Point of View April 30, 2024 : Relationships Over Rules

[00:00:00] Radio Talk Show

[00:01:47] is something that supposedly is being implemented according to the Vice President of Public Affairs there in Princeton at Columbia, but I just was about ready to say Princeton is the other place where as we said yesterday we had a building that was occupied in California at Cal Poly there in Humboldt, California.

[00:02:06] But now there's a building that was occupied at Princeton University, 13 students were arrested there after that incident part of the Princeton Gaza Solidarity Encampment. They took over Cleo Hall and in particular the office of the Dean of the Graduate School there and again arguing that Princeton has refused to bargain over our demands and these demands are to divest the endowment

[00:02:32] of all the holdings of Princeton from any profit that they might benefit in terms of Israel to disclose the end research of various weapons of war and the Defense Department to refrain from academic and cultural associations with Israeli institutions and businesses including study trips abroad, cultivating affiliations with Palestinian

[00:02:57] Palestinian institutions, even releasing a statement calling for ceasefire and a variety of other things. And so this has gone from bad to worse and it has been something that we will continue to talk about for some time but I did want you to know that as we left yesterday we were talking about that deadline at

[00:03:14] Columbia and not only has that deadline come and gone the things if heated up rather dramatically in places like Columbia and Princeton and many others. So we will get back into it next hour but let me again introduce the individual we will be focusing on this hour and that is David Hoffman.

[00:03:32] David Hoffman started out as an economist with the Tax Foundation organization we quote from quite regularly and then left Washington D.C. to Charlotte, North Carolina and got involved in real estate and founded the David Hoffman Realty, the fastest growing privately hailed company in the United States.

[00:03:50] He is the author of this book Relationships Over Rules, Seven Principles to Lead Gracefully and Love Generously and David Hoffman welcome to point of view.

[00:04:01] Well thank you for having me Corbyn, I'm looking forward to this.

[00:04:04] I might mention your book is kind of in a third of your story so we'll spend some time talking about that. Then the Seven Principles and then kind of an end section on your life and a three year plan but I think it would be fair to say that some of us and some of our guests over the years have grown up in dysfunctional homes.

[00:04:23] Years was certainly chaotic and yet again it's probably worth understanding some of your background because I think in some ways those help elucidate and even underscore some of the principles we're going to be talking about.

[00:04:38] Yeah absolutely Corbyn, for the longest time you know I never want to be a victim, we are victors you know got is a big plan for each and every one of us and so you know we can't stay down for long.

[00:04:49] But I do want to encourage each and every person listening that you have a story and it does not mean that your past is your story and it does not mean that your past is behind your purpose or your potential and God has a big plan for your life.

[00:05:04] And so to your point everyone has their own story and a lot of people struggle with the strength in their life as a child or even this morning but we are not called to not suffer here, we are actually called for that, we're not called for bliss.

[00:05:17] If I just want to encourage anyone who's had a challenge in their life that God has a big plan for their life and it's not too late.

[00:05:24] Well I might just mention you father left your mother and then you had a very domineering to put it, mildly stepmother and all sorts of other things that are part of your past which then later on we talk about your wife and some of her health challenges are the case.

[00:05:40] But you head off after getting a degree from George Mason University and work for the Tax Foundation and we're very familiar with that first of all because we quote from it but more importantly you were actually traveling around for some time speaking about how some of these professional athletes were being unfairly taxed.

[00:05:59] You use a couple of examples, Shaquille O'Neal is one of those but I think it's kind of interesting to know that that was something happened before you got into the real estate world.

[00:06:09] Yeah definitely Kirby and you know it all began when my mom was pregnant with me. The doctors warned her of what the delivery will look like.

[00:06:17] They said you may die, you may survive, if you survive you'll most likely trigger your multiple sclerosis so we don't recommend you moving forward with birth.

[00:06:25] Thankfully my mom chose life but she ended up paralyzed from the waist down and like you said my father left my mom when I was two, remarried a few years later.

[00:06:35] You know I got saved in 2009 Kirby when I got saved my stepmother and my father have apologized but you know and so I've learned to forgive them but not forget and not keep.

[00:06:49] We need to forgive but not keep toxic people in our life.

[00:06:52] You know the long and short of it is I would see my mom three or four times a year when I was taken there as for the law.

[00:06:59] When I'd see my mom she's passed away 20 years now. I would think, I wish I was here. You know what child is taken from their mother?

[00:07:06] But when I was at my own house I spent most of my day in my room, most of my night in my room to the point where you know for the book I had to feel comfortable sharing some of these stories but a couple of stand out are

[00:07:17] I remember one evening my stepmother getting home after my father had left for good and left me behind and she asked if David left his room and the babysitter said yeah I heard him in the bathroom with the water running, the bath water running.

[00:07:30] I thought ah shoot okay I'll move to the toilet. So I started drinking out of the toilet and you know I was doing a talk recently Kirby and someone asked wow did that really happen?

[00:07:39] I'm like I'll do it right now because at adversity you face in some point in your life sometimes God he's not the author of anything evil but sometimes he does allow for adversity to give us perspective to lean on him.

[00:07:52] To give us perspective of what people are really suffering with. To give us perspective of what his son endured.

[00:07:58] And so for me I don't want to ever drink 12 water again no one deserves that but there's people around the world as kids that have even less.

[00:08:06] You know I also ate dog food because when the bread was counted in the kitchen and the cookies and apples no one thought they'd count the dog food.

[00:08:14] And so you know hurt people hurt people I've learned to forgive my stepmother I've not talked to her in 20 some years I've learned to forgive my stepmother because of the hurt that she probably received from my father.

[00:08:24] I learned to forgive my father because you know none of us are perfect but I'm not going to keep my boys have never met him.

[00:08:35] But it's taught me so much you know we have a little girl now who we took in last year we didn't know but she was in a challenging situation and we got her in our life so that adversity has given me the perspective.

[00:08:48] Be right back.

[00:08:53] This is Viewpoints with Kirby Anderson.

[00:09:01] Jonathan Hyde has been on the Point of View Radio talk show to discuss his previous book The Coddling of the American Mind.

[00:09:07] He has now compiled his research in a new book The Anxious Generation How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.

[00:09:16] He begins his book by having us imagine that a visionary billionaire wants to establish the first permanent human settlement on Mars and shows your 10 year old daughter for the endeavor.

[00:09:25] You don't give permission since there would be significant danger to your child like radiation and cellular damage and less gravity affecting bone density and growth.

[00:09:34] But then imagine there's another company that doesn't seem to know anything about child development or care about child safety.

[00:09:40] This company doesn't even require parental permission. All the child needs to do is check a box stating that she has obtained parental permission then she can blast off to Mars.

[00:09:49] The first chapter focuses on the surge of suffering. He explains that there was little sign of an impending mental issues crisis in the 2000s but suddenly in the 2010s things changed due to smartphones and social media.

[00:10:02] When his co-author and he finished writing The Coddling of the American Mind they already had data through 2016.

[00:10:09] Teenagers said that they were sad, empty and depressed and something changed between 2010 and 2015 which is the period he calls the Great Rewiring.

[00:10:18] His book has graphs on the increase in major depression among teens, an increase in mental illness among college students and an increase in anxiety prevalence by age.

[00:10:28] He concludes that parents need to be involved but we also need some government action and some responsibility from tech companies.

[00:10:35] This is a crisis that needs our attention. I'm Kirby Anderson and that's my Point of View.

[00:11:05] The book is entitled Relationship Over Rules and we have information about him on the website so if you'd like to know a little bit more about him maybe order the book, maybe even have him come and speak that as a case.

[00:11:17] For those of you taking notes you might number 1-7 because we're going to talk about those principles but before we do so David, you know that first section of your book is one that causes a lot of people as they read through it, a sense of pain and anxiety and the rest.

[00:11:30] But the point you're making is that in some respects it was used by you to be successful when you were actually first getting into real estate.

[00:11:40] They said well this is what you're going to get paid the first year, this is what you're going to pay the second year and then third year you probably won't even be around.

[00:11:46] You're going no no no you don't understand how persistent I am. This is no hill for a climber.

[00:11:52] This is an easy thing and in some respects some of the negative things in our past enable us to be more successful in the future.

[00:12:00] Amen Kirby you said it very well that's what I want to encourage people with.

[00:12:06] I want to encourage them that when they're going through a tough season while God is not the author of anything bad or evil sometimes he does allow it to happen even as extreme as Job because he knows what we can do.

[00:12:22] And for me while I would never want anyone to go through the neglect and lack of love and taking it from my mom, feeling jailed and how she's feeling less than wanting to die for so many years.

[00:12:34] You know not having a lot of nutrition, feeling like I wasn't worthy, feeling guilty and my mom's life was taken from her and you know I didn't even get to say goodbye to her at all 24 because I was so self at that point.

[00:12:49] But all of those challenges, all that adversity, it gave me a unique perspective of realizing what I need and what I can live without.

[00:12:58] And I became very grateful you know I was working at eight years old washing cars, raking leaves, shoveling snow, making some money to go to the convenience store to buy myself some food and drink.

[00:13:07] And so that work ethic I have today I'm so grateful for each and every opportunity.

[00:13:13] You know it's funny I was asked recently at a talk I gave why I've been in real estate about 20 years now and even the way when I got that job as an economist at 20 years old in fact foundation,

[00:13:23] I asked the professor why he thought of me and said well you and I have built a really good relationship and you ask good questions.

[00:13:29] It's because no one's ever listened to me before, no one's paid attention to me.

[00:13:32] And so for me and so I was asked why relations matter?

[00:13:36] You know why relations matter to you so much like you're the relations guy, you travel the country talking about how important relations are.

[00:13:42] And I said because I never had them.

[00:13:44] Right.

[00:13:45] And so for me you know I don't want anyone I care about, I don't want my wife and kids, I don't want my friends, I don't want anyone listening to her.

[00:13:53] I don't want them to suffer.

[00:13:56] And when we do suffer that adversity will create a perspective that we may not have had.

[00:14:03] And so for me I'm grateful for that.

[00:14:05] You know in this new season I look back and I think wow, you know I want to be the present father and husband that I didn't have.

[00:14:12] And that my father was not.

[00:14:14] You know you mentioned my wife when she got really sick she looked me in the eyes one day said you're doing for me what you always wanted your father to do for your mom.

[00:14:22] Very true.

[00:14:23] And so you learn a lot of times you learn in the valley.

[00:14:26] You know Paul in the jail cell got closer to Jesus and he ever did anywhere else on this earth.

[00:14:33] And so you know again you don't wish for suffering but sometimes it's allowed to happen because God's working.

