Living a Culture of Life

Last week, the Biden Administration’s rewrite of Title IX went into effect. The newest changes redefine “sex” to mean “gender identity.” Most conversations surrounding the changes to Title IX focus on women’s bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports teams. This is a huge issue. However, the Title IX rewrite also puts Catholic hospitals at risk. It may even force doctors to offer abortions and "gend...

The Catholic Church has always held that contraception is wrong. And up until the 1930s, all Protestant denominations agreed. But what does the Bible actually say about birth control? While birth control may not be explicitly mentioned in Scripture, the Bible lays out God's plan for marriage very clearly. By understanding this plan, we can see why contraception is immoral. On today's episo...

On July 25, 1968, Pope St. Paul VI released the encyclical Humanae Vitae, or "of Human Life." This encyclical reaffirmed the Catholic Church's perennial teaching that contraception is always immoral. This encyclical sparked tremendous backlash, as many people expected the Catholic Church to allow the use of contraception. However, today, it's clear that Humanae Vitae was prophetic....

When women experience negative emotional and psychological effects after abortion, they’re often told to “get over it.” After all, society says that abortion isn’t a big deal. It’s just a choice in the woman’s past. However, this isn’t true at all. Abortion IS a big deal. It kills an innocent child. It’s understandable that women will experience a whole range of emotions, including grief, guilt, a...

Two years ago, pro-life activists found 115 aborted babies inside a box of medical waste in Washington, DC. Five of these babies showed signs of illegal partial birth abortions or infanticide. Today, their five bodies are still on ice, waiting for justice. On this episode, AJ Hurley shares the story of these babies. He got to hold them after the box was opened. And now he's fighting for justic...

When someone is baptized, the Church requires that he or she has a Godparent (or a sponsor, if an adult is being baptized and confirmed). Often, Godparents are close friends or family members of the parents. Many people view the role of a Godparent as simply an honorary title. However, Godparents have a much deeper and richer relationship with the child. They have a particular obligation to help t...

There's a marriage crisis in today's world. Far fewer young people are getting married and settling down to raise a family. Most people blame this crisis on hookup culture. Others say that young people are putting their careers ahead of marriage. But these aren't the only problems. More and more young people are struggling to navigating dating culture. They want to get married but can&...

The key to reviving society is healing the family. After all, Catholic social doctrine has its origins in family life. So, what does that look like? Why is healing the family the solution to social issues? And how can we accomplish this? On this episode, Fr. Shenan Boquet explains why the family is the fundamental unit of society. If we want to uphold the life and dignity of the human person acros...

It's possible to leave an LGBTQ+ mindset. Hudson Byblow did. Growing up, he experienced same-sex attractions and what would today be called transgender inclinations or feelings of gender nonconformity. Today, he's a Catholic inspirational speaker, who strives to make known the beautiful proposal of the Church, given to all people, to strive to grow in the fullness of virtue, and to strive...

Many men and women in today's world identify as LGBTQ+. Christians who want to defend God's plan for marriage sometimes don't know how to respond. How can we lovingly minister to friends or family members while still affirming truth? Christians must learn how to lovingly accompany individuals experiencing same-sex attraction. Fr. Colin Blatchford, Associate Director of Courage Internat...

Many men and women in today's world identify as LGBTQ+. Christians who want to defend God's plan for marriage sometimes don't know how to respond. How can we lovingly minister to friends or family members while still affirming truth? Christians must learn how to lovingly accompany individuals experiencing same-sex attraction. Fr. Colin Blatchford, Associate Director of Courage Internat...

There's a crisis of marriage in modern culture, even within the Catholic Church. Marriage rates are down, while annulment rates went up. So, what's going on? In previous episodes, John Clark and Fr. Michael Duesterhaus (a procurator/advocate) both gave their insights about annulment and marriage data. On this episode, they join us for a joint discussion about where we examine annulment cul...

"Brain death," or death determined by neurological criteria, is one way that doctors figure out if a patient has died. This is closely tied to organ donation, as the vast majority of vital organs come from brain dead donors. In this interview with Dr. Joseph Meaney, President of the National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC), we address common questions about brain death. What does the Cath...

