The loss of a child through abortion, miscarriage or stillbirth affects the emotional health
>> Heidi Olson: The loss of a child through abortion, miscarriage or stillbirth affects the emotional health of families. Feelings of anger, sadness and regret can be overwhelming. There is hope and healing in the aftermath of a reproductive loss. Call the International Helpline at 866-482-life- to talk with someone who has been where you are and healed to help others. Your call is confidential, 866-482-Life.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Life.
Tim Wildman hosts Today's Issues on the American Family Radio Network
Welcome to today's Issues, offering a Christian response to the issues of the day. Here's your host, Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association.
>> Tim Wildmon: Hey, good morning, everybody, and welcome to Today's Issues on the American Family Radio Network. You're listening to afr, and I'm Tim Wildmon. Joining me in studio is Ed Battagliano.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Good morning, Ed. Ah, good morning, Tim.
>> Tim Wildmon: And Fred Jackson.
>> Fred Jackson: Good morning, Tim.
>> Tim Wildmon: And joining us remotely from the Sunshine State is our good friend, Dr. Ray Pritchard. How you doing, Ray?
>> Tim Wildmon: Hey, we are rocking and rolling down here in Florida. It's a, tim guy. It's 79 degrees and sunny. We got. I can get you a tea time anytime.
>> Tim Wildmon: 79. I wish I could shoot a 79. I'm telling you, for those who understand golf scores, they know what I'm talking about here.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That's good score.
>> Tim Wildmon: That's good.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, on the front nine.
>> Tim Wildmon: Not. Not on the PGA Tour.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, the front nine.
>> Tim Wildmon: For a hacker.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Understood that one.
>> Tim Wildmon: For a hacker like me, I'll take a 79 every day of the week. so anyway, we thank everybody for joining us on the program today.
In April, churches have potluck. And, well, the AFA potluck will be
Before we jump into some, stuff to do here, I wanted two things I wanted to do. Ed, go ahead and make your announcement. Yeah, well, church bulletin. Announcement.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Church bullets. And, well, the AFA potluck will be, No, folks, we have.
>> Tim Wildmon: In April, churches have potluck.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That, that's. That's sarcasm there. You've been in church all your life.
>> Tim Wildmon: You're not believing the sovereignty of God. How about the sovereignty of God dinner? I don't think we should have luck in there.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh, I see what you're saying.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, yeah, I'm teasing. Yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: The pot, the pot. The lucky part was if you. If you got something good to eat out of one of those pots.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right. Make us all.
>> Ed Vitagliano: You were lucky.
>> Tim Wildmon: That's right. I see what you did right there. All right, so anyway, make your announcement, mister.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, yeah. So I'm the associate pastor, so I'm making the announcements.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay.
American Family Radio is asking for listener testimonies ahead of its spring shareathon
>> Ed Vitagliano: all right, so we have, our shareathon coming up. April789. So it's really not that far off to let you know. Less than a week, less than a month away. It's on the horizon. It's a couple of exits down
>> Tim Wildmon: the highway there on the highway.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And what we start doing about a month out is we start, start asking for listener testimonies, listener stories. So we're gathering those stories to play during our spring Share a thon. We'd like to hear from you, our listeners. And here's the question. Has the Lord used American Family Radio in your life? And if the Lord has helped you through a hard time through American Family Radio, we'd like to hear that. Other people would like to hear that. I've speak for myself personally, I love listener testimonies during shareathon. Such an encouragement to the staff here. So please tell us how crisis used AFR in your life. Here's how you do it. I'm going to give you the phone number in a second but you're going to call and share for a minute or two. It does not have to be a real long testimony, short and sweet to give us your name, where you're from. Maybe you want to mention the radio station you listen to. If you listen to one of our terrestrial radio stations or if you listen on the app. We'd like to that share how God has used AFR in your life. You might hear yourself during Sharathon or in the lead up to it. Here's the number to call. 8778-768893-87787-68893. You're not going to get a live person. It's going to be like a like an old fashioned answering machine and they'll give you some brief instructions. Please again keep your testimony to a minute or two. And again you might hear yourself during shareathon.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: You got an email the other day. kind of what Ed's talking about.
>> Tim Wildmon: You know Tim, last week, in fact last Thursday I mentioned my email address and said AFR listeners could you know, write me with their questions. I got I guess maybe five or six emails, some with really heart searching questions and then this one came in and I do not know where this person lives or anything about them. So let me just read this. This person says I live most of my life apart from God. It's safe to say my life has been a battlefield. I stumbled across AFR about three years ago. I listened to different programs. Today's issues exploring the Word, the Awakening and others here and There slowly being discipled. The truth you all spoke was hard to hear at times, but also allowed me to call what I have done and what I was doing exactly what it was. I was in chains. I was so lost and wasn't exactly sure why you all called it what it was. When I was able to recognize it and turn to Jesus and repent, you all saved my life. As a result, I'm changing lives around me. My family knows AFR as my radio station. I don't trust easily, but I felt like family. I was safe and I can trust every word as truth. I could go on and on, but I'll end with this. You all got me activated spreading the gospel every chance I get. I'm a new creation. You all are the stars that lit up the sky and led me right to Jesus Christ.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Wow. that's. That, that's. I was going to say breaks my heart, but in a good way. I mean that just makes it all worthwhile. We are thrilled when God reaches people. And radio is such a simple concept and it can be used for nefarious purposes. But to preach the gospel, to teach God's truth and instruct people on how God calls them to live is an honor on our part and especially when we hear testimonies like that.
