Podcasts about Moral Majority

In the cultural war zones of corporate America, something strange is happening. June has arrived—but the battlefield looks... quiet. Rainbow logos are missing from brands that once flew them proudly. Anheuser-Busch, after three decades, has pulled its sponsorship from St. Louis Pride. Target, rejected by organizers in its own backyard, is sitting on the sidelines in Minneapolis. And Nike? For the first time since 1999, no global Pride collection.Pride Month—once the high holy season of the modern West—looks less like a parade and more like a retreat.But is it?Is this merely a tactical withdrawal, a marketing pause in response to conservative backlash? Or is it something deeper? Is it, perhaps, the beginning of a broader collapse—something more than a pendulum swing?We've seen pendulum swings before. The 1920s flaunted its rebellion, only to sober up in the dustbowl austerity of the Great Depression. The sexual revolution of the 60s gave way to the Moral Majority of the 80s. But neither lasted. Both faded. Both were reactions, not reformations or returns to what is true.In this episode, we'll examine that pattern—what distinguishes a short-lived recoil from a lasting revival. We'll report on what's really happening with Pride Month in 2025: which corporations are retreating, which still advance under a quieter banner, and how the local landscape tells a more complicated story than national headlines admit.And then we'll ask the only question that matters: If this were the beginning of a true Christian reformation—what would it look like?Because repentance doesn't look like silence. It looks like confession. It looks like repudiation. It looks like CEOs not just dropping rainbow logos but publicly affirming God's truth.This episode is brought to you by our premier sponsors, Armored Republic and Reece Fund, as well as our Patreon members and donors. You can join our Patreon at patreon.com/rightresponseministries or donate at rightresponseministries.com/donate.The smoke may be clearing—but the war isn't over. Not even close.Let's get into it.MINISTRY SPONSORS: Kingsmen Caps Carry the Crown with Kingsmen Caps — premium headwear made for those who honor Christ as King. https://kingsmencaps.com Mid State Accounting Need help with bookkeeping, tax returns, or fractional CFO services? Call Kailee Smith at 573‑889‑7278 or visit: https://www.midstateaccounting.net Mention the Right Response podcast and get 10% off your first three months. Heaven's Harvest Get 10% off your order with discount code "RRM" at checkout: https://heavensharvest.com/rrm Armored Republic Tools of Liberty for the defense of every free man's God-given rights: body armor, plate carriers, and more. https://www.ar500armor.com/ Private Family Banking FREE e-book: How to Build Multi-Generational Wealth Schedule a Free 30-Minute Discovery Appointment Western Front Books Publishing for men on the right. Not churchy. Christian. https://www.WesternFrontBooks.com/

This week Ken welcomes writer, producer and all around superstart Chris Cluess to the show. Chris and Ken discuss being alive, New Jersey, SCTV, winning an Emmy, Sweeps Week, Moral Majority, the amazing wonderful world of John Candy, Toronto, being polite, forgetting names, stripping on bear rugs, supporting the arts, being beloved by the public, the guy with a snake on his face, the greatness of Juul Haalmeyer, Alan King, Alan King's Second Final Warning, working at National Lampoon, Cleveland, Blackstone, The Pretenders, Boomtown Rats, plugging 5,000 year old shows you get not royalties from, "...from Cleveland", Bob and Ray, Kurt Vonneget, how sometimes you can't completely your mission, writing a terrible Barney Miller spec script, the massive sketch book, trying to get hired to write for SNL, scaring John Belushi, chasing Garret Morris, the kindness of Dan Ackroyd, sketch comedy, Al Franken, Tom Davis, Michael O'Donoghue, getting a master class in sketch writing pro bono, John Candy, moving to LA in 1978, haunted houses, attending the Emmys in 1982, being Catherine O'Hara's date, working on Night Court and the running the final seasons of Night Court, tall people, winning over Marsha Warfield, Nothing but Trouble, Madman of the People, the mysterious ways of Bill Murray, getting offers you can't refuse, being uncanceled, Selma Dimond's funeral, writing for the Happiest Place on Earth, I Married Dora, breaking the 4th wall, and begging Chris to write a memoir. 

