met Boris Pistoriusto to outline a “Roadmap Action Plan” involving 4,800 permanently stationed German soldiers. The new move was described as “historical” for both nations and NATO. German troops will be stationed in the Lithuanian cities of Kaunas and Vilnius in early 2024, with the majority of troops being deployed in 2025 and 2026 and full-operation capability expected by 2027. Meanwhile, Lithuania committed to providing all necessary civilian and military infrastructure. “The German commitment of permanently stationing a brigade in Lithuania is a historical step for both Germany and Lithuania,” Anusauskas said Monday, according to a press release. “We are turning over to a page of even deeper strategic partnership. Pistorius noted the step as being positive for defense relations, considering the war between Ukraine and Russia, We will ensure reliable deterrence, and we will be ready to [defend] NATO. We are sending a clear signal with this step to those who present a threat to peace and security in Europe.” Newsweek reported that experts within the two defense ministries formulated the plan: “Most of the German troops will be stationed in the territory of Rūdninkai military training ground, while the rest will be deployed in the town of Rukla, where some 1,000 allied troops already reside.” Logistical hubs will cater to the new brigade, including three maneuver battalions and combat support and supply units formed by new and existing units.“ “The 203rd Panzer Battalion, based in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the 122nd Armored Infantry Battalion, based in Bavaria, will be moved to Lithuania. Lithuania’s enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group will be transformed into a multinational battalion to become “an integral part of the brigade,” the release said. The head of the parliamentary National Security and Defense Committee, Laurynas Kasciunas, said the country would allocate 0.3 percent of its gross domestic product to help fund the deployment and to build housing. Earlier this year, Germany faced pressure from the US to provide Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2023/12/18/americans-yawn-at-cdc-warnings-about-tripledemic-n4924835 Americans Yawn at CDC Warnings About 'Tripledemic' While America's public health officials issue one warning after another about this winter's "tripledemic" of COVID, flu, and RSV, the American public is responding with a collective yawn — if vaccination rates are anything to go by. The CDC's most recent weekly vaccination update says that "receipt of the COVID-19 vaccine is low across all socio-demographic subgroups and has consistently varied by age, race and ethnicity, poverty status, health insurance status, and urbanicity." As of December 2, fewer than 18% of adults reported getting the updated COVID-19 vaccine since Sept. 14, and about another 15% of adults said they would "definitely" get vaccinated. RSV — respiratory syncytial virus infection — is another one of those bugs that poses its most serious risk to the 60-and-over crowd. Although a serious RSV infection might require hospitalization, the uptake rate among the eligible 60-plus cohort is just 16%. Vaccinations for the ordinary flu are down a bit, too. "Adult vaccination rates for influenza reached their peak for the 2020-2021 cycle," the Washington Examiner reported on Monday, "with 50.2% of those over 18 getting vaccinated. For the 2022-2023 season, however, only 46.9% of the same population obtained their shot." Rates are expected to be about the same or lower for the current 2023-2024 flu season. The drop isn't huge but the trendline is clear: Americans don't seem to be all that worried about the flu — and aren't concerned at all about COVID or RSV. That's not for any lack of effort on the part of our public health system. The CDC began its big vaccination push more than two months ago, with this tragically hip tweet from CDC director Mandy Cohen. Chicago health officials took a more traditional (and much less wince-inducing) approach on Monday, with Dr. Colleen Nash, associate professor of pediatrics in the division of infectious diseases at Rush University Medical Center, warning, "We’ve now been lucky enough to kind of live with COVID but still enjoy normal life and activities and things. And that is directly attributable, at least in part, to vaccinations. So I would really encourage people to do that if they haven’t already." While reports show that Illinois' hospitalization rate for COVID is "ticking up," the actual numbers aren't anything like 2020, with an additional 1,251 COVID hospital admissions this week statewide. And yet according to the Chicago Tribune, only about 11% of city residents are fully up to date on their COVID vaccinations. The CDC tried on Twitter/X again on Saturday, reminding readers, "‘Tis the season for joy and family. Now is the time to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and flu before you see your loved ones again." "Visit vaccines.gov to find vaccines near you." The ratio, as the kids like to say, is epic. While the replies were all over the place in tone, this one reasonable-sounding tweet captured the general sentiment. When vaccination rates are down even for the innocuous (and generally trusted) flu shot, it's clear that the CDC no longer enjoys the clout it used to with the American public.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday , December 20th, 2023. Rowdy Christian Merch Plug: If you’re a fan of CrossPolitic, or the Fight Laugh Feast Network, then surely, you know we have a merch store right? Rowdy Christian Merch is your one-stop-shop for everything CrossPolitc merchandise. We’ve got T-Shirts, hoodies, hats, but we’ve also got specialty items like backpacks, mugs, coffee, even airpod cases! Visit Rowdy Christian Merch at rowdychristian.com, and buy that next gift, or a little something for yourself. Again, that’s rowdychristian.com. https://thepostmillennial.com/kamala-harris-to-take-pro-abortion-reproductive-freedoms-tour-across-us?utm_campaign=64487 Kamala Harris launches 'Reproductive Freedoms' pro-abortion tour across US Vice President Kamala Harris announced Tuesday that she plans to travel around the United States in what she calls a "Reproductive Freedoms" tour. Harris announced that these trips will be taken "to organize, build community, and fight back" against what she calls a "full-on attack on a woman's fundamental freedom to make decisions about her own body" across the nation. The pro-abortion tour will kick off in Wisconsin on Jan. 22, which marks the 51st anniversary of the now-overturned Roe v. Wade. The White House promises that "Vice President Harris will also hold extremists accountable for proposing a national abortion ban," although it does not specify what those consequences may be. https://thenationalpulse.com/2023/12/18/britain-bans-prayer-near-abortion-clinics/ Britain BANS PRAYER Near Abortion Clinics. England’s High Court has upheld a local government order establishing a so-called “buffer zone” against prayers being said near an abortion clinic. Livia Tossici-Bolt, who heads the pro-life group 40 Days for Life Bournemouth, and Christian Concern had attempted to overturn the ban, arguing it “criminalized prayer and reading from the Bible”. Judges determined on Friday that the banning order “lawfully followed the democratic and consultative procedures”. They said any infringements of freedom of religion, speech, and the right to protest were “justified by the legitimate aim of protecting the rights of women attending the clinic.” Christian Concern intends to appeal the decision. “Peaceful witness near abortion centers are helpful to many women in crisis pregnancies, offering genuine choice by providing support,” argued Christian Legal Centre chief executive Andrea Williams. British police are exceptionally rigid in enforcing “buffer zones” protecting abortionists. Lone Christians have in some cases been arrested or fined for praying silently inside their heads near clinics. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/border-officials-encounter-14-509-illegal-immigrants-new-record Biden border crisis shatters record with 14,509 illegal immigrants encountered in one day U.S. border officials encountered the highest number of illegal immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border on Monday than any day, upending all other records that the Biden administration has set over the past three years. The Washington Examiner obtained internal U.S. Customs and Border Protection data Tuesday that revealed 14,509 immigrants were encountered by federal law enforcement at the southern border on Monday. The large majority of encounters were of immigrants who walked around the port of entry and crossed into the country illegally, while a small percentage tried to enter at the port of entry but were denied admission. The most recent record of 12,000 was set last week, according to Fox News. If yesterday's rate of 14,509 arrests per day continued for a month, it would translate to more than 435,000 immigrant arrests. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), whose district runs along 800 miles of the 2,000-mile border, described the situation in his region as "all very sad." Gonzales told the Washington Examiner in a text message Tuesday morning that he believes the situation in Eagle Pass, Texas, a border town where 2,500 immigrants were arrested on Sunday, will continue to decline but that the extent would depend on how the Biden administration responds. "Depends on how much pressure gets put on U.S. and Mexican officials," Gonzales wrote. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) reacted to the new one-day record on X, formerly Twitter. "Another Record: Over 14,500 illegal immigrants have been encountered while entering our country," Green wrote. "This has been the single worst 24 hours for our Southwest border in our nation’s history." Border officials in the Eagle Pass-Del Rio region encountered 3,100 illegal immigrants Monday, while officials in the Tucson region of Arizona encountered 3,089 people. Government numbers obtained Tuesday show 26,758 immigrants were in custody as of Tuesday morning, including 5,197 in Del Rio, Texas; 5,004 in Tucson, Arizona; 4,968 in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas; and 4,722 in El Paso, Texas. Existing Border Patrol stations in the Eagle Pass area are too small to accommodate more than several hundred people, so immigrants are being processed at a large tent facility outside town known as "Firefly" for the road that it is located on. The tent facility was set up last year with the intent of holding up to 1,000 immigrants, but as of Tuesday, more than 3,000 immigrants were at the site — putting the facility three times over the legal limit. Border Patrol is also busing immigrants to other regions for processing. One official at the tent facility told the Washington Examiner that it sends out 30 to 50 large buses of immigrants to other regions each day. Border Patrol highway checkpoints, including the only one north of Eagle Pass, were shuttered this week as agents were pulled to transport and process migrants. President Joe Biden has yet to react to the situation. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment. https://www.dailyfetched.com/germany-begins-deploying-troops-for-first-time-since-world-war-ii/ Germany Begins Deploying Troops for First Time since World War II The announcement was made on Monday in Lithuania, where Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas met Boris Pistoriusto to outline a “Roadmap Action Plan” involving 4,800 permanently stationed German soldiers. The new move was described as “historical” for both nations and NATO. German troops will be stationed in the Lithuanian cities of Kaunas and Vilnius in early 2024, with the majority of troops being deployed in 2025 and 2026 and full-operation capability expected by 2027. Meanwhile, Lithuania committed to providing all necessary civilian and military infrastructure. “The German commitment of permanently stationing a brigade in Lithuania is a historical step for both Germany and Lithuania,” Anusauskas said Monday, according to a press release. “We are turning over to a page of even deeper strategic partnership. Pistorius noted the step as being positive for defense relations, considering the war between Ukraine and Russia, We will ensure reliable deterrence, and we will be ready to [defend] NATO. We are sending a clear signal with this step to those who present a threat to peace and security in Europe.” Newsweek reported that experts within the two defense ministries formulated the plan: “Most of the German troops will be stationed in the territory of Rūdninkai military training ground, while the rest will be deployed in the town of Rukla, where some 1,000 allied troops already reside.” Logistical hubs will cater to the new brigade, including three maneuver battalions and combat support and supply units formed by new and existing units.“ “The 203rd Panzer Battalion, based in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the 122nd Armored Infantry Battalion, based in Bavaria, will be moved to Lithuania. Lithuania’s enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group will be transformed into a multinational battalion to become “an integral part of the brigade,” the release said. The head of the parliamentary National Security and Defense Committee, Laurynas Kasciunas, said the country would allocate 0.3 percent of its gross domestic product to help fund the deployment and to build housing. Earlier this year, Germany faced pressure from the US to provide Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2023/12/18/americans-yawn-at-cdc-warnings-about-tripledemic-n4924835 Americans Yawn at CDC Warnings About 'Tripledemic' While America's public health officials issue one warning after another about this winter's "tripledemic" of COVID, flu, and RSV, the American public is responding with a collective yawn — if vaccination rates are anything to go by. The CDC's most recent weekly vaccination update says that "receipt of the COVID-19 vaccine is low across all socio-demographic subgroups and has consistently varied by age, race and ethnicity, poverty status, health insurance status, and urbanicity." As of December 2, fewer than 18% of adults reported getting the updated COVID-19 vaccine since Sept. 14, and about another 15% of adults said they would "definitely" get vaccinated. RSV — respiratory syncytial virus infection — is another one of those bugs that poses its most serious risk to the 60-and-over crowd. Although a serious RSV infection might require hospitalization, the uptake rate among the eligible 60-plus cohort is just 16%. Vaccinations for the ordinary flu are down a bit, too. "Adult vaccination rates for influenza reached their peak for the 2020-2021 cycle," the Washington Examiner reported on Monday, "with 50.2% of those over 18 getting vaccinated. For the 2022-2023 season, however, only 46.9% of the same population obtained their shot." Rates are expected to be about the same or lower for the current 2023-2024 flu season. The drop isn't huge but the trendline is clear: Americans don't seem to be all that worried about the flu — and aren't concerned at all about COVID or RSV. That's not for any lack of effort on the part of our public health system. The CDC began its big vaccination push more than two months ago, with this tragically hip tweet from CDC director Mandy Cohen. Chicago health officials took a more traditional (and much less wince-inducing) approach on Monday, with Dr. Colleen Nash, associate professor of pediatrics in the division of infectious diseases at Rush University Medical Center, warning, "We’ve now been lucky enough to kind of live with COVID but still enjoy normal life and activities and things. And that is directly attributable, at least in part, to vaccinations. So I would really encourage people to do that if they haven’t already." While reports show that Illinois' hospitalization rate for COVID is "ticking up," the actual numbers aren't anything like 2020, with an additional 1,251 COVID hospital admissions this week statewide. And yet according to the Chicago Tribune, only about 11% of city residents are fully up to date on their COVID vaccinations. The CDC tried on Twitter/X again on Saturday, reminding readers, "‘Tis the season for joy and family. Now is the time to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and flu before you see your loved ones again." "Visit vaccines.gov to find vaccines near you." The ratio, as the kids like to say, is epic. While the replies were all over the place in tone, this one reasonable-sounding tweet captured the general sentiment. When vaccination rates are down even for the innocuous (and generally trusted) flu shot, it's clear that the CDC no longer enjoys the clout it used to with the American public.