Today's Issues continues on AFR with your host, Tim Wildman
>> Steve Jordahl: Today's Issues continues on AFR with your host, Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association.
>> Tim Wildmon: Hey, welcome back, everybody, to Today's Issues on the American Family Radio Network. Thanks for listening to this program and American Family Radio throughout the day. I'm Tim Wildmon, with Ed Battagliano and Steve Paisley. Giorda joins us now. Good morning, Steve.
>> Steve Jordahl: Good morning, everybody.
Fairview Baptist Church in Mississippi has annual Passion Play celebrating 40 years
>> Tim Wildmon: So, Steve, what was the highlight of your day yesterday?
>> Steve Jordahl: I was down, my wife and I went down to her home church, her former church before we moved to Smithville, in Columbus, Mississippi. And Fairview Baptist Church had the 40th anniversary of what they call Living Pictures, which is basically the Easter drama. It's the passion. And for 40 years in a row, they've aired this story, and every year it's focused a little different. You know, it's, And the, music is updated and changed. It was just. It was simply astounding this year. So good.
>> Tim Wildmon: You mean as part of the church service for Easter or outside as a Friday?
>> Steve Jordahl: No, it. No, no. it's not Sunday morning. Easter Friday, Saturday and Sunday, they had three performances in the evening.
>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, like a cantata.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: I got you.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah. Drama, Jesus on.
>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, drama. Like a Passion Play it is. I, got you. 40th year in a row they've had the Passion Play.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yes, but not the same play. They rewrite it every year.
>> Tim Wildmon: No, I got you. Yeah, that's. Yeah.
>> Steve Jordahl: Usually Jesus is crucified in all of them, though. It's just right.
>> Tim Wildmon: They tell. The real story of Easter is just different characters and different storylines doing a spoiler.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. All right. You can't change that, you know.
>> Tim Wildmon: No, not for Easter.
>> Ed Vitagliano: No.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.
Ed: Dow Jones is down more than a thousand points right now
So, Steve, what is your first story you want to bring forth?
>> Steve Jordahl: Let me just say in passing, right now, our Dow Jones is down more than a thousand points.
>> Tim Wildmon: I, need to know that.
>> Steve Jordahl: Sorry.
>> Tim Wildmon: Did you, Ed, did you need to know that?
>> Ed Vitagliano: I did.
>> Tim Wildmon: That was unnecessary.
>> Ed Vitagliano: No, but I'm starting to expect when Steve comes in, we're going to get some.
>> Tim Wildmon: Are you going to tell us when it's up, Steve?
>> Steve Jordahl: I will. I don't think it's going to happen during our last time.
>> Tim Wildmon: This is a. Don't shoot the messenger.
>> Steve Jordahl: That's right.
>> Tim Wildmon: So now the Dow Jones, you.
>> Steve Jordahl: Know, videos is leading the charge, and they're chip.
>> Tim Wildmon: I would just say, you know, first of all, never heard of a man named Dow, but, the Jones family, they just have a lot of ups and downs, you know what I'm saying?
>> Ed Vitagliano: They do.
>> Tim Wildmon: They have. They just. I don't know what you would call that. Would you call that bipolar or. There.
>> Ed Vitagliano: His cousin is Van Jones, I think. Van Jones on CNN sometimes.
>> Tim Wildmon: Anyway, so Dow Jones, is down right now. He's in the blue. He's having the blues. Tom Jones, maybe. Maybe he'll rally this afternoon, get a new attitude.
>> Steve Jordahl: We will see.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, because people's stocks are down.
>> Steve Jordahl: Also, just in passing, Klaus, ah, Schwab, the founder of the World Economic Forum, resigned Suddenly. Now he's 87 years old. So it's not like, you know, it's his escape.
>> Tim Wildmon: It's time for him to resign if he's 87. Yeah, but he's World Economic Forum guy.
>> Steve Jordahl: World Economic Forum is the genesis of so much misery in the world. The globalists all meet. This is the group that meets in Davos every year. Oh, yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: and Schwab is the ringleader. One of the ringleaders.
>> Steve Jordahl: I don't know who's going to get to replace him, but. So you guys are talking.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Could it be Satan?
>> Steve Jordahl: That SNL take. I love it.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Could it be. All right.
>> Steve Jordahl: Sorry.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That was. That was uncalled for.
