Brad’s research focuses on marriage, and on the ways in which gender, religion, class, and children influence the quality and stability of American family life. He has published articles on marriage, cohabitation, fatherhood, and religion and family life in many scholarly journals, and his work has been featured in The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Washington Post, Huffington Post, Time, CNN, NBC’s The Today Show, and on numerous NPR stations.

On this edition of Engaging the Issues, Dr. Wilcox joins me to discuss the important topic of divorce reform.

Click on the player below to listen:

And, don’t forget to download this week’s edition of, Engaging the Issues @Home to continue the discussion of this important topic around your dinner table.

Also, visit www.FamilyPolicyWV.com/divorce-reform to learn more about our efforts at the West Virginia Legislature to strengthen our economy by strengthening our marriages.

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1. Engaging the Issues: Dr. Erwin Lutzer

Dr. Erwin Lutzer, our first guest on, 'Engaging the Issues.'

Today, the Family Policy Council of West Virginia is pleased to launch a new service to our statewide network of families, two actually.

First, is our latest podcast: Engaging the Issues, West Virginia’s only program dedicated to engaging conversations about the issues affecting your family. We hope to produce this show at least twice a month, with occasional special episodes on topics of current importance.

We have tried to strike a balance between in-depth (beyond the talking points) conversations and brevity.  Hopefully, that lands in the sweet spot between 15 and 25 minutes in length.  Our intent is to feature everyone from politicians to theologians to moms and dads to (if we cannot find anyone else) lawyers!

Our first broadcast is with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, pastor of the historic Moody Memorial Church in Chicago, Illinois.

Dr. Lutzer earned his B.Th. from Winnipeg Bible College, a Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary, an MA in Philosophy from Loyola University, an honorary LL.D. from Simon Greenleaf School of Law, and an honorary DD from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary.

Dr. Lutzer is the featured speaker on three radio programs including “The Moody Church Hour”, the popular evening program “Songs in the Night,” as well as the daily broadcast called “Running to Win”.  These programs are heard on more than 700 radio stations in the United States and some foreign countries.

Dr. Lutzer is an award-winning author of numerous books including:  Making the Best of a Bad Decision, When a Nation Forgets God, Oprah – Miracles and the New Earth, Is God On America’s Side, Slandering Jesus, The Vanishing Power of Death, Cries from the Cross, Christ Among Other gods, One Minute After You Die and Hitler’s Cross, which received the Christian Bookseller’s Gold Medallion Award.

I asked Dr. Lutzer to join me to discuss the important topic of Christian citizenship.  It’s a great conversation that you can listen to below:

Our second resource will always accompany the first: Engaging the Issues @Home (click to download; opens PDF copy), a companion tool to our Engaging the Issues Podcast for families to use around the kitchen table to help start an engaging conversation about how their faith connects with the world around them.

We designed this resource for parents to use after dinner with their kids to discuss how a Biblical worldview should be applied to the world of politics (and beyond!).  Our hope is that it will serve as a discussion starter that will lead you and your family into more and better ways to faithfully steward the government that has been entrusted to your care.

While we thought it would make good after-dinner conversations, be creative with how your family wants to use it!  Perhaps it would be a good addition to your homeschool curriculum or just something to consider on that quick trip to the grocery store.  However you use it, we hope that you – Dad and Mom – will use it to emphasize that the Truths of Scripture do not stop at the door of the church, but is, as Paul reminded Timothy, “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. . .”

We hope you like these new resources, but more importantly . . . we hope you use them!  Let us know what you think of them!

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1. Engaging the Issues: Dr. Bradford Wilcox

My Fellow West Virginians,

Tradition, as well as our state constitution, requires that the Governor of the State of West Virginia give an address at the commencement of the regular session of the legislature, “of the condition of the state.”

Annually, governors since 1863 have updated lawmakers and citizens alike as to the state of our State.  It is an important opportunity for our state, collectively, to examine how our state is functioning and what issues of importance need to be addressed.

Families – those moms and dads, sons and daughters who make up this fair state – often employ a similar technique.  These, “family meetings,” are a time to reflect upon various issues affecting our families, to voice concern, or to encourage one another with familial love.

At times, speeches by governors mention the importance of families.  Often, families meet to pray for their leaders or discuss the latest political news of the day.  Yet, rarely is there given an address that offers a report upon the condition of the state AND the family.

