Today's Issues offers a Christian response to the issues of the day
>> Jeff Chamblee: Welcome to Today's Issues, offering a Christian response to the issues of the day. Here's your host, Tim Wildmon, hm, President of the American Family Association.
>> Tim Wildmon: Hey, good morning, everybody, and welcome to Today's Issues on the American Family Radio Network. Thanks for listening to AFR on this Thursday, July 3, 2025. I'm, Tim Wildmon with Fred Jackson. Good morning, brother Fred.
>> Fred Jackson: Hey there, Tim.
>> Tim Wildmon: And Chris Woodward.
>> Chris Woodward: Good morning.
>> Tim Wildmon: And in Kansas City, ks, is our good friend Ray Pritchard. Good Morning.
>> Tim Wildmon: Hey, happy 4th of July Eve to you, Tim.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, there you go. Thank you. I'm looking forward to tomorrow.
>> Fred Jackson: Absolutely.
People trapped in airports for hours because of bad weather are common
>> Tim Wildmon: As millions of Americans, those m who aren't trapped in airports. Oh, man, you see on the east coast, like for two or three days that maybe everything's cleared out now, but they were having, I, mean, miserable backups from like, you know, New York down to at least Charlotte. yeah, because of the weather. People trapped in airports for hours. I was talking to somebody the other day. They were on a tarmac inside the jet.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: For like three hours. Two or three hours.
>> Tim Wildmon: That's almost intolerable.
>> Tim Wildmon: I know.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah. Well, awful, apparently. I was watching a video, from Atlanta the other day, and some, airplanes were taxing out, and kind of a thunderstorm, lightning storm broke out. And if they move away from the gate towards the Runway and a lightning storm breaks out, they have to return to the gate, to check for structural damage. So you may, may make it on the plane, the back.
>> Tim Wildmon: Even if they don't get hit by.
>> Fred Jackson: Light, Even if they don't get hit by lightning, they have to return in case there's been some structural damage to the aircraft while they were taxing out, and there was this lightning storm. I was not aware of that.
>> Tim Wildmon: That makes no sense to me at all.
>> Fred Jackson: Well, especially if you're the one that's.
>> Tim Wildmon: Like a federal government regulation that some committee came up with. I know those guys are trying to keep people safe, but that just, that would have to be further explained to me. But I was just thinking, I've never been. I've been trapped inside airports for hours and hours and hours. But I don't know. What's the longest you've been trapped inside of a plane?
>> Tim Wildmon: I was, I was on a flight from Singapore back to, back to, I guess it was New York. It was supposed to take 18 hours. We finally got there. 36 hours. So 18 hours. it was. We all, including me, we all came staggering off the plane when.
>> Tim Wildmon: What Was the problem?
>> Tim Wildmon: there was, Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: Were you trapped inside an airplane on a tarmac, on a rug?
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, no, we're trapped inside an airplane in the air. And we had gone a long, long trip, and then, then we were circling over New York City. Weather was bad. And they diverted us. Boston. Oh, it was a. It was a glorious mess.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. Well, listen, I'm normally. I can normally handle, you know, travel, because I travel a lot, so I expect, you know, you're going to run into problems. But, I'm thinking if I'm trapped on an airplane on the tarmac for more than two hours, three out, two to three hours right there, that's gonna. You know that, You remember the doctor that turned into Incredible Hulk? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what I'm saying?
>> Tim Wildmon: Come m. All of a sudden, come bursting out of your club.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. Bill Bixby. You remember Bill Bixby?
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: He would turn into the green.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: I think that's what would happen to.
>> Stephen McDowell: Me.
>> Tim Wildmon: If I had to stay on it. So, I'm not claustrophobic or anything, but that just drive you nuts.
>> Chris Woodward: I went, I went to Europe on a school trip back in 1999, and we got back from Paris and landed in Chicago, and due to bad weather, we had to stay in the airport for, like, a day and a half. And when I finally got Tom Hanks. Yeah. Eating ketchup packets and sleeping on the chairs and stuff like that. But, when I finally got home, my dad said, by the time you, you know, much time you spent up there, we could have gone up there and brought you back. And gone up there and brought you back twice. And I thought, why didn't you do that?
>> Tim Wildmon: All right, well, listen, be safe out there. It is one of the top traveled times of the year, I guess. M. Maybe second only to Thanksgiving and Christmas. or second or third is the July 4th American, celebration.
House voted to advance bill HR1 for a final floor vote today
President United States is in, Where is he? In Iowa today.
>> Chris Woodward: He's going to Iowa later, because.
>> Tim Wildmon: He'S waiting on something.
>> Chris Woodward: He is waiting on something. Yeah. We may have fireworks before the fireworks.
>> Tim Wildmon: Show in D.C. what's he waiting on, Chris?
