Welcome to the
"Liberty Insider."
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My name is Lincoln Steed,
Editor of Liberty Magazine.
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And this program for those
of you that have listened to
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our program before deals
with religious liberty issues,
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news updates and discussion
on some of the principles
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that are behind
these developments.
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My guest on the
program Alan Reinach.
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Attorney Alan Reinach,
from the Church State Council.
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I want to talk
about something that
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you and I are much
engaged with but probably
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most of our viewers
haven't heard of before,
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I will use an acronym
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The NARLA.
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The North American
Religious Liberty Association.
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I've been with Liberty Magazine
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best part of 13 years now.
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When I came, it
effectively did not exist,
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not Liberty but NARLA.
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It was on paper only. On paper.
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We've done a lot to
bring it into some activity.
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What are we
trying to do with NARLA?
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Well, first of all
we need to understand
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that the
Seventh-day Adventist church
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really started the
first organized religious
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liberty work in
the United States
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in the later
part of the 19, 1800s.
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So going back
more than a century,
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we founded the American
Religious Liberty Association
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going back to about 1887
and it has had various forms,
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the International
Religious Liberty Association
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and since the really
in the post Cold War era.
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IRLA, the International
Group has fund literally
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something like three
dozen national and regional
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religious liberty
associations working
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for religious
freedom all over the world.
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And here in the
United States and Canada,
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we have reenergized
and reactivated NARLA,
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the North American
Religious Liberty Association
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as the vehicle for
people in all communities
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to participate in the
work of religious liberty.
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Now you explain the IRLA,
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the International Religious
Liberty Association and to,
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not to give away,
the reason to have NARLA.
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We should recognize
that for many years,
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the Seventh-day
Adventist Church headquarters,
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of course,
based in North America
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and the United States.
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The IRLA effectively was
active within this country
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and some ways treating
it as a national entity.
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But we know that there
is a need with some of these
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fast moving developments
of late, to really have
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an active clearly define
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North American
Religious Liberty Association
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that will work with IRLA.
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We have unique
traditions and laws
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in the United States and Canada
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also dealing with
religious freedom.
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And it's so urgent
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that church
members that all Americans
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step up to the
play and participate.
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You know, I do my
I do my radio show
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which you've been on many times
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I am on you television show.
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we have a radio program too.
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on freedom's
ring when we interview
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experts on international
religious freedom issues.
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The one thing that
they always tell us is that
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when the
American people speak up
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and care about
persecution overseas.
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Our ability to get our
own government to intervene
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and to care the state
department congress etc.
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This is critical in
combating persecution worldwide.
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Not to the mention the influence
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we can have on
our own government
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and our own laws
in these countries
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for the American
people and church members
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American Christians
in particular to care
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and to participate in
an organization like NARLA
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is absolutely critical.
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If we don't, we might as
well give away our freedom.
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Absolutely, from
two angles because
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the Seventh-day Adventist Church
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has a theological
and historic basis
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what it does on
religious liberty,
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and we've done
from the earliest days.
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But if our own
membership are not involved
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by definition forget about that.
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Yes, we might as
well give that away.
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And I believe in the
logic context, I've said it
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on this program
for I fervently believe
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in the social
contract and so if the people
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and founders of the
American Republic said
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equivalent
statements many times.
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If the people loose
sight of these principles
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that might still be
in law, doesn't matter.
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It's their practice
and support and advocacy
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for these
overwriting principles such as
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religious freedom
that keeps them alive,
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not the fact that it's,
you know, it's on the glass,
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in the capital there somewhere.
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So NARLA has a fantastic role
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to revitalize within our church,
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our religious
liberty commitment and then
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then on behalf of the
church as individual activist
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they can communicate
these values to legislatures.
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You had a
legislative visitation day
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there in Sacramento
just a few days ago.
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With some of the NARLA members.
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And this is
fantastic and I am sure
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a legislative pays
a lot more attention
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to citizens from their
area or a group of citizens
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that turn up on their doorstep
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than some pronouncement
even a Liberty Magazine
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or official
pronouncement from a church
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or some agency that has probably
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from their
perspective another agenda.
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They pay more attention
than the actual constituency.
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You know, Lincoln, I
gotta to, I got to tell
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my favorite lobby
story here since you talk
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about the
importance of the individual.
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Actually two stories
before we are done I hope.
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Back in the 90s, we were working
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on a religious
liberty bill in California,
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state of 35 million people.
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And the staff member
that we were working with,
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at one point he calls
my associates he says,
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we are getting a flood of mail
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in support of the
bills, he is very excited.
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And so my associate who is now
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our Pacific Union Conference
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Vice-President Arnold Trujillo.
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He says to him,
Ben, what does that mean?
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You know, how many
letters is a flood?
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You know, while you are waiting
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for the punch line listeners,
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how many do you
think is the flood.