[00:14:41] Let me just mention that this is a book that you certainly can work through individually but at the end of each one of these principles we're going to talk about there's an application exercise

[00:14:53] and then a series of questions.

[00:14:55] So if you have a small group or maybe a Bible study or something of that nature this might be very helpful.

[00:15:01] And the first principle of course David is focus on the people God places in your life.

[00:15:07] That is obviously just what you've been talking about because you are a relational person but sometimes we tend to look past the person towards the goal that we're trying to achieve or whatever it might be.

[00:15:20] And it's really important to be with people without an agenda because people are placed in your life for God to use in one way or another.

[00:15:28] True?

[00:15:31] Absolutely Kirby and here's the thing you know that principle leads to other principles like on a way to say yes but the right way yes.

[00:15:39] Because when you focus on people God places in your life and you can give more than you take with the people God places in your life.

[00:15:45] When you're not speaking out strangers when you focus on your own marriage with your own wife or husband with your own kids with those that he puts in your life he makes no mistakes.

[00:15:53] So you can't be a people pleaser and people take advantage of you only God pleaser but also you can't give your all to everyone.

[00:16:01] And so you have to just focus on those people that God has put in your life.

[00:16:04] Don't focus on someone else's spouse someone else's kid the stranger the neighbor unless God puts you in front of them to serve them to be that bright light.

[00:16:13] And so you know for me I got asked recently with someone in my office David how come you have no stress.

[00:16:19] And I kind of giggle that I thought oh no I mean it's storms in my house as much if not more than yours but I don't wake up expecting sunshine every day.

[00:16:28] I don't wake up a lot of it because of my recent faith and then a lot of it because of how I grew up.

[00:16:34] I get the storms just like you do but for me I'm just grateful for the air of my lungs and the people I'm with.

[00:16:41] And so when I'm with someone and I'm not looking at my phone and I'm not distracted or discouraged and I'm being present it's because I'm so grateful it's home give me the opportunity.

[00:16:51] Kirby this time with you means the world to me and regardless if it's this time with you and your listeners on a radio show or if it's a service project in the community where we live,

[00:17:00] if it's with my family and dear loved ones or if it's with someone that God puts in my life who is in need.

[00:17:06] I'm just grateful for that interaction because I never had it. I'm just grateful for those people and so it's easy to give money to take you just give your all there.

[00:17:13] If you commit on the calendar and you don't take it off for something that the world says is more important, you know someone who can give you more money or make you feel better yourself.

[00:17:25] Give you the love languages you don't think you're getting at home but if you follow through with what you put on your calendar then God makes no mistakes and it's an easy way to live.

[00:17:33] You just follow his plan for your life.

[00:17:37] Again the focus there is of course on people God places in your life. The second one is kind of related because I just alluded to that spend time with others without having an agenda.

[00:17:47] You start out by talking about well everybody has an angle but you really shouldn't and you should be grateful for the people that God has placed in your life

[00:17:55] and you also make a distinction if you might to help us with this idea what's the difference between spending versus investing. Can you speak to that?

[00:18:04] Absolutely. You know we were all given the same 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until our last breath on this earth and you can let it go and waste it chasing.

[00:18:16] Chasing what God does not have plans for you. Chasing a different life, a different marriage, different kids, a different job.

[00:18:22] Taking the next transaction or you can invest in those that already trust you, love you and respect you.

[00:18:29] Maybe they're not perfect but no one here is perfect.

[00:18:33] And you can invest in those and go deeper in those relationships be a bright light give or you take versus always chasing.

[00:18:40] See I believe that the devil just wants apathy. He doesn't want us to have great love.

[00:18:46] He doesn't want great love comes sadness and sorrow and discouragement and disappointment. He wants us to live in apathy.

[00:18:51] He wants us to never stay in a healthy marriage. He wants us to have the infatuation phase of dating for 6 months, 18 months.

[00:18:57] He doesn't want us to be happy with our own kids. He wants us to cover our neighbors' kids, cover our neighbors' spouse and house.

[00:19:04] He doesn't want us to be happy with our own jobs and be marketplace ambassadors.

[00:19:08] He doesn't want us to be discouraged and complain to remain of everything that everyone else has.

[00:19:13] He wants us to focus on money as our master and just be complacent and resentful and bitter that we don't have everything we dream of.

[00:19:20] But when you invest in those, you put in your life, invest in those we have a true relationship with where someone's values are in alignment.

[00:19:29] Then you go deeper and deeper and you make a real lasting impact not just for these 10 to 100 years on this side Kirby but for eternity.

[00:19:37] So you can either spend time or invest that time. We all have the same amount of time in a day.

[00:19:41] Now we don't have the same amount of time on earth, relatively speaking we do.

[00:19:45] A thousand years from now if you live to be 20 or 100 it's all the same.

[00:19:48] And so what impact did you have? Like did you save souls and bring them with you?

[00:19:52] Did you build everlasting relationships or did you just match with people that could give you something that you want?

[00:20:00] And spending time is just going to the motion, eating your three meals, checking the boxes, reaching some worldly success.

[00:20:07] Investing in time is leaving people better than you found them, giving more than you take.

[00:20:12] Being a true friend, going deep, not taking it to your make it.

[00:20:16] This is something I'm very passionate about because I never had anyone that ever invested time in me.

[00:20:21] Let's take a break and when we come back we'll continue our conversation.

[00:20:24] Seven principles to lead gracefully and to love generously. Relationships over rules.

[00:20:31] David Hoffman is the author.

[00:20:33] I might just mention that the Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina, Mark Robinson says,

[00:20:37] David reminds us that where you come from does not dictate who you are and where you are going.

[00:20:42] David and Jason Bentham who have been on the program with us many times before said our world is so focused on the next sale,

[00:20:49] the next transaction, even the next relationship.

[00:20:51] But David's story of resilience and achievement reveals that God has already equipped us with everything we need,

[00:20:57] the people already in our lives, the real life examples, wise principles and practical tools

[00:21:03] will empower you to overcome adversity, invest in those around you and fulfill God's plan for your life.

[00:21:10] Lots to cover here. We have many principles we'll talk about in relationship over rules,

[00:21:15] but we do need to take a break and if you'd like to know more about David or the book,

[00:21:19] we have all the links necessary at our website at pointofview.net and we'll be right back.

[00:21:50] I find these numbers extremely troubling. It really is a crisis of truth and that crisis has consequences.

[00:21:57] Look at society. Evil is called good, good called evil. People with biblical beliefs are called bigots or worse, they're canceled.

[00:22:06] But there is hope. The Bible promises the truth will set us free and that's why Point of View is relentless in our commitment to the ultimate source of moral truth, God's word.

[00:22:18] At Point of View, we know that God's truth is eternal and if we stand together,

[00:22:23] we can help more Americans apply his truth in their daily life. Help Americans find truth again by giving at pointofview.net or call 1-800-347-5151.

[00:22:37] That's PointofView.net and 800-347-5151.

[00:22:47] Point of View will continue after this.

[00:22:51] You are listening to Point of View.

[00:23:01] The opinions expressed on Point of View do not necessarily reflect the views of the management or staff of this station and now here again is Kirby Anderson.

[00:23:12] Continue our conversation today with David Hoffman. Let me just mention that we have a link to relationshipsoverrules.com.

[00:23:19] You don't have to type all that out. We already have that link there but there's a place where you can order David's book.

[00:23:24] Of course, you can also have him come and speak as he talks about seven principles to lead gracefully and love generously.

[00:23:32] And we've talked about two of those principles. Focus on the people, God, places in your life.

[00:23:38] Spend time with others without having an agenda.

[00:23:42] We move now from people in your life to principles.

[00:23:45] And one of those, principle number three, David, is find a way to say yes.

[00:23:51] Now as soon as I came to that chapter, I smiled because earlier we learned in your story that you lived in a household where the answer to every question was no.

[00:24:01] So in some respects, you'll probably have a greater emphasis on yes.

[00:24:05] But it's yes in terms of resolving an issue or a conflict.

[00:24:09] It's a yes to give everyone a chance to say yes to Jesus Christ.

[00:24:13] So talk about that because that's an important principle as well, isn't it?

[00:24:17] Yeah, absolutely Kirby. And I want to lead by saying this does not mean for people pleasing.

[00:24:24] This does not mean that you tell people what they want to hear.

[00:24:28] When the foundation is Jesus, when you focus on people that heathless in your life,

[00:24:33] not who you feel like the world needs in your life because it can bring you money, success,

[00:24:38] say what you want to hear in a short period, maybe the high profile in your walk of life.

[00:24:44] But when you focus on saying yes to those that you've got a place in your life

[00:24:48] and those are people you already have a relationship with,

[00:24:51] and it's not an unconditional yes, it's the right yes.

[00:24:56] So to your point, I was always told no. No matter what it was,

[00:25:01] there was never an open mind, an open hand or an open heart.

[00:25:04] There was always no you can't do this, no you can't have that, no you're wrong,

[00:25:08] no, no, no, no. And so just like the reason I value relationships, Kirby,

[00:25:12] because I never had them, I want to find a way to say yes because I was never given a yes.

[00:25:18] And so again, when you work with people that don't have an agenda

[00:25:22] and it's an authentic relationship, then it's a healthy opportunity

[00:25:26] and it's people that are looking out for you and no one's perfect.

[00:25:29] But it's safer to say yes, but it's the right yes.

[00:25:32] It's finding a way to move the relationship further to help someone.

[00:25:36] It's not saying no just put your hand up because it's a no for you.

[00:25:42] And so regardless, I mean I joke even with my kids, they'll say,

[00:25:46] hey dad, can you play outside with us?

[00:25:49] I can say no, I'm tired. I just got off from work.

[00:25:53] I gotta do some work. Or I could say yes, give me 15 minutes.

[00:25:58] It's also about expectations, Kirby, because in marriage with your kids,

[00:26:03] friends, neighbors, clients, your sphere, the biggest challenge

[00:26:08] in relation to communication and the biggest obstacle in communication

[00:26:13] is not setting proper expectations.

[00:26:17] If I tell my family I'm going to be home for dinner and I show up late,

[00:26:22] just sitting around at 531, 532, 533, then they're very disappointed.

[00:26:26] If I said I'm going to be home at 630 and I show up at 6,

[00:26:29] it's no different than going to a restaurant.

[00:26:31] My wife and I try to do date nights on Saturday night. It's important.

[00:26:34] And if we don't have reservations, we walk in or we change our mind

[00:26:38] where we're craving that evening.

[00:26:40] We walk in at 630 and they say it's going to be an hour wait,

[00:26:43] have a seat at the bar, have a glass of wine, have a tea.

[00:26:47] And 30 minutes later we're sat. We're pleasantly surprised.