Sadly for America, the Dead Kennedys' fire-bombing hardcore classic "Nazi Punks Fuck Off" b/w "Moral Majority" is even more relevant today than it was when Alternative Tentacles released it back in 1981. John and Marc delve into the fearless politics of Jello Biafra and the cracking music of the DKs on the latest episode of the Spindle.Call us anytime at 1-877-WASTOIDS. More podcasts and videos at WASTOIDS.com | Follow us on Instagram and YouTube.

Hypernormalization keeps us in crisis—trapped in a false reality. But what happens when we see through it?--- Join and support the community: https://www.creationspaths.com/In this episode of _Creation's Paths_, Charlie and Brian explore the concept of **Hypernormalization**, a large-scale form of **gaslighting** used by those in power to maintain control by creating an alternative reality. They trace its origins to the **Soviet Union's collapse**, its adoption by **authoritarian regimes**, and its entrenchment in **U.S. politics**, from the **Moral Majority** to **Fox News** and beyond. They discuss how **privatization**, **deregulation**, and **corporate influence** manipulate public perception, keeping people in a state of **perpetual crisis** while diverting attention away from real economic and social issues.Charlie and Brian break down how **storytelling** is used to shape public beliefs about **property, work, and the economy**, exposing how concepts like **"personal property" vs. "private property"**, and **"deregulation as freedom"**, are constructed illusions designed to benefit the wealthy elite. They argue that **recognizing and deconstructing these narratives** is essential to resisting **corporate control**, **wealth inequality**, and **government manipulation**.They also discuss how **faith and doubt must coexist**, using religious and philosophical insights to emphasize the importance of **critical thinking** in navigating **propaganda**.__________________________Thank you for Liking and Subscribing to this podcastThank you for sharing this episode with your loved ones, friends and community--- Thank you for Tips or Donations:https://ko-fi.com/cedorsetthttps://patreon.com/cedorsett$CreationsPathsSubstack: https://www.creationspaths.com/For all of the things we are doing at The Seraphic Grove go to Creation's Paths https://www.creationspaths.com/For Educational Resource: https://wisdomscry.com Guided Meditations Playlist:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV0C8kiTKv0J2QAAlD1uaIJvQ3Sr9sIqO Christopagan Playlist:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV0C8kiTKv0ISXDQkZBRB7EHrUUJgXlGN The Everything Playlist:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV0C8kiTKv0Ln3eGW-tDk2R68PM6c182OCreation's Paths Podcast: http://www.creationspaths.com/podcastChurch of the Oak Podcast: http://churchoftheoak.com/Hallowstead Podcast: http://hallowstead.com/Social Connections:BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/creationspaths.comThreads https://www.threads.net/@creationspathsInstagram https://www.instagram.com/creationspaths/## Chapters:00:00 Introduction: The World as a Stage00:53 Meet the Hosts: Charlie and Brian01:03 Understanding Hypernormalization01:57 Historical Context: Soviet Union and Beyond03:32 Modern Examples of Hypernormalization07:23 The Illusion of Private Property10:42 Deregulation and Its Consequences20:06 The Role of Science and Experts24:16 Faith, Doubt, and Certainty25:46 Conclusion and Call to Action

