Movie links from today’s program

On today’s program (5-19) our guest Robert Reilly, author of the book “Making Gay Okay,” published by Ignatius Press, mentioned two movies worth watching. Both are available on line and our research associate Stephanie Crowley reviewed one, “The Third Way” on the program after Mr. Reilly’s interview.

Here are the links to the two movies, just click on the title and you’ll be taken to the movie site:

The Third Way

The Desire of Everlasting Hills

This week on FOT: More with “Making Gay Okay” author Robert Reilly and a new movie review

This week we will continue our interview with Robert R. Reilly, author of “Making Gay Okay” published by Ignatius Press. The book answers some of today’s most perplexing problems such as why gay-marriage – something that was unheard of 15 years ago – is becoming so widely accepted, and where the gay-rights movement came from and how it so easily captured the public.  

Mr. Reilly was senior advisor for Information Strategy for the U. S. Secretary of Defense (2002-2006), has taught at the National Defense University, and has served as a special assistant to the President of the United States (1983-1985). Our interview was a little over 30 minutes; the first half was broadcast last week and the final portion will be aired this Tuesday.

Following the interview, our research associate and movie reviewer Stephanie Crowley will give us her opinion of another movie.

And don’t forget, next week we will continue our new series looking at the presidential candidates’ stands on religious liberty. Next week we will take a look at former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (D) and see how religious liberties might fare in a (second) Clinton administration. We will follow with similar profiles on each of the declared candidates every second and forth Tuesday.

So join Deacon Mike and Gina at 9 (live) and 9 (rebroadcast) – central time – every Tuesday on Iowa Catholic Radio, 1150 AM; 88.5 & 94.5 FM and streaming on IowaCatholicRadio.com. Faith On Trial is supported by Attorney Rick McConville of Coppola, McConville, Coppola, Carroll, Hockenberg & Scalise PC 2100 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines, 453-1055; Confluence Brewing Company – off the bike trail just south of Grey’s Lake, 1235 Thomas Beck Road where there is live entertainment in the tap room every Thursday; and Robert denHartog, Wealth Management Advisor at Northwestern Mutual Life, 2300-128^th Street, Des Moines, 515-697-4646.

Making Gay Okay author and a look-see at a presidential candidate

This will be an interesting week for Faith On Trial.  First, Deacon Mike Manno and Co-host Gina Noll have taped an interview with Robert R. Reilly, author of the Ignatius press published book, “Making Gay Okay.” The book answers some of today’s most perplexing problems such as why gay-marriage – something that was unheard of 15 years ago – is becoming so widely accepted, and where the gay-rights movement came from and how it so easily captured the public.


Joshua Mercer

The author was senior advisor for Information Strategy for the U. S. Secretary of Defense (2002-2006), has taught at the National Defense University, and has served as a special assistant to the President of the United States (1983-1985). Our taped interview with Mr. Reilly runs a little over 30 minutes and it will be broken into two segments, the first of which will be aired this week with the second to air next week.

Sen. Ted Cruz

In addition to the author interview, Gina will be starting a new series which will run twice a month looking at the presidential candidates’ stands on religious liberty. For this we are partnering with CatholicVote.org and its political director Joshua Mercer. This week we will take a look at Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and see how religious liberties might fare in a Cruz administration. We will follow with similar profiles on each of the declared candidates every second and forth Tuesday.

So join Deacon Mike and Gina at 9 (live) and 9 (rebroadcast) – central time – every Tuesday on Iowa Catholic Radio, 1150 AM; 88.5 & 94.5 FM and streaming on IowaCatholicRadio.com. 

Faith On Trial is supported by Attorney Rick McConville of Coppola, McConville, Coppola, Carroll, Hockenberg & Scalise PC 2100 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines, 453-1055; Confluence Brewing Company – off the bike trail just south of Grey’s Lake, 1235 Thomas Beck Road where there is live entertainment in the tap room every Thursday; and Robert denHartog, Wealth Management Advisor at Northwestern Mutual Life, 2300-128^th Street, Des Moines, 515-697-4646.

Iowa school district to review club policy to grant equal access to pro-life club after complaint by FOT guests

Editor’s Note: You might remember a few weeks ago Kristin Hawkins, president of

Students for Life of America, was on Faith On Trial and mentioned a problem with an Iowa school.  A few days later a press release identified the district as the Hampton-Dumont school district.  Here is the latest update from the Thomas More Society: 

(May 5, 2015 – Hampton, IA) – Hampton-Dumont Community School District has acknowledged errors in the application of its school club policies in response to Thomas More Society’s demand letter, which was sent in April on behalf of student Isabell Akers and Students for Life of America. The letter charged that Hampton-Dumont High School had unconstitutionally discriminated against Isabell by denying her equal rights with other clubs when she requested to form a Students for Life club.  The District is now reviewing both the policies themselves and how the policies apply to each club at the school, in order to bring both into full compliance with the law.

“We are encouraged by the District’s response in stepping up to remedy misapplications of the existing policies, which had resulted in pro-life students not being given the same treatment as other student-led clubs,” said Jocelyn Floyd, Associate Counsel for Thomas More Society. “This situation has given the school administrators an opportunity to clarify their District’s protections for broad, vibrant free speech rights for all students at Hampton-Dumont High School, including pro-life students.”

“We are pleased that, just as soon as the District has completed its revisions to the student club policies, the Students for Life club at Hampton-Dumont High School will be permitted the same opportunities as all other student-led clubs to share their opinions and engage in activities on their school campus,” said Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America.

Senior Isabell Akers is preparing to graduate and pass the baton to her fellow pro-life students at Hampton-Dumont High School, who are eager to exercise their First Amendment rights with a lively Hampton-Dumont Students for Life club in the fall.

What is the state of euthanasia and assisted suicide? Next on FOT

Alex Schadenberg

This week we will be joined by Alex Schadenberg, executive director and international chairman of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, Ontario, Canada. Alex will update us on the growing “pro death” movement in the United States and Canada.

Following Alex our media critic Todd Erzen will be making his monthly visit to discuss how accurately the news media has been covering issues important to people of faith.

Join Deacon Mike Manno and Gina Noll every Tuesday at 9 a.m. (CDT) on Iowa Catholic Radio 1150 AM; 88.5 & 94.5 FM and streaming on IowaCatholicRadio.com. The program is re-broadcast at 9 p.m.

Faith On Trial is sponsored by Attorney Rick McConville of Coppola, McConville, Coppola, Carroll, Hockenberg & Scalise PC 2100 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines, 515-453-1055 and Confluence Brewing Company – just off the Bike Trail south of Grey’s Lake, 1235 Thomas Beck Road, where there is entertainment in the tap room every Thursday evening.