My fellow West Virginians, the State of West Virginia’s families demands our attention.

In the last year, politicians across the country have spent hours debating what ought to be done to improve our sluggish economy and strengthen our communities.  Such economic debate and discussion is not missing from the halls of West Virginia’s Capitol, nor are such discussions unimportant.

Governor Tomblin, speaking in his State of the State Address last evening noted the growing strength of our economy and his commitment to our communities.

He said, “And while we can achieve greatness, our success is not guaranteed.  Outcomes will be cased on our willingness to use our unique abilities and skills for a greater West Virginia.  Each of us can make a difference in the lives of our people and our State.  And with the knowledge and confidence that the State of our State is stable and strong, NOW IS THE TIME to build on our strength.”

This is a noble goal and one Governor Tomblin deserves credit for providing leadership towards.  We are thankful for men like Governor Tomblin and the 134 delegates and state senators with whom he works.  These are men and women who seek what they believe is best for the State of West Virginia.

More importantly, these are men and women who have been placed in office to, as Romans 13 verse 4 reminds us, “to do you good.”  We support them with our prayers every bit as much as we hold them accountable through our stewardship of the government entrusted to our care.

I echo the words of Governor Tomblin as he said, “We will not only celebrate our accomplishments.  We will reshape our future.  We will build a new West Virginia.  One where our schools prepare our children for future employment, our communities are drug free, good jobs are plentiful, and our families can stay and prosper in West Virginia.”

Yet, if our families are to stay and prosper, even the boldest economic proposals will mean little if the families that drive this economy and are at the center of our communities are not at the forefront of our concern.  And that is an appropriate concern of every lawmaker.

The simple reality is this: the quickest way to strengthen West Virginia’s economy is to strengthen its families.

Workers have little to be productive for if, at the end of the day, fathers and mothers are not motivated to provide for the next generation.

Communities grow, in part, due to the economic engine of businesses small and large, but communities are made of more than the widgets they produce or the balance books in which they write.

Communities are made of husbands and wives, moms and dads, sisters and brothers.

West Virginia is but a collection of families in this our home among the hills.  Dads labor far beneath the earth to fuel the light that their children use to study at school.  Moms teach the importance of hard work to the children who will be the future leaders of industry.  Around the dinner table, families learn the important values of faith, a faith that teaches that we serve a Divine Creator that has created each of us with innate dignity.

It is by respecting and encouraging this created dignity that our economy will ultimately grow.

The leaders of our state have the opportunity to strengthen West Virginia’s economy by strengthening its families.  We suggest the following ways in which to begin strengthening West Virginia’s families, our communities, and our economy:

First, to strengthen our families, government ought to do all that it can to encourage and strengthen marriage between one man and one woman.

Second, our state will be strengthened when every innocent human life is treated with the respect and dignity that it deserves.

And, finally, by increasing the religious liberty of our fellow West Virginians, our leaders would do much to strengthen both its families and economy, as well as the communities in which they live.

Our families will only be as strong as the marriages that founded them.  Thus, government ought to encourage strong marriages between one man and one woman.

West Virginia is in the minority of states with no legally binding definition of marriage.

At the Federal level, President Obama has directed his department of justice to stop defending the Federal Defense of Marriage Act – a law duly passed by Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton.

In California, one judge has deemed the votes of more than 7 million Californians more a thing of bigotry than democracy.  Even now, Californians must rely upon privately paid attorneys to defend the laws their governor and attorney general refuse to enforce, namely, that marriage is between one man and one woman.

Far from encouraging strong marriages, government seems intent upon either ignoring it or redefining it.

In West Virginia, over 13,000 couples are married every year.  And yet, West Virginia averages more than 9,000 divorces annually.  Each divorce costs taxpayers between $20,000 and $30,000 or, roughly, $230,000,000 annually – enough money to fund West Virginia’s Supreme Court for more than two years.

When marriages fail, children have less of a chance of quality access to healthcare.  Statistics indicate that children of divorced parents tend to abuse alcohol and live lives of juvenile crime.  Divorced parents, on average, reduce the level of education for their children, thus driving down their career potentials.

In short, marital breakdown and divorce is a drain on West Virginia’s economy because it weakens West Virginia’s families.

