"I'm Glad You Said That" - Jim Minnery Talks Faith & Politics

The issue of birth control has a wide range of opinions within Christendom.To be sure, as my friend Bob Bird pointed out in this article, "as casual sex springs up, along with divorce and STD rates, and new pressures placed upon women: not only to succumb to seduction but also to take care of the undesired results of sexual union."And...as he notes in the same article, "Malcolm Potts, Planned Parenthood’s thoroughly accurate and honest medical statistician, said in the 1970s during a speech at their annual gala convention: “Contrary to what you might think, when a nation legalizes contraception, the abortion rate goes up, not down."More people having sex, more unintended pregnancies. Even when birth control is used.At the same time, many Christ followers, including John Piper and others, believe there is a place for thoughtful regulation of when children come and how many come.The issue I discuss today with Democrat Alaska House of Representative member Ashley Carrick has to do with whether insurers, including Medicaid, should be required to cover 12-month prescriptions of birth control. Alaska Family Council is absolutely opposed to legislation that opens the door to abortifacients and morning after medication like Plan B that prevent fertilized eggs, also known as embryos or human beings, from attaching to the uterine wall.Carrick maintains that her bill, HB17, does not in fact, open that door up and, to my great surprise, states that she believes the old Democrat line coined by President Bill Clinton that abortion should be "safe, legal and rare." That view is archaic now in the Democrat world where women are encouraged to "shout their abortion" in celebration.I was absolutely thrilled to converse with Carrick as she demonstrated true humility, kindness and a genuine desire to close the chasm when it comes to discussing this divisive issue. Hope you can tune in.Support the show

Dr. Douglas Frank would rather be working on gadgets in his home laboratory than shining a bright light on election fraud across the country. But duty called.Frank earned a Ph.D. in Surface Electroanalytical Chemistry from the University of Cincinnati in 1990, has 60 peer-reviewed publications, and has feature articles in Science, Nature and other journals.He discovered and developed a new type of microscopy capable of producing three-dimensional images of molecules resting on metal surfaces. This gave him international credibility and his work is prominently featured in college textbooks.After leaving university academics in 1996, he began consulting and manufacturing surface analytical devices for national defense and various industries, where his custom electronics, software, inventions, and products continue to be widely used.Most recently, he has dedicated his energies to identifying, exposing and addressing election fraud across the nation. His mind is sharp and his friendly but persistent demeanor is something that has driven progressives wild. I'm thrilled to have him on I'm Glad You Said That today. Hope you can join us.Support the show

A Catholic couple in Indiana has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hold the state accountable for removing their son from their home because they wouldn't identify him as a girl. I'm privileged to speak with their attorney, Josh Hersberger, today on "I'm Glad You Said That".Josh is the lead counsel on the case and works with our sister organization, the Indiana Family Institute.In M.C. and J.C. v. Indiana Department of Child Services, Indiana investigated Mary and Jeremy Cox because they would not refer to their son using pronouns and a name inconsistent with his biological sex. State courts allowed Indiana to keep the child from their home because of their disagreement with their child—motivated by their religious beliefs—about human sexuality. With the help of Becket and Hershberger, the Coxes filed their reply brief at the Supreme Court, asking the Justices to take their case. Mary and Jeremy Cox are a faithful Catholic couple living in Indiana. In 2019, their son informed them that he identified as a girl. Because of their religious belief that God creates human beings with immutable sex—male or female—they could not refer to him using pronouns and a name inconsistent with his biology. The Coxes also believed that he needed help for underlying mental health concerns, including an eating disorder. To address both issues, they provided therapeutic care for their child’s gender dysphoria and scheduled appointments with a specialist to help him with the eating disorder. In 2021, Indiana began investigating the Coxes after a report that they were not referring to their child by his preferred gender identity. Indiana then removed the teen from the parents’ custody and placed him in a home that would affirm his preferred identity. I'll chat with Josh about why this case is so important for parental rights today in America.Hope you can join us.Support the show

