This is the first in a series on Christians and politics I'll be doing with my friend Mark. Idaho, which has some of the most staunchly pro-life laws in the nation, presently has a proposition on the ballot to legalize abortion up to the moment just before viability. To discuss the topic, we read directly from the state's voter pamphlet to make known the arguments both for and against the proposition. Along the way we discuss things like, why is there such an impasse between the pro-life and pro-choice camps? Why has Christianity for two thousand years been staunchly pro-life? And, why do liberals and progressives prefer to use ambiguous language when it comes to abortion? Come and think with us through this never-ceasing crucial issue.

Since the October 7 attack Israel has been in the news. With the help of Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens there has been a fascinating turn against Israel inside the U.S. Even conservative pastors are joining the shift. So, in this cast o' the pod I discuss what is replacement theory—that the Church has replaced Israel as God's covenant people—and what is wrong with it from a biblical perspective. In the show's cultural-reflection I discuss recent fears about A.I. and delineate why I am now less concerned than I was a short time ago. Then, having just read two biographies of Karl Marx, I talk about what my big takeaways are for civilization. I never quite saw the mayhem for what it was until I read those two books. Come join me in thinking through life from a Christ-centered perspective.

The Catholic Church, for some 150 years, warned of the dangers of Socialism-Communism. But today massive chunks of the global Church are sympathetic to the claims and aims of Socialism. So it's a natural question, can a Christian be a Socialist? In this episode I work through the value system of Socialism to compare and contrast it with the biblical portrayal of reality. Within all that, fundamental to the Socialist system is the elimination of the traditional family. Why? Why is that such a constant through Socialism's history? I also discuss things like: today's Christian Emo music, the mascot of my High School, and the importance of not only looking through one's worldview (field of perception) but of looking at it. It is good to know why one believes (1 Pet. 3:15). Midway through the pod I discuss a development in Los Angeles that helps us understand the Socialist economy. Oh, I also note what Karl Marx did with regard to his own maid; he, the great Robin Hood for the working man, was a less than stellar boss. Come think and laugh with me!