[00:26:50] It's only been 30 minutes.

[00:26:52] If we make a 630 reservation and at 631 we're sat,

[00:26:55] but it takes five minutes to come by, what happens?

[00:26:58] You're looking around, you're looking at your watch,

[00:27:00] you're thinking they're ignoring me on purpose or they're understaffed.

[00:27:03] It's only been five minutes, not half hour.

[00:27:05] Half hour is the right expectation.

[00:27:07] You're pleasantly surprised.

[00:27:09] Don't just say unconditional yes to every stranger.

[00:27:12] You don't know their agenda.

[00:27:14] Find a way to say yes to those that you know their heart,

[00:27:17] you know who they answer to and your values are in alignment

[00:27:21] and you're like, okay, I know you thought this through.

[00:27:25] I know that you're being authentic.

[00:27:28] And so it's a fun way to say yes.

[00:27:30] Even if I've got a real estate company and a lot of our agents,

[00:27:34] my real estate agents will say,

[00:27:36] well, I didn't send them that home because I wouldn't buy it.

[00:27:39] Why do know you were the buyer?

[00:27:41] You know, put yourself in their shoes, walk them out on their shoes.

[00:27:44] Why does it matter to them what you think?

[00:27:46] So if they need something, don't say no because you don't need it.

[00:27:50] Don't say no because you think it's a bad idea.

[00:27:53] Find a way to say yes and help them.

[00:27:55] And regardless if it's a good idea or not,

[00:27:58] if they need something, find a way to give them what they need

[00:28:01] because God put them in your life to serve them,

[00:28:04] to love them unconditionally, to be the hands in the...

[00:28:06] Hope to make them.

[00:28:08] Again, principle number three, find a way to say yes.

[00:28:11] Let's take another one and pour this one, certainly is significant.

[00:28:14] Principle number four, your past doesn't have to dictate your potential.

[00:28:19] Now anybody that would read this without reading the introductory chapters

[00:28:23] might go, oh jeez, for you to say,

[00:28:26] until they realize what indeed you had to do in terms of defining the odds.

[00:28:31] And I think a lot of your persistence came from some of those hard knocks

[00:28:37] and difficult circumstances in dysfunctional family,

[00:28:40] David that you came from.

[00:28:42] Yeah, absolutely.

[00:28:44] I don't wish what I went through and so many people have had it so much worse.

[00:28:49] I don't wish it on anyone but same time,

[00:28:51] a pastor always says Kirby the most wily used and heard word in heaven is going to be,

[00:28:56] oh, that's why God did that.

[00:28:58] Oh, that's why that happened.

[00:29:00] And so I don't know why my mom got so sick and paralyzed.

[00:29:06] I don't know why my father left her.

[00:29:08] I do know after the garden that we live in a broken world and we're selfish

[00:29:14] and we're self-righteous without Jesus.

[00:29:18] But I also know that God has a big plan for everyone's life

[00:29:22] and just because in one season in your past you're in the wrong environment,

[00:29:27] it doesn't mean that's who you are.

[00:29:29] It's not who you are.

[00:29:30] And so your past does not define your purpose.

[00:29:32] He has a big plan for your life.

[00:29:34] You've got a real estate company and so it may not be very popular

[00:29:37] to have scripture in your office but I do.

[00:29:39] And I've got Jeremiah 2911 in Big Print in the conference room floor to ceiling

[00:29:45] because when they're walking in there and they're holding on so tight

[00:29:47] they don't think they're enough and they don't think they can afford this home

[00:29:50] or they're trying to hold on to every dollar

[00:29:52] and they've got to spread sheet with their next few years of their life's going to look like.

[00:29:55] The day of the week you're going to pay it off

[00:29:57] and where that's going to go in college and what school

[00:29:59] and how many kids and four bedroom too bad, what they could fence.

[00:30:01] I just pointed Jeremiah 2911 that he has a plan for your life to let go,

[00:30:05] give it to him and it's free to prosper and not be harmed.

[00:30:07] So don't worry.

[00:30:08] And so God makes no mistakes.

[00:30:10] You might have a tough season but that's not who you are

[00:30:13] and it's also not your potential because he has a big plan for your life

[00:30:17] and he can do anything, all things are possible with him

[00:30:20] and so what you went through means nothing in the grand scheme of things.

[00:30:25] If anything for me it's a blessing but it's not who you made us to be.

[00:30:30] And so I just want to encourage you all that because I know, Kirby,

[00:30:33] I know everyone has had their own past and so many people, those chains don't come off

[00:30:37] and they tell themselves I've been abused so I need to abuse.

[00:30:40] Or I've been abused so I'm going to continue to be abused

[00:30:43] and hurt people hurt people.

[00:30:45] That's not, it has to be the case.

[00:30:47] I know the world tells you, that's what the devil tells us.

[00:30:49] He's just a creature, he's not the creator,

[00:30:51] he's just a creature that the creator made

[00:30:53] and if I don't want to give him too much credit,

[00:30:55] many people give their past, their trials, their thrice in their life

[00:31:00] too much credit.

[00:31:03] And I just want to encourage anyone who has had a tough childhood,

[00:31:08] a tough relationship or is struggling right now

[00:31:11] that they don't deserve to be in that situation.

[00:31:14] Women came from the side, not under the foot, they're not a doormat

[00:31:18] and that God has a big plan and it's never too late

[00:31:22] to give your life to Jesus and to overcome.

[00:31:26] And so I just want to encourage everyone to know

[00:31:29] that God has a massive plan for everyone's life

[00:31:31] and we just don't usually follow him.

[00:31:33] You know when it's hard, it's because it's our plan

[00:31:35] that we're asking him to fit into.

[00:31:37] When it's easy it's because we're finally listening to him.

[00:31:41] Let's again talk about one other principle before we take a break

[00:31:44] and principle number five, of course this one fits very well,

[00:31:47] adversity can create gratitude

[00:31:50] and again we've talked about some of your adversity

[00:31:52] but you talk about Joseph and you have 14 different things

[00:31:58] that really give you if you will the highlight reel of Joseph's life

[00:32:03] and although maybe one or two are positive, most of them are negative

[00:32:08] and so whether you look at Job or Joseph

[00:32:11] or even the experience of David Hoffman

[00:32:14] certainly adversity can indeed create gratitude, can it?

[00:32:20] Yeah, absolutely. Don't get it wrong.

[00:32:22] I wasn't enjoying the toilet water or the dog food.

[00:32:25] I didn't enjoy being screamed at and threatened

[00:32:28] and feeling not enough walking around the house,

[00:32:31] walking around the neighborhood on Halloween

[00:32:33] to see my best friends throwing eggs in my house

[00:32:35] because I was a weird kid.

[00:32:37] I didn't enjoy being told I wasn't enough

[00:32:39] and being threatened of what would happen if I tried to get out

[00:32:43] and feeling neglected and secluded,

[00:32:46] and understanding why when I would see my mom

[00:32:49] she never once complained, Kirby.

[00:32:51] She never once cried at least not in front of her only child

[00:32:55] but now that I'm a parent I cannot imagine what my mom endured.

[00:32:59] Forget about her paralysis.

[00:33:01] Forget about her husband leaving here alone

[00:33:04] but her only child was taken from her, shortly after birth

[00:33:07] and she never once complained

[00:33:09] and so for me that adversity that I faced

[00:33:13] while it was difficult in the season

[00:33:16] and I cried myself to sleep many nights

[00:33:18] and I felt that I was less than.

[00:33:20] I know people can relate. I felt like I wasn't enough.

[00:33:22] I tried to hurt myself so many times

[00:33:26] because of pain from neglect.

[00:33:28] I used to ask God all the time, if you're a good God

[00:33:31] why did you hurt my mom? Why did you take me away?

[00:33:33] Why are you letting this abusive neglect happen?

[00:33:35] Sure, let's take a break.

[00:33:37] But again we'll talk about gratitude after the break

[00:33:39] but also we have a couple other principles.

[00:33:41] We'll talk about relationships over rules.

[00:33:44] We'll be right back.

[00:33:55] You're listening to Point of View,

[00:33:58] your listener supported source for truth.

[00:34:01] Back for a few more minutes with David Hoffman.

[00:34:03] Again the book is entitled Relationships Over Rules.

[00:34:05] If you'd like to know more about the book

[00:34:07] of course we have a link to relationshipsoverrules.com

[00:34:10] You can find out more about David.

[00:34:12] You can maybe have him come and speak

[00:34:14] and of course you should be able to probably find the book

[00:34:17] in your local bookstore as well

[00:34:19] and you can get it as well.

[00:34:21] We were talking about gratitude just a minute ago

[00:34:23] and that I think is key because

[00:34:25] gratitude is so important in the Christian life

[00:34:28] so you certainly can express that

[00:34:31] and even though some of the things in your past

[00:34:34] were so traumatic we can be so grateful

[00:34:36] for just the small things in life, can't we?

[00:34:39] Yeah absolutely and the irony in all this

[00:34:43] is if you haven't faced much adversity

[00:34:47] it's actually harder to be grateful.

[00:34:50] You know when it's been raining

[00:34:53] and storming all week and dark

[00:34:55] and then the sun comes out

[00:34:57] you notice it's just a little bit brighter

[00:34:59] than if it's always a fairly clear day

[00:35:02] and you know it's when we're in

[00:35:05] the valley in the dark seasons

[00:35:07] is when we really appreciate

[00:35:09] everything that our Heavenly Father

[00:35:11] has done and is doing.

[00:35:13] That's why I believe as much as I didn't understand

[00:35:15] for a long time when Paul was so grateful

[00:35:17] in the jail cell because when you're

[00:35:19] at your bottom is when you realize

[00:35:21] all that you do have and you realize

[00:35:23] that unconditional love

[00:35:25] at least one has for you.

[00:35:27] And so again like I said

[00:35:29] you don't want to try for your life

[00:35:32] although I feel like the closer we get

[00:35:34] to Jesus the more the devil attacks

[00:35:36] you know in real estate we call it

[00:35:38] like a hot lead, oh you know the house

[00:35:40] is going to be either now or never

[00:35:42] the house is going to go on the market

[00:35:44] so honestly Kirby I say

[00:35:46] alright devil you know bring it on

[00:35:48] you know don't hurt my wife and kids

[00:35:50] but give me all you got because

[00:35:52] I serve God the impossible

[00:35:54] and this little creature is not going to

[00:35:56] step on my Creator and my Heavenly Father

[00:35:58] and so that helps me you know

[00:36:00] my kids have never met my father

[00:36:02] I haven't seen him since my wedding

[00:36:04] 11 years ago and I used to struggle

[00:36:06] with that and now I thank the Lord

[00:36:08] for his redirection for my own

[00:36:10] protection and my kids protection

[00:36:12] you know we need to be grateful

[00:36:14] we need to be thankful for

[00:36:16] our Heavenly Father not for the junk

[00:36:18] but that he's working all things

[00:36:20] together for the good of those who love

[00:36:22] him and know him you know Roman day 28

[00:36:24] and it's just a great way to live

[00:36:26] you know we're not here that long

[00:36:28] but when you're positive and you're

[00:36:30] upbeat and you're smiling people want

[00:36:32] that and they ask where that came from

[00:36:34] and when you can point to him

[00:36:36] that's how you stay told.

