- Bill in the Florida legislature

would require public high schools

to teach classes onthe Bible and religion.

Democrat Kimberly Danielfiled House Bill 195

to make the classespart of elective courses

that students could take.

It would also allow a briefmeditation period for students.

Efrem Graham spoke with John Stemberger

with the Florida Family Policy Council

to take a closer look at it,

and why it's so important.

- So, John what else canyou tell us about this bill?

- This is a good bill byRepresentative Kim Daniels.

It may need some tweaking,but the essence of it is that

children should be ableto, in school, elect,

on their own, to have an objective study

of religion and the Bible.

You know, the scripture, it'snot only just a religious book

for millions of Jews andChristians throughout the world,

it is also the most significant book

that has helped to developAmerican civilization

and Western civilization.

It has helped given us conceptsof separation of powers,

the rule of law, one man, one vote.

There's so much about the scripture

that's come from the common law.

So this is a very important book,

which can be read as literaturejust to educate people

and children, young people,about how the scripture

and how Christianity has really influenced

the development of Western civilization.

So it's a very important bill.

It's a good bill.

It may need some changes to it,

to make it constitutionalbut it's a great concept.

- How do you think itcan make a difference

in today's public schools?

- Well, I think that we havesuch a secular environment,

we don't mention religion in any context,

and I think that religion is appropriate

as a matter of study,

not devotion or worship necessarily,

but as a matter ofstudy in public schools.

All young people, all students,

should understand how the scripture

and how the Bible, boththe Old and New Testament,

has been significant in thedevelopment of American history

and American civilization.

So I think it could have a huge impact,

just educating children.

But then also it could help them

in just having some senseof spiritual education

because we are in such aradically secular environment.

- Kimberly Daniel, whosponsored the legislation,

is a Democrat, but does this have support

from Democrats and Republicans?

And you do you think it'll pass?

- You know, I gotta say,it's been so sad to see

how people have unfairlyattacked Representative Daniels.

She is a fine woman.

She is one of the mostoutspoken Christian Democrats

in the legislature in along time, maybe in decades.

And I do think, she had a bill last year

that was to post In God WeTrust in every public school.

That passed, actually, withan overwhelming majority.

And so it'll remain tobe seen whether this bill

can take oxygen from bothDemocrats and Republicans,

but I think if it'schanged and it's understood

as teaching the Bible as literature,

I think that's a very powerful concept

and one that could get bipartisan support.

- Do you think this could then

influence other states if it does happen?

- Absolutely, I mean Floridais a trend setting state.

Unlike just in California,what happens in Florida

doesn't stay in Florida.

We're a leader in schoolchoice, and innovation,

and education, so it is possible that

if Florida is successful at doing this,

then other states canlook at this as well.

This is already occurring in other states.

There are several otherstates that offer the Bible

in high school as an elective,

to be taught as literatureand as an objective

understanding of what is in the book.

And so this is not necessarily something

that's novel to Florida, butit would be a great thing

for the people of Florida

and to influence other states as well.

- All right, John Stembeger, President of

The Florida Family Policy Counsel.

Thank you for your time.

- Thank you.

- [Announcer] Stillahead, the budget battle

between President Trumpand congressional Democrats

over the President'splan for a border wall,

led to the partial government shutdown.

But what are things reallylike along the border?

We'll take a look right after this.

- [Announcer] CBN presentsThe I Wills of God,

your path to over coming fear and anxiety.

- We're going to talk about some of the

incredible promises Godhas made to his children.

- [Announcer] In PatRobertson's newest teaching,

you'll discover the The I Wills of God,

I will rescue him,protect him, answer him,

be with him in trouble,deliver him, honor him,

satisfy him with long life,show him my salvation,

and see amazing stories ofGod's promises in action.

- What I felt was loved and treasured.

- God spared my life twice in three days.

- The good Lord hadgiven me a second chance.

- [Announcer] Break freefrom stress and despair.

- [Pat] The Lord doesn'twant you to live in fear,

but to know the rewardsgiven to those who love God.

