318: SB 1196 with Alex Schadenberg
Life Matters
In this episode of Life Matters, Brian interviews Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition. They discuss in depth the recent failure of California Senate Bill 1196 by Senator Blakespear. The irony is that the bill was not defeated by pro-life efforts. The bill was actually attacked by other pro-death organizations, lobbyist and legislators. Why would other pro-death advocates attack this measure? The prospects of passage in the California legislature are very good - the progressive Democratic Party holds a super majority in both houses. The governor would’ve gladly signed off,...
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317: Understanding Why the United States Founders Used Natural Law
Life Matters
In this episode of Life Matters, Commissioner Johnston explains the importance of not being religious in our attempts to change the laws to protect innocent human life. Johnston reminds us that America’s founders were themselves deeply religious individuals, but they understood that many of them had disagreements within their own theologies - differences in doctrine. The answer to this difficult challenge was actually found in the formation of other republics throughout history. A republic asserts that there is more than simple voting and majoritarianism in making law. Votes must be...
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316: Euthanasia Expansion
Life Matters
In this episode of Life Matters, Brian Johnston explores the rapid expansion of medical killing - euthanasia. The pattern for euthanasia advocates is to first establish a right to “assisted suicide” - a form of voluntary euthanasia – and imply that there will be protections from any abuse, and that there will be no expansion of medical killing. California Senate Bill 1169 by Senator Blakespear demonstrates again that once the idea of legalized medical killing is established, it is impossible to monitor or prevent its “It’s okay” expansion. Currently, it is very difficult to...
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315: In Vitro Fertilization
Life Matters
In this episode of Life Matters, Commissioner Johnston examines the February 2024 decision of the Alabama Supreme Court regarding in vitro fertilization. The issue of in vitro fertilization (IVF) is not a new debate, but sadly, media coverage has over simplified and reduced a deeper analysis. The issue of manipulating human beings and playing God by creating, and then destroying human lives, has grave and dramatic implications for all of society, many of which are being ignored. First and foremost is the issue of human ownership. There is no debate that these are human embryos. Yes, they can...
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314: Nationalization of Euthanasia
Life Matters
In this episode of Life Matters, Brian Johnston examines the pressure in 2024 to legalize assisted suicide nationwide in the United States. Many nations have now adopted assisted suicide throughout their borders, including Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, in many others. The American euthanasia movement had attempted to do this through the courts, but in 1994 the Glucksberg decision by the United States Supreme Court announced there was no national “legal right” to be killed by medicine. In spring of 2024, there are 10 states that have legalized medical killing, plus...
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313: Local Elections Matter
Life Matters
In this episode of Life Matters, Brian Johnson explains the importance of elections, each and every election. More importantly, he focuses on the power of your vote the further down the ballot you go. On a statewide level, your vote is a drop in the bucket. But as various jurisdictions get smaller, the number of voters also gets dramatically smaller and this is why local elections are so important. In order to have candidates for the state legislature, or for Congress, you must draw from people with some degree of political experience. Most people who run for these...
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Life Matters 37th Anniversary Special
Life Matters
In this episode of Life Matters, Commissioner Johnston reminiscences on Life Matters beginning in 1987, on its expansion, and the many friends and allies that have brought it to this point 37 years later. Life Matters began on radio station station KCBC the 50,000 Watt (The highest wattage allowed by the FCC ) flamethrower station covering northern California. It was the northern California cornerstone for the Bott Broadcasting Network. Life Matters with Brian Johnston gradually expanded to other Bott affiliates, then to the Wilkins Network, which is a nationwide Christian broadcast string of...
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312: Red-Blue-Choice-Overturn
Life Matters
In this episode of Life Matters, Commissioner Johnston examines the real implications of Roe v. Wade, the fact that language is being used to trick people into thinking that the abortion debate has been settled - when in fact, it is only just begun in seriousness. Brian examines how the media uses semantics and semiotics – the study of signs and symbolism - to confuse the American public. The issue of red state versus blue state is but one example of how symbols are presented as truth to the public. The blue, which originally represented the Republican party, was intentionally changed...
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311: Life Film Fest international
Life Matters
Life Fest Film Festival is a very unique film festival from Hollywood California. Film festivals are an important part of the entertainment industry. This is where new filmmakers get their start and old filmmakers try out new ideas. Many film festivals are either geographically based, for example, Cannes, France or Park City and many are thematically based. Life Film Fest is an important aspect of the movie industry, and supported by many industry insiders, because of its unique and important message: the significance of each and every life, and in particular the seemingly insignificant life....
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310 - Euthanasia In Canada
Life Matters
In this episode of Life Matters, Commissioner Johnston explains the growing embrace of euthanasia in western culture. Listeners of Life Matters understand that the Right to Life debate is a debate about whether the law should allow the killing of innocent human lives. Today, after the impact of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, medical killing has become widespread in the United States and accepted under the law. This is not simply in the act of human abortion. Numerous states have legalized “Assisted suicide”. But understand that the emotions surrounding suicide can easily be addressed...
info_outlineIn this episode of Life Matters, Commissioner Johnston explores the idea of popular opinion polls. At election time, the media will often present what they claim to be public opinion on the issue of abortion.
It is critically important to understand that, very often the general, and unspecific nature of the terms used does not often reflect a valid view of public opinion. More specifically, generic feelings about “choice”, support for Roe, or reproductive freedom do not accurately reflect the average American’s view of abortion particulars.
Brian examine’s the current habit for many polling organizations, Pew Research Center as one example, do actually take polls state by state and reach sweeping and generic conclusions. The most common is the statement that the citizens of (fill in the blank) state support all or most abortions.
Yet the very terms ‘all’ and ‘most’ are, in fact, contradictory. All means 100%! Most means 50% or more. There is a chasm of difference. And yet this is the most frequently used phrasing of the Pew CharitableTrust.
Specific polling questions regarding the reasons for the abortion, the gestational age of the child involved in the abortion, and other surrounding factors, greatly impact the public view of the medical procedure. The recent Wall Street Journal poll confirmed what polls have indicated for more than a decade: The majority of Americans are opposed to late term abortion, or abortions that are done for social reasons (i.e. just done for choice) and have varying views regarding the medical purpose that may be involved. Killing a child because of a genetic anomaly is still opposed by the majority of Americans.
Similarly, if the woman’s life is actually in danger, the majority of Americans will condone such an abortion. If the definition of “health” is made specific, the majority of Americans only support abortions for very serious health issues. Under Roe versus Wade, because of its deliberate definition of “health,” as meaning any psychological or sociological reason that the abortionist himself could come up with, alarms the average American and such vague and unspecific definitions of health are not what they mean by endangering a woman‘s life. Yet, Roe versus Wade equated the two terms.