>> and when i meant the special representative, i have to be candid having listened to him. >> we have at least got people talking. we have people with a focus on a catalytic event. the growing presence of isil in libya, which is i think, no cussing the minds of both people on the sides of the civil war. >> >>. >> it's a nuisance, to say the

least. >> foreign secretary, quizzing you? >> thank you rngs foreign secretary. >> do you agree that peace keepers will be needed in libya? and, if so, has the u.n. government made any commitments? >> we haven't made any commitments. we've discussed on friday and saturday. >> i think we recognized in discussing this european union that there would be a strong expectation that the european union would take the lead in providing peace keepers. that is not to say a military force to subdue the warring factions. but more of the policing force to maine tan a peace that had

been established. libya is very much a step in business with roots through to the gulf of guinea, which is the source of many of these things. it's very much in europe's interest to help to secure libya and ensure that the soit earn coast of the mediterranean is properly policed all the way along. >> >>. >> so clearly there's some steps in the peace keeping force. >> all i'm saying is that i think there is a recognition

across the european union that it would be to europe that the world looked to provide such a force. if flfs a peace to keep in the future. >> so that element was discussed. was there any other developments? that were discussed last friday around some con kreet steps in libya to win the peace? there are outside players involved in supporting both sides and seeking to apply diplomatic pressure on outside players to seek to minimize.

is there are concerns about protecting the assets of the libyan people in the form of the assets of the central bank to ensure that they don't get acquired by either side. >> i think it's not about how much time he spent in libya. northeast of them are taking place outside libya meetings in rome meetings in malta,

meetings in tunisia, meetings in cairo. i think that would understate what he's doing to look only at the time spent in libya. obviously, time spent in libya is restricted by security considerations. to be able to forge meaningful relationship stz.

>> good. president,you touched upon in anxiousing my questions on the issue of being on the doorstep to europe. if so, how do we counter this threat, specifically on the migration issue? >> well, the migration challenge is a threat to the whole of europe, not just to the u.k. but to the extent that travel is facilitated within europe. obviously, irregular migrants arriving in italy or spain are potentially a threat to the u.k.

it does occur through ill leaguely trafficked people. we believe that the only way to stem this is at source. to tackle the traffickers, the smugglers, the extortionists who prey on these people along if way and to seek to work among countries of origin. and to reduce the impulgs to travel as it were among that group of potential mile grat e grants. >> when your minister came in front of the commission last week, he said and i quote we need a policy on dealing with isil in libya. it is still the case that the government does not have a policy on dealing with isil. >> yeah well the policy, the

desire, is to establish a government of national unity behind which the international community can then get in the fight against isil. they're willing to take some risks now in getting early behind the government of national unity to help it to tackle the threat to libya from isil and other established groups in that country. >> i am aware that that sounds sliegtly wishful thinking. we'd just like there to be a nice government of national unity and then we support it to deal with the isil problem. we have also discussed in eu foreign ministers the obvious fact that we can't wait forever

for a government of national unity to be fought. and if the initiative does not succeed, we will have to look at alternative strategies to deal with specific threat from those isil-related groups in libya. >> a real prospect in libya which appears to be in a semi or hypnotic state where the people with guns are basically running the country are going bankrupt. >> i think there is calls for some moderate optimism. but i wouldn't put it any higher than that. i don't think to be an expert on

libya. but those who are tell me that the principle protagonists. >> if people are really fighting over territory and money and oil. it is easier to find solutions which divide the riches. and this is a rich country. so i would be moderately optimistic, but no more than that. cautiously optimistic but there could be a chance of the government of national unity. i do think that the presence of isil in the country, the inevitability that there will be

continued intervention that is able to deal with the problem itself. i do think those are helpful points of oppression on the sides of the civil war to think very hard about whether it's in their collective best interests to try and resolve their differences and work together. >> foreign secretary, can we turn to iran and the nuclear negotiations going on at the moment. quite clearly, they've made a sensitive point. >> it could become a spanner in the works.

>> it sigsales coming out of teheran teheran, but there is a desire to find a deal. there's still some very, very difficult issues on which there has been no movement at all. and you have to make some really quite heroic assumptions to get to the point where it's all agreed in the next two or three weeks.

but i think compared to where we were in vienna we've made quite significant progress over the past few weeks, but still very challenging. >> well, first of all, you may have seen one of the issues which is, of course, in congress over the last couple of weeks, including with the visitor of prime minister, it has made in progress more previously than it has changed in the dynamic as far as the united states are concerned. as the foreign secretary said we have made some progress in the negotiations. i think the reason they're from both sides to try to reach a deal, but the obstacles are still formidable.

these are difficult decisions and are critical to success from which we do not have movement. so, as the justice said, we go into the negotiations, the next round of the negotiations with the degree of optimism. but we frankly will not know where we've got an agreement until we got one. >> would we be prepared to veto a bad deal? >> yes. >> bad deal is better than no deal? >> no deal is better than the bad deal.

there has to be complete transparency. that one year breakout time, as it's called, is our bottom line. the iranians understand that. >> the deadline is the 30th of march. so it's quite possible that the detail of this, after parliament is being dissolved is how, in a way, the more important part is

there's more knew wans to it. it can't be -- you consult the opposition when its comes to a nato for the intervention. >> on iran, the deal when it comes in -- >> i consider that we set out, and i've just done it again pretty clearly, the parameters of a deal that we bould find acceptable. i do not anticipate a situation where we are going to decide when parliament's dissolved that actually we want to do a deal on

six-months breakout that. 's not going to happen. it would have to as ministers do defer to the technical experts, a 12-month breakout, what kind of structure would give us a 12-month breakout guarantee. so long as we are at 12-months breakout, i consider that we have a clear view that parliament would endorse such a settlement. i certainly don't recall any colleagues saying a 12-month breakout time is insufficient in the mood of par limit would certainly regard 12 months as being adequate. we're clear for our own reasons. but, also,.

