Podcasts about Comparative religion

You can't be moral on your own. That's a radical idea in this time of moral outrage, but thriving in public life requires a sense of mutual accountability, belonging, and hospitality for each other.Mona Siddiqui is a professor of religion and society, an author, commentator, and public intellectual, and she suggests that the virtues of loyalty, gratitude, hospitality, and hope can lead us through the common struggle of being human together, living forward into a thriving life of public faith and renewed moral imagination.As Professor of Islamic and Interreligious Studies, Assistant Principal for Religion and Society, and Dean international for the Middle-East at the University of Edinburgh, she is an international beacon of hope that we might find restoration, hospitality, and flourishing in our world of struggle. Working through questions of loyalty, responsibility, belonging, gratitude, robust faith, and what we owe each other, we can find abundant resources for thriving and spiritual health.In this conversation with Mona Siddiqui, we discuss:What is a moral life?The connection between faith, spirituality, and living a moral life of responsibility and integrityThe difference between cultivating virtuous character and doing justiceHow to thrive in a pluralistic society marked by constant struggle and conflictThe promise of gratitude and hospitality in a life of thrivingAnd how to pursue a hopeful, forward-looking approach to restoration in the wake of harm, loss, pain, and suffering.Episode Highlights"Our moral life only becomes alive when we are in a relationship—you can't be moral on your own.""Life is all about searching. Life is all about introspection. Life is all about reflection.""The good life is hard; it's not about ease, but about living with accountability and responsibility.""Hospitality isn't just welcoming—it's negotiating belonging, loyalty, and a sense of shared life.""Gratitude can liberate, but it can also create hierarchies and transactional indebtedness.""Hope is not naive optimism—without hope, how do you live, build relationships, or carry forward at all?"Helpful Links and ResourcesFollow Mona on X (Twitter) at @monasiddiqui7*Christians, Muslims, and Jesus,* by Mona SiddiquiHuman Struggle, Christian and Muslim Perspectives, by Mona SiddiquiA Theology of Gratitude: Christian and Muslim Perspectives, by Mona SiddiquiMy Way: A Muslim Woman's Journey by Mona SiddiquiThe Moral Maze, BBC Radio 4Show NotesMona Siddiqui's personal background in Islamic jurisprudence and public theology“I got into Islamic jurisprudence because of personal connection and intellectual curiosity.”Navigating public discourse post-9/11 as a non-white, non-Christian scholarImportance of pluralism and living within diverse identities"I need to create a space that appeals to a wider audience—not just about what I think."Growing up with intellectual freedom in a traditional Islamic householdHow faith upbringing seeds lifelong moral introspection"You are always answering to yourself—you know when you have not lived rightly."Developing comparative theology through seminars with Christian scholarsOverlapping themes between Islamic and Christian thought on the good lifeThe significance of accountability over blanket forgiveness"Belonging is crucial to being a good citizen—you can't flourish alone."Exploration of loyalty: loyalty to people vs loyalty to principlesCivic loyalty and critical engagement with the state“Because I feel loyal to my country, I should also be its critic.”The role of prayer in cultivating internal moral awarenessReflection on virtues: gratitude, loyalty, hopeThe dark sides of gratitude and loyalty in institutionsParenting with a focus on integrity, accountability, and faithfulness“Live so that whatever you say in public, you can say at home—and vice versa.”Emphasis on public engagement: speaking clearly, making complex ideas accessible"Radio became a gift—people want complex ideas made simple and meaningful."Remaining hopeful despite the culture of outrage and cynicismYoung people's resilience and persistent hopefulnessHospitality as a fundamental ethic for creating trust and belongingStruggle as a normative, transformative experience that shapes flourishing"Thriving is not just freedom—it's centering, writing, speaking, and deep human connection."The importance of relationships in thriving and flourishing“Most of us realize—relationships are the hardest, but the most rewarding.”Redefining gratitude: avoiding transactional gratitude, cultivating authentic gratefulnessStruggle cultivates introspection, resilience, creativity, and a deeper moral lifePam King's Key TakeawaysI can't be moral on my own. But my decisions are my own. In the end, living with integrity means living with virtue.Personal and public flourishing are deeply connected to our lives of faith and spirituality; and all of us need to bring the depths of our personal spiritual commitments into public life.We can offer hope and freedom from fear to each other when we expand our hospitality to all persons.The practice of gratitude in the face of our vulnerability is easier said than done—but is a strengthening response to uncertainty and suffering.And finally, human struggle is something we hold in common, and it can be redeemed for creativity, beauty, healing restoration, and a reminder of our dignity as human creatures.About Mona SiddiquiMona Siddiqui is Professor of Islamic and Interreligious Studies, Assistant Principal for Religion and Society, and Dean international for the Middle-East at the University of Edinburgh.Her research areas are primarily in the field of Islamic jurisprudence and ethics and Christian-Muslim relations. She's the author of many books, including Human Struggle: Christian and Muslim Perspectives,Hospitality in Islam: Welcoming in God's Name, and My Way: A Muslim Woman's Journey. A scholar of theology, philosophy, and ethics, she's conducted international research on Islam and Christianity, gratitude, loyalty and fidelity, hope, reconciliation and inter-faith theological dialogue, and human struggle.Mona is well known internationally as a public intellectual and a speaker on issues around religion, ethics and public life and regularly appears as a media commentator on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio Scotland's Thought for the Day and The Moral Maze.A recipient of numerous awards and recognition, she is a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, she gave the prestigious Gifford Lectures in Natural Theology. She was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences as an International Honorary Member. And Dr. Siddiqui was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire, which is just steps below the highest Knighting—specifically for her public interfaith efforts.To learn more, I'd highly recommend her books, but you can also follow her on X @monasiddiqui7. About the Thrive CenterLearn more at thethrivecenter.org.Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenterFollow us on X @thrivecenterFollow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter About Dr. Pam KingDr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. Follow her @drpamking. About With & ForHost: Pam KingSenior Director and Producer: Jill WestbrookOperations Manager: Lauren KimSocial Media Graphic Designer: Wren JuergensenConsulting Producer: Evan RosaSpecial thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

How can hadith scholarship navigate modern challenges of authenticity while preserving its theological integrity? In this episode of Thinking Islam, we critically examine the journey of hadith from the Prophet to the present day with Dr Haidar Hobballah.From transmission methodologies to contemporary debates, this discussion unpacks the complexities of separating fact from fiction in a legacy spanning over 1,400 years. We discuss the science of hadith criticism, the shift from oral to written transmission, debates over canonical texts like Kutub al-Arbaʿa, the reliability of narrators, and the impact of theological bias and identity on the Shi'a tradition.Dr Haidar Hobballah brings decades of scholarly expertise, with advanced studies in hawza and a PhD in Comparative Religions and Christian Theology. As the author of more than two dozen books and numerous articles spanning jurisprudence, theology, philosophy, and hadith studies, Dr Hobballah has taught and supervised students at leading seminaries and universities, and served as editor-in-chief for several academic journals.

The letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3 are possibly some of the best known parts of the apocalypic book, mainly due to their accessibility compared to the rest of it. But how should we read these seven letters? Are they examples of the history or eras of the church? Are they addressed to different types of church today? Are they symbolic? And why all the Old Testament references?Join Alex, Chris & Jo as they discuss these significant chapters, give some good background information that help make sense of what John is writing, and then talk aboput how we might be able to bring some meaning to us today. For the one who has ears to hear...Resources"Revelation (NIV Application Commentary)" by Dr Craig Keener– A detailed analysis that bridges the historical-cultural context and application for today."The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament" by Dr Craig Keener – Offers essential historical and cultural insights on the New Testament, including Revelation."Discipleship on the Edge" by Darrell W. Johnson – A study on Revelation that considers its relevance for Christian discipleship."Reading Revelation Responsibly" by Michael J. Gorman – A user-friendly guide to understanding the apocalyptic message of Revelation without fear or misinterpretation.Big thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram.Subscribe to Bible Streams on Apple, Spotify, Google, and Amazon.

Virendra Sign - Comparative religions by Richard Dugan

Jess is a Doctoral Student at Boston College working in Comparative Theology and Comparative Religion, particularly between the Hindu and Christian traditions. His current research focuses on theological resonances between Vaishnava Bhakti practices and those found within the realm of Christianity. Further specialty includes 20th Century Hinduism, North American Hinduism, and work with Hindi and Sanskrit as research languages. Jess is also engaged in interreligious dialogue and interfaith events, academically and within local communities. Jess works with the Boston Theological Interreligious Consortium as an event coordinator and facilitator for the Interreligious Leadership Certification program and has been a community interfaith organizer for many years. Jess also has nearly a decade of experience as an educator in public and private schools in California. Further fields of interest include: hybrid religious belonging, spirituality and mysticism, contemplative practices, music and religion, theopoetics, new religious movements, and religious pluralism. Connect with Jess Navarette: EMAIL: jess.navarette@bc.edu This event is hosted by ✨ Happy Jack Yoga University ✨ www.happyjackyoga.com ➡️ Facebook: /happyjackyoga ➡️ Instagram: @happyjackyoga Bhakti Yoga Conference at Harvard Divinity School Experience a one-of-a-kind online opportunity with 40+ renowned scholars, monks, yogis, and thought leaders! REGISTER FOR FREE: www.happyjackyoga.com/bhakti-... This conference is your opportunity to immerse yourself in the wisdom of sincere practitioners as they address the questions and challenges faced by us all. Expect thought-provoking discussions, actionable insights, and a deeper understanding of cultivating Grace in an Age of Distraction and incorporating Bhakti Yoga into your daily life.

Douglas Hodgson is a dual citizen of Canada and Australia and a former lawyer and Dean and Professor of Law residing in Perth, Western Australia. He undertook postgraduate legal study at the University of London before embarking on a 35-year career in higher education in Canada, Australia and New Zealand as a teacher, researcher, author, human rights advocate and university administrator. His areas of expertise include International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Causation Law, Comparative Religion and Spirituality. Professor Hodgson has authored and published six books and 30 peer-reviewed law journal articles.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-x-zone-radio-tv-show--1078348/support.

What if the scientific study of religions, a.k.a. Comparative Religions, History of Religions, and so forth – the academic discipline wherein the academic study of western esotericism largely finds its home – was founded by, well, western esotericists? In this interview we examine the history of the history of religions with two historians of religions and find the Theosophical Society right there at the beginning.

This is the sixth and final episode in a series of episodes dedicated to a young woman and returning cohost, Dagmar from The Netherlands. This episode is with special guest, Craig Hazen.   Dagmar has co-hosted many Finding Something REAL episodes in the past four years. Although Dagmar is interested in, learned a lot about and is drawn to Jesus, and chose to get baptized when she was a child, she has not yet made a decision to take a leap of faith as an adult. She has a comfortable life and enjoys partying with friends and admits that were she to give her life to Christ her life would change and people would view her differently. She's grown up in a secular culture and for this series, reached out to some friends for new faith questions including some about the credibility of Jesus, why there are so many variations of religion and Christianity, and the history of Christianity.    ABOUT CRAIG HAZEN Craig Hazen is the Chief Strategy Officer at Stand to Reason. He was the founder and director of the M.A. Program in Christian Apologetics and Professor of Comparative Religion and Apologetics at Biola University in Southern California. He is a recipient of the Fischer Award, the highest faculty honor at Biola. Dr. Hazen is the editor of the philosophy journal, Philosophia Christi. He is the author of The Village Enlightenment in America and Five Sacred Crossings including numerous articles, book chapters and journals. He earned both his Ph.D. and his M.A. at the University of California, Santa Barbara.  -- -- -- -- --  LINKS   Visit Stand to Reason at www.str.org for more resources related to the biggest faith questions young people are facing today.    To find out more about what 2025 will look like for Finding Something Real, click here. 

I greet you in Jesus' precious name. It is Saturday morning, the 7th of December, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in the Book of Daniel 2:28: “But there is a God in heaven…” That is what Daniel was telling Nebuchadnezzar when he interpreted his complete dream for him. Then we go to the Book of Acts 17:23: “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:..” That was Paul, the Apostle, speaking to the academics in Athens, where they made an altar to the Unknown God. He said, “I know Him, oh yes, I know His name.” In this sad and fearful world people are desperately wanting to meet Him, just like Nebuchadnezzar, just like the wise men in Athens did, but they never knew His beautiful name, Jesus Christ. The Lord used Daniel to reveal God to Nebuchadnezzar, and God used Paul, the Apostle, to confound the academics of Athens and to tell them the name of the Unknown God. What about you and I? We need to get out there folks, and we need to tell them. You know, there was a mighty man of God by the name of Sadhu Sundar Singh. He was a Sikh, a man who met Jesus Christ, and I want to read something to you out of this book: “I remember a story told to us and a conversation that this man had with a Professor of Comparative Religions in the University of Cambridge in England: “Tell me“ said the Professor, “What have you found in Christianity that you did not find in your old religion?” And the Sadhu replied, ”Oh Professor, I found the dear Lord Jesus.” ”Oh yes,” he said, ”I quite understand but what particular principle or doctrine, tell me what new philosophy in Christianity did you find that you did not find in your old religion?” And again the Sikh replied, ”Oh Professor, I found the dear Lord Jesus.” You see, his witness was to a person and not to a principle, to a life and not to a philosophy. Christ was real. Folks, go out today and make Him real to our dying world. Jesus bless you and goodbye.

Join Come Carpentier de Gourdon, Distinguished Fellow at India Foundation, as he delves into the deep connections between Eastern and Western religious philosophies. From the ancient wisdom of the Vedas and Upanishads to modern existential dilemmas, this conversation offers fresh perspectives on karma, reincarnation, monotheism vs. polytheism, and how Indian thought can address today's challenges. Carpentier sheds light on the significance of Advaita, unity in diversity, and the enduring impact of Indian philosophical traditions on Western intellectualism. 00:40- About Come Carpentier de Gourdon Come is a distinguished fellow of the India Foundation.  He's a convener of world affairs of the Journal of International Issues.  He's the author of a book titled From India to Infinity, and also of a book titled Memories of 101 Moons. And of course, he's got many, many more publications. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tbcy/support

On this Tuesday topical show re-air, Crystal learns about north King County's innovative new Regional Crisis Response (RCR) Agency with its inaugural Executive Director Brook Buettner and Kenmore Mayor Nigel Herbig. Following national guidelines and best practices for behavioral health crisis care, a five-city consortium established RCR in 2023 as part of a vision to provide their region with the recommended continuum of behavioral health care - which includes someone to call, someone to respond, and somewhere to go. Executive Director Buettner and Mayor Herbig share how the program grew out of a need for a person-centered mobile crisis response, rather than the traditional law enforcement response which is often without the right tools or expertise for the job. They describe the collaborative process of getting buy-in from police agencies, electeds, and city staff to design a service that has evolved from the RADAR co-response program to approaching a 24/7 behavioral health first response. Finally, they cover impressive early results in cost-savings & outcomes and offer advice to other cities looking to bring similar solutions to their own communities. As always, a full text transcript of the show and resources is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Follow us on Bluesky at @HacksAndWonks. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky @finchfrii and find Mayor Nigel Herbig on X at @nigelherbig.   Brook Buettner Brook Buettner is inaugural Executive Director of the groundbreaking Regional Crisis Response Agency, which deploys services to people experiencing behavioral health crisis in the North King County community. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and an experienced human services professional with a focus on policy advocacy and program implementation for high-needs populations. During her two decade-long career, she has been focused on transforming systems to meet the needs of individuals who are high utilizers of both criminal legal and health and human services systems. Ms. Buettner holds Masters in Public Administration and Social Work from the University of Washington. Mayor Nigel Herbig Nigel grew up in the Seattle neighborhood of Wallingford, attended Seattle Public Schools, and graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Political Science and Comparative Religion. Nigel and his wife, Tiffany, decided to move to Kenmore when their daughter was a baby as they were looking for a great place to raise their daughter where they could purchase their first home. They have never regretted that decision. Nigel has worked in broadcasting, fundraising, and politics. He currently works at the King County Regional Homelessness Authority. Mayor Herbig represents the Council on the Eastside Transportation Partnership (Vice Chair), and the Sound Transit SR 522 Bus Rapid Transit Elected Leaders Group. He also sits on the King County Affordable Housing Committee.  

