Gov. Bobby Jindal shares thoughts on Christianity in America

Republican Presidential hopeful and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal spent a full hour with Glenn on radio Tuesday, discussing many topics to help listeners get to know him a little more.

As a Catholic who has made strong statements in the past about the preservation of religious freedom, Jindal dedicated a good portion of his interview with Glenn to the topic of religious oppression, particularly toward Christians in recent years.

Listen.

Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors.

GLENN: Bobby Jindal joins us now. And I want to start with some faith things. Let me play a clip from the debates last week where Bobby Jindal listed the jobs that Christians can't have. Listen to this.

BOBBY: I'd like the left to give us a list of jobs that Christians aren't allowed to have. If we're not allowed to be clerks, bakers, musicians, caterers, are we allowed to be pastors anymore? We're not allowed to be elected officials. I just want to make this important point. The First Amendment right -- the right to religious freedom is the First Amendment of the Constitution. It isn't breaking the law to exercise our constitutional rights. America did not create religious liberty. Religious liberty created the United States of America. It is the reason we're here today.

GLENN: So a lot of people believe that. A lot of people -- I mean, religion is under attack. And that's saying something now that the pope has arrived here in the United States, and Bobby Jindal, who is a Catholic joins us now. Hi, Bobby, how are you?

BOBBY: Glenn, it's great to be on the air with you. I'm glad that we're still allowed to be radio hosts, and we're still allowed to run for president in our country. I'm glad that they haven't disqualified us from doing that.

GLENN: You just add one word to that: Yet. And I'm comfortable with it.

BOBBY: Don't give them any ideas.

GLENN: Bobby, you're a dear friend. And we don't want to say too much nice about you because we've discovered that anytime we like a candidate, it's the kiss of death. So, just for the record, we hate your guts and we hope you never become president of the United States. Hopefully, that will work in reverse psychology, and you will become the president.

Bobby, you are really, truly one of the real, true conservatives that are getting the job done. In Louisiana, you have stood fast on Common Core. You are -- you're a guy who has a tremendous story of American exceptionalism, but you see the trouble just as much as I do and the next guy. Let's start with religious liberty. And the pope is coming to the United States. And as a non-Catholic, I love this guy. At the same time, I'm really concerned because he doesn't like capitalism all that much. He is a guy --

BOBBY: Sure.

GLENN: He is the guy that is the polar opposite on Pope John Paul and his stance on capitalism and communism. What do you think about this, as a Catholic?

BOBBY: Well, a couple of things. First of all, thank you for those wonderful comments. Look, I'd much rather be praised from Glenn Beck than praised from the New York Times or the Washington Post. I worry -- I love when you say good things about me. I worry if they -- they don't, but if they ever were to write something good about me, then I would be worried.

GLENN: No, don't lose any sleep. They'll never write anything nice about you.

BOBBY: That's right. There's no danger of that happening.

GLENN: Yeah.

BOBBY: Two things about the pope. And, one, you know, the liberal media loves when he does say things that they view as being less than conservative, whether it's about capitalism or global warming or immigration. And they ignore when he says more traditional things on marriage, on being pro-life, and on the sanctity of life, and on religious liberty. And I'd be curious to see how the mainstream media, whether they'll mention those things that he talks about.

But, secondly, I will say this as a Catholic, I respect him. I admire him. I encourage every religious leader to weigh in on important political and social issues. I don't think their voices should be excluded. I don't always agree with them. And the reality is I'm not always required to agree with them. And certainly when the church teaches on faith and morals, like things about being pro-life or the sanctity of marriage, between a man and a woman -- those things, we are required, you know, as Christians, as Catholics, to hold to those truths. When he gives his opinion on capitalism, when he gives his opinion on the relationship between --

GLENN: Air-conditioning.

BOBBY: -- America and Cuba, I'm not obligated -- I don't agree with that. And I don't think that -- for example, he played a critical role in the negotiations between the Castros and this president. I think that was a mistake for America, and I think that was a mistake for people who are fighting for human rights in Cuba. So, look, I'm glad he's coming. I'm glad he's going to challenge folks. I really hope his folks hear him challenging us on matters of faith, especially on Jesus Christ, on the gospel. I just hope people really hear his gospel message. But you're exactly right, the mainstream media loves to take his visit and turn it into an excuse to try to get Republicans and conservatives.

GLENN: And, quite honestly, Bobby, this is why I'm a little torn on him. I'm not a little torn. I'm very torn on him. Because I really, truly believe he's one of the more -- I mean, I love Pope John Paul himself. But one of the more truly Christ-like figures we have seen in my lifetime. He really does move like Christ when it comes to compassion and to care for one another. Just truly love one another. He's remarkable. But when he comes out and says things like global warming -- I know he just came out recently and said that air-conditioning is an evil. I don't even begin to understand that. And then we know that next week -- and let's kind of move from the pope to kind of the UN. Next week, he's talking about a Palestinian state. They're going to raise the Palestinian flag at the United Nations. We're abandoning our Jewish and Israeli allies, the strongest friend we have in the Middle East. And the only ones in the Middle East we should really be standing with, besides maybe the Kurds. And we're abandoning them. Where do we go from here?

