What does it mean when we say a person has been "duped?" George Washington warned about dupes in his farewell address. A "dupe" is a person who is easily deceived or fooled. A person who unquestioningly or unwittingly serves a cause or another person. People can be "nice" and be quite sincere and yet at the same time, be easily duped to embrace a course of action that is detrimental to their health and survival. In the case of our country, we may have representatives who are fooled by those who come in and try to subvert our constitutional freedoms and stability. Are we being naive? Yes, we are. No question about it. Today we talk with a professor of political science at Grove City College. He is also executive director of The Center for Vision Values, a Grove City College think-tank/policy center. Do you find yourself hearing the news, and then shaking your head? What about the judges as they are reviewed? Is it appropriate to have a religious test for positions in government? What about the "dogma rings loudly within you" concern of a notable Congress woman as regards the Christian faith of a potential nominee? These things make you shake your head and wonder where we are going. We hope you enjoy this lively discussion. The views expressed are those of the participants, who are: Dr. Paul Kengor, Dan Elmendorf

Today we talk with a seasoned professor and ordained minister. He has taught students theology beginning in 1968 and is also a "teaching elder" in the PCA. He is gifted in music and plays piano and organ. The question he answers is this: "What advice would you offer to theological students and young theologians as they face a lifetime of theological work?" His answers apply to not only the theological student, but all Christians as we serve in the sphere in which the Lord has placed us. There are 30 pieces of advice, and the first one is to really consider that you might not be called to theological work. The second point is to value your relationship with Christ, your family, and the church above your career ambitions. And so it goes - seasoned advice from one who has taught in both east and west coast seminaries, written books and has served in the church. The audio on this recording was a little bit difficult to get as our guest was on a cell phone, but you should be able to hear it OK. Participants: Dr. John Frame, Dan Elmendorf

What is your vision regarding your children and your children's children? Do you see yourself as bringing up these children in the Lord and then passing on to them the precepts of the Lord so that they can faithfully follow Christ and do even greater things in this world? What about the creation mandates? There is the "cultic" mandate pertaining to worship. There is the cultural mandate related to the work of forming creation, and there is the communal mandate regarding the work of filling creation. We talk also about the notion of "discipling" the nations that is part of the Great Commission. Our guest is pastor of Trinity Church (http://trinitychurchlongisland.com/ ) and to reach the church, the phone number is (631)629-4528. We also air this pastor's sermons often on the Tuesday edition of Proclamation, heard weeknights at 9:00 PM on Redeemer. Trinity Church meets at the Faith Lutheran Church at 231 Jackson Ave Syosset, NY 11791. Worship begins at 1:00pm followed by Bible School classes at 2:45pm. If you are a parent and find yourself working hard at training your children and praying for them - this discussion most certainly will be of encouragement to you. Your labors are not in vain in the Lord. Participants: Pastor Ben Miller, Dan Elmendorf

Have you considered the use of words associated with the killing of children as a result of an abortion of a pregnancy? Today we talk with a pastor who has followed this debate for many years. He encourages us as Christians, not to cede ground on this issue, even in the area of the use of terms. Our guest reviews the original text of the Roe -vs- Wade ruling. Recently with NY and VA laws, it seems they are saying essentially that they want everything that Roe gives them. Participants: Dr. Kevin Chiarot, Dan Elmendorf

How would you describe Fidel Castro's Cuba? What did he do to his country? What happened to religious freedom? Was he a leader that we should try and emulate? Are there intersections of his philosophy with that of the Progressives of today? Why did Fidel Castro not allow the average person to even go fishing in his country? What about the family which decided to harvest two mangos from their own mango tree? What did they have to do in order to protect themselves? Participants: Dr. Paul Kengor, Dan Elmendorf

Today we delve into the life and times of one of the great men of history - Winston Churchill. What was it about him, that helped Great Britain to stand against great odds and in the face of Naziism, to "keep calm, and carry on" and eventually win? What was the contrast between his style, vs. that of FDR? What did Churchill do to really unify the people? Our guest has authored the books: "Never Give in: The Extrordinary Character of Winston Churchill (Leaders in Action)" and also "Character and Greatness of Winston Churchill: Hero in a Time of Crisis." Both are available on Amazon. Also if you want to visit our guest's website, it is here: http://stephenmansfield.tv/ Participants: Stephen Mansfield, Dan Elmendorf

"Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities�all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent." Col. 1:15-18 Question: do you take off your "Christ hat" when you go to work on Monday and then operate in a world where Christ is not really present? In the Bible we learn that this is our Father's world. We therefore need to think through and be cognizant of the question: "how does what I am doing, advance the interests of Christ?" We should be living out our lives as Christ's servants. We have much more than careers! We have godly callings. What about the so-called construct of the "Two Kingdom" perspective as opposed to the biblical explanation of Christ having one kingdom? That is one kingdom, both redemptively and also over the created, natural order? Have we fallen into the trap of having a secular view for six days of the week, and a holy view for the Lord's Day only? Participants: Dr. Cornelis Venema, Dan Elmendorf

Today we talk with the author of the new book "Christian Marriage - A Comprehensive Introduction." We discuss what God says that marriage really is. That is, its definition. What is His purpose in marriage? How about how to choose your spouse? What about waiting too long to get married, or at the other extreme, rushing into marriage? What role does premarital counseling play? A huge area is that of divorce. What is an annulment as opposed to a divorce? Is there a modern divorce plague? Finally we take a look at the "Beautiful Order" of Christian Marriage. Our guest is professor of Sociology at Grove City College and is currently serving as Interim Provost and is also the Vice President for academic affairs at the college. His book is available at various outlets and a good price is at this site: https://www.christianbook.com/

Participants: Dr. David J. Ayers, Dan Elmendorf

There is a trend among the Millennial (and younger) generation to embrace Socialism. By contrast, America was founded on principles which are antithetical to Socialism. Our country embraces a free market. A recent Gallop poll from last year reported that among those ages 18 to 29, that 51% prefer Socialism. We talk about this trend and also contrast Socialism with biblical moral law from the book of Exodus in the Old Testament. We are commanded as Christians to not covet the property of others. Further, this principle of private property is protected by God's law when it forbids us to steal from others. A particularly grievous form of theft is when a government takes (i.e., robs) from one person and gives the money or goods to another. Legalized thievery is not godly and undermines a free culture. We explore if there are any cases in history where a country with Communism (or Socialism) resulted in human flourishing. The answer may shock you. What of the so-called "womb-to-tomb, nanny-state" government? What does God offer for people? He offers a bottoms up voluntary charity. This works so very well. But it also depends on people not being "taxed to death."

God cares about this issue of Socialism. What is covetousness? It is an inward desire and lust for that which another person has. This covetousness comes to fruition when the act of stealing is carried out. But first the sin of covetousness occurs in the human heart. Our guest also talks about what Jesus had to say about the Good Samaritan. Participants: Dr. Paul Kengor, Dan Elmendorf

What is one of the oldest heresies in the world? Gnosticism denies the centrality of matter. Our Lord Jesus came in the flesh and Gnosticism denies the incarnation.They say we are a spark trapped in a body and our goal is to break free from our bodies, etc. This heresy has always shadowed the church and denies the importance of the sacraments of the church. Gnostic-influenced churches tend to be very informal and deny the importance of the doctrinal foundations of the church. Gnosticism has become the religion of atheists. We see Gnosticism playing out in the violent demonstrations by the left in our society right now. A book is mentioned, and here is the link: https://www.amazon.com/Gnostic-America-Contemporary-according-Christianitys/dp/0692260498 Participants: Peter Burfeind, Dan Elmendorf