From conservative social movements such as those tied to prohibition, the Moral Majority evangelicals, and the Tea Party, to liberal social movements focused on Civil Rights, Women's Liberation and LGBTQ+ Rights, America is no stranger to social dissent. But what makes a social movement a counterculture movement? And what have been some of the unique intersections between counterculture movements and the arts, money, and even violence? Alex Zamalin, professor of Africana Studies and Political Science at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, joins The Excerpt to explore how counterculture becomes the culture. His new book “Counterculture: The Story of America from Bohemia to Hip-Hop” is out now. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From the creators of the hit podcast The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill comes a new show, Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, which takes you back to the Satanic Panic that gripped America in the 1980s and 90s. This limited series explores how hysteria gripped parents and teens through cautionary tales like Go Ask Alice, influenced notorious criminal cases like the West Memphis Three, and catapulted the political agenda of the Moral Majority. Join as we seek to understand how this wave of panic devastated innocent lives and diverted the church's attention from the evil lurking in its own pews. Episodes drop January 2025 but you can join our show discussion page on Facebook right now. Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a production of Christianity Today Host and Creator - Mike Cosper Producer - Rebekah Sebastian Sound Design and Engineering - T.J. Hester Motion - Steven Scheidler Production Assistant - Dawn Adams Theme music by Dirt Poor Robins Cover art by Nim Ben-Reuven Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper are the Executive Producers of CT Media Podcasts, and Matt Stevens is our Senior Producer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Deep Dive is on vacation this week, so we are re-running our most listened to After America episode. We'll be back next week with an all new holiday episode of Deep Dive.----Can Christian nationalism coexist with American democracy, or is it a threat to the very foundation of our nation? This episode kicks off with an in-depth analysis of Mike Johnson's rise to Speaker of the House and how his Christian nationalist views are shaping the legislative landscape. We discuss the erosion of the separation of church and state, exploring how Johnson's leadership might be steering the country towards authoritarianism.We examine the historical intertwining of evangelicalism and conservative politics. From the televangelism boom driven by figures like Pat Robertson and James Dobson to the influential Moral Majority founded by Jerry Falwell, we trace the path that has aligned evangelical Christians with the Republican Party. We delve into the consequences of this alliance, from Reagan's judicial appointments to the overwhelming support for Donald Trump, illustrating how a desire for traditional values has paved the way for more authoritarian leadership.Finally, we discuss the rise of militant Christian nationalism and its alarming impact on American society. We dissect the process of online radicalization, the normalization of extremist rhetoric, and the unsettling intersection of Christianity and right-wing extremism. We also examine the broader implications, including mass deportations and the undermining of democratic institutions. Guests: Dr. Bernard Schlager, Dr. David Gushee, Dr. Tara Grove, Dr. Alice Marwick, Dr. Shalu Nigam Credits:Infados - Kevin MacLeodDark Tales: Music by Rahul Bhardwaj from PixabayRelated:Counterpoint PodcastCounterpoint Podcast-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:InstagramYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

Sara Billups joins Amy Fritz on the Untangled Faith podcast to discuss how the focus on end times, culture wars, and consumerism in the evangelical church formed many of us growing up in the 80s and 90s.  "If I'm being formed by these forces, in what ways am I being formed by Jesus?" – Sara Billups   03:42 Sara's background 09:35 Sara's faith and family history. 25:20 The Moral Majority 28:46 Our desire for a common enemy 38:01 Consumerism and prosperity gospel 40:11 The importance of community   Resources: Orphaned Believers: https://amzn.to/3ULDoFy Jesus and John Wayne: https://amzn.to/3ULDoFy   If you liked this episode, check out these: 116 How Evangelicals Aligned with Republicans: A Conversation with Chris Staron (untangledfaithpodcast.com) 115: What Happens When You Mix Politics and Faith with Kaitlyn Schiess (untangledfaithpodcast.com)   Where you can find me: Subscribe to my newsletter: https://untangledfaith.substack.com Youtube channel- https://youtube.com/channel/UCPfFk-I6QShXXvEpSFaJOvg https://untangledfaithpodcast.com Amy Fritz (@amyhenningfritz) on Threads https://instagram.com/untangledfaith  https://instagram.com/amyhenningfritz

We meet Andra Watkins, who grew up in Televangelist Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority movement and managed to escape. Andra has taken a deep dive into the Project 2025 manifesto and says it's a Christo-fascist plan for ruining the US and women in particular. Produced by Lynn Feinerman Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://politicsdoneright.com/newsletter Purchase our Books: As I See It: https://amzn.to/3XpvW5o How To Make America Utopia: https://amzn.to/3VKVFnG It's Worth It: https://amzn.to/3VFByXP Lose Weight And Be Fit Now: https://amzn.to/3xiQK3K Tribulations of an Afro-Latino Caribbean man: https://amzn.to/4c09rbE