Marriage is one of the Catholic Church's beautiful vocations. But dating can be confusing. How can young people successfully date and find a spouse? On this episode, Fr. Boquet gives Catholic dating advice for men and women discerning marriage. He also offers advice for husbands and wives who want to foster their children's vocations. We address questions such as: How should young people d...

Many vocations, including those to the priesthood or religious life, begin in the home. How can parents help foster their children's vocations? On today's episode, Fr. Shenan Boquet shares his vocation story and the role his family played in his discernment. He also shares advice for individuals discerning their vocation. Find out why religious vocations are rooted in Catholic family life...

On this episode, Fr. Paul Sullins explains how talk therapy can help individuals manage or reduce same-sex attraction. Many misunderstandings surround Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE). Some countries and states have laws banning "conversion therapy." These laws include bans on talk therapy for same-sex attraction. They are based on the claim that SOCE increases risk of suicide. Fin...

Human dignity is fundamental to Christian ethics. But what is human dignity? Can it ever be lessened or taken away? On this episode, Fr. Shenan Boquet unpacks the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith's newest document, on human dignity. Dignitas infinita discusses the different kinds of human dignity, as well as its effect on social issues. Find out WHY the Catholic Church condemns abortion, eu...

Most people don’t know about the Marxist, occult, and anti-family trends that became modern feminism. Some people think feminism was hijacked in the 1960s by second-wave feminists. But nearly everyone agrees that the first-wave feminism was good. However, when Dr. Carrie Gress dug into the history of the feminist movement, she realized this isn’t entirely true. Feminism's history is laced with...

80% of women don't want casual sex. So, why is hookup culture so popular? How does casual sex affect men and women differently? Often, unmarried women have sex to catch (or keep) a man. But premarital sex actually has the opposite effect. Casual sex disrupts the biological bonding process! And it leads to serious physical and mental health problems. On today's episode, Dr. Joe Malone unpac...

What's it like to lose a twin to abortion? That's what happened to Claire Culwell. At just 13-years-old, Claire's mom became pregnant with twins. Claire miraculously survived the D&E abortion procedure, but her twin did not.  On this episode, Claire shares her story of surviving abortion, losing a twin, and reconnecting with her birth mother. Claire's Book: Survivor: An Abortio...

How can we create an environment that welcomes people with disabilities? And why is this part of a Culture of Life? Sometimes, parishes struggle to serve individuals with disabilities. But these men and women have so much to offer! It's important that they receive the resources and opportunities needed to thrive within church communities. Mark Bradford is Word on Fire Institute's new Fello...

What’s the problem with surrogacy? How is it different from adoption? Does the surrogacy industry exploit vulnerable women? On this episode, Fr. Shenan Boquet unpacks the problems with surrogacy. He also shares his experience in the mission field, where both surrogacy and in vitro fertilization (IVF) are common problems. Often, people assume that these practices serve the family. In reality, surro...

Why do children require their biological parents’ marriage? How does a couple’s relationship impact their child’s development? Today, many children grow up in broken homes. This often negatively impacts their future. Children thrive within the marriage of their biological parents. So, how can couples help their marriage thrive? How can parents give their children the best environment to grow up in...

Why do people get euthanized? And how can we create a culture where euthanasia is unthinkable? Canada's stats are shocking. Since 2016, over 50,000 individuals have died from legal euthanasia and assisted suicide. So, what can we do? Right now, Amanda Achtman is on a mission to end euthanasia in Canada. Through her project Dying to Meet You, Amanda is creating a hopeful, life-affirming alterna...

How has the war with Russia changed pro-life work in Ukraine? Why is this the best time to promote life and family? And do Americans really understand Ukrainian values? On today's episode, Genia Samborska (HLI's affiliate in Ukraine) and Valentyna Pavsyukova join us for an in-depth discussion about the fight for life and family in Ukraine. Discover Ukraine's conservative values, hear s...