Respect Life Radio

Mary Rice Hasson: Contraception and the growing damage

"There is a connection between some of the things we're seeing in the culture today and contraception because that's where a lot of confusion set in. As a culture, we shifted our priorities. Sex became about personal pleasure and no longer about relationships and marriage and welcoming children," said Mary Rice Hasson, J.D., the Kate O’Beirne Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C. She directs the Catholic Women’s Forum, a network of Catholic professional women and scholars, and co-founded the Person and Identity Project, a new initiative that equips parents and faith-based institutions to counter gender ideology and promote the truth of the human person. "That attitude has really permeated so much of our culture in ways that are tremendously damaging to children."

More information about Mary Rice Hasson, J.D., can be found at  https://catholicwomensforum.org/staff/mary-rice-hasson/

Dr. Alex Lessard - Renewal of Catholic education

"We let the biggest educational system in the world shrink from 1965 to just the last couple of years, when the attendance at Catholic Schools has started to turn back up. But, in essence, it's been a shrinkage of 75% since 1965 on a percentage basis of Catholics," said Dr. Alex Lessard, author of the recent article "Catholic Education in the 21st Century. "In California, as an example, only one out of 13 Catholic students is in a Catholic school -  that speaks to complacency and the desire to fit in." Alex Lessard studied theology as an undergraduate at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota and took his doctorate in systematic theology at Boston College. He is an Adjunct Professor in the Institute for Catholic School Leadership at Saint Paul Seminary | University of St. Thomas, teaching the History, Philosophy & Mission of the Catholic School. "The good news is that a renewal of Catholic education has been underway for the past half-century in the homeschool and classical education movements."

To read Dr. Lessard's most recent article, click here: https://catholicexchange.com/catholic-education-in-the-21st-century/ and to follow what he's doing - including upcoming conferences - go to: https://adeodatus.com

Jerome German: Celibacy to the rescue

"We are finding our identity is our sexual choices rather than finding our identity in our Creator," said Jerome German, who wrote a column for Catholic Stand, titled "Celibacy to the Rescue."

"You cannot have a just world without sexual purity," said German in this Respect Life Radio interview. "The same virtues that are required for living the life of a celibate are required for living a Christian marriage. You need to have personal purity if you're going to be faithful to your spouse; if you're going to place your spouse's well-being above your sexual needs, for example, as is often required in marriage."

On Catholic Stand, German is identified, in part, as "a retired manufacturing engineer, husband, father of eleven, and grandfather of a multitude." He also writes for Crisis Magazine.

Rachel Hoover: Battling for better relationships

"When I started to interview people about the challenges their facing in dating other Catholics, there were no shortage of takers who wanted to talk about this problem...I heard from people of different ages, different parts of the country who are all experiencing challenges meeting a fellow single Catholic that they might want to date, someone who is actually faithful to Church teaching, faithful to chastity, but also someone who would be pleasant to spend time with and carry on a good conversation," said Rachel Hoover, critic and essayist for several Catholic publications and author of several articles on the vocation of marriage. She holds a BA from Christendom College and lives in Nashville, TN. "People are struggling to meet each other in the first place and if they do meet each other, they're struggling with the relationship skills that are necessary to build a good dating relationship that could lead to marriage." Deacon Geoff and Rachel discuss this crisis of being able to form relationships and build faithful Catholic families.

The articles discussed in this podcast are available at OSVNews.com.

Charles Fraune: The rise of the occult

There are ten primary sources of the occult - ranging from witchcraft and satanism to astrology and yoga - and they used to be hidden, shunned and dangerous. "But now the occult feels very comfortable showing its face, revealing what it is so it's multiplying and taking on new forms," says Charles D. Fraune, author of Slaying Dragons: What Exorcists See & What We Should Know. "It's insinuating itself within all of these self-help movements."