>> Chris Woodward: The Big Beautiful Bill, as it is called. That's the actual name. It's not fake news. Big beautiful bill HR1 or the one big beautiful bill act, that is looking like it's a. It's a locked for passage, later today. The House, late last night, early this morning, voted to advance it for a final floor vote today. Hakeem Jeffries has been speaking for what seems like umpteen hours at this point, trying to get, people to vote no on it once it gets to that floor vote. But it would appear based on the fact that fiscal hawks, as they're called, did agree to advance this to a final vote, that the House is actually going to pass this today and get it to the President, before or by his self imposed July 4th deadline. So he may actually sign this thing today if they do pass it. and he's going to go to Iowa later tonight for a 5:36pm Central event celebrating America's birthday.
>> Tim Wildmon: Now, the Democrats, led by minority.
>> Tim Wildmon: Leader Hakeem Jeffries, he's leader of the Democrats in the House.
>> Chris Woodward: Right, right, right.
>> Tim Wildmon: He's speaking right now, watching him on television. He's been speaking a long time as he.
>> Fred Jackson: For 6 hours and 17 minutes right now. MSNBC has a count on.
>> Tim Wildmon: He's going to turn into the Incredible Hulk.
>> Chris Woodward: You don't want to see me mad.
>> Tim Wildmon: That's, listening to a guy speak for. So he's been speaking. Take a, Take a break.
>> Fred Jackson: No, they.
>> Tim Wildmon: Water break.
>> Tim Wildmon: A restroom breaker.
>> Fred Jackson: They haven't taken, he hasn't taken a break. But apparently somebody was saying back about four hours ago, five hours ago, one of the Democrats fell asleep behind him and they, they, they what? Someone, someone came and got him and they replaced him with somebody else.
>> Tim Wildmon: It looks better. It looks bad on C span to be falling asleep, brother. when your leader, when your leader's up there speaking.
Republicans say millions of Americans are going to lose their Medicaid
All right, in all seriousness, this is a big deal.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes, it is.
>> Tim Wildmon: And it's about to pass. It appears the Republicans only have a, is it a 4, vote margin in the House of Representatives?
>> Chris Woodward: I mean it's very narrow, approximately half a dozen.
>> Tim Wildmon: Now what, what, if trying to understand what is the, basic objection of the Democrats to this big, beautiful bill other than Democrats vote for their stuff and Republicans vote against them and you can flip that on almost all legislation. What are they saying? Well, the Democrats are saying, they're going to vote against this for.
>> Fred Jackson: Well, they've been really out there up front. they've been going after Medicaid cuts. They say millions of Americans are going to lose their Medicaid. But what Republicans have said from the beginning on this, they want to get people off of Medicaid, number one, people who are healthy and would be able to work and even the demand for those individuals. all we're going to ask you to do is you know, work 20 hours a week.
>> Fred Jackson: Or volunteer for 20 hours a day. Yeah. Or study or whatever. the other thing they want to get.
>> Tim Wildmon: People call that Medicaid.
>> Fred Jackson: Medicaid, yes. Not Medicare. and the others that they want to get off of Medicaid are people who are in the country illegally.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, they shouldn't be on there in the first place.
>> Fred Jackson: That is Right. But there are apparently tens of thousands under the Biden administration. And even going back to Obamacare, Obama opened up qualifications for Medicaid to hundreds of thousands of people.
>> Stephen McDowell: More.
>> Fred Jackson: In order to increase the numbers of people getting on Obamacare.
>> Tim Wildmon: I tell you what, all this. This makes my head spin. It's hard to understand all this, but, But I do understand getting government money, a handout, if you will, from the federal government and them requiring you to do something is not a sin.
>> Chris Woodward: Bill Clinton was in favor of that back in 96.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yes. Now, okay, just, not to belabor the point, but this. Medicaid.
>> Fred Jackson: Medicaid, yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: They need to change one of the words. Okay? Either change the word Medicaid or change the word Medicare, because every time those things are mentioned, my head goes, which one are you? We. Huh? Am I the only one?
>> Fred Jackson: Well, Medicare, because I. I'm on Medicare now. I'm 71 years old.
>> Tim Wildmon: Me, too.
>> Fred Jackson: And it's basically for. For people who are entering retirement or getting close health care.
>> Tim Wildmon: It's health care. All right.
>> Fred Jackson: For. For seniors.
>> Tim Wildmon: That's Medicare.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah, that's Medicare.
>> Tim Wildmon: So three years from now and get ready for that one.
>> Fred Jackson: You betcha. Yeah. Medicaid is. Is a much bigger spectrum of people. All right? It is for people supposedly who fall below a certain salary level. They can't afford to get Blue Cross.
>> Tim Wildmon: But it. But is it. I'm sorry, I know people are going, you don't know this stuff. No, I'm sorry, I don't. or, I'll try to. I just want to know. Medicaid.
>> Fred Jackson: Medicaid.
>> Tim Wildmon: Now, is this only for health care or is this for. Is this a, Is this welfare?
>> Chris Woodward: There's a difference between.
>> Fred Jackson: There's a difference.
>> Tim Wildmon: You guys were talking earlier about people sitting on their couches being required. Whatever y' all were saying about being required now.
