Podcasts about protestant christians

In this episode of Just Schools, Dr. Jon Eckert speaks with Dr. Lynn E. Swaner, the President US, for Cardus. Lynn's professional experience spans several sectors and encompasses roles in academia, sponsored research, associations, and independent schools. As a result, she is passionate about building bridges within and across fields. They share about the 2023 Cardus Education Survey and what it reveals about the long-term impact of different educational sectors, including Protestant Christian, Catholic, public, independent, and homeschool settings. Swaner highlights key findings: Christian schools continue to excel in faith formation, are improving in academic outcomes, and face growth opportunities around belonging and peer relationships.  The Just Schools Podcast is brought to you by the Baylor Center for School Leadership. Be encouraged. Mentioned: Cardus 2023 Findings Work and Worship: Reconnecting Our Labor and Liturgy by Matthew Kaemingk The Sin of Certainty: Why God Desires Our Trust More Than Our "Correct" Beliefs by Peter Enns Connect with us: Center for School Leadership at Baylor University Jon Eckert LinkedIn Baylor MA in School Leadership   Jon: All right, so welcome to the Just Schools podcast. This is Dr. Lynn Swaner. She has a new role as of last year, so we're going to dig in a little bit into that and then some of the work we've been able to do together. So Lynn, thanks for being with us and just tell us a little bit about what you're doing. Dr. Lynn Swaner: Yeah, thanks so much for having me, Jon. I'm excited to be here and join you and your listeners. So some exciting things that I've been working on, a new part of my role as Cardus President U.S., which I joined in January of last year. I can't believe it's almost been a year. And so in that role... It's helpful for me to explain a little bit about what Cardus does. Cardus is a nonpartisan think tank. It is grounded and rooted in 2000 plus years of Christian social thought. And what we look at are how the different spheres of society. So education is one. For example, healthcare could be another, government, family, citizenship, all work independently as well as work together for flourishing societies. And so we have research files in all of those areas. And of course here in the U.S., I'm still very involved in working with education and that's where we get to the Cardus Education survey, which I know we're going to be talking about today. But just a little bit of framing really quickly about Cardus's philosophy and approach to education. In many societies in the U.S. is no different, there's kind of this division of education into, for example, your traditional public or district schools. You've got private schools, you've got charter schools, which obviously are a type of a public school. You've got homeschooling, etc. And Cardus's position is that all education is public in the sense that it contributes to the public good. And certainly when we do the Cardus education survey, that's what we found will impact that a little bit. But we're finding that different types of schools and homeschooling actually contribute positively to a range of outcomes that we would want healthy, thriving, contributing citizens of our country to demonstrate to and to inculcate. Jon: So great introduction. I first became aware of Cardus through the Cardus education survey because Katie Weins was writing a draft of it as a next door neighbor back, I guess this would've been in 2011, 2012 that she was working on that. And I love the idea of what Cardus is about because it's not trying to say, Hey, we want to privilege this over this, over this. It's like, Hey, no, all education is for this common good and it's all public and let's do this work. And so at the Baylor Center for School Leadership, that's what we want to do. We want to support Christians in whatever work and whatever schools they're called to. So Cardus has been a huge blessing in our work, and it's one of the places where our work's been able to overlap. And so in this last year, we were able to do the data collection for the 2023 Cardus education survey for the U.S. So talk a little bit about the way we collect that data. Getting that nationally representative sample of 24 to 39 year olds is hard, it's expensive and it's not done very often. So can you dig into a little bit of how we collect this data and how Cardus is doing it since 2011, but how we did particularly in 2023? Dr. Lynn Swaner: Sure. And I'd love for you to chime into obviously Jon as a card senior fellow and as a co-author on the report. If you want to provide any additional flavoring to anything I'm saying, feel free to. But I think most particularly practitioners, and if you've done doctoral research, the type of research that you're used to is certainly collecting data on graduates through alumni surveys and things like that. And we also have anecdotal data, right? So graduates will come back and say, "Hey, this is the impact that this teacher had on me," et cetera. And from these and other places, I think most educators know that they make a difference in the lives of students, but we don't always know in a really rigorous way what difference certain types of schools make, let alone what is the impact of a whole sector. And that leads to all different kinds of questions like are we delivering on our promises in our mission statements, [inaudible 00:04:18] of a graduate, et cetera. So that's where the CES comes in. And it is quite different to the types of research that most practitioners will be aware of. And so there's essentially three different ways that I can differentiate the CES, the versus as you mentioned in the sample. So we survey over 2300 graduates in that age 24, 39-year-old bracket, it looks at the five largest educational sectors in the U.S. So those are traditional public schools, Protestant Christian, Catholic, non-religious independent schools and homeschooling. And so that enables us to kind of compare in a healthy way, not in a competitive way, but a healthy way, how graduates from a specific sector are faring. And the way that we do this is we use a leading polling firm in the United States. So we use Ipsos Public Affairs KnowledgePanel, and then from that they generate a nationally representative sample. And so most of the time practitioners will be more familiar with convenient samples, so for example, the alumni that they have emails for or the people who respond, this is very different where we're starting with that polling panel where actually it is already nationally representative and we can weigh things and make sure that it is. That's the first difference. The second is really looking at holistic outcomes. So when we administer the CES, we're asking questions about academic, spiritual, cultural, civic, relational, we even have mental health and well-being in 2023. So we're not just asking, did you go to college? Although we do ask those questions. It's really looking at more of those flourishing outcomes. And probably one of the strongest things that the CES does is we use rigorous controls, which is a fancy research term. So we actually screen out methodologically and statistically the impact of family background characteristics. So that's things like socioeconomic status, education level parents, religiosity of your family, that kind of stuff so that no two graduates are ever identical. But let's say you and I were very, very similar in our backgrounds. And then you multiply that over hundreds of people, we're able to estimate, well, we've got these people who are essentially the same in these major pieces. So any difference that we observe in their life outcomes, we can estimate that we can actually attribute that to the type of school that they went to. So again, nobody's exactly the same, but because we use those rigorous controls, we can actually start to estimate the difference of the specific type of school that they attended. That's just a little background on the CES and the power that it brings to these questions. Jon: Yeah, that's super helpful. And the charts that you see in the report will always have two bars. One that's the raw score and then one that estimates the school effect. And of course, we can't control for every variable, but we control for a lot of them to try to get a better handle. So you'll see those and we try to be as transparent as we can. Again, with any good research, that's what you want to do. Another thing, when we started timeout doing this iteration, I remember talking to you in Ottawa about this. We really wanted to get a sense of how schools have shifted since COVID, because that was this seismic shift and we realized that to collect those data was going to be insurmountably expensive and too hard to do. So we opted for this, which I actually like what we finally landed on this I think is great. These graduates, the 24 to 39 year olds in this sample, the youngest graduates would've finished in 2018. So I feel like we've got this really interesting baseline of what we launched into when COVID created this unbelievably tragic in many ways, but natural experiment when all education shifted because that created a seismic shift like we haven't seen in education ever. And so now we have this data that says, Hey, these are the 24 to 39 year olds that graduated from these places. And so I think the key is to see some of the major findings that came out in this iteration, because I think then future CES surveys will capture some of the shifts that happened in graduates post-2018 when 2020 hit. So can you just lay out three or four of the major findings? Obviously the report is quite long, so if you want to dig into all the different outcomes about civic life, family life, religiosity, faith, mental health, I love the mental health items that we added. What would you say the three or four main findings that people would be most interested in from this iteration of the CES? Dr. Lynn Swaner: Yeah, so obviously I'll speak specifically to the Christian school sector. In the actual report, we provide a summary of findings for each sector, so for Catholic schools, for Protestant Christian schools, homeschooling, etc. So I'll focus here specifically on Christian schools. And so there's essentially three large sort of theme, thematic findings, if you will. One is really good news in terms of consistency. One is some good changes. And then one is an area that as we've talked with school leaders about this, that they really want to be thinking more deeply about and focus on for growth and improvement. So the first key finding is consistency in faith formation. So as you mentioned, we've done this survey now four times in the U.S. and each since 2011, and in each iteration, Christian schools stand out most distinctly in their ability to foster faith formation. So when we look at things like religious engagement in terms of going to church, regular practices such as prayer, Bible reading, when we look at spiritual vibrancy, so like saying that their schools prepared them for a vibrant spiritual life or they have a higher sense of regularly experiencing God's presence compared to all the other formal schooling sectors, Christian schools stand out the most in terms of their graduates report that at much higher levels. And we even see beyond personal faith that graduates are seemingly living out those values in a couple of ways specifically. So for example, they participate in charitable giving and volunteerism at much higher levels than graduates of other formal schooling sectors. So that's really good news. Again, we've seen that consistently, and I think it makes sense, right? If you have schools, some estimates like 13 to 15,000 hours spent in a school in a formal schooling context, right? And if one of the stated outcomes is these types of spiritual formation outcomes, then we would hope to see that in the data. And in fact, we do. And again, remember this is after estimating school effect, right? So this is not the influence of family, although of course we know families influence this and churches, et cetera. This is saying we take two students that look the same in terms of background, we're going to notice this benefit, this boost. So that's consistent finding number one. The next- Jon: Hey, can I jump in there real quick, Lynn? Dr. Lynn Swaner: Yeah, please. Jon: So on that, just to make sure, because you're not able to see the charts because it's a podcast, we will try to link this to the podcast so you can look at the report. And Lynn's done a great blog summary of this too. So we will post that as well. What she means by that is, so for example on how often, if at all, do you pray to God or some higher power, 37% of public school students, there are baselines. So when you look at the report, don't think the public school people are left out, they are the baseline. Everything's being compared against the public school because that was the largest population that we look at. 24% more Protestant Christian school graduates pray to God or a higher power regularly, just the raw score. When you adjust for all the other demographics that feed into that graduate, that drops to 14%, that's still significant at the 0.01 level. So that means with 99% certainty, that's not random. And so that's what she means when she says, Hey, even controlling for school effects. So we try to focus in on those things that are significant even when you control for demographic backgrounds, because it would make sense. Well, if you grow up in a family where that's typical and that's normal and you have all these things, then maybe that's all that it is. And the school doesn't have any effect. That doesn't appear to be the case on an item like that. So thanks for setting up and let me interject there into the wonky details that people can't see. Dr. Lynn Swaner: No, that's really, really helpful. Trying to paint a word picture here, but just a plug for folks to access the report. One of the really great things about these graphics, which are some of the best I think we've ever done, is you can actually, on the online report, you can just simply click and download any of these figures. So if you want to pop it into... They're publicly and freely available. But yeah, thanks for flushing that out, Jon. So that's the consistency piece we've seen. Key finding number two is rising academic outcomes. So people who've been in Christian education for a while will remember the 2011 CES. I certainly remember when that came out because I was in a Christian school at the time. And at that time, Christian school graduates were reporting lower levels than their public school peers when it came to college attainment, when it came to feeling prepared for academics post-secondary school. And what we see in the 2023 data is that that has significantly improved. So now Christian school graduates are trending at the same levels when they report as their public school peers earning bachelor's degrees, how well-prepared they feel for college, et cetera. And I think, Jon, I'd be curious to hear your take on this, but this to me reflects what many Christian school leaders have shared with me anecdotally and what I have seen in the field. That over the past decade or so, schools have worked to increase academic rigor, right? So I think this is something that as I'm sharing this with school leaders, that seems to really ring true with them. That it used to be years ago sort of the sense of, well, we really, really care about the spiritual outcomes. We're not as concerned about academic. And there's been a rethinking of that to say, well, actually, if we're going to be a school, then we need to do academics really, really well, both... Because of our spiritual mission. Because we want to be excellent to honor the name of Christ, and also because we want students to be well-prepared for whatever good works. Think about Ephesians 2:10 that God has prepared for them. So Jon, I'm assuming you've seen some of that as well, but I think this is worth celebrating. There's still more work to do, right? We don't want to settle for, okay, Christian schools are at par with public schools. There's still more to do, but I think this is something worth celebrating. Jon: Well, I agree, and I think there's been this shift even in the last few years where there's some skepticism about college as the ideal outcome for kids because of the sense that some colleges skew worldview in these ways that may not be in keeping with the belief system that a more conservative family might have. And so the way this question is worded I think is well set up. And again, we took this from previous surveys, so it's not like Lynn and I are sitting here complimenting our structure of our question here. But it's how well did your high school prepare you for academic success in post-secondary education or training? So it's this kind of wide open, Hey, do you feel prepared? 