Participants: Lincoln Steed (Host), Melissa Reed
Series Code: LI
Program Code: LI000236B
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00:06 Welcome back to the Liberty Insider.
00:08 Before the break with guest Melissa Reid 00:10 she was hitting a high point and I cut her short 00:13 because I want to hear more about it. 00:15 The NARLA summit not too many months ago 00:18 I was there. Right. 00:19 You let out and it went wonderfully I thought. 00:22 Tell us something about it. 00:23 It was an incredible experience again 00:25 a lot of times when we're putting together programs 00:28 we don't realize how much we actually will be blessed. 00:32 But it was fantastic. 00:33 We had Dr. Joseph Kidder come from Andrews University 00:38 and handle the spiritual emphasis 00:40 for our Friday evening and Sabbath, 00:43 worships messages. 00:44 Tell me something about him. 00:45 Well, he was born and raised 00:48 and became a Christian in Iraq. 00:51 Quite a story tell, yeah. Incredible story, 00:52 quite a story. 00:53 I believe he is been here 3ABN and told us story as well. 00:57 I know we made it available 00:58 on a You tube website which is NARLA video. 01:01 Just an incredible story really started 01:03 that some one out right. 01:04 Again we are not just 01:07 a political advocacy organization 01:10 or one issue advocacy organization. 01:12 We are ministry as I mentioned at the beginning 01:14 and so I always feel like it's so important 01:17 to emphasize the reasons that are-- 01:19 you know religious freedom is so dear to us. 01:22 It's because our religion, our faith is so dear to us. 01:25 So anyway I appreciate it. 01:26 So his story underscored that it's not a theory 01:30 it affects the lives of people in a pulp. 01:32 Oh boy, they are very safety. 01:33 Absolutely. 01:35 And have a-- and yet I'm sure, 01:37 I didn't hear his at least I don't remember his story. 01:39 Yes. 01:40 But you know in parts of the world like, like Iraq 01:43 and Egypt now and Syria a person that's a Christian 01:48 really runs a risks just about speaking out on their faith. 01:52 Oh, yes he is-- And yet how do you know. 01:54 You can't be an invisible Christian. 01:56 He is an individual too that you see 02:00 even if he doesn't say a word 02:01 you see Christ radiating from him. 02:03 Do you know what I mean, it's very incredible, 02:05 it's very interesting, he is very inspiring. 02:06 But yes his own family rejected him, 02:10 they beat him because of his faith. 02:14 You know it coincided with him taking national exams 02:17 for school and there, you know, 02:19 was lots of family pressure. 02:22 And he stood, stood strong for Christ. 02:25 You know, he was convicted. 02:26 He had the Holy Spirit, 02:28 and now he is professor 02:30 in theology at Andrews University. 02:31 Yeah, there was also a lot of young people 02:33 at the NARLA over there. 02:34 Exactly, so we put together this program. 02:38 It's a three day program Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 02:40 I'm sorry and then Monday. 02:42 And we partnered with a Pacific Union 02:45 Religious Liberty Department 02:46 and they have a program this was their second year 02:48 to partner with us its called Freedom Class Room. 02:52 And it's group of high school individuals 02:55 who come to the Washington DC area 02:58 and I think they spent a week or ten days 03:02 just becoming familiar with religious liberty heroes his-- 03:09 Yeah, they want to give them grounding in the history 03:11 and the philosophy and even some experience 03:14 in contacting administrators-- 03:16 Yes, and so-- Or legislators. 03:17 So we-- our two groups came together 03:20 on a couple of the days 03:21 particularly on Monday lobbying day. 03:23 And that was a real opportunity for again 03:25 for church members for our advocates, 03:27 our NARLA members to actually advocate on behalf of 03:33 those who are not able to advocate. 03:36 Usually you don't have to voice anywhere. 03:38 And what I mean by that is we are a group 03:41 went and lobbied for particular 03:43 for the passage of a particular bill 03:46 which would create a position a special envoy 03:49 for religious freedom specifically. 03:51 Which is since happened. 03:52 Specifically we are, you are spoiling the ending. 03:55 Sorry. 