[00:36:38] Let's look him just at least get

[00:36:40] into what we call number 6, be a friend

[00:36:42] before being an expert. Now

[00:36:44] I was thinking about that because you wrote

[00:36:46] earlier in the book about this idea

[00:36:48] of developing which you call The Power of Three

[00:36:50] be a friend, be an expert, be present

[00:36:52] but what about that

[00:36:54] we all say we have friends on Facebook

[00:36:56] and course you quote from

[00:36:58] a psychology professor that found

[00:37:00] only a few of your quote

[00:37:02] Facebook Friends really have empathy for you

[00:37:04] so this is what you mean by being

[00:37:06] a true friend isn't it.

[00:37:08] Yeah, absolutely.

[00:37:09] You know, most people define a relationship as the transaction with the neighbor you see

[00:37:16] when you're cutting your grass or getting your mail.

[00:37:19] Your kid's soccer teammate's parents.

[00:37:22] It's a convenient relationship with someone at work.

[00:37:25] It's a transaction where you're bartering if you're in the marketplace.

[00:37:31] That's not a real relationship.

[00:37:32] You know, a relationship is when you give but you may not receive.

[00:37:36] A relationship's actually outside of the transaction.

[00:37:38] And people think, well, I've got lots of friends and so I'm going to see in the marketplace

[00:37:44] because I have this authentic relationship.

[00:37:45] But if they don't know much you care and they don't care much you know,

[00:37:50] and so maybe they do know much you care but if you're not the expert

[00:37:53] because you're faking it if you make it and you're too busy

[00:37:55] and you're putting this relationship over that one because it's more important

[00:37:59] from a worldly standpoint, then even though they know much you care

[00:38:03] which is top priority, they don't believe that you know.

[00:38:07] And that's why people say they don't make business and personal.

[00:38:10] It's not that they don't want to work with their best friend.

[00:38:12] Everyone wants their best friend to be their spouse.

[00:38:14] Everyone wants their best friend to be their financial advisor.

[00:38:18] They're the best friend to be their next neighbor.

[00:38:23] But if they don't know that you're the expert in your field,

[00:38:26] you know, if you think about it everyone who's a male on this call,

[00:38:30] they had that young lady who they really adored in high school or college

[00:38:34] and maybe that girl said, well, oh, you know David,

[00:38:37] you know I would hate to hurt our friendship.

[00:38:39] You're like my best friend.

[00:38:41] And but that means that they didn't look at me as husband material

[00:38:44] because who would not want to marry their best friend?

[00:38:46] I married my best friend.

[00:38:48] You know, who would not want to marry their best friend?

[00:38:50] What they're saying is, oh, I really care about you.

[00:38:52] You're a lot of fun but I don't see you being a great husband for me.

[00:38:56] I don't see you being a great father.

[00:38:57] Maybe you're distracted.

[00:38:58] Maybe you're talking to too many other girls

[00:39:00] or maybe I just don't see those qualities.

[00:39:02] And so and so on says in the marketplace, you know,

[00:39:05] oh, I really want to keep a business life separate from my friendship.

[00:39:09] Who would say that?

[00:39:10] My financial advisor is one of my best friends.

[00:39:12] I help tons of my dear friends in real estate

[00:39:15] because they want to work with someone they can trust.

[00:39:17] Why would they not want their friends to look out for their family?

[00:39:20] What they're saying is, you know,

[00:39:23] I don't care how much you know until I know how much you care.

[00:39:25] You got to be the friend first.

[00:39:26] So like the principal said, you got to be the friend first.

[00:39:28] It's all a matter.

[00:39:29] You got to be the friend first.

[00:39:30] Jesus was a friend with anyone who was in front of him.

[00:39:35] But then you better be the expert.

[00:39:37] And again, you also, of course, we've talked about

[00:39:39] the friendless American male and that has been a problem

[00:39:41] first with men but now even with women

[00:39:43] because of the busyness.

[00:39:45] But let me just real quickly because we're just about at a time

[00:39:47] mentioned that the seventh principal is not about the deal

[00:39:50] but about doing the right thing.

[00:39:51] But you have a whole section at the end

[00:39:53] where you suggest people develop a three-year plan.

[00:39:56] And so like in a minute or two, can you kind of go over that?

[00:39:59] Because again, as people get this book,

[00:40:01] I think they can go through it individually.

[00:40:03] They can certainly go through it in a small group study.

[00:40:07] But again, this would be helpful for you to plan

[00:40:09] for the future based on many of these principles

[00:40:12] that you actually have developed in your book.

[00:40:15] Absolutely.

[00:40:16] You could do a measure anymore with God in the center

[00:40:18] and the people he puts in your life.

[00:40:20] You know, when the pandemic started,

[00:40:21] God put three things on my heart for the next three years.

[00:40:24] You always have to fast forward and see where God wants you to be

[00:40:27] when you grow up.

[00:40:28] You can know when to say yes or no.

[00:40:30] I think we struggle, you mentioned the busyness, Kirby.

[00:40:32] We struggle with saying yes, being a people pleaser,

[00:40:35] saying yes to the wrong people who have the wrong intention

[00:40:38] and not leaving room to say yes to those

[00:40:40] that he puts in our life.

[00:40:41] Or saying yes to opportunities that are great for someone

[00:40:43] else but not for you for his plan for you.

[00:40:45] And so when the pandemic started,

[00:40:47] there were three things put on my heart.

[00:40:49] First and foremost, lead with faith over fear.

[00:40:53] And so we kept our staff.

[00:40:56] We stayed positive and humble and fearless.

[00:40:59] We were smart, but we honored the rules

[00:41:02] and everyone's own opinions.

[00:41:05] But we stayed very faithful and everyone felt safe and secure

[00:41:10] in their finances and their own family.

[00:41:12] And we met people where they were.

[00:41:13] Some people would come to the office.

[00:41:14] Some people would not.

[00:41:15] We just let people work how they felt safe.

[00:41:18] That was first.

[00:41:18] Second, God said, get your story out from my glory.

[00:41:22] And so I worked as a great writer and agent.

[00:41:25] Got a couple of great publishers.

[00:41:27] I ended up with Broad Street Great Publisher.

[00:41:29] I've won the full team out of Franklin, Tennessee.

[00:41:32] And I worked on the story.

[00:41:34] I worked on the book.

[00:41:35] I think it was beautifully done.

[00:41:37] And then third, be open to a little girl.

[00:41:39] We got two boys and we had started looking

[00:41:42] at foster training because God said be open to it.

[00:41:45] And then God put a distant family friend

[00:41:48] relative to my wife's granddaughter in her lap,

[00:41:52] who was in a really bad spot.

[00:41:54] And last June we met her for the first time

[00:41:56] and she moved in a couple weeks later.

[00:41:57] And I'm taking her to two daddy daughter dance

[00:41:59] already.

[00:42:00] And so those three things will put

[00:42:02] on my heart three years prior.

[00:42:03] And so I want to encourage everyone

[00:42:06] to fast forward to where God has plans for them.

[00:42:10] They don't get lost in that busyness.

[00:42:12] If it's not a part of his plan for your life,

[00:42:14] just say no.

[00:42:15] If it's something in someone that he puts in your life,

[00:42:17] find a way to say yes.

[00:42:19] Have a plan and have a deadline and have some accountability

[00:42:22] because if you don't have individuals,

[00:42:25] accountability partners, you don't have dates

[00:42:27] and things of that nature, well it's a dream

[00:42:29] but it's not a plan and you certainly

[00:42:30] talk about that as well.

[00:42:32] So David, it was great to meet you by phone.

[00:42:34] It was great to meet you through your book

[00:42:36] and I appreciate the fact that you took the time first

[00:42:38] of all to write this book and thank you for

[00:42:40] in the midst of your busy life giving us

[00:42:42] an hour today here on Point of View.

[00:42:45] Yeah Kirby, I appreciate it.

[00:42:46] My pleasure, I hope it helps someone.

[00:42:48] Well again the book one more time is called

[00:42:50] Relationships Over Rules, Seven Principles

[00:42:53] to Lead Gracefully and Love Generously.

[00:42:57] As you mentioned it's published by Broad Street.

[00:42:59] Might be able to find it in your local bookstore

[00:43:00] but we've provided all the links you need

[00:43:03] on the website pointofview.net.

[00:43:06] We have a lot to cover.

[00:43:07] We'll do that right after this.

[00:43:10] Who can you trust?

[00:43:14] Years ago many of us could probably

[00:43:16] have provided a fairly long list but today,

[00:43:20] well today it seems we almost can't trust anyone.

[00:43:23] Educators don't even know what a woman is anymore.

[00:43:27] Many so-called public servants have shown

[00:43:29] all they care about is themselves.

[00:43:32] The FBI has been accused of bias,

[00:43:35] law breaking, betrayal and journalism.

[00:43:38] It's largely corrupt with no Clark Kent standing up

[00:43:41] for truth justice in the American way.

[00:43:44] All of this is why Point of View Radio

[00:43:47] is more important than ever.

[00:43:50] And your part in supporting us is more needed than ever.

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[00:44:28] Point of View will continue after this.

[00:44:57] I'm looking at some issues in the news

[00:44:59] but also some of those behind the news.

[00:45:02] I am fairly convinced that we are going to be dealing

[00:45:05] with students taking over buildings

[00:45:08] and protesting Israel for some time.

[00:45:12] We're gonna see these pro-Hamos demonstrations

[00:45:14] for some time so obviously each day

[00:45:16] we'll try to give you an update

[00:45:18] but that's not the only thing happening

[00:45:20] and sometimes the most important issues

[00:45:24] affecting you and your family

[00:45:26] are sort of long term issues

[00:45:28] that don't necessarily fit within,

[00:45:30] for example, a particular news cycle.

[00:45:33] So as we started out just an hour ago

[00:45:36] I did want to mention as we did yesterday

[00:45:39] and as we did on Friday

[00:45:40] that of course we have these protests on campus

[00:45:44] and one of the new developments at Columbia University

[00:45:48] was the fact that you had these pro-Hamos rioters

[00:45:52] masked going into an academic building,

[00:45:56] basically taking over a building.