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He said, a
dozen, a dozen letters.
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And I think
about even, you know,
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the little churches
we go to and preach at.
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And if you think about
the 20 percent of the church
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that allegedly is
responsible for 80 percent
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of the work even that 20 percent
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in the smallest
churches is a flood in a state
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like California,
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so if you are in
Indiana or Ohio or Kansas
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or Alabama, you
know, when the state
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that doesn't have
35 million people.
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How much more is, if
you can generate 10 letters
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and phones calls, 12 letters
and phone calls on an issue.
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Legislatures will
sit up and take notice.
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Yes, now we found
that over and over,
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you know, it's true on
the simplest level of voting,
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you know, you are one
among the 300 million,
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but we've seen in
many areas of Endeavour.
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A few motivated individuals
can have an influence
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way out of
proportion to their numbers.
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Okay, story
number two, do you count?
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Does your vote count?
Does your voice count?
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A Very close
friend of mine who serves,
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we have a chapter of NARLA
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in California in the West Coast.
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And one of our board members
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is a high school history teacher
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who ran for city
council and his city
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in the city of
Colton, California
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near Loma Linda, California.
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He's been a life
long member, grew up
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in the Spanish
church in his town.
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And of course, in that community
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there was great
reluctance to vote.
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And so his own church
members did not register
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and go out and
vote for him even though
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they knew him from
when he was, you know,
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a baby and knew
his character etc.
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I should interject
this Seventh-day Adventist
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have some questions
about voting because
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they became aware
early on that you share
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some culpability when
your candidate does things.
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But I don't think it's correct
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that Seventh-day Adventist
have been told not to vote.
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We have not really
called not to vote.
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In fact, the reverse,
we to responsible citizens.
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We should use the power
of the vote to influence
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policy in directions to
our poll freedom values.
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The reality is,
that as a citizen
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you are responsible morally
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either for your
vote or for not voting
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is just as much a
moral responsibility.
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You are
accountable for who got in,
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if you didn't vote, okay.
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Anyway, So my friend
ran for city council.
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He lost by three votes.
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If his own church
members had simply gone
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to the ballot box
and voted for him,
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he would have won.
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Yeah, yeah, and in that case,
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one or two votes are everything.
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You never know.
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Yeah, but the point
I was trying to make
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Those three votes
would have been pivotal
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but the influence of
a motivated individual
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can be way out of
proportion to that individual.
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And the impact to
Seventh-day Adventist churches
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when we go very often
they are little churches
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and I have told them.
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Here is a church,
maybe of 100 people,
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and you know, I
said, don't worry about
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the million other
Adventists in North America.
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If this church came on fire,
you could make an influence
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just that everyone would notice.
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And even one or two
individuals money wise,
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have the capability to
influence an entire project
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like Liberty Magazine.
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So we shouldn't
sale the individual
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or the small groups so.
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And this is the
message of NARLA to mobilize
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that inherent power
probably we will have,
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never have the
majority of our membership party
00:10:05.17\00:10:07.28
but just a few thousand
highly motivated individuals
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could make a radical
difference on the promotion of
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religious freedom
and human individual
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conscience in this country.
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And I am
convinced that by energizing
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the way people to
get involved in NARLA,
00:10:21.03\00:10:23.50
we're going to be able
to increase the influence
00:10:23.51\00:10:26.53
of Liberty Magazine. We hope so.
00:10:26.54\00:10:28.27
Because, you know,
we send you to a church
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just this past
Sabbath, it's a little country
00:10:30.67\00:10:32.75
church out in
Weimar, California.
00:10:32.76\00:10:34.95
And they raised almost
$2000 for Liberty Magazine.
00:10:34.96\00:10:38.49
They have been
energized, active with NARLA,
00:10:38.50\00:10:40.90
active in religious
liberty and you know,
00:10:40.91\00:10:44.83
raise a lot more
money for Liberty Magazine
00:10:44.84\00:10:47.39
than your typical church.
00:10:47.40\00:10:49.14
Now what are the some of
the things that the NARLA
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either has done or
will be doing in your area?
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Well, in our area
as you've mentioned
00:10:55.48\00:10:59.38
one of the things that
we do is we participate
00:10:59.39\00:11:02.54
in an Annual
Government Relations Day
00:11:02.55\00:11:04.89
and we advocate on religious
liberty issues in Sacramento.
00:11:04.90\00:11:10.04
We also do a National
Lobby Day in Congress,
00:11:10.05\00:11:15.10
and we invite people to come
00:11:15.11\00:11:17.43
to our nation's
capital and to meet with...
00:11:17.44\00:11:20.97
Like them many
NARLA members come to
00:11:20.98\00:11:21.95
our liberty dinner where
we invite political leaders
00:11:21.96\00:11:25.76
as well as
diplomatic core and other
00:11:25.77\00:11:29.59
religious liberty groups
from different religions.