BOBBY: Look, you're right when you describe the Jewish people, you describe the state of Israel. You think about how this president has treated them. As to the question of a Palestinian state, I think it's clear that we will only begin to start to talk about a two-state solution and encourage Israel and the Palestinians to negotiate once the Palestinians reject violence and terrorism and explicitly recognize the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state.

Until they do that, how can any American president encourage them -- how can we encourage our allies, the Israelis, to negotiate with a group that says explicitly -- look, Hamas, they're not timid about this, Glenn. They have explicitly said, I want to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. How do you negotiate with people that will blow up -- that will send out suicide bombers to blow up your civilians? You can't negotiate with terrorists. So I think it has to be a requirement before we push for any negotiations. But, you know, our foreign policy is so backwards. You take important allies like Israel, President Obama treats our friends like dirt. And he let's our enemy, like Iran, walk all over him. He's completely backwards. We need to get back to the days where our friends trust us, our enemies fear and respect us. You talk about Pope John Paul II. You just think about how amazing it was to have him, to have Maggie, to have President Ronald Reagan. You and I were blessed. Growing up with those kinds of world leaders, what an amazing -- maybe we took them for granted, not realizing how exceptional they were.

GLENN: Do we -- I -- I wonder as you look at Europe and you see what's happening in Europe and you see how far gone they are. And now with the refugee problem. I mean, the Saudis need to take the refugees. The Muslim countries of the world need to take the refugees until this war is over. But we have a -- we have a responsibility -- the world said, "Never again is right now." It's happening again. There's a genocide with Christians. And I have -- I've seen many Christians open their hearts. Many Americans open their hearts. But a lot of people, rightfully so, Bobby, are seeing what's happening in Europe and are thinking, it's over in Europe. And it could very easily be over here in America. We'll have a piece of audio that we'll play later from a school board meeting in New Jersey where the Muslims are demanding that in ten days, the school dismiss for the -- for the ten days of, what is it, Eid?

PAT: Eid.

GLENN: Eid for ten days. And they do it right now. And the school is like, "We can't do that." And they're getting upset and saying, "You know, soon we'll outnumber you, and we're just going to do it." What's happening to us, Bobby? Can we go back to a place where America was what we thought it was?

BOBBY: Well, Glenn, I'm going to say something politically incorrect. I know you'd be shocked, and I know you've never said anything politically incorrect on your show. But I want to say something politically incorrect, and I know it's incorrect because Hillary Clinton doesn't like it. So I'm going to say it again anyway.

Look, immigration without assimilation is not immigration. It's an invasion. What you're seeing in Europe, second, third generation folks there that don't consider themselves parts of those societies, we must not let that happen here. I don't think America can be beat by any external enemy, but I think we can lose our freedoms internally if we give them away. It is foolish. I know this is politically incorrect, but it is foolish for us to let people come into our country unless they come legally, they learn English, they adopt our values, they're ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work. And unfortunately, the left is trying to preach to us. We're not a melting pot. We're somehow supposed to be a salad bowl. That's nonsense. And they will tell you that you and I are culturally arrogant. We're xenophobic. We're anti-Muslim. That's all nonsense.

What we are is saying that America is a unique -- we have a unique Judeo-Christian foundation and heritage. And there's nothing wrong with saying we want to continue American exceptionalism and folks should only come here if they want to be Americans. And if you don't want to be an American, no one is making you come here. But you're right, we watch what's happening in Europe. We must not let that happen here. The other thing, while we're talking about the refugee issue, let's not forget the reason this is happening is because the president's failed policies. He said there would be a red line, and he did not enforce it. He said if Assad crossed that red line, there would be consequences. That void allowed ISIS to grow. It's allowing Russia now to come into Syria. And he still refuses to arm and train the Kurds, which is amazing to me. He continues to believe that leading from behind is leadership. Weakness creates a void. It's provocative to evil. And that's what we're seeing in the world today. American weakness is provocative to evil and our enemies all over the globe.

GLENN: So, Bobby, I'm not going to play the game that the media wants to play on whether the president is a Muslim or not. I just want you to tell me what -- how can a guy have this bad of a record. He runs to support the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. He fails to support at all the uprising in Iran. He runs to arm the -- the al-Qaeda people -- the people who are fighting al-Qaeda who end up being Syrians. I'm sorry. Who end up being ISIS. Now we're running to arm ISIS. It takes him a year to decide whether or not we're going to kill Osama bin Laden.

Here's the latest on the story in the school in Irving, Texas, that kid who did the, quote, science project, which wasn't a science project, wasn't an assignment at all. Was told by the science teacher, "Put this away in your locker. Don't take it out, and don't ever bring this to school again." The latest is, his father, who we now know is an Islamic activist, has pulled him and his two siblings out of the school. Then he's taking his son to the UN to meet with the dignitaries on the Palestinian state. From there, they're going on a pilgrimage to Mecca to Saudi Arabia. And then they're getting on a plane from Mecca and flying right directly to Washington to meet with the president of the United States.