A small church in a small town in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, has been flexing its political muscle and building an outsized reputation for blurring the line between church and state. Pastor Don Lamb wants his congregants to be engaged in spiritual warfare and not be “head-in-the-sand, Jesus-loves-you kind of Christians,” especially when it comes to the local school board. To Lamb, this is not a Christian takeover. Yet his church is influenced by an elusive, hard-to-pin-down movement whose followers believe that Christians are called to control the government and that former President Donald Trump was chosen by God. It's called the New Apostolic Reformation, and it's nothing like the culture war–fueled Moral Majority of yesteryear. There are prophets and apostles, and a spiritual war is underway, not just in Pennsylvania. To win, the church has to do more than just preach the gospel; it has to get political.This week, Reveal's Najib Aminy and Mother Jones reporter Kiera Butler explain what the New Apostolic Reformation is and what happens when it seeps into small-town churches like Lamb's.  Support Reveal's journalism at Revealnews.org/donatenow Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get the scoop on new episodes at Revealnews.org/newsletter Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

There was a time, in America no less, when true evangelicals, real born-again Christians, were of great moral influence and persuasion numbering perhaps as many as 75-80 million citizens. The Moral Majority was founded by the Rev. Jerry Falwell Sr. and it was indeed a powerful organization, politically, culturally, and spiritually.But today, far from constituting a moral majority, the evangelical Christian of today finds little tolerance, much less acceptance, by their fellow citizens, many of whom are anti-Christian to the core. The shared moral ideals of old have indeed deteriorated and no longer have the priorities they once did. That includes FAITH. Real Christianity, biblical Christianity, born-again Christianity is ridiculed or ignored by the IMMORAL MAJORITY of today's culture. The concept and value of FAMILY are torn apart and the governments of today substitute foreign and often godless concepts and meanings which attack and depreciate traditional values and definitions. Freedom, once a burning priority, now hangs in the balance, watered down by legislation, indifference, and constant attacks on our constitution.Especially within the last decade, faithful, biblical Christians have witnessed ideological disintegration of trusted religious institutions. That has resulted in an incredible cultural compromise. Conduct and behavior that was once forbidden is now not only allowed but encouraged. So much of the freedoms Americans take for granted was relinquished during the pandemic and even church attendance, the freedom of assembly and religious worship, was also forbidden by government action.That sense of compromise and indifference even permeated the church pulpits. Church after church, pastor after pastor, seceded to the demands of an anti-Christian culture, accepting compromise and change to traditional and long accepted Christian tenets and the gospel message, once proudly preached, was seldom heard in one denomination after another. So many American pulpits fell silent, fearing retribution or alienation.Many Christian believers witnessed evangelical leaders' quart secular acclaim by compromising on conservative Christian values and, like the false prophets predicted, preached a foreign gospel or none at all. Strong Christian values that contributed to American strength and vitality but were recast by these false prophets, outmoded and second class. New concepts, often man-made were formed to water down traditional biblical concepts of salvation, born-again, faith and works, and so much more. Those believers who held fast to strong biblical principles and concepts were often depicted as “violent enemies of democracy” because they failed to recognize, accept, and give credence to the priorities and beliefs of the anti-Christian majority which seemed to be taking place in America.Consequently, so many Christians abandoned the world of politics in their very own country. In a recent survey by the respected George Barna, more than half of the Christians surveyed reported that they did not pay much attention at all to political news, which would inevitably be essential to understanding the issues most relevant to believers. As a result, an estimated 7 million evangelicals in swing states did not participate in the 2020 presidential election. Had they done so, results would have been entirely different up and down the ballots. Barna estimates as a result of the conclusions of that survey that shockingly:AN ESTIMATED ONE THIRD OF ALL EVANGELICALS IN AMERICA SATON THE SIDELINES (DID NOT VOTE) IN ELECTIONS 2020.Even if they did, those evangelicals not paying attention to news and information about politics and government were in so many cases incapable of making informed, educated, voting decisions.The one presidential candidate who addressed the Christian audiences, spoke to the issues which concerned Christians, and otherwise collaborated with the National Religious Broadcasters was Donald Trump. Trump addressed in positive ways, the issues which really concern Christians including freedom of expression (First Amendment, Speech and Press), prayer in schools, homeschooling, America's support for Israel, and the role of religion in public life. No other candidate for president did so. In fact, the Left has extended no hand of friendship to born-again believers. The Left has in fact elevated “unlimited abortion” as the non-negotiable priority of their policy agenda. No true Christian can tolerate such a position, and it leads to the question:CAN ANY TRUE CHRISTIAN VOTE FOR ANY DEMOCRAT?Further, and disturbingly so, many Christians will not vote for a candidate whose personality they find offensive. Many for example do not personally like Donald Trump and even though his policies are more akin to their beliefs, they will not vote for him. Many will also not vote for a candidate whose private life they do not like. Many use that excuse not to vote for Trump, at least for now a convicted felon. Perhaps even more do not like the way Trump communicates, speaks, and finding his public image objectionable, will not vote for him. What a tragic loss for America, for Trump and the republican party champion values and decision making which is far more akin to Christian values and positions than their democratic counterparts. The withdrawal and non-involvement of Christians and Christian voters is indeed tragic for America. Real Christians, many believe, have no choice but to vote for Trump and the Republican party and its candidates if they wish traditional America and traditional American values to remain.Real evangelical Christians must thoroughly examine the records of candidates on the critical issues, including:immigration and illegal immigration (the border)pro-family policiesreligious freedom (the Constitution and the First Amendment)national securityfederal spending and the incredible American debtthe economy and inflation (pricing)parental rights (in the world of the transgender)conscience protectionsAmerica's support for IsraelChristian voters must also consider the regulatory overreach of the Federal Government and the disastrous fiscal policy which the democratic government has adopted and utilized and what some believe is the weaponization of government against private citizens, including and especially people of faith.Christian radio, and I am proud to say the Crawford Broadcasting Co., devote much of their broadcast time, finances and concerns in programming which seriously address the concerns of Christians today and our beloved America at large. So many of us, who love our America, are deeply concerned with what is happening in all facets of our great country, and we are determined to make a difference, to educate all people including and especially Christian believers, real evangelicals, and encourage them to do their duty as American citizens and become fully involved in government, in politics, in the elections, and to take a stand for what is right, for traditional moral values, and to do everything possible to have America and its citizens return, rethink, and reevaluate the disastrous moral and cultural trends which now affect and radically change our once great country. Said one Christian politician:“WE ARE THE BLESSED STEWARDS OF A TEMPORAL HOME BUILTON A FOUNDATION OF FAITH TO THE BEST OF OUR FOUNDER'SABILITIES. WE MUST DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE IN OUR POWER TOSAVE AMERICA FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.”Amen. We, the Crawford Broadcasting Co., fully agree, and we are dedicated to that purpose, and we hope and pray you believe and act the same and that you will do so for the glory of God and the salvation of America in Elections 2024. It really is our Christian duty.