>> Tim Wildmon: Amen. That was, very thankful. We don't know the person's name or where they live, but they sent that email to Ray when Ray gave his email out last week. You're listening to today's issues and we pray for that individual. We don't know who it is, but we, and we thank them for their.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Encourage our listeners to pray for them.
>> Tim Wildmon: Amen. Amen.
It appears the war in the Middle east is coming down to oil
All right, Fred, what do you got?
>> Fred Jackson: Well, it appears the war in the Middle east right now is coming down to. And where have we heard this before in history? Oil. That's what it's coming down to. Just in the last couple of hours in Tehran, a news anchor there read a statement from Iran's Supreme Leader, the Ayatollah Motaba Khomeini. He says that the leverage of closing the Strait of Hormuz should be used and that Iran's attacks on Gulf Arab neighbors will continue. Now a couple of things there.
>> Tim Wildmon: Was that a quote?
>> Fred Jackson: That was a quote from him. There was a picture behind the anchor of this gentleman. but he did not issue, You didn't hear him make that statement.
>> Tim Wildmon: Excuse me, just one quick follow up to that. Kind of a follow up.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah, sure, yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: did he say that last sentence you read Is that a direct quote or is that a report?
>> Fred Jackson: It's, it's being m. Presented as a direct.
>> Tim Wildmon: What did you say? Direct Gulf.
>> Fred Jackson: He says that the leverage of closing the Strait of Hormuz, should be used and that Iran's attacks on Gulf Arab neighbors will continue.
>> Tim Wildmon: I'm surprised he used that terminology. Attacks on Gulf Arab neighbors will continue. I'm surprised a little bit. But anyway.
>> Fred Jackson: So, this all comes in news that's been coming in over the last 24 hours that, Iranian drones have hit two to three vessels that were attempting to transit through that, Strait of Hormuz. And, also there was an attack on the Iraqi port of Basra, also by the Iranians. So it appears to be coming down to basically is that Iran sees an opening for them, jeopardize the flow of oil. That puts incredible pressure on the economies of the United States and other Western countries involved with this. In fact, what we are learning overnight is that the President has given the go ahead for the, release of oil from our strategic oil reserve. His announcement came after various Western countries announced they would be releasing about 400 million gallons from their particular oil reserves. Here's our Energy Secretary, Krish wright, cut
>> Ed Vitagliano: number five releases certainly out of the U.S. strategic Petroleum Reserve. They'll go over about four months. But this conflict I don't think goes that long. I think we will have the Straits of Hormuz open well before then. Exactly when, you know, I can't say. But we are working 24 hours of every day to get there.
>> Fred Jackson: Now, what's interesting is that there's not only the drones that Iran is sending, but also the mines. And I saw a news story this morning. Most of us, when we think about mines, we get that World War II image of something floating along in the water. Now, there are mines now that sit, not only on the surface, but below the surface. In fact, there are mines now that are deep down in the water. And they are designed that they sense a ship, going overhead and they explode. So, you know, minesweepers, we've heard of those, those phrases before that go along and. But how do you get out a mine that may be 100ft below the surface that is detecting, these ships that are moving.
KT McFarlane: Why are we letting Iran ship oil to China
The other development this morning, and this was new to me, KT McFarlane, former, deputy national security Adviser to President Trump, she was on Fox and Friends this morning talking to one of the hosts, Brian Kilmeade, and they were talking about, the United States is apparently Allowing Iran to move its tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, taking oil to China. Have a listen to this exchange and get your reaction. Cut number four.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Why are we letting Iran be able to ship oil to China? Why don't we stop, Stop that? We're pretty good at stopping barges. I'm sure you've seen it in Venezuela.
>> Speaker F: Yeah, we're pretty good at, ah, dealing with the Strait of Hormuz. We've been dealing with that going back to the, you know, Reagan administration where we stopped those vessels going through. The President has said that the United States could escort our tankers through the United States Navy. And he's also said that we, the United States could ensure the problem is insurance. They can't get insurance because it's a war zone. We would give them the insurance, but he hadn't done either of those things yet. And what happens is Iran is letting ships go through, tankers go through that are Iranian tankers, that are illegal ghost tankers. And the tankers just say, hey, we're on our way to China, don't bother us. And so Iran lets them through. You know, we could stop this. We just haven't done it so far. I would urge the President to, if he wants to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, do it quicker. Do it sooner rather than later.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah, there's a change of heart. There was reports earlier, and I think it came from the Energy Secretary, that we were going to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz using our destroyers. they've changed their mind on that for some reason. so that is not happening.
>> Ed Vitagliano: We're not going to escort them.
