Lots to cover on this week’s program including a Christian college's accrediation and subpoenas for ministers' pastoral notes

WOW! There’s been a bit of legal news while we were off the air for the Iowa Catholic Radio Care-a-thon last week, and we’ll try to catch up with some of it Tuesday on Faith On Trial.


Greg Koukl

First, our guest will be Greg Koukl, president of Stand to Reason, an organization that trains Christians to think more clearly about their faith and to make an even-handed, defense for classical Christianity and classical Christian values in the public square. He will discuss the problems of a small Christian college in Wenham, Massachusetts, Gordon College, that is being threatened with loss of accreditation by the New England Association of Schools because students are expected to refrain from “blasphemy, profanity, dishonesty, thefe, drunkenness, sexual relations outside of marriage, and homosexual practice.”

Then there is the case of Huston, Texas subpoenaing the sermons, notes and other pastoral communications of the city’s ministers who have expressed opposition to the city’s new ordinance that opens restrooms to members of either sex.  The city council had earlier passed the ordinance which triggered a city-wide petition drive to put the ordinance up for a public vote.  After city officials ruled that the petition, with three times the legally required number of valid signatures, was illegal, petition supports filed a lawsuit against the city.  The city, and its openly militant lesbian mayor, retaliated by subpoenaing the materials from ministers who were not involved in the suit.  

All this and more with Deacon Mike Manno and Gina Noll Tuesday at 9 & 9 (CDT) on Iowa Catholic Radio, 1150 AM; 88.5 & 94.5 FM and streaming 24 – 7 on IowaCatholicRadio.com. Underwritten by Attorney Rick McConville and Confluence Brewing Company which this week is celebrating its second anniversary!

College drama club told to ‘dumb down’ religious theme in play

This week on Faith On Trial we will be discussing a case involving a community college that told its drama club it could not perform a play unless it would “dumb down” its religious message.

Travis Barham

In September, the club advisor told Cape Fear Community College student Justin Graves that his production could not be performed because it has religious themes, even though it received unanimous approval from the drama club. The advisor claimed that the production would violate the First Amendment if it included the religious themes, and he advised Graves to “dumb down” the religious content until it was not “obvious” to avoid any potential lawsuits or “offending” anyone.

Ironically, the advisor allowed the drama club to sponsor other productions that could potentially cause offense, including ones that included rape and incest themes.

Justin’s attorney, Travis Barham, litigation staff counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom, will join Deacon Mike Manno and his co-host Gina Noll to discuss this case. Join us at 9 a.m. (Central) for a lively discussion of this and other cases that place our faith on trial.  Iowa Catholic Radio, 1150 AM; 88.5 & 94.5 FM and streaming on IowaCatholicRadio.com.

The program re-airs at 9 p.m.  Underwriters for Faith On Trial are AttorneyRick McConville, of Coppola, McConville, Coppola, Carroll, Hockenberg & Scalise PC 2100 Westwown Parkway, West Des Moines, 453-1055 and John Martin at ConfluenceBrewing Company, just off the Bike Trail just south of Grey’s Lake, 1235 Thomas Beck Road, Des Moines – don’t forget to check out their Thursday entertainment!