New York City Democrats, Satanists And Abortion, And More – On Good News Friday: Will New York City citizens send a Pentecostal Pastor to Congress? Did you hear about the CBS national poll showing the majority of Americans are having more moral clarity on abortion? What’s going on with the the ritual sacrifice of a satanic temple in Missouri? Should Planned Parenthood be a resource for Christian students? Click the link to hear these surprizing stories and more on this Good News Friday program!

Air Date: 06/19/2020

On-air Personalities: David Barton, Rick Green, and Tim Barton

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Transcription note:  As a courtesy for our listeners’ enjoyment, we are providing a transcription of this podcast. Transcription will be released shortly. However, as this is transcribed from a live talk show, words and sentence structure were not altered to fit grammatical, written norms in order to preserve the integrity of the actual dialogue between the speakers. Additionally, names may be misspelled or we might use an asterisk to indicate a missing word because of the difficulty in understanding the speaker at times. We apologize in advance.

Faith and the Culture

 Rick:

Welcome to WallBuilders Live, this is the intersection of faith and the culture. In other words, our faith is influencing our position on every issue in the culture. And we get our perspective on those issues from a biblical, historical and constitutional analysis. So, looking at those three things on any issue of the day, whatever you’re debating, whatever it might be, it could be a tax issue, it could be abortion, it could be, you know, life, marriage, whatever it might be, you look at it from a biblical, historical, constitutional perspective, you’re going to get the right position on that issue.

And then you can influence the culture with that, that’s being salt and light. That’s what we’re all about here at WallBuilders Live, rebuilding the foundations of America, just like in Nehemiah, arise and rebuild the walls that we may no longer be able to approach. As a nation, we need desperately to rebuild the foundations of our country, rebuild those constitutional and biblical foundations, that’s what will make our nation great again.

And you can be a part of that, part of is just listening here at WallBuilders Live, we’re going to constantly bring you truth and we’re going to help equip and inspire and educate you and the folks that you share the program with. And then you can actually be a force multiplier.

So once you listen and you learn and you get this stuff and you want to share it with other people, great, we want you to take our program and share it on social media, email it to your friends and family, however you want to do it, just help us get the word out there. And then of course, making contributions at wallbuilderslive.com allows us to add stations and allows us to do more training of legislators and young people and pastors and all the other things we’re doing to help save our constitutional republic.

When you make a donation at wallbuilderslive.com, you are a part of that team. Thank you to all of you that are doing that across the country. Those of you sending in $5 and $50 and $500, thank you, thank you, thank you. That’s what makes it possible for us to do this good work. We sure appreciate you being a part of it.

Your Hosts

My name is Rick Green, I’m a former Texas legislator and America’s Constitution coach. And I am here with David Barton. He is America’s premier historian and our founder of WallBuilders. Tim Barton is also with us. He’s a national speaker and pastor and president of WallBuilders. And they’re going to be bringing us some good news.

We love these Good News Friday programs, this is a chance to find out some of the good that’s happening out there. And Lord knows we’ve seen plenty of the bad lately. Right? So, we want to hear some good news. Let’s dive into some good news. David is got the first piece of good news today.

David:

Okay, Rick, I’m going to go to New York City. Now, there’s not been a whole lot of good news coming out in New York City a long time.

Tim:

Certainly not over the last several months.

David:

Not for the last several months. So, as COVID is kind of even beginning to wind down in New York City, I said that wrong, COVID is already been winding down for a long time. As New York City is finally getting to the point, they’re recognizing that COVID is winding down and that it is…

Tim:

Oh, kind of they are. I don’t think the Blasio really supports the notion of it winding down, because he’s extending some of the lockdown orders and telling churches and places that you guys, if you’re not protesting, you need to stay home and close your businesses down. So, I’m not sure they really have it figured out yet, but let’s just go with the good news anyway.

Humorous Stuff

David:

I did see some humorous stuff where that people are disguising themselves as protesters, so they can go to church, because the police aren’t stopping protesters. You can be a protester and go to church that way. So yeah, you’re right. But they are starting in New York City to start looking again at politics.