00:11:29.60\00:11:32.43
It's a wonderful time
for NARLA members to connect
00:11:32.44\00:11:35.27
on the national level
00:11:35.28\00:11:36.25
with other
activists and influence.
00:11:36.26\00:11:38.23
Influential
people like politician.
00:11:38.24\00:11:40.74
From day-to-day, month-to-month,
00:11:40.75\00:11:42.27
year-to-year, we don't
know what critical religious
00:11:42.28\00:11:45.17
liberty issues may come
up that we want to speak to.
00:11:45.18\00:11:49.62
And you are not
going to know unless
00:11:49.63\00:11:52.95
you are a member of NARLA
and you are on our email list
00:11:52.96\00:11:56.50
and getting our alerts,
unless you are informed,
00:11:56.51\00:11:59.76
you won't be
able to get involved
00:11:59.77\00:12:01.60
and be ready to
make, to send that email
00:12:01.61\00:12:05.65
or make that phone
call or send that letter
00:12:05.66\00:12:08.25
or go visit your legislature.
00:12:08.26\00:12:10.41
Most of us would
be totally intimated
00:12:10.42\00:12:13.41
to go visit our
legislative office.
00:12:13.42\00:12:16.02
And NARLA would provide training
00:12:16.03\00:12:18.10
to make this context.
00:12:18.11\00:12:19.83
And it's easy.
00:12:19.84\00:12:21.28
And NARLA gives the
knowledge, you know,
00:12:21.29\00:12:22.51
they say, we are
not without some course,
00:12:22.52\00:12:23.96
knowledge is power.
00:12:23.97\00:12:25.07
We had a group of
students come from
00:12:25.08\00:12:26.94
Pacific Union College to
participate in our lobby.
00:12:26.95\00:12:30.21
And this is very good NARLA.
00:12:30.22\00:12:31.21
I know these plans to
involve younger people.
00:12:31.22\00:12:34.53
They had, they were to show.
00:12:34.54\00:12:36.47
Old age hath yet his
honor says the poet but
00:12:36.48\00:12:38.69
we want young people.
00:12:38.70\00:12:40.21
They had such a good time.
00:12:40.22\00:12:41.95
Teenagers in early
20s to get involve, right?
00:12:41.96\00:12:44.35
They have never
done this before.
00:12:44.36\00:12:45.54
We gave an orientation
and you know, they were,
00:12:45.55\00:12:50.46
maybe a little bit intimated
but they had so much fun
00:12:50.47\00:12:53.47
they could see, yes,
00:12:53.48\00:12:54.45
we can do this
they will listen to us.
00:12:54.46\00:12:56.76
Hold that thought, Alan.
00:12:56.77\00:12:57.74
We will be right
back after the break.
00:12:57.75\00:12:59.49
Stay with us and we
will be talking more about
00:12:59.50\00:13:01.30
the North American
Religious Liberty Association.
00:13:01.31\00:13:04.24
One-hundred years, a
long time to do anything
00:13:12.97\00:13:16.70
much less publish a magazine,
00:13:16.71\00:13:18.60
but this year Liberty,
00:13:18.61\00:13:20.71
the Seventh-day Adventist
voice of religious freedom,
00:13:20.72\00:13:23.49
celebrates one
hundred years of doing
00:13:23.50\00:13:25.77
what it does best,
collecting, analyzing,
00:13:25.78\00:13:28.81
and reporting the ebb and
flow of religious expression
00:13:28.82\00:13:31.77
around the world.
00:13:31.78\00:13:33.27
Issue after issue,
Liberty has taken on the
00:13:33.28\00:13:36.26
tough assignments,
tracking down threats
00:13:36.27\00:13:38.58
to religious
freedom and exposing the
00:13:38.59\00:13:40.27
work of the devil in
every corner of the globe.
00:13:40.28\00:13:43.20
Governmental
interference, personal attacks,
00:13:43.21\00:13:45.95
corporate assaults,
even religious freedom issues
00:13:45.96\00:13:48.82
sequestered within the
church community itself
00:13:48.83\00:13:51.01
have been clearly
and honestly exposed.
00:13:51.02\00:13:53.82
Liberty exists for one
purpose to help God's people
00:13:53.83\00:13:57.62
maintain that all the
important separation of
00:13:57.63\00:14:00.40
Church and State,
while recognizing the
00:14:00.41\00:14:02.80
dangers inherent
in such a struggle.
00:14:02.81\00:14:05.44
During the past
century, Liberty has experienced
00:14:05.45\00:14:07.95
challenges of its own,
but it remains on the job.
00:14:07.96\00:14:11.47
Thanks to the inspired
leadership of a long line
00:14:11.48\00:14:13.95
of dedicated Adventist Editors,
00:14:13.96\00:14:15.91
three of whom
represent almost half of the
00:14:15.92\00:14:17.77
publications
existence and the foresight
00:14:17.78\00:14:20.22
of a little
woman from New England.
