Rick Green [00:00:07] This is the intersection of faith and culture. It's the WallBuilders Show, taking on the hot topics of the day from a biblical, historical, and constitutional perspective. And today is a very hot topic. People just don't know about it. I mean, it's serious, serious stuff happening all over the country. It's what we call ballot initiatives where you get a chance to go in and vote on a specific policy. So rather than just voting for someone to be your representative and go to the legislature or to congress, and they deal with the policy issues, in this case, the policy issues have been brought home to your community on the ballot and you have a voice. And it's happening all over the nation. Specifically, today we're going to zero in on Virginia for part of today's program. But this is happening across the nation. Rick Green here with David Barton and Tim Barton. Thanks so much for joining us on the WallBuilders Show today. Hope you're listening on your favorite podcast app or on Bot Radio or on some of our other stations that carry us. Or maybe even right there on our website at wallbuilders.show. But we ask you to take an extra step after today, especially because most of your friends and family do not know about these ballot initiatives, share today's program. Whether you're on your podcast app, wherever you're listening, share today's program. David, Tim, super important program today. So many of these initiatives, we just don't even know they're happening. And Virginia, of course, you have three really big ones happening there. 

David Barton [00:01:18] Yeah, there's some huge stuff out there. And this is an opportunity to make good policy because the ballot initiatives is essentially bypassing the legislature. And some of these really good ballot initiatives are in states that have really bad legislatures. And the citizens have been able to get some things, like in Colorado. I mean, that is so progressive blue. That's as bad as Minnesota in many ways. And yet they've been able to get really good ballots initiatives there. The people can go out and say, hey, we do not want men playing in women's sports. And by the way, We don't want transgender mutilation surgery, et cetera, for our kids. So while the legislature's not about to pass that in Colorado at this point, hopefully we can have enough change that they will at some point, the citizens have gotten this on the ballot. But that doesn't mean people know about them. And so when it comes to election night, all three of us are gonna be doing various election programs covering this stuff. And one of the things I've already got flagged is watching these ballot initiatives. We've got seven states where the people get to vote on whether they are gonna keep men out of women's sports. I think there's seven states going to vote on whether they want to have voter ID for voters where you're required to show your voter ID. All these things that legislators are not passing we're being able to get there. So it's really important. And in Virginia, where you have a very blue state right now with a legislator and governor, they have got some radical stuff going through Virginia. And we're gonna talk to a couple of guys today that are right in the middle of that in Virginia. And so many people don't know about the ballot initiatives. So if you're frustrated with who's running on the ballot, or you don't think it's a big deal because the president's not up this year or whatever, it really is a big because you're gonna be surrounded with policy that will affect your life and change your life. You need to know about these ballot initiatives. You need go out and vote in these ballot initiatives. This is a real opportunity to move America in a much more conservative direction. And Virginia is just a great example of what we're facing in most of the states across the United States this election on these ballot initiatives. 

Rick Green [00:03:12] Well, let's start there with Virginia. We've got two special guests coming on after the break and we'll talk about Virginia. Then when we come back at the end of the program, we'll talk about some of the other ones across the country. Stay with us, folks. You don't want to miss this. You're listening to The WallBuilder Show. 

Rick Green [00:04:30] Welcome back to the WallBuilders Show. Thanks for staying with us. Hey, thrilled about today's program and this is an action program, especially for our listeners in Virginia, but we're highlighting Virginia. That doesn't mean if you're outside of Virginia, you have no action. You've got elections. You've got propositions in other States across the country. This is an example of what Christians need to be engaged in today. Dr. Byron Fox is with us, Dr. Michael Huffman, the website we want to give out today, make sure you go to vaib.org that's V as in Victor. So... It's the Virginia, I shouldn't say V as in Victor, should be V as in Virginia, Virginia Association of Independent Baptist. It's vaib.org and click on that link for say no to all three. All right, gentlemen, big topic today, you've got three very important propositions on your ballot in Virginia in just 30 days, actually early voting starting very soon. First of all, thank you for joining us on wall builders today. 

Dr Byron Fox [00:05:21] It's an honor to be with you, Rick. 

Dr Michael Huffman [00:05:23] Oh, we're glad to be here. 