They’re starting to get back toward elections, in election time in November. And the New York Times, I mean, we know how crazy they were. We saw just in recent weeks, them forcing the editor out of New York Times because he had the audacity to let a Republican air an opinion in the New York Times. And so…

Tim:

Not just a Republican, a sitting US Senator, Tom Cotton, who also was a military veteran who has used a weapon to secure freedom for individuals in the Middle East who did not have freedom, who understands the use of force in situations. And he was writing about the president being able to, if some of these violent protesters and actually, protesters was at that point of these violent rioters and looters were destroying things.

He said, you know what the President does have the power to send in military to put a stop to this. And as a military veteran, who is a current US Senator, he was speaking to that issue. But because the New York Times made a mistake and let a republican US Senator add commentary of what is constitutional, there was an outbreak in protest at the New York Times, which led to them outing their editor who then resigned, etc.

David:

So, New York Times has this piece where they’re looking at elections. And if you look at New York City proper, that is a super, super blue city. I mean, the congressman that come out of New York City, very Democrat, very strong Democrat, very liberal. And if you look at the congressional district that encompasses the Bronx, that is considered the bluest democrat congressional district in America. Okay.

So, here you have a super democrat district and there are 12 candidates in that race for Congress. And the guy who is leading is a current city council member in New York City. And his name is Ruben Diaz. You guys heard anything about Ruben Diaz?

A Pentecostal Pastor as a NYC Rep?

Tim:

No.

David:

Me either until the New York Times brought my attention to this. I didn’t know who he was. But he is one of 12 candidates running and he is in the lead right now and pretty far in the lead right now. He is a Democrat, but he’s outspoken prolife, outspoken traditional marriage on the city council in New York City.

He is strong prolife. He has been criticized and the governor and others because they allowing partial birth, abortion, all sorts of other stuff. He is also a pastor. He’s a Pentecostal pastor. I mean, everything is wrong about this guy from New York City or you would think, which is why the New York Times is they’re perplexed, how can this guy be leading. This is impossible in New York City. And it’s as crazy to them as having their editor allow republican guy to have a commentary.

So, I thought that’s good news coming out of New York City. Maybe New York City citizens are starting to want something different. Maybe they’ve had enough blue stuff for a long time that they want a different kind of blue or even something that’s not blue.

But nonetheless, they have a pastor who is prolife, pro-marriage, Pentecostal pastor who’s on City Council New York City, leading that congressional race. Oh my gosh, would that be fun to watch in Washington D.C. when he got there with Pelosi and everybody else if he were to be elected from Congress out of the Bronx?

Rick:

That would be absolutely fun and more good news to fill up our Fridays with. We’re going to take a quick break, when we come back, Tim Barton is got a piece of good news. Stay with us, you’re listening to WallBuilders Live.

This Precarious Moment

Hi, this is David Barton. I want to let you know about a brand new book we have out called, ‘This Precarious Moment: Six Urgent Steps that Will Save You, Your Family, and Our Country’. Jim, Garlow and I have co-authored this book. And we take six issues that are hot in the culture right now, issues that we’re dealing with, issues such as immigration and race relations and our relationship with Israel and the rising generation millennials and the absence of the church and the culture wars and where American heritage is, our godly heritage.

We look at all six of those issues right now that are under attack and we give you both biblical and historical perspective on those issues that provides solutions on what each of us can do right now to make a difference.

These are all problems that are solvable if we’ll get involved. So, you can grab the book, ‘This Precarious Moment’ and find out what you can do to make a difference. ‘This Precarious Moment’ is available at wallbuilders.com.

Thomas Jefferson said, “In questions of power, then let no more be heard of confidence in man that bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.”

Rick:

We’re back here on WallBuilders Live. Thanks for staying with us on this Good News Friday. Tim, where are we headed next?

Tim:

Alright, well, a couple places. The first one is going to be a national poll that came out. CBS did a news poll and they identified that majority of Americans support either the end of abortion or putting strong limitations on abortion. They identified that roughly, 43% of Americans think abortion shouldn’t be generally available, but 55% of Americans say that it should either be done away with or there should be strong limitations put on it.

Craziness in the Culture

So, in the midst of all of the craziness in culture, we are still seeing that there is some level of moral clarity when it comes to abortion. Now, not full moral clarity or there would be more like 80 or 90% support of ending and severely limiting abortion. But the fact that we do still have a majority of people recognizing that, that does offer some level of hope, that at least there’s some kind of moral guidance where there’s still a majority of Americans agree on along those lines in Missouri.