>> would it require an international treaty which would require ratification? >> it would be on a motion to support the agreement. >> that would be a detail eded agreement drawn up. at best, there might be an agreement on the key elements. it would take several months of huge detail to make sure the loopholes, the technical specifications have been nailed down. and you may recall that the extension of the joint action agreed in vienna runs until the 13th of june. and my guess, until you get to that point, which you may not have an agreement, where we can say yes, we now have an agreement. >> if the agreement as the response secretary said, would

almost be the united nations security council for a form of endorsement. >> foreign secretary, do you agree that the iranian government is determined to maintain on a breakout, the capability of exercising the option of having a nuclear weapon?

>> there's not a homogeneous position. there are different factions as there are in many governments as there are in probably many iranian societies. i suspect quite sharply divided on this issue. i think the important point is that we are not assuming good intent. we are working from the assumption that there could be a breakout that gives us a year's notice were that to happen. that's how we're approaching the debate. >> foreign secretary, that

completes our questionnaire. if there's any note that you might want to refer to before i wrap things up? >> as it happens,. >> the seo reviewed all license extents in russia. the,co ensured that all were revoked. there's around just over a hundred, we think joule use licenses remaining in place. but these are in respect of goods up for non-military uses. for example, i.t. security products, mobile telecons products products which require licenses but which are not for military use. if i may i'll write to you chairman, and just confirm the detail behind that.

>> foreign secretary, this is the last time you will be joining us and we've enjoyed you over the last year or so. so we'd like to thank you to go to the annual fellow official ins front office for the cooperation you've given us over the last five years. >> on behalf oeft committee,

. any e i never heard of nor heard of anything being proposed comparable to this. if i had, i guarantee you, no matter what the issue no matter whofsz president, i would have certainly rejected it? i think no one is questioning anybody's right to decent. any senator go the floor any day and raise any of the questions that were raised in that. to write them and suggest that

they're going to give a constitutional lesson which, by the way,. >> it's in the constitution. but the vast majority of international arrangements in agreements do not. and, around the world today we have all kinds of executive agreements that we deal with. protection of our troops, the recent agreement that we just did with afghanistan, any number of noncontroversial but broadly supported policy dolls.

>> it's recognized and accepted by congress from the earliest period in american history. now, with respect to the talks, we've been clear from the beginning. we're not negotiating. a legally binding plan. we're not going to have a capacity for enforcement. we don't even have diplomatic relations with iran right now. and the senators letter erroneously assert that is this is a legally binding plan. it's not. that's number one. number two, it's incorrect. it's incorrect when it says congress can modify the terms of an agreement at any time. that's flat wrong. they don't have a right to modify an agreement between

leaders of the country. sure, can a president come in with a different attitude? no president i think at this agreement meets its task and does what it's supposed to do in conjunction with china, russia france germany great britain, all of whom are going to either sign off or not sign off on an agreement. i'd like to see all of those countries if they're saying this is good, that's not going to happen. i have to tell you, you know, knowing what we know about this, this risks undermining the confidence that foreign confidence in thousands of important agreements commit to the united states and other countries.

>> aside from the legalities this letter also raises questions of judgment and policy. we know that there are people in iran who are opposed to any negotiated arrangement with a p5 plus 1. we know that a solution is not going to happen if iran's leaders are not going to make hard choices about the size and scope of the nuclear program. we know that a nuclear armed iran is unacceptable. >> mr. secretary. >> h is not a speech. a letter does not have legal thorty. and, you know i think you have to ask what people are trying to accomplish.

the author of the letter says he doesn't want these agreements to be made and he thinks before the judgment is even made, that it's a mistake. so we'll see where we wind up. >> okay, thank you. the border are determined to tackle this problem and bring perpetrators to justice. >> questions for the prime minister. >> thank you, mr. speaker. this morning i had meetings with >> thank you, mr. speaker. this morning, i had callings to my duties in the house. >> stellar creasey. >> thank you, mr. speaker.

our allies are warning between dangers of us and the america list. so, tell us, for the next parliament, what is more important to him. >> we are with the black hole budget and we've filled that gap. we're investing in defense. our economy is strong and our country is safe. >> in the post-office mediation scheme, the post office has just sat and told them to destroy all of their papers. does my friend agree that it is

essential the second report should not be suppressed but should be supplied to sub postmasters and mps starting with the honorable member for west palm beach west and the select committee. >> it makes a very important point. >> so that they can do their job properly. >> the prime minister said in this house, he wanted a head-to-head debate.

>> he said -- he said -- he said it was game on. when did he lose his nerve. >> if he wans the debate, i offered a date. the week starting the 23rd of march. why wouldn't he say yes to it. i'm going to be at the debate. but i'm asking him about the two-way debate between him and me. now, mr. speaker. stfgs a good proposal then it's a good proposal now.

he said any time, any place, anywhere. we've now got a situation where it's obvious, labor can't win without the s&p. he says -- he says we need the two liters. we need the two leaders who can call the tune. that's me. so let's have the debate. >> order. nobody in the house of commons. >> it is not going to happen.

members will be heard. >> mr. speaker these are pathetic, feeble excuses. can we take it that there are no circumstances that he will debate me head-to-head between now and the general election. >> we've had four years of debates. and we find out he's got no policies. he's got no plan. he's got no team. he's got no clue of running the country. they cannot win the election. here is the lead they put out in scotland. i think the s&p might be interested in this. at the general election, we need to stop the torreys being the largest party. they're not trying to win. they're just trying to crawl through the gates of daney street on the protell of the s&m. so what he's dwot to do is prove that he's not a chicken and rule that out.