Rick Green [00:05:24] Well, we appreciate what y'all are doing. Thank you for being active. Of course, very involved with our friend, Chad Connelly and Faith Wins. And y'all have been a part of this for a long time, helping to defeat bad things and win good things. And this one is huge. You've got three major issues on the ballot. People can get that flyer at the website to see specifics, but let's walk through them. First of all, well, actually let's back up. Christians voting on propositions like this, man, if there's not a stewardship opportunity, this is it. I mean this is your chance to say yes or no to a major policy issue. 

Dr Byron Fox [00:06:01] That's correct. 

Dr Michael Huffman [00:06:02] Yes. 

Dr Byron Fox [00:06:02] Rick, Rick, this is a big deal. 

Dr Michael Huffman [00:06:04] You know, Rick the 11th commandment, Rick is thou shall not be political. And so God's people need to really be involved because God has left us as a stewardship of our, of our Commonwealth. And you know, Jesus Christ was involved in government. Paul was involved in government. John the Baptist was involved in government, God is the ordainer of government along with the church and the family. And he expects us to be involved in all three 

Dr Byron Fox [00:06:25]  These are a big deal! These are amendments to the Virginia State Constitution. This is not a little something. It's very hard to put an amendment in place and it's near impossible to get it out. And these are fundamental big issues, cardinal issues. You know, number one is the Reproductive Freedom Amendments that's what is called although, Dr. Huffman will agree with me all of these are very deviously worded to make you think it's one thing when it's really another. So the first one about life, the second one, the Marriage Amendment, and then the last one about the restoration of voting rights for felons. My wife, Rachel, and I, we're voting no, no, no, Rick, you know me, I'm a positive kind of guy, but on this, I am very, very negative, because these are wrong for Virginia. 

Rick Green [00:07:18] Well, you're right about the language. They do this. They're so sly. They do it all over the country. And in this case, they're making it sound like it's a it's a positive that they're protecting some right when, in fact, they're actually taking away the right of the baby to even have life. The very, you know, life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, keep pursue happiness. If you don't have liberty and you don't have liberty, if you don't have life at all in this case, we're talking abortion up to even into the third trimester. I mean, this isn't like you know, first few weeks, they're literally gonna put in your Constitution in Virginia a right to an abortion all the way through the pregnancy. 

Dr Michael Huffman [00:07:53] That's correct, this goes far beyond Roe, far beyond that, and makes abortion a constitutional right up until birth, when so-called health is cited. Who's health? The little baby dies. 

Rick Green [00:08:09] Dr. Hoffman, let me ask you a process real quick. Hopefully won't distract us too far in this. I enjoy this kind of stuff. But does this mean, if this passes, in order to reverse it, this constitutional process, you've got to go through like two legislative, if I've got this right, two legislative sessions and then to the people for votes. So I mean, this would enshrine abortion up to birth and make it very difficult to reverse. 

Dr Michael Huffman [00:08:36] Yeah, the process to get it on the ballot, it had to go through the state house, then we had to have an election, then we have to have another state house where they voted on it again, and then it comes to the ballot. Same thing to repeal an amendment like this. It is an arduous thing. We don't want it to be easy to add an amendment, but once an amendment is added, you've got to go to that entire process again to remove it, so it's it with these would be in place for at least two years. So the time to stop them is right now. Brother Rick, this is the last-ditch effort to stop wickedness in the great state of Virginia, man 

Rick Green [00:09:18] And this is, yeah, I've got a great student of mine from Patriot Academy that, when he talks about Virginia, it's almost like the heavens open. I mean, he just, he reminds me all the time of the importance of Virginia in the beginning of America and this place where our, your Virginia Declaration of Rights is what our Bill of Rights is based on and all of these things. I mean this is a place of Jefferson and Henry and all these greats, I mean for that to be the place where we're gonna, and we haven't even gotten into the second and third ballot initiatives, but the second one, you know, basically completely redefining marriage to be the opposite of what, it actually means anything it becomes anything and everything to everyone. So, I mean these these first two for Virginia to be a place that enshrines this in the Constitution. It's just, man, it's horrible. And and so you have a chance as you said, this is the last chance here we have 30 days left before the election or I guess what two weeks before you guys were early voting in there. 

Dr Byron Fox [00:10:14] Oh, no, we're already voting. We have already, we started September 18th or 19th, we have 45 days of voting. Yeah. That's a recipe for fraud right there, but that's the law of Virginia at the moment, so all God-fearing people, if you have any morality about you whatsoever, if want to stop the wrath of God from coming on Virginia in a bigger measure, you got to vote. No. No. No. No.

