GodArchy Podcast

In the 21st century, America's founding political principles seem pretty mundane. But in their time, they were extremely radical. And Thomas Paine was one of the most radical of the radicals. In this episode of the GodArchy podcast, I talk with historian and Paine biographer Dave Benner. We discuss the radical nature of Paine's thinking in its time and what we can learn from it today. We also talk about how Paine's Quaker upbringing influenced some of his political ideas.

What good is cryptocurrency anyway? With the steep decline in the price of bitcoin and the high-profile bankruptcy of the FTX exchange, you might be asking that question. But despite all of the negative press of late, there is still great potential for cryptocurrency. In this episode of the GodArchy podcast, I talk with Joël Valenzuela about all things crypto. Joël knows a little bit about cryptocurrency because he has been using it exclusively in has daily life for over seven years. That means he's not using dollars at all. He does all of his transactions - from buying groceries to paying his phone bill - using cryptocurrencies. Joël and I cover a wide range of topics surrounding crypto, from the basic "what is this" to the demise of the FTX exchange. He also explains how he's able to navigate his daily life using only crypto.

GodArchy has partnered with the Libertarian Christian Institute with the GodArchy podcast joining the Christians for Liberty Network. In this episode, I drop the big news and then talk with Libertarian Christian Institute CEO Doug Stuart. We discuss the work of LCI, how Doug got involved, and how we plan to work together to advance the gospel and liberty.

What is inflation? How does government use inflationary monetary policy to steal from you? And what are the spiritual/biblical implications? I cover these questions in this episode of the GodArchy podcast.

As the saying goes, there's more than one way to skin a cat. How do we advance liberty? Should we engage the political process? Or should we spurn it and undermine the state through other means? And what's the best way to talk about liberty in a compelling way? In this episode of the GodArchy podcast, I talk with Spike Cohen about strategies for liberty. Spike was the 2020 Libertarian Party vice presidential candidate. Today, he is continuing to advance liberty through his organization You Are the Power. During the interview, Spike and I also talk about how he became a libertarian and how his spiritual views inform his political philosophy.

You can't trust politicians! Pontius Pilate is the archetypical politician, and the way Pilate handled Jesus's trial teaches a lot of lessons about political power, the political process, democracy -- and why we shouldn't trust any of it. In this episode of the GodArchy podcast, I talk about some of these lessons. Walking through the account of Jesus's trial before Pilate, I delve into a number of spiritual and political issues including the characteristics that make Pilate the quintessential politician, the implications of the crowd choosing Barabbas over Jesus, the danger of democracy, and why we shouldn't ever count on the political process to make the world a more peaceful, prosperous place.

The U.S. has been involved in a war in Yemen for years. It's time to end it now. In this episode, I talk to foreign policy expert Scott Horton. He explains how the U.S. got into the war, its convoluted politics, the human cost, and how we can help stop the carnage.

I talk a lot about the moral and ethical illegitimacy of government. But as it now stands, we're stuck with it. So, how do we live free in this unfree world? I talk about it with Tricia Stuart-Mann. We discuss strategies to live more freely, including agorism. Tricia is an anarchist, a Christian and a content creator. Among her many projects, she is the host of the GingerArchy podcast.

Does history repeat? Does it rhyme? Does human nature change? These are some of the meaty topics I discuss with Dangerous History Podcast host CJ Killmer. CJ and I talk history, his approach to teaching the subject, and how history led him to libertarianism. And of course, we also talk about how government sucks and creates death and chaos wherever it goes.

In this episode, I chat with Doc Dixon. Doc is a professional magician who fooled Penn and Teller. He's also a libertarian and a Christian. In this wide-ranging (and hilarious) episode, we talk about a bunch of topics including show business, how libertarian and Christian thought go together, the impact of the sickness that shall not be named, and the importance of having a life outside of politics.

After about a 9-month hiatus, the GodArchy podcast has returned! For the GodArchy reboot, I talk a little about where I've been and where the show is going. I explain why I decided to bring the show back and what you can expect moving forward. There is also a little foray into why Christians should reject the state.

In this episode, I share a little about my journey through grief guided by "A Grief Observed" by C.S. Lewis. I also talk a little about my plans moving forward -- such as they are.

The last enemy to be destroyed will be death. I recently watched my mother die. It was a profound experience. In this episode, I share a few thoughts about the experience and the flashes of light I saw during a dark time.