Isabel Brown is a Gen Z influencer on a grand scale.As a full-time streamer and independent content creator, author, and speaker, this 27 year old has figured out her Generation has to accept the baton at breakneck pace.And she's joyfully and ambitiously embraced that challenge.In her latest work, The End of the Alphabet - How Gen Z Can Save America, she says these "young and often underestimated Americans are here to fight for a better future—and we won’t wait for permission to lead."Amen.Hope you can join us.Support the show

As Vice President of Government Relations at The Heritage Foundation, Eric Teetsel has a long track record of experience in government at the federal, state, and local levels. Most recently, he was Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, where he also held the roles of Legislative Director and Special Assistant. Teetsel previously served as President of the Family Policy Alliance of Kansas, Director of Faith Outreach for the Marco Rubio presidential campaign, Executive Director of the Manhattan Declaration for life, marriage, and religious freedom, and more.Teetsel graduated from Wheaton College and holds a master’s in Education from Azusa Pacific University. Originally from Kansas, he and his wife live in Virginia with their four children.So grateful to have my friend Eric Teetsel on the show today.Support the show

Jon Faulkner is a lifelong Alaskan, graduate of Harvard, husband, father of five, and pilot. In addition to owning the spectacular Lands End Resort in Homer, he's invested in real estate projects on the Kenai River and in Girdwood.He's been in the political arena and has always been a voice for building Alaska into a place where people can dream and creating an economy where those dreams can flourish.Faulkner recently purchased the ubiquitous MustRead Alaska and in all likelihood, will carry it places that Suzanne Downing, the founder and top journalist in the state, will be proud of.Jon Faulkner is on the show today. Hope you can join us.Support the show

Mike Shower is a no-nonsense, former fighter pilot who speaks with the kind of confidence and clarity that is as refreshing as it is rare.He is existing right now in a three-member Alaska State Senate Minority because, once again, the Republicans in Juneau couldn't play together in the sand box. Despite having a majority, they gave power to the Democrats and sequestered the most conservative members to a small island.At least we know who is willing to stand for what they campaigned on and hold the line on conservative principles that the party platform articulates. Showers along with Senators Shelley Hughes (Palmer) and Robert Meyers (North Pole) are in a very small minority but because of an allied Governor and House Majority, they have plenty to do in terms of stopping some of the worst legislation and possibly even getting some things across the finish line.Senator Shower is on the show today and, as always, has a lot of energy. Hope you can join us.Support the show

Alaska Senate Minority member Shelley Hughes, a Republican from Palmer, has always been someone I have deeply respected.She articulates her position with passion and clarity and grace whether sitting as the Senate Majority Leader or as a member of a micro-minority of just three (3) as she is now.Today, on "I'm Glad You Said That", we'll chat about what she has in store for this second half of the Alaska legislative session including bills she has introduced regarding concealed carry in public schools, artificial intelligence, sex trafficking and how she will be holding Senators accountable for simply throwing more public funds into public education without any accountability for improvements.Hope you can join us.Support the show

I've worked alongside and have had the privilege of being friends with Bernadette Wilson for a long time.  When she told me she was getting out of politics for awhile to go make "real money" in the private sector, I knew she could thrive in the business world.  I didn't think she's be gone long for the world of civic engagement. It's in her blood.She's still building her business but her real passion, a love for our state and it's ability to be a prosperous home for future generations, has been re-ignited...again. This time leading the Alaska Policy Forum, our state's think tank zeroed in on expanding freedom and reining in Government. Hope you can tune in.Support the show

Tami Jo Watson and Victoria Ross, Executive Director and Deputy Director of Alaska Adoption Services, know first hand of the challenges and joys of adoption. They both have adopted children and are engaged in that arena every work day.I'm thrilled to have both of them on the show today.Every year in Alaska, somewhere between 1,200 and 1,900 pre-born children are aborted primarily because of inconvenience. It is hard to estimate how many of those children would be alive today had the mothers and families involved had more information about adoption as an alternative.I think it's safe to say many.Adoption has an enormous role in how God laid out His plan to redeem humanity. As John Piper describes, "Adoption is one of the most profound realities in the universe. I say “universe” and not “world” because adoption goes beyond the world. It is greater than the world, and it is before the world in the plan of God, and it will outlast the world as we know it. Indeed it is greater than the “universe” and is rooted in God’s own nature."CLICK HERE to read the compelling piece by Piper as to how integral adoption is to God's good work. Support the show