West Virginia’s lawmakers can encourage strong marriages by, first, giving the families of West Virginia the opportunity to define it.

More than 70% of West Virginians believe marriage is between one man and one woman.  Almost 85% of West Virginians believe that the definition of marriage ought to be settled by the people – not left to judges to decide.

Yet, despite this overwhelming support, lawmakers are content to deny the people of West Virginia their right to define marriage for themselves.  There is no legitimate reason not to let the people of West Virginia vote on marriage.

In 2012, lawmakers should strengthen its economy by allowing their constituents to vote on a constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between one man and one woman.

At the same time as the foundational definition of marriage is strengthened, lawmakers would do well to encourage strong, long-lasting marriages.

Statistics indicate that couples who undergo premarital education and counseling ahead of marriage can reduce the risk of divorce by up to 30%.  If the divorce rate in West Virginia is reduced by just 2% annually, West Virginia’s economy stands to gain almost $5.5 million every year.

To strengthen West Virginia’s economy by strengthening its families, lawmakers ought to pass the Premarital Education Act.

The Premarital Education Act seeks to reduce the risk of divorce by creating an incentive for couples to undergo premarital education and counseling.  Through the Premarital Education Act, marriage license fees are doubled.  However, those fees are then reduced by half when couples undergo eight (8) hours of premarital education.

The Premarital Education Act serves two purposes.  First it discourages marriages entered into with haste and lack of forethought that statistically lack staying power.

Second, it funds the Marriage Education Trust Fund that, in turn, funds programs that encourage strong marriages in West Virginia.

Thus, the Premarital Education Act creates multiple levels of community involvement while strengthening West Virginia’s economy.  Pastors, social workers, and other community leaders are encouraged to provide premarital education, thus staking an interest in the relationships within their community.

Second, our state will be strengthened when every innocent human life is treated with the respect and dignity that it deserves.

The great travesty of abortion is not only that innocent children are deprived of the right to life, but that West Virginia has become their approving pallbearers.

West Virginia commits almost 2,000 of the 1.3 MILLION abortions that take place in America each year.

We believe that almost three-quarters of the abortions committed are performed in one clinic on the west side of Charleston.  This clinic has located itself in the most concentrated minority population and one of the poorest populations of our state.  This is no accident.

Black women are over three-times more likely to have an abortion than white women.  Hispanic women are over two-times more likely to abort then their Caucasian sisters.  Women earning less than 30,000 dollars annually account for almost half of all abortions.

The average American worker can expect to earn between one and two million dollars over the course of their lifetime.  That means, every year, between $2 and $4 billion is removed from West Virginia’s economy.  Over the last 37 years since abortion has been legal in the United States, West Virginia has eliminated – at a minimum –between $74 and $148 trillion dollars from its overall economy.

West Virginia’s lawmakers can stop the weakening of its economy by defending the right of every innocent human life to exist, to contribute to society, and to work.

West Virginia lawmakers should continue to lend its full support to the tireless efforts of the staff and volunteers of West Virginia’s various pregnancy care centers.  These men and women work to remove the “crisis” from any pregnancy.  They lessen the burden on state government by using private donations to feed, clothe, and train young families.  In addition to lending a listening ear, some even provide housing and job training to young women, many of whom have been kicked out of their homes or exhausted state assistance.

Likewise, to strengthen our economy, our leaders ought to strengthen our families by protecting a young woman’s right to refuse to have an abortion.

The abortion industry in West Virginia works actively to recruit attorneys to help young women work around the laws that give parents notice of their daughter’s intention to abort their grandchild.  Zealous attorneys – bought and paid for by the abortion industry – deny these young women the caring counsel of their parents in these desperate, life-threatening moments.

At the same time, the abortion industry is quick to accept the money of parents who refuse the desperate pleas of their daughters as she begs not to be forced to destroy the grandchild she carries.

Last year, one young lady – we will call her Susie – was, over her strong objections, brought to the abortion mill in Charleston by her mother.  Susie had no choice.  She could not drive.  She could not afford to be kicked out of her family home.  Susie’s parents refused to even let her consider the offer one family made to adopt her child.

It was only as Susie’s mother was standing at the counter readying to pay for the abortion of her grandchild and hearing the screams from behind the doors of this abortion mill that her mother relented and gave her grandchild the chance to live.