>> Fred Jackson: Not going to escort with our destroyers.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Okay, well, it's been, the Strait of Hormuz has been known, it's its choke point. And it's been known to be a vulnerability to the world, shipping through that strait, vulnerable to Iran because Iran is basically an enemy of everyone except for bad actors. Now, I will say this. I don't think we ought to be, I don't think we ought to cut off oil to China. China could declare that to be an act of war. I mean, that's, I mean, we would consider it an act of war if China set up a blockade along our western coast or the eastern co and didn't let us trade with other people. I'm not sure why we want to, provoke a conflict with China. Now I think it's important that we let China know and we have with this, war on Iran's military, that if we wanted To. We could choke off oil coming through that strait to China. So that might help keep them in line regarding Taiwan. But I disagree. I don't think we ought to. I don't think we ought to try to, escalate this and cut off oil to China. and it is. It can be difficult to keep that straight open. It's very narrow, around 20 miles.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, 20 miles across from, I think, from Iran to Saudi Arabia, I believe. Is that right? Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: You know, uae, United Arab Emirates.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes. And Dubai is at the point of that little horn there that sticks out. So it's. It's not going to be easy to keep that open because Iran' sits just north of that strait. And, as long as there is a government in Iran that sees us and the west and even other Gulf states as the enemy, they. They could. They could continue to try to hinder traffic through that strait.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yep.
Reports say Iran could use unmarked ships to launch drones against California
All right. You're listening to today's issues on American Family Radio. Next story. Fred?
>> Fred Jackson: Well, the president was, out campaigning in Ohio and Kentucky yesterday, but this Iran story still follows him. And at one point, he took a question about reports of sleeper cells, Iranian sleeper cells in this country. cut number two. Let's listen to what he had to say.
>> Tim Wildmon: Have you been briefed about how many
>> Ed Vitagliano: Iran sleeper cells there could be inside
>> Tim Wildmon: the US Right now?
>> Ed Vitagliano: I have been, and a lot of people came in through Biden with this stupid open border, but we know where most of them are. We've got our eye on all of them.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah. So sleeper cells. also, there's a report that the Iranians could use unmarked ships in the Pacific to launch drones that could hit California. so that's being talked about today, too.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. Right. Any thoughts on this?
>> Tim Wildmon: Can you imagine, can you imagine, seriously, the escalation it would mean if there was actually an attack, Fred, like what you just said, on American soil. Unmarked ships out in the vast Pacific Ocean launching drones that hit, San Jose, that hit Disneyland, that hit San Diego, that hit Coronado beach, that hit, Modesto, that hit downtown Los Angeles. that would. Anything, any. If the war comes to America that way, there's no getting out of it. In six weeks or two months, it's going to be escalated. I mean, if we're worried about China and Russia coming in, this whole thing, it's a terrifying thought. That's my real reaction to what Fred said. It's terrifying to think about the sleeper cells being activated and a drone attack against California.
>> Tim Wildmon: You know, we've never had a, international war on our soil.
>> Tim Wildmon: No.
>> Tim Wildmon: In our country's history, we've had acts of terrorism, obviously. 9, 11 comes to mind. We did have, the Japanese attack, Pearl harbor, which initiated our entry into the, into World War II. well, okay, Hawaii was a state then, so that was on American soil, so. But, mainland, we've never had an act that I can remember in our countries. It was a. Maybe the Mexican War. maybe that was.
>> Fred Jackson: I don't.
>> Tim Wildmon: I don't know. But you know what I'm talking about. You get to get my drift here.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. And listen, the danger. See, it's been. How long has this been going on? Has it been going on two weeks? The war with the runs.
>> Fred Jackson: we're about day 12 or 13.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Okay, so that, that sounds like enough time for ships from Iran. You know, maybe they were, pretending to be oil tankers or whatever, getting out into the Pacific and closing in. But ships off the coast of California aren't the only way for these drones to strike. These sleeper cells can use. Now, they won't be the military style drones, but they can be either, you know, made by hand or purchased and outfitted with some explosives. You could do that from inside the United States. If there are enough of these sleeper cells, I take the president at his word that we know where most of them are, keeping an eye on them. But to his point, there are an awful lot of people came into this country under the Biden administration. We don't know where they are or who they are. Yeah, and they can, they can do, other forms of sleeper, slow sleeper, sleeper cell, terrorist attacks even, besides drones.
>> Tim Wildmon: Say that again, if you would.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I don't think I can. I didn't even say do it that well the first time.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, didn't you make fun of me yesterday?
>> Ed Vitagliano: I did. Apparently you hadn't forgotten it.
>> Tim Wildmon: I said sirene.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Sirene.
>> Tim Wildmon: You said siren. So I thought maybe this is karma, you know?
>> Tim Wildmon: You know, Tim, if you're. We talked on.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It's called revenge.
>> Tim Wildmon: we talked about how long the war is going to last. It does not feel to me today like this is going to be over in two weeks.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I don't think so.
>> Tim Wildmon: It feels like it's going to drag off.
>> Ed Vitagliano: We need internal help in Iran now. We could stop it. We could say Tim mentioned this this morning, during our story meeting or soon afterwards. we could say, okay, we've done enough damage. if the Iranians want to overthrow this government, they're going to have to do it. But if Iran starts rebuilding, its missile program and its nuclear program will be right back here. You'll see the aircraft carriers come in, we'll do it again, but we're done for now.