00:14:20.23\00:14:22.57
One hundred years of struggle,
00:14:22.58\00:14:24.58
one hundred years of victories,
00:14:24.59\00:14:27.00
religious freedom isn't
just about political machines
00:14:27.01\00:14:29.96
and cultural prejudices.
00:14:29.97\00:14:31.68
It's about people
fighting for the right
00:14:31.69\00:14:34.69
to serve the God
they love as their hearts
00:14:34.70\00:14:37.43
and the Holy Spirit dictate.
00:14:37.44\00:14:39.98
Thanks to the
prayers and generous support
00:14:39.99\00:14:42.01
of Seventh-day
Adventists everywhere.
00:14:42.02\00:14:44.32
Liberty will continue
to accomplish its work
00:14:44.33\00:14:46.69
of providing timely information,
00:14:46.70\00:14:48.49
spirit filled inspiration,
00:14:48.50\00:14:50.13
and heaven sent encouragement
00:14:50.14\00:14:51.80
to all who long to
live and work in a world
00:14:51.81\00:14:55.76
bound together by
the God ordained bonds
00:14:55.77\00:14:58.73
of religious freedom.
00:14:58.74\00:15:00.73
Welcome back to
"Liberty Insider."
00:15:10.65\00:15:12.34
Before the break, I
was talking with guest
00:15:12.35\00:15:14.16
Alan Reinach about
00:15:14.17\00:15:15.83
North American
Religious Liberty Association.
00:15:15.84\00:15:19.19
And how you've been
involving young people.
00:15:19.20\00:15:21.62
You tell us your story.
00:15:21.63\00:15:23.91
Well, we've been
inviting the students from
00:15:23.92\00:15:26.29
Pacific Union College to come,
00:15:26.30\00:15:28.04
join us with our Lobby Day.
00:15:28.05\00:15:31.26
But we've also
intentionally reached out
00:15:31.27\00:15:34.28
and we are planning
to plant local chapters
00:15:34.29\00:15:37.63
of NARLA on the college campuses
00:15:37.64\00:15:40.65
because really we
have to pass the values
00:15:40.66\00:15:43.83
of religious freedom
on to the next generation.
00:15:43.84\00:15:46.51
I agree with you, absolutely,
00:15:46.52\00:15:47.88
now you are NARLA west? Yes.
00:15:47.89\00:15:51.65
NARLA has had an
interesting leadership of late.
00:15:51.66\00:15:55.46
I won't explain too
much for our readers
00:15:55.47\00:15:58.00
but the long and short
of that is that because
00:15:58.01\00:16:01.06
of some recent decisions
in organization by leadership.
00:16:01.07\00:16:04.30
NARLA will be run in some ways
00:16:04.31\00:16:05.99
out of our liberty
office in Washington.
00:16:06.00\00:16:08.66
And The Associate
editor of Liberty Magazine
00:16:08.67\00:16:12.27
to take the
executive role with NARLA.
00:16:12.28\00:16:15.15
I am the
Vice-President of NARLA,
00:16:15.16\00:16:16.76
so we're very much
linked into NARLA operations,
00:16:16.77\00:16:21.19
and we see this is a natural
extension to the magazine
00:16:21.20\00:16:24.61
which goes out
mostly to non-church people
00:16:24.62\00:16:27.39
to government and civic leaders,
00:16:27.40\00:16:29.86
that's fine
that, that continues.
00:16:29.87\00:16:31.61
But we think we can
only empower that by them
00:16:31.62\00:16:34.06
working with the young people,
00:16:34.07\00:16:35.76
with church membership
to become the foot soldiers
00:16:35.77\00:16:38.27
of the etiology
that we are sending
00:16:38.28\00:16:39.86
out through the magazine.
00:16:39.87\00:16:41.14
Let's put this in
perspective Lincoln
00:16:41.15\00:16:42.54
because yet you
know, as we've said
00:16:42.55\00:16:44.20
the Adventist
church has had a ministry,
00:16:44.21\00:16:46.60
an emphasis on
preserving and promoting
00:16:46.61\00:16:49.36
religious freedom
for more than a century
00:16:49.37\00:16:51.45
and how do we do that.
00:16:51.46\00:16:53.18
Well, you can see we
have television ministry
00:16:53.19\00:16:55.93
like we are doing
here, liberty magazine,
00:16:55.94\00:16:58.15
we use print
media, we use radio,
00:16:58.16\00:17:00.33
so we are using the
internet, all of the
00:17:00.34\00:17:02.99
available media to communicate.
00:17:03.00\00:17:05.62
We get involved in court cases
00:17:05.63\00:17:07.55
and Supreme Court
cases, you know, litigation.