To jab or not to jab? That is the question. But a lot of people don't feel like they have a whole lot of choice in the matter. In this episode I talk about the coronavirus vaccine, and vaccine mandates and passports, from a libertarian Christian perspective.

If all these mitigation efforts including lockdowns and mask mandates worked, we should see a significant difference between areas that implemented such measures and those that didn't. We see no such difference. In this episode of the GodArchy podcast, I talk with Ian Patterson about efforts to control coronavirus. We discuss how various policies have worked (or not worked.) We also discuss the collateral damage from lockdowns — both economic and spiritual — along with a Christian response to a pandemic.

Is Simone Biles “soft?” Did she embarrass America? Is she indicative of deeper problems in American society? A lot of people think so since the American gymnast dropped out of Olympic competition. But perhaps there's another way of looking at it. In this episode of the GodArtchy podcast, I tackle some of the issues surrounding the Biles saga, including our conception of “toughness,” mental health, and the ridiculous statism and collectivism on display.

Compulsory national service is slavery. Sound like hyperbole? I don't think so. In this episode of the GodArchy podcast, I talk about compulsory national service, including military conscription, and explain how it destroys the fundamental concept of self-ownership. And if somebody else owns you — that's slavery.

In my view, centralized power is the gravest threat to liberty. The best way to confront that threat is the break up centralized power through secession. Secession gets a bad rap in the United States because of its association with slavery and the Civil War, but secession itself has nothing to do with slavery and it doesn't have to be violent. We can have what Mark Kreslins calls “peaceful political divorce.” In this episode of the GodArchy podcast, Mark and I talk about secession and how it could be used as a tool to move us toward liberty. Our conversation ends up going much deeper than that. We also discuss our personal political and spiritual journeys and talk about the feasibility of a voluntary society. Mark has worn many hats. He's worked as a staffer on Capitol Hill, served as a pastor and hosted a radio show.

Racism is everywhere! At least that's the narrative the "woke" social justice movement drives. Political movements spring from ideas and the left-wing social justice movement is rooted in postmodernism and critical race theory. But what are these ideologies? Where do they come from? And how do these ideas play out in society? In this episode of the GodArchy podcast, I talk with former NYU professor Michael Rectenwald about postmodernism, critical race theory and the movement driven by these ideas.

in this episode, I hop on my soapbox and pontificate about several issues including a misguided reason for supporting wars, the dark side of social media and the limitation of libertarian philosophy when it comes to promoting human flourishing.

Should Christians get involved in politics? Author and former pastor Mark West doesn’t think so. He recently wrote, “I would recommend that Christians avoid political means altogether. … I see political power and political force as forms of violence.” In this episode of the GodArchy podcast, Mark and I talk it out. We also get into his new project Xvangelical.

You know things are out of wack when soft drinks become politicized! And that’s where we are today. We’ve politicized virtually everything. But at the core, politics is violence, force and coercion. Surely, that’s not the best way we can come up with to interact with each other. In this episode, Mises Institute president Jeff Deist and I talk about making politics matter less. We focus on other important institutions and other ways of interacting with each other.

Trust the science! We've heard that mantra evoked a lot over the last year or so, but what does it really mean? What can science really tell us? And what are its limitations? In this episode of the GodArchy podcast, I talk about "the science" with Libertarian Christian Institute president Dr. Norman Horn -- who happens to have more than a little science background.

Profit is theft? I get comments like this from time to time on the GodArchy Facebook page. There seem to be a lot of Christians enamored with socialism. I think they have good intentions, but good intentions can’t trump economic reality. In this episode of the GodArchy podcast, economist Dr. Walter Block joins me to talk about some of the economic myths embedded in socialism. I also ask Walter to try to make my audience uncomfortable. Visit the GodArchy website for show notes at GodArchy.org

In this episode of the GodArchy podcast, I talk with Caryn Ann Harlos. She serves as the Libertarian Party LNC National Secretary. We talk about her spiritual and political journeys, along with her Christian faith and how it dovetails with libertarian philosophy. We also touch on Caryn Ann's work with the Libertarian Party.

After two decades, isn't it time to be done with the feckless and counterproductive "war on terror?" In this episode, I talk with Scott Horton about his new book making the case that the whole terror war has been an unmitigated disaster and it needs to end now. We also talk a little about Biden's quick trigger in bombing Syria.

