F&P Episode: 54 – Race & Racism

On this episode, Chris is joined again by Dr. Jon Schaff, professor of political science at Northern State University.  Chris and Dr. Schaff discuss race and racism, a topic on the minds of many Americans during the last year.  They discuss the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin, who was charged Read more…

F&P Episode: 52 – Green Thomism

On this episode, Chris is joined by Dr. Christopher Thompson, professor of theology at St. Paul Seminary, to talk about his book, The Joyful Mystery: Field Notes Toward a Green Thomism. Dr. Thompson touches on papal encyclical Laudato Si‘, Church teaching on integral ecology, an ethics of lower creation, what Read more…

F&P Episode: 50 – Freedom and the Equality Act

This episode contains content on loan from the podcast Leedom to Life. The host of that show, Emily Leedom, interviews Faith & Politics host Chris Motz on the meaning of freedom and the substance of the Equality Act, a particularly concerning piece of legislation currently under consideration by the Congress.

F&P Episode: 49 – Pro-Life Legislative Recap

As the 2021 South Dakota legislative session winds down, Chris Motz is joined by SD Right to Life Executive Director Dale Bartscher. Chris and Dale run through the list of pro-life legislation considered by the legislature this year, including Governor Noem’s significant Down Syndrome diagnosis abortion ban bill, which is Read more…

Senate Bill 190

The South Dakota Catholic Conference opposes SB 190, a bill that introduces the concepts “sexual orientation,” “gender identity,” and “Two-Spirit” as statutory categories into South Dakota’s employment, business, education, and public accommodations laws.  SB 190 does not propose to define this terminology.  Every single human person, based on his or her innate dignity as a Read more…

F&P Episode: 47 – Religious Freedom

Chris is joined once more by political science professor, Dr. Jon Schaff. On this episode, they tackle the legal background of religious freedom in the United States, and the ways in which religious freedom is under attack today. They trace the legal standards articulated by courts, discuss a hugely-popular act Read more…

House Bill 1247

The South Dakota Catholic Conference supports the passage of HB 1247, a bill to safeguard fundamental rights of conscience for healthcare providers.  No medical practitioner should be forced to choose between their conscience and their vocation to heal and care.  As Pope John Paul II wrote in Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life), “to Read more…

House Bill 1248

The South Dakota Catholic Conference supports the passage of HB 1248, a bill that requires facilities to report to the state department of health the total numbers of embryos created, stored, and destroyed each year.  At the moment of conception, a new human life exists.  Each life is an unrepeatable wonder, Read more…

Senate Bill 183

The South Dakota Catholic Conference supports the passage of SB 183, a bill that would void certain contracts that require a woman to undergo an abortion.  Some contracts in South Dakota, such as ones whereby a woman agrees to become pregnant and bear a child for some other person or persons Read more…

F&P Episode: 46 – 2021 Session update

On this episode SD Catholic Conference director is joined by Norman Woods, executive director of Family Heritage Alliance. Chris and Norman give a full run down of all the SD Catholic Conference-supported bills under consideration by the state legislature.

F&P Episode: 45 – Parents as Primary Educators

On this episode, Chris gives an update on several pending bills, and then is joined by Julie Chrisitan to talk about the Church’s teachings on education , how these teachings can apply to homeschooling policy, and a South Dakota organization — Families for Alternative Instruction Rights SD — (FAIR-SD) that’s Read more…

House Bill 1076

The South Dakota Catholic Conference supports the passage of House Bill 1076, an act to ensure the accuracy of vital records issued by the state.  While South Dakota law currently prescribes that a state-issued birth certificate is to record a person’s biological sex as observed following birth, some courts have Read more…

Senate Bill 98

The South Dakota Catholic conference supports the passage of Senate Bill 98, which would eliminate the death penalty as a criminal sentence in most cases.  The Catholic Church calls for a culture of life, and firmly opposes the death penalty as an unnecessary tool of redress available to our criminal justice Read more…

Senate Bill 83

The South Dakota Catholic Conference supports the passage of Senate Bill 83, a bill that provides parents with referral information for perinatal hospice programs.   These programs seek to establish supportive, comforting environments for fatally-ill newborns and their families.  Within these supportive programs, mothers, fathers, and siblings may have precious time to hold and love Read more…