Participants: Lincoln Steed (Host), Orlan Johnson
Series Code: LI
Program Code: LI000260A
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00:23 Welcome to the Liberty Insider.
00:25 This is the program that brings you news, views, 00:27 and up-to-date information about religious liberty events 00:31 around the world and sometimes 00:33 particularly in the Unite States. 00:35 My name is Lincoln Steed and I edit Liberty Magazine 00:37 and my guest-- 00:39 my guest on the program today is Orlan Johnson. 00:42 Welcome, Orlan. Thank you. 00:43 Director of religious liberty and public affairs 00:46 for the North American division 00:47 of the Seventh-day Adventist church. 00:48 We need to get a short of title or at least the church. 00:51 Yeah, director of PARL. 00:53 Yeah PARL but we know what PARL is. 00:56 Let's talk a little bit about that-- 00:58 you're not long in the job and in an other program 01:01 we looked at your background. 01:02 What's is you know, you are like me, 01:05 you are child of the church 01:06 but you spent most of your career in law. 01:08 Yeah. 01:09 Well, now you are heading up religious liberty. 01:13 What are we doing in North America? 01:15 What do you see the opportunities, the challenges 01:19 and some of the directions that we take? 01:21 Well, I think a couple of things. 01:22 First I think one of the things that we are really 01:24 just trying to do is really just kind of 01:26 increase our awareness in our communities. 01:28 And when I say our communities I mean, 01:30 at the top levels of government whether 01:33 being Washington with the president of Unite States, 01:35 a member of Congress, senators but I think its also important 01:39 that we maintain those contacts with your local council people, 01:43 your school board, your community leaders. 01:45 I'm hoping that Liberty Magazine going out 01:47 in the hundreds of thousands to some of 01:49 the same people as laid the ground work. 01:51 And I think it has and I think we've had a lot 01:53 of our ground work that has been laid 01:55 in the area of religious liberty 01:58 and a clear focus and identity 02:01 as to what Seventh-day Adventist are all about. 02:03 But I think people are starting 02:05 to look for things more personal. 02:07 They don't simply want to know 02:09 about our 20 fundamental beliefs. 02:11 They want to know well, how does that connect 02:13 with my life today and I think part of what 02:15 we can in PARL is letting people know the importance of 02:18 how it connects with your life today. 02:20 I mean, you and I have talked and others 02:22 almost everyday you can pick up something 02:24 by looking a newspaper or periodical some publication. 02:27 Well, different from religious liberty. 02:28 It's not almost everyday it is everyday. 02:30 It is. It is. 02:31 No, it is there's no exception to it anymore. 02:33 Yeah, and I think our job is first 02:35 to get that going into make an impact there. 02:38 I think second they really want things 02:40 that we are really looking to do is really 02:41 how do we engage more young people. 02:44 I believe that young people are 02:45 always looking for where the action is 02:48 and I think if we can do a better job 02:50 and my opinion with letting them know that the action 02:53 really is in the area of public affairs 02:55 and religious liberty then when you think about the church 02:57 and the impact that we make and the impact 03:00 that we are capable of making religious liberty 03:02 is as good place as any. 03:04 And I think if the young people in our church really understood 03:08 what we as a church doing that area 03:10 I think they would flock to be a part of it. 03:12 Well, there's a quote from Ellen White. 03:13 I think she made it when she was in Australia 03:15 to the college students that they could aspire 03:17 to anything and they could be in councils, 03:21 government councils and so on. 03:23 Sometimes I wonder about that 03:25 because I think there's a great hazard for any person or faith 03:29 to go into modern politics now because its-- 03:32 it's a pretty messy business. 03:34 But through religious our young people can make contact 03:39 with these leaders 03:42 and, you know, how government works 03:45 and what catches their attention. 03:47 If we had just a little cadre of Seventh-day Adventist youth 03:50 that were doing something significant 03:52 I think our governments leaders would be all over them 03:57 that be divided here hither on the-- 04:00 they be put up as exhibit 04:02 as what youth of this country are doing. 04:04 And I think we are doing a pretty good job 04:06 of letting more people know about our young people 04:08 and letting our young people get more aggressive. 04:10 I mean, I got involved in politics for first time 04:12 when I was really a student at Andrews University 04:15 and I went out and had a chance to meet our local congressmen 04:18 in the fourth district and gentleman 04:20 by the name of Mark Schneider at the time. 04:22 He was considered to be ultra conservative Republican 04:26 but I had a chance to work for him for probably 04:29 about two or three school years and had to do-- 04:32 did some independent studies with him 04:33 but I used to enjoy being there because he would ask me a lot 04:37 about what we were doing at school 04:39 and what our views were and what we believe 04:41 and he had come on campus and I thought it was 04:44 just a small way in which I could kind of reflect 04:47 a little bit of who we were in that particular office. 04:50 And I think Mark left that office probably 04:53 understanding a little bit more about Adventism 04:55 than before I was in that office. 