Rick Green [00:10:45] And I want you guys to speak to inaction. In other words, if somebody's listening to us right now in Virginia, or another state where they have initiatives like this happening as well, or even just general elections, but maybe they're saying as we're talking about this, ah, you know, I'm not like those guys. I'm not involved. I don't know all this stuff, and I'm un-involved in all that. Or I'm exactly sure what it means. So I'm just gonna kind of stay out of it and let other people decide. By not acting, you actually are helping enshrine abortion up to birth. You're enshrining a definition of marriage that completely gets rid of one man and one woman by not acting aren't you acting?  

Dr Byron Fox [00:11:23] Yeah. 

Dr Michael Huffman [00:11:24] Yeah, you are. You are, Rick. If you, if you take in action, that is your decision. And the thing about it is Rick, the, the constitutional amendment, the way that it reads is every individual has the right to reproductive freedom. And then it lists the whole types of things. But the interesting part about that is Rick is it doesn't separate women from children to minors. They, any individual takes away parental consent. You know, 1.240-1 Of the code of Virginia says that parents have the final say in the raising of their children. But in like an all law, first thing I learned at law school, like all law constitutional amendments or constitutional language supersedes code. And so this constitutional amendment says that every individual, that's that 13-year-old girl sitting in her guidance counselors’ class who got herself pregnant, that guidance counselor could take her to Planned Parenthood, have an abortion without notifying her mom and dad of, of anything that's going on. It also says that any person who aids or assists in the carrying out of this fundamental right cannot be held criminally or civilly responsible if something goes wrong. So all of the safeguards, first thing I had to do when I was in law school was I had to read the Roe v. Wade case. And even though the three of us would disagree with their conclusion, one of the things they raised as a concern was safeguards. And when I in the Virginia General Assembly arguing with Senator Boiesco over this, she said, we're just trying to codify Roe. And you're really not, because Roe was, at least to some measure, concerned about women having these abortions safely. Again, even though we would disagree with the overall conclusion, they had some measure of safety. This completely takes away safety. Plus, it takes away the conscionable objection of doctors who have a conscionable religious exemption to abortions because they're going to come back and say, you violated her fundamental right and they're gonna put their license to practice medicine in jeopardy. 

Rick Green [00:13:14] Yeah, and I think if I hear you right, Dr. Huffman, this also means you're protecting an abuser.. 

Rick Green [00:13:19] Absolutely. 

Rick Green [00:13:20] So, an abuser that is taking advantage of a child could take that 12, 13, 14-year-old girl into an abortion clinic, get an abortion and not be held accountable. It actually, you know, let's say the parents have no notification. They're they don't get any they're not even told that this is happening. So you're literally opening the door for the kind of things that we spent decades getting legislation like that passed all over the country to protect children from this kind of thing. This literally is going to wipe that away in Virginia. 

Dr Michael Huffman [00:13:47] Yeah, sex traffickers are protected in this constitutional amendment by its language. Because you're a lawyer by trade, Rick, just like, just like I have a law, law background. You know, you and I both understand words have meanings, words have definitions. And so a lot of the things is not, it's not what it says, but it's was what it will allow by what it doesn't say. And if I can also add this, this will also, uh, put into play and hinder our statutory rape laws. 18.2-263 of the Commonwealth of Virginia is our statutory rape law, and if everybody has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom, that also includes with whom you have relations with. And I know some judges that would buy an argument from a defense attorney and said, your honor, if you convict my client of statutory rape, you have infringed upon his partner's right to reproductive freedom. 

Rick Green [00:14:36] Wow. Wow. Dr. Fox, you talk about evil. I mean, Christianity has been what has created freedom, following a biblical perspective is what has allowed for prosperity and liberty and all these things. Christianity is responsible to stop evil. We have a duty to stand against evil and for Christians or pastors or others to check out in Virginia and not participate in this and say no and take a stand and step up here. It's almost like saying to everyone, yeah, we really are non-essential. I mean, let's be essential here. 

Dr Byron Fox [00:15:14] Absolutely. You know, we cannot ask God to bless Virginia while we write the shedding of innocent blood into our Constitution. And so we cannot be silent. These are very cleverly but dastardly worded amendments. It's on purpose. They did not accidentally write these things this way. This was absolutely on purpose and they must be stopped. There is good and evil and Brother Rick, this is evil. You know, say, well, Brother Fox, you, you should not be endorsing candidates. I'm not endorsing any candidate. I am pointing out evil. This is absolutely against the word of God, the Bible that I do revere and try to lead my, live my life by, and those who have any morality about themselves. In fact, if you just have common sense about yourself, you know that these things are wrong. This is a common-sense strong position that all of us are trying to take against these things and stop it right now. No, no, no. 