Lawmakers ought to encourage strong families by giving young women – like Susie – protection from parents who demand that their grandchildren be destroyed, even over the objections of their daughters.

The Family Policy Council of West Virginia is preparing legislation that will harness the authority of the Judiciary to protect young women like Susie and others.

But, are there lawmakers bold enough to protect young women like Susie by introducing and then working to pass such legislation?

Until our lawmakers work to protect the most innocent among us, our families will not be strengthened, our communities will not grow, and our economy will continue to be weakened.

Finally, our leaders must defend the right of all West Virginians to hear and speak the Truth of the Gospel.

At the close of 2011, the Department of Education undertook a bold initiative.  Over the express wishes of the West Virginia Legislature and the comments of hundreds of West Virginia parents, it enacted new rules that permit schools to censor speech that it unilaterally and subjectively finds to be “offensive” or, “outside the boundaries of socially appropriate behavior.”

Thus, if a student shares the Gospel with another student and a teacher deems that to be, “outside the boundaries of socially appropriate behavior,” the teacher is empowered to censor that, “offensive speech.”

Even as the Board of Education was voting on that policy, a young man in one of West Virginia’s first-grade classes was asked to finish the phrase, “Christmas is about ______.”  Correctly, that little boy wrote, “Christmas is about Jesus’ birthday.”

When he received his paper back, the teacher had drawn three black lines through his answer.  The young man had to go to the principal’s office where, only then, he was told that the teacher had made a mistake and he was allowed to redo his assignment.

Students should not have to censor their own beliefs, nor should they be afraid of sharing the Gospel with other students, while at school.  And yet, it took going to the principal’s office for one first-grader to speak his simple version of the Gospel message.

It is not a matter of if, but when the Board of Education’s new policy will censor a student’s First Amendment rights.

Of course, if parents or students are told by school officials that their loving message of the Gospel is outside the boundaries of socially appropriate behavior, then they should call the Family Policy Council of WV right away.  We will gladly defend their right to hear and speak the Truth of the Gospel.

But, the West Virginia legislature ought to reign in the Board of Education’s overreach or, at the very least, expressly protect a student’s religious liberty in school.

By strengthening the first freedom of our families, our leaders will strengthen this state and its economy.

There are certain to be other shots across the bow of religious liberty during this legislative session, most likely under the guise of, “tolerance.”

Undoubtedly, the high-paid lobbyists of the abortion industry will work to increase its profitability by expanding the reach of the abortionist in West Virginia.

In all likelihood, those who wish to redefine marriage or are simply content with the status quo will do little to strengthen and preserve the important institution of marriage between one man and one woman.

Yet, at every turn, the Family Policy Council of West Virginia will be there to advance, defend, and equip West Virginia’s families.

And, as we do, we are mindful that we speak for a growing statewide network of churches and families.  Each of these communities agrees that the quickest way to strengthen West Virginia’s economy is to strengthen its families.

Even as we encourage our lawmakers to support policies that will strengthen this state by encouraging strong families, we begin – as we did on Sunday of this week – by praying for our leaders.

We believe, strongly, in the words of Proverbs 4:7 – words that are chiseled into the base of the West Virginia State Capitol: “Wisdom is the principal thing: therefore, get wisdom and, with all thy getting, get understanding.”

This, then, is our prayer for our leaders, that they will get wisdom and, with all their getting, that they will get understanding.

As moms and dads settle in for dinner tonight and as prayers are said before turning the lights off for bed, may each of us remember our leaders in prayer.

As for me and my house, we will pray prayers of gratitude that God has blessed this state and nation with leaders who are elected to serve the families of this state.  We will pray that their marriages and families will be strengthened during the difficult days of lawmaking and politicking.

And, before we say, ‘Amen,’ we will pray that God will, indeed, bless this great nation and the families that He has raised up to live within it.

With that blessing we will then work to strengthen West Virginia’s families with policies that embrace the sanctity of human life, enrich marriage, and safeguard religious freedom.

Thank you and may God richly bless the State of West Virginia and the United States of America.

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Earlier this week, SCOTUS declined to take the appeal of one of the longest running cases in the field of religious liberty, Bronx Household of Faith v. Board of Education of the City of New York.  It’s a decision that was unexpected by those of us who follow such things and one with not a small potential for impact to those motivated to plant churches.