04:57 At least I would like to believe that 04:58 and I think that's the kind of impact that we can make. 05:00 And that is the area that Adventist 05:03 and other Christian young people can make a difference. 05:05 I see these-- what see spend a lot 05:09 and I watch what's happening there as well as you know, 05:11 I've gone into the offices and I know from first hand. 05:14 But seeing it on TV I noticed when there is a hearing 05:18 or some top political leaders presenting there 05:20 just a couple of young people sitting on a bench behind them. 05:22 I know who they are there, they are interims 05:25 but law students and may be some children 05:29 or people that they know that got influenced but they-- 05:33 they are the guys, they are the guys and gals there. 05:35 They are the smart people probably. Right. 05:37 That whisper in the ear of that person to tell them what to do. 05:41 And so young people are running things already in the country 05:46 and if Seventh-day Adventist as many of them are already 05:50 are in those places they have a huge influence. 05:53 They don't have to be the governor or the president-- 05:55 No, not at all. To that influence. 05:57 And I think we're starting to see that as well. 05:59 I mean, we're finding out more and more 06:01 about where more and more Adventist are working and-- 06:05 You're getting a list, aren't you? 06:06 We're getting a list together. Of Adventist and government. 06:08 And, you know, Ted Wilson our president has been focusing 06:11 on how we can do a better job of kind of knowing where-- 06:14 This is our world president. Our church president. 06:16 I'm always careful that many Adventist watch our program 06:19 but some people may not know how we've structured. 06:21 Many of our members don't know. 06:23 You know, this church, local conference, 06:25 the union, the division, the General Conference. 06:28 We're bit hierarchical. 06:30 We're and our leadership at the highest levels 06:32 I think are focusing on let's find out where we are? 06:35 Let's find out where our people are? 06:37 Let's find out how we can be helpful to them 06:39 and how they might be able to be helpful to us? 06:41 And but I think the energy that youth bring 06:44 to any organization is essential. 06:47 And you know, I think we all agree if you go to a church 06:49 and there are no young people 06:51 no real vibrant activity its dying church. 06:53 It's a dying church. 06:55 Well, young people have energy and we all need it. 06:59 That gets harder to find as you get old. 07:01 But what they have that I think is the, is the make or break. 07:04 Young people are idealistic. They are. 07:06 And they answer to our vision. Yeah. 07:09 And once you switch that idealism on 07:12 or direct it to something like working for God 07:15 and doing that through a government contacts 07:17 no one can stop them, absolutely. 07:19 Now we've seen in political campaigns, 07:21 we've seen it in just general organizations 07:24 that if you can inspire a group of young people 07:27 to really pick up your cause and run with it 07:30 then it becomes something that 07:31 you just can't really do anything about 07:34 and you know, you think about all of the social media 07:36 and the way they operate right now and you have some, 07:40 you know, young people who are being followed in this world 07:43 they have like 49 and 50 million people 07:46 that are following their every word. 07:48 You are not talking about Katy Perry I think. 07:49 Well, Katy Perry there are 49 million followers. 07:53 I don't follow that but I know that 07:54 she has got one of the biggest online followers. 07:57 And you know, in some degree-- 07:59 So we know what she ate for breakfast. 08:00 Yeah, you may say to yourself well, 08:02 who wants to really keep up with that silliness 08:04 but if you think to yourself 08:05 suppose Katy Perry went on one day said, 08:08 you know, I went to an Adventist church this weekend. 08:11 You know, so sometimes it's not even the direct impact 08:14 that you have but the indirect impact you have 08:17 can actually have an article impact. 08:19 What it really and this goes to apart from modern social media 08:23 they are amplifying things that always existed among humans 08:27 but if you are living and speaking for your faith 08:31 you could do easily do a mathematically if you speak 08:34 to someone or several people every day about something 08:37 and they speak, I mean, within a moment 08:40 we're all figuratively not quite literally 08:42 but very short time the world can does know 08:45 something by word of mouth. 08:47 I mean it's incredible. 08:49 I mean, what do you think the apostle Paul would be doing 08:51 with the message if he had social media. 08:53 I mean, Paul was almost able to get around the whole world. 08:57 The Twitter account according the some poll-- 09:00 Yeah, it would just be incredible 09:02 but I think it's really just a sign that-- 09:04 He would have trouble. 09:05 He had trouble writing short sentences. 09:07 It was stringing things. Yeah, well, he would have-- 09:09 It was 120 characters he would put hold to the stretch. 09:12 Really, Twitter account issue 09:14 but I think he would have also been some-- 09:18 He would find a new way to make sure to get the message. 09:20 What it was, was if we are under a compulsion 09:23 because of what God has done for us we need to tell somebody 09:27 and we will do it whatever mains present. 09:29 And it was let us impulse day, it was visiting the churches 09:33 and we still travel and do things that same way 09:36 but still electronic media its phenomenal. 09:40 Things could become viral. Absolutely. 