31% of public school students said, yeah, they were. Even when controlling for the family effect and the other socioeconomic effects, Protestant Christian schools are 22% higher than that, so that's 53%, over half of them felt that way. Now, unless we think we're getting everything right, Catholic schools are at 59% and non-religious independent schools are at 64%. So we still have room to continue growing in that. I think that's one that, again, its perception is somewhat reality here. If you don't feel like you're prepared for post-secondary success, then you probably aren't. And at 24 to 39, you have evidence that says, yeah, I wasn't really well-prepared. And so I do feel like given the previous iterations of CES, I think Protestant schools have made some big gains there. And I think that's super encouraging. And I hope that coming out of COVID, that that momentum can continue. Because I think for many schools that was a moment to say, Hey, look, this is a really good place to try to meet needs for specific learners that help them be prepared for life, not just for economic outcomes, but for outcomes more broadly. Dr. Lynn Swaner: Yeah. I think too, just to go meta for a minute, I think it's also really encouraging... I'm encouraged by this, that if a whole sector or let's say a large number of schools within a sector say, Hey, this is something we're going to improve on, we're going to be intentional about, we actually have evidence that it can make a difference, and that should be obvious. But I think when you get into the nitty-gritty of leading a school, of teaching in a school day in and day out, that can be hard to remember. And so I hope that schools, educators, leaders find this encouraging that when we focus on something... And the other interesting piece here which we don't have to go into in depth, is that I think a decade or two ago, there was this perception maybe that if we focus on the academic, it would be at the detriment of spiritual formation. And we're not seeing that. So it's not like all of a sudden there's been this precipitous drop and spiritual formation with academic outcomes skyrocketing. That's not what's happening. And so I think that's just really kind of a validation of the work that schools have been doing and still need to do, but I just want to kind of point that out. Jon: Well, and to quickly add to that, if you look at the highest level of school completed, this is the broader perception of preparation for post-secondary. When you control for the sector, Protestant schools are almost identical to public schools on bachelor's degree or higher, a 0.01 higher in that. So it's not that we necessarily have more students going on to bachelor's degrees or higher in Protestant Christian schools, it's that they feel more prepared for whatever it is they're heading into, whatever that might be. And so I think that is an encouragement that academics, you don't look at academics as one subset that hurts the others. As Christians, we should be doing everything excellent ways. And so I like the robust way that the Cardus survey, especially this year, tries to look at that. Dr. Lynn Swaner: Yeah. So we'll move on to the final... And again, encourage everyone to download the report, lasts to be seen and to understand. But the final thing that stands out and that really is resonating as we speak with schools and leaders and teachers, is sort of this broad category of shortfalls in belonging and peer relationships. So the first thing is in terms of overall mental health and well-being, graduate of Christian schools report similar levels in terms of depression, anxiety as peers and other sectors. So that I guess is good news in the sense that they're not necessarily more anxious or struggling with well-being than other sectors. It's important to just mention that graduates of homeschooling are the only sector that experienced lower rates in that. So that's really interesting. That's a conversation for another day. But that's the first thing. But what we did observe is that... And this is slight, it's not extreme, so we can pull the numbers and they're not hugely significant, but it still, we can see this is that graduates of Christian schools seem to have a lower sense of belonging. So saying they felt that they belonged when they were in their schools and also slightly weaker peer relationships. And this all compared to their public school counterparts. So again, you mentioned the public school being the baseline. So we're not even talking about non-religious independent Catholic schools. We're just talking about the public school comparison. And what's really interesting is that even though they had this sense, lower sense of belonging, they still felt like their schools were really close-knit communities. And that's a bit of a paradox, I guess you could say. Their schools were really, really close-knit, but they didn't feel they belonged at the same rate as public school graduates and other graduates of other sectors. So I think this is... There's a lot of speculation. Obviously the data doesn't explain why this is the case. And as I've talked with school leaders, as you've talked with leaders trying to give some thoughts around this, some interesting things are coming up, which is it's very easy to look to the external environment for answers. So if you look at 24 to 39-year-olds right now, we know that a significant tranche of that group would've been impacted during high school by smartphones, social media, even some declining enrollment in private schools, right? So immediately we're going to... Cyberbullying, we turn to those kinds of things. And that's absolutely true, and there's no doubt that those things had an impact. But where the question is, is why didn't we see the same dip in the other sectors, right? Because arguably, Catholic school enrollments were dropping at the same time. Independent school enrollments, everybody's got smartphones. So I think there's something unique to the Christian school environment that we need to ask the question, what happened there? What's going on? And again, anecdotally, just as I saw over the last 10 plus years, an emphasis on improving academics, I think we've started in Christian schools to really be thinking about how do we build communities where there's a sense of belonging, right? Where we have people from different backgrounds, where we are working on bullying, we're working on these things. And it'll be interesting to track this into future years, but there's a lot of discussion about this and why this could be, how we can do this better. Jon: Yeah, I think this is a great example of where the CES is super helpful because Protestant schools and public schools are not statistically significantly different. About half the kids feel like they belong, about half don't. So we had about half say, agree or strongly agree in both public schools and Protestant schools. But what I'm fascinated by is the non-religious independent schools. Even when controlling for school effect, they are significantly by 21%, 18% different where you have 68, 70% of their kids feeling they belong. And when you lean into stereotypes about secular independent schools, it's like, oh, well, those are going to be clicky, they're elitist, and they're all these things, but based on these data, they feel like they belong and they have stronger relationships with students at their schools. So I mean, I think that's something to dig into. And Catholic schools are similar. They don't have quite the same effect, but Catholic schools are significantly higher on belonging and on the relationships with students in schools. And so again, if all education is public education, then we should be learning from each other, from our areas of relative strength. And so I think that's a super helpful finding, even though it may be a little bit hard to look at because we want to make sure each kid belongs at our school and half of them saying they don't feel they belong. That's a punch in the gut to educators, but we've got to look into it and we've got to find ways to do that better. And I think, my hope is that it's 2020 on all schools have gotten more thoughtful about that, and I hope Protestant Christian schools have been leading the way in that. And I hope we see that in future iterations of the CES. But are you optimistic about that, Lynn? Dr. Lynn Swaner: I am, and I think I would go back to what I said. One of the most encouraging things about the findings for me has been one, as a sector or a large number of schools in the sector say, Hey, we're going to focus on improving this. We see the results. And so I think certainly in all the marketing materials I've ever seen for every Christian school... I know Christian school is saying, we have a sort of unfriendly community or environment, and kids aren't going to... Usually it's the opposite where Christian schools are saying, we're a family, we're so close-knit. And I think the findings here suggest and encourage us to not just assume that that is happening. Just because we say that we're a close-knit community, that kids are loved and feel like they belong, just because we say that, doesn't mean automatically that that is happening. And so we just need to lean into that, and that's going to look different on every campus, right? I certainly am hopeful about some of the changing approaches to technology in schools that are more thoughtful, more intentional than I think reactional... Reactionary, I should say. So I think a lot of schools are thinking about, Hey, if we let kids have cell phones... I just heard about school the other day that lets the students have cell phones in passing periods. Well, okay, they have their cell phone in passing periods, but then they're not of looking up and talking with people, whereas other schools will say, you can't have them. We're going to lock them away for the full day. And then you have students who are like, I got to talk to people in the hall. So I just think schools are being more intentional about this. And I guess my encouragement would be to lean in that even more deeply and understand what this looks like at your school, what are some of the pressure points for students, ask your graduates and your alumni. And I think it's just a really good way for us to say, Hey, let's continue leaning into what we say about ourselves and also what we want to be. Jon: Yeah. I'm so encouraged hearing about all the loud cafeterias that are coming back. I think that's a blessing. And so that's an encouragement. So we're going to do a quick lightning round here, and I'm going to frame these, and you can answer them as succinctly as you can. But if you were to say, Hey, here is the worst piece of advice that you could take from the CES. If you were to say somebody were to look at this and say, Hey, you should take this finding from the CES, and this would be... What would be a misapplication of the CES? And then on the other side, what would be the best application of something coming out of the CES? Dr. Lynn Swaner: Yeah, that's an interesting one. I think a misapplication of the CES would be to make a declarative statement and say, if you want your child to be this way, you should send them to this type of school. I think that would be a mistake. Because there's a lot of nuance that the CES doesn't... At least if you read it doesn't capture it certainly. And so that would be sort of the negative mistake. How do I think it... And what was the other question? What would be the one thing I would want the- Jon: Best takeaway from the CES. Dr. Lynn Swaner: The best takeaway would be that not that different schools have different kinds of outcomes, and they're rich and diverse and holistic. And so each one of the sectors that we looked at has really, really positive things about it, including public schools and has some things that they need to work on. And so I think that the best takeaway would be to not write off any of schools and to also not say this is the only way to do it. But rather to look at the data to understand, hey, if you're a parent, to say these are our values as a family, these are the things that we want. And we see there's a couple sectors that do these things really well. There's a couple that maybe we wouldn't be interested in that and to make a really informed decision based on that. So I think that would be number one if you were families. And the second thing I would say is just for people who are involved in policymaking, people who are like lawmakers, advocates, is this is not a zero-sum game. There are millions of children in this country, and the vast majority, some, I think around 80% are in public school settings, about 20% are not, which that's not an insignificant number. That's one in five kids. And all of these schools are public education. All of these schools are training people and hopefully creating productive human beings and flourishing human beings and et cetera. And so when we look at how to set up our educational system, there really is... I think about our colleague, Ashley Berner at Jons Hopkins, who's also a senior fellow at Cardus. The subtitle one of her books, the title of her book is No One Way to School. There is no one way to school, and not every school is right for every kid, every year. And so if we have a robust educational system that allows families to make choices that fit their children and fit their needs and the types of things that they want to see for their kids, that is not only the most just system, but also the CES provides evidence that all kids can flourish. Jon: And that's the goal, each kid flourishing. So I always have to ask, what's your favorite book or one of your... I know you read a lot. One of your favorite books you've read in the last year? Dr. Lynn Swaner: Yeah, that's a really tough question. Jon: I know. I know- Dr. Lynn Swaner: Yeah, I'm going to have to say two. One of which is a little bit more academic, and another one which is a little more accessible. So the first would be Work and Worship. So that's actually by Matthew Kaemingk and Cory Wilson. So Matt Kaemingk is out at Fuller. And it really looks at how... We were just having this conversation about Christian schools, right? So bifurcating, academics and spiritual formation. And we do that a lot with our work, right? Maybe a little bit less in Christian school settings, but really taking a look at how we bring our work as an offering of worship and how we worship through our work. And I was not raised in a liturgical background. Getting to know the beauty of liturgy more now as an adult and as I continue on in my faith, and just to be able to look through this book and see different prayers and liturgies for work has been really, really encouraging. So it's the first one. And the second one is The Sin of Certainty. Subtitles, Why God Desires Our Trust More Than Our "Correct" Beliefs. So this is by Peter Enns, who's actually out of Eastern University near where I live. And what I really like about this book is I think I can't really diagnose this or talk about this briefly in a podcast. In fact, I'm working on a book that looks at this in depth. But God calls us to love him with all of our heart, our mind, soul strength, and love your neighbor as yourself, right? And I think it's easy for schools, it's easy for educators to focus on one of those. It's easy as disciples to focus on one, but that's really not, we're called for this sort of total discipleship. And I think a lot of times, there's been a lot of wonderful things through the emphasis on biblical worldview that we've had in Christian schools. But oftentimes that can morph into, Hey, let's have the correct beliefs, right? Let's get everybody to think rightly about these issues, about what's going on society, etc. And so much of our faith is not just thinking correctly, it's also learning to trust in God and not having the answers, right? And having complicated situations, right? Artificial intelligence, very complicated, right? So how are we going to get the correct belief around that? So this book has been really, really helpful to be thinking about how really people over millennia, literally millennia, have trusted God without always having all the answers in front of them. Jon: That's good. All right, last question. Looking ahead, after we clicked this data, which is kind of backward looking, what was your experience like in schools? And then we do all this work with schools in the present, and then we get to look ahead. What makes you most hopeful about what you see in the future for education that's for the common good? Dr. Lynn Swaner: Yeah. So what makes me most hopeful, I've been spending a lot of time... In fact, I just got back from the International School Choice and Reform Conference presenting there on this data. And what makes me really hopeful is that there's a renewed interest in education by parents, by people who never saw themselves as educational entrepreneurs or edupreneurs as the topic is or as the title may be. So I think there's just a plethora of new types of school options coming on board. So hybrid micro-school, co-ops, all kinds of things that are growing and they're really, really exciting. It's a little bit of the wild west in some ways, but I am excited to see people excited about the possibilities for education as opposed to we're locked into choices that were made 100 plus years ago, and we're just sort of trying to live with the consequences. So I'm excited about the innovation and the diversity that I'm seeing in educational types and models. I think that's going to grow over the coming years. I think as we have more funding available at the state level, I think we'll see parents taking advantage of that. And I'm excited to see what's going to happen. I like change in general. I'm not a person who doesn't change, but I think we're due for a bit of a transformation of our educational system where we end up putting students at the center instead of systems and structures and sort of the way that we've always done things. Jon: That's great. Well, Lynn, really appreciate your time and the work that you do at Cardus and the Cardus education survey. Again, the great thing about Cardus is we're looking to support each kid in the way that they are made so they can become more of who they're created to be. So we don't like to get in the weeds on policy issues and how you should structure vouchers and are these bad. I mean, Texas, we're in the middle of voucher wars and at the end of the day, everybody in Texas wants to make sure each kid is educated well, and families have to be involved in those decisions. And are. I mean, we've made choices with where we live and where we go for years. And so school choice is not a new idea. And I think we need voices like Cardus there saying, Hey, look, this is what graduates are saying about these educa... And we put it out there transparently and we spend the money to get a nationally representative sample so that we try our best to give a accurate picture. So grateful for your work, always grateful for your work at Cardus, and thanks for your time.  

