Tag: Know Why Podcast

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Can Women With Unplanned Pregnancies Find Support at Church? Know About Pro-Lifers

Interview with Amy Ford

What would it take for churches to provide the love, support, and encouragement women need when they’re unexpectedly expecting? Amy Ford, President and Founder of Embrace Grace, has some ideas.

Amy launched Embrace Grace, Inc. in 2008 after experiencing her own unexpected pregnancy. Today Embrace Grace equips churches nationwide to do their part. Lives are being changed and saved as a result.

In this episode of the Know Why Podcast, a continuation of Know Why’s series Know About Pro-Lifers, Amy shares her powerful testimony. She also tells listeners about the ministry that is making churches a place more pregnant women want to run to instead of away from.

“It’s Just What You Did”

Raised in church, Amy became “unexpectedly expecting” at age 19 with her high school sweetheart. When her abortion appointment didn’t go as planned, they decided to get married—but the first pastor they asked refused to marry them.

(Hear the whole story of Amy’s unexpected pregnancy, marriage, and reconciliation with the pastor who refused to marry them on the podcast.)


“There are over 300,000 churches in America. If we all were doing our part, we could make abortion unthinkable.”

Amy Ford, President
Embrace Grace, Inc.

Amy’s story wasn’t unique. Many other women have faced similar experiences in church, encountering judgment, shame, and loneliness at a time when they need love and guidance.

As one pastor told Amy, recalling a less-than-gracious response to a congregant’s unplanned pregnancy that he later repented for, “It’s just what you did.”

But is that the Christian way?

Pro-Love

Amy reminds listeners that it’s God’s kindness that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). She also references the biblical parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) to illustrate how churches should respond to women with unplanned pregnancies. In the story the father throws a party for his son who returns after running away. That’s how God is, and how the church should be. Instead, we can often be like the other son in the parable, Amy said—envious of the celebration the father throws for his rebellious son.

Amy founded Embrace Grace, Inc. to equip churches to respond to women with unplanned pregnancies the right way—an approach she calls “pro-love.” While being pro-life is a political stance, “Pro-love is where the change happens. That’s the action,” she said.


“You can have your baby and your dreams too.”

Amy Ford, President
embrace Grace, Inc.

If more churches were truly pro-love, offering the support and assistance women need when facing an unplanned pregnancy, the felt need for abortion would disappear, Amy argues.

The majority of women who have abortions are doing so because they feel they have no other choice due to finances and other responsibilities, one study found. Churches can alleviate these concerns for women, Amy says. They can offer spiritual, emotional, and practical support for a woman and her family not just during pregnancy—but for life.

Additional Resources

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Do Pro-Lifers Help Women? Know About Pro-Lifers

Interview with Chelsey Youman

Why do women seek abortion? Is abortion truly the best solution to her problems? Is the pro-life movement active in addressing those problems in helpful and empowering ways for women?

Bringing perspective to these difficult yet important questions in this episode of the Know Why Podcast is Chelsey Youman, the Texas State Director and National Legislative Advisor for Human Coalition. Human Coalition uses online marketing strategies to reach women who are considering abortion. When women come in contact with Human Coalition, they’re immediately connected with a licensed nurse who offers support and resources that address the root of the woman’s need.

In her interview with Know Why, Chelsey noted that 76 percent of surveyed women who are seeking an abortion say they would rather parent than if their circumstances were different. “And that’s where our organization began,” Chelsey said of Human Coalition, “helping to fix those circumstances so she could see hope.”

“Does she really want [an abortion], or does she feel like she doesn’t have any other choice?”

Know Why Podcast

While every woman’s set of circumstances is unique, Chelsey said they see some consistent themes among women who reach out to Human Coalition and are considering abortion. Those include the need for emotional support, pressure from others including male partners and even family members, the costs of childcare, and lack of housing.

There are over 2,400 pregnancy resource centers in the nation that are dedicated to helping pregnant women in need. Human Coalition connects women with local pregnancy centers. It also offers a Continuum of Care program with 7,000 resources available to create an individualized care plan for each woman that will help her gain stability and independence. Several states, including Texas, have also agreed to provide assistance programs for pregnant women and parents after their children’s birth or adoption.

“It is always the right thing to say that innocent human life is worthy of protection.”