09:42 What if the word of the second coming of Christ 09:45 and Adventist on fire and young people just you know, 09:49 not doing things like radical Islamist 09:52 but showing their faith in a real way, that-- 09:54 if that went viral, man, that will be called a revival. 09:58 Absolutely and it would be something that you know, 10:01 we probably would have never seen before but 10:03 and I think if we can just get comfortable with the fact 10:06 that it is gonna be a little bit different. 10:07 Its not gonna be how it used to be and, you know, 10:10 my wife and I, you know, we kind of joking. 10:13 She still tells me, you know, I really hate to be in church 10:15 and I don't know hear people 10:17 flipping through the pages of the Bible anymore. 10:20 And you know, getting comfortable in understanding, 10:23 you know, what, it is gonna be a little different 10:25 but if that difference is really focused on drawing 10:28 more men and women towards Christ it's also a good thing. 10:31 Well, you're tell us something that's a burden upon 10:33 which we read the Bible more and sometimes we content 10:39 to have it put up on our screen in front of us 10:41 and that is the real words but there's nothing like 10:44 looking it up on a page where you see it in context 10:47 and as nothing like being able to know what page to look up. 10:50 I watch people doing that I don't think anymore people 10:54 as used to knowing where stuff is in the Bible. 10:56 Yeah, yeah. 10:57 Don't know the books of the Bible anymore 10:59 because you don't need to know the order. 11:00 You're just gonna push your button and you are there. 11:02 And you know, we've had previous discussions 11:06 about the reformation. 11:07 Well, central to the reformation was 11:09 people going to God's word. 11:11 Yeah. It needs to be easily available and read. 11:15 Not just its one thing to have laws 11:18 as we do in the United States. 11:19 Good laws that first amendment says 11:22 government suppose to be out of the religion business, 11:24 allow you to exercise your religion as you want. 11:27 But you know, any-- your own compulsion 11:29 can make you go and do something about it. 11:31 Right. Right. Well, you have to-- 11:33 You know freedom not exercised is pretty theoretical. Yeah. 11:38 I mean, you got to be willing to believe in something 11:41 that you willing to go to the mat for 11:43 and in a instance of religious liberty 11:45 we're willing to die for. 11:47 And if you find yourself in a position where that's not 11:50 what you're willing to do then you're not gonna be affective 11:52 and in particularly with young people. 11:55 They can spot a fake person a mile away. 11:58 If you are not genuine in your belief, if you are genuine in 12:01 how you are approaching it then you can't get the-- 12:04 you know, you can't get the masses to take you seriously 12:07 and I think that's a large part of what we have to focus on. 12:10 And I think getting young people involved 12:13 and I think really impacting whoever we can 12:15 and whatever our circle is I think 12:17 that's the most important thing we can do in religious liberty. 12:20 Well, I believe that young people will respond 12:22 and going back to my young days, 12:26 no but I came from Australia as a teenager 12:30 and it was not long after that, that I remember 12:35 several significant events on that will never disappears. 12:40 That the Martin Luther King wrote 12:41 when Washington was an arm camp 12:43 and smoke rising up but I also remember a huge-- 12:47 I wish I could remember what it was called. 12:49 It was in Nixon's winding that 12:51 but hundreds of thousands of young people camp there on the- 12:56 what is it the ellipse, the mall on the mall 13:00 and they were fired up and it was the same era 13:02 and I don't think it was just connective 13:04 when the Jesus movement took off. 13:06 Right. 13:07 You can look at it theologically and you know, 13:09 it was little bit tied up to hippy them 13:11 and all other but what I think it was, 13:13 was this sense of impoundment that young people had 13:17 and yearning towards spiritually 13:19 and they want to do something with it. 13:20 Right. Right. Now I don't think-- 13:21 So that can happen again. In fact, I'm sure it will. 13:24 It will have to because to me that's really the only way 13:27 that the message is gonna go where it needs to go 13:29 and I think Dr. King made it very clear when he said, 13:32 you know, his real pain was 13:33 really the silence of your friends. 13:36 I mean, when you have friends 13:38 that supposedly aren't willing to speak up 13:40 and to go and to be impactful based on what they know, 13:44 I mean, that to me drags a society down 13:46 more than anything else. 13:48 And I think religious liberty the question is are you willing 13:51 to be someone who is going to speak out on behalf of God 13:54 and make a difference? And-- 13:56 And speak out for other people. 13:57 Well, and they just did. We listed that before. 13:58 We got to defend scientologist, we've got to defend Islam, 14:05 all of these things that we might find 14:07 a little bit doctrinally funny 14:09 but there are human beings that have chosen that path 14:12 and talking about dying for something 14:14 but we should even die for someone else right to belief. 14:17 Absolutely and I think that's what really 14:19 its all about making yourself be in a position 14:21 where you're willing to stand for the right to law. 14:24 No matter what. 14:25 We'll be back after a short break 14:26 to continue this discussion about aims and programs 14:31 and how to involve particularly young people 14:33 in religious liberty and for changing society. 14:36 Stay with us. |
Revised 2014-12-17