In this episode Truth talks with Todd Cave.  Todd is a researcher, host of “The Conscious Man 7 Podcast” and personal trainer residing in Mexico.   The two discuss the Annunaki / Nephilim and how their bloodlines still have control over humanity today, the origins and overlap of religion, the true  purpose of religion, religion vs spirituality, how humanity is controlled and ruled by fear, the origins of humankind, extraterrestrials, interdimensional entities, overcoming dark energy,  and more conspiracy / high weirdness!    For more info: IG: @adriano_246   As always, please hit the subscribe button if you like and support what we do! You'll get early access to new episodes! Also please leave a review!   Follow us on IG: @bigtruth TikTok: @bigtruthpodcast YouTube: @thebigtruthpodcast   For feedback, questions, sponsorship info contact: bigtruthpodcast@gmail.com For more info: http://www.bigtruthpodcast.com To support the show: http://www.patreon.com/bigtruth    The Big Truth Podcast is proudly sponsored by: - Choppahead Kustom Cycles (IG: @choppahead / www.choppahead.com) - Tattoo Flash Collective – www.tattooflashcollective.com – use promo code: BIGTRUTH for 10% off your order - Omerta (IG: @omertamia / www.omertamia.com) - use code: BIGTRUTH at checkout for 20% off your order! - Heavy (IG: @heavyclothing / www.heavy.bigcartel.com)

On Wednesday 11th September 2024, AMI's Dept. for Studies in Comparative Religion was privileged to host University of Birmingham's Dr. Sophia Butt, to lead a research seminar entitled “Securitising Muslim School Children”. The presentation, which centred on UK-based research, asked critical questions about the UK government's ‘deradicalisation' initiatives and how they were administered to schoolchildren. The presentation critically evaluated the theoretical basis, adequacy and application of questionnaires that were targeted at schoolchildren, as well as the lack of transparency involved with the initiative and the islamophobic underpinnings its consequences had. Some of the research questions relied on theories of cognitive development from western scholars, like Jean Piaget, implying that government questionnaire, trialled without parental consent, was inappropriate considering the children's underdeveloped psyche, and did not yield accurate or ethically defensible results. Research on this theme has a growing significance considering geopolitical tensions around the Middle East, and political scrutiny of Muslim responses in the UK.

Appreciation?In 30 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the podcast at Explicit Novels.             “Children must face the scrutiny of their parents”   The Dining Hall was almost a relief. That relief died the moment I saw the banner over the front of the serving area in the Hall. 'Zane Appreciation Day'. Since every word was spelled correctly, it wasn't some stunt of Rio's, but beyond that, the list of suspects was too large to consider. This could be a genuine outpouring of acceptance and sympathy for what I had endured here. If you believe that, I have to ask you: 'Do you want your leprechaun pissing Guinness or Irish Malt?' Most likely, this was going to be some sort of humiliation, and I think I knew the flavor, and I definitely knew how to find out. See, in every seat of the Dining Hall was a big, bowling ball sized white box with a name and secured with a gold and green ribbon, so no cheating; no peeking. That last bit didn't deter me, though. I snuck up on the box marked for Holiday Carpenter. "Zane, does that have your name on it?" Virginia Goodswell asked me, my English teacher and Spiritual Advisor. Hell, if it had been Mrs. Marlowe, I would have opened it anyway, but Virginia was my buddy so her next question didn't mean to stab a stake of regret through my heart. "Where is Vivian?" "I left my room before she was done." I looked to the ground while I kicked some imaginary dust off the slate floor. "Why don't you see if she's been calling you?" she suggested. "She's probably worried." Worried, or homicidal because, ya know, I had sort of run off without my phone, wallet, watch, book bag, or anything else a 21st century student might need. "I ran away like a big, fat chicken," I confessed. "Anything not glued to my body I left behind." "I'll give her a call." She pulled out her phone and hit speed dial #2. I crap since her sick mother is probably #1. I am such a big problem for her, she has my guardian on speed dial! "That is Holiday Carpenter's box, Zane, not yours. Besides, there are strict instructions to not open the boxes until instructed." The panicky response I overheard from Virginia's conversation with Vivian hardly helped my mood. She wanted to know if Virginia knew where I was, she did; that I was okay, I was; and finally, what upset me, because the other girls weren't talking but apparently Mercy had started slapping Barbie Lynn around until Rio and Val pulled her off. Now, that made less than no sense. Wasn't that supposed to work the other way around? Virginia did a double check and sure enough, Mercy had slammed Barbie Lynn into an open wardrobe on my behalf, and Rio and Val had pulled her back. WTF! I am sure that Rio was right beside me on that one. Vivian triple checked that I was physically and mentally okay and she sounded so disappointed, in herself, as she did so. She was bringing my stuff; yes, I am an earthworm. Virginia promised for me that I would remain here until she arrived. Some stupid gesture like a loud public apology, done on bended knee, was blatantly unfair to Vivian, who only meant the best for me. I made a quick apology, not trying to meet her eyes as I said the words and took my stuff. All of 'my' girls seemed equally subdued. A minute after we had garnered our victuals, Vivian put a hand on my elbow. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Zane," Vivian smiled warmly at me. "You take a lot of stress and pressure on yourself. I understand that from time to time you need to take in a tiny bit of private space for yourself. Clearly, you can't schedule any such time because nothing around you stays a secret for very long and no one respects your privacy or even asks what you need." "Vivian," I was puzzled, "you deserve to be righteously pissed with me. You are my Guardian and I promised to stay by you or at least tell you where I was." "Zane, we let you down," Vivian assured me. "It is your dorm room and we are your guests, and we have been rather poor guests at that." "How about we call a truce?" I offer. "I can live with that," Vivian smiled. "Cut the Kumbaya-time, kids," Rio snorted derisively. "Zane, what the fuck happened with Mercy?" Rio playfully punched Mercy's arm to emphasize her uncertainty. "Rio, Bro, drop it," I asked sincerely. "Act like it didn't happen." Rio studied me a second, then got this wickedly evil grin. "What the hell are you talking about, Glenda?" she hefted the box up then shook it. "It seems my damn box is glued shut. Are we celebrating one thousand cunts licked by you, or what?" Because Rio rarely expounded at a level below full volume, next thing we hear is Mrs. Marlow snapping, "Ms. Talon, watch your language; there are good Christian women being forced to sit within the sound of your voice!" "Gotcha, Ms. Mouthful," Rio snapped off with a snap and a finger raised up like a pistol in the air. "What did you say?" Marlowe closed the distance. "She was repeating what I pointed out," I turned and smiled. "I said that you really had it going together this morning; that you were more than a mouthful. That's a hip/trending term to describe someone who is expressing themselves through clothing and make-up." "You are lying, Mr. Braxton," she snarled. "You are probably right, as I do so to you on general principle, but good luck proving it in student court," I grinned right back. We locked wills and she blinked first. "Ms. Phillips," Marlowe turned on Vivian, "what are you going to do about this?" "Zane and Rio, would you please apologize for being rude and insensitive to an educator who only wishes the best for the student body?" Vivian requested. "I so apologize," I bowed my head. "I so apologize as well," Rio tacked on. Only after Marlowe had gone to spread love and sunshine somewhere else did Rio lean across me and whisper to Vivian. "You rock!" Rio giggled gleefully. After all, Rio and I had not apologized to Mrs. Marlowe because neither one of us believed for a minute that she was 'an educator who only wishes the best for the student body'. To that nameless entity, we owed a debt, and to Mrs. Marlow we owed a generous 'fuck you,' and Vivian had made it all possible. "Why, thank you, Rio," Vivian nodded her acceptance of Rio's praise. "Jesus is the Peacemaker and we all should attempt to emulate his teachings." "So, I still don't get to lick you senseless?" Rio snickered. "No, no, you don't," Vivian smiled, even though she didn't look at either of us. Vivian's going to rock as a mom. The next half hour passed quietly. Everyone was curious about the boxes but no one was too worried until a rumor suddenly appeared. When it was suggested that they might have to put on bikinis, the fear set in. I blamed, I don't know but I wish I had thought of it. I was still kicking myself for the missed opportunity when my alien with the right face black and left face white shows up with the right face white and left face black, Mhain and Millicent. "Death Match and you get to referee," Rio teased me. "I'm so jealous; 500 bucks on the one with the soul." Mhain glared hate at us while Millicent looked more than amused. "Zane, come with us," Mhain gloated. I figured that somehow my ordeal was coming to an end so I'd play along. I rose and they steered me to the largest exit, flanking me. Christina and Company grabbed their boxes and jumped up quickly to follow me, though they looked as confused as I was, confirming none of them were the architect of my discomfort. No sooner had we stepped into the cool, sunlit lawn than everyone's phone rang, except mine. I was loving this, right up there with having sandpaper buffing my sunburned abs. "Open the box and follow the instructions," Christina informed me. "Is anyone going to do this?" My phone vibrated once, then my whole body tingled before I could respond to the call. "I am," Mhain gloated. "I was promised something." She knelt and opened her box with enthusiasm; the others did likewise but at a more sedate pace. What came out of each box was almost identical, different only in the anatomical part of the body indicated by the instructions. The objects were all grapefruit-sized fur-balls that made darling little squeaks, squeals and murmurs, amongst other sympathetic noises, all in tiny little voices. They were to be placed on my body, but I didn't know how that would work. "Are we going to do this?" Chastity began to say. "It isn't sticky," Hope was also saying when Mhain's flew out of her hand and hit the side of my left knee. She reached out carefully to retrieve hers while the other girls circled in. The little darlings were proving to be resilient little bastards. Several more leapt at me from the hands of their owners. All this time the furry grapefruit were giving little 'wee!' noises when they shot at me and screeched like demons when they were removed, which was painful when they were on my flesh. I knew who was responsible and she was going to pay, but not right now. I saw my closest allies pulling back. "TLM, Christina," I sighed in resignation. "Let's get this over with." I was being totally self-sacrificial; girls were starting to pile-up on us coming out of the Dining Hall. I didn't want a riot. Mhain had technically tagged me first but not in the designated spot, so I had Christina go first, she put one over my heart, not that I thought Cordelia was stupid, but now she was just piling it on. Mhain went next and she was sizzling and excited, she put it on my lips, shutting me up. At least the girls were polite and organized enough to come at me patiently. A few didn't get the 'memo' and their little rug rats slipped out of their owner's grasp and got to play gleeful kamikaze as they plowed into me. It didn't hurt but I had this secret fear that the tiny terrors would sprout fangs and tear into me. These little guys were murmuring and mumbling and it wasn't until I was truly buried that a horrific realization was made, the more that were on me, the greater their clinging power. In retrospect, this would have been more useful if we hadn't passed the 700 mark. I looked like a puffy, overweight, Sasquatch baby. I could move but sitting down was a dream, as was running or going to the bathroom. The damn things wouldn't shut up either. It fell to Hope and Iona to hurry me (as much as possible) to Assembly; you know that place where I 'sit' in front. At least no one could ask me anything

Watch this episode uncensored & ad-free on Patreon: https://patreon.com/dannyjones @GnosticInformant is a YouTube channel by Neal Sendlak, focusing on History, Mythology, and Comparative Religion. SPONSORS https://hims.com/danny - Start your FREE online visit today. https://zbiotics.com/danny - Use code DANNY for 15% off your order. https://mintmobile.com/danny - Get the 3-month plan for only $15 / month. https://whiterabbitenergy.com/?ref=DJP - Use code DJP for 20% off. EPISODE LINKS Neal's YouTube Channel: @GnosticInformant https://x.com/Gnosticinforman https://www.facebook.com/GnosticInformant FOLLOW DANNY JONES https://www.instagram.com/dannyjones https://twitter.com/jonesdanny OUTLINE 00:00 - Founding Fathers' religious philosophy 12:30 - Born-again Christian grift 19:12 - Whatifalthist's claims of 2024 civil war 22:43 - Origin of democracy 33:35 - New voting requirements 38:45 - State vs. federal prison 48:00 - Founding of the new world 53:27 - Dark history of freemasonry 01:00:37 - Mithras & the Statue of Liberty 01:10:04 - Original National Anthem 01:13:11 - Olympics controversy debunked 01:20:39 - Illuminati = luciferian 01:26:04 - Romes Antichrist; the 2 beasts of Revelation 01:33:25 - Napoleon deified 01:37:53 - Thomas Paine's age of reason 01:43:35 - Bible stories that were made up 01:53:29 - Aliens & surviving the apocalypse 01:59:37 - Beginning of history 02:05:13 - God means drugs 02:13:54 - DMT 02:23:32 - Third eye 02:29:44 - Ammon Hillman 02:36:09 - Annunaki putting gold in the atmosphere 02:40:53 - King James Bible 02:47:07 - First bible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Ari Bergmann is the founder and Managing Principal of Penso Advisors, LLC, a New York-based global macro and risk management boutique specializing in derivatives structuring/trading and systemic risk mitigation. Prior to founding the firm in 1997, Dr. Bergmann was a Senior Managing Director at Bankers Trust.    Ari received a BTL from Ner Israel Rabbinical College in 1981 and furthered his graduate studies at many prestigious Yeshivot in Israel. He holds an MA and Ph.D. in Comparative Religion from Columbia University, where he studied with Professors Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi and David Weiss Halivni. Ari is an Adjunct Professor at Yeshiva University and before coming to YU, he taught at Columbia University and at the University of Pennsylvania. Ari lectures extensively in Israel, Brazil, Europe and the US on topics of Finance, Talmud and Jewish Thought. In this episode Ari discuesses lessons from the Talmud, and how money is fundraised and spent in the Orthodox Jewish Community    ►Ceremian (Alpert and Associates)   Achieve financial liberty   Email Alpertmoshe@gmail.com    Or call 718-644-1594    What's App Message Here- https://wa.link/w9hdyt __________________________________________   ►Colel Chabad Pushka App   The easiest way to give Tzedaka download the Pushka app today    https://pushka.cc/meaningful _____________________________________   ►Toveedo   The Jewish videos your kids will love all in one happy place!    Stream unlimited videos on your phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, and smart TV.    From new releases, to your favorite classics, and exclusive originals, there's always something new to discover.       See our full library on https://toveedo.com ______________________________________________   ►Nishmat, The Jeanie SchottensteinCenter for Advanced Torah Study   New Classes Start Srptember 8th!   For full class and registration, go to    https://2ly.link/1zLOz ______________________________________________________     ►Town Appliance    Visit https://www.townappliance.com   Message Town Appliance on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/Townappliance_whatsap ______________________________________________________   ►

