Yearly Archives: 2024

Who Am I?  Solving the Identity Crisis

Date: March 21, 2024 Host: Jim Schneider ​Guest: Martyn Iles MP3 | Order

We have an identity crisis in America.  People are trying to discover who they are, especially those from the younger generations.  In fact, some will spend large sums of money to discover themselves on self-awareness retreats.  With this phenomenon there’s been a rise in attention on psychology, gender, sexuality and identity politics.  Life has become subjective for many as their search is based on feelings and the flames of this model are being fanned by social media, politics and pop culture.    

Appearing on Crosstalk to discuss this issue was Martyn Iles.  Martyn is an Australian-born lawyer, commentator, and the Executive CEO of Answers in Genesis, home to the highly acclaimed Creation Museum and the world-renowned Ark Encounter. Previously, Martyn was the co-founder of a not-for-profit law firm specializing in religious freedom cases.  He also led one of Australia’s largest grassroots political movements through a period of remarkable growth.  He’s author of the newly released book, Who Am I? Solving the Identity Puzzle.

Martyn believes the genesis of this identity crisis starts with the fact that for some their ultimate authority has changed.  It used to be that people looked above themselves to ultimate authority in God, seeing him as the one who defines reality and how we should live.  Then we went through the secular age where it’s believed that science answers everything.  However we know that can’t last because without God, science makes no sense.  After all, the only reason we do science is because we believe there’s ultimate truth in reality.  So people have been searching for yet another ultimate authority and truth and they’re attempting to find it in self. 

Listen in as Jim has Martyn explain the puzzle pieces in the book that solve the identity puzzle, not man’s way, but to the glory of God!

More InformationWho Am I?: Solving the Identity Puzzle is being featured as a book of the month at our VCY Bookstore.  This is a hard-cover book of over 200 pages.  This newly released book retails at $19.99.  However, through March 31, 2024, the VCY Bookstore is offering this book at 40% off.  That’s just $11.99 plus any applicable tax and/or shipping.  It’s available online at vcy.com or call 1-888-722-4829. The bookstore is open weekdays 10am-6pm Central and Saturdays from 10-4.

Immigration Enforcement Hangs in the Balance

Date: March 20, 2024 Host: Jim Schneider ​Guest: Mark Krikorian MP3 | Order

The State of Texas has been overrun by those attempting to enter illegally.  The safety of residents has been put in jeopardy, crime has increased, public services have been stretched, the healthcare system has suffered, disease has been brought in and more.  The state is saying, “enough is enough” because the federal government has refused to follow the law so the state legislature and governor have stepped up to deal with the issue.  The problem is that at every turn, they’ve been opposed and taken to court by the Biden administration.

With more on this issue, Crosstalk welcomed back Mark Krikorian.  Mark is a nationally recognized expert on immigration issues serving as the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies.  They are an independent, non-partisan research organization examining and critiquing the impact of immigration on the United States.  He’s testified numerous times before Congress and has published articles in many outlets.

Earlier this year, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that the federal government has broken the compact between the U.S. and the states and that the executive branch of the U.S. has a constitutional duty to enforce federal laws protecting the states, including immigration laws.

Mark responded by noting that what states are now experiencing from this lack of protection by the federal government should be considered an invasion under the Constitution.  This argument hasn’t been fully litigated but the contention is that since the states are being invaded, they can’t be expected to simply stand by when the federal government refuses to do its job.  Mark indicated that politically speaking this is true.  However, does that come under the definition of an invasion in the Constitution?  That’s what needs to be answered while ultimately, the federal government needs to change its policies.

According to Mark, the flow seems to be moving away from Texas with the focus now on places such as Arizona, California and New Mexico.

As this program progressed it dealt with other immigration related points such as:

Was the Biden administration flying illegals into the U.S.?

What was the immigration fallout from Biden’s State of the Union address?

What’s the threat to America from the current situation in Haiti?

Hear more, including what listeners had to say, when you review this edition of Crosstalk.

More Information

cis.org

Exposing Medical Collusion: The Grace Schara Story

Date: March 19, 2024 Host: Jim Schneider ​Guest: Scott Schara MP3 | Order

Scott Schara is the father of Grace Schara, the 19-year-old daughter with Down Syndrome who tested positive for COVID, was hospitalized and treated following the protocols carried out in hospitals across the country.  Grace was ushered into eternity on October 13, 2021.  Scott is presently engaged in a landmark lawsuit, Schara vs. Ascension Health et all.  He warns about the dangers of incentivized healthcare.  His work and story have been chronicled in a chapter of the Wall Street Journal Bestseller, Rise of the Fourth Reich.