>> Tim Wildmon: I think that's the approach to do that. I think the American people would favor that. We're not into Afghanistan and Iraq all over again. Okay. No boots on the ground. now, you might have to use special operations and come. Come some kind of situation that's kind of under. That's under understandable. It would still depend on the situation. The president and his team would have to explain why we're doing what we're doing there. But I'm talking about occupying with forces. No, no, nobody's for that.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Now, if this. If this new Iranian leader, the Ayatollah Motaba.
Ray: There are two options for overthrowing Iran's supreme leader
Is that how you pronounce his name? Motaba? Khamenei. If he says, well, just because of what the US And Israel have done, we're going to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed, then that. That makes that.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, he makes the whole world mad, though. That makes the whole world mad.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It sounds like the Iranian leadership does not care.
>> Tim Wildmon: Speaking of him, is he even alive, this guy? The son of, the new Ayatollah, Khomeini. I'm just going to call him that. I don't know how to pronounce his proper, name, but he's out. the word ayatollah, is that not. Ray, Is that not like a. Like a pr. The word president or pope.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: Or prime minister. Title. Title.
>> Tim Wildmon: Right. It's it in. In trans. A spiritual title.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: Transferable title for their religious leader, the Ayatollah. And this guy is the son of the one that was killed, ten days ago.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: Who was the leader. But this guy here, they're saying he may be, in the hospital, half dead himself.
>> Fred Jackson: Well, the fact that the news anchor just had a picture of him and read this is just feeding into the speculation that he is either severely injured or, as you say, Tim, possibly he's dead.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, I know. And, I mean, between the Israeli and the American attacks, a lot of the leadership in Iran has been taken out. Yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: so we need. In order for this to be the best possible outcome, the US And Israel, we need internal help from forces inside Iran who take over the government and who say, no more radical nut cases running the government. We are going to stop supporting terrorist organizations around the world. We're not going to try to get A nuclear weapon. We want to make Iran great again or something.
>> Tim Wildmon: This is, this is the. You know, we've all used this expression, easier said than done. That is definitely applicable here, because what. And we talked about this yesterday. What you're going to have to have. There's, two options. one is you have a military coup against the religious leadership of the ayatollah, and, the mullahs. you could have. But somebody's gonna have to initiate that. Somebody has to be the first one that says, let's go. And that person is, could be, you know, they themselves could be then executed if it fails.
>> Fred Jackson: If it fails.
>> Tim Wildmon: Like you said, if you're going to take out the king, you better.
>> Ed Vitagliano: You better not miss. Well, and listen, it would. Even if the military did that, there would be a time of civil war. Because anytime you have a dictatorship, which is what the Ayatollahs Khomeini had and what they've had there since 1979, they've had a dictatorship, being run by religious leaders. And my understanding is there were thousands of loyal supporters of the regime in government. Places had a shadow government. I mean, you had the Gestapo helping the Nazis. You had secret police. That's what they. They have secret police in Iran. So all those loyalists know they can't just let a coup succeed, because then they're going to be before courts, they're going to be hung for what they did, they're going to fight, and there'll be a time of civil war. That's not an easy thing to get through.
>> Tim Wildmon: The second option is a civil war where the people. The people rise up and go to war in the streets with, the ayatollah's, army and the police, the secret police.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That's a lot to ask, especially when
>> Tim Wildmon: you don't have guns.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right?
>> Tim Wildmon: When you don't have guns. So it's easy to say, well, now you know, all right, Iranians, take your government back. Well, all right, I'm going to go outside here and start taking my government back. Boom. Yeah, you're dead and your whole family's dead. Yep, that's how it works. So these people are in a, precarious situation over there in Iran. we'll be back momentarily with more of today's issues on American Family Radio.
>> Ed Vitagliano: The AFR app is a powerful tool, but it does have limitations. You can't use it to change the oil in your vehicle or get rid of carpet stains. It won't walk the dog won't pick up the dry cleaning or take the kids to practice. But while you're doing those things, you can listen to your favorite AFR content through the app on your phone, smart device or Roku. Just go to your app store or visit afr.net Listen to AFR wherever you go with the AFR app, we would
>> Fred Jackson: like to take a moment to thank our sponsor, PreBorn. When a mother meets her baby on ultrasound and hears their heartbeat, it's a divine connection. And the majority of the time she will choose life. But they can't do it without our help. Preborn needs us, the pro life community, to come alongside them. One ultrasound is just $28. To donate, dial pound250 and say the keyword baby or visit preborn.com afr
>> Ed Vitagliano: this is today's issues. Email your comments to commentsfr.net Past broadcasts of today's issues are available for listening and viewing in the [email protected] now back to more of, today's issues.
This segment contains sensitive topics involving children and sexual exploitation
>> Tim Wildmon: Hey, welcome back, everybody, to today's Issues on the American Family Radio Network. You're listening to afr. I'm Tim Wildmon with Ed Vitagliano and Fred Jackson and Ray Pritchard. and we have a, guest in studio, don't we, Ed?
>> Ed Vitagliano: we do. Heidi Olson, who, I'm gonna let her tell some of what these initials stand for. Looks like RN May be registered nurse.
>> Tim Wildmon: Correct.