>> there's only one person preparing for defeat. and it's this prime minister. we know you lost to the deputy prime minister last time. why don't you just cut out the feeble excuses and it might be the truth before you lose it again. >> he wants to talk about the future and the television program. i want to talk about the future of the country.

four questions three weeks ago, he can't talk about jobs because we're growing jobs. he can't talk about unemployment because unemployment is falling, he can't talk about inflation because it's about a record low. the truth is he's weak and despicable and wants to crawl to power in alex sherman's pocket. >> if he's so confident, if he's so confident while is he chickening out of the debate with me. >> i'll tell you why this matters, it goes to his character. it goes to his character. the public will see through his feeble excuses. instead of these ridiculous tactics. why doesn't he show a bit more backbone and turn up for the head-to-head debate with me any time, anywhere any place. >> i will tell him what goes to

character. >> it's this useless prime minister. >> that question will be heard. the noise is being made by some members on both sides of the house in order is a disgrace to the house of commons. the right honorable gentlemen will be heard and the prime minister will be heard. that is the end of the matter.

>> and on the head-to-head debate, we learned something, mr. speaker. >> the truth is, they've got nothing to say on policy. nothing to say on the economy. the only way to daney street is on alex coat tails. the british people will never have it.

>> because of the time scale it's highly unlakely to be a full response before the end of parliament. would my friend e friend who has taken an interest in this as who have over a hundred members of this house given assurance that they will not slip as soon as possible in the new parliament that will be an attempt at closing down this terrible tragedy in our country. >> first of all, let me pay tribute to the gentleman who has led on this issue. i suspect that members of parliament that every constituency in the house who have constituents who have hepatitis c or hiv because of contaminated blood coming to their surgeries as i have who tell very moving stories. i think it is right to wait for the inquiry. and let me be clear, that is not an excuse. i want us to take action.

>> inside the european union we've created more jobs than the rest of the european union together. and now what we need to do is to reform welfare to make sure the people who come from other european countries can claim unemployment benefit, leave six months without a job and after work for four years before they get tax credits. that's what you'll kbelt.

>> mary mccloud? >> in celebrating international women's day, the prime minister can be congratulated in making it happen for women. more females than ever before and more child care prevention than ever before. given that women are poor to the long-term economic plan. my friends support the select committee to make sure the future governments do as much for women as this one has done. >> i'd certainly join her in agreeing to that. but, of course there's still disadvantage in barriers to break down in our country. there are more women than ever before, the pay gap has been under-eradicated. there's help with child care and people with caring responsibleties. and we've also tried to help women around the world not least by campaigning and working to cut out fgm and also put an end to the horrors of forced marriage.

i think this government does have a good record on promoting issues within women's rights. not just here in the u.k. but right around the world. >> a charity last year gave out 6,00 food parcels to local families. and would he tell those families why 30 years after the minor's strike, yet, geb, our community has to fight for this hopeless government. is that why he won't go head-to-head and debate it? >> i'll tell the honorable lady, what we inherited, because we've seen unemployment come down in the northwest.

>> hi honorable friends are actually right to mention science. and, of course the science budget during this parliament because it's been absolutely essential to build the modern manufacturing in advanced e con pli that we want to see. you're going to see the next initiative to fund the henry royce institute, all of these big investments in science in the next parliament. >> carolyne lucas? >> it's been estimated that

market structures and contracting for the private sector. it costs over 10 billion pounds a year. why doesn't he think that mund e money would be better spent on patient care? >> what we've done is actually save money by cutting out bureaucracies. we're seeing an extra 4 1/2 billion pounds. >> the idea that is only one way to deliver health care in our brilliant hs is completely wrong. >> mr. speaker, people with a learning disabilitity can still

find love which will recognize the commitment of local employers to people with a learning disability. people whose talents and ability in the workplace are too often hidden. >> i can certainly join my rightful friend in praising the great work of the inclusion zone, which is launching this friday. what we need to do is build on the success already of deployment of disabled people up over 141,000 over the last year. this is where we need not just a change in action, but a change in culture. which is why the disability confidence campaign. >> with over a thousand employers committed to change their practices with disabled people. >> i'm sure the prime minister will want to join me in congratulating titanic belfast. this is to become the best international group visitor

attraction. >> the much bigger prize of political stablt and economic progress is being jeopardized and renegeing on promises in the storm agreement. >> first of all, let me join the honorable lady and praising the titanic exhibition. it is absolutely brilliant in terms of a visitor attraction and, yet, another reason to visit belfast, for people not just around our united kingdom, but around europe and around the world. i agree with her that what matters is now implementing the agreement and everyone should do what they signed up to do in that greemt should they be included. and i know that hi honorable friend is working very hard to try to make sure everyone fulfills their pledges. >> will the prime minister join me in paying fribt to the many dedicated health professionals

who work at st. anne's hospice. and does he agree with me that the decision to divulge 6 billion pounds in manchester that presents a tremendous opportunity to better integrate health care services and secure our more positive long-term funding aragement for our local hospices. >> agreeing with my honorable friend, the hospice movement is another good example of something that provides vital health and social services in our country which is not necessarily owned and operated by the nhs. i'm a parent who used a hospice in oxford regularly and was absolutely amazed by the brilliant work that they do. what we've done is allocated over a 00 did e dread billion of capital fund in addition to the 10 million to the chirn's hospices. i would welcome that both the nhs money is being made more available as he says.

