Frank Schaeffer once produced propaganda films that helped launch the Christian right. Now he feels regret for what he calls an 'anti-family' movement. #CNN #News
Agreed. Power itself, a small group of people manipulating masses, lying to them, setting up a scenario where a King is bestowed Divine Power by the Religious Pious, again repeating history as the f We the People never fought, our ancestors never fought, a Kingdom for a US Constitution to proclaim personal and private Rights and Freedoms. Drunk on power l, they are and this man has called them out on their own level. Ps...spellchecker makes us all illiterate. We should ban this technology which changes our words and makes it impossible to be understood.
I am a mother of 3 children. I am a woman. I remember the moment when the fertilized egg implanted in my uterus THE FIRST MONTH. it hurt and was a pinching feeling inside. Those who do not act responsibility to PREVENT getting pregnant in the first place have zero say in this, in my opinion. You all can still use abortion as a form of contraception, just not after a certain developmental state, which makes logical sense if you are a responsible human. If you can vote, you should be sane about this. Not holding my breath. #2020Reality
@@CARidingAcademy great story. Then how come republicans want 12 year olds who were raped by their dad to carry children to term? What does that have to do with taking preventive measures to stop a pregnancy? And what’s with Republicans not wanting to perform abortions for women with ectopic pregnancies? That’s not pro life! That’s straight murder.
You don’t even know what the words fascism and theocracy mean. Your definition of fascism is “anything other than endorsing the agenda of the left”. Your definition of theocracy is “failing to completely eliminate faith from the public square.” Neither is correct.
@@CARidingAcademy I am a lesbian. My partner became pregnant. I felt that. I told her she was pregnant. It took a month for her to figure out that I was not joking. I also take deceased souls to the Light. I walk people through their Life Memories while as a Being of Light, I open the Tunnel at the End of the Light. What you experience is not for everyone to be and do. Just as what I have experienced all of my life, taking Souls to the Light is not for your soul to do or be. In fact, being a lesbian, and not of any religion because no religion today accepts the truth of this ancient knowledge, you likely do not even believe my truth exists.
As someone who came of age in the 1980s and who was a fundamentalist Christian in that decade, I can attest to the history of what Mr. Schaeffer is describing. I was in the thick of it. Yet, even as a teenager, something did not "smell right" about this "movement." Suddenly, "you will know we are Christians by our Love" morphed into "you will know we are Christians by our politics." Having attended Jerry Falwell Sr.'s Liberty University in the mid-1980s, I saw firsthand how student's were leveraged to advocate for Falwell's politics and propping up his coffers. Required ministerial service could be satisfied by engaging in political activism, like picketing abortion clinics. Seeing what has transpired since that time, has only confirmed the wisdom in leaving this "movement." I am thankful that I was able to see this train wreck at such a young age; yet saddened that most of those I grew up with are still trapped in its vortex.
In the name of Justice, explain why an innocent human being should be executed by starvation, burned alive, limbs torn off, head smashed in, or poisen injected into the heart, held responsible and blamed for the choices of another human being?
@New Jack City RNelson The only argument you’ve made is “ I am in medicine he’s wrong”. You sound fucking stupid make an actual argument or get off the comments. Sorry for my language this just looks weak
@@rebn8346 in the name of justice, explain why innocent women should be raped, forced to have a baby then send them into the world of foster care forever just a lost link in your family. Made half out of you and half out of your rapist.
@@edwardmontoya50 They don't even really care about the unborn either. If they did they'd support universal prenatal care which would cut the number of miscarriages, but they don't. It's all about control.
One of the best interviews I have ever heard. Trust the woman. If you dont want an abortion, don't get an abortion! But you DO NOT have the right to make that choice for every woman. Abortion is the BEST choice for some women and needs to be safe, legal, and accessible.
In 2006 democrats still said safe legal and rate. I actually think Hillary Clinton also said rare in 2016 while campaigning. When did rare change to accessible? When did "men can get pregnant" change back to "men have no say"?
@Mathew Thomas You think men should have a say in the outcome of a woman's pregnancy and force a woman to give birth against her will? What police measures should be used to enforce that?
@@Mathew_Thomas Accessibility does not affect rarity, but abortion can be made rare by limiting accessibility. And men indeed have no say. Nor does anyone else. A woman is the one who makes the choice. Nobody should be able to force her to make a particular choice.
I will simply say you do not know when consciousness starts, or what consciousness is, murdering people in mass because their life sucks is not a very good way of helping people and if it is keep your help away from me. Africa, Lots of starving people, so instead of trying to make their lives better they should all die before they are born. Thats logic in 2022... and you wonder why i won't touch your vaccine pretty sure saving lives isn't what your doing imo... An unborn child has the right to live. A name. A grave. most important a chance to live even if that life may suck.
Criminals choose crime. Crimes are punishable. A womans right over her own person is not a crime, nor punishable. The "law" has no place in this matter.
It takes a certain level of self awareness, empathy, and compassion to admit your mistakes...thanks to Frank for his willingness and ability to be accountable for his actions.
Was just thinking the same thing. It must be a dreadful weight on his conscience- the suffering he caused. Ironic he’s now making amends by sharing the truth. That’s the starting point or ought to be- especially for Christians professing belief in a god who self defines as Truth.
@@justsomeguy9280 Even if most of them don't change opinion right now it would still saw seeds of doubt in some of them. Definitely a good thing if his message reaches them.
