Welcome to the Liberty Insider.
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This is the
program that brings you
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up to date news,
views, information,
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discussion, facts,
figures, prognostication,
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all of the
interesting discussion on
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religious liberty issues.
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My name is
Lincoln Steed, editor of
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Liberty Magazine and
my guest on the program
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today is Attorney Barry Bussey,
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good to be with you, welcome.
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Yeah, I've
introduced you on this program
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before but just in
case its out of order
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I need to point out
that your role in the church
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at our General Conference,
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World
Headquarters in Washington DC
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has been
legislative liaison from the
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religious liberty
to department to the
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Washington, to the legislative
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function there. I want
to ask you particularly
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about a very important
piece of, proposed piece
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of legislation, the work place
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religious freedom
act. We've mentioned
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on this program it's
been floating around for what
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6 years or so now. Oh
It's been maybe longer,
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much longer,
it's almost 15 years.
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It's been round for a
long time and of course
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the problem is for
those who have not really
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understood the
issue as to what's happen.
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The United States in
the 1960's passed the
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Civil rights act and
entitled seven as it says
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that in the work
place there is to be
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no discrimination
on the various basis,
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one of those
religion, was race gender,
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sexual gender, sexual
identity and religion.
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Not sexual
orientation but, it's gender,
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yes, gender,
we've gone beyond that
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yeah we're gone
beyond, and that's another
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program, yeah, but
anyhow the point is
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that the employer
was to accommodate
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for these issues up
to the point of undue
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hardship, and undue
hardship was later on
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defined by the
courts as the Minimums Cost,
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so in another words
if it cost the employer
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ten cents it was,
some of the extreme cases
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it wasn't always,
yeah, but it govern down to
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that level, yeah,
yeah. So, what would happen,
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it was involved
with a case of TWA pilot
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who was sly, is
that the Hardison?
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The Hardison decision right.
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And he was a member
of the world wide church
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of God and at that
time they kept Sabbath
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you know from sunset to sunset,
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he wanted to be a
accommodated and TWA
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didn't want to and court said
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well they don't have to,
if it's gone to cost them
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anything, and so
that's what happened.
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As a result of that,
we've got a situation
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where a lot of
people have been basically
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dismissed what, what happens is,
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is that it
doesn't give the employer
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an incentive at
all to just sit down
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with the employee and say okay,
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let's see what we can work out,
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instead what happens
is the employers says
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I'm sorry I'm not
interested in dealing
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with this, I don't
have to worry about it
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you know it's cost
benefit analysis and so.
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So it's really made
them a mockery of what
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the first Amendment
guarantees free exercise
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of religion in the work place.
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Well in the work,
it's not been easily
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obtainable. Well, but of course
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the first
amendment that with the state
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and the individual,
the Civil rights act
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would have dealt with
you know the individuals
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and yeah you're
right, the so what,
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what ends up
happening though is that
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throughout, so now
we've got a patch work
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quilt across the
country where some states
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have passed their own work place
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religious freedom
act, that would provide
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the protection and most
recent was one in Oregon
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last year that past
legislation to protect
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the workers in the work place.
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Well, that's
even a little bit more
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patch works than
that because there was
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previous
legislation religious freedom,
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Religious Freedom
Restoration Act, yes,
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which really went
nowhere sorry it was declared
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unconstitutional, that's right.
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And then some
states have adopted it
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individually to
show up this situation
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and a broader one of religious
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accommodation
rights. So you've got RLPA
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then Religious
Liberty Protection Act,
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which failed on the
federal level is bled
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down into refer initiatives
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and then the work
place religious freedom say
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yes it's a patch work isn't it.
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It is a patch work.
And say what we need is
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a federal fix up,
we're not there yet,
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we're not there. So,
basically what's happened
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is that there's
been a big debate
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in the advocacy you
know those who are supporting
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this legislation, the
question has been under
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the republican
legislative control,
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you would have
republicans who are not
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interested in
supporting that which is gonna
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to cause an inconvenience to the
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business community,
yeah, and then under
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the democrat control
they do not want to be
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providing protection
in issues of conscience
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in a work place for example,
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dealing with a
pharmaceutical industry
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where a pharmacist is
saying I have a problem
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of conscientious
objection to giving
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a pill to you know
the morning after pill
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and so forth,
and so the democrats
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don't want to have
anything to do with that
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and nor do they want
to be giving protection
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for conscience in
the work place because
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the homosexual
community has come out
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totally against
that, even it'll restrict
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their rights.
Well, and that's right,
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and things against
them. Well and the idea is
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that the religious
employers would somehow
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proselytized them and
say you know basically
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you now because of
her lifestyle and so on,
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you know they'll
go to innovate all
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that kind of stuff. And so,
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so there's been a
real, real struggle.
