Participants: Lincoln Steed (Host), Melissa Reid
Series Code: LI
Program Code: LI000315A
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00:27 Welcome to the Liberty Insider.
00:29 This is your program to bring you up-to-date news, 00:34 information, analysis 00:36 and everything that you need to know 00:37 on religious liberty in the US and around the world. 00:40 My name is Lincoln Steed, the host of this program 00:44 and my guest is Melissa Reid. 00:47 We work closely for many years 00:48 and your title for this conversation 00:52 is executive director 00:54 of the North American Religious Liberty Association. 00:56 Yes. 00:58 And we live in an era of acronyms 00:59 and so it's NARLA. 01:00 Yes. Sounds sort of sporting to me. 01:02 It's like a lot of the skiers 01:04 and others talk about something bring pretty gnarly, right. 01:07 Yes. 01:09 But, I think this is a challenge 01:11 with a lot of upside to it, isn't it working with NARLA? 01:15 Absolutely. 01:16 You know, as you mentioned we worked for Liberty 01:18 for years and years and years and continuing to do so 01:21 but I've also sort of taken on this role 01:23 and I think that they fit so well together 01:27 because we're sort of going for the same mission, 01:29 the same in goal and that's, you know, 01:32 sharing this message of religious freedom 01:34 and advocating for a separation of church and state. 01:37 But with working with NARLA, 01:40 the North American Religious Liberty Association 01:43 we are able to sort of work with individuals, 01:48 you know, on more relationship basis 01:50 rather than as the publication. 01:52 And so one of the things that we do 01:55 is try to share liberty with others as far as-- 01:57 Yeah. 01:58 Well, the way I see it, 02:00 Liberty Magazine is the product, 02:01 it's the vehicle 02:02 and if it's given to a legislator, 02:05 it can make a difference its effect is, 02:07 it's like ripples. 02:08 Not just the one person, 02:10 maybe different assistants in the office read it, 02:12 visitors to the office, I've seen Liberty 02:14 sitting in public offices a number of times 02:17 and I know anybody that comes there 02:18 for an appointment sits down will read that. 02:21 So the magazine has the certain power 02:23 but, you know, this people, 02:26 people that pay the money for Liberty, 02:28 some of the same people themselves 02:30 need to do something, 02:31 need to be involved, become foot soldiers. 02:33 They want to be, absolutely. 02:35 And so, this is the attempt with NARLA 02:37 to create a people organization 02:40 to back up what the publication is trying to do. 02:43 So naturally these things will work in concept. 02:45 Yeah, I like that concept 02:47 of sort of a foot soldier aspect. 02:50 And the thing is when, you know, 02:51 you and I have noticed whenever we are 02:55 scheduling appointments with the legislature 02:56 when there's about particular piece of legislation 02:59 that we want to talk to the lawmakers about, 03:02 we need to have their constituents, 03:04 they are voters with us involved in that process 03:09 and again that's where NARLA comes into play 03:10 because they care about unfortunately re-election, 03:14 you know, that's really the priority for them 03:16 and so we need to have this constituents 03:19 involved in that process. 03:21 And again, you know, we are only a small group of people 03:25 working in Washington DC and again, you know, 03:28 we've talked about before how lot of things happen 03:30 on the state level or the local level. 03:32 NARLA members or supporters-- 03:34 So they can make a huge difference. 03:35 They can make a huge difference. 03:37 They can be, you know, working with their state legislature 03:39 and again, you know, those are the laws 03:41 that might be affecting their lives in ways 03:43 that, you know, sort of grand federal legislation may not. 03:47 So I feel like it's a really great partner organization. 03:53 Now, NARLA has a long history but a lot of that history 03:56 was sort of like Jesus before He appeared 04:00 opening His ministry, the hidden years. 04:02 Yes. 04:03 I'm sure-- 04:05 The quiet years. Yeah. 04:06 I'm sure Jesus had a wonderful life 04:08 and we would have all loved to have known 04:10 how His mother brought Him up 04:11 and how He went to school with His own. 04:14 But NARLA has always been there in potential 04:18 because there's always been a lot of people 04:20 that are associated with liberty 04:22 that are activists and so on. 04:24 And the organization existed in theory 04:26 but they weren't mobilized. 