Zooming Out to Bigger Views of the Issues surrounding this Election

A Special Edition of the Family Life Noon Report

Labor Day – 9/02/2024

The proverbial “start” of the election season traditionally kicks in Labor Day Weekend. As American culture slides past the holiday and into the school year, voters are within a couple of months of Election Day. While much of the public has been plugged in to this year’s unique campaign, others are just now ready to begin to explore who and what will be on the ballot.

In this half-hour special from Family Life News, we zoom out beyond the daily and weekly twists and turns of the candidates and their campaign. Today, we delve into some of the bigger issues about the election:

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• Pennsylvania’s role as one of this year’s most prominent “swing states” to select the president and majorities in Congress
  
• One political scientist’s take on the detriments and benefits of the Electoral College system
  
• A call for Christian voters to step up better, to cast early ballots or show up at the polls November 5  (Other interest groups have better turnout percentages)
  
• While individuals have full freedom to participate in politics, churches actually do not need to “separate” church and state
  
• The history of congregational involvement in politics, and cautions about specific partisanship
  
• If election results this fall have an obvious lean, will there be a mandate?
  
• If key races are close (or fought in court), will the people trust the results?
  

Bob Price and Greg Gillispie have extended interviews with these expert guests:

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• Dr. Mark Caleb Smith teaches political science at Cedarville University, and is dean of the college at that Christian school.
  
• Jason McGuire is executive director of the New York Families Foundation, heads up New York Family Action, and is a commentator on “Capital Connecton”.
  
• Kim Roberts researched IRS regulations on charitable organizations and talked with leaders in how faith groups and politics intertwine. Her articles are posted on MinistryWatch.com.
  
• Also, “Breakpoint” commentator John Stonestreet talks about the role of Christ’s followers in shaping elections and public debate. He is president of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview.
  

Click/tap each photograph for additional interviews with these guests, plus their biographies, or scroll through additional podcasts at www.FamilyLife.org/newspodcasts.

All Family Life News podcasts are available for listening, subscribing, downloading and sharing. Go to FamilyLife.org or use the Family Life Now app.

 Smith

 McGuire

  Roberts

  Stonestreet

An update:  In the conversation about IRS regulations about churches which receive charitable contribution status, our guest mentioned the Johnson Amendment (starting at :19:37 in this recording). Now, the National Religious Broadcasters organization is leading other plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit against the IRS, contending those 1950’s-era regulations seek to place unconstitutional restrictions on free speech and freedom of religion. This new article from MinistryWatch.com explores the issues surrounding this complaint from the faith-based groups.