A couple interesting things from Missouri. There was a ruling at a federal court dealing with a Satanic temple and the ruling, here’s the headline it says, “Court Dismisses Satanists Lawsuit Claiming Pro-Life Laws Saving Babies Violates Their Religious Beliefs.” So, what happened in Missouri as they passed a prolife law and limited abortion and a Satanic temple says that abortion is part of essentially our ritual, practice and sacrifice.

Now, just comprehend and kind of process, think on that, but that ruminate culminated in your mind. This is part of one of their satanic practices that they’re trying to defend is abortion. So, what does that mean for the people supporting abortion? Right, I mean, that’s pretty telling thoughts.

Nonetheless, this federal court, it was the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, it dismissed the appeal by the Satanic temple, who argued that the state was violating her religious freedom. She lost the case in 2019. She appealed a Circuit and it was just recently that they ruled that, no, Missouri has a right to do that.

This is another article related to the very same thing. It says “Federal Court Upholds Missouri Law, Confirming Human Life Begins at Conception”. Which is part of the impetus behind why they were limiting abortion in Missouri. As I said, we recognize when life begins and this is another one that federal court said and this is Eight Circuit Court of Appeals dismissing this case. And this was all part of the same case.

A Satanic Temple

So, there’s two different articles. But this is another one by the Satanic temple saying that “The recognition that life begins at conception, which is what made abortion illegal, it’s taking away my right and my freedom”. And the Court upheld that this decision from the Missouri legislative body that said abortion is not going to be legal in these circumstances and situations, the Court upheld said that is fine and even their wording that life begins at conception is also fine. So those are huge victories.

One of the things that we have seen states struggle and battle with for years, if not decades, is being able to define when life begins and certainly the biblical view is that life begins at conception. We know that the Bible says that God is the one who forms us, who knit us together in our mother’s womb.

And that is part of that conception we believe that is taking place what God is doing. And there just haven’t been a whole lot of States or a whole lot of legislators who have been willing to stand up and acknowledge what the Bible teaches because of whether it’s the political blowback or they couldn’t get enough people in their state to support it, whatever the case is. And sometimes there were states that did support it and federal courts or district Judges in some situations would overturn that.

But this is rather unique that not only did Missouri have very strong language, but then at the Eighth Circuit Court upheld, that’s a Federal Circuit Court upheld that this was good wording, that this law was legal. This is really exciting and encouraging news when it comes to the prolife front.

Rick:

Now, very good news and also a very good point. If the Satanist are on your side, you might rethink your position. Quick break, we’ll be right back with more good news. Stay with us on WallBuilders Live.

Constitutional Defense Training

Hey friends, Rick Green here, I know there’s a lot of crazy stuff going on in America right now, chaos in the streets. But we know God is sovereign and we know that He’s in charge. We also know that duty is ours, results are God’s. And that means we do our duty and part of that duty is being prepared to protect our families. You know, Proverbs 22:3 says a prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions, the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

Friends, if you are not prepared to defend your family, can I just challenge you to come spend a few days with us for a training we call ‘Constitutional Defense of your Family and Freedom’. During the day on the range, you’re going to get the best handgun defense training in the world.

And in the evening, I’m going to teach you on the Constitution. So, you’re going to get intellectual training as well as physical training on how to defend your family. It’s a great time of fellowship. We have a wonderful time every time we do one of these trainings. We have taken several thousand people through this constitutional defense training, handgun defense by day, constitutional knowledge by night. Sign up today at rickgreen.com.

We’re going to take you out there for 1/10th that’s only 10% of the normal price of going out to these very good trainings and no more important time than to do it right now. Rickgreen.com, sign up today doesn’t matter if you’ve had a lifetime of gun experience or you’ve never touched a gun ever in your life.

We’ve had all types with us. Every single one of them are so glad that they went and you need to be with us on the next trip. Check it out at rickgreen.com, we’ve got multiple dates coming up and we want you to be with us for constitutional defense.

Rick:

We’re back here on WallBuilders Live, Good News Friday today. Next segment of good news coming from David Barton. David.

David:

I’m going to go to Texas for some good news. I guess I could say that…

Rick:

That’s all you got to say.