04:28 And so with you recently taking this on 04:32 and then before that to be fair to predecessors, 04:35 you know, James Standish had it for few years 04:37 and started it from the dead. 04:40 So, as an active organization, 04:41 it hasn't really had a long active history. 04:45 Right. 04:46 So it's a, at a start up stage, 04:48 but I think the sky is the limit. 04:49 I think that there is so much potential. 04:51 I want to mention the name of Dr. Adrian Westney 04:54 who was really somebody that-- 04:55 I was going to and thank you. Yes. Yes. 04:57 And I know that, you know, many years past 04:59 unfortunately he is passed away since then but I know 05:01 that he's been a guest on the show many years ago 05:05 and he really was-- 05:06 I wanted to mention him 05:08 because he was kind of a citizen advocate 05:11 for this particular ministry. 05:13 It was really something. 05:14 It was personal to his heart as far as we invigorating. 05:17 As you said, it was sort of an adornment stage 05:19 for a long time but I felt like, 05:21 yeah, exactly we have this real potential 05:24 of, you know, ways that we can motivate and encourage 05:29 and inspire, you know, 05:31 individuals who have a little bit of interest 05:34 and we were just thinking that maybe not a lot of knowledge 05:36 or even just-- 05:37 They need direction. They need encouragement. 05:38 They need resources. Exactly. 05:40 So many times I know we are asked, 05:41 you know, we will go to a church 05:43 or some other environment and speak 05:48 and afterwards people want to get involved. 05:50 They want to have a way 05:51 of participating in this work as well. 05:53 And so, we really see this as a vehicle for that. 05:56 I'm gonna take you back because you jumped the gun, 05:59 that's your right, but I was gonna talk about it. 06:00 Okay. 06:02 But now I have wonderful memories of Adrian Westney 06:04 and I know I told you over the years, 06:06 he was one of the old time believers, you know. 06:09 Absolutely. 06:11 You know, he is a literal saint I think, 06:13 and I used to be on his radio program often 06:17 and he was very formal even though I knew him well. 06:19 It was always now enter the stage, 06:20 what do you know about this. 06:21 And I like that. 06:23 You know, enter the stage, enter the stage. 06:25 But in many, many meetings planning Liberty Magazine 06:28 and other activities, he would be there 06:32 and he would invariable say, 06:33 now, how do we start NARLA up again? 06:34 What can we do? 06:36 And other people now that are very supportive 06:38 weren't particularly in those early days 06:40 but he stuck with it. 06:42 And it's largely because of him that it exist now. 06:45 I agree. 06:46 I've got to give him full credit. 06:48 Absolutely. 06:49 And you mentioned James Standish as well 06:51 who really I think, you know, sort of their partnership. 06:53 I think he had the vision 06:54 and James was willing to sort of 06:56 go along with it and saw a way, 06:58 you know, that he could involve in a work 07:00 that he was doing when he worked as a-- 07:02 He was the legislative liaison for the church. 07:04 Legislative liaison for the church, right. Absolutely. 07:05 So, you know, I'm excited for the opportunity. 07:10 You know, right now we really are looking towards 07:15 not only individuals in the community 07:17 but we are really wanting to start, 07:20 have a presence on college campuses. 07:23 Well, yeah, you are taking away my precocious comment. 07:26 I was gonna say describe the typical NARLA movement. 07:28 Yes, well, you know-- 07:30 Not so much even what they are, who do we want them to be. 07:33 Yes. What's their profile? 07:35 I think that's an excellent question 07:36 and I love the way that it was answered last year. 07:39 So every year in Washington DC 07:41 we have what we call the Religious Liberty Summit. 07:44 And it's a way, again, you know, we have a day 07:47 where we actually go down on Capitol Hill and we advocate 07:50 for a particular piece of legislation 07:51 that, you know, protects a certain component 07:54 of religious freedom 07:56 or maybe even strengthen than existing law 07:59 or something like that. 08:00 We also have seminars and updates 08:02 from the magazine and things like that. 08:05 Well, this last year 08:07 when we had our religious liberty submit, 08:08 we had an individual 08:09 who was this is their second time 08:11 to attend was an 85-year-old gentleman. 08:14 Let me tell you that he led the way in every situation. 08:16 I remember it. I remember I was there. 08:20 You know, he was the first one at the meeting every morning. 08:22 He was the first one walking in all the situations. 08:25 Then we also had an 18-year-old young lady 08:28 who was interested 08:29 and we had everything in between. 