00:17:07.56\00:17:10.56
We are monitoring legislation.
00:17:10.57\00:17:11.62
We are going out and giving
00:17:11.63\00:17:12.60
the lectures and
sermons and so on.
00:17:12.61\00:17:13.89
But it's also critical
that we reach out to the public
00:17:13.90\00:17:17.47
and involve the general public
00:17:17.48\00:17:19.74
in a grassroots
membership based way.
00:17:19.75\00:17:23.93
And so yes,
NARLA is sponsored by,
00:17:23.94\00:17:27.38
and led by the
Seventh-day Adventist leadership
00:17:27.39\00:17:30.55
closely as you've
said with Liberty Magazine,
00:17:30.56\00:17:32.98
but its membership is open
to anyone who wants to join
00:17:32.99\00:17:36.86
with us to
promote religious freedom.
00:17:36.87\00:17:38.80
Yes, the minister said
00:17:38.81\00:17:40.14
they are going
to turn nobody away.
00:17:40.15\00:17:41.62
Organizationally it is
structured very consciously
00:17:41.63\00:17:44.85
to enlist Seventh-day
Adventist who have this
00:17:44.86\00:17:48.03
bedrock principle
of religious freedom
00:17:48.04\00:17:49.78
to enlist them in
this grand endeavor.
00:17:49.79\00:17:52.01
And part of the
strategy has to be simply
00:17:52.02\00:17:54.69
this in my view and that is
00:17:54.70\00:17:57.85
at the denominational
level, at the leadership level,
00:17:57.86\00:18:00.75
we can reach out to Congress.
00:18:00.76\00:18:02.50
We can, you know, produce radio,
00:18:02.51\00:18:05.35
television, magazines etc.
00:18:05.36\00:18:07.73
But we cannot
build the relationships
00:18:07.74\00:18:10.74
in the local
community and influence
00:18:10.75\00:18:13.37
the values of
religious freedom in our cities
00:18:13.38\00:18:16.09
and towns around the nation
00:18:16.10\00:18:17.76
through our personal influence.
00:18:17.77\00:18:19.43
And that's where
I would like to see
00:18:19.44\00:18:22.34
the people coming together,
00:18:22.35\00:18:25.01
working together
in local chapters,
00:18:25.02\00:18:27.55
in all of our
communities and building bridges
00:18:27.56\00:18:30.17
with elected
officials, with the journalist,
00:18:30.18\00:18:32.47
with the other churches
and ministers in the community.
00:18:32.48\00:18:35.31
There is world of
possibilities, aren't they?
00:18:35.32\00:18:36.29
There is everything
that needs to be done
00:18:36.30\00:18:38.88
at the grassroots
level to build the consensus
00:18:38.89\00:18:41.96
and support for the
values of religious freedom.
00:18:41.97\00:18:44.99
Now these two
things that I've a great
00:18:45.00\00:18:47.63
burden on with NARLA.
00:18:47.64\00:18:49.26
Within our own church
which is major funding base
00:18:49.27\00:18:53.70
for the liberty operation
which is overwhelmingly
00:18:53.71\00:18:56.95
going outside the
church of the nearly 200,000,
00:18:56.96\00:18:59.95
only about 10,000 of those
go to Seventh-day Adventist.
00:18:59.96\00:19:03.18
We try to raise
the monies initially
00:19:03.19\00:19:05.63
within our own
churches about 5000 of them.
00:19:05.64\00:19:08.73
We need at least one
NARLA member in each church.
00:19:08.74\00:19:11.69
If we had that lead
person they could facilitated
00:19:11.70\00:19:15.23
that promotion
that gathering of energy
00:19:15.24\00:19:18.07
for liberty as well
as personal activities.
00:19:18.08\00:19:20.78
But see what
I've found, Lincoln.
00:19:20.79\00:19:22.54
The Adventist
church has a structure
00:19:22.55\00:19:25.36
where we have an
office in the local church
00:19:25.37\00:19:27.93
for religious
liberty, but too often...
00:19:27.94\00:19:30.30
There is nobody holding it.
00:19:30.31\00:19:31.29
Well, even if there is...
00:19:31.30\00:19:32.82
Or if they do,
they don't do anything.
00:19:32.83\00:19:33.92
They don't do very much. Yeah.
00:19:33.93\00:19:35.30
And that's what I
think NARLA comes in.
00:19:35.31\00:19:37.52
If you give, if you
put together several people
00:19:37.53\00:19:42.87
from churches in
a given community
00:19:42.88\00:19:45.60
and they come together
in small group ministry
00:19:45.61\00:19:48.34
and they meet
together, study together,
00:19:48.35\00:19:50.69
pray together, set some goals.
00:19:50.70\00:19:53.33
Then they will start to work.