Settle in for Movie Night!  Aaron and Eric each picked movies that they argued had LDS or interesting religious themes.  Do you agree or have other picks?  Let us know on discord! Link to our Face in Hat discord server! https://discord.gg/MnSMvKHvwh YouTube channel!  Thanks Eric! https://www.youtube.com/@FaceinHat https://www.youtube.com/@FaceinHat/playlists Dialogue Podcast Network https://www.dialoguejournal.com/podcasts/ The Religious Affiliation of Director George Lucas https://web.archive.org/web/20050612235541/http://www.adherents.com/people/pl/George_Lucas.html But hey, there is an LDS connection to George Lucas!  From the article: “Lucas eventually came to state that his religion was "Buddhist Methodist." Gary Kurtz, a Latter-day Saint who had studied Comparative Religion extensively in college and on his own, was pivotal in introducing Lucas to Eastern religions (particularly Buddhism) and Native American religion, and discussing with Lucas how best to improve "Star Wars" by giving it a believable but sufficiently universal religious underpinning. Kurtz was the producer of "Star Wars" and "The Empire Strikes Back" and also did some work on the "Star Wars" screenplay.” Linked to from his wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Lucas#Personal_life Contact (1997 American film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contact_(1997_American_film) https://www.amazon.com/Contact-Jodie-Foster/dp/B001AH6ZWY Hercules (1997 film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hercules_(1997_film) https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-ae19dd2f-a945-442b-a18e-d57fa8f5091f Eastern Orthodox and Divinization https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divinization_(Christian)#Eastern_Orthodox Relevant older Face in Hat episode, “5.2 Divinization and Deity”: https://faceinhat.podbean.com/e/52-divinization-and-deity/ The Tree of Life (film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tree_of_Life_(film) https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B005UKJX4E “Rituals themselves are actually very boring. They go on and on, beyond your secular tolerance” (The Power of Myth, by Joseph Campbell). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_of_Myth https://www.amazon.com/Power-Myth-Joseph-Campbell/dp/0385418868 Quoted in Why Myth?, by John Bonaduce https://www.jcf.org/post/why-myth Aphasia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphasia Aphantasia (includes the apple chart for degree of mental visualization) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphantasia Eric may have been referring to this podcast: “The human brain is hardwired to recognize faces. But what if you can't?”, by Emily Kwong, Rachel Carlson, and Rebecca Ramirez https://www.npr.org/2024/06/26/1198910315/face-blindness-prosopagnosia-memory-aphantasia-sight-imagination Fred Rogers Acceptance Speech - 1997, The Emmy Awards https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Upm9LnuCBUM Wreck-it Ralph 1 and 2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wreck-It_Ralph https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-0cde80b0-5085-447b-b65e-c81a713a90f0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Breaks_the_Internet https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-4f2c48ef-b3f9-4422-9feb-011a17ff2afb The Official Disney Princess Rules, Explained, by Micaela Pérez Vitale and Samuel Cormier https://movieweb.com/official-disney-princess-rules/ Navigating Mental Health Comedy with Conservative Parents, Taylor Tomlinson https://www.tiktok.com/@taylortomlinsoncomedy/video/7288425135990770990 Shanghai Express (film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Express_(film) Coco (2017 film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coco_(2017_film) https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-ce1ccdca-f468-4960-b67c-026b01ba42ab Angels and Seerstones: A Latter Day Saint Folklore Podcast, by Christopher James Blythe and Christine Elyse Blythe https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/angels-and-seerstones-a-latter-day-saint-folklore-podcast/id1693940296 The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tale_of_the_Princess_Kaguya_(film) https://www.amazon.com/Tale-Princess-Kaguya-English-Language/dp/B0817R94P8 The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tale_of_the_Bamboo_Cutter American Zion: A New History of Mormonism, by Benjamin E. Park https://www.amazon.com/American-Zion-New-History-Mormonism/dp/1631498657

Professor Carolina López-Ruiz from the Divinity School and the Department of Classics shares how her passion for the ancient world started from a young age, and her determination to have a career related to this sector led her to appreciate various languages and the cultural understanding it opens up for her. Tune in to hear her talk about her career from the very beginning to her latest book on the history and cultural impact that the Phenicians had on the ancient Mediterranean.

ERLC presidential kerfuffle, Secret Service Director Resignation, and Mr. Netanyahu goes to Washington. Find us on Youtube. This week, Clarissa, Mike, and Russell welcome Pete Wehner (The Atlantic, NYT, Trinity Forum) to talk about the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) and the unlawful firing of their president, which leads to discussion of populism in the church. Then, the three engage in a review of the Secret Service director's resignation and what this means for the American people. Finally, Chris Seiple (Comparative Religion Program Fellow at University of Washington) joins for a discussion of the events and implications surrounding Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to DC. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Follow the show in your podcast app of choice Find us on Youtube. Rate and Review the show in your podcast app of choice Leave a comment in Spotify with your feedback on the discussion–we may even respond! TODAY'S GUESTS:  Peter Wehner is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a senior fellow at the Trinity Forum. He was formerly a speechwriter for George W. Bush and a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Wehner is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times, and his work also appears in publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and National Affairs. Chris Seiple is the Senior Fellow for Comparative Religion at the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. He is widely known and sought after for his decades of experience and expertise regarding issues at the intersection of geopolitics, US foreign policy, Asia, conflict resolution, human rights and religion. He has pioneered innovative solutions in the U.S. Marine Corps, at the U.S. State Department, the Templeton Religion Trust, and as the president of the Institute for Global Engagement (IGE), where he developed a “Track 1.5” theory of change rooted in relational diplomacy.  ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a weekly (and sometimes more!) current events show from Christianity Today hosted and moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's Editor-in-Chief) and Mike Cosper (Director, CT Media). Each week the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Douglas Gabriel has been everything from a NSA cryptologist, to an exorcist, to a Jesuit priest; earning PhD's in Philosophy and Comparative Religion, and a Doctor of Divinity. He's also a 50 year student of Rudolf Steiner, authoring over 40 books on his Anthroposophical works. Join us for look into the spiritual realm and the mind of Rudolf Steiner. Support this work: BuyMeACoffee.com/PatrickBlack

My PhD is in Comparative Religion. I focus on dispelling the hate and exclusivity caused by religion, addressing the misinformation, and healing religious trauma. The “Religious Right” is very wrong. My upcoming book, “We Have Ruined God: My Journey Out of Religion and Into Unconditional Love” addresses the patriarchal deception and agenda-driven dogma that has infected religions […]

Watch the after-show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/dannyjones Jason Jorjani is a philosopher & author who received his BA , MA & PhD at State University of New York at Stony Brook. Dr. Jorjani has taught courses on Comparative Religion, Ethics, Political Theory, and the History of Philosophy at the State University of New York. SPONSORS https://manscaped.com - Get 20% off + free shipping with the code DANNYJONES https://whiterabbitenergy.com/?ref=DJP - Use code DJP for 20% off EPISODE LINKS https://twitter.com/Jason_Jorjani Jasons YouTube channel: @prometheism3174 https://t.me/OfficialPrometheism FOLLOW DANNY JONES https://www.instagram.com/dannyjones https://twitter.com/jonesdanny OUTLINE 00:00 - Blackwater intelligence & MI6 14:05 - Reverse engineered WWII UFO's 24:47 - Defamation by NY Times 39:37 - $1 billion Venezuelan oil contract 55:54 - Planned coup in Iran 01:11:59 - Jorjani's near-death experience 01:20:25 - Paranormal science 01:31:54 - Lockheed Martin's underground space tech facility 01:43:26 - Earth's timeline is being manipulated 01:51:07 - Earths pole shift; cities under Antartica 02:00:10 - Tic tac UFOs are Lockheed tech 02:14:21 - 'Angel & demon' UFO narrative 02:17:18 - Aliens engineering wars on earth 02:35:34 - Underwater 'super-human' civilization 02:41:41 - Mystery airship of 1896 02:52:07 - Alien disclosure is a farce 02:54:24 - Chris Bledsoe case 03:00:25 - Christianity VS the US constitution 03:12:19 - Plato's roots in the modern world 03:21:53 - Plato's noble lie 03:36:02 - The rise of intellect in ancient greece 03:39:48 - Belief in GOD 03:49:11 - Prometheus = Lucifer

Join me in welcoming Eric Doucet to the podcast! Comparative religion, is the UU a real life church!? Christ consciousness, writing sketch comedy and MORE! Find Eric on TikTok @mrdstravels!!

We travel through the hidden mythologies of Eurasia to discover Daemons lurking in the shadows, capturing children, and seeing off evil sorcerers. Our Daemonolgist this week is the author of ‘Daemons are Forever' David Gordon White. This week: Daemons made from faeces, Tantra's place in India, Dangerous Pools, Changelings, and much more.   Main theme by Simon Smerdon (Mothboy) Music bed by chriszabriskie.com Get David's book here:UK – https://amzn.to/4brXJFL US – https://amzn.to/3zb3gTt David Gordon White Bio: Since being named the J. F. Rowny Professor of Comparative Religion in 2011, I have returned to the focus of my PhD dissertation and first book, Myths of the Dog-Man (Chicago: 1991). While that project focused on the spread of the mytheme of a particular monstrous race across ancient and medieval Asia and Europe, my current interest concerns contacts and exchanges in matters of demonology. Unbound as they are by exclusivist doctrinal and institutional strictures,, demons have traveled more lightly than gods, and so it is that one finds the names of Buddhist demons in medieval Manichean spell texts, charms against Iranian demons in Lithuanian and Chinese sources, an amulet of an Indian demoness at an archeological site in Turkmenistan, and so on. Elsewhere, the yoginis and dakinis of South and East Asian Hinduism and Buddhism are found to be related to the striga of ancient Rome and the vampires of early modern eastern Europe; the tenth-century BCE Homeric myth of Odysseus and Circe reappears, only slightly altered, in the Mahavamsa, a fifth-century CE chronicle of the island of Ceylon; and the nightmares of European lore find their homologues in the maras of South Asia and the Chinese “devil-kings” called mo-wang. It is the “connected histories” of these beings and the humans who trafficked in them that have become my area of focus. Both the Silk Road and ancient and medieval maritime trade routes were information superhighways, and a portion of that information was demonological. It is easy to imagine soldiers, sailors, merchants, diviners, monks, and priests swapping amulets and spells at Silk Road halting points and ports. Demons and the techniques to control them were as much a commodity in the ancient and medieval world as germs, guns, and steel. Source – https://www.religion.ucsb.edu/people/faculty/david-white/

Associate Professor Simeon Chavel from the Divinity Schools shares how he found his way to becoming a Hebrew Bible scholar at the University of Chicago through multiple chances. As he continues his research, teaching, and administrative work, Professor Chavel keeps his opportunities open, multitasks, and finds intriguing research topics to keep him passionate. Tune in for this week's episode to feel inspired by the Professor's work and outlook on life. 

Can a parliamentary democracy end America's constitutional crisis? It's starting to feel to some people that American elections aren't offering us much choice, instead compounding the continued issues of our outdated voting system and showing our lack of capacity to face common issues together. In Parliamentary America, Maxwell L. Stearns argues that the solution to these complex problems is a parliamentary democracy. Stearns considers alternatives such as ranked choice voting, the national popular vote, and congressional term limits, showing why these can't solve our constitutional crisis. Instead, three amendments—expanding the House of Representatives, having House party coalitions choose the president, and letting the House end a failing presidency based on no confidence—will produce a robust multiparty democracy. These amendments hold an essential advantage over other proposals: by leaving every member of the House and Senate as incumbents in their districts or states, the amendments provide a pressure-release valve against reforms threatening that status. Stearns takes readers on a world tour—England, France, Germany, Israel, Taiwan, Brazil, and Venezuela—showing what works in government, what doesn't, and how to make the best features our own. Genuine party competition and governing coalitions, commonplace across the globe, may seem like a fantasy in the United States, but Stearns offers an optimistic vision, explaining in accessible terms how to transform our troubled democracy into a thriving parliamentary America. Maxwell L. Stearns is the Venable, Baetjer & Howard Professor of Law at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law. He has authored dozens of articles and several books on the Constitution, the Supreme Court, and the economic analysis of law. Before joining the faculty at the University of Washington in 1997, Mark Alan Smith completed his undergraduate degree in economics at M.I.T. and earned his Ph.D. in political science at the University of Minnesota. He is Professor of Political Science and Adjunct Professor of Communication and Comparative Religion at the UW. Smith's research and teaching focuses on American domestic politics, including religion, public opinion, political communication, political parties, and public policy. He is the author of four books, most recently Right from Wrong: Why Religion Fails and Reason Succeeds. He is a regular commentator on national and state politics for various media outlets.    Buy the Book Parliamentary America: The Least Radical Means of Radically Repairing Our Broken Democracy

Dr. Jeff Morrow, a Jewish convert to the Catholic faith, discusses his journey and the role of the investigation of Jesus' resurrection in his conversion. He emphasizes the importance of reason and evidence in understanding the faith and shares his own experience of being convinced of the rationality of Jesus' resurrection. Dr. Morrow also highlights the need for authentic friendships and the role they play in helping others grow closer to God. He explains that while apologetics is important, it should be approached in the context of friendship and personal encounters.Learn more about The Resurrection at the St. Paul Center's Emmaus Academy courses.Takeaways* The investigation of Jesus' resurrection played a crucial role in Dr. Jeff Morrow's conversion from Judaism to Catholicism.* Reason and evidence are important in understanding and defending the faith.* Authentic friendships can be a powerful means of helping others grow closer to God.* Apologetics should be approached in the context of friendship and personal encounters.Dr. Jeffrey L. Morrow is a Senior Fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, a Senior Fellow of the Principium Institute, a Fellow of the Institute for Biblical Research, and is Professor of Theology at Seton Hall University's Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology. He earned his Ph.D. in Theology, in the program on the U.S. Catholic Experience, from the University of Dayton. His specialization is in Historical Theology and the History of Exegesis, particularly in the Modern Period and in the U.S. He has participated as a Visiting Scholar at Princeton Theological Seminary, as well as at Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Jerusalem in their Summer Scholars Program.Dr. Morrow was raised culturally Jewish, attended Hebrew school and had a bar mitzvah. He earned his B.A. from Miami University, in Oxford, Ohio, with majors in both Comparative Religion and Classical Greek and with a minor in Jewish Studies. At Miami he became an evangelical Protestant, and then entered the Catholic Church, Easter Vigil of 1999. His M.A. from the University of Dayton in Theological Studies focused on Biblical Studies.Dr. Morrow is the author of Alfred Loisy and Modern Biblical Studies (Catholic University of America Press, 2019), Theology, Politics, and Exegesis: Essays on the History of Modern Biblical Criticism (Pickwick Publications, 2017), Seeking the Lord of Middle Earth (Cascade Books, 2017), Jesus' Resurrection: A Jewish Convert Examines the Evidence (Principium Institute, 2017), Three Skeptics and the Bible (Pickwick Publications, 2016) and has published articles in a variety of academic journals and popular periodicals, including Journal of Religious History, International Journal of Systematic Theology, New Blackfriars, Pro Ecclesia, Crisis, Homiletic & Pastoral Review, and The Catholic Answer.He resides with his wife Maria and their six children Maia, Eva, Patrick, Robert, John, and Nicholas in northern New Jersey. His wife Maria also earned her Theology Ph.D. from the University of Dayton.Keywords:resurrection Jesus conversion evidence reason faith friendship prayer Catholicism catholicThanks for listening to Good Distinctions! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.gooddistinctions.com

