Ruth Institute Podcast

(August 31, 2010) Dr J joins Todd Wilken on Issues, Etc. to discuss how sex outside of marriage disproportionately disadvantages the poor.  She's contributing a chapter on this subject to the book Women, Sex & the Church: A Case for Catholic Teaching.

(August 2010) Bill Duncan gave this talk--on marriage law--as part of "It Takes a Family," Ruth Institute's summer student conference this year in Southern California.  He traces the way United States law has treated marriage, explains how its legal views have altered over the centuries, and finally discusses the way that Judge Walker's federal Prop 8 ruling demolishes the core meaning of marriage.

(August 2010) At Ruth Institute's "It Takes a Family" summer student conference, Adam Weinberg (field coordinator from the Leadership Institute) delivered a talk entitled "Spreading the Message on Campus."  He discussed how to recruit and inform on campus and gave an overview of some of the discrimination and other obstacles conservative students face. Adam's second talk, "Campus Activism," is available here.

(August 2010) Dr. Robert Gagnon gave this talk as part of "It Takes a Family," Ruth Institute's summer student conference this year in Southern California.  A professor from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, he delivered a talk entitled "Jesus and Sex."  Dr. Gagnon discussed what Jesus taught about sex--including marriage, homosexuality, and divorce--and how his teachings related to the Mosaic law and the mores of the culture. Dr. Gagnon's second talk, on Pauline teaching, is available here.

(August 12, 2010) At Ruth Institute's "It Takes a Family" summer student conference, Dr J delivers the opening talk entitled "Marriage and Freedom in Society."  She discusses what the institution of marriage does for society and some of the consequences if it is removed or substantially altered--especially for the very young.

(August 23, 2010) Prop 8's court cases have all made waves, but the first round in the federal arena is ending with increased scrutiny of Judge Walker's particular handling of the case.  His behavior has enlivened some people who were otherwise content not to pay attention...

(August 20, 2010) Dr J appears on Issues, Etc to discuss the recent anti-Sarah Palin video campaign put out by some "Mama Grizzlies."  These women are upset that someone who doesn't share their views proports to "speak for" them, but they conveniently forget the gripe when pro-choice women proport to "speak for" all of womankind.

(August 2010) Dr. Miriam Grossman gave this talk as part of "It Takes a Family," Ruth Institute's summer student conference this year in Southern California.  The author of You're Teaching My Child What? A Physician Exposes the Lies of Sex Education and How They Harm Your Child (2009) and Unprotected: A Campus Psychiatrist Reveals How Political Correctness Endangers Every Student (2009), she spoke on the physical and emotional effects premarital sex and the hook-up culture have on college students.

(August 2010) Dr J gave a reprise of this talk as part of "It Takes a Family," Ruth Institute's summer student conference this year in Southern California.  She discusses her life story and the 4 threats to marriage as outlined by the bishops in the Catholic church's paper of the same name.

(August 11, 2010) Dr J appears on radio program Point of View, where she and Penna Dexter discuss Judge Walker's recent Proposition 8 ruling.

(August 5, 2010) Dr J appears on Steve Duignan's radio show to discuss Judge Walker's ruling on California's Proposition 8.

(July 28, 2010) Dr J appears on Issues, Etc to discuss "grey divorce"--couples who divorce in later life after being married for a long time (decades).  There's a lot of information out there on how to re-enter the singles scene and get on with your life, but why are these break-ups happening in the first place?

(August 3, 2010) The New York Times ran a piece on upper-middle-class married couples who have grown apart but choose to remain married for...convenience?  Tax purposes?  Inertia?  This definitely isn't an ideal, but is it a bad thing?  Dr J unpacks the idea and some of its ramifications.

(August 4, 2010) Federal Judge Vaughn Walker has just declared Prop 8, the California referendum that defines marriage between one man and one woman, unconstitutional.  There are lots of strong emotions on both sides of the situation, and the case promises to go on to the 9th circuit court of appeals and, probably, the United States Supreme Court.  Dr J clarifies some aspects of the case and outlines what's at stake.

(July 21, 2010) Derek McCoy, pastor at Beltsville, Maryland's Hope Christian Church, was at Annapolis's "Summer of Marriage" rally with Dr J (see "It Takes a lot of Faith to Believe in Same-Sex Marriage"), where he emphasized the importance of traditional marriage and the value of the vote in its defense.

(July 21, 2010) Bishop Harry Jackson, pastor of Beltsville, Maryland's Hope Christian Church, was at Annapolis's "Summer of Marriage" rally with Dr J (see "It Takes a lot of Faith to Believe in Same-Sex Marriage"), where he emphasized the value of the vote in the defense of traditional marriage.

(July 20, 2010) Jim White, former Supreme Director of the Knights of Columbus, was also at Trenton's "Summer of Marriage" rally with Dr J (see "Why Not Privatize Marriage?"), where he advocated civic participation and the accountibility of public officials in the defense of marriage.

(July 20, 2010) Bishop John Smith, the bishop of Trenton, New Jersey, was also at Trenton's "Summer of Marriage" rally with Dr J (see "Why Not Privatize Marriage?"), where he spoke in defense of traditional marriage and the complimentary differences between men and women.

(July 21, 2010) This podcast is a rebroadcast of Family New in Focus's coverage of NOM's bus stops in Rhode Island and Annapolis.  The original is available here.

(July 21, 2010) Though NOM's Summer Marriage Tour continues through August 15, Annapolis, Maryland is Dr J's last stop.  Her final talk is entitled "It Takes a lot of Faith to Believe in Same-Sex Marriage."