[00:45:59] You can see some of the news cycles

[00:46:01] where we're talking about breaking in.

[00:46:03] I mean we're talking about breaking glass and the rest

[00:46:06] and of course let's give credit where credit is due.

[00:46:08] The Columbia University administration

[00:46:10] is saying that they're going to act in that regard

[00:46:13] and suspend students.

[00:46:15] I think we'll find out very quickly

[00:46:16] that some of these are not students

[00:46:18] and again the lack of urgency

[00:46:23] is illustrated by the fact

[00:46:24] that they don't want to upset some of these students

[00:46:27] and maybe even in their back of the reaches

[00:46:30] of their mind there may be a green

[00:46:32] with some of the things the students are saying.

[00:46:34] As I said before, turn this around

[00:46:37] and have for example kids coming in

[00:46:40] that are part of the Young Americans for Freedom

[00:46:42] or Turning Point or they're wearing mega hats.

[00:46:45] Don't you think there'd be a quicker reaction probably?

[00:46:48] And again there's concern about the anti-Israeli statements

[00:46:54] but if these were anti-black statements

[00:46:56] again I think maybe there'd be reaction

[00:46:58] but let's give credit where it is due

[00:47:00] and this is as the students and the rioters

[00:47:03] I think it's now free to call them rioters

[00:47:05] since now this is one of three buildings

[00:47:08] that has been broken into.

[00:47:09] I mentioned one in California,

[00:47:10] I'll get to Princeton and New Jersey just a minute

[00:47:13] and this one of course is in New York City,

[00:47:15] Columbia University and again the argument

[00:47:17] is that the university there at Columbia

[00:47:21] has not met our demands as you read through

[00:47:24] the demands pretty obvious that Columbia

[00:47:27] is not going to meet those demands

[00:47:29] and of course the fact is they're saying

[00:47:31] well they're not even meeting with us.

[00:47:33] Well if you're breaking into buildings why should I?

[00:47:36] I think we should call the police and put you in jail

[00:47:39] but that isn't the way that's being handled right now.

[00:47:43] It is being handled that way in Oklahoma and Texas

[00:47:46] but we'll leave that for another day

[00:47:48] because that's an interesting side story as well.

[00:47:52] I did mention earlier that not only was this happening

[00:47:55] at Columbia but also at Princeton University

[00:47:58] where they occupied a campus building,

[00:48:01] this one maybe not rioters but still they took over

[00:48:05] the office of the dean of the graduate school

[00:48:08] that's Rodney Priestley's office

[00:48:11] and then had this list of five demands to Princeton

[00:48:16] which Princeton would not be able to meet

[00:48:19] even if it wanted to meet those demands

[00:48:22] because some of those would require long term

[00:48:25] renegotiation of contracts

[00:48:28] and relationships with the defense department

[00:48:32] and various trips that had been planned

[00:48:36] to go to Tel Aviv University or Hebrew University

[00:48:39] and so I think you're going to have a standoff for some time.

[00:48:43] So let me just briefly say that many of these issues

[00:48:47] that we're talking about are gonna be long term.

[00:48:50] I suspect we'll be talking about it tomorrow,

[00:48:53] we'll probably be talking about it on Thursday.

[00:48:55] I know we'll be talking about it on Friday

[00:48:57] when Kelly Shackelford and Penn and Dexter are in studio

[00:49:00] so each day we will make a mention of it

[00:49:03] and yet some radio programs are spending all their time

[00:49:06] talking about it, some TV programs

[00:49:08] are spending a portion of their time on it

[00:49:10] and as important as it is there are other things

[00:49:12] that you need to pay attention to

[00:49:14] and one of those has surfaced over the last couple

[00:49:17] of days because you might remember

[00:49:20] that last week we had Don Federer

[00:49:22] who was a columnist with us

[00:49:24] and we posted a whole dis up for those of you

[00:49:26] that happened to be watching online,

[00:49:28] his piece on a demographic winter.

[00:49:31] Well if you look down on the articles I've posted here

[00:49:35] I've posted quite a few because I think this is an issue

[00:49:38] that I'd like to talk about for a few minutes

[00:49:40] and we'll move on to some others

[00:49:42] and that is first of all I have the piece

[00:49:43] from James Lynch in which again one of the reasons

[00:49:47] some of this came out is because we now have

[00:49:49] the fertility rate in the United States

[00:49:52] that is actually a record low

[00:49:55] and that is 1.62 births.

[00:49:59] Again the replacement is 2.1.

[00:50:04] I've never met a 0.1 child in either of you

[00:50:07] but you know what I'm doing,

[00:50:08] I'm taking all the children born during this generation

[00:50:12] and divided by the women of reproductive age

[00:50:15] and you should have 2.1 to reproduce your population.

[00:50:19] Well we've been below replacement for a long time

[00:50:23] and as I have pointed out in other circumstances

[00:50:26] if you think we've got a problem

[00:50:28] Korea has a worse problem.

[00:50:31] Matter of fact it has the lowest fertility rate

[00:50:33] in the world, there are more Koreans

[00:50:36] in their 70s than there are in their 20s

[00:50:40] but also as we talked about with our good friend

[00:50:44] Don Federer that even China is set to lose

[00:50:48] 60% of its population by the end of the century.

[00:50:51] China is really struggling right now economically

[00:50:55] and part of that, and the reason they're slipping

[00:50:57] into a recession is due to low domestic demand

[00:51:02] because of a declining population.

[00:51:05] So we've posted a couple of articles about this

[00:51:08] and I thought for just a minute

[00:51:09] I would sort of dig into these

[00:51:11] in a little more significant way.

[00:51:14] One of those articles and I'm gonna read from now

[00:51:17] especially some of them after the break

[00:51:19] is by Kevin Dolan who was speaking at a recent conference.

[00:51:23] What he had to say was so significant

[00:51:26] that Elon Musk shared much of it on some of his posts

[00:51:31] and I'm gonna give you some of his key points

[00:51:33] but Kevin Dolan is one person

[00:51:35] we're gonna be talking about.

[00:51:37] And then another one that comes from Casey Chalk

[00:51:40] in which he is actually using this book

[00:51:43] which I'll hold up right now.

[00:51:45] This is a book that is entitled Family Unfriendly.

[00:51:49] I'm hoping maybe someday we get a chance

[00:51:51] to interview this author.

[00:51:52] He was on a while back with Mike Huckabee

[00:51:56] and he is with the American Enterprise Institute

[00:51:59] and all sorts of people that we think very highly of.

[00:52:03] Arthur Brooks at Harvard, Robert George

[00:52:06] at Princeton University, Mary Eberstadt

[00:52:09] of course who has been on the program with us

[00:52:11] all say very glowing things about his particular book

[00:52:17] but the article I've posted for you to read

[00:52:19] interesting enough says yes he's identified

[00:52:22] some of the problems and yes maybe we can actually

[00:52:25] implement some of the solutions

[00:52:27] but some of those solutions are gonna be

[00:52:29] a little bit more difficult to implement

[00:52:32] simply because not only are children

[00:52:35] much more expensive in this post-industrial world

[00:52:39] there is a whole generation of young people growing up

[00:52:42] that value their freedom, their autonomy

[00:52:46] they actually go on TikTok to talk about being dinks

[00:52:49] double income no kids.

[00:52:51] And so this is a cultural issue

[00:52:54] but it's a very important issue

[00:52:57] and as I said when we had Don Fetter on last time

[00:53:00] some of you in your churches might say

[00:53:02] doesn't look like we're having problem with fertility

[00:53:04] in that church, you know maybe not

[00:53:06] as matter of fact that may be one of the answers, faith

[00:53:10] people that are religious tend to believe in procreation

[00:53:13] people that are secularists tend not to

[00:53:16] so we'll come back and talk about some of those solutions

[00:53:19] and what that might mean for the future

[00:53:21] right after these important messages.

[00:53:34] This is Viewpoints with Kirby Anderson

[00:53:38] Jonathan Hyde has been on the Point of View radio talk show

[00:53:41] to discuss his previous book

[00:53:42] The Coddling of the American Mind

[00:53:44] He has now compiled his research in a new book

[00:53:47] The Anxious Generation

[00:53:48] How the Great Rewiring of Childhood

[00:53:50] is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness

[00:53:53] He begins his book by having us imagine

[00:53:55] that a visionary billionaire wants to establish

[00:53:57] the first permanent human settlement on Mars

[00:53:59] and chose your 10 year old daughter for the endeavor

[00:54:02] You don't give permission since there would be

[00:54:04] significant danger to your child

[00:54:05] like radiation and cellular damage

[00:54:08] and less gravity affecting bone density and growth

[00:54:11] but then imagine there's another company

[00:54:12] that doesn't seem to know anything about child development

[00:54:15] nor care about child safety

[00:54:16] this company doesn't even require parental permission

[00:54:19] all the child needs to do is check a box stating

[00:54:21] that she has obtained parental permission

[00:54:23] then she can blast off to Mars

[00:54:26] The first chapter focuses on the surge of suffering

[00:54:28] He explains that there was little sign

[00:54:30] of an impending mental issues crisis in the 2000s

[00:54:33] but suddenly in the 2010s things changed

[00:54:36] due to smartphones and social media

[00:54:38] when his co-author and he finished writing

[00:54:40] The Coddling of the American Mind

[00:54:42] They already had data through 2016

[00:54:45] Teenagers said that they were sad, empty and depressed

[00:54:48] and something changed between 2010 and 2015

[00:54:51] which is the period he calls the Great Rewiring

[00:54:54] His book has graphs on the increase in major depression

[00:54:57] among teens, an increase in mental illness

[00:55:00] among college students

[00:55:01] and an increase in anxiety prevalence by age

[00:55:04] He concludes that parents need to be involved

[00:55:07] but we also need some government action

[00:55:09] and some responsibility from tech companies

[00:55:12] This is a crisis that needs our attention

[00:55:14] I'm Kirby Anderson and that's my Point of View

[00:55:23] Go deeper on topics like you just heard

[00:55:26] by visiting pointofview.net

[00:55:29] That's pointofview.net

[00:55:34] You're listening to Point of View

[00:55:36] Your listener supported source for truth

[00:55:39] Everyone's getting this with Ken Cuckles

[00:55:41] that told for a while about the demographic winter

[00:55:44] and this idea of a demographic winter

[00:55:47] is really also kind of a global birth dearth

[00:55:50] but whatever it might be

[00:55:52] Kevin Dolan who was speaking more recently

[00:55:55] at this natal conference

[00:55:57] actually said that if birth rates continue to plummet

[00:56:00] civilization will end

[00:56:03] Now that may be a little bit of a strong statement

[00:56:05] but I'm sort of thinking if there's a theme today

[00:56:08] a little bit later I'm going to talk about one of the articles

[00:56:10] we've posted 72 minutes to the end of the world

[00:56:13] really talking about this book by Ann Jacobson

[00:56:15] who I've wanted to get on the program

[00:56:17] may or may not on nuclear war

[00:56:19] but there are a lot of things right now

[00:56:21] that are threatening the future of civilization

[00:56:24] and one of those is this demographic winter

[00:56:27] Now Kevin Dolan put it this way

[00:56:29] as he spoke at the conference

[00:56:30] we're here to solve the problem

[00:56:32] that will define the next century

[00:56:34] in our lifetime, in our children's lifetime

[00:56:36] every government, every culture

[00:56:37] every belief system

[00:56:39] and every family on earth will pass through

[00:56:42] Are you ready for this?