In this week's episode, Amos Smith shares deeply from his personal experience in contemplative mysticism. We talk about the release of the 10th anniversary edition of Healing the Divide: Recovering Christianity's Mystic Roots, why centering prayer is a critical practice today and his writing practice. Amos Smith (D.Min) earned a Bachelor's degree in Comparative Religion from The University of California at Santa Cruz in 1993, a Masters of Divinity from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley in 1998, and a Doctor of Ministry from Chicago Theological Seminary in 2008.  Buy a copy of Healing the Divide: Recovering Christianity's Mystic Roots https://amzn.to/3KFju9L  Check out his other books on Amazon: https://amzn.to/39oIxPs  Connect with Amos Smith:  Twitter: @amossmi  Email: amossmi@gmail.com Web: www.amossmith.org Password: friends  Books mentioned in the conversation: Van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score https://amzn.to/4bU1ODE  Athanasius, On the Incarnation https://amzn.to/4bSyzRr Brian's Free Centering Prayer course: https://www.brianrussellphd.com/challenge-page/fb06a8df-99bd-47c0-bc06-0892ec6777ed  Brian Russell's Books  Astonished by the Word: Reading Scripture for Deep Transformation (2023) https://amzn.to/3Vw9I07 Centering Prayer: Sitting Quietly in God's Presence Can Change Your Life (2021) https://amzn.to/2S0AcIZ   (Re)Aligning with God: Reading Scripture for Church and World (Cascade Books) https://amzn.to/30tP4S9  Invitation: A Bible Study to Begin With (Seedbed) https://my.seedbed.com/product/onebook-invitation-by-brian-russell/  Connecting with Brian: Website: www.brianrussellphd.com Twitter: @briandrussell Instagram: @yourprofessorforlife Interested in coaching or inviting Brian to speak or teach for your community of faith or group? Email: deepdivespirituality@gmail.com Links to Amazon are Affiliate links. If you purchase items through these links, Amazon returns a small percentage of the sale to Brian Russell. This supports the podcast and does not increase the price of the items you may choose to buy. Thank you for your support. #mysticism #spirituality #silence

Watch this episode uncensored & ad-free on Patreon: https://patreon.com/dannyjones @GnosticInformant is a YouTube channel by Neal Sendlak, focusing on History, Mythology, and Comparative Religion. SPONSORS https://www.bubsnaturals.com/djp - Use code DJP for 20% off. https://buy.ver.so/danny - Use code DANNY to save 15% on your first order. https://whiterabbitenergy.com/?ref=DJP - Use code DJP for 20% off. EPISODE LINKS Neal's YouTube Channel: @GnosticInformant https://x.com/Gnosticinforman https://www.facebook.com/GnosticInformant FOLLOW DANNY JONES https://www.instagram.com/dannyjones https://twitter.com/jonesdanny OUTLINE 00:00 - Biggest misconception about the Bible 10:22 - Dr. Ammon Hillman & Jesus in the park 20:18 - Hebrew vs. Greek as religious languages 23:21 - How old is the Old Testament? 33:26 - Yahweh is Satan 42:25 - Who was Jesus? 53:21 - Was Jesus smart? 01:05:26 - The Dark Ages 01:10:36 - Eleusinian rituals 01:22:05 - The men crucified with Jesus 01:24:28 - Exorcisms 01:31:20 - Burning purple 01:36:19 - Ancient Christian cults 01:41:26 - Jesus is the serpent 01:49:26 - Easter & self-castration 01:58:37 - John Allegro's sacred mushroom 02:02:02 - Most rebellious christians 02:05:54 - Oldest Gospels say God was SATAN 02:18:55 - Valentinians & gematrias 02:27:26 - Jesus Christ's birthday 02:35:52 - Nephilim vs. Anunnaki 02:54:11 - DMT

This episode is the second of a six part series where Jay and Hunter interview Laura Knight Jadczyk, a world-renowned paranormal researcher who authored a groundbreaking series called The Wave and founded a metaphysical research community called The Cassiopaean Experiment. The conversation covers a wide range of fascinating topics, from the theological differences between Pauline and Jerusalem Christianity, to historical hints at how higher density beings influence human affairs through a hyperdimensional control matrix, to the origins of religious rituals and their implications for modern society. Tune in if you're interested in learning what secrets and symbolism lie within the world's most popular religious texts, and how we can use them to better inform our understanding of our position within the cosmos. "Jesus says, ‘You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.' And the thing is, that very teaching works against your religion. The contradictions are there, and there are a whole lot of things that don't fit, and that inspires you to ask some really tough questions." - Laura Knight Jadczyk   What You'll Learn From This Episode Stories Of Religious Skepticism & Spiritual Awakening – Hear stories from Laura, Jay, and Hunter about their diverse experiences growing up in different Christian denominations and the pivotal moments that led them to question traditional religious teachings. Critical Analysis of Early Christianity – Laura shares insights from her research on early Christian texts and figures, particularly focusing on the historical context and theological differences between Pauline and Jerusalem Christianity. Comparative Religion and Modern Derivatives – Learn how Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are all interconnected, and hear examples of how the teachings, practices, and rituals of these religions have evolved over time. The Hyperdimensional Control Matrix – Understand how higher density beings are able to influence and control human affairs using the hyperdimensional control matrix, and how Paul's writings may contain historical examples of these non-physical entities. The Spiritual Significance Of Mysteries, Mythologies, and Quests – Laura explains why sacred bloodlines or the legendary hunt for the Holy Grail may actually be allegories for the archetypal journey for truth and the relentless pursuit of higher understanding. The Historical Role and Modern Influence Of Religious Rituals – Learn about the historical and psychological implications of practices like circumcision or ritual sacrifice to better understand how they influence both individual and collective consciousness. Navigating Truth and Conspiracy in the Search for Knowledge – Note the importance of discernment and critical thinking to avoid being misled by misinformation or conspiracy theories throughout your journey searching for truth. Harassment, Surveillance, Interrogations, and False Accusations – Hear Laura's personal experiences of being harassed for her beliefs and learn how to armor yourself with the resilience required to overcome any challenges that may come your way.   Key Moments In This Conversation 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:03:41 – Religious Skepticism & Visionary Experiences 00:15:37 – Leaving Religion In Favor Of Spiritual Awakening 00:19:49 – The Complex Origins of Christianity 00:28:19 – The Allegorical Creation of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark 00:35:50 – Debunking Myths and Seeking Truth Beyond Religion 00:41:05 – Connecting the Dots: King Arthur, The Holy Grail and Sacred Bloodlines 00:46:00 – The Power of Names: Protection from Dark Forces 00:52:29 – The Perversion of Christianity and the Role of the Vatican 00:58:40 – Paul's Theology and the Hyperdimensional Control Matrix 01:00:54 – The Controversial Practice of Circumcision 01:15:04 – Navigating Truth and Conspiracy in the Search for Knowledge 01:24:08 – Harassment, Surveillance, Interrogations, and False Accusations 01:29:52 – Personal Stories of Defamation 01:40:10 – The Power of Negative Experiences for Growth 01:58:39 – Living in a Community: Challenges and Benefits 02:03:21 – Closing Remarks & Laura's Resources   Guest Bio Laura Knight-Jadczyk is a renowned researcher and author specializing in the fields of paranormal phenomena, historical cosmic catastrophes, and psychological studies.  With a career spanning several decades, Laura has dedicated herself to exploring the boundaries between physical and non-physical realities. Her extensive work and unique insights are captured in her numerous publications, most notably her groundbreaking series "The Wave," which delves into the intricacies of hyperdimensional realities and their impact on human history and consciousness.  She founded the scientific and metaphysical research community, The Cassiopaean Experiment, where she collaborates with other experts to investigate and discuss these complex topics.  Learn more about Laura and her work at www.cassiopaea.org.   LAURA'S RESOURCES: • https://www.cassiopaea.org  • https://laura-knight-jadczyk.com  • https://cassiopaea.substack.com  • https://www.sott.net   JAY'S RESOURCES: • https://www.jaycampbell.com  • https://jaycampbell.com/newsletter-signup  • https://jaycampbell.com/jay-recommends  • https://www.fullyoptimizedhealth.com   Jay Campbell Products & Resources

For centuries theologians, clergy and laity within the Abrahamic traditions have made great attempts to define where the concepts of love and justice fall within their faiths. Many Christians are quick to acknowledge that Christianity is indeed a religion founded on the principle of love, but look upon the Hebrew scriptures as being little more than a set of moral codes provided by a deity who is more concerned with the performance of ritual and appeasement. A similar view is held by many about Islam. But in Kelly Clark's new book 'Raging Fire of Love' he takes a deep dive into the sacred scriptures of these religions to offer evidence that all of them hold as their high priority the understanding that the God of Judaism, Christianity and Islam is a loving God; and that adherents to those religions are expected to replicate that love to our "neighbors" (read: everyone) in daily life.

FREE BOOK: Courtesy of IVP Academic, we are giving away two brand-new copies of the third edition of Win Corduan's landmark book, Neighboring Faiths - A Christian Introduction to World Religions. Just drop host Apologetics Profile host Daniel Ray an email with a current mailing address to DRAY@WATCHMAN.ORG. We will select at random two listeners and notify you by email if you have been selected.What is the best way to share the Gospel with someone from another religious tradition? There is no one right way, no simple formula for how to do it. But it is necessary to keep in mind the concept of contextualization. How cognizant are we of the biblical cultures and times? The cultures and beliefs of those with whom we are sharing the Gospel? Or, the assumptions and biases of our own culture and beliefs? Here on part two of our conversation with author, scholar, and world-religions expert Dr. Win Courduan, we examine some basic premises about contextualization and how Jesus "fits into" other faith traditions. Winfried Courduan (PhD, Rice University) is professor emeritus of philosophy and religion at Taylor University, Upland, Indiana. He has led many undergraduate tours focusing on the lived religious traditions of various parts of the world. He is the author of several books, including Handmaid to Theology, Reasonable Faith: Basic Christian Apologetics, Neighboring Faiths (3rd Edition), and A Tapestry of Faiths.Related Links: Free access to some related Watchman Profiles: Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Animism by James C. Ventress: www.watchman.org/Animism Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Pantheism by Dr. Douglas Groothuis: www.watchman.org/Pantheism Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Shi'a Islam by Dr. Mike Edens: www.watchman.org/Shia Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Tibetan Buddhism by Dr. C. Fred Smith: www.watchman.org/TB Additional ResourcesFREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