I really do appreciate people willing to expose the rotten core of these groups we put up on a pedestal. I grew up in it and it’s toxic. I watched those videos he talks about and I learned how to judge people really well. It’s a memory I’m saddened by, but can’t be ashamed of because I was just one of the many many kids getting indoctrinated from birth. The real world and good honest people, from all sorts of faiths, taught me far better. I’m just grateful that some see the lies for what they are and can get out. What a mess it all is 😞
I am grateful to you, Lynette, for speaking out with an insider’s knowledge. I watched a video with Rev. Schenke, a man who was also involved in the anti-abortion movement for many years, who said there are many people who’ve been raised in that world who privately question the ‘pro-life’ view. So interesting to hear from this man and others who see that the pro-life movement was co-opted by the power and money mongers, and is no longer based on true Christian values. Schenke says also that he is now pro-choice, because choice is an issue like no other as the economic realities for women are so different, and the Christians who vote as they’re told by their pastors are not voting from compassion and love, but from contempt for those who are at the center of this issue.
@@terredee - Schenke and the Bonhoeffer Institute is fantastic. He is publicly shunned by many who privately tell him they WISH they could do what he’s doing. But they are too tied to their money.
Indoctrination is an issue everywhere, but at least you had the intellect to take a critical look and the common sense to then distance yourself from it. I applaud you for that! I was brought up a Christian and was therefore subjected to some minor form of indoctrination, but it wasn’t anywhere near as extreme as it is with American evangelicals. We had religious knowledge in school, which was standard at that time, but didn’t go to church regularly or anything like that. It was therefore easier for me to step away from it in my late teens/early twenties than it is for someone who has been subjected to extreme indoctrination throughout their lives. A few years after I left home, my mother became a Jehovah’s Witness, and my younger brother - 17 years my junior - grew up in that cult since early childhood. He maintains that he believes in it, although I don’t see actual proof of that, seeing as he is now 50 and is still studying the Bible without showing any signs of getting baptized. I personally think he doesn’t want to do the preaching work the JWs have to do, lol. He does, however, show some signs of the zealous views the JWs have. Maybe not as extreme as what I’ve heard from JWs in the US or UK, though. He lives in Cyprus and the Cypriots are generally more laid back.
His view of Carter is one that I have always held. Carter was, and continues to be a thoroughly moral and decent human being. Unfortunately for America, he was not the quality of president they wanted.
His work in the last years have saved thousands of lives in Africa .Guinea worm was an insidious disease which was cured for a couple of dollars .Too bad none of the evangelicals prioritized Africa until Carter took it upon himself and wiped the disease out .
Jimmy Carter was a true believer whose mission was justice, forgiveness, loving people of all stripes, and who was working to take the influence of dark money out of politics. He and his beautiful wife were outspoken advocates of racial equity, human rights, anti war. They lived their faith openly in the light. They were true Christians. I cried when Regan was installed by the Religious Right. We have never recovered.
@@sandrairick7942 no no don't be fooled, it's not half it's barely 20% but it seems to be the entire Republican party in Congress and in every red state and they're just louder than everybody else. But Democrats better start getting loud or we're going to lose this country as we've known it our entire lives. We're going to be living in North Korea if everybody doesn't get out and vote their their lives in November. You will be voting your very life, you won't be voting for candidates as such. That's over for now. We're voting for our lives and if you love America you have to vote blue to keep anything remotely resembling the freedoms we have always enjoyed
@Rhonda Busby You said "men can have an opinion. They just don't have a right to force it on anyone"... First. It's not "forcing" when the law TELLS people what to do or not do... e.g. if you decide you don't want your baby you cannot abandon them to die. Is that "forcing" you to bring the baby to a fire station against your will or "forcing" you to stay with them until the police comes or is that PROTECTING a vulnerable human being? Second: Men and women are allowed to vote. Men and women are allowed to pass legislation (as long as it's Constitutional). Nothing in the Constitution that says men are excluded from voting on issues related to women or vice versa.
The most interesting interview I have EVER heard. I was rivetted to it from start to end. Kudos to this man for his clear-mindedness today and for having the courage to say, "I WAS WRONG". He made his case. Taught me a lot about the dangers of the deadly combinaton of religion and politics and where we are heading back to.
He's right. There's a big difference between being "pro-life" and "anti-abortion". Republicans and Evangelicals hijacked the term "pro-life" and just turned it to only mean "anti-abortion". I say this as someone who, once I truly became pro-life (e g. support of universal health care, support of school vouchers for low-income families, support of universal basic income, etc.), realized that pro-life overlapped more with Democrat policies than Republican policies.
@@sista363 whether or not someone supports abortion is nobody else’s business. It’s also nobody else’s business what a person chooses for their own body and health, especially if it is related to their economic status, medical issues, or if they can provide health care for a child (even if they do want to keep it).
@@f.g.a9078 i wish this was real since it doesn't seem like people are keeping their opinions to themselves. They are forcing their religious fanaticism on others who are not even following that religion. Its fucking authoritarian and disgusting.
It gives me the impression that greed has always been something that drove those groups for years. No matter what someone may say, if there's a lot of money involved, greed is always looking to win out.
That's because "Amanpour and Company", which is what this interview by Christiane Amanpour is, is not a CNN property. It also airs on PBS, for whatever that's worth.
"The wrong kind of Christian" There you have it. The purity test. Proving that being Christian isn't going to be enough to pass the test. Ultimately the test will replace the Constitution. Frank said it's not about Christ. Its about money and access to power.