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So the most recent,
this most recent congress
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what we've tried to
do is tried to say okay
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well look. 90
percent of all the cases deal
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with issues of groom
and garb and holy day.
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So you've got
you know the Hijab,
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the turbans so forth
and you know the groom
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as far as wearing
beards and that kind of thing,
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and then also
other holy days like
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Sabbath accommodation,
usually Sabbath for Jews
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and Adventists,
right. And there have been
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many cases of Muslims wanting
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Friday
accommodation. There have been
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some of those yes absolutely
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but the primarily it's
been because the Muslims,
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although it is a
very large, increasingly
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large larger
community developing over time
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in the United
States but primarily
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as you look back in
the case history you see
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a lot of issues
with the Adventist the,
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the Jews and so forth
but also what's interesting,
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we've also seen some
cases for Sunday keepers,
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Baptist for example in
Tennessee just recently
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was denied that the
building supply store
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in Tennessee, the poor
person wanted to have a
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Sunday's off and were
denied and so you know
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we did get those cases as well.
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So, anyhow what
ended up happening
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then it just in this
last session we're saying
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okay well look, we're
dealing with the reality
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now there of a democratic
congress, we know that
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the democrats don't
want the conscience issue,
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we know that when
they're with the republicans,
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the republicans
wanted the conscience issue
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but they didn't want
to have the other issues.
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So, let's see if we
can get a half a loaf,
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and so what we've
decided to do is a coalition,
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was to say okay
let's get what we can
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and we think we can
get support for a measure
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that says we won't
deal with conscience
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right now, we will look
for that for another day.
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So what will it
improve now then.
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So, it will improve the
issues of groom and garb
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and the Holy days.
So, then what we've done
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then as a coalition
we've, we got to send
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that at this point
the issue of conscience
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for now, not to say
that we're, our ultimate goal
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is to get our complete
package but we're trying
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to look at the
political reality.
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Now, the problem
with that, a huge problem,
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is that it's
split our coalition,
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sure as it benefits
certain particular groups
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absolutely right.
And so, what happened
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then for example we
have the Roman Catholic
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community, the
Southern Baptist community
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saying look guys
you know we understand
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your position,
don't get us wrong there
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but on principle we
simply cannot support
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this and so as a
result we weren't you know
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they were not
part of the coalition's
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recent formulation. So,
even on this narrow issue
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you think there's
more likely to be success
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for the smaller
coalition. Okay so we
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thought we thought we
would be able to get some
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traction here and we
thought that possibly
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we would be able to
get republican support,
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we got some, but
some of the key supporters
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in the Senate or what
we thought we would might
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get supporters
has not come through
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and as a result
it's languishing,
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I think probably
what'll end up happening
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because this has been
a bill that in the senate
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that Senator John
Kerry has been you know
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leading the charge
you know he made drop it
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in just before the session ends,
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but at the end of the
day it's not looking hopeful
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at all, it's not
looking at all that we're going
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to be able to get
anything into session.
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And the
stronger supporter on the
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republicans
Rick Santorum is out.
00:10:22.26\00:10:23.92
Yes, he is out. And
out for a few years.
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Now, we've had some support from
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Senator Hatch, for
example, but we need to
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have an increasing
number of republicans
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to be supportive. So
we're kind of between
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the rock and the hard place,
00:10:42.18\00:10:43.39
because here we tried you now
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it's kind of like this
you know you try to move
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and jiggle and try to
get something to move,
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but it's not
happening. Hopefully,
00:10:49.82\00:10:53.21
just looking with
this coalition for so many
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years it's been very
good for communicating
00:10:55.72\00:10:59.27
our view point to a
larger group of religious
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and civil liberty
people, the contacts you
00:11:01.65\00:11:05.09
and your
predecessor had in Washington
00:11:05.12\00:11:07.27
had to have been profitable
00:11:07.30\00:11:08.37
on the up fronts. Oh absolutely,
00:11:08.40\00:11:09.92
so it's been a by
any means a failure,
00:11:09.95\00:11:12.89
but it's been a
failure to produce
00:11:12.92\00:11:14.37
this particular result,
this I can tell from what
00:11:14.40\00:11:17.64
you're saying and my
impression is being that
00:11:17.67\00:11:19.34
we're probably not
going to get this legislation
00:11:19.37\00:11:21.30
anytime soon if at all. No it's,
00:11:21.33\00:11:23.37
it's one of those
very, very difficult because
00:11:23.40\00:11:26.93
it's not a high
priority see, it's simply
00:11:26.96\00:11:29.77
and right now
when we have congress
00:11:29.80\00:11:33.51
in such a dead
lock where you know
00:11:33.54\00:11:36.62
the republicans are
not wanting to downright
00:11:36.65\00:11:38.76
support democrats,
democrats are not wanting
00:11:38.79\00:11:40.81
to see certainly
nothing till after the mid-term
00:11:40.84\00:11:43.28
election this year. I think yeah
00:11:43.31\00:11:44.61
that's exactly
right. But anything else
00:11:44.64\00:11:48.41
that you see in
Washington that's of
00:11:48.44\00:11:50.32
immediate input.