>> Fred Jackson: Well, they're not some community being truthful, Tim, these people have signed up for Medicaid, okay? Saying. Okay, I'm. I'm unemployed.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, all right.
>> Fred Jackson: but I need some health care. I need a doctor's attention.
>> Tim Wildmon: That's what Medicaid's for. Yes, supposedly.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes. Well it's for people, low income people. Some people do need it and they're not. And that's true. I mean you take safety net, take a mom who's maybe making $25,000 a year.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right.
>> Fred Jackson: She needs help.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right. That's what this is for.
Yeah. It is being abused. And you go back to do, go back. Okay.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah. And here's a, here's being abused. It is being abused. And you go back to do, go back. You know, we're trying to get people who are committing fraud, who are being, you know, don't qualify for this kind of aid. We want to get those people off that.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay. All right.
So Medicaid, Medicare. Well, and also there's also Medevac
So Medicaid, Medicare.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes. Well, and also there's also Medevac. anyway, the Democrats have been saying to people are going to be shoved off of Medicare. In fact, there was an ad being run.
>> Chris Woodward: Yeah. Even on Fox. It showed this lady that was portrayed as an elderly woman and she was sitting kind of alone and depressed looking in on a couch. And then it cuts to her, what's supposed to be her daughter and son in law having a conversation about her. And he says, how did your mom do today? And she said not good. And I don't know what we're going to do if Republicans cut her Medicaid. And this is an ad that's airing on Fox.
>> Fred Jackson: Yep.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay. All right. So anyway, the big beautiful bill will pass today and it will be signed by the president tomorrow.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah, yeah. There was a report earlier today. It could be either later today or tomorrow.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay.
>> Chris Woodward: I would, I would not be shocked if he doesn't take advantage of it today because you stand to get more eyeballs today. A lot of people are going to be working the grill tomorrow or outside enjoying the weather because I think for the first time in what seems like years, it's not supposed to rain here in Mississippi.
>> Tim Wildmon: In years. See what you did there?
>> Chris Woodward: It's been a very rainy summer for us.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.
Federal judge in Oklahoma blocks President Trump's order barring asylum access at border
>> Tim Wildmon: All right. You're listening to today's issues on the American Family Radio Network. What's your next story, Chris?
>> Chris Woodward: well, let's mention this. and you can find this on our website, afn.net. yesterday, an Obama judge, a judge, a federal judge appointed by one Barack Obama blocked President Trump's order barring asylum access at the border. This is a federal judge in Oklahoma who said, I don't like what Donald Trump is doing on the US Mexico border, which Oklahoma does not.
>> Tim Wildmon: He said that like that.
>> Chris Woodward: That's how the judge referred to it. Now the judge and the Judge's Kindness, did agree to put the ruling on hold for 14 days to allow the Trump administration time to appeal, because they're going to appeal this. In the meantime, Fox brings out a number of legal experts to say this judge has no legal basis to do this, based on what the U.S. supreme Court just said when they said, hey, federal judges, no more nationwide injunctions. One example of somebody saying, here we go again, is former acting ICE director Jonathan Fahey, who said this on Fox.
>> Speaker G: Clip 4 first of all, it's sort of like, here we go again. After the Supreme Court basically shut down these judges from these massive, you know, rulings affecting the whole country, as opposed to just the litigants in front of them, we are back here again. I think this could potentially, but I don't really think it will because I think the message has been sent to the, you know, people want to cross here illegally, that it's harder to get in, and once you get in, you're not going to stay. But it, again, just shows a judge really overreaching because the Trump administration, at the beginning of the administration, declared a national emergency at the border, and this is within his inherent powers. And all they're saying is you have to go to a port of entry. You can still click claim asylum. You just can't sneak across. And if you get caught, then claim asylum.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, Fred.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah. This, and what's shocking in this, despite what the Supreme Court said just last week that these federal district judges don't have the power to issue these nationwide injunctions, this is what this guy has done. And, I expect what's going to happen is that the Trump administration, very quickly, the Justice Department will appeal to the appeals court and it'll go up to the Supreme Court very quickly.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: Based on what they said last week about these kinds of decisions.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, what we've got up at the top is a deeply divided, acrimonious situation on the Supreme Court. And I wouldn't be surprised if this judge who wrote this decision, which clearly, clearly goes against what the Supreme Court majority said last week. If you read, Judge, what is her name? Jackson, Judge Jackson's dissent, and got inflamed by that sort of rhetoric to embolden him basically to say, I'm going to disregard what the Supreme Court says. I think, Fred, I wouldn't be surprised if there weren't some other federal judges out there who agree with this fellow almost to the point of saying, I really don't care what the Supreme Court says. I'm Going to do what I want, but in this case they're going to get slapped down, sooner or later.
>> Tim Wildmon: Once again, yeah, I agree with you, Ray. Once again, we have an, abuse of the system going on.