00:19:53.34\00:19:55.07
Then they will really empower
00:19:55.08\00:19:57.52
the religious liberty ministry,
00:19:57.53\00:19:58.97
not only in the church raising
funds for Liberty Magazine.
00:19:58.98\00:20:02.90
But in the
community doing programs
00:20:02.91\00:20:05.83
bringing in guest speakers,
doing addressing topics
00:20:05.84\00:20:09.45
of interest for that community.
00:20:09.46\00:20:11.20
Absolutely, and the second thing
00:20:11.21\00:20:13.37
that I wanted to
mention that I think,
00:20:13.38\00:20:15.00
at some point now we
should take a lead in,
00:20:15.01\00:20:17.53
is we're not alone, the
Seventh-day Adventist church
00:20:17.54\00:20:20.11
is not the only church group
00:20:20.12\00:20:21.49
that have
religious liberty concerns,
00:20:21.50\00:20:22.82
the Baptists very much so.
00:20:22.83\00:20:25.18
With the history further
back than Seventh-day Adventism.
00:20:25.19\00:20:27.94
Another church groups
have concerns on this,
00:20:27.95\00:20:31.07
if not an
understanding like we do.
00:20:31.08\00:20:33.51
I believe that,
that NARLA members
00:20:33.52\00:20:35.49
could very profitably move
out into the religious community
00:20:35.50\00:20:39.49
and take meetings,
lectures and communicate
00:20:39.50\00:20:43.42
to this church groups
what we are trying to do.
00:20:43.43\00:20:46.29
And they are not going
to be turned down on that.
00:20:46.30\00:20:48.38
They might have
to have explain that
00:20:48.39\00:20:49.67
this is not projecting our
Adventist doctrine per say.
00:20:49.68\00:20:53.94
There might be some
resistance as there would be
00:20:53.95\00:20:56.16
in any church
groups someone else
00:20:56.17\00:20:57.60
is coming
proselytizing directly.
00:20:57.61\00:20:59.87
But this is
sharing the very best
00:20:59.88\00:21:01.67
element of our shared faith.
00:21:01.68\00:21:03.41
When we can go there
and explain how another
00:21:03.42\00:21:06.88
church group
defending their own interest
00:21:06.89\00:21:09.27
in defending religious liberty.
00:21:09.28\00:21:10.84
And how it's, a Christian
or duty under a creator God
00:21:10.85\00:21:16.00
to explain these
to the powers that be.
00:21:16.01\00:21:18.56
You know, there
is two misconceptions
00:21:18.57\00:21:20.46
that I find especially
among Seventh-day Adventist
00:21:20.47\00:21:23.36
about religious
liberty ministry.
00:21:23.37\00:21:25.52
One of them is
that, oh, well, we work
00:21:25.53\00:21:27.79
for religious
liberty simply to give us
00:21:27.80\00:21:30.71
more opportunity for evangelism.
00:21:30.72\00:21:33.56
No, religious liberty is itself
00:21:33.57\00:21:36.33
an expression of the identity,
00:21:36.34\00:21:38.77
the character of the creator.
00:21:38.78\00:21:40.36
It's the
gospel. It's the gospel.
00:21:40.37\00:21:41.64
It's the story of God that
He does not compel to obedience,
00:21:41.65\00:21:44.59
that He created
man as a free agent.
00:21:44.60\00:21:46.34
Man felt but its
liberation from sin
00:21:46.35\00:21:48.91
that's even I give
these sermons all the time.
00:21:48.92\00:21:50.57
We do. And you know
one of my favorite clips
00:21:50.58\00:21:53.46
up until my step
son turned 20 recently.
00:21:53.47\00:21:56.59
I would boast that
I had four teenagers
00:21:56.60\00:21:59.87
and I would say, you
know, sometimes I would pray
00:21:59.88\00:22:03.00
that God would just reach down
00:22:03.01\00:22:04.65
and rearrange
their brain chemistry
00:22:04.66\00:22:06.54
and fix them from the
inside out and make them
00:22:06.55\00:22:09.09
perfectly healthy
happy, holy and obedient.
00:22:09.10\00:22:11.63
But he doesn't work that way.
00:22:11.64\00:22:13.48
You know, He gives us freedom.
00:22:13.49\00:22:15.90
Love has to be
free, it would be easy.
00:22:15.91\00:22:19.27
I wouldn't have
all these grey hair
00:22:19.28\00:22:21.22
if He just
fixed up my teenagers.
00:22:21.23\00:22:23.35
I have a teenager now so
I'm empathizing what you say.
00:22:23.36\00:22:26.09
You know, that's not the gospel.
00:22:26.10\00:22:28.97
We have to respond,
love has to be free.
00:22:28.98\00:22:32.17
It's not gonna twist any arms,
00:22:32.18\00:22:34.80
we're not going to be dragged.
00:22:34.81\00:22:35.92
Religious freedom has nothing
00:22:35.93\00:22:36.90
to do with
compulsion, doesn't it?