Jordan Lorence, senior vice-president with the Alliance Defense Fund, has been the chief litigator on this case.  Jordan wrote an instructive blog post on the topic (copied below), but also took the time to join me for a brief discussion over the phone.  I hope you will listen to it – especially if you are a pastor or elder committed to planting churches in West Virginia – and share it with your friends.

The Future of Churches in Renting Public Schools in Light of Bronx Household of Faith
By Jordan Lorence, Esq.

Churches meeting in public schools should not be apprehensive because of the recent action of the Supreme Court not to review a federal appeals court decision upholding New York City’s ban on private worship services in the public schools on weekends or weeknights. A small evangelical church, Bronx Household of Faith, has battled the New York City’s policy banning worship services, but allowing community groups to meet for anything else “pertaining to the welfare of the community.” The appeals court in New York City upheld that policy, after a lower court struck it down. The Supreme Court on December 5 declined to review the case. Here are the some points to keep in mind as the Alliance Defense Fund considers the next steps in the fight for equal access by religious groups to meet in government buildings:

1. The Supreme Court has not repudiated its earlier decisions supporting the First Amendment rights of religious groups to meet in public buildings on the same terms as other community groups. What the Supreme Court did on December 5 is decline to review the Bronx Household of Faith decision. Although this was very disappointing, the Court’s action did not affirm the lower court ruling, or repudiate any of its earlier opinions supporting equal access for religious groups. Equal access is still the law of the land, according to the Supreme Court.
2. The decision affects churches meeting in public schools in New York state, and there is now an effort to change state law there. New York City’s policy prohibiting private worship services is based on a state law that defines appropriate uses for school buildings during non-school hours. A New York City Councilman, Fernando Cabrera, is leading an effort in concert with New York state legislators to change the law. Although New York City won in court, it must now defend the policy in the court of public opinion. Churches like Bronx Household of Faith benefit the local communities by helping their neighbors, helping people get off drugs, stop stealing, stay married and raise their children. The policy may change by a vote of state lawmakers.
3. Most U.S. school districts allow churches to meet in public schools, and the Bronx Household decision will not sway them to change their policies, but this is still a concern. The lower court in New York ruled that the Constitution permitted New York City to bar private religious services, but did not rule that the Constitution mandated that ban. ADF studied the equal access policies of the top 50 U.S. school districts in terms of student population. New York City was number 1, and it is the only school district in the top 50 that did not allow religious groups to meet for worship during non-school hours. The decision might entice school officials in other parts of the nation to change their policies, but that may or may not happen. If communities already allow churches to meet in their facilities, it would require a strong move to change the policies to be like the ones in New York City. Of course, we must be vigilant for any changes to equal access policies, and make sure our elected officials know of our strong support for equal access policies.
4. Most federal appeals courts have rejected what the appeals court in New York approved. Although it is possible that other courts could join the Second Circuit (the appeals court in New York) in rejecting equal access for private religious groups, many will not because of earlier rulings won by religious liberty groups. Religious liberty groups like ADF have been litigating religious liberty cases for the past three decades. There are 13 federal appeals courts in the U.S., and the majority of those courts who have heard equal access cases have ruled to protect the rights of churches and other religious groups to meet in public facilities on the same terms and conditions as other community groups. Even in the appeals courts that have not ever heard an equal access case, they may not necessarily agree with the Second Circuit’s decision in Bronx Household of Faith.
5. The decision does not apply to government buildings that are not schools. Many of the legal arguments in the Bronx Household of Faith case involved the fact that children attend public schools. Those arguments would not necessarily apply to other government buildings, such as recreation centers, libraries, city hall, city parks and park buildings, etc. Therefore, if your local government allows your church to meet in a non-school public building, its policy should not change in light of the Bronx decision.
6. Call the Alliance Defense Fund if you have any questions. If you have any questions, please contact the Alliance Defense Fund at 1-800-TellADF ADF lawyers are on duty to help you to promote religious liberty, life and marriage.
7. Remember to pray that the Lord continues to bless our land with religious liberty for all. Our First Amendment grants religious liberty, freedom of speech, press and assembly to all. We pray that God leads our governmental leaders to protect those important rights for everyone across our great nation.

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