Transcript [00:00] [Music] [00:00] this is America's round table from [00:02] Washington DC an initiative of the [00:04] us-based think tank International [00:05] leaders Summit in partnership with ler [00:08] Broadcasting Corporation and super talk [00:10] Mississippi media thank you for joining [00:13] us on America's round table I'm Joe lad [00:15] and Sam your co-host joined by Economist [00:18] Natasha seror co-founder of [00:20] international leader Summit and the [00:21] Jerusalem leader Summit America's Round [00:24] Table guests include leading voices from [00:26] business government media energy [00:27] technology Healthcare and the broad [00:29] policy Arena [00:30] subscribe to America's round table on [00:32] Apple podcast Amazon and Spotify visit [00:34] America's Roundtable at Americas rt.com [00:38] Americas rt.com welcome to America's [00:42] Roundtable we're truly delighted to have [00:44] Troy Miller president of the National [00:46] Religious broadcasters speaking to us [00:49] about the future of America's public [00:50] policy First Amendment freedom of speech [00:53] and religious liberty Troy it's great to [00:55] have you joining us on America's round [00:57] table today it's great to be with you [00:59] thank you for having [01:00] from your Vantage Point Troy what is the [01:02] state of free speech in America and what [01:04] do you see as major headwinds impacting [01:07] our first amendment well I think all you [01:10] have to do is look at some of the recent [01:12] comments made by some past and current [01:16] politicians uh you know whove made [01:18] comments like Hillary Clinton's who said [01:20] that the you know first amendment is an [01:23] imped to uh Power and messaging um and [01:27] the current uh climate zar [01:30] uh uh who's also made that same [01:32] statement so look at that and then look [01:34] what the government's been doing look at [01:36] the the issue I think we really got a [01:39] peak inside or behind the curtain when [01:41] uh Elon Musk bought Twitter and we had [01:44] the release of the Twitter files and [01:46] then all of a sudden we really saw [01:48] exposed the collusion that has been [01:50] going on between the social media [01:52] companies and the government to really [01:54] suppress and control speech and control [01:57] the messaging so the weaponization [02:00] uh that's gone on in the federal [02:01] government system against free speech in [02:04] particular and against people's own [02:06] conscience I mean look at some of the [02:07] candidates now one of the candidates who [02:09] said you know there will be no religious [02:12] exemptions uh coming forward so we we [02:14] just we just see it coming from all [02:17] sides and I think we live in a time I [02:19] don't I don't know of a time that I ever [02:21] lived in where somebody actually spelled [02:24] out that the First Amendment the [02:26] foundation of the Constitution uh the [02:30] rights that the the founding fathers [02:32] understood were inali rights they were [02:35] rights not granted to us by the [02:37] government but they were rights that we [02:39] had as individual human beings and [02:42] citizens of the country and the first [02:44] amendment was for the government to [02:46] recognize those rights not for the [02:48] government to authorize or to give those [02:51] rights out but to have somebody to say [02:54] that the First Amendment now is outdated [02:57] and it needs to go um in order for us to [03:00] be able to and the Word was in order us [03:03] to be able to have complete or total [03:06] control of the messaging in this country [03:08] now that sounds an awful lot like a [03:11] dictor totalitarian state to me and not [03:14] the America that we all know and have [03:16] grown up in and come to love Troy on [03:20] behalf of nrb you joined with the [03:22] Christian Ministry groups and houses of [03:24] worship in Texas and the Commonwealth of [03:26] Virginia to file a complaint challenging [03:29] the Johnson amendments restrictions on [03:31] nonprofit organizations including [03:33] churches why is this so important for [03:36] the Community of Faith going forward so [03:39] let's just to get a little history here [03:41] so everybody knows what the Johnson [03:42] amendment is so Lindon B Johnson then [03:45] running for Senate in Texas was actually [03:48] opposed by a number of churches um and [03:51] and they were actually a number of [03:53] African-American churches that were con [03:55] worried about his uh stance on civil [03:58] rights and so when he was elected when [04:01] he actually won that election he came [04:04] out and added this amendment to a bill [04:06] that was already going through Congress [04:08] it was in What's called the [04:10] reconciliation uh uh phase and he added [04:13] an amendment to this bill and it it's [04:15] come to be known as Johnson said three [04:17] things one 501c3 organizations that are [04:20] granted tax exemption status now that's [04:22] not tax exemption just to the [04:25] organization that means that the gifts [04:27] given to that organization the donations [04:30] given to that organization and churches [04:32] those donations are tax exempt and the [04:35] donors can claim that on their uh uh tax [04:38] forms to say I have given this out so [04:40] that's the for it said three things one [04:43] that those tax except organizations [04:45] couldn't donate to candidates for office [04:48] and and we don't have a problem with [04:50] that but two it said that those [04:52] organizations could not support or [04:54] oppose candidates for office and then [04:57] the third piece of that was to limit the [05:00] amount of lobbying that tax exempt [05:02] organizations could do so we're okay [05:04] with number one and number three we we [05:06] say that's okay but it's number two the [05:09] the fact that it silenced any 501c3 [05:13] organization including churches even [05:16] though they don't have a 501c3 [05:18] designation from the IRS because [05:20] churches are tax exempt through the [05:22] Constitution and through the first [05:24] amendment but it silenced those pastors [05:27] so think about this for over7 25 years [05:30] of this country pastors across this [05:33] country were able to speak out about [05:35] cultural issues about candidates that [05:38] were running and where candidates stood [05:40] on those cultural issues and then comes [05:42] lynen B Johnson along he's upset with [05:45] that he kind of hides it underneath this [05:47] oh we're trying to quiet these communist [05:50] uh organizations and he passes it [05:52] without any real vote of Congress it [05:54] gets through as an amendment and the [05:56] churches have been silenced ever since [05:58] it's held over their head so we have [06:00] decided that this has gone on too long [06:02] we're taking the IRS uh to court along [06:05] with the three groups that you talked [06:07] about the churches and the organizations [06:09] to say this this needs to stop we need [06:11] to go back pastors should have the [06:13] freedom that they had in this country [06:15] for over 175 years to speak out on [06:18] issues that are important to them and [06:21] important to our faith our Christian [06:23] world view isn't just for the four walls [06:25] of the church a Christian world view is [06:28] meant to impact culture [06:30] in fact as you as you mentioned so [06:33] rightfully Troy about the impact and the [06:36] role of Christians in America and [06:37] Christians have stood with Israel uh in [06:40] a significant manner uh with such [06:43] strength and prayer and encouragement we [06:46] certainly remember October 7 2023 when [06:49] the Hamas terrorists backed by Iran [06:52] invaded Israel 1,00 individuals were [06:55] killed 240 hostages taken into Gaza and [06:59] we still have seven Americans kept in [07:01] Gaza by the Hamas and we also have Iran [07:05] attacking Israel now Troy you were in [07:08] Israel you met with leaders in Israel [07:11] after October 7 what was your experience [07:14] there and what is your message to [07:16] Christians in America and especially the [07:19] youth that are somewhat confused about [07:21] what's going on due to the impact of [07:23] social media just to remind everybody as [07:26] you said about the hostages that's where [07:28] our prayers are the the hostages should [07:30] be brought home unconditionally remember [07:32] that Hamas is holding um all the way [07:35] from 5-year-olds up until seniors uh in [07:39] in here and these people should be [07:40] brought home unconditionally and that [07:42] should be the only policy position that [07:44] the US has uh on that until the hostages [07:47] are are brought home there is no other [07:49] negotiation so look we went to Israel we [07:51] did two trips to Israel one in December [07:53] one in May uh there were solidarity and [07:57] and um information gathering trips but [08:00] here's the experience this is what