03:56 Which is but it was dealing specifically 03:59 with the Middle East and central Asia. 04:01 Well, our viewers know if they you know 04:03 in watching the news that the Middle East and central Asia 04:06 is a terrible place for Christians right now 04:10 for believers right now. 04:11 Yes it was, we intend to have whole program on that. 04:12 And so we felt like it was really a bill 04:14 that we get behind in an advocate behalf of. 04:17 So we went and made appointments with you know 04:20 the representatives from representing those individuals 04:25 that you know they had come in to participate in this summit 04:27 with their offices, with their staff members 04:30 and share with them you know 04:32 our desire for this bill to be passed 04:35 and had some really good contacts. 04:38 Some-- and again had this young people involved. 04:42 This time it was a lot of high school seniors. 04:46 They were thrilled they don't want to go 04:47 beyond the schedules appointments. 04:49 They wanted to just cold call offices and say now, 04:51 you know we want to just drop of this material. 04:54 You could see them be very excited about it. 04:56 And then for us as you mentioned it was thrilling just 04:59 a few weeks ago we were able to report back to them 05:02 that this bill had in fact passed, 05:05 the house version of the bill. 05:06 And so it's you know they were able to see 05:09 their hard work and their passion pay off. 05:12 So it's just a real, a real great opportunity. 05:15 Again for individuals who might be interested in 05:17 attending this sort of events 05:18 it's an annual event we do it in the summer 05:20 typically around June-- 05:22 It will be on your, on the website. 05:23 On the website. 05:24 Yes, religiousliberty.info again is the website. 05:27 It's also libertymagazine.org and we get that. 05:29 Absolutely libertymagazine.org 05:32 is also just real integral 05:34 to our religious liberty ministry. 05:36 This is the one to pump now. 05:38 But you reminded me that I don't mention 05:39 libertymagzine.org enough on this program. 05:43 So, yeah, so any way it's been an exciting year for NARLA. 05:47 We're thrilled you know with certainly 05:49 those who have not been a part of the ministry. 05:52 Yeah, we certainly encourage them to become involved 05:55 to become advocates in their own community. 05:58 You know, we will send out more posts on out Face book page 06:01 and on our website and also we send out email alerts. 06:03 It's another reason to go to the websites. 06:06 You can sign up for email alerts on our websites. 06:09 So if there is ever a piece of legislation 06:12 or may be a particular case that you have not heard about 06:15 that we want to be able to tell you but share with you. 06:17 It's a way that's coming directly to your home, 06:20 to your email accounts. 06:21 So I would encourage individuals to do that as well. 06:23 Yeah and I've never really said this before 06:26 but I think NARLA has the ability to get involved 06:28 with many different initiatives. 06:31 Where Liberty as far as the magazine goes 06:34 I'm more and more convinced that it leads to sort of cherry pick 06:39 even the issues beyond that to dealing things 06:43 in a strategic over all educational way. 06:46 Because you know one magazine what can you do? 06:49 We can fill it up with lots of little interesting stories 06:52 but, wouldn't explain to people. 06:54 But yet an organization can afford to it, 06:57 it should get involved with everything. 06:59 Yes. 07:00 In fact when you talk about an organization 07:02 when you talk about a social situation 07:04 it's the very little things that quickly percolate up into 07:08 what seems like major stuff but you can't deal with that 07:10 so easily at that level. 07:11 But a lot of people that are watching the little litmus tests 07:15 if you like that little science can make a real difference. 07:18 Just they like if you can't get more or more these 07:21 young activists going and visiting legislatures. 07:23 They will get this subliminal message 07:25 young people in this country are interested in this. 07:27 I better pay attention. 07:29 Right, right. 07:30 And I was actually speaking with a individual Dennis Seaton 07:34 who handles the advocacy work for the Pacific Union. 07:36 Out of Sacramento. 