Rick Green [00:16:19] Is it fair to say guys this is, I mean this is not even Republican or Democrat left or right. This is good or evil 

Dr Byron Fox [00:16:26] That is correct. That is a very strong assessment, but a very accurate assessment. 

Dr Michael Huffman [00:16:31] Rick, I have had pro-choice people look at me after we've discussed this amendment and they've looked at me, they've said, Dr. Huffman, I'm still pro-Choice, but I'm anti this amendment because this goes too far. 

Rick Green [00:16:42] Wow. 

Dr Michael Huffman [00:16:43] When you take away parental consent, when you start protecting sex traffickers, when you take away safeguards, when take away conscience protection, when you remove three doctors during the third trimester and say it only has to be one doctor to say that a woman's physical or mental health is at risk due to this pregnancy and she can have an abortion on that child's birthday. And that one doctor can be the abortion doctor that would that would stand to benefit from the procedure. This is this message has to get out and people. Have to be wise of what is actually going on. And as I said, Rick, I have pro-choice people telling me, Dr. Huffman, this is way too far. 

Rick Green [00:17:29] Oh man, let's talk before I let you guys go win-ability or whatever the right word is defeat-ability Can we defeat this thing? You know, because people will sometimes say, oh, we can't win on this one or whatever. If the churches show up. If Christians show up. If we get our team on the field, we absolutely can defeat this evil. We can win this don't you guys agree? 

Dr Michael Huffman [00:17:50] Yes. 

Dr Byron Fox [00:17:50] 100 percent. 100 percent. There is a core group, a growing core group in Virginia of conservative, spiritually minded folk that have gotten engaged, that our voter turnout rate is 99%. So there is already a core that is standing strongly opposed to this. However, all of us that are in that category have got to find three people who did not vote last time and that also share some values about themselves and get them down to the polls, even if we have to go pick them up in our car and take them down, it's that important. The voter turnout is what this comes down to. 

Rick Green [00:18:35] Yes. Yeah, no, no. In fact, you get going and getting them I mean, I'm glad you said that Dr. Fox because you know, sometimes we don't realize it's not just our vote, we can we can multiply and force multiply by, you know, letting people know, posting online, telling them about this, getting them to to know to show up. But then, hey election day or during early voting go round them up go pick them up and say hey, let's go together, let's do this together as a church activity, as our Sunday School class or whatever It might be. Making sure you're, you know, if you're a grandparent out there, making sure your kids and your grandkids if they're old enough to vote, that they're going and voting. You guys have the links for people who are wondering where to go and where to go vote. If you go to vaib.org, you can get all of that information, so VAIB, Virginia Association of Independent Baptists, dot org, vaib.org. Check out the flyer because it breaks down each of these three ballot initiatives and then there's deeper information if you want to go there, but then also has link for finding your polling place. I would say, Dr. Huffman, don't just be one vote out there, be a force multiplier and get ten other people to go vote on this. 

Dr Michael Huffman [00:19:39] Absolutely, Rick, you're exactly right. You know, like Brother Fox was saying, get in the car, take people with you. And also on the VAIB website, there's a link there, QR code, where you can scan that. And if you're not registered to vote, then that QR code will take you right to the Virginia registrars’ website. You can register to vote right there online. I have videos on there about the abortion amendment, videos on the marriage amendment, and all types of articles on all three amendments. They all three must be defeated. Again I thank you Rick, it's vaib.org. And check out all the information it will be very helpful to you. 

Rick Green [00:20:17] Well, thank you guys for leading the charge. You know, if you didn't step up and let people know about this, if you weren't, didn't put this information together, so you make it easy for people to, to go vote and to, and to share the information, take that flyer, send it out to friends and family. You know, there's no way we'd win. Evil would, would continue to march and win. This is how we stop them, this is out good actually can stand up. The old expression about the only thing it takes for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing. Well, here's a chance for good people to do something. Everybody can do something here. In Virginia and again across the country not just in Virginia, there's other issues going on in other places across the county. We'll talk with David and Tim about that when we come back from the program but man just thank y'all. Dr. Michael, thank you guys for being willing to stand being willing to be a part of the solution for putting the tools out there for investing the effort. Dr. Micheal Huffman, Dr. Byron Fox, God bless you guys. Thanks for coming on today. 

