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.
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.… Continue Reading
Monte Larrick sat down with Illinois Family Institute’s lobbyist Ralph Rivera, and IFI’s contract lobbyist Mark Johnson following the adjournment of the most recent Illinois General Assembly session.
They discuss the new Illinois budget, a potential Illinois fair tax, SB 1564 and a pro-life version, financing taxpayer funded abortion, Illinois ratifying of the Equal Rights Amendment, when Illinois will attempt to legalize recreational marijuana, what the next attack on life might target, what Illinois might do with the US Supreme Court’s ruling about sports betting, and the vital importance of turning out to vote in the down ballot races.… Continue Reading
Featured in this edition of Spotlight, the Q & A portion of the Illinois Family Institute’s 2018 Worldview Conference featuring John Stonestreet. John is the President of the Chuck Colson Center and a co-host for daily BreakPoint commentaries.
Following his presentations, Stonestreet took questions from the audience ranging from pending Supreme Court rulings, division in America, Facebook, and even Kanye West.
Spotlight
"Choosing Style over Substance" (Illinois Family Spotlight #097)
David Smith and Monte Larrick recently sat down with Jo McGuire while she was visiting Illinois warning residents about the many consequences of legalizing recreational marijuana. Jo comes from Colorado, where they have had recreational marijuana since 2013.
Jo McGuire serves on the board of directors for the Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association and co-chairs the Marijuana Education Committee. She is also a DATIA Certified Professional Collector and Trainer (CPCT) and a Certified Designated Employee Representative Trainer (CDERT) who consults and trains professionals overseeing Safety Sensitive Employees in the compliance of federal DOT guidelines for drug and alcohol screening programs.… Continue Reading
| Benjamin D. Smith | May 29, 2018 2:00 AM | Comments Off on “Illinois Can’t Afford to Sit Back on Marijuana Legalization” (Illinois Family Spotlight #096)
Monte Larrick interviewed John Stonestreet at Illinois Family Institute’s Fourth Annual Worldview Conference. Stonestreet is the president of the Chuck Colson Center and BreakPoint Radio co-host. They discuss why Christians should be concerned about the Culture when we have seemingly lost; the next major cultural shift after the Sexual Revolution; the continued attacks on religious freedom; and when it is right for Christians to engage in civil disobedience.
Monte and John also discuss the cost of following Jesus, and legalization of recreational marijuana.… Continue Reading
Jesus laid aside His privileges. He relinquished His authority. He yielded His rightful position in the throne room – even though He was and is worthy of all glory, honor and praise.
Jesus did this so that He could be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and to do the will of the Father.
The text today is found in Mark 8:34-38 it is also recorded in the Matthew chapter 10 and in Luke chapter 9, the latter we will look at a bit later: Mark 8 starting in verse 34:
When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
Monte Larrick recently interviewed Philip Haney at the National Religious Broadcasters convention. Philip is a former Department of Homeland Security officer and congressional whistle-blower. They discussed the Parkland school attack, including government negligence, and how to prevent similar attacks.
Monte opened with the question, “what did you expose?” Here is Haney in his own words:
“During the Obama Administration I was on active duty [and] put information into the law enforcement database — we call it derogatory information — connecting the dots on two major groups: the Muslim Brotherhood, which a lot of us have heard about, and another group, Tablighi Jamaat…on terrorism and counter terrorism.”… Continue Reading
Laurie Higgins joins David Smith and Monte Larrick to discuss the Illinois Senate’s ratification of the ERA, and they also discuss the LGBTQIA history curriculum legislation currently in consideration in the Illinois General Assembly.
Can the ERA be stopped in Illinois now that it has passed the state senate? “Yes,” Laurie Higgins said, because the “ERA actually says nothing about women.” The language of the proposed amendment does signal, however, that it will eradicate abortion restrictions and it will end sex differentiation in private spaces.… Continue Reading
Dave Smith and Monte Larrick recently interviewed Jo McGuire while she was visiting Illinois warning residents about the many consequences of legalizing recreational marijuana. Jo comes from Colorado, where they have had recreational marijuana since 2013.
Jo McGuire serves on the board of directors for the Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association and co-chairs the Marijuana Education Committee. She is also a DATIA Certified Professional Collector and Trainer (CPCT) and a Certified Designated Employee Representative Trainer (CDERT) who consults and trains professionals overseeing Safety Sensitive Employees in the compliance of federal DOT guidelines for drug and alcohol screening programs.… Continue Reading
Monte Larrick recently caught up with Elise Bouc, the State Chairwoman of Stop ERA Illinois. They discuss the push to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to the United State’s Constitution, only requiring two more states to approve it before it becomes a federal amendment.
Please contact your state representative and ask him or her to please vote NO on the Equal Rights Amendment.
When the ERA was stopped back in the 1970s, people understood that the wording of the Amendment was flawed, Bouc explains, and we need to separate the discussion of “equal opportunities” for women from this proposal.… Continue Reading
| David E. Smith | 
June 19, 2018 12:15 AM | 
Comments Off on PODCAST: Gubernatorial Election: What to Do, What to Do… 