- [Announcer] Call1-800-700-7000 or visit CBN.com.

The I Wills of God,

your path to overcoming fear and anxiety.

- Hello, I'm Terry Meeuwsen.

Did you know there aremore than 148 million

orphans in the world today?

148 million.

But it was three littlegirls that taught me

about the plight of orphans.

My husband and I spent nearly a month

immersed in the daily activitiesof a Ukrainian orphanage

as we waited to adopt three sisters.

I saw firsthand the utter loneliness,

the pain of rejection,

and the overwhelming desire to be loved.

That experience changed me forever,

and out of it grew aministry from my heart

called Orphan's Promise.

Today, we're helping orphansand vulnerable children

in more than 50 countries worldwide.

Thousands of childrenare now in safe homes.

They're being educated,

and they're learning life skills.

I'm asking you to join with me

and become family to these children.

Will you call the numberon your screen right now?

Because every child deservesthe chance to be happy.

- The partial governmentshutdown is still dragging on

in Washington over President Trump's plan

for a wall on parts ofthe border with Mexico,

but what do people in the area think?

Heather Sells traveled to Arizona in 2017

to find out what residentsthere believe about a wall.

- [Heather] On his 50,000-acreranch in southern Arizona,

Jim Chilton puts out salt for his cattle

and keeps an eye out for the smugglers

and illegal immigrants thatcross his border property.

His surveillance video tells the story.

- I have evidence, hard evidence,

of people coming through andthey're mainly drug packers

bringing into the United States

marijuana, cocaine,

meth, and heroin.

- [Heather] His front porch collection

offers another part of the story,

abandoned carpet shoes usedto erase telltale footprints

by those who cross illegally.

Chilton took CBN News ona bumpy, two-hour drive

for a closer look atthe border on his land.

Along the way, he talked of his encounters

with people on the run.

- Turned this corner here,

and about 20 guys

dressed in camouflage with big backpacks

ran right up this way and up this hill.

They were all in camouflage,

and the guy in front had an AK-47.

- [Heather] It's clear toChilton and the Border Patrol

that the Sinaloa drug carteldeploys scouts on this land

to guide smugglers to safety.

One time, Chilton reported the discovery

of four marijuana bales,well aware that the cartels

could take revenge against him.

Later we parked andwalked a few hundred feet

to the line that hasled to so many headlines

and political debates.

- This is the international boundary.

- Behind me on the Mexican side, there are

a number of roads, and that indicates

that this has become aprime spot for entry.

Both illegal immigrants and drug smugglers

like this area, because there'sonly a barbed wire fence,

very simple, separating the US and Mexico,

and also we're several hours away

from the nearest Border Patrol station.

That part's a sore point with Chilton.

Although we spotted severalagents along our journey,

the shortcomings are obvious.

No easy access forresponse to border trouble,

no patrol presencealong the actual border,

and a barbed wire fencethat may deter cattle,

but certainly not people.

That's why for more than a decade,

Chilton has pushed for something more.

- It's just very obvious.

You need a wall, youneed a road next to it,

and you need forward operation bases.

- [Heather] Chiltonand other ranchers here

believe the US must securethe entire southern border,

all 1,989 miles of it.

They believe this 20-foot-highfence in nearby Nogales

has simply funneled illegals towards them.

Rancher Dan Bell showed uswhere that Nogales fence ends

on his property, andreverts back to barbed wire.

- It's as simple as forpeople coming through

in large groups just gettinga pair of wire cutters

and cutting through the fence.

- [Heather] Bell feels a little better

about security than Chilton,and for good reason.

His ranch is closer to the

Nogales Border Patrol station, and ...

- [Dan] We've had someroad systems put in,

we've had technology come in,

and with the addition of those

and more agents in the area,we have seen improvement.

- [Heather] Bell admits,however, that gaps remain

and he feels unsafe on parts of his ranch.

- In the areas where we're more remote,

where we don't have cellphone service,

where there's very few roads and they're

far and few between, you dothink about things like that

and what's your plan gonna be

in case you do have a confrontation.