I went to those seminars in the late 70s and saw Francis and Frank in person several times. They used the same techniques as cult recruitment. And it worked...until I saw the hate-based, brainwashing, power-hungry roots of the movement that was not about life but about the oppression of women, the poor, and minorities in order to preserve their dominance in society. It was about money and power. And it still is. Why has this issue gained so much momentum right now? Because fascism is on the rise in order to preserve outdated power structures and oppress people's rights - outlawing abortion will take us back to the middle ages and that's just how they want it.
George Carlin warned us about how fascism would enter America if it ever did, people wouldn’t realize it. Now there’s a growing rise in authoritarianism in America. It’s becoming very scary.
"...in order to preserve their dominance in society." DAMN. Yours is the first comment I've seen anywhere that closes in on the truth. It's not about anti choice. What common thread tied most of the 1/6 terrorists together? "The Great (White) Replacement". Voting restrictions, gerrymandering, school book bans, anti-choice, mass incarceration, immigration restrictions (the Wall), and other actions are all in service of a single goal: maintaining White Supremacy. RACISM is driving ALL of the GOP actions. Think about it.
I love that he was able to articulate that he was not in a position to tell anyone how to make that decision because his parents were financially helping him, he was living rent free at a mission, and he basically had a solid social structure around him. Factors that a lot of women nowadays who are seeking abortions do not have and also have no future access to. he was doing it for a cheque, encouraged by persons who had political agendas
He's just being honest which is getting rare in this day and age especially when it comes to "conservatives". I'm not saying the Dems are perfect by any means, but they are a hell of a lot better than the current GQP and "evangelical Christian conservatives" in this country. The thing is ever since Reagan, and, to an extent Nixon, the Democrats have been left with the job of cleaning up "conservative" fiscal disasters and have had to be the adult in the room when they are in power.
a Jehovah's witness once had his kid bring me pro Jehovah's witness comic books while my then roomie and I were at the laundrymat. literally, we're doing our laundry and chatting away and this kid comes up to me "this is for you."
@@tet7497 I agree, which is why I assume you support the child tax credit, universal pre-k, free school lunch, Medicare for All, UBI, increasing Social Security, and no foreign wars, correct? Or do you just want to control women and punish them for having sex?
@@tet7497 pro choice does protect all live...do you consider a cancerous tumor life? It's constantly grown and it something has body parts in it...so is removing cancer murder in your eyes?
@@ninij9692 So you are against what he was saying? But hey: let's tell women what to do with their bodies to save clump of cells that are smaller than a lime.The life of those cells are a priority, the life of the mother matter less, once born they don't exist. Are those restrictions proven to increase the already alarming rate of maternal mortality rate in the US by a lot?Lalalala: not hearing this - I'm saving lives
On that note, it should be my body, my choice, MY MONEY! Brutal but real. If charities want to cover abortions for minors who have been molested and other victims of rape or mothers at risk of death, they and the states that want to provide services should be legally able to do so.
"Looking back, it was totally unfair. We were living in a community, we had support. My parents were helping me, we were living free of charge in the mission. The kind of idea that somehow we had had this child and everything turned out okay and so everybody aught to be able to do this was really--- You had to be a kind of an idiot, 20-21-year-old, 22-year-old that I was at the time, selfish, self-involved, to not be able to understand that that was not the position that most people who were facing difficult pregnancies were in." "Jerry Falwell... was a nasty piece of work." "They were far more interested in the politics than they were in---if you want to put it in evangelical terms---sharing the love of Jesus."
I shared this. The BEST interview with this man I've seen. Thank you Mr. Schaefer. All points sooo well made here! How can they claim to be pro-life and all the things you mention, but also, if it comes from the reasoning they give, then how can they be pro-death-penalty!? Right? And don't get me started on automatic weapons and pushing pregnant Mexican women into the water and barbed wire. Sooo many ways. Great interview!!
Well I didn't know if there is a God, but if there is I'm pretty sure taking a human life would not be acceptable whether it coincides with anyone's own desires or not. Keep making this about a religion if that's your best argument. My objection to abortion is about humanity. Let's keep pretending that the intelligent choices that led to an unwanted pregnancy will lead to even better choices about the taking of another human life. If the guy in this interview is the best pro-abortion can come up with, the anti-abortion people are most likely feeling pretty optimistic.
@@thomaswhite5928 What about the 2% of women who get pregnant and the baby dies in the womb or will die after and the doctors know the baby won't make it? The consequences of those women being FORCED to carry that to term are numerous and all outcomes risk the mother dying. So anti-abortion laws will force TENS OF THOUSANDS of perfectly healthy human beings...WOMEN...and guess what...some of those women will go to your church...to carry to term pregnancies that are already doomed. Are you willing to let those women die because of a law that forces them to carry a baby the doctors already have told them won't make it? A blanket abortion ban MAKES NO SENSE! This law is based on Christian beliefs whether you want to admit it or not. Well guess what buddy...your freedom of religion only includes your right to practice it...it does not mean you get to FORCE IT ON ME OR ANYONE ELSE YOU BAFOON!
@@thomaswhite5928 you have no legitimate argument either though. Pro-life is irresponsible, it pushes people into a situation of a forced pregnancy when A. The world is already starting to see the effect of overpopulation. B. The Child care system that would find a home for unwanted children is already a failure of an institution. And adding an influx of infants into that system will cause it to collapse.