It's Tuesday, June 17th, 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 Kevin Swanson and Adam McManus North Korean Christian, arrested in 2007, has disappeared International Christian Concern remembers another persecuted saint today among those who have disappeared into the hands of a tyrannical state.  Kim Sung-sik of North Korea, who was arrested at the age of 49 in 2007 at his home, was remembered for distributing Bibles and for handing out gifts to needy folks. A North Korean defector described this man of God as having “character like steel.” He never bowed to anyone, and would even confront public officers for accepting bribes. His grandfather was a Presbyterian minister who had been persecuted and imprisoned by the Communist regime. Sung-Sik's wife and children, who were also arrested, have also disappeared. According to Open Doors, North Korea is the most dangerous place worldwide to live  as a Christian. Chinese Communists want churches to sing worship songs praising communism The Chinese Communist Party, China's ruling political class, released a plan on May 7 mandating that Protestant churches include songs in their worship praising communism. Sadly, reports of Protestants representing the official Three-Self Patriotic church indicate they are complying with the new regulations. Nigerian Muslims massacred 200 villagers, mostly Catholic This just in from Truth Nigeria. Fulani Muslim jihadists massacred 200 villagers from the farming community in Guma County located in Benue State. Most of the residents are Catholics. Witnesses report that  40 gunmen stormed the village shouting “Allahu Akbar.” The terrorists opened fire on civilians while setting homes on fire, and killing indiscriminately. Over 10,000 survivors who escaped are now needing clean water, medical aid, and facilities to house them. Equipping the Persecuted ministry is collecting resources to provide for immediate needs.   Over the last two years, 10,217  Nigerians have been killed in Muslim-inspired massacres, and about 6,900 of those killings have occurred in Benue State. Israel bombed 80 more Iranian targets In its ongoing war with Iran, Israel bombed 80 more targets on Sunday. At least 200 Iranians have died thus far in the attacks. The International Atomic Energy Agency's director Rafael Grossi has stated that Iran's underground nuclear development has not been compromised at this point. Global military spending up 37% Sabers are rattling. Louder than ever. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's Yearbook, published on Monday, world military spending rose by 37 percent in the past decade, and by 9.4 percent last year alone, to $2.7 trillion.  That's the largest bump since the early 1990s. China and India are installing nuclear bombs on warheads. That's a change in policy for these countries.   China is up to 600 nukes, and North Korea has enough fissile materials for 90 total warheads. Proverbs 21:31 says, “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.” South Korea's largest homosexual pride parade South Korea is touting its largest homosexual pride parade ever this year.  The organizers claim 170,000 participants. South Korea has absorbed western immorality faster than other eastern countries. The proportion of South Koreans holding that homosexuality is never justified decreased from 67% in the 1990s to 24% in the most recent survey. That's even lower than Taiwan -- the most pro-homosexual country in Asia. The Christian faith is falling off by generations in South Korea. At this point, 29% of their elderly people adhere to the Protestant faith, but only 13% of the 18 to  29-year-old age group call themselves Protestant Christians. Psalm 78:9 warns of “The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle. They did not keep the covenant of God; They refused to walk in His law, and forgot His works and His wonders that He had shown them.” The rise of apostacy in America and China Christian apostasy continues to rise across the world. The recent Pew Research report on worldwide religious affiliation found that 35 nations have seen an increase between 2010 and 2020 in atheism or a non-affiliation with a church. And 40 nations have seen a substantial decrease in people aligning themselves with the Christian faith.   Of all nations in the world, the United States has the second largest number of atheists or people unaffiliated with a church -- at 100 million people. China has the largest number of atheists or unaffiliated at 1.3 billion.   Christians are still in the majority in 60% of the world's nations, while Muslims are in the majority in 26% of the countries. U.S. unemployment 4.2%, but higher for recent college grads Unemployment in the United States is running at 4.2%. But for recent college grads  -- ages 22 through 27 -- the rate stands at 5.8% — the highest since 202, according to the US Labor Department. Minnesota political assassin captured Sunday night The gunman, Vance Boelter, wanted in the slaying of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband, as well as in the shooting of a state senator and his wife, was found Sunday night armed and crawling in a field in a sparsely populated stretch of Minnesota, reports NBC News. Police Chief Mark Bruley of the Brooklyn Park Police Department said it was without a doubt the biggest manhunt in the state's history. Authorities allege Boelter, age 57, who posed as a policeman, tried to kill state Senator John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, at their home in Champlin at roughly 2 a.m. Saturday before fatally shooting state Rep. Melissa Hortman, a 55-year-old Democrat, and her husband, Mark, in nearby Brooklyn Park. Boelter was arrested without incident.   His motive is still unclear. NBC Chicago reports that police found a manifesto in Boelter's car with the names of 70 politicians including those in Illinois and Wisconsin. Worldview listeners in Georgia and Indiana and share their hearts 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 Max Wood in Macon, Georgia wrote, “Let not your heart be troubled by the slow response this year to your annual fundraising campaign. Americans are more mobile and active this summer than last because of the improved economy. You and the team produce a quality product that blesses many and will, in turn, be blessed by God. Keep the faith. American Miracles don't just happen on movie screens.” And Mary Collins in Elkhart, Indiana wrote, “I LOVE your newscast!  Every day in our homeschool, I read the “good news” stories to my kids.  I LOVE that you use biblical language; it helps us also think in such terms.  I love that I can trust it to be from a Biblical worldview and I don't have to sift through any jargon.  I love that I can trust it to be accurate and from God's perspective! I love that sometimes you include interesting things that no other news outlet would even consider.  We have sure enjoyed those neat stories. THANK YOU for such a quality way to stay up to date with the world's current events.” 14 Worldview listeners gave $4,982.50 to fund our annual budget And finally, toward our $92,625 goal by this Friday, June 20th  to fund three-quarters of The Worldview newscast's annual budget, 14  listeners stepped up to the plate. Our thanks to Cody in Hortense, Georgia who gave $32.50 as well as Braelon in Lincoln, Nebraska, Christina in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, and Joshua in Hortense, Georgia – each of whom gave $50. We're grateful to God for Eric in Tazewell, Virginia and Henry in Tazewell, Virginia –- both of whom gave $100 as well as James in  Kennewick, Washington who gave $200, and Richard and LeAnn in Zeeland, North Dakota who gave $300. And we were touched by the generosity of Donovan in Denton, Texas, William in Pleasant Hill, Missouri, and Madilynn in Green City, Missouri – each of whom gave $500, as well as Kathryn in Reddick, Florida who pledged $50 per month for 12 months for a gift of $600, Stephen in California, Maryland who gave $1,000, and Scooter in Naples, Florida who will match Stephen's gift with another $1,000. Those 14 Worldview listeners gave a total of $4,982.50. Ready for our new grand total? Drum roll please.  (Drum roll sound effect) $43,874.70 (People clapping and cheering sound effect)   Toward this Friday, June 20th's goal of $92,625, we need to raise $48,750.30 Remember, if you are one of the 3 final people who give a one-time gift of $1,000, Scooter in Naples, Florida will match you with a corresponding $1,000 gift.  Now, if that happens today, Tuesday, June 17th, we will have raised an additional $6,000. I'm wondering whether you might be one of four Worldview listeners to give $5,000 today. In order to raise the remaining amount, I need to find 23 Worldview listeners who will pledge $50/month for 12 months for a gift of $600. And another 46 listeners to pledge $25/month for 12 months for a gift of $300. Please, we need your help right now!  Go to TheWorldview.com and click on Give on the top right.   Click on the button that indicates a recurring monthly donation if that's your wish. Close And that's The Worldview on this Tuesday, June 17th, 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.  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.