08:31 I love the fact that religious freedom is so, 08:35 is appealing to such a diverse audience. 08:38 You know, we had older, younger, 08:42 middle aged all different ethnicities, 08:45 different sort of education levels, everything. 08:48 You know, it's just people recognizing 08:50 that their individual rights are valuable. 08:52 There is no, there is no limiting factor 08:54 to being involved with NARLA. 08:56 As far as the organization I think it's abundantly obvious 09:00 that the future lies in cultivating interest in 09:03 with young people. 09:04 And particularly on college campuses. 09:06 Right. 09:07 And there's a lot to be done there 09:09 and lot of potential. 09:10 Absolutely, well, you know, 09:11 when I think back about my college years, 09:13 that was the time when I was really sort of developing 09:15 my social conscience, you know, and I had the energy 09:19 and the excitement and the time. 09:21 That's not usually what is called on a college campus. 09:25 I have no knowledge of your college. 09:27 But you know, a lot of people don't think carefully 09:30 as they go into college 09:31 but it's usually or the cliche of the college 09:34 is that's where kids get in, 09:35 young people get into demonstrations 09:37 and social activism. 09:38 And from now in an older person's perspective, 09:42 but sometimes it's not very well directed. 09:44 But I've always believed since I was very young 09:48 and now I see it in others, 09:49 young people are inherently idealistic. 09:52 Yes. Yes. 09:54 On the college campus 09:56 they develop their social conscience 09:57 but not always coherently. 09:59 And I think NARLA going in there can give them 10:03 a very well defined and admirable from a biblical 10:09 and the constitutional point of view 10:12 program for them to follow, something to do 10:14 that will make a real difference in the country. 10:16 Yeah, absolutely. 10:17 I think it's a real opportunity for us. 10:20 You know working with a professor 10:25 or, you know, some administrator on campus 10:27 who can be sort of the sponsor for an organization 10:31 and again can be sort of the local hands on guide. 10:35 And then a student advocate who is really passionate, 10:37 really interested and can, you know, 10:39 has relationships with other students 10:41 and can sort of drive them in and encourage them as well. 10:44 And so we really have made it a, you know, being deliberate 10:48 and making it a priority 10:49 that we want to identify both those individuals. 10:54 You know, the professor, the teacher 10:56 and also the young student advocate 10:57 because we found that, 10:59 you know, if we find the student advocate 11:01 well, they are gonna graduate very soon. 11:04 And so we need-- 11:05 Yeah, you need a constant on the campus. 11:06 Yeah, we need a constant on the campus 11:08 and we've really, you know, the God has been good 11:10 in leading us to the right people 11:12 to sort of start these local chapters 11:14 and we've seen some really great results so far 11:16 and really seen, 11:18 you know, people get excited about religious freedom. 11:21 And so it's something 11:24 that we are enjoying participating in 11:26 and just later this, 11:29 I think it's gonna be in this next month. 11:30 We're actually going to be visiting a campus in Lincoln, 11:34 Nebraska and trying to start something going on there. 11:38 And, you know, for those of you that are listening 11:41 and are involved in an academic setting 11:43 like that, a college setting, you know, we would love. 11:46 Right now, you know, 11:47 we are just sort of planting different seeds 11:50 and we have a couple that have been going for a few years 11:52 but if you are someone that's involved in a college campus 11:56 we would love to, you know, contact us. 11:59 There's no limit, is there? There is no limit. 12:02 In fact, every college, every institution 12:04 of higher learning around the country 12:06 I think should have a chapter of NARLA in particular 12:10 but absolutely that, there should be activism 12:13 for religious liberty. 12:15 This is too central an issue for our country to ignore. 12:17 Absolutely. 12:18 And, you know, it's something that we see talked about 12:21 very frequently, you know, 12:23 in our sort of day to day lives which is nothing that, 12:26 you know, we couldn't say just a few years ago. 12:29 Religious liberty was not on the forefront at all. 12:31 Well, everyone is talking about it. 12:32 Everyone is against it 12:34 but people need to really do something 12:35 to guarantee that it continues. 12:38 We'll be back after a break to continue this discussion. 12:40 So stay with us. |
Revised 2016-04-04