[00:56:43] A bottleneck tighter than the black death

[00:56:46] predicted on one question

[00:56:48] will your children have children of their own?

[00:56:52] And again as I've pointed out just a minute ago

[00:56:55] you may not feel that if you look around your church

[00:56:59] I mean after all even when I was talking to Don Fetter

[00:57:02] who's Jewish he would agree with Psalm 127

[00:57:05] that children are a heritage from the Lord

[00:57:08] and that we would be blessed to have a quiver full of them

[00:57:12] but that is not the prevailing ethos

[00:57:14] the prevailing worldview right now

[00:57:17] and so again Kevin Dolan being a millennial

[00:57:20] says that every country in the developed world

[00:57:24] and most countries in the developing world

[00:57:27] face long-term population decline on a scale

[00:57:31] that makes that growth impossible to maintain

[00:57:35] Now if you've looked at some places

[00:57:38] where there has been a drop in population in America

[00:57:41] of course you can think of some of the cities around Detroit

[00:57:45] and you can think about the Rust Belt

[00:57:47] and certainly Pennsylvania and Ohio and the rest

[00:57:51] and you can get a sense about what happens

[00:57:53] when the population drops

[00:57:56] and what we find is that as he points out

[00:58:00] although he says a consistent number of Americans

[00:58:04] 95% of Americans say they want kids

[00:58:08] he says it looks like that only about 60% of millennials

[00:58:12] would get there so he's looking at his peers

[00:58:14] saying these are individuals part of what is called

[00:58:17] generation Y those born after 1980

[00:58:21] very significantly drop a significant drop

[00:58:25] and decline in the number that will get married

[00:58:28] and have children and then he goes on to say

[00:58:31] that percentage will be even lower for

[00:58:33] what are called Zoomers or those who would be Generation Z

[00:58:38] where you start that we can have some debates

[00:58:41] most people say about 1996 but I won't pick a fight

[00:58:45] of whether you wanna move that up or down a few years

[00:58:47] because that's at least somebody that now

[00:58:50] is graduated from college or in high school and college

[00:58:54] and so we're talking about that generation

[00:58:58] and this is something again for our pastors

[00:59:01] listening right now for those of you

[00:59:03] that are Sunday school teachers of the rest

[00:59:05] because he points out that in surveys

[00:59:08] only about 10% of childless people say

[00:59:11] this was a conscious decision in other words

[00:59:14] 10% say I started out never wanting to have children

[00:59:18] then another 10% deal with some form of medical infertility

[00:59:23] I've written about that as a matter of fact

[00:59:25] our recent booklet on genetic engineering

[00:59:27] has a little short statement there

[00:59:29] about artificial reproduction and recognizing

[00:59:32] that's an issue but again he says in 80% of the cases

[00:59:37] it is what demographer Steven Shaw calls

[00:59:40] unplanned childlessness and so we're really

[00:59:44] dealing with a world in which individuals

[00:59:48] because they first of all get married later

[00:59:53] and then would have children later

[00:59:55] sometimes can't have children or decide

[00:59:58] that it's just too late to have children

[01:00:01] or because of a variety of other factors

[01:00:04] or maybe don't even get married

[01:00:06] you can see kind of the circumstances that are unfolding

[01:00:10] and causing what we call a demographic winter

[01:00:13] which brings me to my third article for you to read

[01:00:17] this one is Casey Chalk who's actually

[01:00:20] kind of doing a review of this book Family Unfriendly

[01:00:25] Family Unfriendly is written by Timothy Carney

[01:00:27] he's at the American Enterprise Institute

[01:00:31] you can see, got a few kids here

[01:00:33] so obviously he believes in having a full quiver as well

[01:00:37] but the point that he's making in this book is

[01:00:39] is that we have a culture that needs to change

[01:00:43] but also as we've talked about on point of view

[01:00:45] many times before we also maybe need some policies

[01:00:49] that change because in some respects

[01:00:51] we make it very expensive anyway

[01:00:55] to have a child because children now

[01:00:58] are a net liability for the family

[01:01:01] compared to being a net asset say

[01:01:03] in an agricultural society

[01:01:05] but more importantly we have other policies

[01:01:07] that actually don't reward child rearing either

[01:01:11] so Casey says that Carney does an excellent job

[01:01:15] of exposing the confounding contradictions

[01:01:18] of America's relationship to our progeny

[01:01:21] he notes that Americans are having fewer children

[01:01:24] and we actually believe that that is below the ideal

[01:01:29] but here's the paradox

[01:01:30] when compared to the fathers of the 1970s

[01:01:33] the dads of today are far more involved

[01:01:35] in their children's lives

[01:01:37] yet amazingly mother's weekly parenting load

[01:01:39] since that time have increased about 50%

[01:01:43] and so this argument that kids are too expensive

[01:01:47] certainly doesn't make sense because you also notice

[01:01:50] that not only do middle class families have fewer kids

[01:01:54] wealthy families also have fewer kids

[01:01:59] so some of it is not money

[01:02:02] but part of it obviously is children are more expensive

[01:02:06] and he goes on to say that much to the credit

[01:02:08] in this book he provides many solutions to this as well

[01:02:14] and actually encouraging things

[01:02:16] that should happen in the schools

[01:02:18] even in the playgrounds

[01:02:20] and all sorts of other things for families

[01:02:23] but he says the biggest problem we're dealing with

[01:02:26] is a cultural problem

[01:02:28] because unfortunately among young professionals

[01:02:32] children are seen as an obstacle to autonomy and freedom

[01:02:37] and the normalization of conception

[01:02:39] has enabled us to separate sex from children

[01:02:43] minimize differences between men and women

[01:02:46] and inoculated us from uncertainty

[01:02:49] and so as he points out fears of environmental catastrophe

[01:02:53] have led some to suggest that they should not bring children

[01:02:57] into this dangerous world

[01:02:58] that's another factor

[01:03:00] you're convinced that we're only just a few weeks

[01:03:03] days or months or years away

[01:03:05] from an environmental apocalypse

[01:03:08] you can see that is the case

[01:03:10] and then of course a growing guilt over America

[01:03:13] evidenced by the fact that

[01:03:14] there are all sorts of claims about this country

[01:03:17] being racist, misogynist, colonialists and the rest

[01:03:22] and this has caused some individuals

[01:03:24] especially more the liberal group

[01:03:26] to say why do I wanna pass on my genes

[01:03:29] to somebody living in such a horrible country

[01:03:32] that we live in

[01:03:34] I think a little gratitude would be appropriate there

[01:03:36] but I think you know where we're going in that regard

[01:03:38] and so the point he's making is

[01:03:41] that we have in a culture sometimes made it sound like

[01:03:45] a really glamorous lifestyle

[01:03:48] would be a dink lifestyle

[01:03:51] double income, no kids

[01:03:53] and thus you are free to leave when you want

[01:03:56] you're free to go on vacation when you want

[01:03:59] and all of the kinds of things

[01:04:01] that in many cases need to be taught in the culture

[01:04:05] are simply being drowned out by the social media

[01:04:09] that is out there

[01:04:10] so I would suggest that if you're looking for possible

[01:04:13] application

[01:04:15] one is to in your church

[01:04:17] in your community group

[01:04:19] in your life group, in your small group

[01:04:21] talk about the value of children

[01:04:24] the value of families

[01:04:26] of the value of being fruitful and multiply

[01:04:29] the value of the fact that children are heritage

[01:04:32] from the Lord

[01:04:34] that you are blessed if your quiver is full of them

[01:04:37] Psalm 127, Genesis 1 and 2

[01:04:40] many other passages we can talk about

[01:04:43] because the cultural message

[01:04:45] is going the wrong direction

[01:04:47] and in some respects we're going to see many more children

[01:04:52] actually coming into the world from religious parents

[01:04:55] compared to secular parents

[01:04:57] and for some time we've talked about this fertility gap

[01:05:00] because many more children are being born in

[01:05:03] conservative homes

[01:05:05] than liberal homes

[01:05:06] because if you think about it

[01:05:08] your likelihood of being born in a home

[01:05:11] where there is a belief in abortion

[01:05:13] is probably less

[01:05:15] than in a home where they don't believe in abortion

[01:05:19] so you can work the numbers and you can begin to see what needs to take place

[01:05:23] in the culture

[01:05:24] but this conversation we had with Don Federer on the demographic winter

[01:05:28] I think it's going to be one of those ongoing issues that we'll be

[01:05:31] talking about for some time

[01:05:33] and in my article where we quote Kevin Dolan

[01:05:37] the first two paragraphs come from Elon Musk

[01:05:40] who has been looking at this as well as many others

[01:05:43] and recognizing that this may be one of the great challenges we will face

[01:05:48] in the twenty-first century

[01:05:50] when we come back from the break, one of the books that has become a bestseller

[01:05:53] is a book on

[01:05:54] nuclear war

[01:05:56] it's been a long time since we've talked about that on point of view

[01:05:59] but we'll do that

[01:06:00] right after these important messages

[01:06:06] have you ever met a child you knew would do great things

[01:06:10] they displayed remarkable imagination, understanding and a zest for learning

[01:06:15] now imagine someone takes that child and instead of fostering their potential

[01:06:19] with a real education they feed them nothing but lies

[01:06:23] you know that scenario isn't so far from reality

[01:06:26] from a young age americans are fed a consistent stream of distorted facts

[01:06:30] from the

[01:06:31] secular indoctrination they receive in many public schools

[01:06:35] to the biases presented as fact in many colleges and universities

[01:06:39] to the barrage of misinformation from the mainstream media and the lack of moral

[01:06:43] grounding in our society

[01:06:45] it's not that americans aren't capable of understanding the truth

[01:06:49] it's that they aren't exposed to it enough

[01:06:52] you can expose more americans to the truth when you give to point of view