20 year olds are still very much influenced by their parents. I respect this guy for owning his part in the whole “pro life” movement. I remember protesting against planned parenthood as a teen in my teens when I was in the evangelical church. I regret my actions but I was told lies just like most of these people are. When I started working in healthcare I was able to see the human side of things. It became real and I realized that agree with abortion or not, it’s not my place to make that choice for another person. It’s definitely not the role of the government to be making blanket decisions like that. Evangelical churches need to lose their tax exempt status. They tore down the wall of separation of church and state.
I just learned a year or two ago that Roe v. Wade was a conservative court decision and that pro-life groups had been lying about it all these years, and it was the final straw for me. I also work in healthcare, with neonates and their mothers, and it caused a massive perspective shift.
I remember protesting too, I think I was around 12 at the time. I also regret my former stance, but I realize that I was a kid who'd been indoctrinated and lacked the experience to realize it so I can't really be ashamed of it. But yeah, once they get involved in politics they should lose their tax-exempt status. But I bet if it were even suggested they'd whip their followers into rioting for them.
Thank you for saying all this. I was in the pro abortion walks. I'm one of those who needed one, it was a year before Roe, I had no choice. I was forced to have the child of a schizophrenic (he was young, we didn't know yet, tho his mom was full blown paranoid schizophrenic). The child grew up, and though eventually raised by a minister, he's now a criminal, is all that I am not. He almost killed his adoptive father as a teen! So even the "you don't know the plans of God " argument fails here too. I wish every day I'd been able to get the procedure. My life would have been completely different. I was poor. Though white, a female in the 70s and 80s couldn't even go to college without her husband's permission. So I never went. In fact, I had to work to feed the child, his father, and that whole family. I was the only one not mentally ill. The first 40 years of my life was wasted. All because I could not get an abortion.
@@merannicuill6435 oh wow...you have an incredible testimony to tell! Post this as widely as you can...it's an important story. Put it in your copy file so you can post it as much as you can without having to write it over and over. I'm so sorry you had to go thru this and how it affects you to this day. Share it far and wide!
I think it's how people are raised my son is 21 and my daughter is 20. They both will tell me if I'm wrong and vice versa. They wouldn't follow me if they didn't agree with me and they would try to explain why I was wrong. I raised them to think for themselves and do what they feel is right even if that means going against me
I watch a lot of this guy's videos, he's on top of what's going on with the radical evangelicals. I appreciate Schaeffer's brutal honesty. Evangelicals are "anti-life" not "anti-choice"
Every Chinese woman could have foreseen the outcome of the CCPs one child policy but they weren’t the ones in power making the decision. Those making the decision were the beneficiaries of the system that turned a blind eye to the murder of girl babies in the quest for male children.
And we also knew the anti-abortionists were coming from a place of jealousy, anger, and bitterness at their own lives and choices. It's the foundation for everything for them. Now it's all about a lust for power and control over us, then the next group, and the next. But once the lid is off pandora's box it's only a matter of time before IT comes for them.
This guy is great! He's very knowledgeable about the history of that time about the abortion topic and is very brave for speaking out about his regrets. Respect!
I applaud his change of heart and the courage of his convictions in speaking out. Sadly, too many women will be persecuted and some will die because of an erroneous ideology he helped force into the mainstream. Those persecuted and dead women are what haunt me still, even while key figures do redemption laps.
Frank Schaeffer (Jr.) is disgustingly disappointing. He's a typical, liberal progressive whose theology (much less sociological positions) doesn't make any cohesive sense. The speech his father (a very honorable, principled man, by contrast) delivered forty years ago ("The Christian Manifesto") was very prophetic; and the things he said and predicted have been happening before our eyes today.
@@nostalkingzone Hmm, I think the opposite. It's the GOP and the so-called conservatives and a lot of those Evangelical Christians whose theology I think doesn't make cohesive sense. How come they against abortion but ALSO AGAINST Covid-19 vaccine? Those vaccines have been proven to save life. The number of death and hospitalization because of Covid-19 is decreasing in a lot of countries, in parallel with the number of vaccination. If those Evangelical Christians are truly "pro-life" they will not against vaccines, they will not against paid parental leave, against child tax credit, and so on. Like Frank Schaeffer (Jr.) has pointed out, they are inconsistent in their stances.
@@nostalkingzone anyone using their religion to create laws around are scumbags. Christianity is to blame for a lot of the things wrong with the world today, especially in the USA, that I hope to see changed in the near future. The whole prophetic word thing is not anything other than people lying about talking to a god figure and using their own prejudiced thoughts to spread hate and ignorance which is used to change laws and influence those in power
I laughed when I heard him say Jimmy Carter was "too decent a human being" to be co-opted into the anti-choice movement. This guy has grown a lot. I'm very sad that what he started has been so hard to extinguish. A toxic idea can live long after the human who thinks of it.
I'm not a Christian anymore but Jimmy Carter is everything Evangelicals today should have been more like , you know helping the poor ,not judging gays, trans , non binary people etc , against racism and anti semitism.
Who was using who? That man and his dad gave a few suggestions and the right took them and ran wirh them and made these ideas last for forty five years. It's even scarier that we haven't been able to come up wirh any new ideas since then.
@@miggans21012 More than suggestions, it became an obsession with Schaeffer, but corrupt evangelicals and politicians saw the opportunity. And there are other ideas -- most ideas are recycled -- but leaders on the right don't seem to care for them.
