What in the World? Podcast

Amy L. Travis
What in the World? Podcast

A Look at Current Events through the Lens of Biblical Truth. Each week we explore a different political, social, economic, or spiritual reality in 12 minutes or less. amyltravis.substack.com

  1. 21/05/2024

    Where Does the Constitution say that Churches Can’t Talk About Politics?

    In America, we’ve become so accustomed to hearing about how pastors can’t talk about politics from the pulpit that we seldom stop to question why. We would expect this level of censorship from authoritarian governments such as Cuba, China, and Venezuela, but the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States protects everyone’s ability to speak freely. It's true. Neither the Constitution nor the Bible restrict political discussions in houses of worship, so why does the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)? It shouldn’t shock you that the reason pastors can’t endorse or even discuss political campaigns originated with a jaded politician. In 1954, then-Senator Lyndon B. Johnson proposed an amendment to the tax code (a.k.a., The Johnson Amendment)  that greatly restricted the free speech of pastors and churches. Although there is a shroud of secrecy around how Congress was able to push through this legislation without any discussion about how this would affect churches, his motives are less obscure. Senator Johnson of Texas, the future president of the United States, forced the amendment out of his anger that two local non-profits had voiced support for his primary opponent. There you have it. “The IRS rule that strips tax exemption from churches engaged in electioneering was born of Lyndon Johnson’s Texas politics, not the U.S. Constitution . . .” according to the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ). This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amyltravis.substack.com

    8 min
  2. 12/12/2023

    Masculinity, Predators, and Pronouns

    Earlier this week, I read an article about how a trans-identifying boy won the Girls’ Irish Dancing Competition in order to head to the Worlds in the U14 division. Parents expressed their outrage on having to explain to their 13-year-old daughters how a boy with physical advantages is allowed to take the prestigious title from them after they’ve worked so hard for it. The boy’s name was omitted from the article since he was a minor; however, the author noted that the child previously placed 11th place in the Boys’ World Championships earlier this year. Today we’re going to explore an email from a mom challenging her son’s choice to alter his identity. As implicated in the account above, parents have a profound impact on how a child views himself. A thirteen-year-old boy could not register for the girls' division without parental involvement. In the same way, college students still depend on those they trust the most to speak the truth with love and compassion. Although this letter is hypothetical, the situation is not. Many parents are struggling with how to confront their young adults on this critical issue. NOTES: https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/12/07/exclusive-parents-speak-out-after-boy-wins-girls-irish-dancing-regional-championships/ https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/emergencies-infant-feeding/health-equity.html This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amyltravis.substack.com

    5 min

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A Look at Current Events through the Lens of Biblical Truth. Each week we explore a different political, social, economic, or spiritual reality in 12 minutes or less. amyltravis.substack.com

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