[01:06:57] where listeners receive facts, perspective and biblical truth

[01:07:01] they don't get from society

[01:07:03] as long as we have truth we have hope

[01:07:06] and we'll give today at pointofview.net

[01:07:08] or call 1-800-347-5151

[01:07:12] pointofview.net

[01:07:15] and 1-800-347-5151

[01:07:23] point of view will continue

[01:07:25] after this

[01:07:33] you are listening to point of view

[01:07:38] the opinions expressed on point of view do not necessarily reflect the views of

[01:07:42] the management or staff of this station

[01:07:45] and now here again

[01:07:47] is Kirby Anderson

[01:07:49] back as well for the last half hour and let me just mention tomorrow at brandon

[01:07:52] washington with us

[01:07:53] we'll be talking about his new book as well as jerry newcomb

[01:07:56] and we'll be kind of looking ahead to thursday which is the national day of

[01:08:00] prayer and we will of course cover some more on the national day of prayer

[01:08:03] on thursday of course friday is our weekend edition

[01:08:06] and i think you'll appreciate that as well

[01:08:08] my commentary today is on this book i'm holding up for those of you watching

[01:08:11] online it's called the anxious generation

[01:08:14] it is written by jonathan height he's been on the program with us before as

[01:08:18] we've talked about his book the coddling of the american mind

[01:08:21] in some respects we've been anticipating this book for some time

[01:08:24] it's already a bestseller

[01:08:26] about four hundred pages and seems like all i'm doing is holding up books

[01:08:30] that are about three or four hundred pages

[01:08:31] but these the kinds of books that we think are very important as it is

[01:08:35] illustrated by the fact that i just finished writing an article

[01:08:38] they will come out in a future outlook on this book because i think it is really

[01:08:42] important for us to understand

[01:08:44] what is happening in terms of social media

[01:08:47] and smartphones in the rest so again

[01:08:49] that is the commentary today which you can read very easily and if you haven't

[01:08:54] already signed up to receive it

[01:08:55] it is available

[01:08:56] for you to get in your inbox monday through friday all you need to do is

[01:09:00] sign up quite of course you can also

[01:09:03] receive penedectors on saturday which we send out since she writes a column once

[01:09:07] a week

[01:09:09] i thought we would focus some time and attention on this book it is all the

[01:09:13] book called nuclear war

[01:09:15] uh... scenario it'd be nice if we could get

[01:09:18] uh... any jacobson on the program one because she's very bright and has

[01:09:22] written about everything from area fifty one

[01:09:26] uh... to um... darpa

[01:09:28] and uh... was that i think they referred to that is the pentagon's

[01:09:31] brain

[01:09:32] and a variety of other books uh... the first platoon

[01:09:36] uh... she's actually been a person that i've heard on interviews on the number

[01:09:40] of people they can estimate that the cia have assassinated

[01:09:44] i mean she has really done her work and uh... deserves full credit

[01:09:48] so i thought for just a minute we would talk about the book because it is

[01:09:51] also a best-selling book right now

[01:09:54] and you might say well why would we want to do that and i'm gonna give

[01:09:57] you three reasons

[01:09:58] first there's really a need to educate a new generation

[01:10:02] although we talked about a nuclear war during the cold war i can remember

[01:10:07] especially with marlin maddox and pennedexter myself and others

[01:10:11] uh... primarily i was involved in that in the nineteen eighties panic him on in

[01:10:16] the nineteen nineties but

[01:10:17] during the eighties and nineties before the fall of the berlin wall and

[01:10:21] the collapse of the soviet union

[01:10:23] there were a lot of conversations we had about nuclear war

[01:10:27] and we talked about nuclear winter

[01:10:29] we talked about the strategic defense initiative

[01:10:32] those are very important but you know we have a whole generation of young

[01:10:35] people that have never even heard some of those conversations so i think it's

[01:10:39] appropriate

[01:10:40] second the threat of nuclear war

[01:10:42] is greater i think today than it was back then

[01:10:45] because you have countries like north korea

[01:10:48] that have nuclear weapons

[01:10:50] you have other countries like iran

[01:10:52] they are attempting to develop nuclear weapons so i think we are

[01:10:56] in a much more dangerous situation now

[01:11:00] and third the discussion i think is very relevant

[01:11:03] as evidence by reading

[01:11:05] jacobson's book because

[01:11:08] a lot of the documents about nuclear war have been declassified

[01:11:12] so we know much more about nuclear war than we knew just a few years ago

[01:11:17] now she starts out by uh... really giving you a scenario of a one

[01:11:22] megaton

[01:11:23] thermonuclear bomb strikes the pentagon and vaporizes the building

[01:11:28] and twenty seven thousand employees within it

[01:11:31] a mile away the marble columns of the lincoln and jefferson memorials

[01:11:36] burst apart and are disintegrated

[01:11:39] two-and-a-half miles west at national park

[01:11:42] the close of a majority of the thirty five thousand people watching the

[01:11:46] ballgame catch on fire

[01:11:49] as this begins to develop this

[01:11:51] fireball which is heated now to one hundred and eighty million degrees

[01:11:57] Fahrenheit

[01:11:58] means it's nearly five times hotter than the temperature of the center of the

[01:12:03] sun

[01:12:04] begins to destroy everything in its path

[01:12:07] and then sends winds traveling at hundreds of miles an hour

[01:12:12] the fireball rises up

[01:12:14] forming that kind of iconic mushroom cloud with cap and stem

[01:12:18] and then the inferno begins gas lines explode

[01:12:22] looks like giant blow torches

[01:12:25] uh... now all of washington dc has become a mega inferno

[01:12:29] asphalt streets turned to liquid from the intense heat

[01:12:33] more than a million people are dead and dying within two minutes

[01:12:37] after the explosion

[01:12:38] but it doesn't stop there because now we're talking about a blast area

[01:12:43] in which you have what we've talked about on this program and e m p at

[01:12:46] an electro magnetic pulse

[01:12:48] which takes out radio takes out television takes out the internet

[01:12:52] cars with electronic ignitions cannot start

[01:12:55] water stations cannot pump water

[01:12:58] and of course you have deadly radiation spreading

[01:13:01] all over that blast

[01:13:03] how does this happen and why could it happen

[01:13:06] and there are i think some real concerns about how fast it could happen

[01:13:11] because back when we

[01:13:12] actually first develop these intercontinental ballistic missiles called

[01:13:17] i cbm's

[01:13:18] there were some research done trying to figure out how long it would take

[01:13:22] from launch

[01:13:24] to striking a city

[01:13:26] in

[01:13:27] soviet union

[01:13:28] and the estimate was from a launch to annihilation was sixteen hundred

[01:13:34] seconds

[01:13:35] twenty six minutes forty seconds

[01:13:38] that's the problem nuclear war happens too fast

[01:13:41] and of course the estimates today are even harder to get on uh... because you're

[01:13:46] dealing with now

[01:13:47] nine countries that have nuclear weapons

[01:13:50] russia

[01:13:51] france

[01:13:52] china

[01:13:53] pakistan india

[01:13:55] israel

[01:13:56] north korea

[01:13:57] the u k and the u s

[01:14:00] and some people have estimated that if north korea which has a

[01:14:03] dictator that doesn't strike me as real stable some days

[01:14:07] um... could actually launch from the korean peninsula

[01:14:11] you could hit any targeted east coast in about thirty three minutes

[01:14:16] it wouldn't even have to take that long because

[01:14:19] we have nuclear weapons in

[01:14:22] these nuclear armed nuclear powered submarines

[01:14:26] those are called boomers

[01:14:28] and in fact i have a colleague that actually served on a boomer

[01:14:31] they've also been called the handmaidens of the apocalypse

[01:14:35] and they can be sneaking around in the sea

[01:14:38] hard to detect

[01:14:40] and as a result can get very close

[01:14:42] to the coast

[01:14:44] and as a result that's why they oftentimes talk about the fact that the

[01:14:48] president

[01:14:49] has really only a six-minute window

[01:14:52] for a nuclear counter attack

[01:14:56] to make that worse we have a policy which i will argue needs to end

[01:15:02] and it's called launch on warning

[01:15:05] it means that the america will launch its nuclear weapons once it's early warning

[01:15:10] system

[01:15:11] shows that there's an impending nuclear attack

[01:15:15] put another way the united states won't wait to check if the warning is

[01:15:18] accurate

[01:15:19] it will not wait and physically absorb a nuclear blow before launching its own

[01:15:25] nuclear weapons

[01:15:26] at whoever sent a missile

[01:15:28] and so there's been

[01:15:30] a attempt to change that

[01:15:33] uh... george w bush in two thousand as a candidate vowed

[01:15:36] to address this policy in saying keeping so many weapons on high alert may create

[01:15:41] an unacceptable risk

[01:15:42] for accidental or unauthorized launch

[01:15:46] well brock obama also argued that this is just a relic of the cold war

[01:15:51] president biden's been encouraged to eliminate the policy

[01:15:54] but you know what

[01:15:55] no change has been made

[01:15:57] part of the reason so many people are concerned is that forty years ago

[01:16:02] there were people that said would could we even survive a nuclear war

[01:16:08] and that's part of what has been declassified now

[01:16:11] president reagan ordered simulation war games called proud profit to

[01:16:16] actually explore

[01:16:18] the outcome in long-term effects of a nuclear war

[01:16:22] and they use mathematical models to predict outcomes and that was

[01:16:26] conducted at the national war college

[01:16:29] the participants were cloistered

[01:16:31] away in a secure location to prevent leaks

[01:16:34] uh... the results though have been declassified in twenty twelve

[01:16:38] but uh... even though much of the mature was blacked out we still now can

[01:16:42] talk to the participants

[01:16:44] without violating the espionage act of nineteen seventeen

[01:16:49] and so the question is could we win a nuclear war

[01:16:53] spoiler alert

[01:16:54] no one can

[01:16:56] every simulation they used

[01:16:59] whether it was a tactical nuclear strike whether it was with or without

[01:17:04] nato

[01:17:04] uh... participation

[01:17:06] whether it was the pentagon making the decision during a

[01:17:10] focused calm or during a crisis mode

[01:17:13] um... in every single case once nuclear war

[01:17:17] starts

[01:17:18] there's no way to win it

[01:17:20] or even ended

[01:17:22] and that's why many people are beginning to say we need to

[01:17:26] rethink some of the nuclear policies that have been around

[01:17:30] many of them i'll agree with brock obama are relic of the cold war

[01:17:34] but we live in a world today

[01:17:36] where all it would take is one of these if you will bolt out of the blue