Well, I, it's not you now
00:11:50.35\00:11:54.56
how much reassure
some of our viewers
00:11:54.59\00:11:56.78
I'm sure you'll back me up,
00:11:56.81\00:11:58.48
there is no
direct Sunday legislation
00:11:58.51\00:12:01.46
or Sunday
sacredness or the Sunday law.
00:12:01.49\00:12:04.76
No there is
absolutely nothing that
00:12:04.79\00:12:07.15
we're of with respect to that,
00:12:07.18\00:12:09.35
but the other issues
that we have been following,
00:12:09.38\00:12:14.99
we've been following
US policy internationally
00:12:15.02\00:12:17.97
dealing with
defamation of religions
00:12:18.00\00:12:20.89
at the United
Nations, yeah sure,
00:12:20.92\00:12:22.96
is a big issue
that keeps cropping up
00:12:22.99\00:12:25.14
year after year.
We've been following
00:12:25.17\00:12:27.76
other issues dealing
with rights of prisoners
00:12:27.79\00:12:30.84
for their own religious freedom
00:12:30.87\00:12:33.48
and so forth as
well. Okay, we better take
00:12:33.51\00:12:36.37
our break now,
alright. Keep watching
00:12:36.40\00:12:39.36
we'll be back
after the break with more
00:12:39.39\00:12:41.58
discussion of what's
happening in Washington,
00:12:41.61\00:12:43.65
what some of our legislative
00:12:43.68\00:12:45.86
initiatives are,
should be and perhaps
00:12:45.89\00:12:48.42
some of what's happening out
00:12:48.45\00:12:49.70
and around of interest to you.
00:12:49.73\00:12:51.67
One-hundred years, a
long time to do anything
00:13:01.03\00:13:04.88
much less publish a magazine,
00:13:04.91\00:13:06.72
but this year Liberty,
the Seventh-Day Adventist
00:13:06.75\00:13:10.30
voice of religious
freedom, celebrates
00:13:10.33\00:13:12.42
one hundred years of
doing what it does best,
00:13:12.45\00:13:15.16
collecting,
analyzing, and reporting the ebb
00:13:15.19\00:13:18.58
and flow of religious expression
00:13:18.61\00:13:20.06
around the world.
Issue after issues,
00:13:20.09\00:13:22.97
Liberty has taken on
the tough assignments,
00:13:23.00\00:13:25.57
tracking down
threats to religious freedom
00:13:25.60\00:13:27.72
and exposing the work of
the devil in every corner
00:13:27.75\00:13:30.62
of the globe.
Governmental interference,
00:13:30.65\00:13:32.69
personal attacks,
corporate assaults,
00:13:32.72\00:13:35.24
even religious freedom
issues sequestered within
00:13:35.27\00:13:37.91
the church community
itself have been clearly
00:13:37.94\00:13:40.27
and honestly
exposed. Liberty exists for
00:13:40.30\00:13:43.53
one purpose to help
God's people maintain
00:13:43.56\00:13:46.67
that all the
important separation of Church
00:13:46.70\00:13:49.11
and State, while
recognizing the dangers
00:13:49.14\00:13:51.51
inherent in such a struggle.
00:13:51.54\00:13:53.14
During the past
century, Liberty has experienced
00:13:53.17\00:13:56.32
challenges of its
own, but it remains
00:13:56.35\00:13:58.68
on the job. Thanks to
the inspired leadership
00:13:58.71\00:14:01.62
of a long line of dedicated
00:14:01.65\00:14:03.15
Adventist Editors,
three of whom represent
00:14:03.18\00:14:05.26
almost half of the
publications existence
00:14:05.29\00:14:07.17
and the
foresight of a little woman
00:14:07.20\00:14:09.38
from New England. One
hundred years of struggle,
00:14:09.41\00:14:12.67
one hundred years of victories,
00:14:12.70\00:14:14.79
religious
freedom isn't just about
00:14:14.82\00:14:17.07
political machines
and cultural prejudices.
