Freeborn & Liberty

The Season 1 finale episode with Dr. Frank Turek, Christian apologist and founder/President of CrossExamined.org. Frank joins the show to talk about what to make of the current sexual revolution and how standards for morality influence legislation in America.00:01:53:00 – Intro00:02:25:00 – What is a Christian apologist?00:03:00:00 – How has gender identity trumped biological sex?00:05:40:00 – How higher education influences the sexual revolution00:07:14:00 – Tolerance00:11:35:00 – The problem with equity00:13:56:00 – Moral legislation00:18:25:00 – Destroying remnants of natural law reality00:21:00:00 – Standing firm against Critical Theory00:26:40:00 – CrossExamined.org resources00:28:34:00 – Season 1 wrap-up. What’s next for Freeborn & Liberty Resources:- CrossExamined.org- I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist Podcast- Twitter @DrFrankTurek- YouTube

The Postsecondary Value Commission, a partnership between the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) has worked to define the ‘value of post-secondary education’ as it relates to return on investment, economic outcomes, and degree completion. But unfortunately, these three issues aren’t the true core of this commission’s work. It’s a deceiving front for a radical proposal to permanently infuse racial and economic equity in higher education which is explained quite clearly in the commission’s definition of value: “Students experience postsecondary value when provided equitable access and support to complete quality, affordable credentials that offer economic mobility and prepare them to advance racial and economic justice in our society.”The commission also states: “Without explicit attention to racial, socioeconomic, and gender equity, postsecondary education will continue to sustain and exacerbate inequalities, but a more equitable postsecondary education system can build a more just society, and “The centuries of deep-rooted racism in local, state, and federal institutions and policies have all contributed to White Americans’ disproportionate access to economic and educational opportunities compared to their non-White peers. These injustices continue to play out today within the postsecondary education system. In the full report entitled “EQUITABLE VALUE : PROMOTING ECONOMIC MOBILITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE  THROUGH POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION”, put forth by the commission, it is clearly stated that equity is the central focal point of the commission: “Equity matters. This is the first principle of the Postsecondary Value Commission, designed deliberately to center and prioritize racial, socioeconomic, and gender equity as the North Star guiding the commission’s work. More specifically, the commission is focused on equitable value for Black, Latinx, Indigenous, underrepresented Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students, students from low-income backgrounds, and women—as well as the intersectional identities within and across these groups. The commission’s Postsecondary Value Framework requires data to be disaggregated by these key student characteristics to unearth inequities and provide a starting point for policy and programmatic solutions to combat and dismantle them.”There is absolutely no mistaking it here. A hallmark of Critical Race Theory, one of many sub narratives of Critical Social Justice, assumes that racism and discrimination are at play in every disparity and in every interaction and it’s the activist’s duty to find it. Read specific actions and proposals outlined in the commission's report.-------------------------The second commission is a joint effort between the National Association for College Admissions Counselors (NACAC) and the National Association of Financial Aid Administrators and funded by a grant awarded by the Lumina Foundation.Read more about this commission and details about the potential implications of adopting it in higher ed policy.   

Dr. Stephen Blackwood is the founding President of Ralston College, a new college based in Savannah, Georgia that is truly transforming higher education. Dr. Blackwood has written for the Wall Street Journal, the National Post, The New Criterion, and Quillette and his first book The Consolation of Boethius as Poetic Liturgy was published by the Oxford University Press. Ralston College: Podcasts | YouTube | Website | TwitterStephen Blackwood: TwitterTimestamps:00:00:00 - The beauty of free expression and thought; how they can be preserved00:03:30 - Awakening the human potential00:11:00 - What is Ralston College?00:15:11 - How is Ralston different than traditional higher ed. institutions?00:25:51 - What’s next for Ralston?

This week, Clinical Professor William Jacobson (Cornell), and Founder Legal Insurrection, a tax-exempt research and investigative entity based in Rhode Island, joins the show to talk about a new resource he's been working on for the college search. Criticalrace.org is an interactive database that outlines how colleges and universities across the country are adopting tenets of Critical Race Theory in campus culture. The website launched in February 2021 highlighting 200 institutions and now has close to 300. It's gained national attention and is fast becoming a go-to resource for parents and students in the college search.Go to:criticalrace.orgFor more insight and research, visit:https://legalinsurrection.com/Twitter: @LegalInsurrectionFacebook: @legalinsurrection

Dr. Jeffrey Burl, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Michigan Technological University, dared to speak up against the university's senate resolution embracing Critical Race Theory. Students demanded that he be fired from his position simply for sharing a different perspective.  He shares his love for teaching, and how civil discourse can be the way toward bridging the divide in our country.Link to the senate resolution and Dr. Burl's open letter in response

