Here’s the latest from the crossroads of faith, media & culture: 10/25/24

Truth or consequences. In his recent books Eraced and Hoodwinked, Pastor John Amanchukwu Sr. took on what he sees as basic lies being put forth as truth in modern-day America and the consequences of believing them. In his new online film 22 Words he turns his focus on the current clash between parental rights and a movement that pushes controversial gender politics into classrooms across the country. It’s an issue that has garnered renewed attention in the final days of Campaign ’24.

JWK: So, tell me about 22 Words.

John Amanchukwu Sr.: 22 Words comes from the original school-sponsored prayer that was banned in schools after the Engel v. Vitale case. It’s a non-proselytizing, non-denominational prayer that a Marxist atheist did not want recited in a classroom for her son to hear. The Marxist atheist was Madalyn O’Hair. The prayer is simple. It has 22 words in it. It says “Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our country.”

There are many deleterious things that we can point to (that) relate to the removal of that prayer. Former Secretary of Education William Bennett revealed in his Cultural Index that between 1960 and 1990 – after the removal of the school-sponsored prayer – divorce doubled, teenage pregnancy went up 200%, teen suicide increased 300% and violent crime went up 500%. A factual case could be made that the expulsion of prayer in schools led to the decline of American society.

When you fast forward to today, pornographic books are more celebrated and protected than the classics. In addition, the LGBTQUIA+ agenda has hitched its campaign to the Civil Rights Act and the porn industry in the attempt to mentally rape the minds of our children by desensitizing them and robbing them of their sexual purity. 

JWK: Do you feel that the issue of sexual material in schools is kind of a sleeper issue in the current political campaign?

JA: Yeah, I think that it is. President Trump talks a little more so about the Woke agenda. I think this is being smushed into the Woke agenda which at times addresses issues like Critical Race Theory, intersectionality (and) things like that, the more racial-driven causes – but this issue, I think, should fall into a parental-rights bucket because that’s what it is. We are seeing that parents are losing their freedoms and their liberties to be able to govern their children and to place the right (values) in them but when they go to school they’re being taught otherwise…I’m against against heterosexual sex being taught in the public school system – and homosexual sex. We shouldn’t be talking about sex to children in general. I think that’s rather creepy and odd.

JWK: To be clear, you’re not against age-appropriate sex education and the teaching of biology.

JA: I’m not against teaching biology. However, these Marxists have hijacked even biology to the point today that the conversation is not about sex. It’s about gender. There’s a smorgasbord of genders out there. So, even within biology, we need to make sure that we keep those things normative – rather than creating this thought process that gender is nonbinary. Prior to (this), we never even talked about the word “gender.” Gender has become a slippery slope. So, yes, biology should be taught – but biology based upon what?

JWK: Science.

JA: Science. The people who tell us to “follow the science” are the same people that are telling us that there are more than two genders.

JWK: So, do you think this whole idea of gender-affirmation therapy without parental consent is something that may be playing a bigger role in this election than has been anticipated?

JA: What I do think is if more Americans see my documentary they will see clearly that there is a political party out there that wants to mentally rape our children, that wants to rob them of their innocence. This documentary is eyeopening. It’s riveting. It will shake you to the core. After traveling to 15 states speaking out at school board meetings – I’ve now been to Virginia, North Carolina, New Jersey, Nevada, Florida, Texas,Colorado,California, Idaho, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri and Maryland speaking up for children – in particular talking about Critical Race Theory, Gender Theory and Queer Theory, there are three takeaways that I have. Number One: Perverts are perverting the hearts and the minds of our children. Number Two: Parents are unaware. And Number Three: Pastors are have failed to do their job.

JWK: So, you think that churches have failed to step up and really take on this issue.

JA: Of course they have. Churches have failed immensely. There are many pastors who are aware of this issue but they’re not going to address it. They don’t want to ruffle the feathers of their more liberal members who treat public education as if it’s a religion. There are people who are dyed in the wool proponents of public education. Even the thought of school choice – or even vouchers or parents being able to use the resources that they pay through their property taxes to (send their children) to a school of their choice – really ruffles a lot of people’s feathers.

JWK: I understand you were recently arrested for speaking out on behalf of a 15-year-old girl who was forced to read and discuss inappropriate content at school.

Where is the justice for Lorena Benson? ⬇️ https://t.co/Z68XP8i2BD

— John K. Amanchukwu Sr. (@REVWUTRUTH) October 2, 2024

JWK: Can you tell me about that?

JA: Yes. That took place a few weeks ago now. I went to a school board meeting to speak up about two issues. Number One: (Senate) Bill 49 which is the parental-rights bill in North Carolina that was enacted back in January of 2024, this year. We’re not supposed to put books on the bookshelves that discuss gender confusion. So, there’s a plethora of books that are still on the bookshelves in Cary, North Carolina. That’s a part of Wake County where I spoke at.

JWK: Was this before or after the storm?

JA: This was after the storm. Not only are those books on bookshelves in Wake County – which is the largest district in North Carolina (and) has over 144,000 students – but it’s all across the state.That is against the law but no one is holding these criminals’ feet to the fire. No one is forcing them to adhere to state statute. So, they are the lawbreakers. They are transgressors and trespassers. They are criminals.

Then we have the second issue of Lorena Benson, a young girl who attended Athens Drive High School. She came to the US nearly three years ago from the Dominican Republic. She was forced to read from a short story in class that talked about an incestuous relationship between two cousins. It also talked about putting a “banana” into a “tomato.” She had to read it and then discuss it amongst her peers in class. That’s something that she had to do. What a tragedy that was to be forced to do that in school amongst her peers. Then you fall into the situation where she goes to the school board meeting to address it and to speak out about it and the school board does nothing about it. It’s as if her words fell on deaf ears. They did nothing.

JWK: I think a lot of people would be surprised that this would happen in what you think of as a conservative state like North Carolina. You think of something like as being more of a California thing.

JA: Yeah…but keep in mind a lot of people are moving here from California. A lot of people are moving to North Carolina and turning it blue. That’s another issue for another day but the thing is they gave that young lady no recourse. They did not defend her honor. So, I came to the school board meeting to address the parental-rights bill and Lorena Benson. After doing so, I told the school board “Since you all like to break laws, since you like to draft your own laws and go by the ones that you want – that you deem necessary to support – when my time is up, I’m not leaving the podium.” So, I did what is called a “peaceful protest.” I think that peaceful civil disobedience is what it’s going to take – along with lawsuits – to bring the honor back to the American education system.

JWK: And voting.

JA: Of course. And voting. That’s a given, you’re right. We need to throw these Marxist atheists out.

John W. Kennedy is a writer, producer and media development consultant specializing in television and movie projects that uphold positive timeless values, including trust in God.