In this episode of The Bulletin, Russell Moore, Mike Cosper and Clarissa Moll discuss last night’s first presidential debate. Then, NBC news analyst Mike Murphy joins us to talk about the future of electric vehicles. Finally, gender youth medicine is a highly controversial topic both inside and outside the church. Mark Yarhouse and Rebecca McLaughlin join us to talk about the Cass Review and how Christians can respond to children wrestling with issues of gender identity.

Today’s Guests:

Mike Murphy is one of the Republican Party’s most successful political media consultants, having handled strategy and advertising for more than 26 successful gubernatorial and senatorial campaigns. He served as a top campaign messaging and political strategist to Sen. John McCain’s historic Straight Talk Express presidential campaign in 2000, and also for successful gubernatorial candidates Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tommy Thompson, and John Engler. In 2020 he served as a key strategist for Republican Voters Against Trump. He currently cohosts the popular weekly politics podcast Hacks on Tap with David Axelrod, which boasts over 14 million downloads to date.

Mark A. Yarhouse, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist who specializes in conflicts tied to religious identity and sexual and gender identity. He assists people who are navigating the complex relationship between their sexual or gender identity and Christian faith. He runs the Sexual and Gender Identity (SGI) Institute at Wheaton College and is an award-winning teacher and researcher. He was a past participant with the Ethics and Public Policy Center think tank in Washington, DC, and he was named senior fellow with the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities to conduct a study of students navigating sexual identity concerns at Christian colleges and universities. He has been a consultant to the National Institute of Corrections to address issues facing sexual minorities in corrections, and he was part of a consensus panel from the American Psychological Association on sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts that convened to provide input to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in Washington, DC. He is currently the chair of the task force on LGBT issues for Division 36 (Psychology of Religion and Spirituality) of the American Psychological Association.

Rebecca McLaughlin holds a PhD from Cambridge University and a theology degree from Oak Hill Seminary in London. She is the author of several books, including Confronting Christianity, The Secular Creed, Jesus Through the Eyes of Women, and Does the Bible Affirm Same-Sex Relationships?

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today
Producer: Clarissa Moll
Associate Producer: Leslie Thompson
Editing and Mix: TJ Hester
Music: Dan Phelps
Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper
Senior Producer: Matt Stevens