Fraune is the founder of the Slaying Dragons Apostolate and Slaying Dragons Press and is dedicated to writing, research, and other work on the topic of spiritual warfare. Charles was the founding Theology teacher of Christ the King Catholic High School in Huntersville, NC and was a Theology teacher there for ten years. He has a Master of Arts in Theology from the Christendom College Graduate School, as well as an Advanced Apostolic Catechetical Diploma. "Christianity has collapsed in the United States and really throughout the world. There are pockets of deep devotion, which is really remarkable and shows you the power of the Holy Spirit...but the rest of the world has given up on God and deified themselves...and that's where the occult really sneaks in."

Bill Donohue: Ruling class killing the American dream

"Everybody wants the American Dream," asserts Bill Donohue, President & CEO of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights. "But when the ruling class is working against the upward mobility ladder, particularly for African Americans, we have a serious problem." Bill is the author of ten books and thousands of articles. In his latest book, War on Virtue: How the Ruling Class is Killing the American Dream, Bill explains how there "are three virtues in every successful person. You have to have a sense of self discipline or self control. You must accept personal responsibility and you have to have grit - perseverance."  In this podcast, he discusses how elites are working against people as they work their way up to capture the American Dream. 

 

Learn more about Bill Donohue at Catholic League https://www.catholicleague.org

David Closson: Speaking God’s truth about life issues

"There are basic fundamental issues like the life of the unborn human that deserves full respect," reflects David Closson, Director of the Center for Biblical Worldview at Family Research Council. Closson researches and writes on life, human sexuality, religious liberty, and related issues from a biblical worldview. David is the author of FRC's Biblical Worldview Series, which seeks to help Christians and Christian leaders apply the teachings of the Bible to difficult moral questions. "As Christians we need to use whatever sphere of influence the Lord has given us to speak the truth about these issues," he reminds Respect Life listeners. "God has a very clear perspective on many of these issues."

Learn more about David Closson at the FRC website: https://www.frc.org/david-closson

Dr. Ian Murphy: The road to self-awareness

"How's it working for you?" asks Dr. Ian Murphy, former lead pastor at a Baptist church in Texas who made the stirring decision to enter the Catholic Church. "People are hungry. They're hungry for healing that's sustainable, that works. That comes from turning inward. It comes from repentance." In his new book, The Road to Self-Awareness, a Therapy Book for Christians, Dr. Murphy explains how people are wounded by the fall, by evil, by other people's sins and their own. "People are hurting and want to heal. They're hungry for growth and healing but then pride rears up and screams, 'but I want to be as the Almighty. I want to play God.' They're broken and they cry out for healing. There's a way out of that circle and it comes from taking that turn inward."

Learn more about Dr. Murphy at his website DrIanMurphy.com.

Father Brian Mullady: Freedom through His truth

"We're actually becoming more free as we understand more about what the truth is ... through Christ's teaching," said Father Mullady, Dominican Catholic Priest, Professor, Scholar and author of eight books. "People who commit sin, enslave themselves to a certain point of view and they're not free even though they interpret freedom as license." In his new book, A Primer on Fundamental Moral Philosophy, Father Mullady explains what a well-formed conscience looks like and underscores that following one's conscience isn't enough without guidance from God and His Church. Chaos follows for individuals and the society around us. 

Learn more about Father Mullady at his website https://fatherbrian.weebly.com/ 

Dr. Thomas Williams: Alarming persecution of faith

Christians are being persecuted at an alarming rate across the world. Churches are being burned and Catholic communities have been driven underground, but most major news outlets aren’t covering the deteriorating situation. “These things are happening, but we are often unaware of how pervasive the issue is,” said Dr. Thomas D. Williams, a 2018 Visiting Research Fellow at the Center for Ethics and Culture at Notre Dame University who has written extensively about theology, philosophy, ethics and spirituality. In his new book, The Coming Christian Persecution, Dr. Williams explains how the post-Christian West has abdicated their position to protect Christians and has become part of the problem, rather than the solution.

 

Learn more about Dr. Williams at his website, thomasdwilliams.com.