00:22:36.91\00:22:38.13
We're not gonna be drag kicking
00:22:38.14\00:22:39.17
and screaming with the kingdom.
00:22:39.18\00:22:40.21
If you go to heaven,
it's because you've chosen
00:22:40.22\00:22:43.13
to respond the love of God.
00:22:43.14\00:22:44.69
Or even if you are
not going to heavens
00:22:44.70\00:22:45.67
because you
made a choice not to.
00:22:45.68\00:22:47.51
Have relationship with God.
00:22:47.52\00:22:49.98
That's right, that's right.
00:22:49.99\00:22:51.40
So I think NARLA... I
think it's the gospel.
00:22:51.41\00:22:53.33
NARLA is not just busy activity.
00:22:53.34\00:22:56.43
It's not just
legal connections, is it?
00:22:56.44\00:22:58.37
This is very much
a spiritual journey
00:22:58.38\00:23:01.42
that the individual
members will undergo
00:23:01.43\00:23:05.21
and then they will
help others in that journey
00:23:05.22\00:23:07.16
toward understanding
God and His principles.
00:23:07.17\00:23:09.37
The preachers use to talk about
00:23:09.38\00:23:11.28
the gospel and shoes.
00:23:11.29\00:23:13.05
You know, the practical
living out of the gospel.
00:23:13.06\00:23:16.05
Our religious
liberty ministry is very much
00:23:16.06\00:23:18.72
the gospel and shoes.
00:23:18.73\00:23:20.18
We're living the golden rule.
00:23:20.19\00:23:21.87
We're living the love of Christ,
00:23:21.88\00:23:24.40
the identity of our creator
00:23:24.41\00:23:26.86
who doesn't
coerce the conscience.
00:23:26.87\00:23:29.11
Yeah. Now, talking
about principles like that.
00:23:29.12\00:23:32.35
I know,
NARLA-West has spend sometime
00:23:32.36\00:23:36.07
putting down in on hard writing,
00:23:36.08\00:23:38.23
what you are trying to do
00:23:38.24\00:23:39.36
and maybe you can share that
00:23:39.37\00:23:40.34
with our viewers because I like
00:23:40.35\00:23:41.87
the way you expressed it there.
00:23:41.88\00:23:43.28
Well, we've been
working very hard
00:23:43.29\00:23:45.43
as you know to put
together a purpose vision
00:23:45.44\00:23:48.88
and mission's
statement to help guide us
00:23:48.89\00:23:52.00
and the purpose I
will just read it to you.
00:23:52.01\00:23:54.63
An underscores
what we were saying
00:23:54.64\00:23:55.66
about the gospel course.
00:23:55.67\00:23:56.68
The North American Religious
Liberty Association West
00:23:56.69\00:24:01.09
is a member driven
Seventh-day Adventist
00:24:01.10\00:24:04.07
organization
dedicated to promoting
00:24:04.08\00:24:06.65
liberty of conscience
and freedom of religion
00:24:06.66\00:24:09.48
and combating religious and
tolerance at the local state
00:24:09.49\00:24:12.72
and national levels.
00:24:12.73\00:24:14.34
So that's,
that's really, you know,
00:24:14.35\00:24:16.18
who are we, what are we
here for to get members,
00:24:16.19\00:24:20.21
to get
individuals working together.
00:24:20.22\00:24:23.13
And you know,
there is a reason why
00:24:23.14\00:24:25.29
we put liberty of
conscience ahead of freedom
00:24:25.30\00:24:28.49
of religion because
that's beyond religion.
00:24:28.50\00:24:32.82
Absolutely,
because it's the freedom
00:24:32.83\00:24:34.20
they just believe, so
it's not religion per say.
00:24:34.21\00:24:36.69
The freedom to
believe, you know,
00:24:36.70\00:24:38.20
the freedom of
thought and speech goes
00:24:38.21\00:24:41.82
beyond religious content.
00:24:41.83\00:24:44.09
It's really respect for
you as an individual created
00:24:44.10\00:24:47.83
in the image of
God to live according
00:24:47.84\00:24:50.20
to your own values and beliefs
00:24:50.21\00:24:51.98
to formulate your own values
00:24:51.99\00:24:53.88
and beliefs and live by them.
00:24:53.89\00:24:55.65
Absolutely, absolutely.
00:24:55.66\00:24:56.63
It's much broader than simply
00:24:56.64\00:24:58.56
religious beliefs and values.
00:24:58.57\00:25:00.63
And what else do we got
there? I see three brackets.
00:25:00.64\00:25:03.66
Well, we've already
really talked about our vision.
00:25:03.67\00:25:07.55
Yes. The vision is founded on...
00:25:07.56\00:25:09.84
NARLA-West is as
founded on concepts
00:25:09.85\00:25:11.93
of the character of God,
00:25:11.94\00:25:13.39
the gospel of Jesus
Christ and the nature of man.