>> Tim Wildmon: Church lady.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Church lady.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yep.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yep.
>> Steve Jordahl: So you guys, We. We talked. I talked about our east cantata.
How did you guys, uh, observe Easter this year
How did you guys, observe Easter. Celebrate Easter this year? Anything interesting?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes. I mean, I went fishing.
>> Tim Wildmon: No.
>> Ed Vitagliano: You know, first of all, how you get on fishing?
>> Tim Wildmon: Do you.
>> Ed Vitagliano: You get on.
>> Tim Wildmon: In nature. Right. You can get back. That's what I've always heard from people who don't go to church.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. You. You can commune with God.
>> Tim Wildmon: No, no.
>> Ed Vitagliano: but you're not going to be told to stop sinning when you're out with a large Jesus.
>> Tim Wildmon: A large mouth bass is not talking. Not giving you any instruction in life.
>> Steve Jordahl: Unless Jesus.
>> Tim Wildmon: I'm only kidding. I did. I did not go fishing.
>> Ed Vitagliano: You. You went to church and I went to church.
>> Steve Jordahl: It'll work. If Jesus walks up on you and recruits you. I. If you're a fisherman, Peter and John fish you.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I don't think you heard the last hour. Tim actually confessed on air because I. I mentioned that my wife and I went Saturday night. The previous Sunday, our pastor had said, if you're a regular attendee on a Sunday, please consider going on Saturday night. So we have room. We have a lot of visitors who come on Easter Sunday. And Tim right here on. On the air said, I didn't listen to what the pastor said. We went during our regular time.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right. Well.
>> Steve Jordahl: Well, I'm assuming he preached like our passion play.
>> Tim Wildmon: I'm just not interested in giving my seat to a Christmas, Easter Christian. I mean, maybe I'm wrong, huh?
>> Ed Vitagliano: maybe.
>> Tim Wildmon: Maybe I'm wrong.
>> Steve Jordahl: We call them CEO Christians. Christmas and Easter only.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: Brent, when did you go? You. You go to the same church we do? I went yesterday at 10:30 or 10:30 service. Same thing we did.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Ignored the pastor.
>> Tim Wildmon: Ignored the pastor. Right. Well, I don't know. I wouldn't qualify it as ignoring. I just think that you have to work things out for your. For your own benefit.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That's what church is all about.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah, sure, that. Right. Well, that's the message.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Isn't that the message and the message Bible. Maybe.
Christianity Today magazine says Jesus was crucified with nails
>> Steve Jordahl: I did ask for a reason, because I want to share with you how our favorite magazine, Christianity Today, celebrated Easter, with an article that says, was Jesus crucified with nails? The Bible doesn't say Jesus was crucified, was nailed to a cross. No, this, what they call an evangelical Bible scholar. Jeffrey Arroyo Garcia. Not the same Garcia, but maybe he deserves to be in the same place as the other Garcia. said that, they only talk about, hanging on a cross. So maybe there were ropes. That's seriously what he says. And he's looked for archaeological evidence of nails. He hasn't found them. And I especially, I agree it might be because don't you remember when Jesus said to Thomas, feel the rope burns on my hand?
>> Ed Vitagliano: The rope burns.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, that's a good point, Steve, that.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Listen, this guy's wrong, on a number of levels, including descriptions of crucifixion from historians ain't, you know, from. I'm talking about 2,000 years ago. they. They just. They in detail, describe the process of crucifixion. And ropes were sometimes used to, help keep the body in place, the arms strapped, for example. But nails were used. And then biblically, like you're talking about, Jesus had the disciples put their fingers in the nail prints. I'm not sure what this quote unquote event. I don't either, but I. Chris Kennedy today ran this. No big surprise.
>> Steve Jordahl: That's what I was. Kind of why I brought it in. what had happened.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, that's a sad story, but it's a very human story. When you have an institution for very long, a lot of times they leave their first love. And that can be in any sphere. But Christian institutions do the same thing. They. They leave their first love, lose their first love, and they compromise on their founding mission. I, listen, that this is why I am grateful for those who say, what's the deal with all the Wildmans working up there? Well, you know what? This is how you prevent mission creep. And this is how you prevent the founding, mission and vision of an organization like American Family Association, American Family Radio from getting sidetracked. Look, all you have to do is look. I don't know why I'm so passionate about.