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuessday, November 14th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Magazine Our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine is a quarterly issue that packs a punch like a 21 year Balvenie, no ice. We don’t water down our scotch, why would we water down our theology? Order a yearly subscription for yourself and then send a couple yearly subscriptions to your friends who have been drinking luke-warm evangelical cool-aid. Every quarter we promise quality food for the soul, wine for the heart, and some Red Bull for turning over tables. Our magazine will include cultural commentary, a Psalm of the quarter, recipes for feasting, laughter sprinkled through out the glossy pages, and more. Sign up today, at fightlaughfeast.com. https://pjmedia.com/victoria-taft/2023/11/12/us-news-outlets-must-answer-if-they-knew-about-hamas-terror-attacks-on-israel-before-october-7-n4923834 Media in Panic Mode Over Questions About Whether They Knew in Advance About Hamas Attack on Israel On October 7, four photojournalists who provide reporting and photos for the likes of the Associated Press (AP), CNN, the New York Times, Reuters, and other outlets were allegedly at the Israeli border with Hamas terrorists who committed acts of atrocities against innocent Israeli civilians that shocked the world. Since an Israel-supporting news watchdog website reported the claim, everyone wants to know if these Gaza-based reporters knew in advance about the attack and, more importantly, if they could have saved lives by alerting the world about it. The question arises: Did the AP, CNN, the New York Times, and Reuters know about the Hamas terror attack in advance? The allegations have sent major media into panic mode and generated even more mistrust in the corporate press. The website HonestReporting, which chronicles coverage of Israel by an increasingly one-sided press to contrast the "Pallywood" and crisis actor coverage by Hamas and its agents, asks: "Is it conceivable to assume that 'journalists' just happened to appear early in the morning at the border without prior coordination with the terrorists? Or were they part of the plan?" Hamas terrorists paraglided and drove into the civilian populations that day and committed acts of horrific brutality. They wanted their murders and acts of terror chronicled for the world, which is why they wore GoPro cameras and apparently arranged for these traditional media photographers to go in with them. HonestReporting reported that "four names appear on AP’s photo credits from the Israel-Gaza border area on October 7: Hassan Eslaiah, Yousef Masoud, Ali Mahmud, and Hatem Ali." The news watchdog took a close look at Elsaiah, a "freelancer who also works for CNN, crossed into Israel, took photos of a burning Israeli tank, and then captured infiltrators entering Kibbutz Kfar Azza." Elsaiah "did not wear a press vest or a helmet," the website reported. He posted a video of himself on Twitter/X saying that “everyone who were inside this tank were kidnapped, everyone who were inside the tank were kidnapped a short while ago by al-Qassam Brigades [Hamas’ armed wing], as we have seen with our own eyes.” The website later featured an older photo of Elsaiah with the Hamas leader who planned the attack. In war reporting, journalists are often given a heads-up and allowed to chronicle American troops heading into battle, for example. But this wasn't an act of war -- it was terror. It was murder for murder's sake. There hadn't been an Israeli offensive to which the Gaza terror organization was responding. Indeed, if Hamas had been wearing uniforms and acting as an "army" they would be accused of war crimes. As it is, they're accused of crimes against humanity. https://www.foxnews.com/world/uk-infant-indi-gregory-dies-legal-battle-british-government-treatment-options UK infant Indi Gregory dies amid legal battle with British government over treatment options A terminally ill baby in the United Kingdom, who was the focus of a legal battle involving her parents, British health officials and the Italian government over treatment options, died Monday morning in hospice care. Christian Concern, a group supporting the family, said 8-month-old Indi Gregory died after her life support was withdrawn on Sunday, according to The Associated Press. The infant had suffered brain damage because of a rare condition known as mitochondrial disease. The child's doctors said her life support should be removed to allow her to die at a hospital or in hospice, but her parents, Dean Gregory and Claire Staniforth, continued to fight for her to remain on life support, hoping that experimental treatments may extend her life. The Italian government had solicited permission for her to be treated at Bambino Gesu Children’s Hospital in Rome. Italian officials even granted citizenship to the baby amid the legal battle over her health care. Doctors claimed that Indi was not aware of her surroundings and was suffering as they argued she should be allowed to die peacefully. Legal challenges supported by Christian Concern were rejected by British judges. Indi's case is the latest in a series of legal battles in the United Kingdom between parents and doctors over treatment for children with terminal illnesses. British judges have repeatedly taken the side of doctors in cases about the best interests of the child, despite parental objections to a proposed treatment option. Court of Appeal Justice Peter Jackson said on Friday that doctors treating Gregory and other critically ill children were put in an "extremely challenging" position by the legal battle. He also criticized "manipulative litigation tactics" that attempt to frustrate orders made by judges after careful consideration. https://www.dailyfetched.com/over-70-of-americans-unwilling-to-be-drafted-if-ww3-breaks-out-poll/ Over 70% of Americans Unwilling to Be Drafted If WW3 Breaks Out, Poll A new poll has found that 72 percent of Americans would be unwilling to volunteer to serve their country if WW3 breaks out, compared to just 21 percent who said they would. As the US becomes deeply embedded in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and the Russia-Ukraine war, the Echelon Insights findings suggest most Americans hold a more ‘America First’ view of foreign policy than the political establishment. Since 1987, the US military has shrunk by 39 percent, and the Army and Air Force missed their recruitment targets in 2023 by 10,000. Meanwhile, the Navy missed its target by 6,000. The lack of troops could pose a big problem for America’s war readiness. While infantry soldiers are relatively easy to train in a crisis, pilots and naval specialists require years of instruction. As The National Pulse noted, the traditionally conservative-leaning young people the military has often relied on for manpower may also have been deterred by its intolerant attitude towards unvaccinated Americans in recent years and senior officers’ promotion of far-left interests such as drag and “white rage.” Meanwhile, with the prospect of WW3 is becoming more likely, Americans may not have to worry about being drafted as nuclear weapons would destroy most countries. Last week, President Donald Trump warned that Mexico could be at risk of nuclear destruction in the Event of WW3 breaking out from the war in the Middle East. Trump said the potential ramifications of another nuclear war could involve the total destruction of Mexico. “The biggest threat is nuclear weapons,” Trump said. https://dailycaller.com/2023/11/12/former-national-champion-texas-head-coach-jimbo-fischer-fired-poor-performance/ Former National Champion Head Coach Jimbo Fischer Fired For Poor Performance Texas A&M has fired head football coach Jimbo Fischer, bringing his six-year tenure with the Aggies to a close while netting himself $76 million. The firing comes on the heels of a 51-10 victory of Mississippi State, moving Texas A&M to 6-4 on the season, according to CBS Sports. Fisher took the Texas A&M head coaching position in 2018, coming off a successful tenure at Florida State, where he won a national championship in 2014, per the outlet. While the Aggies did manage to go 9-4 in 2018, Texas A&M has struggled over the past two seasons, barely cracking eight wins in 2021 and going 5-7 in 2022, per the outlet. When Fischer became head coach of the Aggies, he signed a 10-year, $75-million contract, which was later extended through 2031. The contract also came with a massive buyout clause worth $76 million, which he is now owed by Texas A&M, per the outlet. “After very careful analysis of all the components related to Texas A&M football, I recommended to President Welsh and then Chancellor Sharp that a change in the leadership of the program was necessary in order for Aggie football to reach our full potential and they accepted my decision. We appreciate Coach Fisher’s time here at Texas A&M and we wish him the best in his future endeavors,” Texas A&M athletics director Ross Bjork said in a statement. The Aggies will finish off their regular season with Abilene Christian University and top-25 LSU.