00:14:17.10\00:14:19.66
It's about people
fighting for the right
00:14:19.69\00:14:23.00
to serve the God
they love as their hearts
00:14:23.03\00:14:25.80
and the Holy Spirit dictate.
00:14:25.83\00:14:28.05
Thanks to the
prayers and generous support
00:14:28.08\00:14:30.36
of Seventh-Day
Adventists everywhere.
00:14:30.39\00:14:32.43
Liberty will continue
to accomplish its work of
00:14:32.46\00:14:35.26
providing timely information,
00:14:35.29\00:14:36.96
spirit filled inspiration,
00:14:36.99\00:14:38.28
and heaven sentencouragement
00:14:38.31\00:14:40.06
to all who long to
live and work in a world
00:14:40.09\00:14:43.88
bound together
by the God ordained
00:14:43.91\00:14:46.28
bonds of religious freedom.
00:14:46.31\00:14:48.84
Welcome back to
the Liberty Insider,
00:14:57.45\00:14:59.32
before the
break I was talking to
00:14:59.35\00:15:01.19
Attorney Barry Bussey
and getting your opinion
00:15:01.22\00:15:04.98
Barry on where the work place
00:15:05.01\00:15:07.67
religious freedom act
is not get going, yeah.
00:15:07.70\00:15:10.60
We'd hoped years ago
that it would be successful
00:15:10.63\00:15:12.99
and you gave a
outline of reasons for why
00:15:13.02\00:15:16.14
it's not gone ahead more quickly
00:15:16.17\00:15:17.98
and may not
anytime in the future go.
00:15:18.01\00:15:20.10
I introduced you as
our church's legislative
00:15:20.13\00:15:24.83
liaison in
Washington and maybe many
00:15:24.86\00:15:27.22
Seventh-Day
Adventist and others watching
00:15:27.25\00:15:29.71
this program might not
realize that had church
00:15:29.74\00:15:31.89
and others have people working
00:15:31.92\00:15:34.19
with the legislators
How does this differ from,
00:15:34.22\00:15:36.77
from lobbyists?
You know whether it's
00:15:36.80\00:15:40.82
President Obama
or President Bush,
00:15:40.85\00:15:42.36
they were all
down on the lobbyists,
00:15:42.39\00:15:44.05
what's the
distinction though? Well, I mean
00:15:44.08\00:15:46.48
in essence where a
lobbyist you know is
00:15:46.51\00:15:51.11
more or less interested
in various financial gains
00:15:51.14\00:15:53.50
and so forth for their clients
00:15:53.53\00:15:55.18
and that kind of
things. Have you voted
00:15:55.21\00:15:56.45
any meals lately
for a top politician?
00:15:56.48\00:15:58.13
No, I tell you what,
what we've done is, I mean
00:15:58.83\00:16:04.42
the whole approach
is and like you said,
00:16:04.45\00:16:07.52
I better settle that,
you'd have buy meals for,
00:16:07.55\00:16:09.70
no, no but this is communicating
00:16:09.73\00:16:13.44
our values to Washington
that needs to be done,
00:16:13.47\00:16:15.89
oh absolutely,
and, I can call it
00:16:15.92\00:16:18.09
a ministry of
presence, because sometimes
00:16:18.12\00:16:20.79
you know you wake up in
the day you have no idea
00:16:20.82\00:16:22.71
what your divine
appointments are going
00:16:22.74\00:16:24.28
to be but you go on
the hill and you're there,
00:16:24.31\00:16:29.13
you're there
where various meetings
00:16:29.16\00:16:31.14
are being held
whether it's you know
00:16:31.17\00:16:34.12
congressional
committee meetings or whether
00:16:34.15\00:16:37.54
it's meetings put on
by various think tanks
00:16:37.57\00:16:40.81
you know that's one of
the things this is neat
00:16:40.84\00:16:42.51
about Washington is the fact
00:16:42.54\00:16:43.79
that you have so
many different think tanks
00:16:43.82\00:16:46.52
from a very broad
perspective you know
00:16:46.55\00:16:50.60
the Hudson institute,
the Heritage institute,
00:16:50.63\00:16:53.54
you've got the
progress for Americans so forth,
00:16:53.57\00:16:58.78
you get all of
these groups and bookings
00:16:58.81\00:17:02.72
and so forth. and
you, they'll put on
00:17:02.75\00:17:05.74
various seminars or
symposiums and you know,
00:17:05.77\00:17:09.71
it's quite
interesting because you'll get
00:17:09.74\00:17:11.15
a lot of various
congressional staff
00:17:11.18\00:17:13.66
will come and
people from the White House
00:17:13.69\00:17:15.94
and all of this kind of stuff.