>> Ed Vitagliano: But she's got a bunch of, letters after her name. But she's founder and president of Paradigm Paradigm Shift Training and Consulting. The reason we have Heidi on is that American Family Studios has produced a video in its Impact series titled the Heidi Olsen Story. Now, we do want to give a content warning to our listeners for this segment, because today's discussion touches on sensitive topics involving children and sexual exploitation, pornography, some of those kinds of issues. So parents make a appropriate adjustments, send the kids outside to play or do something like that. But you will want to hear what this, interview is about and about the Heidi Olson story. So, Heidi, welcome to today's Issues. I know you've been on the air several times already today on American Family Radio.
>> Heidi Olson: Yeah, thanks so much for having me.
>> Ed Vitagliano: All these initiatives and where's home first?
>> Heidi Olson: So I live in Kansas City right now. Kansas City, Missouri. Go cheats.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, Ray, there's Ray right there. You see Ray right there.
>> Tim Wildmon: hello, Heidi.
>> Heidi Olson: Hi.
>> Tim Wildmon: He's in Florida, but he lives in Kansas City.
>> Heidi Olson: Amazing. Hello.
>> Ed Vitagliano: So all these initials, rn, msn, cpn, sane, P. What all those stand for?
>> Heidi Olson: Yeah, so it just basically means that I've taken a bunch of tests and say I'm competent. but I'm a certified, pediatric nurse and a sexual assault nurse examiner, specifically to take care of pediatric patients.
>> Tim Wildmon: Why would you want to do that?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Must be a calling.
>> Heidi Olson: Yes, absolutely. I really felt drawn to taking care of vulnerable populations and that's what made me go into forensic nursing.
>> Tim Wildmon: M. I'm kidding in the sense that I'm just teasing you about it. But, I'm glad that you do it, praise God, because as you do have to have a calling, but it isn't something people go down the career list and go, you know, I'd like to do that.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That sounds rewarding because it's got to be very dark.
Impact series aims to raise awareness about how pornography is impacting kids
>> Tim Wildmon: So why are you here? Why are you here in Tupelo?
>> Heidi Olson: Yeah, so I'm here to help promote the Impact series, which has been such an honor to be a part of that. but really what my goal, my mission is to raise awareness around how pornography is impacting kids. And if you had asked me when I graduated from nursing school, you know, do you want to become a nurse and talk about porn? I would have been like, never. I do not want that job. And yet I seen so deeply how this is traumatizing kids that I've just felt like I can't be quiet, I have to say something. So I appreciate the opportunity to be able to talk about it.
>> Tim Wildmon: So you've, in your professional, experience, you've seen. Draw that out a little bit here.
>> Heidi Olson: Yeah. So no one talked to me about pornography when I became a forensic nurse, but I started to see the way it was impacting kids so horrifically that I chastised. So I've seen kids as young as three be exposed to pornography. It's, it's everywhere online.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay.
>> Heidi Olson: So they can just accidentally, you know, click something or a pop up ad comes up, but they're not even looking for it and it exposes them. But what I really was seeing as a forensic nurse were young kids. You know, 11, 12, 13 year old boys are sexually assaulting younger kids or same aged peers because they're acting out what they're seeing in porn. Which of course makes sense. Kids imitate what they see. So if I'm spending hours watching this violent pornographic material on my phone in my room and no one knows, then I maybe acted out on my five year old sister. And then everyone's like, whoa, what happened? Well, I mean, it stands to reason, if I'm consuming this all the time, I end up acting it out. And so we're just seeing that over and over with kids.
>> Ed Vitagliano: So there are a couple of things here, because everyone's horrified by the thought that young kids are being assaulted in any way. we all get upset if you see a parent yelling at their kid in a store.
>> Fred Jackson: Okay?
>> Ed Vitagliano: And folks, that's why we gave the content warning here. So. But setting that aside for just a second, there is damage that occurs to kids who just stumble upon pornography. A lot of it's violent, and it's everywhere. I have five grandchildren, their parents, my son and daughter in law, extremely careful about the access that their kids have to the Internet. I mean, you've probably seen this. I've seen my grandkids at a very young age, two years, three years old, whatever. They know how to swipe a screen on Mimi's phone or on somebody's phone. It's very easy for them to just stumble upon just regular pornography, which is dangerous enough. So, what, what is the likelihood that a kid will stumble across pornography at a young age?
>> Heidi Olson: It's extremely high. You know, I don't know that I want to give an exact percentage, but what I tell parents is if your child has access to a device, meaning do you hand them your phone? Right. Like they don't have to have their own device. There's a very high chance they will see pornography. If you think about it, the porn industry, this billion dollar money making machine, they are a business. They want to expose kids to pornography. It's intentional. Because the younger you expose a child to pornography, the more likely you'll have a lifelong user. So if you're trying to get those lifelong users are going to be paying money.
>> Tim Wildmon: It's like a drug.
>> Heidi Olson: Exactly. Start young. So I've heard of kids that are on something that maybe is quote, UNQUOTE Safe, like YouTube kids porn pops up. Cartoon porn pops up. Right? Exposes them, pop up ads, whatever it may be, someone sends something to them. On social media, there's so many ways kids get exposed, exposed where they're not even looking for it. and so you can be the most vigilant parent in the world, but if your kid goes to a sleepover, maybe they get shown pornography, or on the school bus, something like that. So it's really important to talk to kids about it because you cannot safeguard every single thing in the world.