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuessday, November 14th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Magazine Our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine is a quarterly issue that packs a punch like a 21 year Balvenie, no ice. We don’t water down our scotch, why would we water down our theology? Order a yearly subscription for yourself and then send a couple yearly subscriptions to your friends who have been drinking luke-warm evangelical cool-aid. Every quarter we promise quality food for the soul, wine for the heart, and some Red Bull for turning over tables. Our magazine will include cultural commentary, a Psalm of the quarter, recipes for feasting, laughter sprinkled through out the glossy pages, and more. Sign up today, at fightlaughfeast.com. https://pjmedia.com/victoria-taft/2023/11/12/us-news-outlets-must-answer-if-they-knew-about-hamas-terror-attacks-on-israel-before-october-7-n4923834 Media in Panic Mode Over Questions About Whether They Knew in Advance About Hamas Attack on Israel On October 7, four photojournalists who provide reporting and photos for the likes of the Associated Press (AP), CNN, the New York Times, Reuters, and other outlets were allegedly at the Israeli border with Hamas terrorists who committed acts of atrocities against innocent Israeli civilians that shocked the world. Since an Israel-supporting news watchdog website reported the claim, everyone wants to know if these Gaza-based reporters knew in advance about the attack and, more importantly, if they could have saved lives by alerting the world about it. The question arises: Did the AP, CNN, the New York Times, and Reuters know about the Hamas terror attack in advance? The allegations have sent major media into panic mode and generated even more mistrust in the corporate press. The website HonestReporting, which chronicles coverage of Israel by an increasingly one-sided press to contrast the "Pallywood" and crisis actor coverage by Hamas and its agents, asks: "Is it conceivable to assume that 'journalists' just happened to appear early in the morning at the border without prior coordination with the terrorists? Or were they part of the plan?" Hamas terrorists paraglided and drove into the civilian populations that day and committed acts of horrific brutality. They wanted their murders and acts of terror chronicled for the world, which is why they wore GoPro cameras and apparently arranged for these traditional media photographers to go in with them. HonestReporting reported that "four names appear on AP’s photo credits from the Israel-Gaza border area on October 7: Hassan Eslaiah, Yousef Masoud, Ali Mahmud, and Hatem Ali." The news watchdog took a close look at Elsaiah, a "freelancer who also works for CNN, crossed into Israel, took photos of a burning Israeli tank, and then captured infiltrators entering Kibbutz Kfar Azza." Elsaiah "did not wear a press vest or a helmet," the website reported. He posted a video of himself on Twitter/X saying that “everyone who were inside this tank were kidnapped, everyone who were inside the tank were kidnapped a short while ago by al-Qassam Brigades [Hamas’ armed wing], as we have seen with our own eyes.” The website later featured an older photo of Elsaiah with the Hamas leader who planned the attack. In war reporting, journalists are often given a heads-up and allowed to chronicle American troops heading into battle, for example. But this wasn't an act of war -- it was terror. It was murder for murder's sake. There hadn't been an Israeli offensive to which the Gaza terror organization was responding. Indeed, if Hamas had been wearing uniforms and acting as an "army" they would be accused of war crimes. As it is, they're accused of crimes against humanity. https://www.foxnews.com/world/uk-infant-indi-gregory-dies-legal-battle-british-government-treatment-options UK infant Indi Gregory dies amid legal battle with British government over treatment options A terminally ill baby in the United Kingdom, who was the focus of a legal battle involving her parents, British health officials and the Italian government over treatment options, died Monday morning in hospice care. Christian Concern, a group supporting the family, said 8-month-old Indi Gregory died after her life support was withdrawn on Sunday, according to The Associated Press. The infant had suffered brain damage because of a rare condition known as mitochondrial disease. The child's doctors said her life support should be removed to allow her to die at a hospital or in hospice, but her parents, Dean Gregory and Claire Staniforth, continued to fight for her to remain on life support, hoping that experimental treatments may extend her life. The Italian government had solicited permission for her to be treated at Bambino Gesu Children’s Hospital in Rome. Italian officials even granted citizenship to the baby amid the legal battle over her health care. Doctors claimed that Indi was not aware of her surroundings and was suffering as they argued she should be allowed to die peacefully. Legal challenges supported by Christian Concern were rejected by British judges. Indi's case is the latest in a series of legal battles in the United Kingdom between parents and doctors over treatment for children with terminal illnesses. British judges have repeatedly taken the side of doctors in cases about the best interests of the child, despite parental objections to a proposed treatment option. Court of Appeal Justice Peter Jackson said on Friday that doctors treating Gregory and other critically ill children were put in an "extremely challenging" position by the legal battle. He also criticized "manipulative litigation tactics" that attempt to frustrate orders made by judges after careful consideration. https://www.dailyfetched.com/over-70-of-americans-unwilling-to-be-drafted-if-ww3-breaks-out-poll/ Over 70% of Americans Unwilling to Be Drafted If WW3 Breaks Out, Poll A new poll has found that 72 percent of Americans would be unwilling to volunteer to serve their country if WW3 breaks out, compared to just 21 percent who said they would. As the US becomes deeply embedded in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and the Russia-Ukraine war, the Echelon Insights findings suggest most Americans hold a more ‘America First’ view of foreign policy than the political establishment. Since 1987, the US military has shrunk by 39 percent, and the Army and Air Force missed their recruitment targets in 2023 by 10,000. Meanwhile, the Navy missed its target by 6,000. The lack of troops could pose a big problem for America’s war readiness. While infantry soldiers are relatively easy to train in a crisis, pilots and naval specialists require years of instruction. As The National Pulse noted, the traditionally conservative-leaning young people the military has often relied on for manpower may also have been deterred by its intolerant attitude towards unvaccinated Americans in recent years and senior officers’ promotion of far-left interests such as drag and “white rage.” Meanwhile, with the prospect of WW3 is becoming more likely, Americans may not have to worry about being drafted as nuclear weapons would destroy most countries. Last week, President Donald Trump warned that Mexico could be at risk of nuclear destruction in the Event of WW3 breaking out from the war in the Middle East. Trump said the potential ramifications of another nuclear war could involve the total destruction of Mexico. “The biggest threat is nuclear weapons,” Trump said. https://dailycaller.com/2023/11/12/former-national-champion-texas-head-coach-jimbo-fischer-fired-poor-performance/ Former National Champion Head Coach Jimbo Fischer Fired For Poor Performance Texas A&M has fired head football coach Jimbo Fischer, bringing his six-year tenure with the Aggies to a close while netting himself $76 million. The firing comes on the heels of a 51-10 victory of Mississippi State, moving Texas A&M to 6-4 on the season, according to CBS Sports. Fisher took the Texas A&M head coaching position in 2018, coming off a successful tenure at Florida State, where he won a national championship in 2014, per the outlet. While the Aggies did manage to go 9-4 in 2018, Texas A&M has struggled over the past two seasons, barely cracking eight wins in 2021 and going 5-7 in 2022, per the outlet. When Fischer became head coach of the Aggies, he signed a 10-year, $75-million contract, which was later extended through 2031. The contract also came with a massive buyout clause worth $76 million, which he is now owed by Texas A&M, per the outlet. “After very careful analysis of all the components related to Texas A&M football, I recommended to President Welsh and then Chancellor Sharp that a change in the leadership of the program was necessary in order for Aggie football to reach our full potential and they accepted my decision. We appreciate Coach Fisher’s time here at Texas A&M and we wish him the best in his future endeavors,” Texas A&M athletics director Ross Bjork said in a statement. The Aggies will finish off their regular season with Abilene Christian University and top-25 LSU.