Lighthouse Faith

Life is worth living, no matter how hard it can get. And one who knows is Joni Eareckson Tada, a quadriplegic since a diving accident fifty years ago. Today in the aftermath of hurricanes Harvey and Irma, Joni is raising awareness of the help the disabled need now, and in the future. But she and her Christian ministry, Joni & Friends, are also fighting against the growing trend sweeping across the nation, to legalize doctor assisted suicide. It's a divinely ordained battle she is waging. .audioplayer_container {display:none;}

Faith, politics and baseball... Three seemingly unrelated areas, but my colleague,  Ed Henry explores all three in his new book 42 faith: The Rest of the Jackie Robinson Story .audioplayer_container {display:none;} You've seen Ed often on air, expertly dissecting all the goings on in Washington, D.C., and beyond in the world of politics. But in his book he looks a particular period of baseball history, when the color barrier was broken Major League Baseball by a young African American, now legend, Jackie Robinson. Ed explores not only Jackie Robinson's faith journey, but that of Branch Rickey, the Dodger's General Manager who signed Robinson... And brought him up from the minors to play  first base on Ebbets Field.

Surveys show a rising number of  people do not adhere to any organized faith tradition. And while it's easy to point blame at technology or secular individualism... Dr. Peter Kreeft, a feisty philosophy professor and author.. blames an historical event that began five centuries ago next month: The Protestant Reformation. Kreeft say, "Even from a secular point of view the single most defining  feature of  Modern Western civilization is the decline of religion. And Christianity used to define Western Civilization. And the reformation is the most tragic event and split in the history of Christianity." .audioplayer_container {display:none;} The Reformation did pave the way a separation of church and state, but it also put Christianity on a splintering course to where today there are thousands of different denominations. Kreeft and I discuss his book 'Catholics and Protestants, What Can We Learn From Each Other.' While he offer hope, he also gives Christians a warning, saying, "If the Bible is right and the Church is Christ's body, invisible mystical body then we're tearing his flesh from his bones."

Can science prove humans have souls? Can it give us proof of life after death? And can science  peer into the meaning of life and of divinity? In short, are science and faith two parts of a whole? Neurologist Dr. Jay Lombard explores and explains  to me these concepts from his new book,  "The Mind of God: Neuroscience, Faith, and a Search for the Soul."  He says for far too long science and faith have operated as polar opposites, but that they actually need each.  For instance he says,  our souls are the immaterial, non-physical part of who we are, and scientists can indeed confirm its existence. .audioplayer_container {display:none;} Dr. Lombard says, "We see the movement of the soul, meaning that we're able to actually assess the effects of things in the brain that are fluid through new technologies. So yes,  the answer is, we don't call it the soul, and in science we don't say, ' oh there's the soul there,' but we do understand that we can see the effects of emotion and non- physical experiences on the shape of our brains, absolutely. "

Very excited as Fox News' Chief Religion Correspondent to launch this podcast based on my book, Lighthouse Faith: God as a Living Reality in a World Immersed in Fog.  I've called this podcast, Lighthouse Faith: Moving Forward in Truth and Love.... to see if we can understand the real foundational causes behind the news stories we here.. and understand how each story has a spiritual element. .. A spiritual core. It's an opportunity to  explore the universal spirit of faith, beliefs, science & religion, religion & politics in a setting that allows for long and deep discussions. This introduction podcast includes my take on religion and beliefs... and joining me in the latter half is a longtime friend Pastor Don Davidson from First Baptist Church in Alexandria, VA.. who talks about the challenges of ministering to a congregation steeped in a secular world view. .audioplayer_container {display:none;}