[01:17:40] uh... landing on the pentagon

[01:17:43] uh... to bring about something that would be more horrific

[01:17:47] and unthinkable

[01:17:49] that's why we need to think about the unthinkable

[01:17:53] so that it doesn't become a reality

[01:17:56] let's take a break will talk a little bit of more about well then who could launch

[01:18:00] a nuclear

[01:18:01] strike

[01:18:02] but i would be the president of the united states will talk about the

[01:18:05] president

[01:18:06] and his football

[01:18:07] and what that might mean

[01:18:09] right after this

[01:18:33] your minutes as we talk about the unthinkable a nuclear war

[01:18:40] the article that i've posted here is by kathy

[01:18:43] jillian

[01:18:44] and uh... rights for political and it is not only her comments but then an

[01:18:49] interview that she does with anny jacob son

[01:18:51] let's be honest most of you are never going to sit down and read a three

[01:18:55] hundred seventy page book like this i have looked at every page and read whole

[01:18:58] sections of it but

[01:19:00] you will not but i think it is again

[01:19:02] reminding us of some of the dangers

[01:19:05] because near the end of this article which i've made available to you

[01:19:08] it says that public sources indicated the president six minute response

[01:19:13] window is still about in line with what ronald reagan noted with dismay

[01:19:17] in his memoirs

[01:19:18] but that assumes he's boxed into a launch on warning policy

[01:19:22] something that jacob son sources

[01:19:25] characterized as a constant

[01:19:27] to move before enemy missiles actually strike but which government

[01:19:30] policy documents

[01:19:32] is supposed to be an option not a mandate

[01:19:34] well we'll see

[01:19:36] the book arrives at a time when the country's and the world's largest

[01:19:39] nuclear arsenals

[01:19:41] the u.s and russia

[01:19:42] are at odds in ukraine

[01:19:45] a russian state tv host is calling a russian nato conflict inevitable

[01:19:50] and even the council on foreign relations is gaming out scenarios

[01:19:53] in case the russians use tactical

[01:19:56] nuclear weapons in ukraine

[01:19:59] this is something we need to think about

[01:20:02] especially given the fact that this book in some respects is a perfect

[01:20:06] sequel

[01:20:07] to the

[01:20:07] biographical film last year

[01:20:10] the twenty twenty three film openheimer

[01:20:13] so what about this the president carries what is called the nuclear football

[01:20:17] where did that come from

[01:20:19] well it turns out that

[01:20:20] herald agnew in nineteen fifty nine visited a nato base

[01:20:24] and notice that were four

[01:20:26] f eighty four f aircraft at the end of the runway each carrying two nuclear

[01:20:31] gravity bombs

[01:20:32] this meant that these

[01:20:34] nuclear bombs

[01:20:35] we're in the custody of one u.s army private

[01:20:39] armed with an m one rifle with eight rounds of ammunition

[01:20:42] the only safeguard against unauthorized use of an atomic bomb

[01:20:46] was this single g i surrounded by numbers

[01:20:50] of foreign troops

[01:20:52] on foreign territory with thousands of soviet troops miles away

[01:20:57] so we got back to the u.s

[01:20:58] agnew contacted a project engineer in sandia laboratories and ask if they

[01:21:03] could put an electronic lock

[01:21:06] on the bombs firing circuits that would prevent others from arming the nuclear

[01:21:10] bomb

[01:21:11] and they produced a lock encoded switch

[01:21:13] they could be activated with a three digit code

[01:21:17] they presented the idea in the device to the joint committee on atomic energy

[01:21:21] and then to president kennedy who ordered it to be done

[01:21:25] within the military objected

[01:21:27] a general ask how could a pilot somewhere in the world

[01:21:30] get a code from the president united states to arm a nuclear weapon before

[01:21:34] being overrun

[01:21:35] by a massively superior number of soviet troops

[01:21:39] and why not have other nuclear bombs also coded

[01:21:42] well the answer came in the creation of what is called the president's football

[01:21:46] which is an emergency satchel

[01:21:48] this gives the president not the military

[01:21:51] control of

[01:21:52] america's nuclear arsenal

[01:21:55] the football must always be near the president

[01:21:59] there fact there's a story told

[01:22:00] of how important it is for the president to have access to the football

[01:22:04] uh... when president clinton was visiting syria president

[01:22:08] hoffers all the sides handlers tried to prevent

[01:22:11] clinton's military aid from writing in an elevator with him

[01:22:16] this secret service would not let that happen and they did not let that happen

[01:22:20] you cannot

[01:22:21] be away from the president

[01:22:23] um... inside are a set of documents known as the black book

[01:22:27] we know something about that

[01:22:29] because of the testimony from robert buzz paterson

[01:22:34] and if you're one of the individuals that is listed a point of view for many

[01:22:37] years you know we've interviewed

[01:22:39] buzz paterson

[01:22:41] because he was a military aid to president clinton

[01:22:45] and because we were able to interview him we found out how sometimes it was

[01:22:48] difficult for

[01:22:50] uh...

[01:22:51] again

[01:22:52] robert buzz paterson

[01:22:54] to keep track of bill clinton even when he was president i wouldn't get

[01:22:58] into all the details you can read about it in his book

[01:23:01] but it's interesting that buzz paterson

[01:23:04] likened the black book to a denny's breakfast menu

[01:23:08] because of how it looked

[01:23:10] and what the president must do is choose retaliatory targets

[01:23:14] from a predetermined nuclear strike list on the menu

[01:23:19] and so as i've shared with you before

[01:23:22] we're talking about something

[01:23:24] that um... actually has to be decided

[01:23:28] sometimes within minutes

[01:23:30] and the possible impact as we've learned

[01:23:34] from these war games is devastation

[01:23:38] and i think this may be if nothing else should be

[01:23:41] a campaign issue

[01:23:43] do you believe that the current president of the united states has the mental

[01:23:46] capacity

[01:23:48] to understand

[01:23:49] and to make rational choices

[01:23:52] about nuclear arms and a predetermined nuclear strike list

[01:23:58] and it's a question i think needs to be asked in light of the circumstances we

[01:24:02] find ourselves in

[01:24:04] not only with ukraine

[01:24:06] because again you have russia on one side in united states on the other

[01:24:10] what about china

[01:24:12] and taiwan

[01:24:13] and most importantly probably the real outlier north korea

[01:24:18] or the future of the iran

[01:24:20] who is shown with very little hesitation a willingness

[01:24:25] to send

[01:24:26] missiles and drones to israel

[01:24:29] to take

[01:24:29] all out basically what they call the little satan

[01:24:33] and the possibility

[01:24:35] to take out

[01:24:36] us

[01:24:37] the great satan

[01:24:38] so again as christians i think we have to think about this we certainly have to

[01:24:42] recognize that god is sovereign

[01:24:44] and uh...

[01:24:45] in control

[01:24:46] but you know that doesn't mean

[01:24:48] that uh... nuclear war might not take place

[01:24:52] i mean just think about this to history we've had tyrants and armies

[01:24:55] uh... destroy people groups

[01:24:57] on this program we've talked about how god use pagan nations to judge the

[01:25:01] nation of israel

[01:25:03] and really since the first atomic bombings at the end of world war two

[01:25:08] there's been a condition known as nuclear anxiety

[01:25:12] and i've got a wonder if in part because of this film that came out

[01:25:16] oppenheimer

[01:25:17] whether some of that is rekindled once again

[01:25:20] but uh... let's at least come back to some obvious biblical principles first of

[01:25:24] all

[01:25:25] uh... jesus instructs us not to be anxious about tomorrow in the sermon on the

[01:25:29] mount

[01:25:30] paul tells us course in philippines that we should be not be anxious about

[01:25:35] anything

[01:25:36] and yet we also have a recognized that we could be headed for something

[01:25:40] very easily

[01:25:42] with fallen humanity

[01:25:44] and with out of control dictators in other countries

[01:25:48] something that could

[01:25:49] uh... be a nuclear confrontation

[01:25:53] and of course jesus even at one point says

[01:25:56] in that famous

[01:25:58] message in matthew twenty four that if the days

[01:26:01] had not been cut short no human being would be saved

[01:26:06] and so again recognize that he told us that in the world you will have

[01:26:10] tribulation but take heart

[01:26:11] i have overcome the world

[01:26:14] nuclear war is not something we want to think about that it's something i

[01:26:17] think we need to talk about

[01:26:18] and it's something i think we need to think about deeply

[01:26:21] in terms of who we will elect as the next president

[01:26:24] who we will put in congress

[01:26:26] and even the kind of policies that exist right now that might

[01:26:30] take

[01:26:31] of the step closer to nuclear war

[01:26:34] then we might have been participated

[01:26:37] and so i give anny jacobson full credit for

[01:26:40] not only pulling together so much in this book

[01:26:43] but also warning us about some of the things we now know because we've

[01:26:47] had

[01:26:48] so many of these documents declassified

[01:26:51] and we are learning a lot more than we knew even back in the nineteen eighties

[01:26:56] and nineties

[01:26:57] on point of view and we used to talk occasionally

[01:26:59] about nuclear war

[01:27:01] about strategic defense

[01:27:03] about nuclear deterrence

[01:27:05] and adjust war

[01:27:06] so again that's a topic i wanted to put on the table today if we're no other

[01:27:10] reason because

[01:27:11] you can find this article that we've posted

[01:27:13] on point of view and you can read it

[01:27:15] if you want to read the book

[01:27:17] and maybe i'll even produce a booklet on this topic because it is relevant to so

[01:27:22] many things

[01:27:23] we think about

[01:27:24] in terms of the future of civilization

[01:27:27] so we have for today though and i hope you will join us tomorrow we have a lot

[01:27:30] to cover and we'll be looking forward to the

[01:27:33] national day of prayer

[01:27:35] this might include encourage you to pray a little bit more with it to

[01:27:38] think about

[01:27:39] anyway i want to thank a mega and steve for the help behind scenes

[01:27:42] see back here tomorrow on point of view

[01:27:46] in nineteen century london two towering historical figures did battle not with

[01:27:51] guns and bombs but words and ideas

[01:27:55] london was home to carl marx the father of communism

[01:28:00] legendary baptist preacher charles spurgeon

[01:28:03] london was in many ways the center of the world economically militarily

[01:28:08] and intellectually

[01:28:10] mark sought to destroy religion the family and everything the bible

[01:28:14] supports spurgeon stood against him warning of socialism's dangers spurgeon

[01:28:20] understood christianity is not just religious truth it is true for all of

[01:28:25] life

[01:28:26] where do you find men with that kind of wisdom to stand against darkness today

[01:28:31] get the light you need on today's most pressing issues delivered to your inbox

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