>> just the courts shows the looming deaths in three years time. ten more of these were commissioned last year into the e distressed local health economies around the country. and, yet, after repeated stone walling, health ministers are saying consul tan sill firms are not guilty conditioning in the local health economies as described in the question. so can i ask the prime minister election or no election, why is the government engaged in a cover-up of what lies in store for the large part of nhs around the country. >> there's a pat ernt e ent mr. speaker, are determined to try and frighten people about the future of nhs.

they are the last people who should do it. mr. speaker this is the third time in four months i've raised the prime minister questions. nhs england letting down the 180 or so people with ultra red diseases, some of whom are outside the house today who have been failed by the flawed process. some of those children will lose access to their jobs from may and their conditions will deteriorate irreversibly. we have to questions. will he announce where we'll get interim funding for the drugs that the children and these

people need? >> my understanding having looked at this, i know the health and science ministers look very care lyfully. i met with the families and my understanding is that nhs england is holding a review. the review will be completed by the end of april. the companies are currently funding these drugs till the end of may. i don't see any reason why there shouldn't be continueity of care and drugs. that's what i hope we can achieve. >> it's also an important commitment to be a reliable ally. only last september the prime minister still thought he was important when he lectured other countries they should meet britain's commitment. is he not just a little bit

embarrassed he went back on this? >> it's a commitment. what i would say to the honorable lady is how does she feel about her leader con templating a deal with the snp. we who want to strip this country of their defenses. he won't rule it out. they're trying to be the largest party. they're not trying to be a majority. that's the risk we face. >> david amos. >> with unemployment falling in south and enterprises expanding, 310 new businesses being created, will my right honorable friend describe to the house which government policies will see this recovery continuing so

that the irresistible and unstoppable case the south end to be made a city actually happens. we're cutting the jobs tax. that's helping. we have the lowest corporation rate tax. we're abolishing national insurance. all of these things and sticking to our long term economic plan as the oecd, imf and others advise us to can make sure the south end can continue and perform well. >> rosie cooper. >> in protecting universal benefit, the prime minister said pensioners deserve dignity when they retire.

retired constituents should say what's the point when there are no buses or even trains. or even trains. as conservative council the additional money which would have been allowed to access to trains. will the prime minister do the right thing? >> the honorable lady needs to bring her question to a close, but that question not with standing a display very considerable rudeness towards her will be heard. that's the end of it. it will be heard no matter how long it takes. r rosie cooper. >> will the prime minister do the right thing and ensure the

concessionary travel for all pensioners is fair and equitable. >> the buses are the responsibility of council. we have kept our commitments and upgraded the pensions. pension ners will haveers will have 950 pounds more than when i became prime minister in 2010. we committed to keeping the free bus pass into the television license. we've kept each and every one of those promises. we got beyond that by saying to pension ners that they don't need the buy an annuity. that's their money and savings. they can spend it as they choose. this has been a government that recognize people need the dignity and security.

>> more than 20 teachers a weer are dying of exposure to asbestos. our children are known to be vulnerable. >> she raises a very important issue when she was well broadcast and covered on the media the last couple of days. that's why we're carrying out an asbestos review. we will publish it and action will have to be taken. >> mr. david plunkett. >> mr. speaker, i was thinking of raising with the prime minister the conservative so-called long term economic plan.

i thought with just two prime minister questions to go i'd ask the prime minister whether he shared my imminent relief that neither he nor i will have to pencil in 12 noon on a wednesday any longer. >> can i take this opportunity as he will be shortly leaving this house to pay tribute to the right honorable gentlemen. i will never forget coming to this place in 2001 and seeing him in the light of the appalling terrorist attacks taking place across the world the strong leadership that he gave on the importance of keeping our country safe. he is remarkable politician. a remarkable man. i remember once even though he couldn't see who we all were he knew who was concentrating and who wasn't. i don't know how he has this extraordinary gift but he is an extraordinary politician. i pay tribute to him. i know the rest of the house

will join me. can i put it tom prime minister that the outcome could be a lot more unpleasant. is it not now the case if voters go to bed with nigel on may 7th not only would they wake up with leader opposition but could end up snuggled next to alex? >> that is the point. who knows who you could wake up in bed with. it might not just be alex. it might be nigel or any number of people. of course. of course that's an option too. it all points to the difference between the competence of the conservatives and the chaos of the alternative.

>> mr. gregory. >> the people had the sexual abuse issue put on to the spotlight as members of the ira stand accused of holding kangaroo courts retraumatizing victims. >> i will look at what the honorable gentleman has said. in the agreement there are a set of measures and proposals to try and deal with the issues of the past in a fair and accountable way and perhaps this is one such issue that could be dealt with in that way. >> carolyn. >> thank you mr. speaker.

the recent 420 million pound contract to service the held kopt helicopter fleet. will the prime minister reassure us to the defense spending and defense jobs. >> i can make that commitment. we have said that the 160 billion pound equipment program over the next decade is fully protected and will grow in real terms and having been to see for myself the new docks that are being put in to welcome the queen elizabeth aircraft carrier and the massive investment in terms of ship services and her own constituency. a new order pumping money into our defense and leading to the trading of apprentices and jobs and livelihood for many years to come. >> greg davis. >> a couple with two children

with man earning 25,000 pounds a woman earning 10,000 pounds will be 9,470 pounds worse off if they stay together. is this another reason you won't go head to head in a re-election debate? >> i seem to remember he voted against. if he cares about couples, he cares about commitment, he should be helped and voting with us. >> it's been an honor and a privilege to be a member of parliament for the last five years. i'm proud that in that time crime has fallen. there's more doctors and more nurses in the george elliot

hospital. the number of schools rated as needing improvement has halved. most importantly unemployment has fallen to the lowest levels since constituency records began in 1983. it isn't just empty rhetoric. it makes a real difference to people on the ground gripping the economy, gripping the deficit and having effective long term economic plan. >> i pay tribute to my honorable friend and all the work he's done. he's work hard to make sure it continues to benefit from our long term economic plans. >> i think the prime minister know this could my last prime minister question. after 20 happy years representing bradford south.