00:17:15.97\00:17:17.09
And so, its tends to
be a great opportunity
00:17:17.12\00:17:19.12
then to be able to make contacts
00:17:19.15\00:17:20.67
and see what's going on.
00:17:20.70\00:17:21.75
And to hear their view point on
00:17:21.78\00:17:23.69
some of these topics.
Oh! Absolutely, absolutely
00:17:23.72\00:17:26.21
and then by, by
like for instance
00:17:26.24\00:17:30.29
just a few weeks
ago, I was involved,
00:17:30.32\00:17:32.73
I was invited to the
US-Vietnam celebration
00:17:32.76\00:17:39.30
of the
US-Vietnam, the diplomatic
00:17:39.33\00:17:43.81
relations 15 years.
And so you never know
00:17:43.84\00:17:47.68
who's going to be
there first of all.
00:17:47.71\00:17:49.75
And lo and behold
when, when we got there
00:17:49.78\00:17:52.73
part of you know half
way through the time slot
00:17:52.76\00:17:58.22
and so forth actually
know President Clinton
00:17:58.25\00:18:00.55
shows up, John
Kerry, John McCain
00:18:00.58\00:18:03.89
and so forth. And, and you know,
00:18:03.92\00:18:07.35
you're milling
around the meeting.
00:18:07.38\00:18:09.50
That's amazing,
isn't it? Yeah, yeah.
00:18:09.53\00:18:10.62
A lot of people
don't realize it.
00:18:10.65\00:18:11.62
I should tell you
this, this is even further
00:18:11.63\00:18:13.53
a field. I
remember once going to one
00:18:13.56\00:18:17.21
of these meetings, a
few blocks away from;
00:18:17.24\00:18:19.91
from the capital
and not being showed
00:18:19.94\00:18:22.41
where to park. And
so, people would pass
00:18:22.44\00:18:24.60
and wind the window
down and ask directions
00:18:24.63\00:18:26.61
and it was Senator Phil
Gramm asking directions.
00:18:26.64\00:18:29.88
There is a very
high concentration of
00:18:29.91\00:18:32.72
well-known
individuals, oh absolutely.
00:18:32.75\00:18:35.44
Figures and, and,
and you mention the,
00:18:35.47\00:18:37.74
the hearing on,
on Vietnam, yeah.
00:18:37.77\00:18:41.79
Dr. John Graz, the
director of the department
00:18:41.82\00:18:45.16
and I went down for
one of those hearings
00:18:45.19\00:18:47.81
on Vietnam and ended
up as a result going to
00:18:47.84\00:18:50.08
Ambon, Indonesia
because we heard a report given.
00:18:50.11\00:18:52.63
There is wonderful information
00:18:52.66\00:18:54.55
and studies and, and so
on being shared in those
00:18:54.58\00:18:57.30
hearings, that
it's important for you
00:18:57.33\00:18:59.58
as the representative
of church to pick up on.
00:18:59.61\00:19:01.66
Yeah, and. It's
not just legislation,
00:19:01.69\00:19:03.46
no; it's just like
to related activity.
00:19:03.49\00:19:05.70
That's right, and,
and you'll never know,
00:19:05.73\00:19:07.79
what, how the
contacts will pan out you know,
00:19:07.82\00:19:12.77
I'm, I'm kind of
like a vacuum cleaner when
00:19:12.80\00:19:15.10
I go to a room because
I want to get everybody's
00:19:15.13\00:19:18.96
card you know,
whoever I'm talking to
00:19:18.99\00:19:21.08
and that kind of
thing. So, I'll come back
00:19:21.11\00:19:22.63
sometimes with 20
and 30 cards you know,
00:19:22.66\00:19:25.22
and I, we bring them to our
00:19:25.25\00:19:27.68
administrative
assistant and we want to,
00:19:27.71\00:19:29.48
to put those into
our database make.
00:19:29.51\00:19:32.42
So, so, so that we
have an ongoing accumulation
00:19:32.45\00:19:35.88
of contacts. And it,
it's just a, a very neat
00:19:35.91\00:19:41.53
experience in that way.
The like I was mentioning
00:19:41.56\00:19:45.87
with this say,
US-Vietnam evening.
00:19:45.90\00:19:49.05
You know, I'm
chatting with people
00:19:49.08\00:19:51.61
and I don't really
know who I'm chatting
00:19:51.64\00:19:53.69
necessarily then
I introduce myself,
00:19:53.72\00:19:55.63
they introduce
themselves and so I'm speaking
00:19:55.66\00:19:58.07
with the, the ambassador
to the UN from Vietnam.