Chelsey Youman

These charitable and government resources aren’t often covered in the media, Chelsey said. When asked what pro-lifers could do to better help women, she responded that the church could be more involved in helping pregnant women and offering support to post-abortive women.

If you want to learn more about Human Coalition, the resources available to pregnant women, and the resources available to parents through Human Coalition’s Continuum of Care, click on the links below.

Resources

  • Human Coalition
  • The Pregnancy Network — If you are pregnant or parenting a child age 3 and under, find out if you are eligible for assistance with childcare costs, food assistance, healthcare, housing, and more.
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Do I Need to Find my Dream Job to be Happy at Work?

https://open.spotify.com/episode/49QLHUUfKyyXBX6euHEH6T?si=5d7a73e31374431d

From the time we are little kids we’re asked what we want to be when we grow up. We’re encouraged to try all the extracurriculars and pick our favorite, or otherwise identify our “passion.” “Find out what you’re passionate about and find a way to make money doing it,” we’re told. In short, in the modern age, work has gone from a job, to a career, to a calling.

But what if that isn’t the best way to think about work?

What is Workism?

In 2019 Derek Thompson wrote an article for The Atlantic about the “religion of workism.” He shows that rich men work the most these days, contrary to history when the most privileged groups typically worked least. Why is that? Here’s what Thompson writes:

“Maybe the logic here isn’t economic at all. It’s emotional—even spiritual. The best-educated and highest-earning Americans, who can have whatever they want, have chosen the office for the same reason that devout Christians attend church on Sundays: It’s where they feel most themselves.” 

But it’s not just rich men anymore. Workism is spreading. Thompson writes, “In a 2018 paper on elite universities, researchers found that for women, the most important benefit of attending a selective college isn’t higher wages, but more hours at the office.”

He continues:

“What’s more, in a recent Pew Research report on the epidemic of youth anxiety, 95 percent of teens said ‘having a job or career they enjoy’ would be ‘extremely or very important’ to them as an adult. This ranked higher than any other priority, including ‘helping other people who are in need’ (81 percent) or getting married (47 percent). Finding meaning at work beats family and kindness as the top ambition of today’s young people.”

Millennials and Gen Z want to make a difference through their work. Why is that a problem? It’s not. To quote Thompson again:

“The problem with this gospel—Your dream job is out there, so never stop hustling—is that it’s a blueprint for spiritual and physical exhaustion. Long hours don’t make anybody more productive or creative; they make people stressed, tired and bitter.”

Finding Happiness at Work

To really find the key to happiness at work, we must rethink our preconceived notions about our interest and “passions.”

Combatting Fixed Theory

The first thing to consider is fixed theory—the idea that our passions are ingrained in us from the beginning of our lives and can’t be changed. But this has been disproved by neuroscience…and common sense.

“If passions are things found fully formed, and your job is to look around the world for your passion—it’s a crazy thought,” Greg Walton, a Stanford professor and co-author of a study on interests and passions, told The Atlantic in 2018. “It doesn’t reflect the way I or my students experience school, where you go to a class and have a lecture or a conversation, and you think, That’s interesting. It’s through a process of investment and development that you develop an abiding passion in a field.”

So what’s the opposite of fixed theory? It’s the notion that interests can develop overtime…and in fact, this is something proven by neuroscience.

Intrinsic Motivations vs. Extrinsic Motivations

Arthur Brooks has a series in The Atlantic on “How to Build a Life.” One of his articles discusses the secrets to happiness at work. He writes:

“To be happy at work, you don’t have to hold a fascinating job that represents the pinnacle of your educational achievement or the most prestigious use of your ‘potential,’ and you don’t have to make a lot of money. What matters is not so much the ‘what’ of a job, but more the ‘who’ and the ‘why’: Job satisfaction comes from people, values, and a sense of accomplishment.”

He goes on:

“For real satisfaction, you should pursue intrinsic goals—two in particular. … The first is earned success. …  Earned success instead gives you a sense of accomplishment. … The second goal worth pursuing at work is service to others—the sense that your job is making the world a better place. … you can find service in almost any job.”

Takeaways

To put it one way, relationships (service to others) are at the heart of what makes people happy at work. This is true regardless of your religious beliefs. However, these fundamental truths about relationships and even work are found in the Bible.

For instance, the most important biblical commands are not about changing the world, being successful, being smart, being morally perfect, or making more money, but simply this: Love God above all else, and love others as yourself.