i'm making my retirement plans. >> can i congratulate him not only in his service but winning a bi-election. we've all got plans for after may 7th. >> licking their lips in public at the prospect of one of the two main parties into delaying or abandoning the replacement will the prime minister confirm if he is still prime minister in 2016, as he should be, that he will certainly ensure that the main gate contracts for four

successor submarines are signed that year? >> for me trident and its replacements are non-negotiable. this is the leaflet going out across scotland. they've given up trying to be the government. they want to crawl on the coat tails of the snp and put our countries at risk. the british people will never have it. >> mr. speaker, 17,000 police officers have gone in this parliament. under the chancellor spending plans another 30,000 would go in the next parliament. the out going president of the association of chief police officers it would no longer be

possible adequately to protect the public from criminals or the threat of home grown terrorists. is he right? >> we have difficult decisions but crime is down including crime in the west mid lands. >> order. club for growth president david mcintosh discussing his group recentless look at

congress and how members vote on economic and limited government legislation. after that will marshal will talk about the recent policy agenda. plus your phone calls, facebook comments and tweets. this sunday on q and a, dr. adrian, director of the georgetown university medical center watchdog product. >> the promotion of a drug starts 7 to 10 years before a drug comes on the market. while it's illegal for a company

to market a drug before it's been approved by the fda, it's not illegal to market a disease. drug companies have invented diseases or kpajexaggerated the importance of a particular mechanism of a drug. then blanketed medical journals and medical meetings and other venues with these messages that are meant to prepare the minds of clinicians to accept a particular drug and also to prepare the minds of consumers to accept a particular condition. >> sunday night at 8:00 eastern. next a look at religion and politics from the american revolution of modern times. the dan forth center in st.

louis partnered with southern methodist university center for presidential history for this event. this discussion is 90 minutes. >> she is the author of religion and profit. she's been a fellow. her current project the cause of true religion investigates the consequences of american revolution in north america, britain and europe. our second panelist is darren

dochunk. he's associated professor at washington university in st. louis. in 2011 he published from bible belt to sun belt. the book one a host of prizes. he's currently working on a book titled edd anointed with oil. our third panelist is dr. spencer.

his book, a peculiar people was published in 2012. the presentation is entitled never ending mormon moments. our fourth and final comes from dr. charles irons. his current research is on the

complyicate process of black church goers with drew. his topic is religion and the outsider candidates. each gust will give their presentation one after the other without taking much of break in between. after these prentsationssentations the moderator will open the floor to questions. you can direct to a particular panelist or the group. we welcome the comments and questions. we encourage you to participate with us. let's welcome our first guest.

>> thank you for that introduction. thank you for being here and joining us for this first session so early in the morning. it's a pleasure to see the distinguished scholars and friends and panelists. welcome all. this is topic that's been in the press lately. colorado and texas saw very public and very political struggles over the proper teachings of the nation's history. the college board, a private organization that administers the widely used advanced placement tests used in high schools released new guidelines. conservative pundits accused the new curriculum for promoetsing a disdain for american principals and a lack of knowledge.

those are the words of the members of the state board of texas education. it created the impression of a secular debate. if we look into the complaints against the curriculum we can find strong residences of what is, i would like to suggest a religious practice shared by many con sefbtive christians. the active and repeated story of the nation's founding through a form of historical reasoning derived from reading skrpt scriptture has produced a unique, identifiable narrative of history that stripped of its religious connotations influences public life through the aps history curriculum.

many americans have been very very interested in the process of revolutionary war and especially in the lives of the founders who are seen as some of the greatest and obviously most fluent fluential americans. they are participating in larger national conversation on the subject. many christian who is want to pursue interest in the founding era can through sights that are endorsed by various organizations or various other christian organizations find their way to academic scholarship and christian historians have played a very active role in mediating between the academic community and christian interest in the

subject. i don't want to minimize those trends. what i'd like focus on is a vocal and distinctive that co-exists with these other trends. the concept that scripture interprets scripture the bible is its best own commentary. the concept is repeated widely in various guides for understanding that complex text and link to buy scripture alone. it must provide all the tools necessary for its own interpretation and the overall meanings of the entire text must harr monoize.

some moments are far more important than others to understanding the principals of the whole. the interpretor determines what these are through his or her knowledge through the whole and the principals. applying this strategy to a relatively recent moment in history like the american revolution requires a two step process. first, the knowledgeable writer introduces the error with a clear since of its guidesing meaning. with that reading in mind it can be undertaken. i'd like to suggest that the practice of interpreting the american founding as having consistent and identifiable principals transforms the purpose of learning about history and the kinds of evidence used. studying the path with the same practices they use to study the bible conservative christians make reading the american revolution a religious act.

the american patriots bible begins with the seven principles of the judoao christian ethics. it's not important that they be uniformly representative of the public opinion or even the founders as the authors are quick to point out. the important element is they are guiding principale inging principles. whether each of the founding fathers was a christian is not the issue. the majority of them embraced

the great principles as a basis for a civilized nation. this might be expected four front principles in equally stark ways. the list is not original but rather is taken from a widely sited and circulated work teaching and learning americans christian history. true moonings, lessons and motivators were a high level of protestant devotion, god's kov covenant with the american people and the faithfulness of the founding fathers.

how does the american revolution look when viewed through these principles. conservative christian historians are againcomfortable in a topical vain. the primary goal is to focus on washington's character as it appeared in different situations. the consequences to take the man out of time. michael novack uses a similar

strategy when he frames this is his heading for the substantial heading in the book, 10 questions about the founding. despite this non-narrative approach the key moments can be teased out. the story begins with the pilgrims. the founding of plymouth becomes the first act in the revolutionary war. it focuses on two key points. the importance of public pray and personal piety of particular leaders. it's the pivotal moment in the narrative. from that terrible winter in 1977 and '78, writers turned to

the fulfillment in the constitution almost ten years later or more frequently to topical analyses of the guiding principles. following chapter then covers the founding of all 13 colonies and some detail but concludes with is summary section. christian dominance in the settlement of every single colony the authors claim. the purritans provide their best evidence. it would just as well have been made by all 13 colonies they claim. it stated we all came into these

parts of america with one in the same end and aim mainly to advance the kingdom of our lord jesus christ and enjoy the liberty of the gospel and peace. as it's authors use roughly half the pages to describe the pilgrims and the puritans. including details sump as the color of the wake behind the mayflower and even fiction izealized

dialogue. this telescoping between past and present creates highly readable prose. describing the mayflower compact they provide a perfect example of how it all theters the framing. it also quote embodied the same principles of equality and government by con sent of the govern that would become the corner stones of american democracy. this is amended with a parenthetical reaching far back into history as they assert the true origins can be found with the ancient hebrews.