For the next several episodes we will explore how to "establish a center of spiritual resistance," as Karl Barth implored the Protestant Christians in Germany to do in 1933. I believe the first step is to commit to being resolute truth tellers in a time and culture where truth is often obscured, ignored, or denied.  Why did the German Christians renegotiate their theology to accommodate the lies of the Third Reich? The answer isn't as simple as we might imagine. Join us as we explore the parallels between the mindsets of the German Christians and Christian Nationalists today. 

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by Hugh Owen, the founder and director of the Kolbe Center for the Study of Creation to talk about the Catholic perspective on the literal story of creation. Can Catholics believe in a literal reading of Genesis? Has the Catholic Church officially adopted the theory of evolution? What does the science actually say? And what is lost is the typical discussion between science, evolution, and creation? Hugh joins me to unpack these questions and more with some pretty fascinating perspectives to questions and concerns that – I know – are on the minds of many Protestant Christians who are considering Catholicism – and many Catholics looking to reconcile the literal reading of the Bible with Science and the Catholic faith. For more from Hugh Owen visit the Kolbe Center of the Study of Creation.Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!Theme Music: "Splendor (Intro)" by Former Ruins. Learn more at formerruins.com or listen on Spotify, Apple Music,A very special thanks to our Patreon co-producers who make this show possible: Amanda, Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Jorg, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William.Beyond The BeaconJoin Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish of the Diocese of...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

