In this week's episode, Gary Bauer embarks on a journey that traces the origins of the first Thanksgiving celebrated by the Pilgrims in the autumn of 1621. This first Thanksgiving came as a result of a harsh 1620 winter, where as many as half the original colonists died. It was after a strong crop harvest the following year that the Pilgrims decided to hold a day of celebration and prayer, and they invited their Native American friends, who had helped them along the way, to join them. Fast forward 168 years, when our nation’s first President, George Washington, issued the Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789, which described in its opening sentence what the occasion was all about. President Washington wrote: “Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor…” Seventy-four years later, Abraham Lincoln in his 1863 proclamation urged all Americans to observe the last Thursday of November “… as a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.” The fact that Lincoln could call for such a day even during ...

In this week's episode of Defending Faith, Family, and Freedom, Gary Bauer chats with Kirk Cameron, American actor, evangelist, and television host. Kirk shares what challenged him to launch his child reading program in public libraries. He saw how libraries in large cities were not being utilized by locals because they had become overrun by crime, drugs, and homelessness. As Christians, Cameron says, we must take a stand for riotousness in the public square. “We need to bring the blessings of heaven to our cities…so that the goodness of God, not only in salvation but also in the positive influence Christianity, will have an impact on our society,” Cameron insisted.