There has ever been an, “anti choice” movement, but there has been a pro life movement for a very long time. The pro life movement really picked up momentum in response to the well known racist, bigot, and Democratic hero, Margaret Sanger and her campaign to exterminate what she referred to as, “undesirable races” and “human fungus”. She embraced the values of the Democratic Party and is a great representation of what that party stands for. The guy in the video has lost his mind. He hasn’t grown at all, but rather he has regressed. He was right before, but now he is wrong. Based on experience, I believe that he is suffering from a mental breakdown. It is very important to never forget that the facts do not care about your feelings. Feeling “sad” over the pro life movement will always remain completely and utterly irrelevant. The toxic idea is the devaluation of human life. Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Ho Chi Minh, Castro, Che, and others were in favor of abortion as well. Their values led to the actions they decided on. The Democrats have become the Brownshirts.
Every "church" taking part in political action needs to lose their tax exemption. How the exemption doesn't violate the Constitution's Establishment Clause is mind boggling.
@@IndependentsForTrump church is very different from clinics that provide healthcare to women. It provides much more than abortions. Churches on the other hand provides beliefs that can't be proven. Also there are other beliefs namely Jewish and Muslim.
@@BrendaJoyFoster The full passage from 1 Timothy 6 10 is "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows" It's the desire/love of money and power that's behind all of this - and all the other corruption on the planet tbh
Frank, I appreciate you and you speaking out now more than you could ever know. I hope to see you on many more interviews in the coming days, weeks and months to bring light in these dark days.
@@jacklinks6097 will you say that to women that got raped or pregnancy that affects the mother’s health? What happen when drug addicts have kids? Do you even think? Or just listen to your religion?
@@xzmrquanzx rape or health reasons I understand. Abortion as birth control is morally wrong and you don’t need to be religious to see that. There has to be a medium somewhere. This would take power away from the federal government and return it to the states but people’s reaction isn’t equivalent.
@@jacklinks6097 unfortunately, banning abortion has no middle ground. Banning means no abortion regardless of the reason. People will seek abortion through the black market which will be even more dangerous. Your support for abortion ban is very wrong my friend.
Frank, I have been reading you books for years, listening to you speak, and applauded you for your courage and ability to self reflect. I met Jesus in 1970, had a very real encounter with Christ, and then watched in dismay as biblical teachers pushed what I understood as a fascist white supremacists theology. The union of religion and political power mirrored the Lutheran Church's insinuation into politics during the atrocity that was Nazi Germany. There is a resurgence of this apostasy. I was a war protester, a civil rights advocate, and other social causes. I saw my Jesus being all about justice, truth, mercy, love. The fear mongering I heard preached from pulpits sickened me. The Evangelical Religious Reich has worked tirelessly and patiently to control government, by insinuating themselves into the highest echelons of power. It is all about power, greed, lust, Patriarchy, and pulling down democracy., brick by brick. This is the beast with the fatal head wound come back to life. Keeping my eyes on the real Jesus. I have not attended church for awhile. I have not been able to stomach the hypocracy. Thank you for boldly speaking out. Truth matters. God keep you.
@@b.w.1386 As a follower of Christ, I will say that the atheists I know behave more Christ-like then the majority of those calling themselves Christians today.
The Jesus part is the most important one. This current "Christian" ideology of dominionism is as far removed from Christ as darkness is to light. Do not mistake the person of Jesus for a religion. It was religious authoritarianism who had him crucified. Today, he would be called a socialist. Not a communist, His aim is to love people to himself. The Kingdom he builds is not a political structure, but inside a person's heart. He is all about justice, loving one's neighbor as oneself, caring for the weak, the sick, the poor, the marginalized, the alien refugee. It us about feeding the hungry, and pulling down oppression, and about stewarding the earth and its resources, not raping it for profit. One other thing, the powers that be today in the evangelical community would crucify him again. But the really amazing thing is, he overcame them and rose from the dead. He is alive. They failed. Justice, mercy, grace, forgiveness, truth, kindness, love. This was his message then and it is his message today. I pray you have your own encounter with him. Thanks for responding to my first comment. Respectfully, Lani
@@hapennysparrow Be bold; love loud. I think you will appreciate this Frank Schaeffer interview: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-laeSMG1ISEY.html
What could possibly go wrong when an unwanted child in a society without any social support for the deprived grows up with hatred, poverty, and crimes, later wants his revenge from the cruel society?
@RealityCheck MY POINT EXACTLY. SO IF A WOMAN DOES NOT WANT HER BABY, SHE CAN GIVE IT UP FOR ADOPTION, SINCE THERE IS A NEED FOR THOSE KIDS IN THE UNITED STATES.
Pulling yourself out of the far-right rabbit hole might be the most difficult thing you can do...and this man has done this, and much, much more. Very inspiring.
anybody speaking on CNN about ANYTHING for ANY reason is a strong indicator to go the opposite way, or believe the opposite thing. anything that comes out of this drivel media outlet is meant to steer YOUR thoughts and emotions. i came here for a cup of liberal tears but the comments here are sad, ignorant, and misguided. When trump comes back, will you guys promise to actually really move to canada? pretty please? or maybe mars. Musk will have a ship there soon. I'll even start the kickstarter!
he is very interesting. i've followed him for years now, after i awoke from his fathers spell. his father also had somewhat of a change of heart. Frank himself walked away from a lot of money. this was a good interview and i'm happy to see him on such an esteemed show, but one that is even more in-depth is Fresh Air and its free to download.