>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, so call it wound up.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes. Look at, look at Walmart. Look at something as. As non spiritual as Walmart. The founders, children and I don't know if grandchildren in the mix. And, in some areas, Walmart has started to go woke. Okay. And, Sam, Walton would never have done that. And, Christianity, ah, today is one of those institutions.
>> Tim Wildmon: Billy Graham started that magazine.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, yeah. So they've gone woke. And this is why, by the way, that I am happy to say that, that Wriley Wesley and Walker Wildmon are not only solid, they are outstanding Christians who love afa, who remember their grandfather, and who are dedicated to keeping the vision and the mission alive.
>> Tim Wildmon: Amen.
>> Ed Vitagliano: M. It's got nothing to do with the fact that they've got the same last name. These are people who can carry on the fight. After Tim is retired. And fishing on Sundays.
>> Tim Wildmon: So I switch from fishing. I don't fish anymore.
>> Ed Vitagliano: You golf?
>> Tim Wildmon: Golf, yeah, yeah. So I, I do. It's still hunting. I hunt birdies.
>> Ed Vitagliano: You want birdies and eagles is kind of hunting. Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: But anyway. Yeah, we all have our things. We do.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: What do you. To chill out.
>> Ed Vitagliano: To chill out.
>> Tim Wildmon: You watch the Boston Bruins?
>> Ed Vitagliano: I watch some, some hockey.
>> Tim Wildmon: What do you do when there's no hope left for the season for your hockey?
>> Ed Vitagliano: I watch other teams.
>> Tim Wildmon: The sport itself.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. I've watched a couple of playoff games this weekend. but there is a deep sadness in my heart because my team is not in it.
>> Tim Wildmon: I understand. But there's, you know, hope springs eternal.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It does.
>> Tim Wildmon: There's a new season next year. Wait till next year. That's our M. Motto. Steve, what do you. What do you do to relax, Chill out?
>> Steve Jordahl: well, as far as sports go, I like watching nascar, I think. and it's interesting because I became a NASCAR fan. Oh, man. Back in the 90s, some point when Jeff Gordon was a. Wow.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Steve Jordahl: Young driver when he was way back starting.
Steve: NASCAR is a fun sport to watch. I really am excited if they win
and, of course, he raced and he's retired for many years now, and so he's not there. It's interesting you start becoming a fan of the sport.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Steve Jordahl: and now I Don't really have a favorite driver. I have a whole lot that I really like that are really good drivers, but I don't have this guy that, like. I really am excited if they win. It's. But it's. It's a fun sport to watch. I know people say, turning left, turning left, turning left. It is really. It is. It's got. It's deep. It's got a lot of stuff.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I also like working out in the yard. I know this is very interesting to our listeners. I. I like working, out in the yard and of course, spending time with my grandkids and of course, attending to my wife's every need. Okay. So that. That gives me enjoyment.
>> Tim Wildmon: I'm looking up for the lightning at this point.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I do writing on the side and a little bit of artwork, and so blah, blah, blah. Nobody wants to hear that.
>> Tim Wildmon: No, we do. Really?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yep. Yeah. Thank you.
>> Tim Wildmon: next story. Steve.
Department of Defense has upgraded its guidance on the process to reinstate
>> Steve Jordahl: All right. The Department of Defense has upgraded its guidance on the process to reinstate service members who left the military because of the COVID 19M, vaccine mandate. Yeah, many, many of our military personnel did not want to, have that vaccine. And of course, the previous administration was, just. There was no choice. You either took the vaccine and all its unintended consequences, or you're kicked out. So they have reinstated it. But I've got a, Breitbart is. Has a, op ed. I guess it's an opinion piece, but it's a fact piece about. By John Frankman, who says, we need to understand they're allowing these. They're allowing these service members to return. But he says, I want you. We should take a look at. Compare them with how the transgender issue is dealt with, because the transgender soldiers, who were let go because they couldn't. If you voluntarily resigned when the thing went out that said you couldn't be transgender in the military. The Department of Justice of Defense, I'm sorry, is going to give you two years, two full years of separation pay. Okay. On the contrary, on the other hand, if you were a soldier who voluntarily separated because of the COVID vaccine, you will get, back pay and time credit to the service. But you have to agree to four additional years of service or two, if you're eligible for retirement within two years, years, and the back pay is subtracted from anything the service member made between when they were kicked out and when they returned to service. So if you got a job bagging groceries and you made $50,000 or whatever, then they've taken the $50,000 out of your, out of your back pay.