a history stretches from bibl biblical times. the document itself and the question of what's meant by principles of equality amidst language that stresses is up politician obedience and the sovereignty of the king is not part. rather than inviting anymore plotting narrative of history. how is this document framed within its particular moment. we can see this process again if we look to where the narratives

go next. from the puritans we jump to the revolution. this means we jump over the declaration of independence. it's a sacred text is then treated separately in a topical fashion rather than situated in its immediate pragmatic context of gramming with the complexities of separating from england. michael novack lists seven events that reveal the power of the second ring. the first is liberty and the second is humble faith.

one must remember what is being motivated is not historical action such as anger over the massachusetts port act but rather the american founding in its greatest terms. he argues it's prayer and makes this argument by going back. this various elements are then reenforced through the repeated appearance. the second characteristic of the war years is be piety of the nation's leadership.

rather than offer examples of his own words the authors focus on the dilemma of how man of such greatness can even be flown including glowing retellings from after his death. it brings together the character lessons embedded in the teaching about washington the importance of prayer the key role of faith through difficult times. familiar to many americans of washington bowing his head in prayer at valley forge. the great man sought privacy, he was seen by a neighboring quaker who then spread the word. the story of the general kneeling in the snow in valley forge is of a man who in a time

of crisis turned to his faith to act decisively. that poor meaning is in this case a nation was united in a time of trial behind a christian leader who looked to god. christian assert the importance of that ideal to our own era and establish the nation is founded. at this point the war ends and jump topical reframings of the constitution or the application

of the principles that have been elaborated to the present. there are other elements of the popular imagine that's left out of this retelling that make the christian narrative distinctive. this last one, i think, when i hear academic historians talk about founding era and how it appears in popular imagine this is one surprising because the ratification process probably provides the best evidence of christian voices seeking to shake a christian nation. that piece of the story is left out. these omissions are not a

problem. the meaning is clear, tran century dent and timeless. the programs of the founding era era, we should think of the importance of devout christian leaders. the current principles provide the purpose for studying the era. until they are universally embraced they provide need to repeatedly study and contemplate the era.

this is a history as religious practice as much as it is religious as a political act. it provides an important intertwining in the early 21st century. thank you. [ applause ] >> good morning. i'm going to take a few minutes to talk about pipelines and protestants. just a few of those in these parts. early 2012 amid the unprecedented heat of one of the strangest springs in history barack obama set out for oklahoma to jump start an energy tour. the politician had work to do win re-election and seem unphased by the blistering

temperatures and torrential storms that made march feel like july. obama brushed over weather and talked energy instead. first came a tribute folks who drilled the nation's crude and an appeal to their vote. we have quadrupled the number of operating rigs to a record high. we added enough new pipeline to encircle the earth and then some. obama statement as he called it above the energy came last. the plan was for foldur fold. more jobs loyal development and infrastructure with government assist. more drive towards renewable

energy and care of the environment and more domestic production and less dependency on foreign oil. that's how we have to think about energy. open ended energy policy benefit the earth or reverse blowglobal warming. to be fair the talk was boilerplate designed to rally troops and illustrate tentative thinking. when he won the democratic

primary in 2008 he predicted the administration will begin to slow and begin to heal. his broader record further reveals uncertainty. delayed in others paused for viermtsal reassessment and infuriated activists and canadians, tough to do with his indecision. the president has been trapped repeatedly in the conundrums of energy politics.

no simple matter of opposed self-interest. energy politics are totalizing it's always been that way especially with oil, my focus for today. since the dawn of their oil age, americans have viewed the black stuff as more than a source of fuel. it's defined their diet and sent them to war. allowed regions to flourish others to fall. generate anxiety about america's place in this world an its people's projects in the next. considering oil's ultimate significance it's no far reach to conclude that president day energy politics in which obama is embroiled carry religious weight. this is what i like to conclude. what i would like us to conclude today that our struggles over pipelines represent a clash of

competing carbon gospels stemming from particularlities of place their renders and sacred terms and the disjunctive history and visions of the future that frame their possibilities. i'm going to glance very briefly at four gospels evidenced in obama's speech. first kruds awakening, that which kind of stimulated a protest against the petro machine in defense of possessingive individualism.

at the heart of the predicament is a quest to help petroleums underclass. if you look at recent struggles over the pipeline in the dakotas we see ranchers joining native americans to protest. the way in which land is being taken from them. this is combined with anxiety over jobs just how many jobs will or will not be created by the pipeline. these concerns bring together interesting curious coalition of activists have made oil patch locals of all political stripes ranchers native americans.

convinced of only two things. oil companies cannot be trusted to care for the land and labor pools they seek to tap and local people deserve the fruits of the resource development that's disrupting their soil. they echo a disquiet that's reverberated for over a century which takes us back to the first crude awakening in the early 20th century. it created an intending gospel of protest against petro capitalism. it's those rank and file producers and locals who struggled under the weight of john d. rockerfeller's oil. rockefeller was evangelical in his view of oil. besides deeming his extraction of crude providential, he believed it was acts of

redemption expected to rescue the oil business from chaos. the christian certainty gave him a capacity to think in strategic terms. but also a messy self-righteousness of the mortals who made the mistakes of standing in his way. the mortals clawed back with moral critique. a journalist is a woman who destroyed the standard trust. what is less appreciated is the degree to which in this moment tarbell's actions grew out of her wrestling with god and her ghosts of her youth. i don't have time to walk us through her history of fascinating biography. someone who was raised in western pennsylvania in oil country, to methodist parents. someone who took her methodist

