Spotlight

Monte is joined by Mary Hallan Fiorito, a Visiting Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington D.C., Ms. Fiorito is also a representative of WomenSpeakForThemselves.com. Mary is an attorney, public speaker, and commentator on issues involving women’s leadership in the Catholic Church, work/life balance for mothers, and Catholic Church administration.

They discuss the current debate about abortion; the midterm elections in terms of pro-lifers and pro-choicers; Donald Trump's lifetime fluctuation on the Sanctity of Life; a current Illinois law similar to the California mandate struck down by the U. S. Supreme Court (NIFLA v. Berreca) in peril; the predicament some pro-lifers face in this Illinois Gubernatorial race; democrats and open-mindedness toward a pro-life perspective; how life advocates can go on offense; Lake County Right to Life and Bonnie Quirke.

This edition of Spotlight features Jo McGuire once again, who comes on to discuss what Illinois might look like after a plausible five years of retail marijuana; debunking the crime drop myth in Colorado; encouraging lawmakers considering legal pot to visit Colorado and seek certain people groups, one of which is RMHIDTA, you can view their report here; advertising marijuana usage to pregnant women to alleviate first trimester discomfort and the complications that follow; what church leaders need to do to educate their congregations and specifically young people; and finally Jo's story which has permanently vested in her an interest in this topic.

Please check out her blog. Please also contact your state lawmakers at (217) 782-2000 and ask them to vote NO to recreational marijuana. If you don't know your local lawmakers click here.

On a busy intersection on a bright summer day, Monte Larrick spoke with Eric Schiedler, the President of the Pro-Life Action League at the 19th annual Face the Truth Tour.

This edition of Spotlight features their conversation which touches on President Trump's SCOTUS nominee; how graphic images displayed at the Truth Tour debunk popular liberal talking points on abortion; possible Supreme Court debates on the Illinois' "bubble zone" law; troubling news about the effects of the implementation of HB 40 (taxpayer funding of abortion); and how HB 40 will affect Illinois abortion law if SCOTUS overturns Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton.

Eric Scheidler is a second generation pro-life activist, the oldest of Joe and Ann Scheidler’s children. He was only 6 years old when his parents first got involved in the pro-life movement, shortly before the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling that stripped unborn children of their legal right to life in 1973. Eric grew up attending protests and rallies, leafleting neighborhoods and talking about abortion with friends and classmates.

Monte Larrick and David Smith are joined by Dave's Indiana equivalent, Micah Clark. In November 2001, Micah became the Executive Director of the American Family Association of Indiana. His experience has helped AFA expand into an organization with a consistent state house presence while maintaining its role as Indiana’s leading decency organization.

They delve into President Trump's U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh; Indiana's important upcoming midterm elections; radical proposals driving people out of the Democratic party; the Indiana GOP's fight over keeping/extracting a traditional marriage plank from their statewide platform; the difference between elite and grassroots republicans; radical social bills in Indiana; school choice; Indiana and medical marijuana; and an example of inefficient government.

This edition of Spotlight features Monte Larrick's interview with Kirk Smith, the Executive Director of Illinois Christian Home Educators.

They explore the growth of home education throughout the nation, homeschooling in the great state of Illinois, how christian home education is changing public schools, Smith's concern with the evolution of homeschooling in Illinois, and how ICHE can help you begin to home educate your child.

They also consider the claim that christian home educators' goal is to bring up a generation of culture warriors for Jesus Christ, and how homeschooling benefits the state of Illinois.

 

In this week’s podcast, Monte Larrick interviews Alliance Defending Freedom’s (ADF) Regional Director J.D. Mesnard. This interview took place at IFI’s fourth annual worldview conference in early May. In the first half of the podcast, J.D. identifies the importance of ADF’s Church Alliance program, which supports the legal needs of churches across the nation during a time in which attacks on religious liberty are increasing.

During the second half of the podcast, in his capacity as Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives, J.D. answers questions about how the business community, pro-family forces, and various churches defeated a 2016 ballot initiative to legalize “recreational” marijuana.

Dr. Duke Pesta joins Dave Smith and Monte Larrick on this episode of spotlight to discuss public education issues, including but not limited to Common Core Standards and other issues in government schools. Dr. Duke is a tenured university professor of English at University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and Academic Director of FreedomProject Academy.

They also discuss the alternatives to government schools and expensive private schools among them FreedomProject Academy, an online Common Core free K-12 classical education. FPA also features a church partnership program.

The Reverend Doctor Joey Krol joins Monte and Dave on this one hundredth episode of Illinois Family Spotlight.

They discuss being conformed to Jesus, even when it comes to troublemaking; misaligned priorities; church leaders out of touch with the realities of the day; a recent poll showing that America is split on abortion; marijuana; and the coming election.

Monte Larrick caught up with Stephen Black at the National Religious Broadcasters convention a few months ago. Black has been the Executive Director of First Stone Ministries since 2000.

Monte and Stephen discuss his new book, the reality that people are not born homosexual, the ban on reparative therapy in Illinois, the assault on kids by offering them gender chaos, a new documentary called Tranzformed, the pressing need to fight the push to normalize homosexuality and transgenders, the fact that churches are not immune from gender identity controversies, and social media bias.

Stephen was called by God into ministry through the healing he received himself: (2 Cor. 1:3-4).   As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, he was wounded and confused during his teenage years, drawn into homosexuality; and lived gay-identified for 8 years.  Stephen’s 1991 written testimony is online in several locations and a video testimony is online here.  Acquainted with the grief of sexual sin and abuse, Stephen’s heart is to make known what he discovered - that Jesus Christ has come to set the captives free. His new book released October 10, 2017, is Freedom Realized: Finding Freedom from Homosexuality and Living A Life Free from Labels.

 

Maybe Illinois conservatives, beaten down by Illinois politics and bad governance, badgered by fellow Republicans, and panicking because they focus too much on the short-term nightmarish picture they see before their eyes, will at the last moment fold and vote for Bruce Rauner. That would be a huge mistake.

The long-term health of the party, the state, and the nation depends not solely or even centrally on tax rates for businesses but on issues related to respect for human life, marriage, and sexuality. The fact that so many Republicans don’t see that bodes ill for Illinois and America. Having Pinocchio Rauner at the helm of the Republican Party will exacerbate the ignorance on these issues, and the GOP will continue to rot from within.

READ MORE