The six days of creation provide a unique inversion to us today, because initially the order of the objects doesn't appear to make sense. After all, the sun appears on the fourth day, after the land and oceans were created. Every middle schooler who reaches the fourth day of creation can see a problem here, because the sun surely preceded the earth in terms of formation. Did we not just read in the opening verse of the Bible that “God created the heavens and the earth”? Is Genesis already switching the order and putting the sun, which is part of the “heavens,” after the earth? Did we just go from “Heavens First” to “Earth First”?This is where we apply our modern science to the book of Genesis, and in doing so we lose the wonder. But it's ok, there is an inversion waiting for us here, too. The sacred writer of Genesis did not know that the earth was round. Or maybe he did know. Or perhaps he thought it was shaped like a sausage. The point here is that it doesn't matter. I realize that saying “The shape of the universe doesn't matter” is blasphemy to a materialist who thinks that truth can only come through scientific proof. But this is the reason why materialists tend to get nothing out of the Bible, particularly the creation story. The spiritual reading is lost entirely unless you are willing to believe in spiritual things. And the first thing that you must be willing to believe in…is God. If this first principle is not in place, the Bible will be a strange read throughout and you will be sneering the entire time. If you approach it with doubt, you will get nothing from it. If you approach it with the eyes of faith, you will get the whole universe and the heavens, too. The key piece of being “willing” does not mean abandoning reason. Rather, it means using reason with faith, because they go together. One of the greatest documents from a Pope ever written is about Faith and Reason (in Latin, Fides et Ratio). It begins like this: Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth—in a word, to know himself—so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves. Thus, if you approach the Bible like a half-formed ghoul, with only reason, or only faith, or only your body, or only your soul, you will miss the point, to your detriment. If you come with only faith, you will be a Fundamentalist. If you come with only reason, you will be a cold atheist. Why be either one? Be whole. Be your whole self, as God intends us to be. (Hint: These inversions are really about becoming a whole person, body and soul, with faith and reason.) When we express belief that the Bible is “inerrant” we mean in terms of faith and morals, not mathematical truths. But if you consider “reason” to only cover provable concepts and material things, then you will be a one-trick pony who has to play dumb when considering art and beauty. No scientific answers come for the great questions, or even basic ones like “Why is a sunset beautiful?” or “Why do children bring such tears and joy?” or “How did that song change my life?” or “Why do I feel the Presence of God in a silent adoration chapel?”Beauty is a great lead-in to God, but Biblical inerrancy is a hard sell today. Thus, we should stop trying to sell it at all. I am tired of being sold. Who is not tired of being sold, when all we see is marketing from dusk ‘til dawn? I don't want a product or an experience, I would like authenticity and truth, and there is not even an atheist that I know who doesn't see both of those things in Jesus Christ. And if you don't see the supernatural in Christ, then you cannot fully see His authentic truth, as He is the way, the life, and the truth. This requires no song and dance, just as Jesus did not dance for us. We must remember the purpose of sacred scripture is not to give us the Pythagorean theorem, but rather to give us spiritual truths. When we read Genesis, at certain points we may be reading the “science” of the day when it was written, or we may not be. Just as the science of Ptolemy's day put earth at the center of the universe (and was wrong), so was the science of the day of Moses wrong about the shape of the earth. Funny, then, that “the science” can change but God does not. This is why the phrase “Follow the science” is so slippery and fraught with missteps. Truly, our model of the universe we have today will likely be quaint and silly in a century. The beauty of sacred scripture is that it opens a conversation, rather than delivering a hard answer, as we expect math to do. Here is where the idea of “mystery” bothers us modern people, but the mystery of scripture is directly caught up in the ultimate mystery of God, who created all things out of nothing, who is the “sheer act of being itself,” who formed us out of clay (or atoms if you like). What could be more fun than this escape room outside of the Garden, where at the end we can be with the God Most High, who transcends all? We love mysteries. Why shouldn't we love the conversation with the greatest mystery of all? I urge you: set your Google-brain aside, and embrace the mystery. And the first part of that mystery and conversation that gets us spun around and walking away is the six days of creation and the shape of the universe. However, this is exactly the place where if you come back to it with faith and reason, it can open up a story that transcends what happens in NASA's images of outer space. The pictures of the Crab Nebula are beautiful, but there is another view of the universe beyond the stars. The shape of things, as seen by Moses, in the spiritual view is like a house. There is an upper, middle, and lower section. You might call this the heavens, earth, and hell worldview. This is much like a house. But this is not to address anything related to science, it is about addressing the physical and spiritual reality that we occupy. Now, here we must briefly pause for the Galileo affair, the most misunderstood event in modern history. If you have not read a history of what really happened with Galileo, I recommend you read Galileo Revisited: The Galileo Affair in Context, because a fascinating tale it truly is. The story you may have heard has been massaged by propaganda writers who really dislike the Church. In fact, one of the best summaries of the Galileo affair is from an episode of the History for Atheists podcast. We live in strange times. The God-deniers first stoked the myth of the Galileo story, and now various God-deniers are looking back and de-bunking the propaganda of God-deniers.Let's get to the point: the geocentric model of the universe was not devised by the Church. In fact, the model of Ptolemy came from the science of Egypt long ago. Long before that were other models, like the “Firmament” idea we find in Genesis, which many find funny today. Any beefs that we have with the shape of the physical universe is an academic discussion, not a spiritual one. Too much time and energy has been spent away from the spiritual life, and it seems that the model where the earth or humans are at the center is always a bad model. We think too highly of ourselves. (Note: we can think highly of ourselves as we are made in the image and likeness of God, but with humility in knowing that we are not God). In Genesis, the model is simple. It is speaking to our human reality. As a human being, I can look up, I can look at eye-level, and I can look down. I know there is something higher and something beneath. Here on dry land, I live on the “main floor.” The spiritual upper and lower rooms have deeper meanings. I can't go to those floors right now, but I know they are present. The error we can make is to think that our eye, on the main floor, is at the center of the universe. This is perhaps the ultimate error. The de-centering of mankind is essential to humility, and if anything, we should be grateful to science for doing just that. To be de-centered is humbling, and wonderful. Thus the simple vertical world of up/heaven, middle/earth, and down/hell in Genesis should not cause us any alarm, because if we live long enough, we will get to see this same de-centering of our own settled science. It will be proven wrong. Yes, the science we are certain of today will be modified, perhaps wildly modified, by future findings. How do I know that? First, because scientists are nowhere near the full understanding God's universe. Second, because science cannot test and verify spiritual things, as science cannot test for God. It's a ludicrous idea, like 2 + 2 = 5. Hopefully this does not shock you: our current model of the universe is wrong. Yes, it's accurate enough to build houses and space stations, but wrong in ways we don't know about yet. But that's good: it gives graduate students something to do. If the puzzle were complete, we would become bored and go crazy (mainly because we fail to realize that boredom can actually lead to serenity, but a discussion on concupiscence will come later). An inversion sits here in this space, because this is where our approach to scripture must step into the spotlight. Now, I could say this inversion is about reading the Bible in the four senses of scripture, which is critical, because these ways will expand the text for believers and unbelievers. The literal, allegorical, moral, and “how it relates to Christ” readings are all important. But there is a more subtle inversion for us. The inversion here is that we assume that all we know today is the same that we will know tomorrow, and many 19th-century Germans who thought themselves clever are beginning to look more foolish with each passing decade. The same is happening for 20th-century academics, such as those involved in the “Quest for the Historical Jesus,” as if they were Lancelot and Percival. However, in this relentless dissecting of the Bible as a dead body, scholars took the historical-critical method to its logical end. Now we have some good data and a bit of useful information from that quest. Better yet, now we can use that data to further our understanding of God. The rest we can throw away. As St. Paul said, “Test everything; hold fast what is good.” This is great advice because all of the Bible scholars who tried to turn Jesus into a common teacher of ethics or tried to reduce Moses into a mere model of the will-to-power, are now gone and so are their anti-Semitic and anti-Catholic theories. We can keep what is useful, and toss out the rest. (Julius Wellhausen, Rudolf Bultmann, Bart Ehrmann, et al: goodnight, gentlemen - thank you for the data, as we can now use it to increase our faith.)For a long time, Biblical scholars have been doing violence to the Bible because they see it as a work of literature rather than a sacred text. The era of “Comparative Religion” courses at universities is waning, as is the dogmatic absurdity of the “Q source” Gospel, a hypothetical document that does not exist. (And if anything it would be an early version of Matthew in Hebrew, written by the apostle named Matthew.) In another twenty years, a vast swath Biblical scholarship will be swept aside and flung into oblivion, as artifacts of an era riddled with excess curiositas and too little humilitas. However, we are living in a long hangover from attacks on scripture, and need some fasting (not Taco Bell) to cure this hangover. The old German doubters' and comparative literature ideas are still ringing in lecture halls, killing off one student's faith at a time. Professors of Bible scholarship can't get hired if they disagree with a secular dogma of a Bible that doesn't believe in miracles, spirits, or even God. This begs many questions that we'll avoid for now. For the past two centuries, academics have been approaching the Word of God with “reason alone” and using suspicion as their interpretive key, but the key has worn out, or God has replaced the locks. When we hear that Jesus' miracle of multiplying the loaves and fishes was just people sharing the bread that they had brought, we should laugh out loud. This miracle is one of the few that all four Gospel writers recorded. “Sharing” is not a miracle. Sharing is great, but it's not mind-blowing or life-changing. The apostles did not get bludgeoned, burned, and buried to proclaim the good news of “sharing.” Sharing is nice, but we know all about sharing without God becoming incarnate and dying on a cross to defeat the world, the flesh, and the devil.So we come to the inversion of how we should approach the Word of God. Even before you open the book, this approach decides what you will receive from the text. In the introduction to the Navarre Bible, a quote sums up the way we should approach the Bible, which inverts the way modern scholars read:“…the interpretations of Scripture should never be approached as a research exercise dependent on the researcher's technical skills. It is, rather, an encounter with the Word of God in the living Tradition of the Church…” (Pentateuch, p 16.)For several centuries now, we have been poking at the Bible like a dead trout washed up on the riverbank. But the Bible is much more like a giant whale that cannot be caught…yes, like Moby Dick. We have stopped reading the Word as sacred and started reading it like a biology book, where nothing supernatural or exciting ever occurs. We need to read it like it has the answers to the Biggest Questions, because it does.The death of many people's faith began in the era of the Renaissance and Reformation, as we began to discover new places and models of the universe. I do believe that this was all part of God's plan. Of course it was; everything is part of God's plan. Likewise, God's truth about the universe will lead to the death of our modern idols, too. It is inevitable. In the thousands of years from the first Passover to the Paschal Mystery to today, many great saints lived alongside many sinners, and many saints started out as great sinners. This exit and return from God, back to God is indeed the road home, as the parable of the Prodigal Son said (and so say we all!). The parable of the weeds and wheat applies in history and today, and it applies within each one of us. And like King Josiah had to smash to the idolatrous “high places” in the book of 2 Kings, so must we, and today the main idol that is a stumbling block for faith is not a golden statue or stone pillar, but ideologies and the idol of the “self.” Idols always need smashing. We are in yet another era of strange idols, so let's get to smashing (don't smash yourself, just the false image of the “self” as idol.) If you think God is not working to do the same things now to the idols of modernity as he did to past idols, your assumption of final knowledge will eventually come for you, or even burn you, just like it did to so many 19th century Germans' grandchildren in the 20th century. As for those who believed in such silly things as a flat earth and six day creation, those people were not as simple as we think. Rather, we too will seem simple in a hundred years, let alone a thousand, if the Lord does not return before then. Remember that Genesis is not teaching science or the shape of the universe - that is the task of the scientists and scribes of each age. What sacred scripture teaches is humility before God. If we approach scripture with humility, we will see the forest instead of the tree. If we approach the Word of God in wonder, we will choose the tree of life, rather than the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The tree of knowledge is the one that says, “I know better than God.” In defense of those ancient scientists and scribes, let's imagine for a minute what the world looked like to them:When we live purely by the senses, without the aid of telescopes and books and knowledge handed down, the world does appear to be flat. While I am not a “flat earther,” most of the time the world is actually flat. Most of the time, I am not pondering the sphere I am standing on. I am getting groceries or walking the dog, and everywhere I go is flat in this Minnesota prairie land. Thus, it's reasonable that people believe in a flat earth because we cannot see the sphere. However, we have come to know better through reason, which is a great gift from God to us. With reason, we can use induction and deduction to arrive at conclusions. We can even make proofs about the roundness of the world. What we “know” by the senses alone is not always accurate. Our senses can fool us. This is why seductive beauty can be so deadly, but also life-giving. Beauty is like water or fire in this way, where it can aid life or destroy it. However, the same applies to reason, and by reason alone we can only get so far. By reason alone, we cannot reach the spiritual unseen realm, but we can know it dimly by logic and science. Yet there is more. By art, music, and literature, we can know of spiritual realities. Just as we can measure the earth by reason, we can at least open the door a crack to spiritual realities by art. Everyone has a song or lyric that brings tears to their eyes, a feeling that touches on something deeper than they can articulate. But to fully open the door to faith beyond this world and life requires a “willingness” to be willing, and the act of faith by our will invites our intellect into a broad new expanse that is beyond all sense and calculation. Observation and reason can take us to the door, but faith must place the key in the lock and turn it to walk into that panoramic spiritual valley. Since I cannot see all things at once, I take it on faith, from science, that the earth travels around the sun, not the other way around. I really have no means (or motivation) to prove it, which is why it makes sense to me that, prior to Copernicus, the prevailing wisdom and mathematical models did not have the sun at the center of the solar system but rather the earth. My eyes can see that the sun travels over the sky - yet the senses can deceive us. I myself have not empirically proven that the sun is at the center of the solar system, but it's wonderful that mathematicians and scientists managed to prove it. But contrary to popular belief, this dance of the sun and earth does no damage to the religious truth presented in Genesis. None whatsoever, because the two things are related yet separate. Here is something important to pause on: for people who lost their faith because the earth was no longer at the center of the solar system - they were inverted the wrong way. They were not seeing God correctly. Their God was too small. Likewise, when the “New World” was discovered, a falling away from faith occurred in Europe. Enlightenment writers said that that “man was decentered” by science; man was knocked off a pedestal by the findings of Galileo and Darwin and others. Also, geology and the discovery of dinosaur bones put man into a tiny sliver of time, making him question his centrality in the order of the universe. When I was young, this all seemed to point to religion as the enemy of the truth. Having been raised in the cult of Protestant liberalism (also called the United States of America), this made for a very strange childhood experience. We were like the mythical Pushmi-Pullyu animal of Dr. Doolittle, getting yanked in two directions by two heads. On the one end, all the history books and literature showed that science had dethroned man as the measure of all things. Then on the other end, the cults of liberalism and humanism preached freedom, self-esteem. So at the same time: I was being showered with praise for my uniqueness and specialness while scientific proofs declared me smaller and smaller. Is it any wonder that we are now confused? These two things don't flow together well. If man is not central, but is merely matter, then what ruse are the humanists trying to play with the endless plug of uniqueness? This raises a larger question, however. If man is not special, and is instead like any other species, to what do owe our “self-esteem”? If there is no soul, as public school and modern media taught us, then meaning is only what we make for ourselves, is it not? This is a tall order for each person to determine, since we must all start from scratch. But the truth is: we don't need to do any of that, if we submit our intellect and will to God. The question is already answered, if we are only willing to set pride and vanity aside for peace and hope. Truly, none of this can make sense without God as the beginning and end of all things. Thus the phrase, “made in the image and likeness of God” is so powerful, because it puts us into a relationship with His transcendence, into a nearby friendship that resolves both our smallness and our uniqueness. He is not so far that we cannot know him, nor so close that we are him. We are not God, but we are his friends. The contradiction here is that the Enlightenment spilled much ink, and even more blood, in attempts at making meaning. When the various revolutions of liberalism and communism and capitalism failed to bring the cure for sin, the humanists took up the standard and attempted to shock us to life with a foundationless hype regarding self-worth. But without God, it falls flat. Now: the problem is as follows. Placing man or the self at the center is an error. Genesis and the order of creation de-centers us. We are more valuable than many sparrows, yes, but we are not more valuable than God, or even the angels. Knowing our placement in creation brings freedom, because it allows us to willingly bend the knee to God for his grace and glory. From our proper place we can love and serve. Some people believe that the dinosaurs bones were sown into the earth to test our faith. While I find this to be absurd, it's not exactly wrong. Because if the existence of giant reptiles from a period long ago causes us to lose belief in God, then we had an error-ridden faith to begin with. If the concept of evolution upsets our ability to kneel and pray, perhaps we have never really kneeled and prayed. If anything upsets our trust in God, then we may be projecting what we want to be God, rather than receiving in humility what is God's truth. This is not a defense of creationism or darwinism or liberalism or any other “ism”: this is a goodbye to human pride masquerading as faith in God. The truth is that we are not the central item of all creation, we are a part of all creation, and a very important part. We are loved by God, more than the rest of creation. We are different from all other creatures. We are special, but not more special than God. Coming to trust in God's will means to follow Jesus' advice to “consider the lilies of the field” who do God's will without toiling or spinning. They do not worry, they do not fear - they reach up their petals to heaven, glorifying his creation. What I am getting at goes all the way back to Christ on the Cross. Upon the Cross you have the summary of all necessary first principles. On the Cross, the strangest experience in all history happened. The theory of evolution should not disturb you. The Christian story of the Creator of the universe being born into this world by a woman named Mary, living among us, performing miracles, and then being crucified by us - that is what should disturb you if you fully come to understand what it means. Dinosaur bones? The beak of the finch? A new continent across the Atlantic? The sun's position in the sky? Those are the things that made us stop believing? Those are the things that led us away from God and into the dead arms of modern idols? We trade our inheritance far too cheaply. What this means is something troubling. Most of us believers are not that serious. Most of us are just in it for Donut Sunday and cultural benefits. We may say, “Jesus, I trust in you,” but not really mean it like St. Faustina did. We were warned by Jesus about Donut Sunday faith. He said “…there are many who will say, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?' Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.'” And in hell, of one thing I am certain: there are no donuts on Sunday or any other day of the week.No wonder our faith was sunk. Our trust is really in ourselves. We say we trust and believe, but we don't. We don't go out into the world and take action like Abraham did. We don't comply with God's will like Moses did, when he insanely walked into Egypt to scold Pharoah, the most powerful man in the world. More than words or going through the motions, real trust in God means doing, partaking of the Sacraments, and even praying for your enemies. When geocentrism or evolution causes us to stop believing, we are like Peter walking on water who focuses on the wind. As the Lord said to Peter as he fell into the water, “Oh you of little faith, why did you doubt?” No finding or discovery should shake our faith. If anything, it is only a test to find out if we trusted God in the first place. As the Lord said to the Apostles, “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, for I have conquered the world.” We are too afraid to fully trust. St. John Henry Newman said, “Ten thousand difficulties make not one doubt,” and here I've only listed four: dinosaur bones, beaks, the discovery of the Americas, and the position of the sun. That leaves 9,996 difficulties yet to go before a single doubt should even be entertained. If Darwin or Columbus or Copernicus or Diplodocus caused our faith to die, then our faith was not sailing free and fully trusting God, but was moored to the dock of the self long before we arrived at our current wacky age of postmodernism. The key to understanding where we sit in the order of creation is to know that God is far beyond our understanding, yet is simple, true, good, beautiful, omnipotent, and omnipresent. The key to the good life is knowing that God is at the center, not me. If a discovery here on earth is made, nothing about God changes. New findings should not rattle faith if the right ordering and principles are in place, because truth cannot contradict truth. And none of the revelations of science in the last five hundred years have done anything to displace the truth of “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”Where the earth sits in the universe, where mankind sits in time and space, how our thumbs may have developed, or what land is discovered, what formulas are yet to be discovered - none of these things disrupt or shake the Creator of all, from whom all Being extends. If any of these things shattered faith, or embarrassed believers, then the faith was not built upon a rock but was actually sitting on sand. Evolution or heliocentrism changes nothing about faith and morals, beginnings and endings, bodies and souls. It just changes the map of the heavens, or the timeline of salvation. But God is always up, and hell is always down. As for God, these revelations are like me throwing a pebble at the moon from my driveway. Not only can the pebble not reach the moon, even if it could, it would have no impact. To me, the findings of evolution are interesting but not that important for the Biggest Questions, because humility before God has precedence. If his creation developed, it seems all the more amazing. However we came to the day of the Fall, the Fall happened, and it happened with the first two people from which we all inherit our concupiscence. The topic of how my body or brain may have developed is interesting, but not necessary for salvation. If the Fall happened 6,000 years ago or 60 billion - it makes no difference. I must live today and keep God's commandments, not because I have to but because I want to. The Fall happened, and that's what matters, and I can prove it by own penchant for sin, and I can only overcome it through the work of Jesus' redemptive suffering. If tomorrow aliens arrive, a believer should not be alarmed. The best thing to do would be to invite Gleep-Glorp to Holy Mass. If tomorrow the physicists do indeed prove there are infinite universes or that we are living in a video game, this should have no impact on a faith that knows that “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” This is the certainty in which you may sail uncharted waters, outlast storms, converse with aliens, navigate confusion, resist mutiny, endure war, suffer famine, persevere in poverty, ignore propaganda, and resist fear. The main thing to be wary of is those who preach against the spiritual truth of the creation, the fall, and the resurrection. Thinking about the cosmology of the universe is fascinating because it all leads to greater wonder in creation. But in my day-to-day life, I need to prepare food on the main floor of this “house.” In some respects, you might say that I offer up prayers to the top floor, while living on the main floor, and as for the basement - well, I don't want to go there. The house is haunted with spirits. There are spirits on every floor of the house. And the sooner you realize this, the less fearful you will be, because even now they are watching you. They are always watching you. I don't want to scare you at the end of this inversion, but as Nirvana said in its lyrics: Just because you're paranoidDon't mean they're not after you The next inversion is about angels and demons. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whydidpetersink.substack.com