San Jacinto County

David:

That’s right. So well, let’s go to the next segment. That’s it. We’re in Texas. Rick, you live in Texas, Tim, I live in Texas. We’re all in Texas. Somebody tell me where San Jacinto county is?

Tim:

Rick knows that.

Rick:

Kind of South East, right? South East is it where San Jacinto is?

David:

I don’t know. But I do know that the county seat for it is Coldspring, Texas. That’s how you…

Rick:

Coldspring?

David:

Coldspring.

No, I’ve never been there. Don’t think.

David:

Well, you know that the county seat is always really the biggest town in the county and the population of Coldspring, Texas. The county seat is 853.

Rick:

I just looked it up by the way and it is just east of Conroe down there.

David:

So, it’s down in Southeast Texas. Okay, so…

Rick:

Kind of for people outside of Texas, that’s just north of Houston. So just kind of Northeast of the big city of Houston.

David:

So, you have 853 folks in town and Freedom From Religion Foundation found out that San Jacinto county has crosses that they display there out the county and they keep them up all year long. And at Christmas time, they light them up at Christmas, etc. And…

Rick:

And so, all the way across the country in Wisconsin or wherever they are, Freedom From Religion Foundation, they were offended because they could feel it. They could feel it.

Coldspring, Texas

David:

Yeah. This is not a community they could even find if they were told where it was, because I lived here my whole life and I don’t know where this is. So. somehow this is debilitating their quality of life to have somebody on the other end of the United States, they’re the northern end, this is the other end and they’re offended over that.

So, they went and filed a complaint and so it’s got to go through the city process and the county process and everything. And it appears that the people here in Coldspring, Texas had an opinion on this. Because out of the 853, 600 of them showed up at the meeting and the commissioners voted unanimously that they are not taking that crossed down.

Rick:

Wait, wait, wait, David, just run those numbers by me again, because we can’t get 50% of people to show up to vote, let alone to show up at a hearing like this. This was what 75-80% of the town?

David:

I mean, you look at Houston, Houston or San Antonio PASA, usually, you’re having a 45% turnout to elect your mayor. And we’re talking to 75 or whatever percent it is, 600 out of 853. So that’s going to be roughly in the vicinity, probably 70%. So, you’re looking at a 70% turnout and on top of that, commissioners didn’t have any trouble. It was unanimous. They’re not going to take the cross down.

So, it’s like this is so refreshing to have some people with backbone, to have some people who are not going to be intimidated by some loud mouths on the other side of the nation. And you know, they have a right to protest and say what they want to say, that’s great, but they don’t have a right to have it as senators veto. And just because something on the other side of the United States offends me, I don’t get to go in and shut it down.

And just I think it’s great to have this kind of a community come together. These are people who live there, who know what their community is like, who live in that community, contribute to it, want to be a good community. They’re the ones that have the voice in it and boy, they sure let their voice be heard in this one. So, I think that’s a piece of good news. And the other good news piece I’ve got is, it’s kind of…

Rick:

Well, and by the way, David, before you go to your next one, just for our non-Texans out there that are embarrassed for us that we don’t know every town in Texas because they may not realize how big Texas is. By the way, San Jacinto county is not where San Jacinto battleground is where we have a monument and everything where we want our Texas independence. It’s kind of close.

It’s like two hours away or about an hour away, I guess. But San Jacinto battleground is just east of Houston, just outside of Houston and this San Jacinto county is, you know, good hour and a half north of there. Anyway, just for our non-Texans to realize it’s a big state. So, we’ll do our geography lesson next time.

Christian Colleges and Planned Parenthood

David:

Well, it’s a big state with 254 counties and there’s not many states that can compete with that. So, we’re big enough that we’ve got a whole lot of people, a whole lot of counties. We’re the second most populous state in the United States. Second biggest federal congressional delegation in the United States. Second highest number of electoral votes in the United States. And we do cover a lot of land area.

Now, I know people in Alaska saying hey, if you Texas don’t shut up, we will divide Alaska in half and you will be the third biggest State. So, yeah, I got it. But nonetheless, yeah, you’re right. So, we are an unusual State in that sense.