>> Tim Wildmon: Americans are very generous people. We are. Despite what the lefties say, we do have a heart. We, help people around the world in many various different ways. and in this case we have a, an asylum process available to people who are, persecuted politically now, are for religious reasons. Now I don't have the wording in front of me, but that's always been the case in our country. We have accepted people from around the world who, make an appeal to us, the United States government, to accept us, accept me as citizen because, I'm a. Seek asylum. Okay. So, but what's happened is again, I mentioned abuse. Now we've had, the people who are coming to the southern border, especially under Biden.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes. He created an app.
>> Tim Wildmon: He created an app. I know, it was insane. That's the reason one of the reasons Democrats lost the presidency and other races is because people said we just can't have people pouring into our country. We don't know who they are by the millions. And that's what, that's what Biden and Harris did anyway. So Trump vowed to stop that. But so now all of them who are coming to the southern border, who are trying, to enter the country are caught, are pleading asylum.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: So, and so you have to go before, you have to go before a judge, I think to.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: But see, escaping your, leaving your country to come to the America is not by definition asylum. All right. That's not because you come from a poor country or you come from a country you don't like or because you want to come to the United States for better opportunity. Which. Who doesn't then? that, that's not asylum as it is intended to be. So I think that's why President Trump, so he, President Trump suspended the asylum process and still asylum access, at the southern border and was unlawful. There, There are ways to, there are ways to appeal, or ask for asylum.
>> Tim Wildmon: Without just walking across the border.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay.
>> Fred Jackson: These people are being asked now to go to official border crossing.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right.
>> Fred Jackson: And you can show up about Biden. Did he. They created this app and these people approaching our southern border fence go on the app. Okay. I'm applying for asylum. Here's a court date two years from now. Then they were showing up at the fence and showing it to the the border agents to say, hey, I.
>> Tim Wildmon: Got my date or an app. Just I've come from the land of poverty. Here's my cell phone with my app to prove it.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: Anyway.
Chicago drive by shooting leaves at least four dead and 14 wounded
All right. You're listening to today's issues on American Family Radio. wasn't there, a bad, shooting in Chicago? I mean, worse than normal?
>> Chris Woodward: Yes, there was a shooting in, Chicago. Here, I'm gonna pop it up because I had the Fox story.
>> Tim Wildmon: I thought you mentioned that this morning.
>> Chris Woodward: I did, yeah. Pulling up for you as we speak here. Chicago drive by shooting leaves at least four dad flight 14 wounded. Gunfire, Ah, erupted during a rapper's party at a restaurant. According to local media reports. again, four people dead, at least another 14 injured in Chicago, which is known for things like this. So unfortunately, what we're talking about right now may be one of several incidents. I hate to say that about Chicago. I've been there several times. My mom grew up near there. I've got in laws from the same area, but it's known for these kinds of unfortunate.
>> Tim Wildmon: I guess. Ray. This is in a, upscale part of. Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: Nice area. River North. Very nice area. Well, it's a good place. You understand why this was a party for a rapper? Is that what you said?
>> Chris Woodward: Yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, I mean, what are the chances something like this could happen at a party for a rapper? But this is not. This did not happen, Tim, in a, quote, poor part of Chicago. The river north is a nice area. Very nice area.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, that's what. I guess that was what was really surprising. the suburbs now are, you know, becoming more, have more criminal activity going on in the suburbs, of, of these big cities as people try to move further and further out, you know, because of the criminal, the criminal active. There was also sadly, a shooting, in Washington D.C. a 21 year old intern who was working, for the summer was shot and killed last night in, in Washington D.C. washington D.C. i'm talking about certain areas. Washington, D.C. are dangerous. Yes. Very dangerous places. Just if you go a few blocks from the Capitol. So, anyway, the. I was saying, I was reading about that on Fox News.
>> Chris Woodward: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: As well.
>> Chris Woodward: 21 years old.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. He was an intern for Representative, Ron Estes of Kansas, according to the statement. Anyway, just there for the summer doing your intern work for a congressman. Probably a lifelong dream for a lot of kids go up there and then, get shot at night and you know, near the Capitol building. All right. You're listening to today's Issues On American Family Radio. We got one more story before the break, by the way, Stephen McDowell, president of Providence Foundation. We're going to talk to him and relive, if we can, as much as possible, the events surrounding July 4th, 1776. we're going to talk to Stephen M. McDowell about that in just a few minutes. Go ahead.
Supreme Court to hear cases concerning state laws that protect women's sports
>> Chris Woodward: In the Supreme Court term that will begin this October, justices have agreed to hear two cases concerning state laws that protect women's sports. So finally, the high court is going to get at the issue of whether or not males should be allowed to compete in female sports. This, of course, comes on the heels, the University of Pennsylvania agreeing to apologize for, allowing Will Thomas to swim against females. And Pennsylvania also stripped his awards, things he won against females. President Trump, of course, has that executive order saying no more males in female sports. But a number of states, including California, have thumbed their nose at President Trump. And all those things could be coming to an end because again, the Supreme Court is going to finally take up this case. And the two issues they're looking at come out of West Virginia and Idaho, which Alliance Defending Freedom is involved with. And for people not familiar with Alliance Defending Freedom or adf, they have a very good track record of winning at the U.S. supreme Court.