00:25:13.40\00:25:16.79
God is love and doesn't
coerce the human conscience.
00:25:16.80\00:25:19.71
And religious
freedom I believe sits easily
00:25:19.72\00:25:22.22
with the most
humanistic understanding, amen.
00:25:22.23\00:25:25.19
We are not humanist
but a truly humanist should
00:25:25.20\00:25:27.75
understand
liberty of conscience,
00:25:27.76\00:25:29.54
freedom of
conscience, freedom to believe
00:25:29.55\00:25:31.73
or disbelieve what you what.
00:25:31.74\00:25:32.80
I was raised as
a secular humanist
00:25:32.81\00:25:35.16
and I felt that my
embracing of Jesus Christ
00:25:35.17\00:25:39.06
was consistent
with true humanism that,
00:25:39.07\00:25:43.38
you know, our true
value as human beings
00:25:43.39\00:25:47.06
is found as we
reflect on the love
00:25:47.07\00:25:49.87
that Christ has
demonstrated for each one of us.
00:25:49.88\00:25:52.73
That's true, and
in the basic sense,
00:25:52.74\00:25:54.92
I think religious
liberty has some things
00:25:54.93\00:25:57.86
in common at least
with libertarianism.
00:25:57.87\00:25:59.95
It should not in the
formal sense but, I mean,
00:25:59.96\00:26:02.94
we are free of
the shackles of sin,
00:26:02.95\00:26:06.28
we are free for
self determination.
00:26:06.29\00:26:08.70
This is the most liberating
concept to the human mind
00:26:08.71\00:26:11.28
and human person
that I think is possible.
00:26:11.29\00:26:14.00
Well, I can see we are running
out of time but the mission
00:26:14.01\00:26:17.67
of the North American
Religious Liberty Association
00:26:17.68\00:26:20.54
is really to
promote religious liberty
00:26:20.55\00:26:23.07
both here in the United
States and around the world.
00:26:23.08\00:26:26.54
And I can't
stress strongly enough
00:26:26.55\00:26:28.95
that freedom is not free folks.
00:26:28.96\00:26:31.45
If we are going
to enjoy our freedom
00:26:31.46\00:26:33.99
before going to
content it to preserve it.
00:26:34.00\00:26:36.30
We need you, everybody
has to play their part,
00:26:36.31\00:26:39.87
everybody needs to
step up to the plate,
00:26:39.88\00:26:42.47
join, participate, be active
00:26:42.48\00:26:45.16
in promoting religious freedom.
00:26:45.17\00:26:47.33
Some years ago, I
remember reading about
00:26:48.72\00:26:50.96
a group therapy
session with the group
00:26:50.97\00:26:53.44
we discussing many
problems and how to solve them,
00:26:53.45\00:26:56.09
and one timid
young woman kept saying,
00:26:56.10\00:26:59.32
but Jesus said, I
tended to ignore her
00:26:59.33\00:27:03.03
but she was
giving the right answer.
00:27:03.04\00:27:05.58
When I first started with
Liberty Magazine nearly 12,
00:27:05.59\00:27:09.62
13 years ago, we
used to meet regularly
00:27:09.63\00:27:12.52
in a religious
liberty circle, the directors
00:27:12.53\00:27:14.34
from all over North America.
00:27:14.35\00:27:16.76
And one of them
Dr. Adrium Westney,
00:27:16.77\00:27:19.13
would keep saying but
we need to start NARLA up.
00:27:19.14\00:27:21.55
We need to do something
about this organization
00:27:21.56\00:27:24.07
and for a long time
nobody paid any attention to it.
00:27:24.08\00:27:28.24
It's taken a dozen
years or more, but NARLA,
00:27:28.25\00:27:31.33
the North American
Religious Liberty Association
00:27:31.34\00:27:34.10
is fulfilling not just
the dream of Adrium Westney
00:27:34.11\00:27:37.35
but for many
pioneers who have gone before
00:27:37.36\00:27:40.16
because it's
imperative when we talk about
00:27:40.17\00:27:42.19
religious liberty that
is not just theoretical
00:27:42.20\00:27:45.42
that there are
people who are involved,
00:27:45.43\00:27:48.10
they will speak to the
issue to their friends,
00:27:48.11\00:27:51.29
to their contacts
to reach out as Jesus,
00:27:51.30\00:27:54.08
advised all of us
with the gospel commission
00:27:54.09\00:27:56.22
to go out and
tell the whole world.
00:27:56.23\00:27:58.46
This gospel of the kingdom,
00:27:58.47\00:28:00.01
this message of freedom,
and then the end will come.
00:28:00.02\00:28:02.93
For "Liberty Insider"
this is Lincoln Steed.
00:28:04.90\00:28:07.39