In THE LONGEST CON, Conason takes us back to the origins of the brazen and self-serving deceptions that have duped and damaged Americans, beginning with Roy Cohn's rebaiting swindles in the Fifties and leading to the ascent, decades later, of his most famous client, Donald J. Trump. On that journey, the author rips away patriotic and pious rhetoric to expose venality and scamming, from the Nixon and Reagan administrations to the Moral Majority, the Christian Coalition, and the Tea Party, which eventually gave rise to the MAGA movement - and doesn't hesitate to identify the most dubious characters, including Roger Stone; Jerry Falwell, senior and junior; as well as Paul Manafort, Richard Viguerie, Terry Dolan, and a list long enough to fill a small city's phone book.Conason weaves a fascinating story of these partisan con artists who ply their seamy trade while stoking political animosity and even hatred, all for personal profit. The epitome and master of this phenomenon is Trump himself, whose rise to power - along with his allies and family - represents a celebration of trickery. The foundation of his political career was itself an enormous deception, relying on the creation of his public image as a bold and brilliant tycoon when he was, in reality, a bankrupt casino owner and real estate failure who hosted a faked "reality" TV show. What his followers never realized is how he swindled them with every variety of modern scam, from multi-level marketing and bogus real estate seminars to "Trump University" and the Big Election Lie of 2020.Conason clearly lays out the downward spiral that stole conservatism decades ago, ultimately leading to the rise of Trumpism and the dangerous divide in the U.S.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-unplugged-totally-uncut--994165/support.