I agree, I am convinced that this whole thing is not about abortion as it is about taking a wrecking ball to the 14th amendment which is the foundation of guaranteeing all personal privacy rights and freedoms. The right wing of our politics has shown more sympathetic to the ideology of Fascism, Totalitarianism, and Authoritarianism over Democracy. When Fascism is the ultimate goal then they start with eliminating the Constitutionaly guaranteed personal rights and freedoms one at a time. They are starting with the easiest most controversial first, but it won't stop untill individuals have no rights and all power is in the few in the government. It is up to us alone to fight for truth, our rights, and a just government!
You said a mouth full. I always said this is the first of what is to come. They won't stop there when they get all the power. Vote blue to live vote red we are dead.
Of course this is not about abortion. This is about ALL RIGHTS, which are gonna get scuttled because men, white men, what TOTAL CONTROL of EVERYTHING. Women's rights, gay rights, minority rights. They want it all gone. And they're starting with women's rights, because that's the "easier" hurdle to get over.
Those people cheering this on will get their comeuppance, there are hundreds of rights that are not specifically mentioned in the ancient constitution! it wasn't supposed to be an instruction book just a foundation to be added to, it was apt 300yrs ago but not today. Its always been about politics and never about them caring about babies lives, republicans reps are probably as gutted as anyone else about this, what will they use to bribe the few evangelicals that support it with now.
I was 18 in 1980 and my family and church was sucked into this movement. My family is still very much all in. I completely left religion and the conservative movement 15 years ago.
Not only is this man incredible but the interviewer is as well! Two highly intelligent people having a discussion about the right to choose and where the US is headed in the future. I am so glad that Frank Schaeffer has done this interview and have shared on Twitter and FB. I hope others will share as well so this can get out there for everyone to watch!
I was very influenced by his film in early 70's and the church. I was a volunteer counselor at a Christian pro-life counseling center and believed everything I was told and felt so righteous. Fifty years later I am appalled and aghast at that stance. Each woman is sacred and so are her choices
The tragedy here is that Iron Age mythology and supernatural deities that live in the clouds continue to shape our policies 2,500 years later, instead of rational thought and science. The mode of thought should center chiefly on the primary moral question: "Who Suffers?" The science shows that prior to 24 weeks, a baby has insufficient thalamocortical circuitry and connectivity to the cortex, which is the seat of all sensory perception and self-awareness, and so while pain receptors instantiate before this, there is no evidence that a fetus has any kind of perception of it nor would it "feel" any pain upon being aborted at this stage. On the other hand, we have plenty of empirical evidence that women exist, can suffer, and can experience liberty if given the opportunity. It's a true tragedy that the Federalist Society has organized a coup on the Supreme Court of the United States. Separation of Mythology and State is dead.
Totally with you there. It feels really hard to see many over in America that actually are willing to learn from their mistakes and change their mind. Usually with age comes wisdom but that isn’t always the case with many people as people can just become more and more stubborn with age.
He looked very sincere when he said he looked bad and is regretting the part he played. He has empathy that most self-righteous anti abortionist lack, to put himself in the shoes of others who are much less fortunate and literally this is a life vs death situation.
The pro-life (really anti-choice, forced-birther) crowd does not care about fetuses, the pre-born, either. If they did, they would support funding for prenatal care, which they absolutely do not. This video is enlightening, to say the very least. I have shared it. Thank you very much!
Frank is great.... I'm surprised that people are just now founding out about him. I remember when he made this big switch to becoming a liberal democrat, it was in the 90's.
@@AC-mp7cx what are their names? Show us some social security numbers? How about some dirty diapers or a spit up cloth 🤔 No? Then you don't know what you're talking about.
He needs to be delivering this message everywhere 365 days a year for the damage he’s done. He can start by coming to the planned parenthood in my neighborhood and speak to the anti choice assholes who harass women going to get their birth control. They’ll be coming for that next.
As a Fellow American that is the from the state of Pennsylvania that Voted for Democratic Josh Shapiro to be our next Governor against that Crazy Right Wing Wannabe Skinhead Republican Doug Mastriano Which I like to call Thug Monsterano I am very happy that I was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA were this nation was founded. I myself used to be a Republican for a few years and yes an Extreme Anti Abortion Christian Man during those times. I saw the error of my ways in that situation with guys like Frank Schaeffer having shown the that I saw How hypocrital it was for me as Man to call myself take a Woman's right to Choose when the Circumstances my call for it. Especially when So many so called men in this Country become irresponsible and don't want to be fathers to the kids that they fathered or let alone be there for them like they should. So how can we force women to have unwanted pregnancies. Especially when it involves Rape and Incest. It's really Sickening.
Actually he has been doing this for over a decade. He has his own RU-vid channel, show, podcast, and the like. He has written several books at least. I just wish more networks had him on to give him the airtime he deserves.
Wow, what an enormous thing to bear. I appreciate his self awareness and the growth that brought him to where he is now. I'm glad he's speaking on this
Amazing. You could see by his red face that it wasn't easy to do it. It's so great (especially in this day and age) to hear truth win over embarrassment. “speaking the truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act”
@@edwardmitchell6581 I agree. And speaking the truth is always the right thing whether the times seem right or not. Hold fast. Always hold fast to the truth.
Wow….. he gets my respect. It takes a grown, mature person to get on CNN and admit regret for being involved in a movement so polarizing. I’m a progressive too. It gives me hope when I see people change for the better.