>> Ed Vitagliano: This is just wrong on a number of levels. first of all, I like your point, your comparison to the way transgendered members, of the military were treated, to me now, by the way, your back pay and all that that you're talking about, that is, you get that only if you reenlist and serve.
>> Steve Jordahl: More, four more years.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That's wrong. If you were wrongly terminated or forced out of the military, you should not have to reenlist unless you want to, be given your position back. You should be paid back pay for the years that, of service that you were denied. There should be some compensation because some of these people, I'm sure most of them have moved on. They've got other careers going. They can't say, oh, well, okay, I'll quit the job I'm doing now and go back into the military. This is just wrong. I hope Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will correct this and make it right for those who were forced out.
>> Steve Jordahl: You might just, be included in one of his signal, chats, and maybe you can talk to him about that.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Okay. And say, hey, what's up with the. What's up with those who were removed for, vaccines? And they said, who is this? I don't know. You just included me in your chat.
President Trump signed an order making English the official language of the United States
>> Steve Jordahl: All right, President Trump signed an executive order, a while back. I'm trying to get the date, but it makes English the official language of the United States. And what the president said that the order was added as an official language and is intended to promote unity and cultivate a shared American culture for all citizens while ensuring constituent, consistency in government operations.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I, I like this. I, I think it's been a long time coming. And for those. And I've seen kind of man on the street interviews, and I understand the concerns. This is still a very diverse population. It still can be and is probably, I think, a melting pot. none of those things change the fact that what this law does. And tell me if I'm wrong, Steve, is it here, too? And Tim.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, I want to participate. That's all right.
>> Ed Vitagliano: that, for official purposes, like going into government offices, the, all business is to be conducted in English. Now, maybe we, you know, maybe you have some parallel. I don't know what, what the law says where there may be some Spanish so people can. Who don't know how to speak English. But let me just give you a talk about when I was growing up. Now My dad's side of the family, the Italian side, they came over, I think the late 1800s from Italy. My mom's side of the family, they came over after World War II from Greece. Okay? They all came over. They learned how to speak English. The kids were all taught how to speak English so they could function in a Greek speaking society. But in order to honor diversity, which is what a lot of people who disagree with this policy, are talking about. When I went to visit my Greek grandmother and my cousins in Lowell, Massachusetts, a lot of Greek in. A lot of Greek immigrants were in Lowell, Massachusetts, north of Boston. when I went to see my grandmother, you know how grandparents are, they give the kid the grandkids a few bucks. We would walk down the street to a, a corner store and it was owned ever though, just Greeks everywhere. In this part, of the, of Lowell, you heard Greek everywhere. The signs on the store where we went, all in Greek, okay? And I could hear out, of windows, the local Greek station playing music. Nobody cared, Nobody cared that Greeks, you know that. But when I went in the store, guess what? The store owners could speak English.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: and the little, the little English kid, the English speaking kids, half Italian, half Greek, could tell them what we wanted. there's nothing wrong with that. That is a way in which cultures assimilate. They join together in enclaves within big cities so they can conduct business, but then they begin the process of assimilating. And English is a great way to assimilate.
>> Steve Jordahl: I think one of the problems we're seeing, and it's a, it's a big problem is the non assimilation. We got all of these migrants that are coming in, not just Hispanic, but Muslim or. And yeah, and a lot of them now, many of them do, assimilate and learn English and start American, lives. But a lot of them are not. And especially we're seeing in states like Minnesota where the Muslims come in and they set up their own little town.
>> Ed Vitagliano: and they want to practice Sharia law. Tim, I'm sorry, I'm cutting you out of this conversation.
>> Tim Wildmon: What are we talking about here? And I'll be glad to comment on it. We're talking about. I've been listening to everything you've said.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Official language of the country.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, English is de facto the, it has been forever the, quote, official language of, the United States. But I think we are bilingual now and and I don't think we're going back nor. I don't, I don't. We're we, think 30. I mean, that's a high percentage of Americans that speak Spanish. But a lot of those who speak Spanish also speak English. And I think people who come here and won't they. They from Hispanic countries who speak Spanish, they also learn English. A lot of them, they don't. They're only hurting themselves because you. English is the dominant language still. but. But now most places you, you call, you call some, some company on the phone, first thing you're going to get is for espn.