Seriah is joined by Barbara Fisher and Amber, the Witch of Noccalula, to discuss the Satanic Panic in American history, pop culture, and current events. Topics include Dungeons and Dragons, a personal experience with censorship of a D&D afterschool club, the 2022 documentary “Satanic Panic”, the 1982 movie “Mazes and Monsters” starring Tom Hanks, the blaming of metal bands for youth suicide, the gross misinterpretation of Ozzie Osbourne's song “Suicide Solution”, the book “Michelle Remembers” by Lawrence Pazder and Michelle Smith, hypnotic regression and false memories, generational attitudes, the Moral Majority, Anita Bryant, the Mormon involvement in the Satanic Panic, reality TV ghost hunting shows and demonology, Beatrice Sparks, “Go Ask Alice”, “Jay's Journal”, Rick Emerson “Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries”, Runyon v. McCrary 1976 Supreme Court case desegregating private schools, the rise of Catholic/Protestant allied political conservatism, St. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Aristotle, philosophy vs biblical interpretations of the beginning of human life, the rise of the religious right, disguised racism, Q-Anon, the Confederate flag, the January 6, 2021 assault on the Capital, West Virginia vs the Confederacy, John Brown, Appalachian Scotch/Irish anti-slavery attitudes, ahistorical views of Satan, the Silent Generation, anti-Polish prejudice, Seriah's personal experience in an interracial relationship, homophobia in 20th century America, Amber's personal experience with a mixed race family, the time Seriah went to church, C.S. Lewis, Satan as a psychological trigger, Seriah's alleged Satanic cult member pen pal, Barbara's experiences running a metaphysical book store and engaging in interfaith dialogue meetings, Amber's emotional abuse as a Catholic child, Barbara's youthful experiences in different Christian denominations, the novel “The Chronoliths” by Robert Charles Wilson, the case of the “West Memphis Three”, the “Paradise Lost” documentary series, demonic possession vs mental illness, the existence of Satan, Anton LaVey and the Church of Satan, exorcism and its contradictions, “The Exorcist” movie, the Warrens and “The Conjuring” movies, demonic possession in ghost hunting reality TV, critical thinking and education, Seriah and younger people without basic life skills, Seriah and a heavy metal zine banned from a public school computer lab, scape-goating after Columbine, the Roman Emperor Constantine and making of the Roman Catholic Church as a state religion, the burning of the Library of Alexandria and the murder of Hypatia, origins of anti-Semitism, and much more! This is an intense but highly valuable discussion!

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes.It's 50 years since Richard Nixon became the first US president in history to resign, following the Watergate scandal.To mark this anniversary, we're featuring first hand accounts from major moments in US presidential history.We start with the first ever presidential television debate. In 1956, the Democratic and Republican candidates sent female representatives. They were Eleanor Roosevelt and Margaret Chase Smith.Our expert guest, Dr Kathryn Brownell, from Purdue University in Indiana in the US, discovers other key television debate moments in presidential history. Then, we hear about the rise of the religious right in America, exploring the emergence of the Moral Majority in the late 1970s. Following that, we look at one of the closest and most contested elections in history, as Al Gore went head-to-head with George W Bush in the battle for the White House in 2000. Finally, we hear from the photographer inside the Situation Room as the US closed in on terrorist Osama Bin Laden in 2011.Contributors: Tom DeFrank - Journalist. Dr Kathryn Brownell - Associate professor of history at Purdue University. Kate Scott and Janann Sherman - Historians. Richard Viguerie - One of the founders of the Moral Majority. Callie Shell - The official photographer for Al Gore's presidential campaign. Pete Souza - Chief Official White House Photographer during Barack Obama's presidency.(Photo: Richard Nixon waves after becoming the first US president to resign. Credit: Bettmann / Getty Images)