FREE BOOK: Courtesy of IVP Academic, we are giving away two brand-new copies of the third edition of Win Courduan's landmark book, Neighboring Faiths - A Christian Introduction to World Religions. Just drop host Apologetics Profile host Daniel Ray an email with a current mailing address to DRAY@WATCHMAN.ORG. We will select at random two listeners and notify you by email if you have been selected.Jesus was asked, "Who is my neighbor?" The answer to the question for us today is no different than it was in the culture of Jesus' day. Our neighbors today include a broad range of people from many different countries who hold to a wide variety of different beliefs and religious traditions. How can we as Christians intelligently engage our non-Christian neighbors of so many different faiths? There is no one simple formula, but there is wisdom and experience of those who have engaged with people of other faith traditions. Our guest this week and next on the Profile is author, scholar, and world-religions expert Dr. Win Corduan, who took the time to share with us some of his invaluable wisdom and insight from decades of traveling the world and engaging people of other religions.Winfried Courduan (PhD, Rice University) is professor emeritus of philosophy and religion at Taylor University, Upland, Indiana. He has led many undergraduate tours focusing on the lived religious traditions of various parts of the world. He is the author of several books, including Handmaid to Theology, Reasonable Faith: Basic Christian Apologetics, Neighboring Faiths (3rd Edition), and A Tapestry of Faiths.Related Links: Free access to some related Watchman Profiles: Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Hinduism by C. Fred Smith: www.watchman.org/Hindu Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Islam by James K. Walker: www.watchman.org/Muslim Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Baha'i by Robert Pardon: www.watchman.org/Bahai Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Zen Buddhism by Jason Barker: www.watchman.org/Zen Additional ResourcesFREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Join us for an enlightening discussion with Paul Wallis as we delve into the fascinating realms of ancient wisdom, exploring the intricate dynamics between Enki and Enlil while uncovering inconsistencies within biblical narratives. Through an engaging dialogue, we aim to reintegrate ancient perspectives, shedding light on timeless truths and challenging conventional interpretations. Tune in for an insightful journey into the depths of history and spirituality. #paulwallis

In this episode, Dr. Kevin Grasso takes us through four key texts surrounding Jesus' death and resurrection. We examine how the messianic prophesy of Isaiah 53:7 should be properly translated (hint: every English translation is missing something). We look at the significance of Jesus' response before the high priestly court in Matthew 26:63-65: "You have said so." We dig into the complicated question of what language Jesus was speaking when he cried out "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me" in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34. We unpack the way Psalm 22 serves as a motif in the passion narrative. And we detail the meaningful textual nuances of the restoration of Peter in John 21:15-19. Kevin Grasso has an M.A. in Linguistics with a concentration in Bible Translation from Dallas International University, an MA in Comparative Religion from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a PhD in Hebrew Language from Hebrew University. He is the founder and main content creator of Biblingo. As always, this episode is brought to you by Biblingo, the premier solution for learning, maintaining, and enjoying the biblical languages. Visit ⁠biblingo.org⁠ to learn more and start your 10-day free trial. If you enjoy this episode, be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app and leave us a review. You can also follow Biblingo on social media @biblingoapp to discuss the episode with us and other listeners.

Today we are posting an interview with Adam Pelser. Adam is a professor of philosophy at the United States Air Force Academy. He holds a Masters degree and a PhD in Philosophy from Baylor University and a Masters degree in Religion from Wake Forest University. He teaches courses in Ethics, Philosophy of Religion, Comparative Religion, and C.S. Lewis, and he is a Fellow of the Inklings Project, an international group of scholars who teach college courses on the works of Lewis, Tolkien, and other members of the Inklings. For more parenting resources, go to axis.org 

In our recent episode of the NHA Health Science Podcast, we had the privilege of hosting Dr. Lisa Kemmerer, a luminary in the realms of animal ethics and social justice activism. As the founder of Tapestry, an educational vegan organization, Dr. Kemmerer brings a wealth of knowledge and experiences that delve into the interconnected issues of animal welfare, environmentalism, and broader social justice.   Dr. Kemmerer's journey began in her childhood in Conway, Washington, surrounded by a diverse array of animals, fostering a deep connection with nature and instilling a sense of compassion. Her academic pursuits led her to Reed College for her undergraduate degree in International Studies, and later, to Harvard for a Master of Theological Studies in Comparative Religions, and a Ph.D. in philosophy with a specialization in animal ethics from the University of Glasgow in Scotland.   What sets Tapestry apart is its unique approach to animal ethics, recognizing the profound link between animal rights, environmentalism, and broader social justice concerns. Dr. Kemmerer's commitment to making knowledge accessible is evident in Tapestry's mission, providing resources freely online to eliminate barriers to information.   Dr. Kemmerer's dedication to understanding and raising awareness on major religions and indigenous traditions, empowering individuals worldwide to explore the teachings of their respective religions regarding the treatment of animals, is grounded in her commitment to veganism.   Dr. Kemmerer's book, 'Animals and World Religions,' which emerged from her doctoral work in Glasgow, systematically examines major religions and indigenous traditions, offering profound insights into their perspectives on nature and animals.   Join us in unraveling the tapestry of animal ethics and social justice by listening to this enlightening conversation with Dr. Lisa Kemmerer on the NHA Health Science Podcast. Discover the evolution of veganism, the challenges of animal confinement, and the hope-driven activism that fuels positive change. Explore more at www.HealthScience.org/065-Lisa-Kemmerer.   #VeganEthics #SocialJustice #AnimalWelfare #NHAHealthSciencePodcast"

Eastern religious traditions are difficult to understand, especially for us in the West where we often find a syncretistic blend of Yoga, Hinduism, Krishna consciousness, Buddhism, and Daoism. What is Nirvana? How does it differ from Brahman? How can we make intelligent distinctions between these different traditions? Our guest again this week Dr. Doug Groothuis, helps break down the more popular Eastern religions and gives us some practical tools from a biblical perspective for understanding and engaging them.Dr. Douglas Groothuis is a Christian philosopher who is the author of sixteen books, beginning with the best-selling Unmasking the New Age (InterVarsity Press, 1986) and including the popular and voluminous textbook, Christian Apologetics, 2nd ed. (IVP Academic, 2022), as well as a memoir, Walking Through Twilight: A Wife's Illness—a Philosopher's Lament (InterVarsity Press, 2017), an introduction to philosophy, Philosophy in Seven Sentences (InterVarsity, 2016), and a book on the controversial topic of Critical Race Theory, Fire in the Streets (Salem Books, 2022). He co-authored the introductory textbook on apologetics, The Knowledge of God in the World and in the Word (Zondervan-Academic, 2022) with Andrew Shepardson. Get Doug's books here: uhop.me/Groothuis.Related Links: Free access to some related Watchman Profiles: Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Atheism by Dr. Robert M. Bowman, Jr.: watchman.org/Athiesm Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Islam by James K. Walker: watchman.org/IslamProfile Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Hinduism by Dr. C. Fred Smith: watchman.org/Hindu Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Zen Buddhism by Jason Barker: watchman.org/Zen Additional ResourcesFREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (660 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook. SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.Episode Art Photo Credit: Cameron Bertuzzi - Capturing Christianity

Studying world religions can seem like an overwhelming task. Where can you even begin? How about right here with us? This week and next on the Profile we talk with philosopher and author Dr. Douglas Groothuis about his very down-to-earth and easy-to-digest book on this expansive and daunting topic, World Religions in Seven Sentences: A Small Introduction to a Vast Topic. If you've been looking for a place to start, look no further! Here on part one we break down in simple terms Judaism, and Islam in light of biblical truth.Dr. Douglas Groothuis is a Christian philosopher who is the author of sixteen books, beginning with the best-selling Unmasking the New Age (InterVarsity Press, 1986) and including the popular and voluminous textbook, Christian Apologetics, 2nd ed. (IVP Academic, 2022), as well as a memoir, Walking Through Twilight: A Wife's Illness—a Philosopher's Lament (InterVarsity Press, 2017), an introduction to philosophy, Philosophy in Seven Sentences (InterVarsity, 2016), and a book on the controversial topic of Critical Race Theory, Fire in the Streets (Salem Books, 2022). He co-authored the introductory textbook on apologetics, The Knowledge of God in the World and in the Word (Zondervan-Academic, 2022) with Andrew Shepardson. Get Doug's books here: uhop.me/Groothuis.Related Links: Free access to some related Watchman Profiles: Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Atheism by Dr. Robert M. Bowman, Jr.: watchman.org/Athiesm Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Islam by James K. Walker: watchman.org/IslamProfile Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Hinduism by Dr. C. Fred Smith: watchman.org/Hindu Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Zen Buddhism by Jason Barker: watchman.org/Zen Additional ResourcesFREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (660 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook. SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.Episode Art Photo Credit: Cameron Bertuzzi - Capturing Christianity

In this enlightening conversation with Madii Kasem, an internationally trained spiritual practitioner deeply rooted in mystical traditions, we explore the profound connections between humanity and the elements, delving into the transformative power they hold for spiritual growth. Madii's journey includes mentorship from distinguished figures such as Canadian trance medium Tola Haynes, Hawaiian kahuna Morrnah Simeona, British angelologist Angela McGerr, Reshel Grid authority and US Navy Commander Bill Buehler, and American Animal and Nature Communicator Maia Kincaid, Ph.D. Initiated into Tibetan Buddhism's mystical Shangpa Kagyu tradition at a young age, Madii's academic background comprises a B.A. in Comparative Religion, an MA in Judaic Studies with a focus on Jewish Mysticism, and a Bachelor of Education degree. Her spiritual awakening intensified in 2013 when a red-tailed hawk communicated with her telepathically, inspiring her to dedicate her life to advocating for animals and all species. As the former host of The Language of Nature radio show, Madii shares her wisdom, consults, trains others, and serves as a spokesperson for the animals, fostering a deeper understanding of our interconnectedness with the natural world.