>> Ed Vitagliano: No.
>> Tim Wildmon: You know, punch one, for English, punch two, you know, so they can get.
>> Steve Jordahl: And there's nothing in this order that would prevent that. It's not private business. It is government functions.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, I don't have a problem with.
>> Steve Jordahl: 180 out of 195 countries across the world have official language.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.
>> Steve Jordahl: And it. It is said that it unites us. There's only so many things as Americans that we have to unite us. The Constitution and the ideal of democracy, and American ism being the first. But we don't. We're different races.
>> Tim Wildmon: We're different people who come here from around the world. People who come here from around the world to participate in the American experience. They know they got to learn English. If they want to do business, do commerce have a chance at a better life, they have to learn English. That's why you're even, you know, that's.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. Oh, that's right.
>> Tim Wildmon: The Greeks and the Italians came over here. The Germans came over here. The French came over here. Whatever. The Indians, the Vietnamese. Everybody who comes here knows they got to learn English. they're not going to make money.
>> Steve Jordahl: I think that stopped, though.
I think there's a lot of communities that are hurting themselves
I think there's a lot of communities that are.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, they're only hurting themselves, as my mom used to say.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah, maybe,
>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, your dad used to say something. Remember? You've always heard that.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: And you're only hurting yourself.
>> Ed Vitagliano: My dad would say, you're only hurting yourself. And then after you do it, I'm going to hurt.
>> Steve Jordahl: So.
>> Tim Wildmon: But I boom. Yeah, but I boom.
There's a story out of Florida about alligators ringing the doorbell
All right, next story. Steve, we got about two minutes.
>> Steve Jordahl: All right, Steve, anything good we could,
>> Tim Wildmon: Hey, by the way, excuse me.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yes?
>> Tim Wildmon: Did you guys see this story out of Florida with these alligators ringing the doorbell?
>> Steve Jordahl: Yes, I saw that.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I saw that. Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, then I'm not. No, no, I'm not making this up.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And it was a big alligator they came to get.
>> Tim Wildmon: They were. They search the store. It's worth looking at. There's these two big Alligators. And they come up to somebody's, door, house, at their house. And one of them rings the doorbell.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And the ring camera caught it or the whatever, whatever camera was outside. Well, one of them, one of them, I, I, they flashed a sign, Confido, Come out and play. So I don't know how you take that. It seems like that's kind of mixed message.
>> Steve Jordahl: Do you guys remember the Saturday, Saturday Night Live sketch, the Landshark?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh, yes, yes. That's back in the 70s.
>> Steve Jordahl: Back in the 70s, though, in the original cast. And that's Jaws.
>> Ed Vitagliano: After the movie Jaws came out, knock.
>> Steve Jordahl: On the door, and it was like, L ar we're not going to open the door for you. Jehovah's Witnesses.
>> Ed Vitagliano: you're that lion shark.
>> Steve Jordahl: Candy Graham. Oh, come on in.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And that was, that was, yeah, after the, the movie Jaws came out with the giant shark.
>> Tim Wildmon: But I'm not kidding, the, the one of the alligators. and it's funny to me that they're, they came in a pair like they're coming to the, they look like they're coming to the door with a purpose.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Trick or treat.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. Come out and play.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Come out.
>> Tim Wildmon: And one of them slinging up against the door.
>> Ed Vitagliano: and that was a, that was a big alligator.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I mean, listen, alligators, they don't play. You get near one.
>> Tim Wildmon: Hey, there's now some things that I like about Florida, but I could do without the alligators. Alligators. All right. Thank you, Steve.
>> Steve Jordahl: My pleasure.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, I like, I like, I did go on a Everglades, boat tour to look at alligators, so I did do that much. But that's, that was from the boat.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That's how, that's how horror movies start. I'm just telling you, you go, yeah, let's just go on a fun little excursion. And then it runs out of gas. And all of a sudden there's four people who got to make it back to land alive.
>> Tim Wildmon: How about the man. How about the man who looked at his door cam and saw those alligators?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: Come here, honey. You're not gonna believe this. What? He. All right, see you tomorrow, everybody. Take.