The other piece of good news, I got deals with Christian colleges. Now, when I think of Christian colleges, I sometimes make the mistake of thinking that a Christian College is biblical and we are finding out over recent years and decades that’s not the case anymore. To be Christian doesn’t mean you even know what the Bible says about many things at all.

So, we see polling-wise that many people who profess to be Christians don’t have the foggiest clue about some of the basic Bible teachings. And as George Barna has pointed out in more than 100 different moral categories, when polling folks on moral issues, we can find no statistical difference between Christians and non-Christians and how they behave on moral issues.

So, Christian is not to be confused with biblical. But nonetheless, talking about Christian colleges, here’s a report from Students for Life that they have contacted three Christian colleges and these Christian colleges have all agreed to remove Planned Parenthood from their websites as a resource for Christian students.

And the three that are first done it: Lubbock Christian University, which is Church of Christ in Texas, Clarks Summit University, which is a Baptist school in Pennsylvania and Pepperdine University, which is Church of Christ in California. All have agreed to take Planned Parenthood down off their websites as a resource for Christian students.

And on top of that, Students for Life is also contacting 70 additional Christian schools that have Planned Parenthood on their website as a resource for Christian students. So, I just find it amazing that any Christian university would have planned parenthood as a resource, but at least, Students for Life is getting the Christian colleges to take that off. I think, that’s terrific. That’s great.

A Resource for Christian Students?

Rick:

Yeah, I was sitting here trying to celebrate in my heart, but I couldn’t get over it. Wait, what, they have Planned Parenthood on their website? I mean, but yeah, that’s pretty bad, but that is good that they’re responding. And Pepperdine, I mean, I’m really glad to hear that. I’ve heard some negative things about the direction of Pepperdine the last few years and so very good to hear them in that category. But 70 more “Christian colleges” that have Planned Parenthood as a resource on their websites. That’s not good.

David:

That’s not good, but hopefully, they’ll do the same thing these other three did. And I’m really grateful that the Students for Life is being aggressive in pointing this out. Because it looks like that when it gets pointed out to the administration, at least in these three colleges, they were willing to do something about it. So, I hope is how when these other 70 colleges that they’re going to reach out and talk to.

Rick:

Yeah, special thanks to the Students for Life for even pointing this out and putting the effort in to make this happen. Very, very good news. Quick break, we’ll be back. Tim Barton is going to round us out with good news today. So, stay with us, you’re listening to WallBuilders Live.

BREAK

Hi, friends, this is Tim Barton of WallBuilders. This is a time when most Americans don’t know much about American history or even heroes of the faith. And I know oftentimes we, parents, we’re trying to find good content for our kids to read.

And if you remember back to the Bible, to the book of Hebrews, it has the faith Hall of Fame where they outline the leaders of faith that had gone before them. Well, this is something that as Americans, we really want to go back and outline some of these heroes, not just of American history, but heroes of Christianity in our faith as well.

Biographical Sketches

I want to let you know about some biographical sketches we have available on our website. One is called The Courageous Leaders collection. And this collection includes people like Abigail Adams, Abraham Lincoln, Francis Scott Key, George Washington Carver, Susanna Wesley, even the Wright brothers.

And there’s a second collection called Heroes of History. In this collection, you’ll read about people like Benjamin Franklin or Christopher Columbus, Daniel Boone, George Washington, Harriet Tubman, friends, the list goes on and on. This is a great collection for your young person to have and read and it’s a providential view of American and Christian history. This is available at www.wallbuilders.com. That’s www.wallbuilders.com.

Rick:

Welcome back to WallBuilders Live, final segment of good news today. And if this is not enough for you, there’s more on our website at wallbuilderslive.com. Tim, what’s our last piece of good news?

Tim:

The last was coming out of Minnesota and out of Minneapolis and this is where we know several weeks ago, the horrific incident involving George Floyd with the officer that was kneeling on his neck that led to George Floyd’s death and obviously, had led to so many outcries and protests and a lot of interesting conversations. There certainly has been some negative, but there’s been a lot of positive that’s been kind of an outgrowth of this.

But one of the things that is very encouraging, it reminds me a lot of what Paul wrote in in the book of Romans 8:28 that we know that God causes all things to work together for good for those that love him that are called according to his purpose.