What happens when a meditation teacher gets frustrated with his toddler? Hunter talks to Oren J. Sofer, meditation teacher and author of the new book, “Your Heart Was Made For This,” about his life with a toddler as well as how we can cultivate qualities like courage, patience, even play through meditation practice.  You can buy his book here! www.orenjaysofer.com/your-heart If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I'd love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Take a screenshot of you listening on your device, post it to your Instagram stories, and tag me @mindfulmamamentor. Have you left a review yet? All you have to do is go to Apple Podcasts or  Stitcher (or wherever you listen), and thanks for your support of the show! Oren Jay Sofer teaches Buddhist meditation, mindfulness and Nonviolent Communication internationally. A member of the Spirit Rock Teachers Council, he holds a degree in Comparative Religion from Columbia University, is a Certified Trainer of Nonviolent Communication and a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner for the healing of trauma. Oren is the author of several books, including "Say What You Mean" and "Your Heart Was Made For This." Get Hunter's best selling book, Raising Good Humans now! Over 200,000 copies sold! Click here to order and get book bonuses! And now Hunter's newly released book, Raising Good Humans Every Day, is available to order! Click here to get your copy! ABOUT HUNTER CLARKE-FIELDS: Hunter Clarke-Fields is a mindful mama mentor. She coaches smart, thoughtful parents on how to create calm and cooperation in their daily lives. Hunter has over 20 years of experience in mindfulness practices. She has taught thousands worldwide. Be a part of the tribe—we're over 25 thousand strong! Join the Mindful Parenting membership. Take your learning further! Get my Top 2 Best Tools to Stop Yelling AND the Mindful Parenting Roadmap for FREE at: mindfulmamamentor.com/stopyelling/ Find more podcasts, blog posts, free resources, and how to work with Hunter at MindfulMamaMentor.com. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://mindfulmamamentor.com/mindful-mama-podcast-sponsors/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this topical show re-air, Crystal learns about north King County's innovative new Regional Crisis Response (RCR) Agency with its inaugural Executive Director Brook Buettner and Kenmore Mayor Nigel Herbig. Following national guidelines and best practices for behavioral health crisis care, a five-city consortium established RCR in 2023 as part of a vision to provide their region with the recommended continuum of behavioral health care - which includes someone to call, someone to respond, and somewhere to go. Executive Director Buettner and Mayor Herbig share how the program grew out of a need for a person-centered mobile crisis response, rather than the traditional law enforcement response which is often without the right tools or expertise for the job. They describe the collaborative process of getting buy-in from police agencies, electeds, and city staff to design a service that has evolved from the RADAR co-response program to approaching a 24/7 behavioral health first response. Finally, they cover impressive early results in cost-savings & outcomes and offer advice to other cities looking to bring similar solutions to their own communities. As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Follow us on Twitter at @HacksWonks. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii and find Mayor Nigel Herbig at @nigelherbig.   Brook Buettner Brook Buettner is inaugural Executive Director of the groundbreaking Regional Crisis Response Agency, which deploys services to people experiencing behavioral health crisis in the North King County community. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and an experienced human services professional with a focus on policy advocacy and program implementation for high-needs populations. During her two decade-long career, she has been focused on transforming systems to meet the needs of individuals who are high utilizers of both criminal legal and health and human services systems. Ms. Buettner holds Masters in Public Administration and Social Work from the University of Washington. Mayor Nigel Herbig Nigel grew up in the Seattle neighborhood of Wallingford, attended Seattle Public Schools, and graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Political Science and Comparative Religion. Nigel and his wife, Tiffany, decided to move to Kenmore when their daughter was a baby as they were looking for a great place to raise their daughter where they could purchase their first home. They have never regretted that decision. Nigel has worked in broadcasting, fundraising, and politics. He currently works at the King County Regional Homelessness Authority. Mayor Herbig represents the Council on the Eastside Transportation Partnership (Vice Chair), and the Sound Transit SR 522 Bus Rapid Transit Elected Leaders Group. He also sits on the King County Affordable Housing Committee.   Resources The Regional Crisis Response Agency | City of Kirkland   “RCR Agency Welcomes Brook Buettner as Executive Director” from City of Kirkland   National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Crisis Care - Best Practice Toolkit Executive Summary | SAMHSA   The North Sound RADAR Program | City of Shoreline   King County Outcome Data for North Sound RADAR Navigator Program   “RADAR: Response Awareness, De-Escalation, and Referral Final Evaluation Report” prepared by the Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy Department of Criminology, Law & Society at George Mason University   “North King County cities will broaden mental-health response to 911 calls” by Amy Radil from KUOW   “New Crisis Response Center in Kirkland to Serve North King County” from City of Kirkland    “$500k grant from DOJ to help reduce use of police force in North King County” by Hannah Saunders from Bothell-Kenmore Reporter   Transcript [00:00:00] Crystal Fincher: Welcome to Hacks & Wonks. I'm Crystal Fincher, and I'm a political consultant and your host. On this show, we talk with policy wonks and political hacks to gather insight into local politics and policy in Washington state through the lens of those doing the work with behind-the-scenes perspectives on what's happening, why it's happening, and what you can do about it. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Friday week-in-review show and our Tuesday topical show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, the most helpful thing you can do is leave a review wherever you listen to Hacks & Wonks. Full transcripts and resources referenced in the show are always available at officialhacksandwonks.com and in our episode notes. Today, I am very excited to be welcoming Mayor Nigel Herbig - he is the mayor of Kenmore. And Brook Buettner, who's the Executive Director of Regional Crisis Response - a collaboration for a mental health alternative response between the cities of Kenmore, Kirkland, Lake Forest Park, Shoreline, and Bothell that's really innovative and I think a number of cities are looking at this in the region - want to just explore what this is. So starting out with Brook, how did you get involved in this work and what interested you in this? [00:01:27] Brook Buettner: Thanks, Crystal - I'm so happy to be here with you. So my background is that I'm a licensed clinical social worker and I also have a background in public administration. And most of my social work career has been in service of folks that have chronic behavioral health conditions, are living homeless, and then have some overlap with the criminal legal system - either with the police, or with having multiple charges around poverty, or around homelessness. So this is a really exciting program for me to be able to be involved in. [00:01:54] Crystal Fincher: Excellent. And Nigel, as mayor of Kenmore, what got you involved in this particular program and work? [00:02:00] Mayor Nigel Herbig: First, I want to start off by saying that I'm a long-time listener, and I'm excited to be here, Crystal - so thank you for having me. Kenmore entered into this work back in - I want to say 2017 or 2018 - when we joined with other cities and King County MIDD funds and started the RADAR program, which was a co-response model across parts of North King County to give folks other ways to have service calls responded to - without the only response being a police response, because I think we all recognize that a solely police response is not always the right answer and is not always in the best interest of everybody involved. And we did that successfully for a few years. And then in 2021, we started larger conversations with the cities of Bothell, Lake Forest Park, Shoreline, and then we reached out to Kirkland also, about expanding what we were doing with RADAR and making it into a larger regional model. And so our staff and our councils worked for about a year and a half trying to figure out how that would all work. And what we ended up doing was folding the North King County's RADAR Navigator program with Kirkland's Community Responder program to form a new entity that's regional in nature, is going to have a lot more resources, will be operating more hours during the day - I think we're aiming towards 24/7, I don't think we're quite there yet - and will really be a resource for folks who are experiencing, or decompressing in public, or having some sort of other issues so that they'll get a response that actually meets them where they're at. And gets them help immediately rather than the other alternatives, which are the ER or jail - both of which we know are not ideal for anybody who's experiencing either an issue with drug addiction or a mental health issue. So yeah, it's exciting to see multiple cities all coming together to recognize the issue and working together - 'cause as individual cities, there's no way that we could have done this - little Kenmore could've never done this on our own. But working with other cities, we're gonna be delivering something that I think will be meaningful to folks who are experiencing issues out in the field, and I think we'll be getting better outcomes for everybody. And I think that's something we're very excited about. [00:04:00] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. You talk about how challenging this is for individual cities to address and to deal with. I do think it's notable that there was an attempt, a recognition by Kenmore that this was something that needed to be tackled. There was the RADAR program, previously in place, that you just mentioned - this was built on top of and leveraged with the region. How did the discussions go with the region? How did you get buy-in for taking this collaborative approach? And how did you work through the design of the program? How did that work, Brook? [00:04:34] Brook Buettner: We're very lucky in North King County that there was already a great deal of support for alternatives to police response for people in crisis. As you mentioned, the commitment to the RADAR Navigator program that had been going on for about four years prior to this conversation and showing really successful outcomes for folks. And across our elected officials, our police leadership, and our community, there was a strong commitment to doing things in a new way for people in crisis. And so it was a matter of not having to bring people on board, but just discussing what's our shared vision - what do we want our community to look like and how are we gonna get there? And so it was a big lift for city staff to come up with the agreement, the interlocal agreement, that governs this entity - but it was done pretty quickly in my experience and very well to where we have a strong and robust infrastructure to start really offering these alternative services to folks in crisis. [00:05:29] Crystal Fincher: Nigel, what advice would you give to other cities working through this process right now in terms of figuring out the agreements that are going to govern these collaborative approaches, getting buy-in from various stakeholders? How did that work in your experience and what guidance would you give other folks working through this? [00:05:48] Mayor Nigel Herbig: I think part of what made things work, where we are in North King County, was the fact that we'd already been partnering with other cities with RADAR. But we also have other regional models that we're used to - we're used to doing regional collaboration around here. Kenmore is part of ARCH, which is a regional coalition for housing - which is a multi-jurisdictional affordable housing developer that covers kind of Kenmore and then down to the Eastside. And so we're very used to working in a collaborative manner with our neighbors to address issues that we really can't do, again, by ourselves - we can do affordable housing, but it's very hard for a smaller city, right? It's a lot easier if people are pooling things together. So we already had those models that we were familiar with, which I think really helped some of the conversations - 'cause Kirkland's also part of ARCH, I think Bothell is too. So we're starting from a place where we understand how these models work. I think having trust between the cities is important also. We have good relationships with - I have good relationships with my colleagues in Kirkland and in Bothell and Lake Forest Park and Shoreline - I think that's helpful. And then also having staff that's willing to really dig into the details and work collaboratively with their colleagues is important. A lot of this came out of the fact that - and I think we all recognize this - the state and the county have largely been underfunding our mental health response for a long time. And even on our council, there was some pushback to - this should be a county response, this should be the county's responsibility. And I don't completely disagree with that assessment either, but I think we all recognize that something had to be done. And at the end of the day, sometimes cities just have to step up and figure out a way forward. And it's nice to see five cities coming together to work together towards a solution, while we try to figure out the larger long-term solutions that are truly regional and even statewide, frankly. [00:07:25] Crystal Fincher: So can you walk me through what your most frequent calls look like, feel like, what that process is? I think for a lot of people - they're familiar with the concept of alternative response, they're familiar with how important it is, and understanding that police can't do everything and they are not the most effective response for every kind of crisis - so having a tailored response that is most appropriate and most effective is really helpful. How, as you work through this, what does a typical call look like? What does a typical day look like? [00:07:58] Brook Buettner: In crisis, of course, there's no typical call or no typical day. But we are looking to deploy social workers or mental health professionals on any 911 call that comes in that has some identified component of behavioral health. So that's mental health, or substance use, or some social service need like a homelessness component, a family dynamic issue where it could be helpful to have a social worker there. And then the social workers - we call them crisis responders - the crisis responders are going either in the car with the police officer, or when possible in an independent vehicle and meeting the police officer on the scene. And we are stepping more and more in our community into the space of two crisis responders going to - responding to the scene - without a first responder. And that is really what we call the alternative response model. And it can be anything from somebody that has called 911 because they themselves, or somebody that they care about, is suicidal - has made suicidal statements or gestures. Or someone that is in a community space and is having mental health symptoms or substance use-driven symptoms that are causing them to be troubling to the other folks in that environment. To, like I said, family dynamics where someone calls 911, for example, because their teenager is so agitated and escalated that they become violent. And our crisis responders are very, very good at identifying what's going on, deescalating folks, bringing them down to a level of calm where they can talk through what's underlying the crisis. And then the crisis responder's job is to figure out what to bring to bear on the situation to alleviate the immediate crisis and then connect the person to the system of care so that they don't fall into crisis again. [00:09:33] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. And it looks like you've structured the program on best practices for the continuum of behavioral health care starting with having someone to call - we have our 988 line, someone to respond - these crisis responders, and then having somewhere to go once it's determined where the appropriate place is for them to receive the help that they need. Especially when it comes to that somewhere to go, we just passed a county-wide behavioral health center levy that will fund a number of those services and staff. But that's been a big challenge in our region. How have you navigated through this in the program, Nigel, and how's it working? [00:10:14] Mayor Nigel Herbig: Well, I'm really excited. I mean, Kenmore and our partner cities - we're actually out ahead of King County a little bit and had been working in partnership for - I don't know, a little while now, I think going back to 2021 - really reflecting on the lack of a door for people to go to, a place for people to go to when they're in crisis. And working together, we identified funds and we identified a location, we identified our provider, and we will be opening up the first crisis response center for North King County. And again, it's the same cities - it's Kenmore, Lake Forest Park, Shoreline, Bothell, and Kirkland - and we're excited to have this model here. They selected Connections Health Solutions, which is a national innovator in the space. They've done a lot of great work in Arizona, and that model is also what I believe the executive based his models off of. And they should be opening up next year, and it's gonna offer a place for people who are facing any sort of mental health issue or behavioral health issue - a place where they can go and actually talk with somebody, regardless of insurance, regardless of where they live, or any of that. It'll give people a place to go, which right now is severely lacking throughout the county. [00:11:23] Crystal Fincher: What happens when there is no place to go? [00:11:26] Brook Buettner: I can kind of speak to that. So in the past, when we encountered someone in the field in crisis, the options were either that they stay where they are, that they go to the emergency department, or an arrest and jail - if it's not safe for them to stay in the community setting or in the home where they are at - safe for themselves or safe for the people around them. And this allows us an alternative to say - Maybe the emergency department is not the right place, and certainly jail is not the right place for somebody in deep behavioral health crisis. We're gonna take them somewhere that we know will accept them, we know will allow them to stay, will provide robust psychiatric and behavioral healthcare, and do discharge planning so that they're walking out with a plan and a connection to ongoing care. Connections, in particular, has a model that has multiple levels of acuity and step-down so that if somebody comes in at the highest acuity, they're in one setting. And as they deescalate, as they get different treatment on board or medications on board, they can step down to a lower acuity setting and even to an outpatient model while they wait to get hooked up with the local behavioral health system of care. And Crystal, you mentioned the behavioral health continuum of care, and I love that you brought that up because this is - North King County is about to have, kind of the first in our state, fully-executed crisis continuum of care when this facility opens up and it's super exciting. [00:12:44] Crystal Fincher: It's very exciting and so necessary. And I appreciate you all doing the work to get this implemented to be a model for the region. Other areas are looking at this - some areas are eager to adopt this and have public safety agencies, police agencies that are willing partners. Others have some concerns and there's almost a concern of - Okay, is this competition for us? Are they looking to move us out? What feedback have you heard from law enforcement officials, and how have they said it's impacted their job and the work that they have to do? [00:13:19] Mayor Nigel Herbig: To be honest, I haven't heard anything negative from our police partners - Kenmore, like Shoreline, contracts with the King County Sheriff's Office - they've been great partners in this. I think our chief is always looking for better ways to interact with folks who are in crisis and this gives him another tool. This gives him more resources to address the problem at hand, rather than only having law enforcement resources to fall back on - and I think he views that as a positive. So I have not heard any pushback from our law enforcement community up in North King County around this, and I think they're looking forward to using this as a resource and being partners in this. [00:13:56] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, absolutely. For years and years - going back a decade and more - have heard several officers, chiefs talk about how challenging it is to respond to calls where there's a behavioral health component, or there isn't any illegal activity per se but someone is clearly in crisis, or people are being impacted around them and an intervention needs to take place but a criminal or a legal intervention doesn't seem to be the most positive. Brook, what have you heard from officers who have co-responded on these, or who are looking forward to a complete alternative response? How are they saying it's impacting their work and their ability to do their job? [00:14:37] Brook Buettner: We have been extraordinarily lucky in North King County that we've had support from law enforcement leadership since the get-go. Law enforcement was who asked for this program initially five years ago, saying these are not the kind of calls that we're supposed to be on - we need help, we need support. And so it has been a journey to get all of the responding officers - patrol officers and deputies - socialized to this idea. But once an officer or a deputy sees it in action, it's an easy sell. So what we find is that the more interaction we are having with law enforcement, the more referrals we're getting because they see - wow, that works - or we'll let them know that the follow-up that we did ended up keeping somebody from falling into deep crisis again. And it becomes a really good alternative for them and a good tool in their tool belt. I also am really attentive to making sure that we maintain good relationships on a one-on-one basis with all of our law enforcement partners, so that it's not a pain to have a social worker along but rather a pleasure - to say we're a great team, we work well together. Both sides recognize that each role has something to bring to a highly escalated crisis situation, and both sides recognize where their limits are. And so it's just been a constant growth of support and of buy-in. I've heard from several chiefs that they see shift in the culture - in the willingness to talk about behavioral health in a new way among the community and also within the department - that it opens up conversations that otherwise may not have happened. So it has really been a positive for our five police agencies. [00:16:05] Crystal Fincher: I think that is really an outstanding observation. And strikes me as important, especially as we hear from several police agencies across the state really that they're trying to recruit, they're short on officers, they're having a tougher time on that - and needing to triage their time and resources, and response times being impacted, other things that they're saying are being impacted. How can this help manage the workload for officers and across the public safety continuum? How has that been working? [00:16:34] Mayor Nigel Herbig: Speaking for Kenmore, our officers, right - until we had RADAR in place and until we had these partnerships - if somebody was out on the street decompensating, yelling, screaming, doing something like - like you said earlier, that's not illegal, but is disruptive to the community and the person is obviously in crisis - the only response we had was a police response. And I think even our officers recognize that there are better ways for them to be spending their time than dealing with somebody who's decompensating. It's not what they were hired for, it's not what their expertise is in. And this gives them a tool so that they can - working with the social workers - find what the right response is, hand off the person to the social worker, and then get back to catching speeders or investigating break-ins or whatever it is that they could be doing rather than dealing with the guy who is having a breakdown. So I view this as actually an expansion of our response, if you will - it gives us the ability to respond to more calls on both sides of things, both law enforcement and people experiencing a crisis. [00:17:38] Crystal Fincher: How have you seen that play out, Brook? [00:17:40] Brook Buettner: It is absolutely allowing officers to focus more on life safety and law - criminal law issues - by kind of carving off this segment of the work that comes into the 911 system and routing it to the appropriate resource, the right tool at the right time. I see what we're doing as a third kind of branch of the first response system. Going back again to the continuum of care, the level of care that someone gets should be based on the acuity of their need and of their crisis. And we have outpatient behavioral health for folks that have behavioral health challenges that are at a low acuity level. We have other systems in place that are secondary responses for people that are in crisis. And when people are in very high acuity crisis and 911 is needed, we now have this first response behavioral health tool in our toolbox - that crisis responders that are skilled and trained and experienced in meeting people that are in the highest acuity level of behavioral health crisis, but still not committing a crime. So it is a 911 call - it's not necessarily a law enforcement need, but there is a need for a very high level response - and we're now able to provide that. [00:18:47] Crystal Fincher: Did you have anything to add, Nigel? [00:18:49] Mayor Nigel Herbig: Well, I was gonna say - I think a lot of this came out of the recognition that we've seen over the last 150 years that when your only response is a police response, the outcomes are not ideal. We have seen too many folks who are dealing with a mental health issue - and that is a huge section of our population - it's not something we talk about, but a huge proportion of folks are dealing with some sort of mental health issue. And just because somebody is having a very hard day doesn't mean that they should end up in jail or be put at risk, frankly, of a police interaction. We know that sometimes those interactions can turn out tragically. And being thrown into jail or worse, because you're experiencing a mental health issue, can ruin somebody's life or - and frankly, can ruin not only their lives, but also their kids' lives. When we enter somebody into the criminal justice system, it has long-lasting effects on not just the person impacted, but also their family, their kids, their kids' kids - it can have multigenerational effects on people. And we've seen that play out over the last, well, 50, 100 years. This gives folks, this gives our police officers a different response. And I think it's - that's what I'm excited about - I'm excited that people who are experiencing mental health issues can actually get the treatment they need rather than a pure law enforcement response, because nobody deserves to go to jail because they're having a breakdown. [00:20:12] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. And it's a shift in how we've been doing things. What are the results that you're seeing from this? Obviously, people are looking to justify these expenditures and implement these in their own areas. What results are you seeing when it comes to amount of calls, recidivism? I know in some other cities, they talk about how many calls come in about behavioral health issues that aren't someone breaking the law but that are someone in crisis, as you've talked about, and how much time that takes up, how many repeated calls those spur, and how much time that demands - just the amount, enormous amount, of resources that demands. How are you seeing that impacted and what results are you seeing from this program? [00:20:55] Brook Buettner: Directly to your question, Crystal, we don't have a lot of data yet on reduction in 911 calls, or 911 dispatch center or officer time. I do have some outcome data though that our King County partners were able to pull together for us for the RADAR Navigator program - that folks that were touched by the RADAR Navigator program - in two years following that program touch, we saw a 67% reduction in adult jail bookings. And that is a tremendous impact. We saw a 60% reduction in behavioral health crisis events. And that is measured by King County's Department of Community and Human Services who oversees the behavioral health system crisis response. They also experienced a smaller 4% reduction in emergency department visits. And of the folks that our program touched, 14% were subsequently enrolled in publicly funded behavioral health services. And I think that's a significant undercount because a lot of the folks in our community do have private pay insurance and so there would be no way to count that. But we know that interaction with this program results in a reduction in jail, a reduction in crisis services, and an increase in engagement with the behavioral health system. And those are all big wins. And to your specific questions, those are the kind of things we're gonna be looking at in our program analysis as we go on. How is this saving on 911 calls? How is this saving on officer time? My dream is that we capture the cost savings of reduction in jail nights and say - let's put that back into the earlier end of the continuum of care and fund diversion, and ultimately fund a robust system of community-based behavioral health care so that people don't fall into crisis. Again, I wanna say we're extraordinarily lucky that our electeds and our city staff are all so interested and committed to doing this kind of analysis and thinking in this way. [00:22:37] Crystal Fincher: Thanks - I appreciate that data, that information - it's really, really powerful. And what strikes me hearing that is that when you talk about being booked into jail, emergency room visits - these are the most expensive parts of our system to use and to utilize. And savings on these are incredible - I'm looking at that reduction in the jail number, and that is a budget-altering number right there. Pretty incredible. And I recognize this is a newer program - certainly you've done the work with the RADAR program, this predecessor, and getting the data there. I'm sure more will be rolling in as this continues and you move on, so that's great. Did you have something you wanted to add, Brook? [00:23:16] Brook Buettner: Yeah, just a thought that this is what we sometimes call a different purse problem - that each of these reductions affects a different financial system. And so part of our work is gonna be pulling together those cost offsets and making sure that the savings are redirected appropriately to meeting people's needs. [00:23:34] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, that is such an incredible problem in the public sector - yeah, this is saving a billion dollars, but if that's spread across a ton of different budgets in different ways, it's a whole different animal than someone handing someone basically a rebate check for a billion dollars. As you look forward, you talked about moving forward and moving towards a program where it truly is an alternative response where there are one or two crisis responders who respond to these calls without law enforcement initially - they can certainly call them in if it's warranted or they need backup. How do you see this progressing with that change and beyond it? What are the plans? [00:24:14] Brook Buettner: First, I'll say that the primary challenge that stands between us and a pure alternative response system is the dispatch question - and the ability to understand when a 911 call comes in, what's really going on - and that is often not clear from a 911 call. So we really wanna work through this very carefully with all of our partners and make sure that we're doing the outreach in a way that's safe and appropriate, that meets people's needs, but also keeps our responders safe. And so that is probably my work for the next two years - is digging into - How do we do call receiving? How do we triage? And then how do we appropriately dispatch the right resource? I have kind of been moving from calling it alternative response to thinking of it as a behavioral health first response. Whatever - when someone is in behavioral health crisis - whatever resource is the right resource. And I can see, for example, that being a crisis responder plus an EMT when someone has or has stated that they will take too much medication - and that's a medical plus a mental health need. Whereas if there's maybe a weapon in play, then that's a law enforcement plus a mental health need. And so thinking of it as a first response system with all of the tools that we need available to our dispatchers. [00:25:27] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. Nigel? [00:25:28] Mayor Nigel Herbig: I think something that Brook kind of glossed over a little bit - but I think is an important thing that we're gonna have to work out - is the fact that we're using multiple different police. We have different police forces, if you will, and different dispatch systems. So like I said earlier, in Shoreline and Kenmore you have King County Sheriff's Office and they're dispatched in one way. And then Lake Forest Park and Bothell, they have their own. And Kirkland, they have their own police officers and they're dispatched differently. And so it does create - it is a complication that I believe we'll work through. And I know with Brook's leadership, that'll get worked out - but it's not as straightforward as just having one dispatch system that we need to educate and get up to speed. [00:26:06] Crystal Fincher: How is this being funded? How much did you have to come up with as individual cities in this regional partnership? How is the funding talked about? Because this is something that has been kind of thorny when we look at the Regional Homelessness Authority, but with this collaboration, how does this work, Nigel? [00:26:25] Mayor Nigel Herbig: I can't get into what the specific numbers are we're spending - I do know it's more than what we were with RADAR. Part of that is because we're expanding things from - we're approaching 24/7 is part of the goal. Part of this is also funded by King County MIDD, the Mental - oh, I don't remember - [00:26:41] Crystal Fincher: I know - I always try to remember what MIDD stands for. [00:26:43] Brook Buettner: Mental Illness Drug Dependency. [00:26:45] Crystal Fincher: Thank you. [00:26:46] Mayor Nigel Herbig: Thank you, I was just digging around. [00:26:48] Crystal Fincher: Very, very useful. [00:26:50] Mayor Nigel Herbig: No, super useful - and they're the reason why we were able to do RADAR and test out, essentially test out the model, set the foundation for where we are now - is because of the MIDD funding. And we're very thankful to King County and Councilmember Dembowski for his help with that. Our expenses are definitely higher than they were in previous years with RADAR - there's no question around that, and it was part of our budget discussions last year. But I think it's something that we're all committed to because we do see the long-term payoffs - not just on our budgets, but frankly in outcomes - and all the councils seem fairly committed to that. So I believe that they - I wasn't involved in these negotiations, staff was - but I believe that they were negotiating based on population and number of hours that would be required to cover each jurisdiction, and then breaking up the cost and using some sort of formula that we all agreed to. Brook can probably speak a little bit more to that, but we got to a place where everybody was comfortable with the investments that we'd be making. [00:27:47] Crystal Fincher: Sure, Brook? [00:27:48] Brook Buettner: Yeah, so like Mayor Herbig said, the MIDD funding has been really foundational to piloting this as the RADAR Navigator Program and even to the expansion. We also have some funding through the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs' Trueblood dollars for Mental Health First, or Field Response teams. And we have had some support from the Association of Washington Cities. And then I'm so delighted that starting this year, we have general fund contribution from each of our five cities. It is per capita-based at this time. We have plans to really keep a close eye on utilization and think about whether some cities have higher utilization and that may affect their contribution rate. But I also have plans to get the payers on the hook for this as well. So when we talked about the wrong purse problem - a 4% reduction in emergency department visits is a big bonus for insurers and for the managed care organizations. And King County Department of Community and Human Services and the behavioral health services organization have been thinking about this as well. How do we get the private insurers to be picking up what they are supposed to be covering for their covered lives around crisis services? There are a couple of folks at the State Legislature that are really thinking carefully about this. And I see us as being kind of a test case outside the traditional behavioral healthcare system to be reimbursed by the health payers for this service that ends up with better outcomes and lower costs over time. [00:29:07] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. As we move to close this, what advice do you have to other cities approaching this? And what would you tell residents about why this is so useful and so important? [00:29:21] Mayor Nigel Herbig: I think I would advise other cities to take a look at their 911 calls, talk with their police officers - see what sort of calls they're responding to that maybe they're not the best equipped first responder for. I don't think police officers enjoy these sorts of calls on their own. I also think that you can point towards the outcomes that we will have around better results for the people involved, better results for the community, and frankly, cost savings at the end of the day when it comes to jail days and ER visits. And other cities might be big enough to do this on their own, which will make their lives a little bit easier and all of that. But I think other cities - and if you're looking in other parts of the county, there are places where there are multiple cities all right next to each other that could, if they wanted to, join together and do this sort of work. And I would encourage them to have those conversations and really ask themselves - What do they want the response to be when somebody calls 911 in crisis? Because I don't think anybody actually thinks the right answer is a person with a badge and a gun. And I think people need to really reflect on that, and really think about how they truly serve the people that they are working for, and make sure they're doing that in the best and most responsive and person-centered way possible. And this is, I think, a huge step in that direction. [00:30:36] Crystal Fincher: Any final words from you, Brook? [00:30:38] Brook Buettner: I love what Mayor Herbig said - just asking yourselves - What is it that we want people in crisis to get from our first response system? And then from my social-worky side, building relationships across jurisdictions and across sectors to bring - this is very complex - so to bring all the players to the table to offer the kind of response that people deserve when they're in crisis. [00:30:59] Crystal Fincher: Well, thank you both to Brook Buettner, Mayor Herbig - sincerely appreciate you spending time with us today and helping to educate us on what's going on there in the north part of the County. And it's certainly a lot to reflect on and hopefully emulate moving forward. Thank you both. [00:31:16] Mayor Nigel Herbig: Thank you. [00:31:17] Brook Buettner: Thank you so much for having us. [00:31:18] Crystal Fincher: Thank you for listening to Hacks & Wonks, which is produced by Shannon Cheng. You can follow Hacks & Wonks on Twitter @HacksWonks. You can catch Hacks & Wonks on every podcast service and app - just type "Hacks and Wonks" into the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to get the full versions of our Friday week-in-review shows and our Tuesday topical show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, leave a review wherever you listen. You can also get a full transcript of this episode and links to the resources referenced in the show at officialhacksandwonks.com and in the podcast episode notes. Thanks for tuning in - talk to you next time.