You do have to donate at this point to watch the video
>> Ed Vitagliano: All right, we are our guests. That voice you hear, it's a pleasant voice as opposed to the old crabby guys that are usually on this program that's Heidi or Olson. She is a, she's, I'm gonna let her describe her title, but she is founder and president of Paradigm Shift Training and Consulting. The reason we have Heidi on, she's been on AFR already today. We, we may try to get blood out of a rock and keep her on, on the air all day. I don't know what the plans are, but we are promoting the fifth episode of American Family Studios Impact series. This is, this one we're talking about is the Heidi Olson story. All right, now you can go to the website to get access to this video. Afa.net protect afa.net forward/protect. Now you do have to you do have to donate at this point to watch the video. If you want to wait a few weeks or so, I'm not sure how long that will, that time period goes on, it will eventually be free to watch. But if you want to get access, today, and I do recommend that you do, it's a powerful, it's about 30 minute episode. go to AFA.
>> Tim Wildmon: Is it a donation of any amount?
>> Ed Vitagliano: I think so, yeah. Go to afa.net afa.netforward/protect if you want to watch that today.
Heidi Olson: Let's talk about prevention for young people
So Heidi, and then I'm going to let Ray jump in or Fred, they may have questions as well.
>> Tim Wildmon: I'm here too.
>> Ed Vitagliano: You and I have been, we've been, we've been talking.
>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, go ahead.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. please tell your official what you do, that the medical, your trauma registered, trauma nurse. Say that again.
>> Heidi Olson: Yeah, I'm a sexual assault nurse examiner. My specialty is in pediatrics. So kids 0 to 17.
>> Ed Vitagliano: So you would be called if there was a case that might involve sexual assault. You would be brought in to test professional capacity.
>> Heidi Olson: Yep.
>> Speaker F: Collective.
>> Tim Wildmon: Like Law and Order.
>> Heidi Olson: Yes. Much less exciting than Law and Order, but yes.
>> Tim Wildmon: Well, bless you. two things you have to see and observe and talk about in your professional life. Just somebody has to do it. And I'm glad you do. You do do this. you're talking about, we're talking to Heidi Olson. so Ed, how can people go and watch the video again?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, you can go to afa.net protect afa.net forward/protect. And by the way folks, this is, this is part of what AFA does, this ministry, very early on in the late 70s and early 80s, went to war against pornography. That was it was we television and pornography that was sold in convenience stores even to kids. And so this has been a concern of afa, since its inception. And I don't know if Fred or Ray have questions.
>> Fred Jackson: Heidi, you've outlined the problem. It's serious, widespread. Let's talk about prevention.
>> Fred Jackson: Talk about responsibility. Parental, you know, comes to mind. But also like, there are some states that are taking action now. Talk a little bit about this.
>> Heidi Olson: Yeah. What I love about the Impact series is they did such a good job of ending it on a note of hope. And I'm grateful for that because it is so overwhelming and so dark. And I think the reality is we have to keep that perspective of hope. you know, we serve an amazing God. He has already won the war. He sees this right, like this is not a lost cause, even when it feels like it. And so I think it's important to keep that in mind. But with parents, you are the frontline prevention for this. And I know so many of your listeners already are hyper vigilant, which is great, but we have to start having conversations. So a lot of parents, it's like, ah, they're too young. I don't want to, I don't know what to do. If they have access to a device, you have to talk to them. And it can just be really small touch points throughout the week. It doesn't have to be this big long lecture, just two minutes. Hey, remember, if you see anything like this that makes you uncomfortable, tell mom and dad because if they see something, they know, okay, I'm not in trouble. There's not shame. We can talk about it, we can externalize it versus a kid who sees it. They keep it inside. I, can't tell anyone. And then five years down the road, it's like, oh, why is my kid struggling with suicidal ideations and anxiety and depression? Oh, they've been seeing hardcore porn for five years, haven't felt like they could tell anyone. We want to stop it before that ever happens. So having those conversations in age appropriate ways, huge prevention. But then on a larger scale. Yes. To your point, I've testified in lots of different states on age verification laws to basically say you have to prove you're 18 to view this content, which makes sense. You'd have to do it in a store, right? there's varied responses. Some states are so on it, they care about it. Some states are like, whatever. Or I've even heard people in legislation argue for why it's good for kids to see pornography, you know.
>> Tim Wildmon: Really?
>> Heidi Olson: Yes. That sort of the only way that certain populations of kids are going to learn about sex is if they see it in porn, which I know just defies all logic. so Ray.
>> Tim Wildmon: Excuse me. Yeah, I know Ray wanted to jump in here, have a question.
Heidi: What are the signs parents should look for with young children
Go ahead.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, Heidi, I was just to follow up exactly what you're talking about. So let's suppose we're talking parents with kids under the age of 12.
>> Tim Wildmon: Set those parameters. What do you do if you. Okay, to make this more real life, we'll just say you haven't had those conversations, which you should have, but you haven't.
>> Heidi Olson: Sure.