The Bible also tells workers that whatever they are doing, to work for the Lord and not for man, giving immediate and intrinsic value to their work no matter what it is.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t hope for a dream job, or pursue jobs that interest you. But don’t be discouraged if you end up working a different job than you imagined, whether for a short season or a long time. You can still find happiness at work.

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Is it Possible to Thrive With Anxiety and Depression?

Interview with Ben Bennett

Ben Bennett is the Director of the Resolution Movement, a speaker, and the co-author of Free to Thrive: How Your Hurt, Struggles, and Deepest Longings Can Lead to a Fulfilling Life. In this episode of the Know Why Podcast, Ben talks with Liberty about his personal journey from struggling to thriving—and how both brain science and biblical truth offered breakthroughs.

Millennials and Gen Z: Hurting Like Never Before

  • In 2019, 70% of teens said anxiety and depression are major problems amongst their peers according to Pew Research Center.
  • In the last five years, some research has shown that young adults are 63 times more lonely than those over 75 years old.
  • Only 4% of Gen Z hold to a biblical worldview, and is historically the least religious generation in American history.
  • Suicide is a leading leading cause of death among young people.

Ben also noted that few pastors report feeling very well equipped to help people with their mental and emotional struggles. As someone raised in the Christian church, Ben felt this personally. As he began dealing with multiple mental health issues and addictions, he felt alone and thought he would struggle forever.

“I had this cocktail of compulsions trying to survive, trying to deal with life.”

Ben Bennett
Resolution Movement

“I had this cocktail of compulsions trying to survive, trying to deal with life,” Ben told Know Why Podcast. “I was trying everything I was hearing from Christians at the time but it just didn’t seem to work.”

Neuroplasticity: Renewing Your Mind

What Ben details in his book Free to Thrive with co-author Josh McDowell is that often, addictions, “unwanted behaviors,” and mental health struggles are humans’ attempted solutions to fill unmet longings. Everyone has ingrained longings such as acceptance. Not getting those longings fulfilled can trigger unwanted responses.

But those responses can be overcome by creating new pathways in your brain.

“Brain scans show that through repeated thoughts and actions, changes happen in the brain. The things you used to struggle with you no longer struggle with. New pathways are grown and developed.”

Ben Bennett
Resolution Movement

“I just saw anxiety in my life go down by about 90 percent,” Ben said, “And what I realized was happening was, I was being transformed by the renewing of my mind (Romans 12:2), and neuroplasticity—brain scans show that through repeated thoughts and actions, changes happen in the brain. The things you used to struggle with you no longer struggle with. New pathways are grown and developed.”

Listen to the full episode to hear Ben explain neuroplasticity more and how it helped him overcome food addiction, pornography addiction, and anxiety when the well-meaning advice of others couldn’t. Ben also challenges listeners to think differently about Christianity, even if they have experienced legitimate hurts from Christians.

“It’s not that the bad’s not bad,” he told Know Why Podcast. “It’s that the good is too good to walk away from.”

Additional Resources:

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Is it Possible to be Anti-Abortion and Feminist?

Ft. Interview with Destiny Herndon-De La Rosa

Women want “half the pie,” and abortion doesn’t give it to them. That’s what Destiny Herndon-De La Rosa, founder and president of New Wave Feminists, asserts in this episode of the Know Why podcast.

Feminism is defined as “belief in and advocacy of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes expressed especially through organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests.” Today, however, it can seem like the word “feminism” has a lot more attached to it.

For instance, modern feminism is seen by many as inextricably linked with abortion. This was made clear in early 2017, when pro-life organizations like New Wave Feminists were publicly booted from the sponsor list of the historic Women’s March on Washington. (Destiny and New Wave Feminists went to the Women’s March anyway. She shares the full story in this episode.)

But that event also highlighted the growing number of women who consider themselves “pro-life feminists.” Like other feminists, they fight for equality of the sexes. But they argue abortion contributes more to women’s inequality than liberation. 

“That’s why society as a whole thinks we need abortion, cause it’s a cop-out,” Destiny said. “It allows us to retain these patriarchal structures of a world that was built for men, by men, and doesn’t accommodate womanhood.”