>> Tim Wildmon: I'm glad the Supreme Court's going to hear this. They're going to come out in favor of women's sports and keeping it divided between males and females. That just, that that's what's going to happen when that goes to the Supreme Court. I saw a picture last night. There was a bike race in Wisconsin. Maybe I can find this, you know how they have like marathons, they have bike races and this, these, it was supposed to be for the, for the girls, for females, women, I mean, of all ages. And this guy who was. Ugliest looking girl I've ever seen. Seen in my life.
>> Chris Woodward: It's a handsome woman.
>> Tim Wildmon: And why is that? Because it wasn't a girl. And it was a. Some. Look at it, dude, I hate to put it. Yeah, it was a, it was a dude. Oh, man. Did you see this picture?
>> Tim Wildmon: No.
>> Tim Wildmon: I don't know if you want to. Especially if you hadn't had.
>> Tim Wildmon: Probably not.
>> Tim Wildmon: It was a dude. It was just he, I mean, a, a brute looking guy and.
>> Chris Woodward: Oh, yeah, I see it.
>> Tim Wildmon: He's very fit and muscular. And you going like one of these things is not like the other.
>> Chris Woodward: She is manlier than I am on the podium.
>> Tim Wildmon: It was, it was. Anyway, this woman said, I drove all the way. I drove all the way a few hundred miles to come and compete against him. Be back.
Over 60% of abortions today happen through the abortion pill
>> Ed Vitagliano: This June 24th marks three years since Roe versus Wade was overturned. But here's what you may not know. Abortion numbers have surged to a 10 year high. The battleground has shifted from the courtroom to our homes. Today, over 60% of abortions happen through the abortion pill. Taken in silence, often alone. PreBorn Network clinics are standing in the gap, meeting women in their most desperate hour. And here's what they're Young mothers, terrified and misled, are delivering their babies, tiny, perfectly formed, onto bathroom floors. These precious babies, once called just tissue, now lie lifeless. 11% of these women who take the abortion pill will suffer serious health complications. Countless others carry emotional scars for a lifetime. When you give to preborn, you're not just saving a baby, you're saving a mother too. You're giving her hope, financial support and the truth. PreBorn has already rescued over 350,000 babies. But there are so many more who need our help. Your tax deductible gift makes this mission possible. To donate now, dial £250 and say the keyword baby. That's £250, baby. Or go to preborn.com afr that's preborn.com afr you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13.
>> Jeff Chamblee: American Family Radio. This is Today's Issues. Email your comments to commentsfr.net Past broadcasts of today's issues are available for listening and viewing in the [email protected] now back to more of, today's Issues.
Stephen McDowell is on Medicare from Virginia
>> Tim Wildmon: Hey, welcome back to Today's issues on the American Family Radio Network. That's the name of this show, today's Issues. Tim, Fred, Chris and Ray, we thank you for listening as always. Well, joining us now is another American, who's on Medicare, Stephen McDowell, president of the Providence foundation, who joins us now from Virginia. How you doing, Stephen?
>> Stephen McDowell: I'm doing well.
>> Tim Wildmon: How's your Medicare experience?
>> Stephen McDowell: I guess I'm older than I feel and look.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well. Do you ask others?
>> Stephen McDowell: No.
>> Chris Woodward: When I tell them my real, real.
>> Stephen McDowell: Age, they think, wow, you can't be that old.
>> Tim Wildmon: Can't be that old. So, all right. I just, we, we went over earlier in the hour before you came on, we were going over the Medicare Medicaid differences. So that's, Fred said he's on Medicare and Ray said he's on Medicare.
>> Chris Woodward: Brent and I are paying for it.
>> Fred Jackson: But they're not bitter.
>> Tim Wildmon: Anyway, most people I'VE talked to like Medicare. Absolutely. Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: They've had a good experience.
>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, yes, yeah. Yes indeed.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. Well, I mean it, you know, it's. I mean it's a good, good.
>> Tim Wildmon: I like it more now than I used to.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.
Stephen Rushford writes about the history leading up to the Declaration of Independence
All right, well, Stephen is president of the Providence foundation, which, is in Charlottesville, Virginia. He is also author of many books, including America's Providential History, which is a best seller. And Stephen and I have been doing the tours together, the history tour, spiritual heritage tour together for. Since 2000. Since the year 2000. tomorrow is July 4th, obviously, and we celebrate the beginning of Stephen. The, will be the 250th anniversary. Right. Next year.
>> Stephen McDowell: Next year it's 249th anniversary tomorrow.
>> Tim Wildmon: So take us back. I know we have talked to you about this before, but, just a little history lesson here on what were the what were the ideas or the problems that the colonists were facing, that led up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. these were, you know, we were British, the colonies. So these were, these were people who were living in the new new land, obviously the new world. But British citizens and man. A lot of things must have had to happen to hurt their feelings, so to speak, so bad that they thought we want to, we want to leave the crown. Go ahead.