>> Tim Wildmon: And what are you looking for? What are the. You care about your kids. What are you looking for? Do you. What are the signs? If there are any things to think about with your children, they may have been exposed to hardcore pornography and you didn't know anything about it.
>> Heidi Olson: Yeah, that's such a great question. So there are signs. I, would say the first thing is keep calm no matter what. If you freak out, that is gonna just, they're not gonna want to disclose. But things you may see is they're withdrawn, they're isolated. Maybe they shut their device down around you. Or they go into the bathroom for a long time with their device and shut the door. They're in their bedroom for a long time with their device and shut the door. Like there's secrecy around their device. you may see them starting to have sexual behaviors that are not normal or saying sexual words that are not normal, that maybe they don't even understand that it's a pornography connotation. they may start struggling with mental health issues. So anxiety, depression, self harm, all of those things. Or maybe you're finding pictures on their phone that they're taking of themselves. I've heard a lot of parents that they're filming themselves because they're watching. So kids are filming themselves, masturbating, things like that, because they're imitating what they're seeing. or again, they're acting out on other kids. So I think there's lots of signs that can happen without a child overtly disclosing.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That's just heartbreaking to contemplate these kids or something.
>> Tim Wildmon: How about just not giving them a device? What about that one?
>> Heidi Olson: Yeah, I think the longer we can delay devices better for so many reasons, because not only is there the porn factors, there's so many predators online, it's addicting. They're cyber bullying.
>> Tim Wildmon: You hear about the predators, that, get in touch with kids on, games, on gaming sites. not pornography sites, but gaming sites, hear about them there. So when I said what I just said about. How about just not getting, the devices? I do believe that is you can do that up until a certain age because my, my, my kids are working through this with, with my grandchildren. And when do we give them a device? What are the stipulations? What are limitations? What kind of filters? all these kinds of questions. What a lot of them, what you brought up to prevent them from being, you know, the other thing you go is, well, it may not be my grandkid or my kid, but they're going to go spend the night with them or they're going to be hanging out with them at the, party and some kids somewhere. Parents aren't going to be as vigilant. I mean, that's kid, that's just the real world as it is. So, there's just a lot of, a lot of minefields, out there. But I mean, when I said just don't give my device, maybe that's, you feel like that's. Well, I would delay it as long as you possibly can. I know kids need phones for our iPads, or whatever. you know, for various and sundry innocent reasons or for, studies.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: or, you know, hey, Mom. Texting, that. And the parents know, hey, I'm. Pick me. You can pick me up from practice now. I mean, yeah, there's just. You can't avoid it. You're not going to be able to avoid it. But, the dangers are out there, as Heidi, warns about. And you don't want young, impressionable minds having their lives ruined or warped because, parents or grandparents are teaching. We don't know what's going on.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Tim Wildmon: But she gave the signs of wine. So, do you have one of the questions?
>> Ed Vitagliano: I do want to just kind, of wrap this up. We'll let Heidi take a breather from her radio duties.
>> Tim Wildmon: Good popcorn.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Down the hall, Heidi gets called.
>> Tim Wildmon: Check it out.
Heidi Olson is president and founder of Paradigm Shift Training and Consulting
>> Ed Vitagliano: So we are talking with Heidi Olson, who's president and founder of Paradigm Shift Training and Consulting. Going to ask you to tell our listeners what that ministry, does or that, operation does and give your website. But she is featured in the fifth episode of American Family Studios Impact series, the Heidi Olson Story.
>> Tim Wildmon: It's a video series.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It is a video series and you can watch it by going to afa.netforward/protect. for the time being, we are asking for a donation for you to be able to watch that, down the road, especially if you're a great Commission partner. All that kind of stuff will be. You'll be able to watch that for free if you want to. Wait. So, Heidi, tell us about paradigm shift training, consulting, what that does, which you do when you're not being, forced to talk on the radio on AFR and give the website so folks can check it out if they want to contact you and bring you in for something, to speak, because you speak all the time. give that information to our listeners.
>> Heidi Olson: Yeah. So, I started my business about four years ago with the aim of educating anyone who will listen on these topics. You know, trafficking, exploitation, pornography, because child abuse. They're all interconnected. I, do a lot of training with healthcare workers because, of course, that's my background, but I also train churches, community members, kind of whoever will bring me in. I'm happy to talk about my expertise and the connections I'm seeing and real time trends with kids. so tomorrow I'm going to Birmingham. We're actually having a first of its kind conference for therapists to teach them if a kid's being exposed to pornography. Here's how you work with them. So, obviously it's me and a bunch of therapists who are putting on this conference, which is awesome. so I'm just working on lots of projects like that. and my website is paradigmshifttc.com so feel free to go on there. You can contact me on my website and I am happy to help however I can.
>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. One connection we got here is the Las Cruces.
>> Heidi Olson: That's true.
>> Tim Wildmon: NewSong Mexico. Y' all were talking before we went on the area.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. Because Heidi is originally from Las Cruces. a lot of folks don't know this because I talk about Boston, but my dad moved the whole family when I was at Boston College to Las Cruces, NewSong Mexico. And she was just saying from southern NewSong Mexico. Las Cruces. And I said, well, we all became Christians. My family became Christians in NewSong Mexico.