We pray for peace and we revel in war. Sadly, this is the state of the modern church. In this episode, I lay out the case that the state is a death cult and war is its highest sacrament. I talk about the satanic roots of human government, how it drives us to war and how it then feeds on the power of death and destruction it brings. This raises a serious question believers need to wrestle with -why are you worshiping at the altar of a satanic death-cult?

How should God's people wage war? I would argue they shouldn't. But in under the Old Covenant, they surely did. It should come as no surprise that God gave the Hebrews laws of war. In this episode, I talk with Adam Terrell about those laws and how they might apply today.

Where is your allegiance? In this episode of the GodArchy Podcast, I talk about the Pledge of Allegiance focusing specifically on the phrase "under God" and the notion of a Christian nation. I contend the United States never was and never will be a Christian nation because "Christian nation" isn't a thing.

Should "dangerous" or "hateful" speech be shut down? Censorship is all the rage right now. A lot of people reason that as long as the government isn't shutting people down, private censorship is OK, perhaps even beneficial to society. In this episode of the GodArchy podcast, I argue that censorship - even by private entities - is never virtuous and is antithetical to a free society, invoking arguments from philosophers John Stuart Mill and David Hume. I also open the show with a short discussion on human nature and our obsession with control.

How do we end America's endless wars? In this episode, I talk with Dan McKnight, founder of Bring Our Troops Home. We talk about his experience in the military, why he started an organization dedicated to ending foreign wars of aggression, and practical strategy within the constitutional system to make that happen.

Did you know Thanksgiving can teach us a valuable economics lesson? When the Pilgrims first established their colony in Massachusetts, they adopted a communal system based on the socialist notion "from each according to their ability to each according to their need." Like pretty much all socialist experiments, it ended in misery and death. In this episode of the GodArchy podcast, I tell the story of the Pilgrims' early socialist experiment.

When it comes to Christianity and libertarianism, I bet you've got questions. Well, we've got answers. In this episode of the GodArchy podcast, I chat with two of the four authors of a new book published by the Libertarian Christian Institute titled Faith Seeking Freedom: Libertarian Christian Answers to Tough Questions. Kerry Baldwin, Doug Stuart and I discuss why they decided to write such a book, the challenges they faced, and we even dig into a few of those tough questions. Along the way, we take a couple of bunny-trails that lead to some interesting discussion.

In this episode, I chat with Jason Reichert, guitarist and producer for Arrested Development. Of course, we talk music. But that's not all. We also discuss how he came to embrace a libertarian worldview, balancing family and life on the road, faith and more.

Libertarian AND Christian? How does that work? In this episode, I talk with Norman Horn, the founder of the Libertarian Christian Institute. We discuss how libertarian philosophy meshes with Christian theology. We also talk about Norman's spiritual/political journey and the work of LCI.

Have you registered to vote? As election day approaches, we're being inundated with demands to get registered and go vote delivered with religious fervor. In fact, I argue that voting is one of the high holy sacraments of the religion of statism. So should we vote? And if we do, does it even matter? In this episode of the GodArchy, I talk about the various arguments for and against voting and tell you where I come down.

Self-rule is one of the cornerstones of libertarian thought. We own ourselves. We generally think of it as a negative obligation - kind of like a no trespassing sign - keep off me. But self-rule also involves a positive obligation - to literally rule ourselves -- to direct our own actions. How do we do that? As Mark Horne explains, the Book of Proverbs gives us a blueprint.

In this episode, I talk with Dann Reid, host of the Culinary Libertarian podcast. We discuss food and cooking and intertwine it with a little bit of liberty.  We discuss Dann's personal journey both as a libertarian and a chef. what we can learn about life from cooking and how the government messes up our food. Dann says he got his start cooking with a failed attempt at cream puffs. Somehow, he parlayed that disaster into a career as a professional chef. He has worked as both a head chef and baker, and he worked under two master chefs.  He's also penned a cookbook, "Cooking for Comfort: One Pot Meals You Can Make."

In this episode of the GodArchy podcast, I chat with Dr. Ron Paul. We talk about his faith and how it informs and shapes his political ideology, and also how it helped sustain him in the DC swamp. As you would expect, there is also discussion about war and the Federal Reserve.