went [08:02] on we went down to the Villages and to [08:04] the caboots that were hit the hardest on [08:06] October 7th we met with uh people there [08:10] and and I'll tell you one of the things [08:11] that shocked them because if you don't [08:13] know anything about these areas it's a [08:14] very liberal area of Israel the caboots [08:16] are kind of what for people in the US [08:18] might think of the communes of the 70s [08:20] here so lots of people in there their [08:23] whole policy was to befriend uh the [08:26] Palestinians in Gaza and that would be [08:28] the thing that really changed the game [08:30] there and of course October 7th came [08:32] around and and they found out that none [08:35] of that work they were betrayed they had [08:37] maps of all people that worked in the in [08:39] their in their towns had maps of all the [08:41] towns and all kinds of things but here's [08:43] what we've our message has been to the [08:45] Israeli people that there are hundreds [08:48] of churches thousands of churches Across [08:50] America that are praying for you [08:52] individually as people they're praying [08:55] for the government they're praying for [08:57] wisdom we're praying for peace and that [08:59] the American Christian Church by large [09:02] stands shoulder-to-shoulder with our [09:05] Israeli and Jewish brothers and sisters [09:07] and that's a message that they that they [09:10] have taken to heart I I can tell you [09:13] that we were at several different rabbis [09:14] houses some of those rabbis were what [09:17] they what they call reformed rabbis so [09:18] these are very Progressive very left and [09:21] you know what he said to us he said here [09:22] you guys are we were actually there the [09:24] last night at Hanukkah and he said here [09:25] you guys are Evangelical Christians can [09:29] conservative evangelicals who we're [09:31] probably on opposite sides of all the [09:33] social issues that are out there and [09:36] you're in my house you're praying for me [09:39] and my liberal colleagues in America [09:41] have abandoned me they have forgotten me [09:44] they have left us behind that has not [09:46] escaped the people in Israel both the [09:49] Jewish people in Israel and the Jewish [09:51] people here in the US now let's talk [09:53] about these colleges for a second so [09:56] look we've had all this indoctrination [09:58] going on critical race Theory uh [10:01] intersectionality all of these things [10:03] that going on and they've really the [10:05] they've the indoctrination is so deep [10:07] that they boiled everything down to [10:09] you're either the oppressor or you're [10:12] the oppressed that's the two sides of it [10:14] there is there's no other thing in [10:16] Israel one of the most oppressed nations [10:20] in history okay somehow is the oppressor [10:25] and the colonialist and and the [10:27] aggressor in all of this even even [10:29] though they were the ones that have been [10:30] always pursuing peace and that has then [10:33] now bubbled into this [10:35] anti-Semitism that I think was always [10:37] underneath the surface and by the way [10:40] not only anti-Semitism but also an [10:42] anti-christian movement as well they [10:45] realize just like the Hamas that that [10:48] the Jewish people and Israel they're the [10:50] little Satan but the big Satan is [10:53] America and the Christian church here [10:55] and so that's bubbled over and these [10:57] kids have been indoctrinated and we have [10:59] to get that we have to continue to get [11:02] the truth out there I met with a whole [11:04] group of kids here in Nashville that [11:06] were that were protesting this and when [11:08] I really drilled them down do you even [11:10] know what river you're talking about [11:11] when you say the river in the sea they [11:13] didn't know what river they're talking [11:14] about they don't know what the land is [11:16] they don't know that the West Bank is [11:17] Judea and Samaria this is a land that [11:20] Jesus uh uh walked ministered in and [11:23] preached in this is the the land that [11:25] the Jewish people was given to them by [11:28] God thousands 3,000 years ago they don't [11:31] even understand that they think that the [11:33] Palestinians were were there so we have [11:35] to keep speaking up and one of the [11:37] things we're trying to do is change the [11:38] whole language of the support of Israel [11:41] and talk about what the truth really is [11:43] we can't quit talking