faith quite seriously. she in fact was very much part of the shitauglynn movement just a few hours away in new york. in western pennsylvania, her father was an oil man whose spear was crushed by the rockefeller machine. she started to look at journalism as a possibility to combine her faith, her familial history and work that into a stinging critique of standard oil. we know the rest of the story, by 1904 she publishes the history of standard oil, which identifies rockefeller really as the man who symbolized all that's wrong in national life at that moment. and then the ultimate conclusion to this is the supreme court's ruling of 1911 which dismantled standard oil. the other legacy here, the one that would be in the future generations was a dock rin of pristine or possessive capitalism. when fighting rockefeller,

tarbell stressed the innately pure qualities of the local patch in which she grew up. hers is not a condemnation, but to clean it up. life was joyous in these men, she writes glowingly, of men like her father. they look forward to the eagerness of the young who just learned their powers to the years of struggle. there was nothing they did not hope and dare. tarbell's faith in oil's first generation mirrored her belief in church and human ability of biblical principles. it matched her conviction that petrol capitalism would have to retain totalitarian if it would survive. she theologyized that she came to understand the struggle with standard as one to protect the value of small-scale production by individual laborers. she would write, god gave man the land, but man has to use his hand and brain in its cultivation before he can feed and clothe and shelter himself. it is the partnership of the two, land and labor, which produces wealth.

because of rockefeller, she lamented, labor had been made dependent on capital, by capital's theft of the land which god gave to all. so though she couldn't imagine it at the time, her countering epic of individuals would endure among men and women like her parents for generations to come. this leads to a second and third crude awakenings that i'll refer to briefly. it was fractured into 34 different companies, benefited from the diversification. in the 1930s, and 1940s, it's in this moment of chaos in east texas where new -- a new oil

boom is bringing kind of overproduction to the awareness of the federal government that the new deal is deciding to work with major companies to create some sense of order in the fields. here, the standards of new jersey, california, new york, are going to team up with heraldices, the secretary of the 1930s and '40s to bring orders to the fields. he and others at this moment, like eddy and loose, are going to frame a new vision, what i would call a civil religion of crude in the mid-20th century, in which government working with major oil companies could encourage expansion of both christiandom and a gentler kind of democratic oil kingdom to the rest of the world. william eddy was one of the spokespersons of this vision, rights in 1940, as he was trying

to open up saudi arabia for aramco standard of california. quote, we who believe in christendom need to cover ourselves with tolerance, re verence and charity. and wherever we walk we shall find ourselves on holy ground. three years later as a consultant for california standard, he was surveying arabia for crude. and brokering a deal between saudi's king and america's president based on his, in his mind, a mutual trust. his was a firm belief shared by by ices, mattered to major oil to usher humanity into a new age. in the religious fervor behind this message has abated as witnessed in obama's cushing's speech. bringing the federal government actually into the regulatory position that we see today. obama's gesture to this benevolence and closing to god's blessing, i think we see the

second to the reckoned awakening today. this is the rise of the wildcat oilmen we are familiar with here in texas, of course. wildcat imperative was a response to, defense to what herald ices and the american government was doing, partnering major oil companies with washington to open up foreign fields. it was defensive in the sense that independent oil producers here in the southwest especially felt that their vision of america, their vision of their industry was being challenged. a number of prophets kind of stepped up at this moment to champion the rule of capture of the wildcatter. a very evangelical etiology, if you will.

one of them was robert kerr, a more hopeful optimistic, positive kind of wildcatter, if you will, as oklahoma's governor and senator in the 1940s and '50s, he labored to meet independent oil's needs and carried the mantdle for the dispo sesed, although a wealthy dispo sesed. giving small producers the protection they deserved. what's interesting here, too, is how kerr very prominent southern baptist was able to fold his kind of politics and his interests in the protection of independent oilmen with his faith in the ability of individuals to approach scripture and christ on their own terms, much as the same way they approached subsurface minerals. there was also a harder edge to this wild cattle christianity

that emerged in the '70s. connecting the fear of peek oil, the fear that america was losing its ability to control its most valued resource, losing that to the middle east, to saudi arabia. that took the dispensationalism, here, prophets like john walter, combined the fears of peak oil to end times thinking, that the end was nye, and america had lost its ability to prepare for the end times in the right manner. why? because the federal government and major oil companies, of course, had stolen their authority and power. that brings us to the fourth crude awakening. this is the one we're dealing with today. a carbon-free gospel, if you will. despite his sweeping promises at cushing, obama failed to convince the leaders to the awakening. it makes no sense at all, speaking of obama's referencing of improving the environment and renewable energy sources. drilling everywhere you can and

then putting up a solar panel is like drinking six martinis and then topping them off with a vitamin water. you're still drunk, you just have your day's allotment of c and d. the testiest of obama's naysayers are leading this fourth crude awakening, whose faith and reform was bolstered by obama's stirring speech during the '08 democratic national convention. but whose trust has been battered since. several voices stand out but no one is more earnest than bill mcquiben, and author of some of the most articles against global warming. mckiben became an author activist, and then just activist in 2011, just as the keystone crisis was emerging. and since then, of course, as we

know, has led marches through washington, through new york city just a month ago. with each step forward, as an activist, mckiben has been more deliberate in reaching back into the repositories of scripture. in a way his view of oil as the ultimate moral test for humanity mirrors that of his muckraking predecessor with whom he shares his methodism and theological eclecticism with the awe of nature's mysteries, and transcendent view of terrestrial things. through his writings, through his activism, he has managed to stir up a new constituency of activists. i think a very interesting one. young evangelicals aligned with sojourners. many coming from the oil patch itself, particularly from texas. the youth have journeyed to washington to stand with mckiben, with nuns, mennonites and quakers in opposition to the keystone. in other isolated moments, they have traveled to nebraska and texas to chain themselves to

bulldozers, pray on pipe. and in all of this, they see this as a great revival brewing of the kind witnessed in the 19th century led by charles finney. mckiben would disagree with the way in which zealous evangelical in the way in which zealous young people are still looking for the next revival n. his estimation the fires of revival are already burning bright. so barack obama you might say also senses the heat of these four revivals these four awakening. unlike mckibens however, his charge is manny fold, living with countering carbon gospels, his is a tough task that demands a careful sorting out which is why his energy policy is a path of convenience and why his energy path could very well be his successors too. but change is coming.