Scott began with a brief review of the equipment and drugs that were used to treat his daughter.  Part of this involved the drug “cocktail” that she had been given for her COVID condition.  Another critical factor is the Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) order that was placed on her without Scott’s permission at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton, Wisconsin.

As a result, Scott brought forth a landmark lawsuit (Schara v. Ascension Health et al).  In the lawsuit, Scott has a wrongful death claim, a medical malpractice claim, a lack of informed consent and a declaratory judgment for both the illegal DNR and illegal medicine combination.  However, it’s the fifth claim that’s the most important.  It’s a medical battery claim.  This takes Grace’s claim outside of state statutes because such statutes attempt to shield doctors and nurses so they cannot be sued.    

At stake are factors such as informed consent and whether health care workers should have the right to unilaterally, with limited liability, be able to label patients as DNR.

Scott has been granted a trial date of November 6th in the Outagamie County Court system.

More Information

ouramazinggrace.net

graceschara.com

History of the Income Tax

Date:  March 18, 2024 Host: Jim Schneider ​Guest: William J. Federer MP3  ​​​| Order

April 15th is a day that has gone down in notoriety.  On April 15, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln died.  He was shot the night before in Ford’s Theatre. On April 15, 1912, the Titanic sank, having struck an iceberg the night before. April 15, 1927, was the Great Mississippi Flood where some 15 inches of rain fell in 18 hours causing the river to break out of its levee system at well over 100 locations and caused flooding in 10 states.  In 1954, April 15th became the deadline for filing income tax returns.  No doubt you’ve heard the familiar quote of Benjamin Franklin who said, ‘Our new Constitution is now established, everything seems to promise it will be durable; but in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.’  

We have all come to realize the impact taxes have upon us, but are you aware of the history of the income tax and how it came about?  What was its purpose?  Is today’s modern system of taxes a breach from what was originally intended?

Joining Jim to look at this issue was William Federer.  William is a nationally known speaker, historian, best-selling author, and president of Amerisearch, Inc, a publishing company dedicated to researching America’s noble heritage.  He’s the speaker on The American Minute daily broadcast.  He has authored numerous books including, America’s God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations, Socialism: The Real History From Plato to the Present, Who is the King in America: An Overview of 6,000 years of History and Why America is Unique, and a book that’s the focus of this broadcast, The Interesting History of Income Tax.

Originally our government paid for things through tariff taxes on imports as well as from excise taxes on specific items.  The federal government was not to have a direct tax on citizens.  The idea was that if you tax imports making them more expensive, people will want to buy things from American factories at less cost.

From there the conversation moved to Abraham Lincoln and the emergency revenue tax which was a tax on individuals and their income.  It was used to pay for Union forces during the Civil War.

There was an attempt to tax the rich in 1894.  It went all the way to the Supreme Court and they declared it unconstitutional.

Tariff taxes allowed American industries to improve and they began to produce steel to build railroads, steamboats and appliances for farms.  In fact, the standard of living was raised faster than at any other period in world history.

This growth caused large amounts of wealth to be amassed by industrialists.  They began to pay for the campaigns of politicians, so Theodore Roosevelt tried to limit their power through the inheritance tax.

William kept the history coming as he moved on to discussion concerning William Howard Taft and his tax on corporate profits, Woodrow Wilson who pushed through an emergency 1% tax on the top 1% of the richest in America, the beginning of tax exempt charitable foundations, as well as FDR who pushed through the largest tax increase in American history where everyone would pay taxes to help smash the Axis powers during WWII.

William has more and you’ll hear it all as he brings another great history lesson to listeners of Crosstalk. 

More InformationBook Offer: The book, The Interesting History of Income Tax is 176 pages and is available for a donation of $18 or more to Crosstalk.  It’s available at vcyamerica.org or 1-800-729-9829.

News Roundup & Comment

Date: March 15, 2024 Host: Jim Schneider MP3 | Order

The “Round-Up” brought the following stories and more to listeners this week:

–Israeli and U.S. leaders reacted to what some are calling an unprecedented call   by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for new elections in Israel.  Schumer wants elections so Israeli citizens can replace the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

–The Israeli Defense Forces aided an international, non-profit organization in evacuating nearly 70 orphans from Gaza and transferring them to safety in Bethlehem in the biblical region of Judea and Samaria. 