Governments have offered all kinds of help during the coronavirus pandemic, from unemployment benefits, to forgivable loans, to outright bailouts. But how helpful has the help been? Judging by this week's guest Alan Mosley's experience -- not very. But should libertarians even take government help? Alan and I hash it out on this episode of the GodArchy podcast. Alan is a libertarian writer and host of It's Too Late with Alan Mosley

How do we live free in an unfree world? That question seems more and more poignant of late. Politics is not moving toward liberty. But we can still live free in Christ. In fact, Paul wrote that it is for freedom that Christ set us free. One way we can live free is by learning to forgive. But people are hard to forgive. That's why we need to understand forgiveness is not for the other person. In this episode of the GodArchy podcast, I explain.

America is a "Christian nation." Or is it? Cody Cook doesn't think so. In fact, he doesn't believe any modern nation can take on that mantle.  There is no political program that can "Christianize" a nation-state because governments are all hopelessly intertwined with spirits of darkness. In simple terms, Satan is the god of this world and the world's kingdoms belong to him. In his book, Fight the Powers: What the Bible Says About the Relationship Between Spiritual Forces and Human Governments,  Cody lays out his case through a careful examination of scripture in both the Old and New Testaments. If Cody is right, it has important ramifications for how believers interact with the state. In this episode of the GodArchy Podcast, I talk with Cody about both the theology of government and the practical application of his conclusion. Cody Cook is a theology grad student living in Cincinnati, Ohio, writing with a special focus on apologetics and biblical theology.

In the midst of a crisis, people cry for centralized government solutions. The worse the crisis, the louder the cries. But Bretigne Shaffer argues this is always the wrong solution. In this episode of the GodArchy podcast, I talk to Bretigne about why monopoly government will always fail us. Along the way we delve into economics and political philosophy.

Josh Childress worked as a U.S. Border Patrol agent. Then his conscience got the better of him. So, he quit. During this interview, we talk about Josh's slow evolution from statist to voluntaryist, his two stints in the military and why he became anti-war, and the journey that led him to quit his job as a Border Patrol Agent. A significant theme that evolved was the way the humanization of "the other" led him to question his actions both as a soldier and a border enforcer.

There's rot behind the thin blue line. In this episode, I talk about the institutional problems with policing in America and trace their roots to police militarization and the "war on drugs."

Those of us striving for more freedom and liberty generally focus on government as the enemy. But author Tom Mullen says government isn’t the root of the problem. It’s the nitwit mob that makes the whole system go. In this episode of the GodArchy podcast, Tom and I talk about the nitwit mob and try to figure out how we can advance liberty despite its opposition.

Continuing my fireside chat series, I talk with Kim Schjang. Kim is a Christian and a libertarian anarchist. She also happens to be a black lesbian. We chat about a wide range of topics including the impacts of the government coronavirus shutdowns, Kim's journey from the left to libertarian anarchism, her Christian faith and her sexuality, identity politics, the intersection between libertarian philosophy and Christian theology and a lot more.

The coronavirus-induced government shutdowns have had devastating economic impacts. But a lot of people seem the think once we get the pandemic under control and restart the economy, everything will snap back to normal. In this episode of the GodArchy podcast, I explain why this won't happen. In fact, the economy was already in trouble before COVID-19. And the actions taken by the federal government and the central banks will ultimately make the meltdown worse. I open the show talking a little bit about the spiritual and emotional impacts of the coronavirus shutdowns.

How would a free society deal with a pandemic? I freely admit, I don't know the answer to the question. But I suspect it would be better than the response we're getting from government. In this episode of the GodArchy podcast, I touch on a number of issues raised by the pandemic including central planning, economics, the myth of the "non-essential" business, getting arrested for holding church and the one thing I know won't fail us.

The coronavirus outbreak showed us just how fast society can go from all systems normal to full-blown panic. Within a matter of days, store shelves emptied, people found themselves on lockdown and fear gripped the entire country. It was a wakeup call for me because I wasn't ready. Were you? People tend to make fun of "preppers." They're typically viewed as paranoid and a lot of people make fun of them. But who's laughing now? Suzanne Sherman has been actively involved in preparedness for more than a decade. She joins me on this episode to talk about emergency preparedness and where to start even if you are a square zero.

You don't have to look very deeply to figure out America's education system is a mess. The typical solution involves throwing more money at the system. But what if the system is the problem? What if the whole model of compulsory, government schooling is creating exactly the results we should expect? In this episode of the GodArchy podcast, I talk with teacher and author Justin Spears about the failure of the educational system and how we can go about fixing it - or at least protecting our own kids from it.