>> Stephen McDowell: You know, if you read the Declaration of Independence, I hope everybody, every American reads and studies it. You see, the bulk of that covenant that founded our nation is a listing of all of the violations of the rights that the American colonists had. they list, okay, we're British citizens, but the King and Parliament have violated our God given rights, our rights as British citizens, as citizens of the earth. And they list all the things that had taken place especially over the previous 10 years. From imposing taxes upon them without their consent, with sending over troops and forcing families to quarter, the troops, to threatening to take people out of American and try them in English courts. Many, many things. So just go and read that. That in itself is a reflection of a biblical way to resist the tyrant. You know, the Bible teaches we must obey God than man. When man begins to demand us to do what God says that we shouldn't do. And so there's a way to resist. And so they list. Look, he's done this. He's taxes without our consent. We've petitioned him and things have only gotten worse. Then he, sent troops over here. We'd been fighting for 14 months. You know, it was April 1775. When the British fired upon the colonists at Lexington Green, which was really the church law and Reverend Jonas Clark's church and those eight minute men that were killed and ten wounded were most of them members of his church. So we'd been fighting 14 months and still the colonists didn't want to declare independence because they said, look, we're British citizens, we want to resolve the conflict that we have. So December of 75, the king kicked them out. They were in a state of nature and really had no recourse but to declare our independence. And the reason they did, they list in that document. And so these men, the people who, the 56 men who signed that document were very, they were Christian men. All but two or three were orthodox Christian. They were reasoning from biblical principles of their God given rights and liberties because they looked to the laws of nature and nature's God as the source of those rights. As our Declaration of Independence says, they appeal to the supreme judge of the world. With a firm reliance upon the protection of divine providence, they launched out on this unique new mission where they gave birth to a new nation built upon Christian self government, built upon biblical ideas of the rule of law, God given rights and liberties. And it was a very, you know, it took years and years of thinking and petitioning to do this. So it wasn't kind of like, hey, let's just have a rebellion. And one day they rose up and declared independence. No, it's a well thought out concept. And you know, when these men did this, they weren't thinking, we're going to be famous, we're going to go down in history. They're going to talk about us on radio shows 249 years from now and read about us in textbooks. No, when they fix their signature on that document, they believed they were subscribing to what was going to be their own death warrants. As Benjamin Rush would later write to John Adams, thinking about that very day. You know, when you look at a copy of the Declaration of Independence, when you look at those 56 men who signed it, there's one name that stands out more than any other. And we, most Americans know that name because we use the phrase, put your John Hancock here. His signature is big and bold, beautiful signature. And I remember when I first saw a picture, a replica of the Declaration years ago in elementary school maybe, and saw that big signature, I used to think, man, that guy must have been arrogant. How big? He signed his name on that document. But I would later learn, that wasn't the case at all. After he signed it, he said, his Majesty can now read my name without glasses and he can also double the price on my head because he understood, as all these signers understood, when we put our name on a document we're declaring to the King, we're the source of this, what the King thought was a rebellion. We can't hide, can't get away with it. If we get caught, we're gonna suffer. And so John Hancock went on to say, after making that statement, we must be unanimous. There must be no pulling different ways. We must all hang together. And that's when Benjamin Franklin responded in his characteristic wit, yes, we must indeed all hang together, or, most assuredly we shall all hang separately. And so death was a very real possibility, for these guys. You know, they weren't thinking, we're going to be famous, they'll read about us. They were thinking, we're signing our own death warrants.
>> Tim Wildmon: Ray, go ahead. Ray has a question. Go ahead, Ray.
Stephen King: The Declaration of Independence talks about certain unalienable rights
>> Tim Wildmon: I want to ask you about what is perhaps the best known part of the Declaration. We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal. They are endowed by the Creator with certain unalienable, rights. Among these life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. What did they mean when they said, we hold these truths to be self evident? And when they talked about certain unalienable, rights, that's a famous statement, but we never think about what it means. What did they mean when they said those words?