Excited to talk today with Sarah Montalbano about two recent articles she wrote about education -"How We Spend Matters More Than What We Spend""Charter Schools Are Public Schools"Sarah hails from Wasilla and is the Policy Manager for Alaska Policy Forum. where she writes about education, healthcare, state fiscal issues, and more.She is a visiting fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum and also the Northwest Regional Leader and writer with Young Voices. Graduating from Montana State University with a B.S. in computer science with minors in economics and data science, she was a 2022 Robert L. Bartley Fellow in editorial features at The Wall Street Journal.Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, the Washington Examiner, and The American Spectator.Support the show

Michael Dowling has a story to tell.His own and through the books he now publishes.While holding an MBA degree from Columbia Business School in New York and an engineering degree from the University of Florida in Gainesville, MIchael is also a professional "ghost-writer" and has written several children's books, including  "Frog's Rainy-Day Story and Other Fables" that World Magazine has called one of the 6 best Christian picture books of the 21st century!From Michael...“When I was in my thirties and living in Boston, I was into cults like Silva Mind Control and EST (Erhard Seminars Training),” says Michael. “I went to psychics, studied A Course in Miracles, and practiced positive thinking, extrasensory perception, visualization, and meditation.The generally accepted beliefs in these circles were that all spiritual paths are equally valid, truth is what you experience, and Jesus was an enlightened teacher who came to show us the path to enlightenment. Back then, the thought systems that captured my attention were on the fringe of the culture, but today they are even infiltrating many churches. That’s a major reason why I wrote Frog’s Rainy-Day Story."So privileged to sit down and visit with Michael on the show today. As always, if you can't tune in live on radio, be sure to go wherever you get your podcasts and listen at your convenience.Support the show

Josie A is on the show today. It's a pseudonym.Jodie is the compiler of a recent book, Parents with Inconvenient Truths about Trans. (PITT)  She also helps to manage a substack with the same name. From their site..."We publish stories written and edited exclusively by parents with first-hand experience in the upside down world of gender ideology. Send your story to Pitt@genspect.org.PITT is a space for parents that have been impacted by gender ideology to share their uncensored stories, experiences, and thoughts, while remaining anonymous to protect themselves and their families. Our objective is to inform the public about the devastating impact of gender ideology on our families through our personal experiences.We believe that, when people understand the true picture, they will join us in ending the medicalization of identity for children, teens and young people."As always, if you can't tune in live on radio, be sure to go wherever you get your podcasts and listen at your convenience.Support the show

Ole Larson is a salt of the earth guy who is running for MatSu School Board as an incumbent and former Board President. He worked in an arena, prisons and youth detention facilities, for decades and has a refreshing no-nonsense style free of pretension and manure you'll often find on school boards.I get to interview Ole today on the show but in many ways, it's as much about his opponent, Diane Shibe, as it is about Ole.As my friends Suzanne Downing in MustRead Alaska (HERE) and Joel Davidson in The Alaska Watchman (HERE) have reported, Shibe is banking on Valley residents being dimwitted. While casting herself in conservative red campaign colors and school choice slogans, Shibe is rolling in dough, the most in MatSu Valley School Board race history, from a legion of liberals including outside DC funding groups, the NEA, Anchorage School Board President Margo Bellamy, former Democrat U.S. Senate candidate Pat Chesbro, Tom Klaameyer, the current president the National Education Association in Alaska and Ted Swanson, the only current progressive, woke member of the Mat Su School Board.She even has the gall to say on her campaign website that she's in favor of school choice. The NEA, Shibe served as President of the local chapter in the Valley, is without a doubt the biggest opponent of school choice in America today. President Abraham Lincoln noted with wonderful clarity that "No man (or woman) has a good enough memory to be a successful liar."Oh Diane and your donors, the tangled web of deceit you weave. Valley voters...beware.Support the show

Peter Murphy and the group he represents called Invest In Education believes that school choice is something that is beneficial to all children.The Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA), a federal piece of legislation he is working hard to advance, is a $10 billion scholarship tax credit to expand educational freedom and opportunity for up to two million students throughout the nation.Under the bill, individuals and businesses contribute to non-profit scholarship granting organizations who make scholarship awards for tuition, tutoring to address learning loss, special needs services, and education technology among other uses.Scholarships are funded with private donations, not federal money, and donors receive a federal tax credit. The ECCA respects federalism, protects religious liberty, and ensures private school autonomy.I am honored to chat with Peter today on the show.Support the show

