SPOTLIGHT: Education Freedom: Insights From Sam Sorbo

Written by Alyssa Sonnenburg

This episode of Illinois Family Spotlight features remarks given by Sam Sorbo at Illinois Family Institute’s 2022 Faith, Family, and Freedom Banquet.

Sam Sorbo is an actress, filmmaker, radio host, and a staunch advocate for educational freedom. Her book, They’re Your Kids: An Inspirational Journey from Self-Doubter to Home School Advocate, chronicles her family’s experience with homeschooling.

In her speech, Sam insightfully notes the lies of the educational framework in America, what true education is, and how parents can fight for their child’s education.… Continue Reading

SPOTLIGHT: Project 21

Written by Alyssa Sonnenburg

In this episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, Monte Larrick interviews Horace Cooper. Cooper is a senior fellow with the National Center for Public Policy Research, chairman of the Project 21 National Advisory Board and a legal commentator.

In response to the attack that Christianity and the Church is facing, Cooper notes,

As Christians, one of things we need to understand… American Christians are one of the most powerful forces on the planet.

Yes, The Culture War is Real, And Democrats Started It

Written by Robert Knight

Did you know that debating issues in Congress is part of the culture war and is bad for democracy?

That’s what The Washington Post (motto: “Democracy Dies in Darkness”) implied in its front-page story after the Republican-led House approved the National Defense Authorization Act in a 219-210 party-line vote.

The bill authorizes an $886 billion defense budget and rolls back some of the Democrats’ schemes aimed at turning America into a Marxist version of Sodom and Gomorrah.… Continue Reading

We’ve Been Here Before: History Is The Best Teacher

Written by Dr. Everett Piper

In the early days of my career, one of my mentors, David McKenna, shared some simple words of wisdom that I will never forget. His advice was pretty straightforward: “The best predictor of the future is always the past.”

This was his way of saying that, barring true repentance and transformational change, people, organizations, and even countries are generally as predictable as the sunrise.

What happened in the past will inevitably happen again in the future.… Continue Reading

SPOTLIGHT: Celebrating American Independence

Written by Alyssa Sonnenburg

In this episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, Monte Larrick interviews attorney David Shestokas, a former 2022 candidate for Illinois Attorney General. Mr. Shestokas is involved in the battle for election integrity, and is the author of two must-read books: Creating the Declaration of Independence and Constitutional Soundbites.

In this episode, Shestokas emphasizes the important role that the Declaration of Independence currently plays in preserving American freedoms. He notes,

“What the Constitution is intended to do is to execute the ideals that are found in the Declaration of Independence… the Constitution itself is a pretty mechanical document, but the Declaration of Independence defines really what it means to be an American.”

The Bad and the Good About America

Written by Robert Knight

Independence Day is a good time to take America’s measure. The United States is the first nation created with secured rights derived from nature and nature’s God — not man. We grew rapidly and providentially into a world power with unrivaled liberty and wealth.

Along the way, we endured a bloody civil war and got rid of slavery. We defeated Nazism, Japanese imperialism and the Soviet Union.

We’ve seen unprecedented material progress and such varied marvels as an end to polio and the introduction of digital timers to speed up the game of baseball.… Continue Reading

What Do Americans Believe? Thoughts on the Declaration’s Preamble

Written by Judge Kenton Skarin

Republished with permission from judgekenton.com.

The genius of the Declaration of Independence is the way it packs the entire philosophy of American government into a very few lines.  Listen to what it tells us:

1) “We hold these truths to be self-evident” – What follows is so true that anyone can see it for themselves.

2) “all men are created equal” – People are not “judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character,” in Dr.… Continue Reading

SPOTLIGHT: The Consequences of Sexual Immorality

Written by Alyssa Sonnenburg

In this episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, we are featuring remarks made by Dr. Jonathan Diggs during Illinois Family Institute’s 2023 Worldview Conference.

Dr. Jonathan Diggs has been practicing medicine for over thirty-five years, is an American Board of Internal Medicine diplomat, is a motivational speaker, and is a guest on national television and radio programs.

In his speaking segment, Dr. Diggs outlines three consequences of sexual immortality, which include the following:

1) unwanted pregnancies,
2) sexually transmitted diseases (STIs),
3) and the disruption of social cohesion.… Continue Reading

SPOTLIGHT: Facing the Truth with Eric Scheidler

Written by Alyssa Sonnenburg

In this episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, Monte Larrick discusses the pro-life movement with Eric Scheidler, who is the executive director of Chicago’s Pro-Life Action League. During their annual “Face the Truth” tour, dozens of volunteers line sidewalks adjacent to streets near busy intersections in Chicago and the suburbs, silently and often prayerfully holding photographs of aborted babies.

When asked about the public reaction to these photographs, Scheidler notes,

We expected to see more hostility and anger and we’ve had some incidents… But, what I’ve found more notable is kind of a lack of curiosity… it seems more difficult to get people to take a piece of literature from you… That’s troubling.

SPOTLIGHT: Transgender Activists in White Coats

Written by David E. Smith

In this episode of Spotlight, we are featuring remarks from Dr. Michelle Cretella given at IFI’s 2019 Worldview Conference. During her presentation, she points out the differences between true, biological science, which supports pro-life and pro-family propositions, and the anti-science cult of gender ideology, which is preached by mainstream medicine, psychiatry, public and private education systems, and social and mass media.

Dr. Cretella also addresses the serious implications of the transgender movement: erasure of parents’ rights, women’s rights, and religious freedom; establishment of gender identity as a protected class; as well as potential legal action that awaits anyone who persists in using “discriminatory” language, i.e.… Continue Reading