Sherman Tylawsky, Congressional Intern and host of the 'Friends and Fellow Citizens' podcast (link below) talks about how radical leftism impacted his undergraduate years in the UK. Through these experiences, he's developed an even deeper appreciation for America and her founding fathers. He outlines how the US is positioned to be a leader in defeating woke culture and how the core of this revival needs to be transforming civics education.  ResourcesListen to Friends and Fellow CitizensFind the show on Facebook

Dr. Brent Ellis, President of Spring Arbor University, a Christian university in Spring Arbor, Michigan penned an op-ed on the impact the Equality Act will have on American's First Amendment right to religious liberty. Implications are not limited to colleges and universities that adhere to religious faiths, the Equality Act would criminalize religious viewpoints of individuals, organizations, non-profits, businesses that do not embrace sexual identities other than biological male and female. We explore the real impact this legislation will have on religious liberty and how to stand firm in faith in persecution from the government.The Episode:00:00:00 Intro00:02:35 The First Amendment00:12:35 The Equality Act00:26:00 How we got here00:37:28 Feminism and the destruction of the nuclear family00:43:12 At the water cooler00:50:54 Reliving the past at Spring Arbor00:59:00 Staying true to faith despite persecutionResources:- Dr. Brent Ellis's Op-Ed on the Equality Act- The Equality Act- The First Amendment - Current and former LGBTQ students of evangelical Christian colleges and universities sue the Department of Education Social Media:Twitter:- Spring Arbor University- Freeborn And Liberty 

Sam Sorbo, renowned actress (Chicago Hope and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys), model, filmmaker, radio show host, wife, mother and homeschool advocate holds nothing back: her new book 'Words for Warriors: Fight Back Against Crazy Socialists and the Toxic Liberal Left", which recently hit #1 on Amazon, homeschooling, the state of public education and the critical role parenting plays in defeating woke culture.00:00 What is Critical Social Justice? A high-level overview04:34 - Introduction 05:53 - 'Words for Warriors' - inspiration and discussion16:15 - "The second crime scene is always worse that the first"30:02 - wokeness in public education47:45 - Homeschooling59:21 - Advice for parents01:06:00 - Wrap up and where to get 'Words for Warriors'Resources:- Website: samsorbo.com- Amazon: 'Words for Warriors: Fight Back Against Crazy Socialists and the Toxic Liberal Left' - Sorbo Family Film Studios: faith-based films-Twitter: @thesamsorbo Listen to this episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1566623/8321831

Ryan Fisher, Chair of the University of Michigan chapter of the College Republicans shares his student experience navigating progressive campus culture, being doxxed, and how conservatives can begin to bridge the political divide.Are you or someone you know shopping around for a college?  Be sure to add 'college woke-ness' as an item to your college search list and check out https://criticalrace.org/ to determine whether or not you can expect the narrative to be embraced at any of your top schools.

Anna Miller, Education Research Analyst with the Idaho Freedom Foundation, defines what a 'social justice university' is. She's a major contributor to new research conducted in partnership with the Claremont Institute revealing just how deeply Critical Race Theory has taken hold on the campuses of Boise State and the University of Idaho. Through comprehensive evaluation, she and Dr. Scott Yenner (Claremont), have established a way to conduct this research at scale with the goal of reaching other states in the very near future. From administration's policy to housing and residence life, student programming, and student activism - no area of these two campuses is left unturned.Follow:- Twitter: Anna Miller- Twitter: Idaho Freedom Foundation- Twitter: Claremont Institute Boise State University:- Summary- Full Report University of Idaho:- Summary- Full Report NACAC and NASFAA Commission to Restructure College Admission and Financial Aid Through Racial Equity Lens:Additional information about the joint commission between NACAC and NASFAA, be sure to watch this video or read the blog post. Please share.

Episode 06 - Cancel Culture: The Instrument of WokenessMichael Rectenwald, the infamous former NYU professor and author of Thought Criminal, Google Archipelago and Beyond Woke (and more). He shares his unconventional journey to becoming a champion of free speech and embracing anti-authoritarianism. We cover safe spaces, bias hotlines, the implications of woke campus culture in society and his new book, Thought Criminal.Books- Thought Criminal- Springtime for Snowflakes: 'Social Justice' and Its Postmodern ParentageResources:- Michael Rectenwald WebsiteTwitter:@TheAntiPCProf THIS WEEK'S EXCLUSIVE BLOG CONTENT

Michael Brase, dental student in the University of Iowa's College of Dentistry, explains the dangers of mandated diversity trainings and administration's political posturing at public universities through his lived experience.References:Trump Administration Executive Order on Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping Related Articles:"- The Daily Iowan: Email thread within the College of Dentistry community sparks debate - FIRE: Iowa College of Dentistry controversy highlights impact of unnecessary investigations into student speech - American Enterprise Institute: University of Iowa's woke bullies fold under scrutiny Listen to the Episode 05 here.