00:19:58.10\00:20:03.87
I'm speaking to
the ambassador from the
00:20:03.90\00:20:07.03
Philippines to
the United States.
00:20:07.06\00:20:09.31
And some of these
contacts with ambassadors
00:20:09.34\00:20:11.97
and, and, and even
some heads of state.
00:20:12.00\00:20:14.11
The more informal in Washington
00:20:14.14\00:20:16.58
and I've lead
directly to interventions
00:20:16.61\00:20:18.52
or improvement on behalf of the
00:20:18.55\00:20:20.38
Seventh-day Adventist
and other religious groups,
00:20:20.41\00:20:22.32
alright. There's many
cases where there is a
00:20:22.35\00:20:24.54
direct causality
between an improvement.
00:20:24.57\00:20:27.18
Usually, yeah
in situation, yeah.
00:20:27.21\00:20:29.80
And it's always
good to explain ourselves
00:20:29.83\00:20:31.55
in that lower stress situations.
00:20:31.58\00:20:33.93
And it's very interesting
when you're involved in
00:20:33.96\00:20:36.30
these meetings because you know,
00:20:36.33\00:20:39.29
you always identified you know,
00:20:39.32\00:20:41.08
you got to get
your name tag you know,
00:20:41.11\00:20:42.56
your Seventh-day
Adventist church.
00:20:42.59\00:20:44.15
And once people
start, I mean lets face it,
00:20:44.18\00:20:47.32
a lot of, lot of
people look at well you know
00:20:47.35\00:20:49.08
Adventist church.
Well, that that's no
00:20:49.11\00:20:50.52
going to give them a contract
00:20:50.55\00:20:52.18
or anything you
know, what I mean, yeah,
00:20:52.21\00:20:53.48
like other
individuals, but what will be
00:20:53.51\00:20:57.55
interesting is to
find out from various
00:20:57.58\00:20:59.55
countries around the
world where you know,
00:20:59.58\00:21:01.62
as a church we have a president.
00:21:01.65\00:21:02.97
And pretty soon
renew to a conversation
00:21:03.00\00:21:06.55
about the work of
the church in their
00:21:06.58\00:21:08.12
home country
and, and all of these
00:21:08.15\00:21:10.22
kinds of things. And
we could explain perhaps
00:21:10.25\00:21:12.30
it's a country which
was only a few thousand
00:21:12.33\00:21:13.82
Seventh-day Adventists.
Yeah, and they may have
00:21:13.85\00:21:15.50
thought that we're a non-entity,
00:21:15.53\00:21:16.76
not as important
as defined for them
00:21:16.79\00:21:20.79
the way we would say it, right,
00:21:20.82\00:21:22.27
we have spiritual significance
00:21:22.30\00:21:23.48
and our loyalty
to God, but still it,
00:21:23.51\00:21:26.19
it makes them look a
little differently almost
00:21:26.22\00:21:28.57
non-existence group within their
00:21:28.60\00:21:30.01
country perhaps,
right, and to say
00:21:30.04\00:21:31.46
that it's a viable functioning,
00:21:31.49\00:21:33.04
global body of
believers that, that,
00:21:33.07\00:21:37.58
that can very directly change
00:21:37.61\00:21:39.42
how they relate to this subset
00:21:39.45\00:21:41.92
of their own
population. Oh absolutely,
00:21:41.95\00:21:44.68
and I, and I mean
when you look at the
00:21:44.71\00:21:46.55
Adventist church. You
know, we've got people in
00:21:46.58\00:21:50.30
virtually every
country of the world.
00:21:50.33\00:21:52.19
I think there is
some where we, we, we
00:21:52.22\00:21:53.89
probably don't, but,
but by and large into the
00:21:53.92\00:21:56.87
vast majority
into the 90 percentile.
00:21:56.90\00:21:59.38
We are, we have
members, we have individuals
00:21:59.41\00:22:02.45
underground and
then we are you know
00:22:02.48\00:22:06.10
making
representation in, in Washington
00:22:06.13\00:22:08.23
and at the United
Nations. So, with this
00:22:08.26\00:22:12.36
network that we
have, we are then able to
00:22:12.39\00:22:15.74
certainly have a lot
in leverage in reaching
00:22:15.77\00:22:19.30
various countries
and being able to have
00:22:19.33\00:22:22.36
an influence for good, for the
00:22:22.39\00:22:24.67
cause of religious
freedom. Good, yeah,
00:22:24.70\00:22:28.12
it's a, it's a wonderful
dynamic really you know,
00:22:28.15\00:22:31.31
we're often talking
about the history of how
00:22:31.34\00:22:33.18
the US came to be
and, and it's not as unique
00:22:33.21\00:22:36.90
as some people
think because I am a
00:22:36.93\00:22:40.34
history student, and
I'm also an English major.