Dr Byron Fox [00:21:08] God bless Rick. 

Dr Michael Huffman [00:21:09] Thank you Rick. It's been an honor. 

Rick Green [00:21:11] Stay with us folks. We We'll be right back with David and Tim Barton. 

Rick Green [00:22:20] Welcome back to the WallBuilders Show. Thanks for staying with us. Thanks to Dr. Fox and to Dr. Huffman. These are big in Virginia. I mean, guys, this literally would enshrine in the Constitution a right to abortion up to birth and then, of course, you know, destroy the definition of marriage for Virginia as well. So really want the people in Virginia to get out and vote. What about some of the other places, David? You mentioned this is not just Virginia and most people don't know these are happening in their states because there's not a lot of money being spent on either side to advocate for them. 

David Barton [00:22:53] Well, in Arizona, that's a state that has the "no men and women's sports". Arkansas is voting on citizenship requirements for voters. They also have a Second Amendment issue up in Arkansas. On California, California actually has a problem voting whether they should have voter ID before elections. Now, you know that didn't come to the legislature, but there was enough citizens out there that said, this is crazy, we want to get this in place. Colorado, we mentioned earlier, they've got three really big ballot initiatives in Colorado. You go down into Idaho, they have one to turn back the abortion policy. Two years ago, they basically just took the limits off abortion in any way, shape, fashion, form. This is putting limits back on.

Tim Barton [00:23:40]  Hey, let me point out too, like this is, some of these states, you're not surprised to see the state moving in certain directions. You don't get surprised when you see a blue state acting blue, right? It's kind of like, you shouldn't be surprised when see a non-Christian acting like a non-Christian. You're like, well, that's kind what you're supposed to do. But when you see a Christian doing ungodly things, then you're like hey, you are not supposed to be doing that. This is a little bit like when you a red state doing liberal things. Idaho? Removing restrictions on abortion. That seems crazy to me, not reflective of Idaho. Now, obviously they've got a couple of big cities, they're left. They've got some big college communities. Like I get it, but still Idaho is not a super blue place. So the fact they've gone a direction in their state that is very antithetical to the nature of the people in their states is again reflective of why it matters that people show up and get involved in politics? Because our political leaders are not always a representation of everybody in the state. They're only a representation of the majority of people that voted in the last election. And hopefully man, Idaho can turn this around as, as with most of these ballot initiatives. Hopefully we can see people show up and support the good ones and vote against the bad ones. 

David Barton [00:24:57] Well, Tim, right down that same line, Missouri's in the same situation. Last election, this pro-life state, very red state, very conservative, very God-fearing state, voted in almost no limits on abortion. They took all the limits off, and now Senator Josh Hawley is leading the way, trying to get, they've got another ballot initiative up that would roll back some of those unlimited things that they were doing and start putting restrictions on abortions again. But you're right, Tim. I mean, you see a state like Idaho, or you see state like Missouri. That shouldn't be happening there and you've also got some big things going on in states like Alaska. There's some real opportunities to change the direction of Alaska if they can get rid of that rank choice voting, which they almost did last time. We'll see if they came this time. But virtually every state, even in Maine, which we consider a blue state often, Maine is voting on whether to keep men out of women's sports. So virtually every state has something going. And even in blue states, you have a chance here to move back in a much more red direction. And red states that are going in a blue direction, you have an opportunity to kind of push some of that back. So the ballot initiatives are really, really big. Not much money is being spent on them, by the way. So you may not even know they're up in your state, but you need to check and make sure you know what's there and get informed and go out and vote. 

Rick Green [00:26:12] Well, we're down to the wire, folks, only a little bit of time left. And of course, that voting is taking place already in most states. So be sure and tell your friends and family about this. Share today's program. Go to ChristianVoterGuide.com. ChristianVoterGuide.com. Share that link with your friends and family so that they can take that with them and they can study the candidates and actually cast an informed vote. And also, on these ballot initiatives where they are so deceptive, as we were talking about earlier in how they word these things. You really do need a guide on those things. So check that out today. ChristianVoterGuide.com.  Thanks so much for listening today to The WallBuilders Show.