The Illinois Family Spotlight podcast will highlight a specific cultural or political issue of which our listeners should be aware. Our discussions will be informed by a biblical worldview that will help expose the lies and distortions promulgated within secular culture. We will be interviewing policy experts and scholars whose knowledge and insights will help listeners form a wiser worldview.
The first half of this week’s Spotlight podcast features Christian broadcaster Janet Mefferd’s interview with IFI’s cultural affairs writer, Laurie Higgins. Their conversation centers on the American Psychological Association’s Division 44: Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity and the numerous task forces within this division that strive to destigmatize and normalize deviant sexual practices such as polyamory, “ethical” non-monogamous relationships, minor attraction, and more.
Spotlight continues after the break with highlights from a Concerned Citizens for America forum in Rockford.… Continue Reading
Dead-baby supporters U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, along with 42 collaborators helped defeat Senator Ben Sasse’s attempt to prohibit infanticide. Durbin took to the Senate floor to lie about Sasse’s bill by referring to it as an abortion bill despite the fact that he knows it has nothing to do with restricting access to abortion.
Latasha Fields, founder and director of CHESS – Christian Home Educators Support System, joins IFI executive director David Smith on this edition of Spotlight. In the first half of the podcast, David and Latasha discuss egregious legislation pending in the Illinois General Assembly that aims to eviscerate parental rights and eliminate religious liberty.
State Representative Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston) recently introduced HB 4870 would mandate the HPV vaccination for ALL Illinois students at the 6th grade level.… Continue Reading
| Benjamin D. Smith | February 25, 2020 4:00 AM | Comments Off on “Parental Rights, Religious Liberty and American History” (Illinois Family Spotlight #187)
Bear with me while I tie together some disparate threads into a whole cloth.
First up is a frightening story from Canada—the “progressive” dreamscape in which Big Brother rules with an iron fist, censoring, indoctrinating, usurping parental rights, and threatening imprisonment of anyone who claims 2 + 2 = 4. This story should serve as a warning to Republicans in the United States.
Robert Hoogland, father of a now 15-year-old daughter, is living in the “progressive” dreamscape otherwise known as a living nightmare.… Continue Reading
As if we didn’t already know Pete Buttigieg is a noxious presence in American culture, he made it clear at a rally in Aurora, Colorado on Saturday during a Q & A time. Ignorant Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold announced melodramatically, “This is a really touching question,” and then read the following pre-submitted question to Buttigieg from 9-year-old boy Zachary Ro of Lone Tree, CO:
Here’s an excerpt from the disingenuous form letter U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) sends to constituents who plead with him to support the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act which would require doctors to provide health care to babies who survive efforts to kill them:
The Reverend Franklin Graham joined Monte Larrick for an interview right before the IFI fall fundraising banquet last year and is featured on this episode. They talked about freedom of speech, why Christians need to be involved in politics, why only God can ultimately change today’s culture, how Rev. Graham believes we can change the education system, where civil disobedience is permitted, the conundrum in Illinois education with the new LGBTQ history mandate, and finally a message from Reverend Graham to the Christians in Illinois.… Continue Reading
| Benjamin D. Smith | February 18, 2020 4:09 AM | Comments Off on “If you Compromise on Life, It’s Easy to Compromise on Anything Else” (Illinois Family Spotlight #186)
I have a lot to say about presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg and hope to say it soon, but first I have to address the kerfuffle generated by Rush Limbaugh who speculated last Wednesday that Democratic operatives must be asking themselves if the country is ready for a man-kissing man-president:
If you’ve ever wondered how best to effectively communicate with your state representatives and senators, this edition of Spotlight will be of special interest to you!
In a presentation at the 2019 SpeakOut Illinois conference, former state representative PeterBreen gives us an insider’s view of the life of a legislator and offers valuable tips for interacting with those individuals who are hard against an issue, hard in favor of an issue, or “neutral.” While many of Breen’s remarks are directed toward pro-life legislation, his advice is applicable to other topics of concern to conservatives and pro-family voters.… Continue Reading
Walt Heyer is the featured presenter on this edition of spotlight. We are featuring his presentation from the Illinois Family Institute 2019 worldview conference on the “trans” ideology. Mr. Heyer became a transgender man: hormones, surgeries and all. But he was, like most of us, saved by the blood of Jesus. This episode is his testimony.
Spotlight
"Such Were Some of You: Trans Edition" (Illinois Family Spotlight #184)
| Benjamin D. Smith | 
March 3, 2020 4:00 AM | 
Comments Off on “Relationship Anarchy” (Illinois Family Spotlight #188) 