keystone's final decisions are impending and its destiny and consequences for the people on the plains to be decided soon. all the more it seems now that pipeline supporting republicans have taken control of the senate. according to washington insiders, the keystone was seen as the big winner on tuesday and one of the most heralded in gop circles and republicans have promised to make the pipeline a priority with a goal of sending the president a bill to authorizing the completion and daring him to veto. whether lost or won, it is the tip of mountain warfare between multiple parties all of which hold deep convictions about the proper place of oil and energy in our new millenal. mckibens may end up losing the keystone fight and wildcatters may win but it is forcing many north americans to reckoning where global warning is concerns. and the reckoning has produced

new results and new directions. even as the koch brothers an the lobby for pipeline friendly initiatives have raised the ire of american liberals in alberta, home to the oil sands, it is green salvationist billions borrowing from a canadian journalist seem threatening to the order. among the sal visit is billionaires of who the angry canadians speak, are pews who are leading a campaign and in the case of the former divesting their former oil holdings following the lead of mckibens. rocky fellers abandoning oil and the pews shunning oil, such are the striking signs of revolution that would surprise ida tar bell and worry the likes of john wol ford. we historians shouldn't be too surprised. change is what we write about.

so too contingency and the flighting of categories. even a quick glance of these turns in the light of 20th and 21st century oil should remind us of that. we are privy to a host of characters and dynamics that line up with our conventions of political history. the spiritual calamity of oil created clash of con surgents and sacred and secular and evangelical and non-faith and shared behind shared ethics of custodianship's over earth's most valued treasure, the degree to which it will interrupt our narratives and categories and produce political realignments going forward is a question yet to be answered. what is striking finally is the way in which the locking arms over pipelines in protest have

kind of created a transcended ambition and worry for many americans over the issue of oil. we short change our histories of modern america when we don't calculate the structures, meaning those living in oil-rich zones describe to labor and the extent to which they will go to their right to thesen counters and we fall short for not allowing for dense complexities in the relationship. no conspiracy of interesting, big oil versus people and for rocky feller it was industrial america's life blood and for tarbell it meant the excrement of devil and the pattern of time and the nation's proper engagement with the world it is in the contestation within oil culture that can we identify the prompt for america's most profound and political turns. thank you.

[ applause ] >> thank you for being here. in the 2012 presidential election both candidates avoided mention of mr. romney's religion. it nevertheless spilled out hot everywhere. the obama campaign fumed when romney in a nod to evangelicals told sean hannity, obama wanted to make america a less christian nation. asked about the statement, romney said he wasn't familiar about what he said but he said, i stand by what i said whatever it was. tellingly, even with such nonstatements about faith in the air, neither could quite take mormonism head on. those official silences stood in tension with a wave of media

obsession that conjured a mormon moment that filled periodicals and news programs with the church of jack of latter-day saints and its members. is there a relationship between the ubiquitous discoveries of mormonism and the political silences surrounding it? this morning i contend that the specific form that american engagement with plormonism has long taken that of the ex pose, encourageing reflection in the study of politics about the meanings of religious secrecy. what can we say about the repeated keeping and disclosing of mormon secrets or put more crassly what does it mean that americans demand that mr. romney account for his underwear? journalists in 2012 were thrust into the basic paradox of this history. is mormonism is exotic creation

with strange rituals and secret patriarchs or is patriotic bland church extolling families and capitalist achievement. in part it is mormonism's limitality that has marked it for controversy. it is seen as both christian and not quite christian. as a religion and somehow more, or is it less than one. today i offer secrecy as a key full crom. mormonism secrets has been a classical problem for a time but it has made a distinctive mormon people possible. seen in this light, the consequential effects of secrecy give us more than details to round out a religion's

historical part rot but rather they provide us the mechanics of power itself and how it is constituted and contests. and since mormonism's stubborn concealment run into the teeth of our scholarly and democratic projects, they beg important questions of both american politics and those of us who study them. many religious traditions acknowledge some kind of hidden knowledge, just as sacred space can mark membership in pueblo quiva or mecca so has it been with spatial restrictions but religious secrets can signal danger. this was true of earliest christianity where the arc anie kept the faith's mysteries from nonbelievers andinishy ats alike and drew allegations of sub version. in the american context it was

similar in 19th srnts mormons and with the catholics and the moorish science temple and islam and the church of scientology after world war ii and muslims after september 11th 2001. mormonism may seek secretive but it did not start that way. it blossomed as the tradition entered a jenive second stage in the 1840s. when church leaders put secrecy at the church's administrative and sacramental core. police cal strategies polygamous marriages elaborate temple rituals. by 1850, mormonism teamed with secrets. through this robust but hidden sub strat em, mormons redefined family sexuality, time and human bodies themselves.

indeed, where mormon conceptions of space and time had earlier worked on the access of a holy city and a countdown, the 1840s innovations set the project on a new footing. the mormon temple had focused as the ax us mundy for the millennial city but now the saints' own body formed the holy of holies within the sacred spaces. appropriately mormon's both donned ceremonial clothing for the rites and mormons could scarily jet isson their secret things without pulling the foundation out from under substantial ritual and theological structures. it is not surprising then that ex-mormons have long known exactly how to leave or exactly where to strike. the secrets were just waiting to be exposed.