00:22:40.37\00:22:44.09
And I can easily show
that is in the tradition
00:22:44.12\00:22:47.29
of the English people, you know
00:22:47.32\00:22:48.29
it's not different in
some ways from parliament
00:22:48.32\00:22:50.38
and so on. Where
there's a representation,
00:22:50.41\00:22:53.49
but I think given
that the US is such a large
00:22:53.52\00:22:56.33
country now, it a
such a dominant place
00:22:56.36\00:22:58.42
in world affairs.
And some ways when
00:22:58.45\00:23:00.43
you're in Washington,
you're in the headquarters
00:23:00.46\00:23:02.09
of the world.
Right. Some of us I think,
00:23:02.12\00:23:04.47
arguably even a
little bit more than the UN,
00:23:04.50\00:23:07.31
there's real business
being done in Washington
00:23:07.34\00:23:10.20
and, and these
hearings that have
00:23:10.23\00:23:12.10
global ramification.
Countries want to be,
00:23:12.13\00:23:15.40
want to explain themselves in,
00:23:15.43\00:23:16.98
in the House of Washington.
00:23:17.01\00:23:18.27
I think a way that
the, that can be very
00:23:18.30\00:23:20.40
interesting for a
church representative
00:23:20.43\00:23:22.29
to be there.
And, and I hope that
00:23:22.32\00:23:25.07
this continues and
strengthens as a church,
00:23:25.10\00:23:27.23
but we need to
explain to our own members
00:23:27.26\00:23:29.65
and those
watching that are judging
00:23:29.68\00:23:31.27
what Adventist do by this?
00:23:31.30\00:23:32.94
We're not interested in fielding
00:23:32.97\00:23:34.62
and we couldn't anyhow,
you know a force of 20/30
00:23:34.65\00:23:39.27
quiet lobbyists,
right. We don't think,
00:23:39.30\00:23:41.64
we're not that way.
Yeah, but it's important
00:23:41.67\00:23:43.25
enough to us, isn't
that to explain ourselves
00:23:43.28\00:23:45.70
to power, just as Paul
was before King Agrippa
00:23:45.73\00:23:49.98
and Felix and others. I
think we've been negligent
00:23:50.01\00:23:54.08
if we go into a
shopping center and to,
00:23:54.11\00:23:56.23
and give out literature,
have a mission outreach
00:23:56.26\00:23:58.95
in this community and
advertise on television,
00:23:58.98\00:24:01.78
what shouldn't the
rulers of the United States
00:24:01.81\00:24:05.47
or indeed any
country be informed about
00:24:05.50\00:24:07.68
what our
spiritual objectives. Yeah.
00:24:07.71\00:24:10.86
We don't want
them to be ignorant.
00:24:10.89\00:24:12.00
No, not, not at
all and, and I think
00:24:12.03\00:24:14.12
it's extremely important for us
00:24:14.15\00:24:15.67
as a people to be known.
Not to be just simply off
00:24:15.70\00:24:19.73
in the corner
doing, doing our thing,
00:24:19.76\00:24:21.68
but actually be involved and,
00:24:21.71\00:24:24.18
and be there in
thje public. And I know
00:24:24.21\00:24:27.42
these are
individuals who make some,
00:24:27.45\00:24:29.62
first of all they're
very busy and they make
00:24:29.65\00:24:32.88
some very serious
decisions with respect
00:24:32.91\00:24:35.05
to their own people,
with respect to you know
00:24:35.08\00:24:37.77
what's happening on the ground.
00:24:37.80\00:24:39.07
And by letting
them know who we are
00:24:39.10\00:24:43.64
and what we're about
you know, passing off our,
00:24:43.67\00:24:46.10
our, our cards you
know, I mean I'm always
00:24:46.13\00:24:51.01
with a load of
cards. But you know like
00:24:51.04\00:24:53.64
one of the
things we, we do as we,
00:24:53.67\00:24:56.92
we talk a little bit
about, haven't seen you.
00:24:56.95\00:25:00.54
Yeah, just, it's
the, a little bit about
00:25:00.57\00:25:03.44
Seventh-day
Adventist Christians. Yeah.
00:25:03.47\00:25:05.16
It's very good, and so we have,
00:25:05.19\00:25:06.58
we listed our
beliefs and summarized
00:25:06.61\00:25:08.12
in one sentence.