Send us a textIn this episode we journey to Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Palm Desert to have a conversation with two young Catholics on fire with the faith. Genevieve Knight is a 28 year old cradle Catholic born and raised in Rancho Mirage, CA. Though she came from a Catholic background, it was not until the age of 21, while in her third year of college, she experienced a ‘simple, yet deeply profound' encounter with Christ which changed the trajectory of her spiritual life forever. Genevieve shares her story with This Connected not only as a young adult on fire for the Truth, beauty, and goodness of the Catholic faith, but as one who seeks to be a witness to every person searching for the story God is constantly writing upon his and her heart.Brian Ruberg is a 22-year old adult convert to Catholicism. Born on Rowlett, Texas and raised in La Quinta, California, Brian was brought up as a Non-denominational Protestant Christian but saw little value in his religion despite never abandoning it. After a search for meaning and purpose through various outlets such as philosophy and the straight-edge punk movement, he became involved in the online political scene where he met many like-minded young men, many of whom were Catholic. Already experiencing gradual growth in Christ, he became curious and fascinated with the Church and its reverence and tradition, attending his first mass in Latin. Over the next three years, he began to grow in the faith and fall in love with the sacraments, eventually becoming fully initiated into the Catholic faith on December 21st, 2024. Brian now works with his parish's Young Adults Fellowship and maintains many friendships within the Church community and continues to grow and help other incoming Catholics grow their faith.Remember to like, subscribe, and recommend to a friend. Contact us at catholic.dad50@gmail.com. If you would like to help our podcast, you can be a patron on our Patreon page, or you may make a donation on our paypal or venmo @CatholicDotDad."Live a life of holiness, B Blessed & B3rd"Support the show - http://www.patreon.com/ThisConnectedFOLLOW on Instagram:@catholic.dad Theme Song by: The Parousia BandLive a life of holiness,B Blessed & B 3rdBook your stay at the cabin, Running Springs, CAInstagram: @thecabin2021Support the showYour blessing of support is needed and appreciated: https://www.buzzsprout.com/948010/support

In this very special episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by my two friends Catholic Answers apologist Joe Heschmeyer and Gospel Simplicity host Austin Suggs for an extraordinary conversation about what it takes to convert to Catholicism. This is the most cordial, thoughtful conversation you'll ever hear!Austin, a Protestant Christian, has spent many years on his fantastic YouTube channel talking to the best and brightest in the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant churches so I'm joined by Joe Heschmeyer to ask Austin why does he remain a Protestant? And what would it take for him to consider converting to Catholicism? I'm so thrilled to bring together my friends to weigh the evidence, dig deeply, and tackle Austin's objections to Catholicism and what kind of evidence it would take for someone as thoughtful as Austin to become Catholic.Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. For more from Joe check out his YouTube channel Shameless Popery which is also available in podcast form wherever you get your podcasts. Also, his fantastic books, which I cannot recommend more highly, are available from Catholic Answers.Find and follow Austin on his incredible YouTube channel Gospel Simplicity.Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!Theme Music: "SpleJoin myself and my parish priest Fr. Joseph on a pilgrimage experience to France.This retreat-like pilgrimage takes place August 12 - 20, 2025. With Mass every day, we'll walk in the footsteps of St. Joan of Arc in Rouen, retreat to the home of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the iconic Mont-Saint-Michel, and explore the newly restored Cathedral de Notre Dame de Paris.Visit Trinity Travel Tours for more information. This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patreon Co-Producers. Thank you to Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William. Beyond The BeaconJoin Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Communications Director Jai Agnish of the Diocese of...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

Contested Childhoods: Caste and Education in Colonial Kerala (Cambridge UP, 2024) traces a complex history of caste, race, education, and Christian missions in colonial south India. It draws upon the vast Protestant Christian missionary archives of the London Missionary Society, the Church Missionary Society, and the Basel German Evangelical Missionary Society to showcase the processes of negotiation, tensions, and underlying violence in the encounters between European 'outsiders' and local populations on the question of education. It examines the interplay of caste and education in reshaping ideas and norms of modern childhood and lower-caste community building in the regions of Travancore, Cochin, and Malabar. Set against a comparative historical perspective, the book argues for a greater focus on subaltern histories, especially the meanings and practices associated with educating poor, lower-caste children within the confines of formal schooling and beyond. Divya Kannan teaches in the Department of History, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, India. She is a historian of South Asia with particular interests in histories of childhood and youth, gender and sexuality, empires and colonial violence, histories of education, curriculum and pedagogy, Christian missions, and public and oral histories. Khadeeja Amenda is PhD candidate in the Cultural Studies in Asia programme at the Department of Communication and New Media, National University of Singapore, Singapore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Contested Childhoods: Caste and Education in Colonial Kerala (Cambridge UP, 2024) traces a complex history of caste, race, education, and Christian missions in colonial south India. It draws upon the vast Protestant Christian missionary archives of the London Missionary Society, the Church Missionary Society, and the Basel German Evangelical Missionary Society to showcase the processes of negotiation, tensions, and underlying violence in the encounters between European 'outsiders' and local populations on the question of education. It examines the interplay of caste and education in reshaping ideas and norms of modern childhood and lower-caste community building in the regions of Travancore, Cochin, and Malabar. Set against a comparative historical perspective, the book argues for a greater focus on subaltern histories, especially the meanings and practices associated with educating poor, lower-caste children within the confines of formal schooling and beyond. Divya Kannan teaches in the Department of History, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, India. She is a historian of South Asia with particular interests in histories of childhood and youth, gender and sexuality, empires and colonial violence, histories of education, curriculum and pedagogy, Christian missions, and public and oral histories. Khadeeja Amenda is PhD candidate in the Cultural Studies in Asia programme at the Department of Communication and New Media, National University of Singapore, Singapore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Contested Childhoods: Caste and Education in Colonial Kerala (Cambridge UP, 2024) traces a complex history of caste, race, education, and Christian missions in colonial south India. It draws upon the vast Protestant Christian missionary archives of the London Missionary Society, the Church Missionary Society, and the Basel German Evangelical Missionary Society to showcase the processes of negotiation, tensions, and underlying violence in the encounters between European 'outsiders' and local populations on the question of education. It examines the interplay of caste and education in reshaping ideas and norms of modern childhood and lower-caste community building in the regions of Travancore, Cochin, and Malabar. Set against a comparative historical perspective, the book argues for a greater focus on subaltern histories, especially the meanings and practices associated with educating poor, lower-caste children within the confines of formal schooling and beyond. Divya Kannan teaches in the Department of History, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, India. She is a historian of South Asia with particular interests in histories of childhood and youth, gender and sexuality, empires and colonial violence, histories of education, curriculum and pedagogy, Christian missions, and public and oral histories. Khadeeja Amenda is PhD candidate in the Cultural Studies in Asia programme at the Department of Communication and New Media, National University of Singapore, Singapore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/south-asian-studies

Contested Childhoods: Caste and Education in Colonial Kerala (Cambridge UP, 2024) traces a complex history of caste, race, education, and Christian missions in colonial south India. It draws upon the vast Protestant Christian missionary archives of the London Missionary Society, the Church Missionary Society, and the Basel German Evangelical Missionary Society to showcase the processes of negotiation, tensions, and underlying violence in the encounters between European 'outsiders' and local populations on the question of education. It examines the interplay of caste and education in reshaping ideas and norms of modern childhood and lower-caste community building in the regions of Travancore, Cochin, and Malabar. Set against a comparative historical perspective, the book argues for a greater focus on subaltern histories, especially the meanings and practices associated with educating poor, lower-caste children within the confines of formal schooling and beyond. Divya Kannan teaches in the Department of History, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, India. She is a historian of South Asia with particular interests in histories of childhood and youth, gender and sexuality, empires and colonial violence, histories of education, curriculum and pedagogy, Christian missions, and public and oral histories. Khadeeja Amenda is PhD candidate in the Cultural Studies in Asia programme at the Department of Communication and New Media, National University of Singapore, Singapore.

Contested Childhoods: Caste and Education in Colonial Kerala (Cambridge UP, 2024) traces a complex history of caste, race, education, and Christian missions in colonial south India. It draws upon the vast Protestant Christian missionary archives of the London Missionary Society, the Church Missionary Society, and the Basel German Evangelical Missionary Society to showcase the processes of negotiation, tensions, and underlying violence in the encounters between European 'outsiders' and local populations on the question of education. It examines the interplay of caste and education in reshaping ideas and norms of modern childhood and lower-caste community building in the regions of Travancore, Cochin, and Malabar. Set against a comparative historical perspective, the book argues for a greater focus on subaltern histories, especially the meanings and practices associated with educating poor, lower-caste children within the confines of formal schooling and beyond. Divya Kannan teaches in the Department of History, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, India. She is a historian of South Asia with particular interests in histories of childhood and youth, gender and sexuality, empires and colonial violence, histories of education, curriculum and pedagogy, Christian missions, and public and oral histories. Khadeeja Amenda is PhD candidate in the Cultural Studies in Asia programme at the Department of Communication and New Media, National University of Singapore, Singapore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/christian-studies

Contested Childhoods: Caste and Education in Colonial Kerala (Cambridge UP, 2024) traces a complex history of caste, race, education, and Christian missions in colonial south India. It draws upon the vast Protestant Christian missionary archives of the London Missionary Society, the Church Missionary Society, and the Basel German Evangelical Missionary Society to showcase the processes of negotiation, tensions, and underlying violence in the encounters between European 'outsiders' and local populations on the question of education. It examines the interplay of caste and education in reshaping ideas and norms of modern childhood and lower-caste community building in the regions of Travancore, Cochin, and Malabar. Set against a comparative historical perspective, the book argues for a greater focus on subaltern histories, especially the meanings and practices associated with educating poor, lower-caste children within the confines of formal schooling and beyond. Divya Kannan teaches in the Department of History, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, India. She is a historian of South Asia with particular interests in histories of childhood and youth, gender and sexuality, empires and colonial violence, histories of education, curriculum and pedagogy, Christian missions, and public and oral histories. Khadeeja Amenda is PhD candidate in the Cultural Studies in Asia programme at the Department of Communication and New Media, National University of Singapore, Singapore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/british-studies

esus observed and celebrated the Biblical Sabbath (rather than Sunday) His entire life (Lk 4:16)! The Apostles also observed and celebrated Sabbath rather than Sunday! In fact, the entire church (Jews and Gentiles) in the Apostolic era also observed and celebrated the Sabbath as the weekly day of worship rather than Sunday. So, what happened? How did Sunday come to replace the biblical Sabbath for most Christians? Join us as we explore the main reasons why Catholic and Protestant Christians justify Sunday as the replacement for the Biblical Sabbath.