From the climate crisis, to oppression, anxiety, and burnout - How do we meet the most pressing challenges of our time from a place of courage, integrity, and love?Today's guest is Oren Jay Sofer and this question, is the centerpiece of exploration in his beautiful new book. Your Heart Was Made for This. In it Oren offers 26 different contemplative practices intended for meeting challenges and adversity from a place of greater wisdom and love. In our conversation today we'll explore this deep and provocative question together as we dive into themes from the book including:The role of patience in the face of pressing issuesWhy joy  essential ingredient in the pursuit of meaningful changeOren will also offer personal stories including how he arrived at the insight that sometimes we need to go slow, to go fastHow the public discourse on mindfulness has focused on the individual benefits and impacts of the practice, and why this focus alone is too limitedEquanimity and balance and how they these qualities can foster resilience in the pursuit of what we care about.The wisdom of gentleness and some of the nuances of a trauma-informed approach to contemplative practice. If you want to hear more from Oren I  would encourage you to check out Practicing Courage episode #14 which features a guided practice from Oren on finding more joy. You can also listen to our first interview which focused on his first book: Say What you Mean. You can now order Your Heart Was Made for This here. More about Oren:Oren Jay Sofer teaches meditation and communication retreats and workshops nationally. A member of the Spirit Rock Teachers Council, he is a Certified Trainer of Nonviolent Communication, a Course Trainer at Mindful Schools, and a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner for the healing of trauma. Oren also holds a degree in Comparative Religion from Columbia University. He is the author of several books, including Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication. He's created mindfulness programs for organizations, companies, and apps including Apple, Kaiser Permanente, Lumosity, Calm, 10% Happier, Simple Habit and others with his teachings reaching thousands of people around the world. Find him online at www.orenjaysofer.com and on social media @orenjaysoferJoin my FREE meditation community:Starting in December I  am going to begin offering free online meditation events twice a month. These will include guided practices, a talk, and dedicated time for discussion. If you've never meditated before, you've been meditating for years, or your experience falls somewhere in between - everyone is welcome. To learn more, see the upcoming schedule, and register head to joshuasteinfeldt.com/meditationDid you enjoy this episode? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:The Mindful Art of Communicating Effectively | Oren Jay SoferLeading With Love Can Change the World | Shelly TygielskiEnjoying the show? Please rate it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!Thanks for listening!Support the show

Art and Missy make Terrence an offer, and Terrence provides some context. --- Intro & Outtro Music by: Jack Le Breton Website: jacklebreton.com Twitter & Instagram: @Jack_Le_Breton   Website: https://www.Withoutanetpod.com Discord link https://discord.gg/TbE5Ajc If you like the show, swing by our Patreon where you can get access to over 15 extra hours of content. https://www.patreon.com/posts/43800673 Email us: Withoutanetpod@gmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WithoutANetPodcast Copyright: Without A Net Podcast 2018-2022   Disclaimer: This Vampire: The Masquerade chronicle is a non-official, fan-created work by the Without A Net Podcast.  Portions of the materials used in this Actual Play are the copyrights and trademarks of Paradox Interactive AB and are used with their permission.  All rights are reserved.  For any further information in those regards you can find them at worldofdarkness.com.

Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Shah is the Executive Director/Secretary General of the Fiqh Council of North America and Director Religious Affairs of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee. He received his Ph. D. (Theology and Religious Studies) from the University of Wales, U. K., obtained his M.A. (Hons), (Islamic Studies: Usuluddin with specialization in Comparative Religions) from the International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan and B. A. (Hons), (Islamic Studies: Usuluddin) from the same university. He is Hafiz of al-Qur'an. He has taught at the International Islamic University Islamabad, University of Wales, University of North Florida, St. Thomas University and Cardinal Stritch University. He is former president of Sharia' Scholars Association of North America (SSANA) and Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) and author of multiple books and articles. Please support us: Patreon.com/themadmamluks or via PayPal themadmamluks.com/donate  #muslimyoutubers #muslimpodcast #themadmamluks #muslimah #muslims #islam #muslimconvertstories #palestinian #palestineupdate #palestinaisrael #palestinaisrael

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Ramayana, the ancient Hindu epic which is regarded as one of the greatest works of world literature. Its importance in Indian culture has been compared to that of the Iliad and Odyssey in the West, and it's still seen as a sacred text by Hindus today. Written in Sanskrit, it tells the story of the legendary prince and princess Rama and Sita, and the many challenges, misfortunes and choices that they face. About 24,000 verses long, the Ramayana is also one of the longest ancient epics. It's a text that's been hugely influential and it continues to be popular in India and elsewhere in Asia. With Jessica Frazier Lecturer in the Study of Religion at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad Distinguished Professor of Comparative Religion and Philosophy at Lancaster University and Naomi Appleton Senior Lecturer in Asian Religions at the University of Edinburgh The image above shows Rama, Sita, Hanuman, Lakshmana and devotees, from the Shree Jalaram Prarthana Mandal, Leicester. Producer Luke Mulhall