about the truth [11:46] Troy as president of the National [11:48] Religious broadcasters you have joined [11:51] uh for example former Governor Mike kabe [11:53] Dr Ben Carson and others on broadcast [11:55] media in communicating about the [11:57] concerns of 32 million registered voters [12:01] who are not participating in the [12:03] electoral process what is your message [12:06] to pastors what is your message to these [12:09] 32 million Christians that deeply care [12:12] about our country that's what they say [12:14] but do not participate on Election Day [12:17] so my message to pastors first first and [12:20] foremost is Jesus gave us the Lord's [12:23] Prayer and in the Lord's Prayer he said [12:24] to us he said to pray that your will be [12:27] done on earth that is in heaven so what [12:30] is God's greater will than to have the [12:33] righteous to govern the righteous people [12:36] to govern this country not to give this [12:38] country over to people who want to move [12:42] away from the morality and the ideology [12:45] and the worldview that we hold so why [12:47] would we want to shy away from that if [12:50] we're pastors from the pulpit even if [12:52] the government holds a threat over us [12:55] thank goodness the black Coke what they [12:57] were called was a black coat Regiment of [12:58] the Revolution didn't care about what [13:01] the British government said they could [13:02] or couldn't do they preached about the [13:05] freedom that should go in this country [13:06] and the conscience that they H they [13:08] would have there so pastors need to [13:10] stand up they need to be bold they need [13:13] to talk about the worldview they need to [13:15] talk about the key cultural issues and [13:17] not be afraid politics is not a thing to [13:21] shy away from it's a thing for us as the [13:23] church to lean into and if you're out [13:26] there as a citizen um to think about it [13:28] this way who would you rather have [13:31] govern you and this is all about [13:33] governance this is not a personality [13:35] test this is not about who's the better [13:38] character or not car this is about the [13:41] governance of the country who's going to [13:42] govern the country who's going to [13:44] appoint people that think like you do [13:47] that hold the same values that you do [13:49] the same principles that you do and the [13:50] same morals that you do so if you want [13:53] to give that over to people that hold [13:56] all the opposite that you do then stay [13:58] at home that But realize what you're [14:00] doing you are giving up and giving it [14:02] over to people that are going to [14:05] marginalize you and eventually persecute [14:08] you and so we say look it is it is our [14:11] god-given right and gift in this country [14:14] something that most people in [14:16] Christianity have never had the ability [14:19] to choose the people that's going to [14:21] govern them and think about that over [14:23] the next seven days when you think about [14:25] setting on the sidelines thank you so [14:28] much Troy for your important [14:30] conversation that you've just had with [14:32] us your presentation of facts and [14:34] realities that we should take into [14:36] consideration Troy Miller is the [14:38] president of the National Religious [14:41] broadcasters and they have over 1,100 [14:43] members uh and media groups that are [14:46] certainly doing the great work in [14:48] presenting the gospel message and [14:50] communicating Truth uh to a country uh [14:52] that certainly is seeking uh the way the [14:55] truth and the life so thank you Troy for [14:57] joining us thank you Troy thank you for [14:59] having me this is America's round table [15:02] from Washington DC an initiative of the [15:04] us-based think tank International [15:06] leaders Summit in partnership with Lan [15:08] of Broadcasting Corporation and supert [15:10] talk Mississippi media thank you for [15:13] joining us on America's round table I'm [15:15] jool lad andami your co-host joined by [15:17] Economist Natasha Sor co-founder of [15:20] international leaders Summit and the [15:22] Jerusalem leader Summit America's [15:24] Roundtable guests include leading voices [15:26] from business government media energy [15:28] technology health and the broad policy [15:30] Arena subscribe to America's round table [15:32] on Apple podcast Amazon and Spotify [15:34] visit America's Roundtable at Americas [15:37] rt.com [15:39] Americas rt.com [15:43] [Music]