••• Accepting His Invitation••• Bible Study Verses: Exodus 23.25, John 3.16, Genesis 12, Revelation 3.20, Psalm 119.89, Isaiah 55.11, Psalm 89.35, Deuteronomy 28.1, Isaiah 2.2, Job 32.8, Psalm 33.6, Exodus 4.22 . ••• “To every toiling, heavy-laden sinner, Jesus says, Come to me and rest. But there are many toiling, heavy-laden believers, too. For them this same invitation is meant. Note well the words of Jesus, if you are heavy-laden with your service, and do not mistake it. It is not, Go, labor on, as perhaps you imagine. On the contrary, it is stop, turn back, Come to me and rest. Never, never did Christ send a heavy laden one to work; never, never did He send a hungry one, a weary one, a sick or sorrowing one, away on any service. For such the Bible only says, Come, come, come”, Hudson Taylor,1832-1905, James Hudson Taylor was a prolific British on-sectarian Protestant Christian missionary to China, He adopted wearing native Chinese clothing even though this was rare among missionaries of that time. He has been referred to as one of the most significant Europeans to visit China in the 19th Century. † ••• "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I Am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light”, Matthew 11.28-30, NKJV . ••• What is a covenant?••• What is a contract?••• What are God's terms for the covenant of blessings? ••• What is a unilateral covenant? ••• What are 4-reasons why God's covenant works? ••• What are 3-reasons why Pastor Otuno is covering these covenant blessings?••• How do you enter into a covenant relationship with the Almighty God? ••• Who does God release blessings to? ••• Are you going to ask your small group to pray that you will be more intentional about accepting God's invitation to service and blessings through the power of Holy Spirit? ••• Pastor Godwin Otuno expounds on this and much more on the exciting journey of Fresh Encounters Radio Podcast originally aired on January 11, 2025 on WNQM, Nashville Quality Ministries and WWCR World Wide Christian Radio broadcasted to all 7-continents on this big beautiful blue marble, earth, floating through space. Please be prayerful before studying The Word of God so that you will receive the most inspiration possible . ••• This Discipleship Teaching Podcast is brought to you by Christian Leadership International and all the beloved of God who believe in it's mission through prayer and support. Thank you . ••• Broadcaster's Website - https://www.lifelonganointing.com/ . •••• Exceeding Thanks to Universe Creator Christ Jesus AND Photo by Cosmic Timetraveler UnSplash,, Photography, Austin, TX, https://www.instagram.com/cosmictimetraveler/. Art Direction by gil on his mac . ••• † http://christian-quotes.ochristian.com/Hudson-Taylor-Quotes/ . ••• SHARING LINK: https://shows.acast.com/fresh-encounter-radio-podcast/250111-covenant-relationship-with-god-ep363 . ••• Study Guides at - https://shows.acast.com/fresh-encounter-radio-podcast/episodes . ••• RESOURCE - https://www.soundcloud.com/thewaytogod/ . ••• RESOURCE - https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/kjv/john.1%20 . ••• FERP 250111 Episode#363 GOT 250111 Ep363 . ••• Entering A Covenant Relationship With The Almighty God: Accepting His Invitation . Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/fresh-encounter-radio-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined once again by one of my favourite guests and yours, my good friend Rod Bennett. Rod is a Catholic convert with a unique way of looking at the faith and a penchant for asking some of the most penetrating questions about what connects as divides us as Protestants and Catholics. On this episode, we talk about the question of Christian unity and how can Protestants, ever, accomplish what Jesus prayed for in John 17? It's an utterly fascinating conversation with some of the best insights Rod has ever brought us including how do Protestants find a Bible-believing church when they first become Protestant and don't know their Bible yet? How Protestants agree to disagree and still have unity?What are the essentials that Protestant Christians agree on? And more... With charity and his trademark cordial, down-home demeanour, Rod challenges our non-Catholic Christian listeners to think hard about these tough questions and our Catholic listeners to humbly, in charity, have answers at hand.For more from Rod Bennett, check out his numerous previous appearances in the archives of the show including conversations about Catholic Witnesses to the Early Church (Episode 141) and Were the Early Christians Catholic? (Episode 089).And check out These Twelve, Rod's latest book from Catholic Answers Press and his many, many other fantastic books available everywhere.For more, visit The Cordial Catholic. Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests! To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patreon Co-Producers. Thank you to Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William. Beyond The BeaconJoin Bishop Kevin Sweeney for inspired interviews with Christians living out their faith!Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

Dr. Matthew Wiseman discusses his new book, The Two Jerusalems, which is the moving story of a young man's amazing journey to discover the roots of the Christian faith in the Ancient Near East, which led him from Protestantism through the Messianic movement and into the Catholic Church. This journey took him to the rainforest of Papua New Guinea, the Nożyk Synagogue in Warsaw, and the Judean Desert, and into the heart of ancient and medieval Jewish tradition: the Hebrew Bible. Along the way, he met a cast of odd and wonderful characters, false prophets, and saintly Catholics who taught him about God, Scripture, and prayer. His steps were dogged throughout by God's strange, providential provisions, despite his human blindness. At the heart of the ancient faith, much to his surprise, he discovered what a billion people across the world already know and live: the Catholic faith. Through it all, Matthew Wiseman's relentless desire for truth and consistency kept him searching until he discovered the "beauty ever ancient, ever new". His powerful story is like a course in fundamental theology, in compelling narrative form. This ground-breaking book can change the lives of traditional Jews, Messianic Jews, Protestant Christians, and wavering Catholics. And because it is a narrative from his life vs. an apologetics text, it will reach many who prefer the autobiographical genre. His vivid, rhetorical style renders complicated theological issues clear and understandable.

Please view this extremely important discussion on Our Lady's Role in Redemption and why so many Protestant Christians and a growing number of Catholics are denying it due to Martin Luther's grave errors on grace and freedom. This greatly impacts Our Lady, the Church, and her critical role in bringing world peace today through her powerful intercession.

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A TRADITIONAL celebration intended to honor the spirits of dead ancestors has its roots in Canaanite and Amorite veneration of the Rephaim—the spirits of the giants destroyed in the Flood. We discuss All Souls' Day, a practice justified in Roman Catholicism by prayers for the dead mentioned in 2 Maccabees 12:42–46. However, this was not standard doctrine among Jews, and 2 Maccabees, although important for the history recorded, is not considered canon by Protestant Christians. For Catholic and Orthodox Christians, however, the ancient tradition of praying for ancestors to help them escape purgatory was coupled with offering ceremonial food and drink on All Souls' Day. Some scholars believe this practice originated with the veneration of ancestral dead among the Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians, which can be traced back to the kispum rites of the Amorites. In the Middle East, there are reports that Iran is planning an imminent missile and drone attack on Israel in response to last week's Israeli attack on Iran's anti-aircraft defenses and a key port. Apparently, Israel inflicted more damage than the ayatollahs wanted to admit. With the election next Tuesday, we also talk about expectations that things will go “kinetic” if the results aren't what some hope, noting that businesses and government buildings in Washington, D.C. are boarding up windows in advance of Election Day. One pollster reports that 60% of respondents claim to know a Trump supporter who will refuse to accept the results if Harris is declared the winner. Frankly, we think this is another example of the Iron Law of Projection, which states that liberals always accuse others of what they themselves are doing.  We also discuss Tucker Carlson's claim that he was attacked in bed by an unseen force about 18 months ago. The media's reaction to this demonic encounter is one of the reasons people who have experienced such things are reluctant to talk about them, even with their pastor or priest. Our new book The Gates of Hell is now available in paperback, Kindle, and as an audiobook at Audible! Derek's new book Destination: Earth, co-authored with Donna Howell and Allie Anderson, is now available in paperback, Kindle, and as an audiobook at Audible! Sharon's niece, Sarah Sachleben, was recently diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer, and the medical bills are piling up. If you are led to help, please go to GilbertHouse.org/hopeforsarah. Follow us! X (formerly Twitter): @pidradio | @sharonkgilbert | @derekgilbert | @gilberthouse_tvTelegram: t.me/gilberthouse | t.me/sharonsroom | t.me/viewfromthebunkerYouTube: @GilbertHouse | @UnravelingRevelationFacebook.com/pidradio ——————Thank you for making our Build Barn Better project a reality! Our 1,200 square foot pole barn has a new HVAC system, epoxy floor, 100-amp electric service, new windows, insulation, lights, and ceiling fans! If you are so led, you can help out by clicking here: gilberthouse.org/donate. Get our free app! It connects you to this podcast, our weekly Bible studies, and our weekly video programs Unraveling Revelation and A View from the Bunker. The app is available for iOS, Android, Roku, and Apple TV. Links to the app stores are at pidradio.com/app. Video on demand of our best teachings! Stream presentations and teachings based on our research at our new video on demand site: gilberthouse.org/video! Check out our online store! GilbertHouse.org/store is a virtual book table with books and DVDs related to our weekly Bible study. Take advantage of our monthly specials! And check out our new line of T-shirts and mugs! Think better, feel better! Our partners at Simply Clean Foods offer freeze-dried, 100% GMO-free food and delicious, vacuum-packed fair trade coffee from Honduras. Find out more at GilbertHouse.org/store/.——————NEW DATES FOR OUR ISRAEL TOUR: Due to the war, our 2025 tour will now visit the Holy Land in October, 2025 (firm dates to be announced shortly). This tour features special guests Dr. Judd Burton and Doug Van Dorn! For more information, log on to GilbertHouse.org/travel.