I was in Bible College when "How Should We Then Live" was released. I was practically guilty of idolatry because of how much I loved Francis Schaeffer. I read the books, watched the videos. I even watched Frank Schaeffer's series, "Whatever Happened to the Human Race". I was all in. I left Bible College and went into the pastoral ministry. I showed Francis Schaeffer's series to my congregation. I preached the anti-abortion propaganda. Frank Schaeffer saw the light much sooner than I did. It took me until I was 51 years old to begin asking myself the hard questions. Today, I realize that someone has to make a decision about unintended pregnancies. Who wields the authority to make that choice? I want to ask a hypothetical question. Men, if our government decided we needed to curb population growth in the United States and mandated that all males above age 18 be sterilized, how would you feel? Here is another question. What if government decided that all men who fathered a child were required to permanently live within 50 miles of that child and pay financial support? That would be required for all pregnancies including those that resulted from rape, date rape, one-night stands, and incest. Government would be in charge of your body. They could mandate where your body lived. If the mother of your child decided to relocate, you would have to relocate. How about it? How would it feel to have government calling the shots about what you did with your body and where your body lived? Ok, that's my point. The choice is up to the individual. Right or wrong, the choice is up to the individual. It is called freedom. Read that word again....Freedom. Republicans, wake up. You used to be the Party of Freedom.
And what about the unborn baby? Who will speak for the unborn baby? What about his or her right to life? It’s a very convenient bias to label this issue as women’s rights it’s not that. It’s the right of the baby to live.
If the father doesn’t want the child should he be forced to support the child? Currently men have no right to their seed. If condoms are retrieved and harvested (without the mens consent) it is completely legal. One reason why professional athletes are warned to not leave condoms anywhere to save being baby trapped.
@@KwabenaSackey Remember any embryo/fetus (medical term for unborn) is not able to sustain its life outside of the mothers body until it reaches beyond 18-20 weeks, then ONLY the MOTHER has a right to speak.
@@fortunateson7852 And how often does that actually happen? I'll bet it happens a lot less often than women who've become pregnant because their partner sabotaged their birth control or swore they had a vasectomy or promised to use a condom then didn't. How many men become violent once their partner is pregnant? The number one cause of death for pregnant women is murder by their partner.
@@fortunateson7852 so because one person may not have rights in a certain circumstance- we should take away a GREATER right from another person? Women also have to pay child support if their parter raises a child.
I dropped out of the ‘pro-life’ movement in the early 90’s. I realized the hypocrisy in the whole movement. This was eye opening as I had seen the video series and read his books. What a brave man you are, Frank. Thank you and please keep spreading this truth.
That takes a lot of self reflection to do that. This movement is very strong and entrenched. The truth is that Pro-Forced Birth people are more concerned about the control than the life of the babies AFTER that forced birth. I was a Pro-Life Democrat back in the 90s , I admit that means I would never have been in this movement. I recall trying to convince a friend not to do it. What a shame! I was shortly thereafter changed because of another closer friend who made the same decision. That’s when it clicked. When you consider the life of the woman would be fundamentally changed it became real to me.
What bothers me is that the system is unfair. They insist pregnant women give birth, but then there's no universal health care, so she has to shell out thousands to give birth, and then there's no time off really for women who give birth. It's crazy and inhumane.
@@melissinha73 No.. you are wrong.. people just want to do what is convenient for them selves.. killing babies being one of them.. you need to go back and self reflect bc u didn’t do a good job at it bc u want to murder babies .. And the way you guys are loving this liar is disgusting.. pro choice people want the right to kill babies and this mans crap smells really good to you.. it’s disgusting
@@kimlangston251 instead of a reasonable discussion you resort to judgement and name calling. Hate is never the answer. Jesus ministers where people are and never judges. His number one message is love. He helped people where they were when He walked the earth and still does today. He changes lives with love. Not hate. Well, except for the religious leaders. Something to think about.
I am a British citizen in the UK, and all I can say is that I am extremely appalled that your Supreme Court might be making this decision. It is one of the things unfortunately that epitomises why we look so lowly upon the US judicial and electoral system. We cannot believe that this remains still such an issue in the US but glad at least this man was able to change and learn from his mistakes. Just hope it’s not too late to actually make some meaningful change now across your country. I truly hope all of you over in the US can stop this from happening the right to abortion needs to remain a constitutional right, not a state by state right otherwise the rights of individuals that need to be unilateral will be set back decades again. Please America, do not allow this to happen.
you have a lot to learn about America - I am afraid it is too late - it was as soon as Kavanaugh was appointed and solidified with coney barret - just wait this is just the beginning and they are going to be able to repress life here for a couple generations unabated
The problem is the senate. It makes little sense, in the modern era, that California and New York have the same number of senators as Wyoming and Idaho. We need a system that encourages rural and urban parties to seek more common cause. If I had a magic wand, I would keep the House of Representatives the same, maybe change it to 4 year election cycles instead of 2 to get rid of perpetual fundraising and running for office, and change the Senate to a proportional system based on a nationwide vote. Assuming a party meets a threshold level of vote (maybe 5%) then they would get to seat the number of candidates consistent with the percentage of vote that they get.
Stay appalled. The British Monarchial system enslaves the population to an elite class that forces them to work and out of necessity abort their race in the name of control. When the government enshrines abortion it endorses it, funds it, and denigrates its own people. I support a hands off states decided view. We need to support women. His wholistic view of supporting choice is laudable.