Dr. Dorian Abbot- Associate Professor in the University of Chicago’s Department of Geophysical Science.  Dorian details the events that took place in late 2020 after he posted a series of YouTube video (no longer published) critiquing  his department's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee regarding its hiring practices. His thoughts are outlined in this slide deck.Abbot shares his perspective on cancel culture and the true purpose of education.

Helen PluckroseCo-author, Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything about Race, Gender, and Identity - and Why This Harms EverybodyFounder, CounterweightEditor, Areo MagazineHelen explains the origins of Critical Social Justice Theory by tracing it back to post-modernism of the 1960s. The four core principles of postmodern thought include:1. Skepticism about objective reality2. Perception of language as the constructor of knowledge3. Making of the individual4. The role of power in all of these are present todayPluckrose explains how the current movement has transformed into applied postmodernism, or activist postmodernism that denies those that disagree with its theories the ability to counter. She dives deep into each of the four principles and explain how they're playing out in society today. Although Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything about Race, Gender, and Identity - and Why This Harms Everybody is not written from a Christian worldview, it lays a very solid foundation for understanding the origin and the tangled web that supports the current mainstream narrative. I highly recommend it.Counterweight, the organization founded by Helen, has launched in the UK and Australia, is a resource for individuals that find themselves face-to-face with Critical Social Justice (CSJ) in their workplace and provides them with the tools to navigate that situation.Visit freebornandliberty.com for show details and to get in touch.

Jodi Shaw- Former Student Support Coordinator in the Department of Residence Life at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. Jodi's story is a significant part of the debate surrounding social culture and freedom of expression on college campuses in the U.S. After several incidents that created a hostile work environment, she posted a video on YouTube exposing what was going on at Smith College. As you can imagine, it wasn't received well and administration issued a statement condemning her opinion. In February, after months on leave during an internal investigation, Jodi was give the opportunity to return to her position in residence life at Smith. Two days after our conversation, she formally resigned. This is a developing story.Learn more about Jodi's work and her involvement with Counterweight. She outlines her story in great detail through a series of videos on her YouTube channel. You can also follow her story on Twitter.

Dr. Samuel Abrams- Visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. - Professor of politics and social science at Sarah Lawrence College- Faculty fellow with NYUs Center for Advanced Social Science Research- Advisory Council, Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE)Dr. Abrams' op-ed published in the New York Times entitled "Think Professors are Liberal? Try School Administrators," outlines his research on the political leanings of administration compared to students and faculty and sparked outrage at Sarah Lawrence College where he teaches.Sam details findings in his research, describes the attempted cancellation attempt and how FIRE is advocating for professionals and students in higher education that find themselves in the crosshairs of campus stifling freedom of expression. You can contact Sam directly at: sabrams@sarahlawrence.edu

Here's what this show is:It’s a critique of Critical Theory and it’s pervasiveness in higher education. We’re going to do this in two ways:a. First, through interviews with scholars, theologians and thought leadersb. Secondly, through interviews with professionals and students in higher education that have experienced cancel culture for voicing views that do not align with the claims of Critical Theory. Designed to educate and provide a deeper understanding of the implications of the theory I hold a Christian conservative worldview. I believe the ideology of Critical Theory is antithetical to the gospel. Logic, scientific facts and philosophy are key pieces to exploring this fully. Many guests will share my worldview, some will not. We are united in realizing the dangers of this narrative and are working to counter it and provide insight into how we can become informed contributors in the dialogue.Higher Ed professionals shouldn’t have to decide between their livelihood and voicing an opinion (or in many cases, standing firm in their religious beliefs). Students shouldn’t have to play the game to make the grade. And we, as Americans, should not accept that this radical ideology is something that we must subscribe to.  Here’s what this show is not:Freeborn & Liberty is not anti-higher ed. This Is not a Christian Nationalist podcast. America, or any political party for that matter, is not the means through which God’s Kingdom is realized. Jesus Christ is the one way to eternal life in God’s Kingdom. We aren’t trying to silence anyone. This is not about the humans that are championing the movement or those that are advocates. We simply reject that this radical ideology is being imposed on society, largely through means of the academe.Go to freebornandliberty.com to subscribe to the show and sign up for our weekly e-newsletter, The NonConformist. Episode one drops on March 2.