Well, how big we are,
00:25:08.15\00:25:11.02
what we do for
education, health care,
00:25:11.05\00:25:13.47
how many hospitals
and so on Lifestyle
00:25:13.50\00:25:15.74
and our ADRA and other
things that we're doing
00:25:15.77\00:25:19.77
for the community. I
think this is very good,
00:25:19.80\00:25:21.40
yeah, and someone
will the very least
00:25:21.43\00:25:23.32
you can be sure
they will scan over that.
00:25:23.35\00:25:25.13
Well, sure, I believe
it. Well, that they're
00:25:25.16\00:25:27.57
ever told about the church.
00:25:27.60\00:25:28.81
Yeah, and, and, it's you know,
00:25:28.84\00:25:30.77
it's done in like you
know. Now, these contacts
00:25:30.80\00:25:33.61
are very good and, and you know,
00:25:33.64\00:25:35.36
I've worked for you
for a number of years now.
00:25:35.39\00:25:37.40
In our annual
liberty dinner, yes.
00:25:37.43\00:25:40.52
And I thought of
this, this sort of network
00:25:40.55\00:25:43.53
of contacts because
little bit before that
00:25:43.56\00:25:46.17
liberty dinner, Dr.
John Graz and I had gone down
00:25:46.20\00:25:48.49
to Ambon, not to
Ambon, we did that too.
00:25:48.52\00:25:51.34
To East Timor, right.
The newest independent
00:25:51.37\00:25:55.39
country of the 21 century,
00:25:55.42\00:25:56.95
we met the
president there. I invited him
00:25:56.98\00:25:59.62
to that dinner and
he may yet to come.
00:25:59.65\00:26:01.33
And then at the
next, very next dinner
00:26:01.36\00:26:03.62
he is the ambassador
or the deputy ambassador
00:26:03.65\00:26:06.67
I think he was
from East Timor, right.
00:26:06.70\00:26:08.51
And I could say to
him, you met the president
00:26:08.54\00:26:10.68
a couple of days ago
and, and we can connect
00:26:10.71\00:26:14.43
beautifully that way.
So, there's definitely
00:26:14.46\00:26:17.40
a pay off on this
context for a continuing
00:26:17.43\00:26:21.16
and enlarging
awareness of what the
00:26:21.19\00:26:23.33
Seventh-day
Adventist church has,
00:26:23.36\00:26:24.94
and we have to make
sure that as a church
00:26:24.97\00:26:28.06
that we're able to be
seen. And like I said,
00:26:28.09\00:26:30.84
it's a ministry of presence.
00:26:30.87\00:26:33.18
And we thank you for
your prayerful support
00:26:33.21\00:26:36.44
and pray that you'll be with us
00:26:36.47\00:26:39.51
as we in the spirit
of prayer, as we're there
00:26:39.54\00:26:42.80
on the hill representing you.
00:26:42.83\00:26:44.75
Religious liberty
for the Seventh-day
00:26:46.27\00:26:48.19
Adventist church
really began in the 1880s.
00:26:48.22\00:26:50.94
Alonzo T. Jones, Editor
of the Liberty Precursor
00:26:50.97\00:26:55.72
the Sentinel. Appeared
at least on one occasion
00:26:55.75\00:26:59.97
before a senate committee,
00:27:00.00\00:27:01.63
which was examining
the possibility of a
00:27:01.66\00:27:05.19
National Sunday Law. Those days
00:27:05.22\00:27:08.34
were an amazing
period for religious liberty
00:27:08.37\00:27:11.52
intervention by the
Seventh-day Adventist
00:27:11.55\00:27:13.84
representatives, but
those days are not over,
00:27:13.87\00:27:16.38
not too many years
ago, our church liaison
00:27:16.41\00:27:20.85
gave testimony before
another two committees
00:27:20.88\00:27:24.54
on the
advisability of the work place
00:27:24.57\00:27:27.57
religious freedom
act. Barry Bussey continues
00:27:27.60\00:27:32.02
that role of the
Seventh day Adventist Church.
00:27:32.05\00:27:33.98
And in a way every believer,
00:27:34.01\00:27:36.58
every person of
faith is represented
00:27:36.61\00:27:39.34
through his
activities. This is not
00:27:39.37\00:27:41.96
lobbyist activity.
This is representing
00:27:41.99\00:27:47.12
faith views before
those who are charged
00:27:47.15\00:27:50.68
with executing
civil responsibility.
00:27:50.71\00:27:53.23
And surely they need
to know just as surely
00:27:53.26\00:27:56.51
as in the 1880s,
what it is that the
00:27:56.54\00:27:58.94
Seventh-day Adventist
and other people of faith
00:27:58.97\00:28:01.01
want them to know.
For Liberty Insider,
00:28:01.04\00:28:05.05
this is Lincoln Steed.
00:28:05.08\00:28:06.74