07:37 Out of Sacramento and he said he always has 07:40 gets his foot in the door a lot faster-- 07:43 Right, with young people of course. 07:44 Yes, young people involved. 07:45 So but what I was gonna say 07:48 you and I are both involved in this religious liberty 07:50 roundtable in Washington, DC. 07:52 It's an opportunity for us to work with 07:55 religious freedom advocates from other faith groups. 07:58 We have six Jewish organizations Baptists. 08:02 You name it they are represented in this round table. 08:04 It's really incredible to look in the conference room 08:06 and see these individuals 08:07 and their faiths represented there. 08:09 But NARLA provides an opportunity 08:14 or this roundtable provides an opportunity for NARLA 08:16 to be able to sign on to particular letters 08:18 like if we are sending it to. 08:20 If there something going on we have all seen that 08:22 the situation of Christians been persecuted in Nigeria. 08:28 And we were able to sign on is an organization 08:31 to a letter to the Secretary of State. 08:33 I think it was Kerry, 08:34 it might have been Clinton at that time. 08:36 But I think-- I believe we was Kerry and say 08:39 you know we demand for it 08:42 you know for the for our state department 08:44 become involved our government to, 08:46 in a care again about this people 08:47 who don't have any count-- who don't have any voice 08:51 to be able to speak after them selves. 08:53 So again NARLA is the able to speak for individuals 08:56 who don't have that opportunity for themselves. 08:58 Yeah, something I have never heard said but 08:59 it's my more than understanding-- 09:03 I have a great burden this should be so. 09:05 Again Liberty magazine is dealing with big issues. 09:09 And should exemplify an Adventist view point 09:13 but it's dealing with a wide front 09:17 to be acceptable rather religious groups. 09:19 I do think NARLA has more of an obligation 09:22 to husbands Seventh-day Adventist members 09:26 towards advancing our particular view point 09:29 our particular sensibilities if you like. 09:33 Right. 09:34 It's not exclusive about this but 09:37 it should be extra inclusive of an Adventist sensibility. 09:40 I agree with you completely on that 09:41 and its interesting because NARLA 09:45 never although would say is a separate organization 09:48 from the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 09:50 And we have made a legal. 09:51 Legally. Yeah, we separated it there. 09:52 We never advocate, 09:54 we never take a position contrary to the church. 09:57 And we only take positions on issues 09:59 that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is taken position 10:01 a position on have a position-- 10:02 That's good. 10:03 And I feel like that's important for us for our integrity 10:08 and for the integrity of our individual members 10:10 to for it to be consistent in that way. 10:18 Writing to Seventh-day Adventist, 10:20 pioneer Adventist visionary Ellen White 10:23 once made a comment that our youth 10:27 an army youth rightly trained can make a huge difference. 10:32 When I think about NARLA 10:33 the North American Religious Liberty Association 10:36 I'm convinced that that's were its future lies. 10:38 We need young people trained 10:41 and sensitive to religious liberty concerns 10:45 and going out into the community dealing with public officials 10:48 and making a difference. 10:50 This is possible and it can happen. 10:53 I know so far NARLA has fulfilled 10:55 an incredible promise that was lightened for so many years. 10:59 And I have to give full credit to Adrian Westney, 11:03 a religious liberty leader for many years 11:05 who in his last years even after he retired 11:09 every time he got together with his fellow 11:11 religious liberty leaders would say "What about NARLA? 11:13 What about NARLA? 11:14 Can we start it up?" 11:16 And today NARLA is alive and well. 11:18 NARLA has plans, NARLA has activities, 11:21 NARLA has young people. 11:23 And most importantly when I look at the worlds situation 11:26 look at the United States situation 11:29 NARLA is facing a world of great possibilities. 11:33 It's not just a time of crisis, 11:35 it is a time of opportunity 11:37 and I believe NARLA is situated to take advantage of that. 11:42 For Liberty Insider this is Lincoln Steed. |
Revised 2014-12-17