>> Heidi Olson: My parents did, too. That's really interesting.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. all right, so if you're wondering how to spell paradigm. Okay, that's P, A, R A D, I G, M, Shift, correct.shift, tc.com.com. all right. To find out more information, you probably just search. Maybe you could search for Heidi Olson.
>> Heidi Olson: Yep.
>> Ed Vitagliano: that's, O, L, S, O, N. To get more information, invite her. She is very knowledgeable, as you'll note when you see the, the video, the Heidi Olson story. But should, be a wealth of knowledge.
Is there more openness within healthcare community to talk about issues like pornography
One last, just last, absolute last question. You say you're going to talk to therapists. Is there more openness within the healthcare community to talk about issues like pornography? For a long time, I assume that, professional community thought this is just a right wing, conservative Christian issue. Are they more open to this as a real present danger to kids especially?
>> Heidi Olson: It really varies group to group. Some groups are so on board and like, let's do it and let's tackle this. And some groups are so resistant to it, and it is hard to say exactly why or pinpoint exactly who's for it and who's against it. But sometimes I get buy in and sometimes I don't.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Okay, well, thank you.
>> Tim Wildmon: I got one other comment about that. For years, the, American, Psychological Association, I guess it was, and the American Psychiatric association and maybe the Pediatric association as well. But I remember reading they would annually condemn violence in the media because they said that, and they would condemn sexual violence in the media and documenting its impact on children in particular. But they were always a little hesitant to. You would never read just outright, okay, sex, images or pornography images and, the impact that would have. But I'm, I've seen that. I have seen that. Have seen that more so because I always wondered why, if you're going to acknowledge that media influence on children can happen at all, which is common sense. But, then you have to acknowledge it can happen both in the violent category.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Tim Wildmon: In the sexual category. And sometimes, as you mentioned, m. Merging of. So listen, we all know that children are young, are impressionable. We all have memories of things that happened in our lives. and you know that. That are. We're images or were experiences. So, we're all impacted by that. So anyway, thank you so much, Heidi. appreciate it. We wish you the best. We'll pray for you. somebody has to do your job. That's a tough, difficult job to do. And we thank you very much.
>> Heidi Olson: Thank you.
Ray: That's spiritual warfare right here. We're talking about physical warfare
>> Tim Wildmon: All right. You're listening to today's issues on America. That's spiritual warfare. What we're talking about right here. We're talking about physical warfare. Ray, we're talking about spiritual warfare right here.
>> Tim Wildmon: Ah, what Heidi is doing, what her ministry is doing. Invading the realm of darkness. In Jesus name. There's going to be a battle every time. And God bless you, Heidi, for what you are doing.
>> Tim Wildmon: All right, Fred, what's your next story there?
Ainsley says Iranians want President Trump to continue war against Iran
>> Fred Jackson: Well, we've been talking about Iran, the impact. And, as time goes on, a lot of people feel it's going to be a political liability for the administration, especially, we're in an election year. And certainly Democrats like Chuck Schumer, Senator, Chuck Schumer, Richard Blumenthal and Elizabeth Warren think they have an election winner by pointing out that this is a war. They say the American people do not want. However, I'm going to play their clip. But also a reaction this morning from an Iranian escapee, Juliana Tymorazi, and she says, and is encouraging, she says, to President Trump. And Iranians want President Trump to continue this war because it means freedom for them. Cut number six.
>> Tim Wildmon: Americans don't want war.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Not Republican voters, not independent voters, not even many of Donald Trump's MAGA base. Americans don't want this war. Americans are sick and tired of forever wars. And there's no timeline here, no seeming endgame, no strategy for what success is. This is not a war the American, American people want us to engage in. this is not a war supported by this country, and this is not a war that makes us safer.
>> Heidi Olson: No, I actually oppose what the Democrats, the Democratic leadership is saying. Absolutely. The irgc, the Islamic Republic of Iran,
>> Ed Vitagliano: has been a murderous, government.
>> Heidi Olson: it has impacted the lives of
>> Ed Vitagliano: so many across the world.
>> Heidi Olson: You know, Ainsley there philosophy is of Muslim Brotherhood.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And they have, as we know, wreaked
>> Heidi Olson: havoc in Lebanon, in Syria, by
>> Ed Vitagliano: Hamas, by, creating Hamas.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah. She is, by the way, a Christian who escaped Iran. She, in the interview this morning, she talked to friends this morning in Tehran and they are all saying the message to Netanyahu, the message to President Trump, you must continue this war.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, these people have hope, maybe for the first time in a long time.
>> Fred Jackson: President said hope is on the way. Help us.
>> Ed Vitagliano: On the way. On the way. So, we, like we talked about earlier in the program, I'm not sure how this ends or how Trump can get this done. But folks, hey, pray, pray m that God will intervene. There are a growing number of Christians in Iran, so we want them all to become Christian.
>> Tim Wildmon: Amen. All right, we're going to take a short time out right here. We'll be back with more Steve Paisley. Jordan will join us in just a few minutes, and we will continue our conversations, but we've got a lot more, topics to cover that are in the news. Stay with us.
>> Heidi Olson: The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.