–The Israeli Cabinet convened earlier today to discuss the response of Hamas who is shifting their demands in a new hostage swap offer. 

–The Biden administration is poised to issue a fresh sanctions waiver for Iran that will grant them access to upwards of ten billion dollars in frozen assets.

–With all of his influential critics dead, jailed or in exile, Russian President Vladimir Putin was due to win a controversial presidential contest cementing his role as the nation’s longest running leader since Joseph Stalin.

–Leaked Kremlin documents have shown that it wants Putin to win 80% of the vote on a high turnout and to prove that Russians support his war in Ukraine.

–Ukrainian drone attacks halted 3 oil refineries deep within Russian territory in an assault Russian President Vladimir Putin said was aimed at disrupting the presidential elections. 

–A drone attack in Odessa, Ukraine, resulted in the tragic deaths of 12 individuals including a Baptist pastor’s daughter and grandson. 

–On Tuesday the White House announced a 300 million dollar military aid package for Ukraine to include ammunition, anti-aircraft missiles and armor piercing weapons according to senior defense officials.  

–Russian President Vladimir Putin hurled his favorite “N” word at the U.S. on Wednesday as he warned of limits on how much the U.S. could support Ukraine without punishment.

–French President Emmanuel Macron traveled to Berlin today to meet German Chancellor Scholz in an effort to reduce tensions over Ukraine.

–Muslims took over Fifth Avenue in New York City with prayers and protests in front of Trump Tower for Ramadan.

–Olivia Rodrigo, a former star actress from the Disney Channel, is promoting abortion access during her latest concert tour, working with local pro-abortion groups to distribute free abortion pills.   

–Vice President Kamala Harris toured a Minnesota Planned Parenthood abortion facility in a first for a president or vice-president.

–Illinois Democrat Governor J.B. Pritzker released a video over the weekend to celebrate what’s called, “Abortion Provider Appreciation Day”.

The Winds of Change: Revolting Against Leftist Policies

Date: March 14, 2024 Host: Jim Schneider ​Guest: Robert Knight MP3 | Order

Robert Knight is a former Los Angeles Times news editor, is a current columnist for the Washington Times and contributes to other publications as well. Robert has held senior positions in a number of pro-family organizations. He has written several books including The Coming Communist Wave: What Happens If the Left Captures All Three Branches of Government, Liberty on the Brink, and Crooked: What Really Happened in the 2020 Election and How to Stop the Fraud.

There are very intense efforts underway in our culture today attempting to sway, manipulate and motivate individuals to surrender their morals, values, sovereignty, free speech, Biblical faith. They want individuals to accept this world’s system which includes immorality, socialism, diversity, equity, inclusion and deep-state solutions.

There are entities who want the populace to do nothing more than follow the pied piper and the allurement of his magical tune. We have seen shifts in our culture change in ways never dreamed by our founders.

But amidst this shift, which began so subtly, there are individuals who are waking up and saying that enough is enough! The winds of change are blowing and Americans are revolting against the policies and dictates of the left.

More information:

[email protected] (to receive Robert’s weekly column)

roberthknight.com

Israel: We Must Not Forget October 7th

Date: March 13, 2024 Host: Jim Schneider ​Guest: Dr. Richard Schmidt MP3 | Order

Dr. Richard Schmidt is pastor of Union Grove Baptist Church, and founder of Prophecy Focus Ministries.  He’s the speaker on the weekly TV program, Prophecy Focus and the radio broadcast, Prophecy Unfolding.  He spent 32 years in law enforcement including that of Acting Sheriff of Milwaukee County until his retirement.  He has authored several books including: Are You Going to a Better Place?, Daniel’s Gap Paul’s Mystery, Tribulation to Triumph: The Olivet Discourse, Globalism: The Great World Consumption and Artificial Intelligence, Transhumanism and the De-evolution of Democracy.

When you look at what’s being said on university campuses today, when you hear politicians condemning Israel for taking direct action to protect herself, when you observe the U.N. resolutions coming out against Israel, and when you see the growing number of legacy media stories scolding Israel, it’s as if October 7th never happened.  Also, how many sources will be telling you that just today, over 100 rockets were launched from Lebanon into northern Israel?

There’s a reason for all of this and Dr. Schmidt explained why from a biblical perspective as he looked at the following:

While some concentrate on the 30,000 Palestinians that are said to have been killed in the war thus far, what they don’t tell you is that Israel has been trying to move people out of harm’s way in Rafah in the southern part of Gaza as this area will be under attack in the near future.