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday, November 8th, 2023. Dropwave Do you have a podcast, or thinking about starting one? Does your church have a podcast feed for sermons? Then Dropwave.io is for you. Cancel culture is like walking on a thin glass bridge over the Grand Canyon. Every step you take could get you killed, I mean canceled. Since the beginning CrossPolitic has been working on being antifragile, so no matter what happens, our content can still be delivered to your tv and to your podcast. This past year, the Waterboy and his friend Jeremi, have been working on building a podcast hosting solution for rowdy platforms like CrossPolitic, so that you can be confident your podcast will never fall through that glass bridge. Dropwave offers seamless onboarding for shows that have been around for years to easy to use solutions for starting your own podcast. Dropwave will track all your show’s downloads by city, state, and country, and it offers network and enterprise packages for solutions like the Fight Laugh Feast Network. Free to speak, Free to podcast, free to start your journey now at www.Dropwave.io. https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2023/11/07/bloomberg-u-s-debt-interest-bill-soars-past-1-trillion-a-year/ Bloomberg: U.S. Debt Interest Bill Soars Past $1 Trillion a Year The combination of high levels of debt and higher interest rates has pushed the annualized interest cost of government debt past $1 trillion, an analysis from Bloomberg showed Tuesday. This amounts to a doubling of interest costs over the past 19 months, according to Bloomberg. It is the equivalent of 15.9 percent of the Federal budget for fiscal year 2022. The worsening metrics may reignite debate about the US fiscal path amid heavy borrowing from Washington. That dynamic has already helped drive up bond yields, threatened the return of the so-called bond vigilantes and led Fitch Ratings to downgrade US government debt in August. “There will be further increases to Treasury coupon auctions and T-bills outstanding going forward,” Bloomberg Intelligence strategists Ira Jersey and Will Hoffman wrote in a research note. “Besides deficits of over $2 trillion in the foreseeable future, climbing maturities following the increase of issuance from March 2020 will also need to be refinanced.” The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the cumulative deficit for the 2024–2033 period will total $20.2 trillion, or 6.1 percent of GDP. Deficits are expected to be at least 5.5 percent of GDP every year for the coming decade. Since 1973, the federal government budget deficit has averaged 3.6 percent of GDP. https://dailycaller.com/2023/11/07/van-jones-biden-retire-2024-election-drop-out/ ‘It’s Time’: CNN’s Van Jones Says Biden Needs To Consider Retiring CNN’s Van Jones said Tuesday that President Joe Biden needs to consider retiring following a poll from The New York Times/Siena College. The Sunday poll found president Donald Trump leading Biden by a substantial margin in five out of six key swing states. Biden holds a slight edge within the margin of error over Trump in Wisconsin. Jones argued Biden is in a tough position. Video Plays Several pundits have questioned whether Biden should drop out of the race, with CNN’s David Axelrod saying the president needs to decide whether staying in the race is “in his best interest or the country’s.” Director of Defending Democracy Together Bill Kristol posted on X that Biden needs to make an act of “personal sacrifice.” “It’s time. President Biden has served our country well. I’m confident he’ll do so for the next year. But it’s time for an act of personal sacrifice and public spirit. It’s time to pass the torch to the next generation. It’s time for Biden to announce he won’t run in 2024,” Kristol wrote. https://hotair.com/karen-townsend/2023/11/07/future-darwin-award-winner-tried-to-target-jewish-children-in-americas-midwest-n590580 Future Darwin Award Winner Tried to Target Jewish Children in America's Midwest A woman in Indiana plowed her car into a building she thought was a Jewish school. The police describe her as a terrorist and she was arrested at the scene. Not only was her intention to hurt or kill Jewish school children in their school in Indianapolis but she was completely mistaken about her target. The 34-year-old terrorist woman, allegedly backed her vehicle into a building associated with Black Hebrew Israelites on Friday. She admitted to the police that she specifically targeted the building because she was offended by a Hebrew Israelite symbol in front. This psycho thought she was entitled to try to harm children because she was offended by a symbol in front of the building, apparently. There were several adults and children in the building at the time. However, they were not who the woman thought they were. She said, “Yes. I did it on purpose.” She kept describing the building as the “Israel school” and she spoke about “her people back in Palestine.” According to the Anti-Defamation League, the Israelite School of Universal and Practical Knowledge is a sect of the Black Hebrew Israelites. It is an extremist group that is anti-Israel. The Southern Poverty Law Center (I know) has designated them as a hate group. So, ironically, the unhinged and offended the woman plowed into the building used by a group who hate Israel as she does. She is Darwin Award material. An investigation is underway. There may be additional charges brought against her. The Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis said Safe Indiana, a Jewish community security program, is working with cops to probe the incident. “Safety and security for our community is of the utmost importance, and we are more secure and prepared than ever before,” the federation said in a statement. “Although a Jewish facility was not targeted, solely due to ironic misidentification, this is yet another reminder to maintain security protocols, remain vigilant of suspicious activity and to (report promptly) to the appropriate authorities.” These random acts of terror seem to be increasing. FBI Director Christopher Wray recently warned of lone wolf attacks. Wray said Hamas inspired terrorists pose a threat not seen since the days of ISIS. She confessed that she was motivated to do the attack after watching news coverage of the Israel-Hamas war. She is originally from Amman, Jordan. Wray said that while Hamas is assessed to have no capabilities inside the US, other actors – possible radicalized individuals or small groups – could take inspiration from the terror group in a way similar to ISIS. Speaking to the Senate’s Homeland Security Committee, he said: “We assess that the actions of Hamas and its allies will serve as an inspiration, the likes of which we haven’t seen since ISIS launched its so-called caliphate several years ago. “In just the past few weeks, multiple foreign terrorist organizations have called for attacks against Americans and the West.” He said: “Here in the United States, our most immediate concern is that violent extremists – individuals or small groups – will draw inspiration from the events in the Middle East to carry out attacks against Americans going about their daily lives.” She was charged with a preliminary charge of criminal recklessness. Her first court appearance is scheduled for today, November 8. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255928/vatican-hospital-offers-to-treat-critically-ill-baby-denied-life-support-in-britain Vatican hospital offers to treat critically ill baby denied life support in Britain The Vatican’s pediatric hospital has offered to treat 8-month-old baby Indi Gregory after a British court ruled that she be removed from life support against her parents’ wishes. Gregory, who was born in February, suffers from a rare degenerative mitochondrial disease and has been receiving life-sustaining treatment on a ventilator at the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham, England. After England’s high court ruled that it was in the child’s “best interests” to be taken off life support, Gregory’s parents appealed to take her to Rome for treatment, an appeal that was denied by a British judge over the weekend. The Italian government decided in an emergency meeting on Monday to grant the critically ill child Italian citizenship and to cover the cost of her medical treatment at the Vatican’s Bambino Gesù (jay-zoo) hospital. “They say there isn’t much hope for little Indi, but until the very end, I’ll do what I can to defend her life,” Italian President Giorgia Meloni wrote on social media on Nov. 6. “And to defend the right of her mamma and papa to do all that they can for her.” The Bambino Gesù hospital has previously offered medical treatment to other critically ill children, including Alfie Evans in 2018 and Charlie Gard in 2017, both of whom were ultimately denied the chance to travel to Italy by U.K. courts and died days after being removed from life support. Christian Concern has published a letter from the president of the Bambino Gesù hospital outlining “a detailed treatment plan” for the child, which includes “life-sustaining treatment and palliative care to ensure Indi’s survival and comfort while the treatments take effect.” Andrea Williams, chief executive of Christian Concern and the Christian Legal Centre supporting the Gregorys’ case, has noted that this is believed to be the first time that a parent’s appeal against an order to withdraw life-sustaining treatment has been rejected by the Court of Appeal without a hearing. “The law is there to protect life and the most vulnerable in our society. What is happening in this case sets a very worrying precedent with regard to that principle,” Williams said. “It is very concerning that a child can be held against the parents’ wishes when they have alternative treatment available.” With the newly granted Italian citizenship, the child’s parents, Dean Gregory and Claire Staniforth, can appeal to the Italian consulate in Britain to request that their daughter be airlifted to Italy for treatment, according to Reuters. Simone Pillon (pee-lone), an Italian lawyer assisting the Gregory family, wrote on Nov. 7: “We are working to find an agreement between the two countries to satisfy the family’s request and treat Indi in Rome.” In response to the Italian government’s decision, Dean Gregory, Indi’s father, said: “My heart fills up with joy that the Italians have given Claire and I hope and faith back in humanity. The Italians have shown us care and loving support and I wish the U.K. authorities were the same.” https://nypost.com/2023/11/06/news/texas-southern-tuba-player-punches-heckler-in-the-stands-video/ Marching Band turns into Marching Hands? Texas Southern band member punches heckler in the stands, continues playing - He didn’t miss a beat. A Texas Southern University tuba player swiftly knocked out an obnoxious heckler during a football game Saturday before carrying on playing his instrument. Video taken from the stands during Saturday’s game between Texas Southern and Jackson State shows the college band’s tuba player bouncing along to the music while a fan starts yelling at him. A Jackson State fan can be seen in the footage aggressively yelling at the tuba player, who is attempting to continue playing with the band. Seeming to have had enough of the outburst, the Texas Southern tuba player says something to the man before swiftly punching him four times in the face. The Texas Southern band member then returns to his instrument as if the altercation never happened. In one recording of the incident, the band member can be heard telling the aggressive fan, “F–k off, b—h.” It’s unclear whether the heckler, who stumbled back several feet in the stands, sustained any injuries from the scuffle. It’s also unclear whether police responded to the incident or if any action was taken against the band member. Texas Southern University ended up losing to Jackson State, 21-19. https://www.outkick.com/field-hockey-teammate-issues-bold-statement-against-miaa-for-allowing-male-players-to-compete-against-women/ FIELD HOCKEY CAPTAIN SLAMS MASSACHUSETTS LAW ALLOWING BOYS ON GIRLS TEAMS AFTER BRUTAL INJURY TO HER TEAMMATE Men competing against women in sports spawned another tragic story on Thursday when a female field hockey player suffered significant injuries to her face after taking a shot from a male opponent. The female high schooler played on Dighton-Rehoboth High School’s team, and now the co-captain / teammate of her squad is speaking up and calling for policy change to prohibit men from competing against women to avoid further incidents. Kelsey Bain, who plays on Dighton-Rehoboth and is the co-captain of the field hockey team, posted a letter on X, directed at the MIAA to change the association’s policy that allows men to compete against women. “This is a letter I sent to the MIAA in response to the recent Swampscott vs. Dighton-Rehoboth field hockey incident,” Kelsey Bain posted on X, including the three-page notice. Women’s rights activist and OutKick host Riley Gaines shared Bain’s statement on social media. The man played for Swampscott High School, who played Dighton-Rehoboth in a playoff field hockey contest on Thursday. Under the MIAA’s ruling — the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association — men can compete against women if a sport does not offer their gender’s league. The man’s shot knocked several of the girl’s teeth out and caused serious facial injuries. Video of the hit shows the girl writhing in pain and screaming. To prevent these incidents from continuing, Kelsey Bain is stepping into the discourse, understanding that the association will not budge on the issue unless they are challenged. Dighton-Rehoboth Superintendent Bill Runey put out a statement, identifying that the opponent was indeed a man and relaying the horror of the team personnel after one of their own suffered a brutal injury. Runey said, “Last night, a female field hockey player for the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School girls’ field hockey team sustained significant facial and dental injuries when she was struck in the face by a shot in the third quarter versus Swampscott in an MIAA state playoff contest. “The shot was taken by a male member of the Swampscott girls field hockey team. This injury required hospitalization. The player, her family, teammates, and coaches remain in my prayers.”

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday, November 8th, 2023. Dropwave Do you have a podcast, or thinking about starting one? Does your church have a podcast feed for sermons? Then Dropwave.io is for you. Cancel culture is like walking on a thin glass bridge over the Grand Canyon. Every step you take could get you killed, I mean canceled. Since the beginning CrossPolitic has been working on being antifragile, so no matter what happens, our content can still be delivered to your tv and to your podcast. This past year, the Waterboy and his friend Jeremi, have been working on building a podcast hosting solution for rowdy platforms like CrossPolitic, so that you can be confident your podcast will never fall through that glass bridge. Dropwave offers seamless onboarding for shows that have been around for years to easy to use solutions for starting your own podcast. Dropwave will track all your show’s downloads by city, state, and country, and it offers network and enterprise packages for solutions like the Fight Laugh Feast Network. Free to speak, Free to podcast, free to start your journey now at www.Dropwave.io. https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2023/11/07/bloomberg-u-s-debt-interest-bill-soars-past-1-trillion-a-year/ Bloomberg: U.S. Debt Interest Bill Soars Past $1 Trillion a Year The combination of high levels of debt and higher interest rates has pushed the annualized interest cost of government debt past $1 trillion, an analysis from Bloomberg showed Tuesday. This amounts to a doubling of interest costs over the past 19 months, according to Bloomberg. It is the equivalent of 15.9 percent of the Federal budget for fiscal year 2022. The worsening metrics may reignite debate about the US fiscal path amid heavy borrowing from Washington. That dynamic has already helped drive up bond yields, threatened the return of the so-called bond vigilantes and led Fitch Ratings to downgrade US government debt in August. “There will be further increases to Treasury coupon auctions and T-bills outstanding going forward,” Bloomberg Intelligence strategists Ira Jersey and Will Hoffman wrote in a research note. “Besides deficits of over $2 trillion in the foreseeable future, climbing maturities following the increase of issuance from March 2020 will also need to be refinanced.” The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the cumulative deficit for the 2024–2033 period will total $20.2 trillion, or 6.1 percent of GDP. Deficits are expected to be at least 5.5 percent of GDP every year for the coming decade. Since 1973, the federal government budget deficit has averaged 3.6 percent of GDP. https://dailycaller.com/2023/11/07/van-jones-biden-retire-2024-election-drop-out/ ‘It’s Time’: CNN’s Van Jones Says Biden Needs To Consider Retiring CNN’s Van Jones said