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This is a very special episode. My producer, Chris Williams, is a very humble and knowledgeable Protestant Christian. He's obviously been listening to every one of my episodes since he's producing them, and he is very interested in the Orthodox view of the world and also the differences between Orthodoxy and all the other Christianities. He approached me with the idea of getting an Orthodox priest to come on and chat with him about the questions he has regarding Orthodox Christianity. Father John Peck was more than happy to join us in this discussion, and I think you'll find it very very useful. We get deep into Church history, theology, schisms, heresies, and more. This episode may demand a certain degree of humility for you. I think if you have that disposition, you'll gain a lot from it. Chris's questions document (PDF):   Donate to the show here: Visit my website:  Audio Production by Podsworth Media: Leave us a review and rating on iTunes! Thanks!

It's Monday, September 30th, A.D. 2024. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus 150 Protestants return to Hidalgo State, Mexico after displacement On April 26th, Mexican Catholic village leaders in Hidalgo State cut the electricity, vandalized a Protestant church, and blocked access to homes of the Protestant minority, reports Christian Solidarity Worldwide. As a result, over 150 Protestant Christians, including 70 children and infants, were forcibly displaced. During their displacement, the group endured poor conditions, living in a municipal building and later a sports complex. They relied on local churches for food and river water for hygiene, leading to widespread illness and infections. Now, five months later, thanks to an agreement brokered by Hidalgo State Secretary Guillermo Reyna and Director of Religious Affairs Margarita Román, they have returned to their homes in Hidalgo State, Mexico. In 1 Corinthians 1:10, the Apostle Paul wrote, “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.” Pray that the Evangelicals would forgive the Catholics and the Catholics would repent for their abuse of the Evangelicals. Hurricane Helene kills 89 people, causes $15 billion of damage On Saturday, Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis said Hurricane Helene's “monumental storm surge” caused far greater damage than last year's Hurricane Idalia, reports The Epoch Times. DeSANTIS: “We saw really a monumental storm surge. You saw storm surge in excess of 15 feet. So that is much, much more significant than what we've seen in recent storms like [Hurricane] Idalia that hit and certainly [Hurricane] Debby. “So, as you look around here, you see some homes that are now just rubble. There's a lot of damage. We flew over the entire coast, and I remember doing that after I Dahlia, and I remember seeing damage, and I walked the streets after I Dahlia in some of these areas, but this one, wow, you see some just complete obliteration for homes.” Damage estimates ranged from $15 billion to more than $100 billion, insurers and forecasters said over the weekend. Tragically, Reuters reports that 89 people have been killed in South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia. South Carolina recorded the highest death toll, reporting 25 fatalities, with falling trees contributing to many of them. South Carolina Republican Governor Henry McMaster spoke to reporters. McMASTER: “We, of course, have suffered a devastating storm. Tragically, we've lost, we believe, 25 people, 25 of our people due to this storm, and we don't want to lose any more. “Be careful of the electrical wires running under downed trees and limbs. Don't go out there if there's any chance that there's any sort of wire running under those that debris, because you can get shocked and die. The chainsaws cannot go in until the electricity is turned off by the power company.” According to a U.S. Energy Department official, roughly 2.7 million customers were without power on Sunday, down 40% from Friday after unprecedented storm surges, ferocious winds and perilous conditions that extended hundreds of miles inland. Samaritan's Purse, led by Franklin Graham, is on the ground helping in Jesus' name. You can sign up to be notified to be a volunteer and you can make a donation to help Americans hit by Hurricane Helene through special links in our transcript today at www.TheWorldview.com. Patients and staff of Tennessee hospital evacuated from roof More than 50 patients and staff were rescued from the roof of a Tennessee hospital after floodwaters inundated the building.  The Tennessee National Guard was part of the rescue effort Friday afternoon at Unicoi County Hospital in eastern Tennessee. The region was submerged in floodwaters from Hurricane Helene. Emergency crews had attempted to evacuate people by ambulance and boats, but the water began rising too quickly, as video revealed. They had no other choice but to seek shelter on the rooftop. Clay Ramsey tweeted four devastating pictures showing the flood waters had reached the half-way mark of the ambulances in the hospital parking lot. Faith & Freedom Coalition to raise $62M to mobilize Christian vote Faith and Freedom Coalition aims to raise over $60 million to mobilize the Christian vote ahead of the 2024 presidential election, with canvassers already reaching over 3 million potential voters in battleground states, reports The Christian Post.  Founded in 2009 by longtime Christian activist Ralph Reed to be a voice and mobilize the Evangelical vote, their goal is visiting 10 million homes in person by Election Day. The expected 10 million home visits marks a rise from the 8.6 million conducted in 2022 and the nearly 6 million in 2020.  The home visits have the potential to reach 17 to 18 million people, as some households have multiple voters living in them which could put Trump back in the White House. Faith and Freedom Coalition has hired 5,000 paid staffers and recruited 5,000 volunteers to conduct outreach in the battleground states.  Plus, the group will hand out “30 million pieces of literature across 125,000 churches, including many in the battleground states."  According to their website, “The key to the 2024 effort is turning out 1 million recently registered Evangelical voters, as well as 7.8 million Evangelicals whom Faith & Freedom Coalition has identified as low-propensity voters." 90-year-old Chuck Swindoll retires from pulpit ministry And finally, a milestone for Chuck Swindoll. He is known worldwide for his Insight for Living radio program heard on 2,100 stations, his leadership at Dallas Theological Seminary where he served as President and Chancellor, and his authorship of 70 books. After 26 years as Senior Pastor at Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas, he recently announced his retirement with his characteristic sense of humor. SWINDOLL: “We celebrate 26 years as a church toward the middle of next month, literally, on the 14th of October, 1998.  I mean 26 years, 90 years old. That's long enough.” He spoke with grace and humility. SWINDOLL: “Today, I'm filled with gratitude, joy and a deep sense of peace. These have been 26 of the greatest years of my life. You, as a congregation, have been nothing short of magnificent.” And Pastor Swindoll pointed out what he looks forward to in his retirement from preaching. SWINDOLL:  “God has made it clear to me that these five Sundays will be my final five Sundays as your pastor, your leader, your pulpit expositor. Cynthia and I will continue to be with you at church. This is our church, and always will be. We live only a few blocks away, and we have no plans to move. “The difference is, for the first time in over 60 years, she and I'll get to sit together in a worship service. She won't be sitting down there, and I'll be up here.” Even though Swindoll, age 90, will no longer be in the pulpit regularly, he will continue his ministry at Insight for Living, the headquarters of which is located on the same property. When he finally sees his Savior face to face, no doubt Chuck Swindoll will hear the words from Matthew 25:23, “Well done, good and faithful servant! … Enter into the joy of your Lord!” Close And that's The Worldview on this Monday, September 30th, in the year of our Lord 2024. Subscribe by Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Were the Apocrypha books removed by the Protestants or added by the Catholic church? In addition, Ben and Tyler addressed some listener questions from last week's episode.Contact us at podcast@tobethechurch.com