Women’s Rights in the Workplace

Feminists for Life, founded in 1972, claims that “abortion is a reflection that we have failed women — and women have settled for less.” For instance, pregnant women and mothers often face workplace discrimination. Some women are fired, passed over for promotion, or mistreated when they announce pregnancy. Others are explicitly pressured by their employers to abort. Pro-life feminists believe women’s rights in the workplace, from equal pay to parental benefits, will empower women more than legal abortion.

“There is this level of underlying resentment towards women in corporate America and in Academica whenever they do continue a pregnancy,” Destiny told Know Why.

Bodily Autonomy From Existence?

But what about the argument that women have a right to bodily autonomy? Pro-life feminists agree, but point to scientific evidence that from fertilization, the fetus is a genetically unique human being, with a body distinct from its mother’s.

“When it comes to issues like bodily autonomy, I think you should have it the moment your body first exists,” Destiny said. “Women have been treated as property for most of millennia, and so you have this new kind of rise of rights and liberation, but are we becoming the patriarchy ourselves? Are we now treating another subset of the human family as property based on their vulnerabilities?”

Seeing Them Both

On its website, New Wave Feminists asserts that “no woman ever wants to have an abortion.” A study by the Guttmacher Institute found that most women abort because “having a baby would dramatically interfere with their education, work or ability to care for their dependents, or they could not afford a baby at the time.”

“The pro-life side, a lot of times they see one person; they see the unborn child. And the feminist side sees one person; they see the woman,” Destiny said in a documentary called “Pro-Life Feminist.” “But pro-life feminists see two people. We want to protect and support two people.”

Find links mentioned in this episode below:

Have a topic or interview guest you’d like to suggest for the podcast? Submit it here.

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Are Faith and Science at War?

Ft. Interview with Jonathan Witt

Does science conflict with the Bible? In this episode of the Know Why Podcast, Jonathan Witt, Executive Editor of Discovery Institute Press, notes that many scientists throughout history and today profess faith in God, even arguing that scientific study points to his existence. 

Famous Scientists Who Were Also Religious

“The Christian worldview actually gave birth to science,” Jonathan told Know Why Podcast. The Judeo-Christian worldview prevalent in renaissance Europe “fired the imaginations and it ordered the reasoning of those that gave birth to the scientific revolution.”

In the 16th Century, Anglican thinker Sir Francis Bacon developed the scientific method, which uses experimentation and inductive reasoning to learn more about the natural world.

In the 17th Century, Galileo, a Christian, advanced groundbreaking discoveries, including that the earth revolved around the sun, and argued that science does not contradict the Bible.

“There are scientists in our age who see nature, see even recent discoveries pointing to God intelligent design, pointing to evidence of a God,” Jonathan said, mentioning Nobel Prize winning physicists Arno Penzias, 90, and Charles Townes (1915-2015) as examples.

Francis Collins, former director of the National Institutes of Health and a leading scientist in DNA research, is a current example of a prominent scientist vocal about his Christian faith.

There are plenty more examples of men and women combining faith and science throughout history and today. Modern scientists aren’t as hostile to religion as people may think. Many scientists around the world acknowledge the possibility of a spiritual realm. And the majority of people working in science-related fields are religious.

Understanding the Bible

Still, sometimes scientific discoveries seem to go against something the Bible says. That’s why it’s important to understand what the Bible is.

The Bible claims to be the true, authoritative word of God, given to human authors to write down throughout multiple centuries and locations. It contains poetry, prophecies, parables, genealogical records and historical accounts. Combined, these writings tell the story of God and his love for humanity.

The Bible never claims to be a comprehensive textbook of science or history. So when reading books within the Bible, it’s important to consider their historical, literary, and cultural context in order to interpret them correctly — something theologians have been doing (and sometimes disagreeing about) for centuries. For instance, the Bible claims that God created the universe, but even Christians often disagree about how he created it.

Where Christians will land in this debate depends on their interpretation of Genesis. Genesis is the first book in the Bible, and its first two chapters focus on creation. According to the biblical creation account, God created the universe in six days, with man being his final creation.

Theistic evolutionists argue the story of creation is meant to be symbolic or allegorical — that the six days of creation actually represent ages of time during which evolution took place under God’s guidance. Others, called creationists, hold that the story of creation is literal. They believe the six days of creation were actually six 24-hour days, and that God created all living things by speaking them into existence.