The issue is not abortion. The issue is whether women can make up their own mind instead of some right-wing pastor, some right-wing politician telling them what to do. Howard Dean
Yeah let's not include the father that might want the baby in the discussion. After all he's the guy they would pin 20 years of child support and alimony on if she kept it
@@donalddarko2732 now now that's different because it's something the authoritarian party believe in. You know like attacking actual rights like the 1st and 2nd amendment
Jimmy Carter embodies the true Christian ideal of serving humanity through hard work, faith and compassion. I am thankful for his work to help humankind and I am thankful to others, like Frank Schaefer, who recognize Carter's compassionate path and who follow Jimmy's kind example. Go forth with the energy and beauty of love, it galvanizes us to be better and glow with God's light. What a beautiful feeling to love the human race: it feels fantastic! Thank you Jimmy and thank you Frank!
#FrankSchaeffer, can’t you use your talents to help now? It worked before, why is it not done or not working now? Thank you for your wonderful interview.
Thanks Frank, I was with you back in the 80s. I read your dad’s books. I voted. I became disenchanted over gay marriage opposition and left the right. And strangely I am completely with you now. Things do change and evolve and I am happy that you are speaking out. We are on a downward slide from a democracy to a theocracy that will limit the rights of so many people to health wealth and happiness. The threat to all who are not radical right Christians is real. We will all be affected by the loss of abortion rights. As for me, I’m recovered from that. Thank God!
The Radical Right is doing stuff that Al-Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden, Taliban and ISIS were once accused of doing when the USA did the Afghanistan war in the 2000's.
It’s so true that the attitude, “I did it so anyone can do it “. Is totally wrong. Some people have much more support and better conditions than others. It’s complicated. There’s huge wealth inequality and health care inequality. Everyone should have good health care and freedom to make their own choices
I live in a country with free health care...18 month parental leave...free good education...etc... I can't imagine not having the right to chose especially in a country where those basics are jot a given
@@juliec5309 I would imagine your abortion rates are probably fairly low, too. Ours would be lower if conservative idiots would quit trying to make contraception illegal and would support programs to help women who keep their babies.
I read Schaeffer's memoir "Sex, Mom and God: How the Bible's Strange Take on Sex Led to Crazy Politics--and How I Learned to Love Women (and Jesus) Anyway." It's the story of his rapid rise to being the architect of the Anti-Choice movement and his defection from it. He has some worthwhile reflections on better abortion policy in America. He has withering contempt for Billy Graham's sons, and recounts a story of standing up to his father, Francis, for being violent toward his mother. In the book, Schaeffer recalls that one of the reasons he left the movement is that, in spite of all the money he and others were making, he was spending all of his time with people he didn't trust and didn't think were good people. Meanwhile, social media platforms are churning with Millennials and Gen Zers urging women of their generation to avoid motherhood altogether. The battle is on.
Frank wasn't naive, he was narcissistic. He said it himself: "I was selfish". At the time he knew exactly what he was doing, he just didn't know the extent of how it could evolve. Yes, it was about money, but it was also about racism. Too often a evil is spread, in the name of, and disguised as religion. I'm disgusted. The good news is that he has evolved and he's man enough to tell it like it is. We need more of that.
He wasn’t a racist. Falwell was. Falwell and Paul Weyrich co-opted their work and for their own agenda. Frank, his dad and Koop all sincerely believed they were doing the right thing. Frank was also young and the idea of fame, fortune and influence seduced him. Mostly, he was young, immature and had led a sheltered life. L’Brie (the fellowship community his dad ran in Switzerland is super remote. It’s beautiful, but it’s an echo chamber of thoughts and ideas. Narcissistic. Selfish. All characteristics of being young, immature and inexperienced
@@tori2dles If by doing the right thing, you mean increasing personal profit, sure I agree. They weren't motivated by an altruistic moral obligation to prevent naive or evil women from murdering fetuses, thereby making the world a better place. The motivations at the time were for personal profit and acknowledgement for igniting a movement intended to take away women's rights. I understand being caught up in the glory and popularity that comes with influencing millions of people. Few who were pushing this agenda actually believed this was making life better for others. I agree, he wasn't a racist. The intentions (of others) fueling those efforts were racist.
The difference is… Do you have empathy for others or do you want to selfishly impose your beliefs on others? If you’re pro life you should be pro child care and pro universal health care and want to end poverty and help everyone to have a better life
the reason for jumping on the anti-abortion bandwagon was because they knew the anti integration protests were a bad look for the Republican party, and that’s what had been galvanising the evangelical right. They had to give them something they could be holier than thou about. Weyrich has also said the same. But like everything else the right is ignorant of their own movement. They are debasing humanity with their hate.
I've listened to Frank for years and find him astounding and clear. Listening to him helped me understand those involved with The Lincoln Project, Republicans Voting Against Trump, Republicans For The Rule Of Law, and other groups. This shift in these individuals is so earthshakingly profound. I can't imagine how transformative it must be to totally shift from A to Y, understand that shift, be able to articulate to others the internal factors that they were conscious of and the clarity of their present work! Thank you Frank!
SPOT-ON!! What he said at the end of the interview could have come out of my own mouth; I've been saying the same thing for years. Should this state of affairs come to pass. then every American who has died in the cause of freedom since March 5, 1770, has done so in vain.
Wow. This man is impressively self-aware, passionate, and a gifted communicator to boot. Very informative. I particularly like it when he says at 12:22 that Jimmy Carter's problem was that he was "too decent a human being."
