Segments
Every week we strive to bring you top-notch reporting from the intersection of religion, government and politics, but sometimes the stars align and we get a show – like this week’s – with three guests whose dedication and knowledge are unparalleled. This week on State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s radio show and podcast, we’ll get the latest news on the Trump campaign, the fight against discrimination, and love and sex in the Catholic Church. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from acclaimed reporter Jeff Sharlet, North Carolina business owner and activist Bob Page, and the Rt. Rev. Bishop Gene Robinson.
Amoris Laetitia: The Joy of Love
Last week Pope Francis released his much anticipated Amoris Laetita, a document outlining the Church’s changing doctrines on love, sex and marriage. This week Welton will sit down with Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson, the Episcopal Church’s first openly gay bishop and a lifelong activist for inclusion in his own denomination. He’ll help walk us through what this document changes, what it fails to address, and what we might expect from the Vatican in years to come.
Equality Means Business in North Carolina
With the startling spread of anti-LGBT, so-called religious freedom legislation (just this week Tennessee came close to passing one such bill, halted only by the Governor’s veto) one voice has emerged as a particularly potent force for equality: business. Bob Page is the founder and chairman of Replacements, LTD, a Greensboro, NC company that is the world’s largest retailer of china, crystal and silverware. When North Carolina passed the discriminatory HB 2, making life more difficult for LGBT people in the state, Page kicked into action. Tune in to hear his empowering story of putting his own business interests on the line to fight hate.
Donald Trump, American Preacher
So reads the startling headline of Jeff Sharlet’s recent piece in The New York Times Magazine. Many of us have been concerned by the rise of Donald Trump and where his candidacy seems to draw its power from, and Jeff says he sees something familiar here: a prosperity gospel preacher. Welton will ask Jeff about this fascinating observation, why he thinks The Donald is resurrecting the prosperity gospel of yesteryear, and what we can expect from Rev. Trump in the months to come.