BOBBY: You know, Glenn, you asked about this president. And look, I've long wondered, is he just extremely incompetent with radical liberal ideology. He's told us, he's the first president that doesn't believe in American exceptionalism. Now, take a step back and understand what that really means. He does not believe in American exceptionalism. You and I believe America is the greatest country in the history of the world. We have a president who when asked directly about that, didn't just quickly and affirmatively say, "Yes, obviously."

Instead, we have a president who truly believes that -- America -- I think if you look at his policies, he truly seems to believe that America causes all these problems. If we retreat from the world, if we have less influence, less power, things will turn out better. Well, in that void, we've seen Russia go into the Ukraine. We've seen ISIS grow in Iraq and Syria. We've seen China ascend in Asia. And we've seen our allies. They're so confused thinking -- you know, they want America to lead. And they want a stronger America. And they can't have that, they will hedge their bets and go elsewhere.

We see the idea of America slipping away in front of us. Glenn, the last seven years, we've seen things I never thought we'd see. We've talked about foreign policy. You're seeing Planned Parenthood selling baby's organs across the country. We've seen $18 trillion of debt. We've seen them create a new government mandate and entitlement when we can't afford the government we got. We've seen this president, he won't even say the words "radical Islamic terrorism." Fort Hood is still a workplace issue. We've seen this president more than happy to criticize crusaders and medieval Christians and criticize and apologize for America, and yet, he won't -- we won't go out there and stand with Israel. He's declared war on transfats, truce with Iran. We've seen things we never thought we'd see in seven years. It's not too late. The hour is getting late. We had better save the idea of America --

GLENN: Okay. So --

BOBBY: -- because it has created more wealth than any other civilization in the history of the world. It's done more to fight for freedom than any other civilization in the history of the world.

GLENN: Okay. So I want to talk to you -- we want to take a quick break. I want to come back and talk to you about something that I think is more disturbing than everything you just talked about. And that is, either the apathetic nature of the average American, where baby parts don't seem to offend them anymore. Or on top of that, if it's not the apathetic nature, it is the nature of maybe 10 percent of the people who say they would agree with me and Tea Party values that are running to people like Donald Trump because they say, "Well, he'll fix it. I'm tired of it. I want somebody who is a little bully on our side who will fix it." Kind of frightening stuff. We'll talk about that here in just a second and find out what your view is on what's happening to the American people themselves.

Featured Image: Republican Presidential hopeful and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal speaks at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition 15th Annual Family Banquet and Presidential Forum held at the Iowa State fairgrounds on September 19, 2015 in Des Moines, Iowa. Eight of the Republican candidates including Donald Trump are expected to attend the event. (Photo by Steve Pope/Getty Images)

Civics isn’t optional—America's survival depends on it

JEFF KOWALSKY / Contributor | Getty Images

Every vote, jury duty, and act of engagement is civics in action, not theory. The republic survives only when citizens embrace responsibility.

I slept through high school civics class. I memorized the three branches of government, promptly forgot them, and never thought of that word again. Civics seemed abstract, disconnected from real life. And yet, it is critical to maintaining our republic.

Civics is not a class. It is a responsibility. A set of habits, disciplines, and values that make a country possible. Without it, no country survives.

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Civics happens every time you speak freely, worship openly, question your government, serve on a jury, or cast a ballot. It’s not a theory or just another entry in a textbook. It’s action — the acts we perform every day to be a positive force in society.

Many of us recoil at “civic responsibility.” “I pay my taxes. I follow the law. I do my civic duty.” That’s not civics. That’s a scam, in my opinion.

Taking up the torch

The founders knew a republic could never run on autopilot. And yet, that’s exactly what we do now. We assume it will work, then complain when it doesn’t. Meanwhile, the people steering the country are driving it straight into a mountain — and they know it.

Our founders gave us tools: separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, elections. But they also warned us: It won’t work unless we are educated, engaged, and moral.

Are we educated, engaged, and moral? Most Americans cannot even define a republic, never mind “keep one,” as Benjamin Franklin urged us to do after the Constitutional Convention.

We fought and died for the republic. Gaining it was the easy part. Keeping it is hard. And keeping it is done through civics.

Start small and local

In our homes, civics means teaching our children the Constitution, our history, and that liberty is not license — it is the space to do what is right. In our communities, civics means volunteering, showing up, knowing your sheriff, attending school board meetings, and understanding the laws you live under. When necessary, it means challenging them.

How involved are you in your local community? Most people would admit: not really.

Civics is learned in practice. And it starts small. Be honest in your business dealings. Speak respectfully in disagreement. Vote in every election, not just the presidential ones. Model citizenship for your children. Liberty is passed down by teaching and example.

Samuel Corum / Stringer | Getty Images

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Start with yourself. Study the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and state laws. Study, act, serve, question, and teach. Only then can we hope to save the republic. The next election will not fix us. The nation will rise or fall based on how each of us lives civics every day.

Civics isn’t a class. It’s the way we protect freedom, empower our communities, and pass down liberty to the next generation.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

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Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

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When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.