A Catholic couple in Massachusetts walked through months of training, interviews, and home studies to become foster parents—only to be denied, not for lack of care or competence, but because of their traditional Christian beliefs about sexuality and gender. In a state facing a severe foster care shortage, with children sleeping in hospitals due to lack of placement, this case raises a sobering cultural question: do people with historic religious convictions still have a place in caring for society’s most vulnerable? This episode unpacks what happened to Mike and Kitty Burke and why their lawsuit has implications far beyond one family or one state.

At the heart of this conversation is more than politics or policy—it’s a clash over the meaning of love, affirmation, and pluralism in modern America. We explore why Christians believe love and disagreement are not opposites, how religious liberty is tested when the state enforces a single moral framework, and what this moment reveals about foster care, parental rights, and the future of faith-based service. The call for believers is neither retreat nor rage, but conviction shaped by compassion—standing for truth while remaining committed to caring for children who need homes, families, and hope.

What do people actually mean when they say Christian nationalism—and why does the term spark so much confusion, fear, and controversy? In this episode, we slow the conversation down and ask better questions about faith, politics, moral authority, and the role of Christians in public life.

We’re joined by Dr. Todd Williams, president of Cairn University and a longtime scholar of social theory, civic life, and religious liberty. Drawing from decades of teaching and public engagement, Todd helps untangle how labels get weaponized, why neutrality is a myth, and what’s really at stake when Christians talk about law, nationhood, and moral vision.

At the heart of the conversation is a grounding reminder: politics cannot save us—but faith should still shape how we live, vote, and seek the good of our neighbors. This episode challenges fear-driven engagement and calls Christians back to thoughtful, faithful citizenship rooted in the gospel rather than cultural panic.

President Donald Trump’s recent executive order aimed at lowering IVF costs and expanding access has pushed infertility back into the national spotlight. While the order reflects a good and understandable desire—helping couples who long for children—it also arrives in the middle of growing legal, political, and ethical tension. Court rulings, including the Alabama Supreme Court decision recognizing frozen embryos as legally protected children, have forced the country to confront difficult questions about life, personhood, and the limits of government policy. IVF may be discussed in campaign speeches and courtrooms, but behind every headline is a couple carrying grief, hope, and unanswered prayers.

This episode approaches IVF not as a partisan issue, but as a profoundly human and spiritual one. Scripture invites compassion for the pain of infertility while also calling Christians to think carefully about the moral weight of embryos and the means by which life is created. We explore why ethical reflection matters, how the church can avoid both moral indifference and harsh condemnation, and why politics—while influential—can never heal the deepest ache involved. The call for believers is not to choose between conviction and compassion, but to hold both together, walking with couples in truth, mercy, and hope before a God who sees every life and every longing.