What did President Biden mean when he was caught on a hot mic after his State of the Union address, telling someone that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu need to have a “come to Jesus moment”?

How many terrorists were in Gaza and at this late stage in the war, how many might still be operating?

Is there a move afoot by the current administration to collapse Benjamin Netanyahu while at the same time trying to support Israel?

Given America’s national debt, can we afford to feed everyone in Gaza (that’s 2.3 million meals per day) which is the current plan via a floating pier system off the Gaza shore?

Is a 2-state solution viable?

These are just some of the subtopics and questions that need to be addressed in order to bring you a proper view of the situation in Israel.  Hear the rest, as well as what listeners had to say, when you review this edition of Crosstalk.

More Information

prophecyfocus.org

Pre-born Life in the Crosshairs

Date: March 12, 2024 Host: Jim Schneider ​Guest: Rev. Jim Harden MP3 | Order

Rev. Jim Harden is president and CEO of CompassCare Pregnancy Services in New York.  Jim pioneered the first measurable and repeatable medical model in the pregnancy center movement, helping hundreds of centers nationwide become more effective at reaching more women and saving more babies from abortion.  He’s written extensively on medical ethics, executive leadership and pro-life strategy.

This broadcast involved some tough-talk, not just about abortion, but the idea of what it really means to be human as it discussed the following:

Rev. Harden’s clinic was fire-bombed shortly after the Dobbs decision was leaked.  What’s the status of those who launched this act of terrorism?

Rev. Harden believes we now have two different justice systems in America.  He explained what this means for our constitutional rule of law, for the pre-born and those who support life.

Kate Cox, the woman who wanted to abort her child due to a genetic abnormality and her appearance at the State of the Union address.

The Alabama Supreme Court decision, why in vitro fertilization (IVF) is just as horrific as abortion and why we should never let emotion drive legislation. 

Has technology outpaced morality to the point where we no longer have a bioethical standard?

The abortion pill, how it works, and the involvement of Walgreens and CVS.

More Information

compasscarecommunity.com

compasscare.info (for immediate access to a pro-life counselor)

Without Excuse: Compelling Evidence for Creation

Date: March 11, 2024 Host: Jim Schneider ​Guest: Bruce Malone MP3 | Order

There is a growing skepticism toward God in American culture today.  Some foolishly deny that God exists.  Others say they do not know if God exists, while others merely hope that God exists.  God wants us to know that he does exist and that his word, the Bible, is his timeless and unchangeable revelation to mankind.

In fact, from Psalm 19:1 to Romans 1:20, we see that nature reveals God’s existence and everyone is accountable and without excuse.  

Appearing on Crosstalk to demonstrate this fact was Bruce Malone.  Bruce is executive director of Search for the Truth Ministries, an organization that widely disseminates Bible-affirming creation materials.  Bruce has spent over 30 years bringing the scientific evidence for creation to churches and schools at seminars throughout the U.S. and around the world.  He’s authored or co-authored ten books on the evidence for creation.  Prior to this he spent 27 years as research leader with the Dow Chemical Corporation.  Bruce has a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering and holds 17 patents for new products.  He appeared on Crosstalk to discuss his newest released devotional, Without Excuse: The Compelling Evidence for Creation.

The story behind Bruce’s book actually goes back to a Superbowl party 20 years ago that his church would put on for the city. At halftime the gospel would be presented to the youth in a large auditorium.  Bruce asked the youth pastor if he could have 5 minutes with the youth to present evidence for creation. Part of his presentation involved giving them the book, Refuting Evolution by Jonathan Sarfati.  Weeks later he asked the kids how they liked the book and not a single student had read it.  Why?  It’s because it looked like another textbook.  

It’s from that point on that Bruce decided that if he’s going to write books, they’d be short, visual and fun to read.  So he began to write creation devotionals where each day of the year he’d present wonderful examples of God’s creativity and genius.  The result is Without Excuse: The Compelling Evidence for Creation.   

More Information

Without Excuse is a hardcover daily devotional with hundreds of full-color illustrations on over 400 glossy pages.  It explores many disciplines such as anatomy, astronomy, biology, botany, genetics and more which combined with Scripture provide the reader with compelling evidence for creation. You’ll also find several QR codes throughout the book that open 2-3 minute Youtube video teachings on the subject addressed on those pages.  We’re making this book available as our way of saying thank you for your support of Crosstalk in the amount of $18 or more.  Available at vcy.org or by calling 1-800-729-9829.