>> Stephen McDowell: Well, you know that sentence and the Declaration is full of biblical ideas when they said, we hold these truths to be self evident. See, the founders adhered to a set of truths. They believed the biblical view of truth, truth that emanates from the Creator. And the Creator decrees what is right and wrong, moral or immoral, lawful or unlawful. So they adhere to that. Today most Americans don't even believe there is truth. Only a third believe there's such a thing as truth. Then everybody, even the non Christians then recognize there is truth. There's right and wrong comes from the Creator. We hold these truths to be self evident. They understood God created man in his image and gave us a conscience and some knowledge of truth, of right and wrong. Romans 1, Romans 2 tells us, ah, about that. So we have some knowledge that there is a Creator and he is the source of truth. So we hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal. So we are created in the image of God that gives value to individual man because we are created and we are given certain inalienable rights. That word inalienable means no one can take them from you. In fact, you can't even give them up. That's an inalienable right. And it's interesting, Jefferson used to summarize those inalienable rights as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Now, the phrase life, liberty and property was well established, had been written about for centuries or more. John Locke wrote about it, like 1600s. And so why would he say the life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? Well, today, when Americans hear pursuit of happiness, they think, man, I'm free to do whatever I want to do to make me happy. But William Blackstone, who was a famous English jurist who wrote commentaries of the laws of England, which was the law textbook every Lawyer studied for 150 years, he defined what it meant. He said, the pursuit of happiness is freedom to pursue the will of God. That's what they meant by Jefferson, meant by that. Because if you're free to pursue the will of God, that will produce blessing and flourishing in your life. That's what makes men happy. Freedom to do God's will, not freedom to do my will. And so if any government, hinders us or threatens our life, liberty, or keeps us from doing the will of God, it's illegitimate government. And we have a God given right to, change it to resist. And that's what the founders of America were doing. They were resisting the tyrannical action of the king and parliament.
>> Tim Wildmon: Let me ask you this, Stephen. When the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776 in Philadelphia, which, by the way, you can still go there and, freedom. What's it called? Freedom Hall?
>> Chris Woodward: I think so.
>> Tim Wildmon: Is that what it's called anyway?
>> Stephen McDowell: Independence Hall.
>> Tim Wildmon: Independence Hall. Excuse me. because they sign it, these 56 signers, and they're representing the colonies, Right? Is that right?
>> Stephen McDowell: Representatives from each of the 13 states? Right?
>> Tim Wildmon: Yes. So that, they are doing this on behalf of the citizens that they represent. And you got to remember that we're not talking about, an age of, you know, we're on, we're watching on television right now in our studio, what's going to happen with the big beautiful bill in Washington D.C. and the vote's going to be taken and, and we're going to know instantaneously what's happening. Well, in that era, obviously they didn't know things, had to be, you know, sent by horseback or on a ship or whatever like that. I wonder how long it would have taken the King of England, King George, right yeah. To know that the colonists had declared basically independence from England. Who. Do you know the timeline on. Go ahead.
>> Stephen McDowell: Yeah. You know, the copy that we think of as the Declaration that you see in the national archives in Washington, D.C. and we see that on our tours, by the way. it was an engrossed copy that was, signed. Most 54 delegates signed it on August 2, because it took a guy, you know, a number of days to produce such a copy. What. But on July 4, they approved the Declaration of Independence that Jefferson and the committee had drawn up with some, additions from the whole Congress. So they did approve it on July 4th. It's believed by some that they fixed their signature on a piece of paper associated with that original copy, though that doesn't exist. But they. They did authorize, the printing of a lot of copies. So the night of July 4th, July 5th, that morning, they got a local printer to print up bunch of copies, and they sent those to the governors of the states. They sent it to General Washington and leaders in the war and, other people like this, and it would have taken. They printed that real quick. By the next day, they sent them out, and within a few days, these copies began to be delivered to the various governors and George Washington. And you had public readings, probably beginning around July 8th. You began to have a lot of public readings of that document in the various states. So people could hear, about their Declaration of Independence, of what happened by their representatives in the Congress that was meeting together in Philadelphia in July. Now, how long it took for the king to get word of this? you know, it would have taken probably at least four weeks for a ship to sail for the Americas to deliver that message over to England. I don't know the exact date. It's a good question. I'm going to find that out. But it was taken weeks and weeks before he knew about that.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, well, it was, one of the dates that, You know, if you look at world history, I'm thinking July 4, 1776, is going to be a top. Top 10 probably in human history in terms of, the influence that. That decision that they had on the world because, Bread. Then the, after that came into existence, the United States of America.
>> Fred Jackson: Absolutely.
Many of our kids today don't know about the Declaration of Independence
And, Stephen, talk a little bit about the impact that many of our kids today. They don't know about this, and they.
>> Tim Wildmon: Impact the history that he's talked about.
>> Fred Jackson: The history that you're talking about.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: Our kids today don't know it, and that's very sad.
>> Stephen McDowell: Your thoughts on our Schools don't teach it. And some of a lot of it's on purpose because the philosophy that captured our government schools is, anti, Christian philosophy. So they don't know the story of the Declaration. They don't know the price that was paid. They don't know the Christian foundations of it. You know, John Adams was a signer of the Declaration, and after they agreed to it, he wrote a letter to his wife Abigail. They wrote lots of letters. And he described the Day of Independence, and this is what he said. This is what we ought to be doing today. He said, the Day of Independence will be the most memorable epica in the history of America. And I would agree with you, Tim, the history of the world. And then he said, I'm apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the Day of Deliverance and by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward, forevermore. So what he's saying is, look, when we think of what happened here, we as a people throughout the state should be celebrating this day as a, day of deliverance by devotion to Almighty God. That's the foremost thing we should be doing on July 4, giving thanks to God because He is the one who motivated, inspired, directed these people to give birth to this unique nation, a nation built on Christian liberty that's been an example of liberty to the world, and it spread throughout the world, what government ought to be to protect our rights to life, liberty and property. So we don't do that today. Mostly some people do recognize and acknowledge God and the providence of God, but, we forget, and that's because we haven't taught this in our schools in quite some time. The great price paid and the great importance of this date in regards to the advancement of liberty in the world.
