Truth, goodness and beauty for Acadiana and all of Louisiana.

When cockfighting advocates showed up at the Saint Landry Parish Council meeting asking for help to legalize the blood sport again, they came armed with two arguments: money and culture. Louisiana was the last state in America to ban cockfighting in 2008, and Sunset, Louisiana was the cockfighting capital of the nation. Now they want it back, calling it Creole and Cajun heritage.

In this episode, Stuart Amidon sits down with Jonathan Dupuis and David Riley to discuss why the council was right to refuse, why the Bible is clear about how we treat animals, and what happens when Christians fail to bring Scripture to bear on public issues. We break down the two appeals—to majority opinion and economic benefit—and explain why neither holds water when you're deciding what's right and wrong.

We also discuss the reality that cockfighting (and dogfighting) are still happening illegally throughout Saint Landry Parish, why some cultural practices don't deserve preservation, and how the region's actual Christian heritage—visible in city seals, courtroom imagery, and the motto "All things to the glory of God"—provides the real standard for public life.

Because sometimes the right answer is simple: God says no. That's enough.

Welcome to another episode of The Parish Circuit, for truth, goodness and beauty for Acadiana and all of Louisiana.

When Buddhist monks walked through Central Louisiana on a "peace walk" to Washington D.C., Christ Fellowship pastor Jeffrey Mercer made a one-minute video explaining why Jesus—not Buddhism—offers real peace. The internet exploded. Christians called him hateful and intolerant. And then the Wesley Center, a United Methodist facility where his church had rented space for nine years, kicked them out.

In this episode, Stuart Amidon sits down with Pastor Jeff Mercer and Pastor Brian Rhodes from Grace Presbyterian to unpack what happened, why it happened, and what it reveals about the state of Christianity in the Deep South. We discuss the reaction from both Christians and non-Christians, the fear of being labeled a fundamentalist, what it means to speak clearly in the public square, and why young men are increasingly drawn to churches that proclaim truth without apology.

Watch Jeff's Videos:

• Original car video
• Follow-up statement

Christ Fellowship:

• cfcenla.com

In this episode, Stuart Amidon sits down with Building Official and Code Enforcement Director Lance Ned to reveal the real reasons behind the city’s countless empty properties.