Tuesday that President Joe Biden needs to consider retiring following a poll from The New York Times/Siena College. The Sunday poll found president Donald Trump leading Biden by a substantial margin in five out of six key swing states. Biden holds a slight edge within the margin of error over Trump in Wisconsin. Jones argued Biden is in a tough position. Video Plays Several pundits have questioned whether Biden should drop out of the race, with CNN’s David Axelrod saying the president needs to decide whether staying in the race is “in his best interest or the country’s.” Director of Defending Democracy Together Bill Kristol posted on X that Biden needs to make an act of “personal sacrifice.” “It’s time. President Biden has served our country well. I’m confident he’ll do so for the next year. But it’s time for an act of personal sacrifice and public spirit. It’s time to pass the torch to the next generation. It’s time for Biden to announce he won’t run in 2024,” Kristol wrote. https://hotair.com/karen-townsend/2023/11/07/future-darwin-award-winner-tried-to-target-jewish-children-in-americas-midwest-n590580 Future Darwin Award Winner Tried to Target Jewish Children in America's Midwest A woman in Indiana plowed her car into a building she thought was a Jewish school. The police describe her as a terrorist and she was arrested at the scene. Not only was her intention to hurt or kill Jewish school children in their school in Indianapolis but she was completely mistaken about her target. The 34-year-old terrorist woman, allegedly backed her vehicle into a building associated with Black Hebrew Israelites on Friday. She admitted to the police that she specifically targeted the building because she was offended by a Hebrew Israelite symbol in front. This psycho thought she was entitled to try to harm children because she was offended by a symbol in front of the building, apparently. There were several adults and children in the building at the time. However, they were not who the woman thought they were. She said, “Yes. I did it on purpose.” She kept describing the building as the “Israel school” and she spoke about “her people back in Palestine.” According to the Anti-Defamation League, the Israelite School of Universal and Practical Knowledge is a sect of the Black Hebrew Israelites. It is an extremist group that is anti-Israel. The Southern Poverty Law Center (I know) has designated them as a hate group. So, ironically, the unhinged and offended the woman plowed into the building used by a group who hate Israel as she does. She is Darwin Award material. An investigation is underway. There may be additional charges brought against her. The Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis said Safe Indiana, a Jewish community security program, is working with cops to probe the incident. “Safety and security for our community is of the utmost importance, and we are more secure and prepared than ever before,” the federation said in a statement. “Although a Jewish facility was not targeted, solely due to ironic misidentification, this is yet another reminder to maintain security protocols, remain vigilant of suspicious activity and to (report promptly) to the appropriate authorities.” These random acts of terror seem to be increasing. FBI Director Christopher Wray recently warned of lone wolf attacks. Wray said Hamas inspired terrorists pose a threat not seen since the days of ISIS. She confessed that she was motivated to do the attack after watching news coverage of the Israel-Hamas war. She is originally from Amman, Jordan. Wray said that while Hamas is assessed to have no capabilities inside the US, other actors – possible radicalized individuals or small groups – could take inspiration from the terror group in a way similar to ISIS. Speaking to the Senate’s Homeland Security Committee, he said: “We assess that the actions of Hamas and its allies will serve as an inspiration, the likes of which we haven’t seen since ISIS launched its so-called caliphate several years ago. “In just the past few weeks, multiple foreign terrorist organizations have called for attacks against Americans and the West.” He said: “Here in the United States, our most immediate concern is that violent extremists – individuals or small groups – will draw inspiration from the events in the Middle East to carry out attacks against Americans going about their daily lives.” She was charged with a preliminary charge of criminal recklessness. Her first court appearance is scheduled for today, November 8. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255928/vatican-hospital-offers-to-treat-critically-ill-baby-denied-life-support-in-britain Vatican hospital offers to treat critically ill baby denied life support in Britain The Vatican’s pediatric hospital has offered to treat 8-month-old baby Indi Gregory after a British court ruled that she be removed from life support against her parents’ wishes. Gregory, who was born in February, suffers from a rare degenerative mitochondrial disease and has been receiving life-sustaining treatment on a ventilator at the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham, England. After England’s high court ruled that it was in the child’s “best interests” to be taken off life support, Gregory’s parents appealed to take her to Rome for treatment, an appeal that was denied by a British judge over the weekend. The Italian government decided in an emergency meeting on Monday to grant the critically ill child Italian citizenship and to cover the cost of her medical treatment at the Vatican’s Bambino Gesù (jay-zoo) hospital. “They say there isn’t much hope for little Indi, but until the very end, I’ll do what I can to defend her life,” Italian President Giorgia Meloni wrote on social media on Nov. 6. “And to defend the right of her mamma and papa to do all that they can for her.” The Bambino Gesù hospital has previously offered medical treatment to other critically ill children, including Alfie Evans in 2018 and Charlie Gard in 2017, both of whom were ultimately denied the chance to travel to Italy by U.K. courts and died days after being removed from life support. Christian Concern has published a letter from the president of the Bambino Gesù hospital outlining “a detailed treatment plan” for the child, which includes “life-sustaining treatment and palliative care to ensure Indi’s survival and comfort while the treatments take effect.” Andrea Williams, chief executive of Christian Concern and the Christian Legal Centre supporting the Gregorys’ case, has noted that this is believed to be the first time that a parent’s appeal against an order to withdraw life-sustaining treatment has been rejected by the Court of Appeal without a hearing. “The law is there to protect life and the most vulnerable in our society. What is happening in this case sets a very worrying precedent with regard to that principle,” Williams said. “It is very concerning that a child can be held against the parents’ wishes when they have alternative treatment available.” With the newly granted Italian citizenship, the child’s parents, Dean Gregory and Claire Staniforth, can appeal to the Italian consulate in Britain to request that their daughter be airlifted to Italy for treatment, according to Reuters. Simone Pillon (pee-lone), an Italian lawyer assisting the Gregory family, wrote on Nov. 7: “We are working to find an agreement between the two countries to satisfy the family’s request and treat Indi in Rome.” In response to the Italian government’s decision, Dean Gregory, Indi’s father, said: “My heart fills up with joy that the Italians have given Claire and I hope and faith back in humanity. The Italians have shown us care and loving support and I wish the U.K. authorities were the same.” https://nypost.com/2023/11/06/news/texas-southern-tuba-player-punches-heckler-in-the-stands-video/ Marching Band turns into Marching Hands? Texas Southern band member punches heckler in the stands, continues playing - He didn’t miss a beat. A Texas Southern University tuba player swiftly knocked out an obnoxious heckler during a football game Saturday before carrying on playing his instrument. Video taken from the stands during Saturday’s game between Texas Southern and Jackson State shows the college band’s tuba player bouncing along to the music while a fan starts yelling at him. A Jackson State fan can be seen in the footage aggressively yelling at the tuba player, who is attempting to continue playing with the band. Seeming to have had enough of the outburst, the Texas Southern tuba player says something to the man before swiftly punching him four times in the face. The Texas Southern band member then returns to his instrument as if the altercation never happened. In one