As Jonathan acknowledged on Know Why, “Whereas God is infallible and his Word is infallible, our understanding of Scripture is not necessarily infallible.”

And yet, he argues in favor of intelligent design. Many accomplished scientists view intelligent design as the superior explanation for the universe’s existence, as evidenced by dozens of peer-reviewed articles and burgeoning research.

Find links and resources mentioned in this episode below:

Have a topic or interview guest you’d like to suggest for the podcast? Submit it here.

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Welcome to the Know Why Podcast!

Get the who, what, and why of the Know Why Podcast! In this short pilot episode, host Liberty McArtor shares what you can expect from Know Why and how you can help influence future content.

Welcome to the Know Why Podcast!

I’m so excited you’re here.

My name is Liberty McArtor—your host for the Know Why Podcast. Here’s what the pilot episode and this post contain:

  1. More about what the Know Why Podcast is and what you can expect from it
  2. A bit of the history behind this project
  3. Some information about myself, your host
  4. Information about how you can become involved and influence future content of the Know Why Podcast!

What is Know Why?

In summary: We’re a weekly podcast for young adults­—right now that includes millennials and Gen Z—who desire deep and thoughtful conversations on topics that matter.

Here are a few things Know Why is not…

  • This is not a small talk podcast, though we do strive to keep conversations pleasant and friendly!
  • This is not a debate podcast, though we will feature conversations on some pretty controversial issues.
  • This is not a podcast about one topic in particular.

This podcast is about getting in-depth and answering questions that matter for our lives.

That can be anything from questions about what the Bible really teaches, to coping with mental illness, to creating a good work life balance.

This podcast is about getting in-depth and answering questions that matter for our lives.

That smattering of topics may seem completely disjointed. But here’s what they all have in common—what we believe about those things affects how we live our lives. And as young adults, we’re still building our lives. We’re laying foundations for our careers, our families, and our future. What we believe about everything from the purpose of work to questions of spirituality matters right now.

If you’re still not sure if this is a podcast for you, ask yourself these questions.

  • Were you raised in church and want to know if there is a real reason behind what you were taught?
  • Where you raised in church and you’re in the process of deconstructing—figuring out exactly what you do believe and wading through doubt?
  • Are you agnostic or atheist, unsure of your religion, and simply interested in thoughtful conversations and different perspectives on the big life questions?

If you said yes to any of the above, Know Why Podcast is for you!

We hope to have listeners from all backgrounds and beliefs. And even if you don’t end up at the same place we do, we hope you’ll leave each episode with a better understanding of why you don’t agree…and that you’ll have been given something to think about.

Full disclosure, Know Why Podcast is a Christian organization. I, your host, am a follower of Jesus. And yet we feature a variety of guests from different religious and political affiliations, and ultimately we dive into what the research says.

Along with every episode, you can expect show notes or a blog post on our website with links and resources if you’re interested in learning more about what we’ve discussed.

You can expect episodes weekly, most featuring interviews, all featuring research about an issue relevant to our generations.

The History of Know Why

This project has been in the works for a while! In fact, the first several episodes you’ll hear on Know Why Podcast were recorded two years ago! But like many organizations, we were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and had to delay production progress for a while. Which is another reason I’m so excited you are finally getting to hear Know Why!

Along with every episode, you can expect show notes or a blog post on our website with links and resources if you’re interested in learning more about what we’ve discussed.

Sometimes Know Why will explore a topic through a series of episodes, giving us a chance to tackle important from many different angles. Work on our first two series has already begun—so keep listening!

About Me

I’m a mom from Texas with an educational background in journalism and an affection for meaningful conversations. You can read my official biography on this website’s home page. And you can hear a bit more about when I got the job as host of the Know Why Podcast by listening to the pilot episode!

How You Can Help Know Why

There are two things you can do right now, and in fact we would LOVE if you did  them.

  1. Please leave Know Why Podcast a rating and review! Wherever you’re listening, leave a good rating and review for us. That will help Know Why grow and allow other like-minded listeners to see this podcast! That is truly the best way you can support Know Why Podcast right now.
  2. Give us your feedback and ideas! Contact us here to let us know what you’d like to hear! Give us your feedback, suggest a topic, or tell us about a guest we might want to interview. We’d love your input!

Thanks for taking the time to learn more about Know Why Podcast. Visit us here at this website every week for more episodes and content!