One of the good things that we have seen that has come out of this is up in Minneapolis, there has been an influx of a lot of Ministries, a lot of Street Preachers that have gone up there. And to say is Street Preachers, I have a negative connotation in my head when I hear that name, Street Preachers. Because so often, the Street Preachers that I have seen and been familiar with have not been very godly, have not been very loving, have not been relational.

Street Preachers

I remember, walking downtown in a city one time and the Street Preachers was yelling at me and I was with my wife, and then he was yelling to me, “You’re going to hell. You’re going to hell.” And my wife was like, come on, we got to go. I was like, no, no, I’m going to go talk to this guy. And so, I went over and I said, no, sir, I’m not. He said, yes, you are. You’re going to hell. I said, it’s actually not possible for me to go to hell. It’s impossible.

He said, no, you’re going to hell. I said, sir, it is literally impossible. And so, he just started yelling at me. I said, sir, I’m saved. I believe in Jesus. His blood covered my sins. I’m going to heaven, it’s not possible for me to go to hell. He said, oh, well then never mind, you know, he turns and started yelling at somebody else. “You’re going to hell. You’re going to hell.” And I thought, right, like you are the reason that people get a bad name. Like this is not godly. Isn’t that ridiculous? What are you doing?

Rick:

So, this is not Ray Comfort Street preaching we’re talking about here.

Tim:

No, I appreciate Ray and his ministry, Living Waters, right. But yeah, so generally, the connotation I have in my head of Street Preachers are people who have not done a good job. That’s not what I mean when I say that ministers and Street Preachers have gone to Minneapolis.

There’s a ministry up there right now that is seeing a lot of really, really positive effect. It’s called Circuit Riders and then there’s a pastor up there with them. Joel Bomberger, I guess is his name. And there’s been a lot of videos on YouTube, a lot of stuff where they’re showing baptisms, they’re showing people coming to Christ and people that are crying.

Our Culture Needs Jesus

And this is something as Christians we really need to remember is, in the midst of the chaos around us, it is a reflection of how much our culture needs Jesus, how much we need the gospel: where Martin Luther King Jr. pointed out in the midst of division, in the midst of frustration and anger and hatred, that hatred can’t drive out hatred, hate can’t drive out hate, only love can do that. We need to walk in love. This is a great opportunity for Christians to be defined by their love for each other, to help people in need, to reach out.

And this is something we’re seeing in Minneapolis. Again, a lot of really cool videos have come out from there. And in the midst of a climate where there’s so much division, there’s so much confusion, there’s so much misinformation, right, about the police, about the minority communities, about blacks.

I mean, just all across the board, there’s so much misinformation. I would take this opportunity to point out that as Christians, we want to make sure we’re pursuing what’s true. And just because somebody said it on social media, doesn’t mean we should believe it.

With that caveat being said, in the midst of disinformation, one of the positive things we are seeing is that Christians are standing up and letting the love of God flow out of them and reaching other people. In this area of the travesty of the death of George Floyd, is now the place where it appears some level of revival is taking place and people are coming to know Jesus through the gospel. It’s really encouraging.

New York City Democrats, Satanists On Abortion, And More – On Good News Friday

Rick:

Well, friends, if you want more good news from what we were able to share today, you can get it at our website right now, wallbuilderslive.com. Click on the archive button and then that’ll take you to our programs for the last few weeks and months and you can listen to all the Good News Friday programs that you would like and we’ll keep giving you that good news.

I encourage you also to listen to those Foundations of Freedom Thursday programs, because diving into those foundational questions about our constitution and our declaration and the Bible, biblical worldview of freedom and liberty and how government should work, very important for all of us as citizens to know those things. And then of course, the interviews we have Monday through Wednesday as well, it’s all available right now at wallbuilderslive.com.

And again, that’s the place you can make a contribution. It helps us to continue bringing this good news to the country. We desperately need truth right now, friends, life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, that doesn’t even happen unless you start with. We hold these truths to be self- evident. Right? We’ve got to teach those truths once again in our culture.

The Leftist propaganda lies have been bought, the Kool-Aid has been drunk and we have to turn that around and we do that with truth. You shine light on things, you teach people the truth and you get good leadership in place and you can turn this thing around. We believe that and we believe you can be a part of that. So, be sure and join us there at wallbuilderslive.com.

Thanks so much for listening today. You’ve been listening to WallBuilders Live.