Stephen McDowell is president of the Providence foundation and author of America's Providential History
>> Tim Wildmon: We're Talking to Stephen McDowell, President of the Providence foundation and author of America's Providential History. Stephen has a weekly podcast, what you've heard him talk about the last little, while here on this program. He does weekly in his own podcast that we put on American Family Radio's website. And there's a lot of great, podcasts, with excellent stories and teachings that he's already, archived since. Because he's been doing this since February. So if you want to access any of these, programs, these podcasts that Steven does, they're called America's Providential History. All you need to do is go to afr.net click on podcast, and then you'll see the banner for America's providential history again. that's exclusively here on afr.net Stephen McDowell's, American America's Providential History podcast, which, is released weekly. Afr.net Click on podcast. All right, Stephen, thanks so much for being on with us and have a happy July 4th celebration.
>> Stephen McDowell: Okay, thank you Tim and fellows, God bless you.
Stephen McDowell gives his thoughts on the Declaration of Independence
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, that's Stephen McDowell joining us from Charlottesville, Virginia. what's your. What Stevens just talked about. Ray, give us your thoughts on, on this.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, first of all, Tim, if you've ever wondered, folks, if you should go one of these tours, you should, you should go.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: On one of the tours. He's a, he's a, he's a fountain of knowledge and information about the founding of our nation. And it's so interesting to me how the writers of the Declaration of Independence, I mean it's a, it's a document for our nation, but it's, it is grounded in Christian truth.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: It's grounded in biblical theology, it's grounding. It's grounded in an understanding of God's word. And I love the way, you know, I asked him about that, that these truths to be self evident, he's 1000% right. That goes back to the belief that there is a God, that God has spoken and that truth is not up for grabs, but it is actually revealed. So kudos to him for what he did. And last thing, he's exactly right. Look, we're going to have a party here at my house tomorrow and our son and his wife and their three kids are going to be over. And I was, Fred, I was out messing around with the grill just before the program. Hooking up, you know, checking the propane.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: The worst thing that can happen is to run out of propane on the grill on the 4th of July that that friendship happen. Be warned, men be warned. Go check today.
>> Tim Wildmon: That's a good point. Absolutely.
>> Tim Wildmon: But through all the merriment and the games and the fun, let us at least take a moment tomorrow to thank God for these men who pledged their lives, their fortune and the sacred honor. They did it not in spite of their Christian faith, but for the most part, for most of them, because they were Christians, because they believed in God and they believed in His Word.
>> Tim Wildmon: And if you were, if you were looking at this as a sporting, event, you would say, okay, the chances of success, for this team. Team. Team Colonist. Yeah, Team, declaration. Yeah. they had. If, you were looking at both teams.
>> Tim Wildmon: I got George the third by four. Touch.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, I know. Right. Right now.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right, I got it. Right now.
>> Tim Wildmon: It would be, it would be 9010, the, the Redcoats, the British, the most powerful army and navy in the world at that time, they were going to win, this and crush the colonists. But I would just say that divine providence, as Stephen would say, God, had other plans. And, miraculously the, The Americans won. And if you just read about that, the War of Independence or the Revolutionary War, whatever you want to call it, because I've read all about it and it's just remarkable is an understatement. when you read that the, the events that had to take place and things that happened, which seemed like, okay, why did the fog set on the river at this particular moment in time? Why did the winds shift? And these, for some of these Founding Fathers and these and the others who were there at the time, they write about these things that happen which you go, had that not happened or this incident not happened or this unusual weather event happened, than the Americans, they weren't. I don't know if they were called the Americans at the time, but the, Revolutionary Guard, they wouldn't have won.
>> Fred Jackson: You know, so many factors came together, right. You had to have men of the character. As Steven McDowell was just telling us that story about John Hancock, his signature being bigger than the others. That's, That's a fantastic story in that.
>> Tim Wildmon: He wanted the king to see it.
>> Fred Jackson: He wanted the king to see it. I'm not going to try to hide, right, what I'm standing for.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right.
>> Fred Jackson: Here it is. Come and get me.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, you know, hey, listen, tomorrow our offices and studios, we're going to be closed in, you know, for July 4th. And so we're going to play. We're not going to have trivia tomorrow. We're to going. Going to play a Special by Stephen McDowell on the Life of George Washington. And nobody was more influential on the founding of America than, the father of our country, George Washington, General George Washington, President George Washington. Ah, he was, a man of destiny, if you will. And so stuff. Steven's going to tell you that whole story tomorrow, during this hour of Today's Issues. we're going to be back momentarily with more, with Steve Paisley. Jordo, stay with us. The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.