recording of the incident, the band member can be heard telling the aggressive fan, “F–k off, b—h.” It’s unclear whether the heckler, who stumbled back several feet in the stands, sustained any injuries from the scuffle. It’s also unclear whether police responded to the incident or if any action was taken against the band member. Texas Southern University ended up losing to Jackson State, 21-19. https://www.outkick.com/field-hockey-teammate-issues-bold-statement-against-miaa-for-allowing-male-players-to-compete-against-women/ FIELD HOCKEY CAPTAIN SLAMS MASSACHUSETTS LAW ALLOWING BOYS ON GIRLS TEAMS AFTER BRUTAL INJURY TO HER TEAMMATE Men competing against women in sports spawned another tragic story on Thursday when a female field hockey player suffered significant injuries to her face after taking a shot from a male opponent. The female high schooler played on Dighton-Rehoboth High School’s team, and now the co-captain / teammate of her squad is speaking up and calling for policy change to prohibit men from competing against women to avoid further incidents. Kelsey Bain, who plays on Dighton-Rehoboth and is the co-captain of the field hockey team, posted a letter on X, directed at the MIAA to change the association’s policy that allows men to compete against women. “This is a letter I sent to the MIAA in response to the recent Swampscott vs. Dighton-Rehoboth field hockey incident,” Kelsey Bain posted on X, including the three-page notice. Women’s rights activist and OutKick host Riley Gaines shared Bain’s statement on social media. The man played for Swampscott High School, who played Dighton-Rehoboth in a playoff field hockey contest on Thursday. Under the MIAA’s ruling — the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association — men can compete against women if a sport does not offer their gender’s league. The man’s shot knocked several of the girl’s teeth out and caused serious facial injuries. Video of the hit shows the girl writhing in pain and screaming. To prevent these incidents from continuing, Kelsey Bain is stepping into the discourse, understanding that the association will not budge on the issue unless they are challenged. Dighton-Rehoboth Superintendent Bill Runey put out a statement, identifying that the opponent was indeed a man and relaying the horror of the team personnel after one of their own suffered a brutal injury. Runey said, “Last night, a female field hockey player for the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School girls’ field hockey team sustained significant facial and dental injuries when she was struck in the face by a shot in the third quarter versus Swampscott in an MIAA state playoff contest. “The shot was taken by a male member of the Swampscott girls field hockey team. This injury required hospitalization. The player, her family, teammates, and coaches remain in my prayers.”

In the 61st episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald, Dr Gavin Ashenden talks to Tim Dieppe about challenge of Islam to Western democracies and the values that underpin them following mass migration and radicalisation triggered by war. Mr Dieppe is head of public policy at Christian Concern, which he joined in 2016, and has a special interest in Islamic affairs. He co-authored the book Questions to Ask Your Muslim Friends with Beth Peltola and also contributed two chapters to Beyond the Odds: Providence in Britain's Wars of the 20th Century by John Scriven.

The Canadian government’s passage of legislation such as Bills C-11, C-18, and C-36 is beginning to bear fruit, in the form of increasingly invasive censorship policies levied on content platforms. All civilizations practice censorship, making decisions for the type of material that is suitable for public viewing; the difference is in the standard of judging and how it is applied. We should not be afraid of truth, even when it offends our own sensibilities. Rather, the testing of our opinions and assumptions against competing claims is a primary means for us to grow in knowledge and understanding. UK and European friends, join us and Christian Concern for the Mission of God UK conference, on November 4 in Daventry. North Americans, please join us in either Windsor or Calgary for the Mission of God Canada, on December 2 and 9.

Our guest on this week's Whittle is Tim Dieppe, Head of Public Policy at Christian Concern and author of an upcoming publication on free speech & Islamophobia. Tim & Peter discuss "Islamophobia Revisited" (https://www.civitas.org.uk/publicatio... ), a new report by Civitas' Hardeep Singh. Tim reveals the disturbing ways in which criticism of Islam is being silenced. All Parliamentary political parties except for the Conservative Party have adopted a broad and "problematic" definition of Islamophobia which links it with racism and makes any legitimate criticism of the religion "Islamophobic". In Islamophobia Revisited, Hardeep Singh conducts a thorough investigation into how Islamophobia is defined by local authorities describing a ‘panoply' of different approaches and definitions. In response to a large-scale Freedom of Information exercise, Singh discovers that one in seven (15.6 per cent) local authorities in England have adopted a definition of ‘Islamophobia' described by the government as ‘not fit for purpose'. Singh finds 22.7 per cent of Welsh local authorities and 25 per cent of Scottish local authorities have adopted this disputed definition. The adoption of a disputed definition of Islamophobia has ‘taken on a life of its own' according to Singh, who raises concerns over conflating race with religion and claims that ‘Islamophobia is a type of racism.' Singh raises concerns over an officially recognised definition of Islamophobia, something he says ‘conflates race with religion' across local authorities. Singh provides compelling evidence that not enough due diligence or scrutiny has been conducted by local authorities over their approach to defining Islamophobia as a form of racism, with concerns over free speech ‘largely dismissed.' Singh claims the adoption of a disputed definition of Islamophobia prevents ‘an honest conversation about public policies relating to faith or religion, or basic historical truths', and recommends that local councils do more to protect free speech and avoid critics of religion or religious practice being described as ‘racist' and potential prosecution under hate speech laws. You may read "Islamophobia Revisited" here: https://www.civitas.org.uk/publications/islamophobia-revisited/ --------------- SUBSCRIBE: If you are enjoying the show, please subscribe to our channel on YouTube (click the Subscribe Button underneath the video and then Click on the Bell icon next to it to make sure you Receive All Notifications) AUDIO: If you prefer Audio you can subscribe on iTunes or Soundcloud. Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-923838732 itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/s... SUPPORT/DONATE: PAYPAL/ CARD PAYMENTS - ONE TIME & MONTHLY: You can donate in a variety of ways via our website: http://www.newcultureforum.org.uk/#do... It is set up to accept one time and monthly donations. JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Web: http://www.newcultureforum.org.uk F: https://www.facebook.com/NCultureForum/ Y: http://www.youtube.com/c/NewCultureForum T: http://www.twitter.com/NewCultureForum (@NewCultureForum)

Connor talks to Head of Public Policy at Christian Concern, Tim Dieppe, for an overview of the moral, political, and legal issues besetting Britain, and how to correct the omission of Christian convictions from public life.

If we never speak up, we'll never find out what could happen...  After nearly 10 years of hosting its annual “Wilberforce week,” an Oxford college abruptly disinvited British group Christian Concern this March. Apparently, a handful of students accused the group of “hateful and invalidating” language.   In response, Christian Concern approached Worcester College and asked them to substantiate those accusations. The college was unable to do so and was instead reminded of a prior statement issued by its provost, that “the free expression and exchange of different views …  goes straight to the heart of our democracy and is a vital part of higher education.”  In the end, the college walked back the cancellation of Christian Concern and issued an apology.  Thank God for small victories like this, and for Christians willing to live out Peter's command to respond with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak against us “may be put to shame.”  But this also requires Christians who, like the Apostle Peter, are willing to speak truth in the first place ... which takes courage, but who knows what God will do?