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 the second part of our episode on natural law as a legal predicate, Brian explains at length why Christians should be the most comfortable with this idea - instead of insisting that their theology be the predicate for approaching the issue of life in America’s laws.
Using raw political power to pass a measure that conforms with our religion is not actually an exercise in just law or a recognition of higher law. it is an acknowledgment that, “if we have the votes, we can pass this law“.
What if a political group passes laws on this foundation? It is in essence, the exact predicate used by the Taliban or any other religious group throughout history. It is exactly what gave rise to many of the political disagreements in Europe in the centuries before America’s founding. Americas Founders did not invoke ‘natural law’ unintentionally.
As most individuals who are involved in the right-to-life movement are of some Christian faith background, Brian takes an in-depth look at the Scriptures. They both explain, and in fact, command, this approach to viewing life and the law.
God uses nature to instruct us.
The Sermon on the Mount and its appeal to consider flowers, birds, and nature itself is at the heart of much of Christ’s teaching. His parables from everyday life stood in great contrast to the religious platitudes of the religious leaders who demanded that religious practices were the way to understand God.
But the scriptures themselves indicate that there are deeper things at work.
Romans 1:20 , “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” It is nature itself that proclaimed God‘s presence and nature, Gods higher law principles are made evident through the things that are seen.
Psalm 8 and Psalm 19 make extensive reference to astronomy and how, for believers, it is actually presented as instruction in God’s nature and God‘s ways.
However, very few take the time to “consider deeply” what they see when they see the stars. “Seeing” is not the same as understanding or contemplating, or “considering.” And it is these latter, contemplative verbs that are indeed used in scripture.
As Jesus Himself made evident to the Pharisees, they did not live a practically applied spiritual life, they are pursuing religious precepts and traditions. “It is the traditions of men that make void the word of God.” Religion is stifling, and most people intuitively know that when they look at the religion of others. Being able to apply it to ourselves is the hardest part.
Jesus was very explicit with His own followers, and is blunt in Luke 12:56 - 57. He pointed out that they could indeed recognize objective reality in nature and come to valid conclusions, and yet they were not taking the time to think more deeply about the spiritual challenges of their own time.
“You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and sky. Why don’t you know how to interpret the present times? And why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?“
It is critically important for the pro-life movement to understand its foundation in natural law, as instruction for us and for how we deal with others.
It is also critically important for all Christians to understand their obligation to spend time with God and in the nature which He has created for us to help understand Him.
It’s not that we need to be classical scientists, but we should examine closely God’s creatures in creation and contemplate, dwell on, think deeply about, how it impacts our day-to-day lives.
In fact, the scripture seems to indicate that is one of the purposes of creation: and creation is waiting for us to do OUR job. “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.“ (Romans 8:19)
There is little doubt that for us to come to better understanding of ANYTHING we must consider it deeply. Nowhere is that clearer than in natural law, and the right to life.