- [Heather] Not everyoneon the border agrees with

the President's plan to build a new wall.

That includes many residents in Nogales

and Sheriff Tony Estrada.

- It sounds good to everybody, you know,

okay, we got a problem withillegal immigration, with drugs.

We'll just build a wall,and that'll stop everything.

That's a fantasy.

It's a fantasy, it'll help,

but it's not going to solve the problems.

- [Heather] Estrada sayspeople will always find ways

to go over or under physical barriers.

A wall, he says, doesn'taddress the real problem.

- You have to look at whatis bringing people here.

- [Heather] That, hesays, is the drug trade

and the promise of opportunity

that the United States offers.

In the last two decades, USdollars spent on border security

have kept going up, and thenumber of Border Patrol agents

has increased 500%.

While Estrada believes thatmoney could be better spent,

ranchers like Chilton andBell believe it's helped

to reduce the flow ofimmigration and drugs.

Chilton argues that a wallwould help lower costs

like prosecuting immigrants,and fighting forest fires

started by drug packers.

For now, he and Bellmaintain an uneasy truce

with those vying forcontrol of their land.

In the spirit of compassion, both maintain

multiple drinking fountains to provide

lifesaving relief to those who need it.

Still, they remainvigilant for any encounter.

- When those instances happen,

you just, you go opposite ways,

and that's it, and you say good morning

and you go the oppositeway and hope for the best.

- It's pretty frightening,

but I'm a cowboy, not a wimp.

I'm stickin' here.

- [Heather] Reporting onthe border in Arizona,

Heather Sells, CBN News.

- And we'll be right back.

- CBN presents The I Wills of God,

your path to overcoming fear and anxiety.

- We're going to talk about some of the

incredible promises Godhas made to his children.

- [Announcer] In PatRobertson's newest teaching,

you'll discover The I Wills of God,

I will rescue him,protect him, answer him,

be with him in trouble, deliver him,

honor him, satisfy him with long life,

show him my salvation,and see amazing stories

of God's promises in action.

- What I felt was loved and treasured.

- God spared my life twice in three days.

- The good Lord hadgiven me a second chance.

- [Announcer] Break freefrom stress and despair.

- [Pat] The Lord doesn'twant you to live in fear,

but to know the rewardsgiven to those who love God.

- [Announcer] Call 1-800-700-7000

or visit CBN.com.

The I Wills of God,

your path to overcoming fear and anxiety.

- Hello, I'm Terry Meeuwsen.

Did you know there aremore than 148 million

orphans in the world today?

148 million.

But it was three littlegirls that taught me

about the plight of orphans.

My husband and I spent nearly a month

immersed in the daily activitiesof a Ukrainian orphanage

as we waited to adopt three sisters.

I saw firsthand the utter loneliness,

the pain of rejection,

and the overwhelming desire to be loved.

That experience changed me forever,

and out of it grew aministry from my heart

called Orphan's Promise.

Today we're helping orphansand vulnerable children

in more than 50 countries worldwide.

Thousands of childrenare now in safe homes.

They're being educated,

and they're learning life skills.

I'm asking you to join with me

and become family to these children.

Will you call the numberon your screen right now?

Because every child deservesthe chance to be happy.

- Make sure to catch the latest episode

of Healthy Living Tonightwith Lorie Johnson.

She talks with DanielleWalker about her struggle with

an autoimmune disease,and how changing her diet

helped heal her.

She also talks about hernew book, Eat What You Love,

which came out of herjourney toward healing

and still having the foods she likes.

And you can see Lorie's fullinterview with Danielle Walker

tonight on Healthy Living at 9:30 Eastern

on the CBN News Channel.

Well, that's it for thisedition of NewsWatch.

You can find more on theissues you care about most

at CBNNews.com, and canwatch CBN news programs

any time on our CBN News Channel,

plus tell us what youthink about the stories

you've seen here by emailing NewsWatch

at CBN.com, or talk to us on Facebook,

Twitter and Instagram.

Hope you'll join us nexttime, have a great day.