Pete Imperial has been principal of St. Mary's Catholic High School in Berkeley, California, a Lasallian Catholic School of 160 years and going strong. Yet only 45% of the students are Catholics (though a similar number are Protestant Christians) and some of the kids have had no religious experience at all. How does a good Catholic school infuse the souls of its charges and the secular society at large with the Gospel and the teachings of the Holy Roman Catholic Church? Dr. Imperial has a BA from the University of California in Berkeley, an MA in history from San Francisco State University, and an EdD in Educational Administration from the University of San Francisco. In addition to running the school, he also teaches Islamic Studies, Economics, and East Asian History. This episode is indebted to Ryan Anderson, the listener and a friend of the podcast who suggested this episode and introduced me to Peter. St. Mary's College High School website and Pete's faculty webpage. About Lasallian education. Other Almost Good Catholics episodes on the subject of Catholic Education: Joseph Nagel and Heather Skinner on Almost Good Catholics, episode 8: It's Elementary! Catholic Education in the 21st Century. Rich Meyer on Almost Good Catholics, episode 45: Education in the World not of the World: A School Director and Father Talks about Forming the Whole Child. Here is the pilgrimage with Monique and Joseph González this coming September with Inside the Vatican, and the related episodes from Almost Good Catholics: Pilgrimage to Mexico: Our Lady of Guadalupe & the Flower World Prophecy 2024 Colleen Dulle on Almost Good Catholics, episode 16: Marxists and Mystics: A Vatican Journalist discusses her Biography of Madeleine Delbrêl and the New Papal Constitution Father James Martin, SJ, on Almost Good Catholics, episode 30: What if You're Gay? Starting Conversations with and about LGBT Catholics. Joseph and Monique González on Almost Good Catholics, episode 74: Our Lady of Guadalupe and Aztec True Myth: How the Flower World Bloomed into History in 1531. Here is my first discussion with Pastor Brian Zahnd and the film A Hidden Life which we will be talking about in August: A Hidden Life (2019) trailer, IMBD, and on Amazon Prime. Brian Zahnd on Almost Good Catholics, episode 82: The Wood between the Worlds: Why Death on the Cross? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Pete Imperial has been principal of St. Mary's Catholic High School in Berkeley, California, a Lasallian Catholic School of 160 years and going strong. Yet only 45% of the students are Catholics (though a similar number are Protestant Christians) and some of the kids have had no religious experience at all. How does a good Catholic school infuse the souls of its charges and the secular society at large with the Gospel and the teachings of the Holy Roman Catholic Church? Dr. Imperial has a BA from the University of California in Berkeley, an MA in history from San Francisco State University, and an EdD in Educational Administration from the University of San Francisco. In addition to running the school, he also teaches Islamic Studies, Economics, and East Asian History. This episode is indebted to Ryan Anderson, the listener and a friend of the podcast who suggested this episode and introduced me to Peter. St. Mary's College High School website and Pete's faculty webpage. About Lasallian education. Other Almost Good Catholics episodes on the subject of Catholic Education: Joseph Nagel and Heather Skinner on Almost Good Catholics, episode 8: It's Elementary! Catholic Education in the 21st Century. Rich Meyer on Almost Good Catholics, episode 45: Education in the World not of the World: A School Director and Father Talks about Forming the Whole Child. Here is the pilgrimage with Monique and Joseph González this coming September with Inside the Vatican, and the related episodes from Almost Good Catholics: Pilgrimage to Mexico: Our Lady of Guadalupe & the Flower World Prophecy 2024 Colleen Dulle on Almost Good Catholics, episode 16: Marxists and Mystics: A Vatican Journalist discusses her Biography of Madeleine Delbrêl and the New Papal Constitution Father James Martin, SJ, on Almost Good Catholics, episode 30: What if You're Gay? Starting Conversations with and about LGBT Catholics. Joseph and Monique González on Almost Good Catholics, episode 74: Our Lady of Guadalupe and Aztec True Myth: How the Flower World Bloomed into History in 1531. Here is my first discussion with Pastor Brian Zahnd and the film A Hidden Life which we will be talking about in August: A Hidden Life (2019) trailer, IMBD, and on Amazon Prime. Brian Zahnd on Almost Good Catholics, episode 82: The Wood between the Worlds: Why Death on the Cross? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Southern Baptist Convention, the largest denomination of Protestant Christians in the United States, voted at an annual gathering last week to oppose the use of in vitro fertilization.Ruth Graham, who covers religion, faith and values for The New York Times, discusses the story behind the vote, the Republican scramble it prompted and what it could eventually mean for the rest of the country.Guest: Ruth Graham, who covers religion, faith and values for The New York Times.Background reading: How baptists and the Republican Party took different paths on I.V.F.Here's what to know about the vote.For more information on today's episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

When Christians suggest that the Bible is without error, what does that actually mean? And are there really good reasons to believe that the Bible, (specifically the New Testament) is both historically reliable and inerrant? Critics like Bart Ehrman raise challenging and thought-provoking questions about contradictions in the Gospels and Jesus' resurrection, but are they true contradictions or just apparent contradictions? For this week's podcast, Frank sits down with author and Catholic apologist, Jimmy Akin, to talk about his recent debate with the well-known atheist and UNC Chapel Hill professor, Bart Ehrman. Serving as a senior apologist on Catholic Answers, Jimmy will unpack how he used his seasoned debate skills to graciously disarm his opponent while laying out a good case for New Testament reliability and exploring the standards of writing in the first century. During their conversation, Frank and Jimmy will answer questions like: Did the Gospel writers remember and record the exact words of Jesus? Did Jesus have a twin brother who appeared to the disciples after the Resurrection? How do undesigned coincidences point towards New Testament reliability? Why are some of the New Testament events seemingly out of chronological order? Why did Bart Ehrman transition from a conservative fundamentalist Protestant Christian to now identifying as an atheist/agnostic? As Jimmy shares his unique strategy in approaching his dialogue with Ehrman, he'll also drop some insight on the importance of understanding the Bible's historical context, clarify the difference between truth and precision, and touch on why there are a variety of writing styles among the New Testament authors. This laid back and light-hearted podcast episode comes jam-packed with apologetics knowledge bombs so grab your pen and paper and prepare to learn more about what it really means for the New Testament to be reliable! And be sure to watch Akin and Ehrman's full debate on his YouTube channel HERE along with his fascinating podcast, 'Mysterious World'.

"Balancing Faith and Truth in Interfaith Dialogue: A Christian Guide" | Watch This Episode on YouTube {"@context":"http://schema.org/","@id":"https://straighttruth.net/balancing-faith-and-truth-in-interfaith-dialogue-a-christian-guide/#arve-youtube-c9txc2bk__m","type":"VideoObject","embedURL":"https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/C9TXC2bK__M?iv_load_policy=3&modestbranding=1&rel=0&autohide=1&playsinline=0&autoplay=0","name":"Balancing Faith and Truth in Interfaith Dialogue: A Christian Guide","thumbnailUrl":"https://straighttruth.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/STP-S29-EP-04-Balancing-Faith-and-Truth-in-Interfaith-Dialogue-A-Christian-Guide.jpg","uploadDate":"2024-05-30","description":"Balancing Faith and Truth in Interfaith Dialogue: A Christian Guide"} Subscribe To Our YouTube Channel Support Our Podcast Join Our Mailing List Watch Us On Rumble Related MessagesIf you are interested in learning more about our role and responsibilities as Christians towards the culture, society, government, and authority, consider listening to these sermons by Pastor Richard Caldwell:The Believer's Influence in the WorldCongregational CommendationA Christian Vision for Engaging the World - Parts 1 & 2The Christian's Relationship to Governing AuthoritiesThe Beautiful Life & Civil Authority "Balancing Faith and Truth in Interfaith Dialogue: A Christian Guide " | Watch this episode on Vimeo {"@context":"http://schema.org/","@id":"https://straighttruth.net/balancing-faith-and-truth-in-interfaith-dialogue-a-christian-guide/#arve-vimeo-950079938","type":"VideoObject","embedURL":"https://player.vimeo.com/video/950079938?dnt=1&app_id=122963&transparent=0&title=1&byline=0&portrait=0&autoplay=0","name":"Balancing Faith and Truth in Interfaith Dialogue: A Christian Guide","thumbnailUrl":"https://straighttruth.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/STP-S29-EP-04-Balancing-Faith-and-Truth-in-Interfaith-Dialogue-A-Christian-Guide.jpg","uploadDate":"2024-05-30","description":"Balancing Faith and Truth in Interfaith Dialogue: A Christian Guide"} Follow Us On Vimeo Listen to the Audio Podcast Subscribe on iPhone Subscribe on Android Subscribe on Spotify Balancing Faith and Truth in Interfaith Dialogue: A Christian GuideA recent commencement address at a Catholic university, given by Harrison Butker, a field goal kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs, who is a Catholic himself, has stirred up quite a bit of controversy and discussion, apparently even amongst Catholics themselves. Much of what he said and shared was good and even right, and we can be thankful for his courage. But as Protestant Christians, who are Baptist by conviction, we wouldn't, in our services, encourage or endorse any kind of interfaith dialogue with Catholics. That's because an eternal gap exists between our viewpoints regarding the Christian faith. But are there other spheres where Baptists and Catholics can come together and work towards common goals? Can we join forces to take a stand against the direction of the culture and politics? If we can, what principles should guide us? Are there things we need to be aware of that could appear as us compromising on our biblical beliefs? Join us this week on the Straight Truth Podcast as Dr. Richard Caldwell and Dr. Josh Philot converse about interfaith dialogue and discuss whether we can work together as those with common beliefs towards common goals, even though our religions and faiths differ.Dr. Caldwell starts by reminding us that we have responsibilities as Christians in this life and how we relate to the culture. We are in this world and yet not of it. As we live in this world, we are to model and be examples of what the Bible teaches about being good and responsible citizens. We need to remember that we live in a world of unbelievers. Some of those unbelievers are religious. Some of that unbelieving religion will have a likeness to believing religion in certain...