Did you know that the Greek word for “sin” is hamartia, an archery term for “missing the mark”? Making Christ the Target of Our Lives is the slogan and vision of a wonderful group I've come to discover called CenterShot Ministries. Using archery as a means of reaching more people for Christ, CenterShot Ministries, when asked why, says...It is affordable. It levels the playing field. It can be done year-round. It is completely safe.It promotes a growth mindset. It is fun, exciting, and adventurous.It promotes fitness and endurance.It is inclusive of all ages and abilities.I am blessed to have Kim Welch, the State Director of CenterShot Ministries on the show today. Her enthusiasm is infectious and her spirit is overflowing. It will be a joy to converse with her and I hope you can join us.Support the show

Jonathan Keller is one of the nicest guys I know working in one of the most difficult places to advance pro-family, pro-life, pro-liberty measures.He heads up our sister organization, California Family Council, and does an unbelievable job in one of the most socialist leaning locales in all the country.At the same time, he reminds me, there were more Republicans who voted for President Trump in California than in all of Texas. In other words, that's quite a "remnant" of Truth followers to work with and Jonathan has engaged hundreds of thousands of them.On today's show, we'll focus most on the absurdly rational and common sense notion that parents have the inherent right to know if their children are "socially transitioning" in public schools.Despite what you might think of and know about California politics, a lot of good things are coming out of the Golden State. Support the show

One of the great realities often overlooked is how people and groups don't fit as nice and tidy together in perceived boxes as we think.Gays Against Groomers is a fairly accurate example of that.If you have a mindset that everyone in the LGBTQIA+ community is supportive of sexually charged curricula in public schools, Drag Queen Story hours and 13 year old girls getting double masectomies because they feel as though they are boys...you would be wrong.From their website..."Our community that once preached love and acceptance of others has been hijacked by radical activists who are now pushing extreme concepts onto society, specifically targeting children in recent years.The overwhelming majority of gay people are against what the community has transformed into, and we do not accept the political movement pushing their agenda in our name. Gays Against Groomers directly opposes the sexualization and indoctrination of children. This includes drag queen story hours, drag shows involving children, the transitioning and medicalization of minors, and gender theory being taught in the classroom.The activists, backed by school boards, government, woke media, and corporations, have been speaking on our behalf for too long. When fighting for equality, our goal was to successfully integrate ourselves into society, but now these radicals aim to restructure it entirely in order to accommodate a fringe minority, as well as seek to indoctrinate children into their ideology. We’re saying NO." I'm grateful to chat with Robert Wallace on the show today who works out of Arizona with Gays Against Groomers. We'll dive into why the issue of parental rights and the innocence of children is resonating much farther than most people know.Support the show

Moms for Liberty has landed in the Great Land and they're on the show today.Their founders are former school board members, who witnessed how short-sighted and destructive policies directly hurt children and families. Now, with their growing organization, they're uniting parents across the country to fight those who stand in the way of liberty. Today, we'll chat with Melissa Wilkins & Kali Ponder who are leading the Mat Su Chapter and are hopeful other chapters will get going across the state soon.Alaska Family Council couldn't be more thankful to have another group to stand shoulder to shoulder with in standing for truth.Support the show

The number 40 appears in the Bible over 150 times. Of those times, the words 40 days and 40 nights are found 24 times. Each time, they denote a significance for God and his people.The 40 Days for Life campaign, the world’s largest grassroots movement to end abortion, starts on Wednesday, September 27th and pro lifers across the globe, including here in Alaska, are gearing up.Mary Kemper, a local nurse in Anchorage and coordinator of the campaign, is on the show today to discuss this remarkable ministry that has over 1,000,000 volunteers in 64 nations. To date, 23,525 lives have been saved, 251 abortion workers have left the industry and 145 abortion centers have been closed due to their vigiance.Tune in today to find out more about the movement and how YOU can engageSupport the show