In 1979, the Moral Majority was launched and changed the course of US politics. It was set up to promote family values by religious conservatives from Catholic, Jewish and evangelical Christian communities.It urged Protestants, in particular, to go against the tradition of separating politics and religion. It encouraged them to vote Republican. Richard Viguerie was one of the driving forces behind the movement. He spoke to Claire Bowes in 2016.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic' and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy's Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they've had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America's occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.(Photo: Richard Viguerie and Ronald Reagan. Credit: courtesy of ConservativeHQ.com)

Can Christian nationalism coexist with American democracy, or is it a threat to the very foundation of our nation? Join us for a compelling discussion on "After America" as we tackle these urgent questions. This episode kicks off with an in-depth analysis of Mike Johnson's rise to Speaker of the House and how his Christian nationalist views are shaping the legislative landscape. We discuss the erosion of the separation of church and state, exploring how Johnson's leadership might be steering the country towards authoritarianism.We unravel the historical intertwining of evangelicalism and conservative politics. From the televangelism boom driven by figures like Pat Robertson and James Dobson to the influential Moral Majority founded by Jerry Falwell, we trace the path that has aligned evangelical Christians with the Republican Party. We delve into the consequences of this alliance, from Reagan's judicial appointments to the overwhelming support for Donald Trump, illustrating how a desire for traditional values has paved the way for more authoritarian leadership.Finally, we discuss the rise of militant Christian nationalism and its alarming impact on American society. We dissect the process of online radicalization, the normalization of extremist rhetoric, and the unsettling intersection of Christianity and right-wing extremism. We also examine the broader implications, including mass deportations and the undermining of democratic institutions. Don't miss this episode as we contemplate whether contemporary evangelicals can find harmony with their secular neighbors amidst a politically charged landscape. Guests: Dr. Bernard Schlager, Dr. David Gushee, Dr. Tara Grove, Dr. Alice Marwick, Dr. Shalu Nigam Credits:Infados - Kevin MacLeodDark Tales: Music by Rahul Bhardwaj from Pixabay-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:InstagramYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com

413 Moral Majority by A history podcast from professor Stu Tully

With an extraordinarily high stakes election looming in November, it is imperative for Americans to understand the real - and often very dark - motive's behind the messages they hear. From the earliest days of the American republic, frauds and crooks of all varieties have haunted our democratic system. Yet while con artists can be found on both sides of the aisle, the hard truth is that one side is far more badly infested than the other. Joe Conason, the acclaimed investigative journalist and political commentator, has spent years pursuing the cheaters, grifters, and phonies - and he reports on his extensive and often comical discoveries in his new book, THE LONGEST CON: How Grifters, Swindlers, and Frauds Hijacked American Conservatism In THE LONGEST CON, Conason takes us back to the origins of the brazen and self-serving deceptions that have duped and damaged Americans, beginning with Roy Cohn's rebaiting swindles in the Fifties and leading to the ascent, decades later, of his most famous client, Donald J. Trump. On that journey, the author rips away patriotic and pious rhetoric to expose venality and scamming, from the Nixon and Reagan administrations to the Moral Majority, the Christian Coalition, and the Tea Party, which eventually gave rise to the MAGA movement - and doesn't hesitate to identify the most dubious characters, including Roger Stone; Jerry Falwell, senior and junior; as well as Paul Manafort, Richard Viguerie, Terry Dolan, and a list long enough to fill a small city's phone book.Conason weaves a fascinating story of these partisan con artists who ply their seamy trade while stoking political animosity and even hatred, all for personal profit. The epitome and master of this phenomenon is Trump himself, whose rise to power - along with his allies and family - represents a celebration of trickery. The foundation of his political career was itself an enormous deception, relying on the creation of his public image as a bold and brilliant tycoon when he was, in reality, a bankrupt casino owner and real estate failure who hosted a faked "reality" TV show. What his followers never realized is how he swindled them with every variety of modern scam, from multi-level marketing and bogus real estate seminars to "Trump University" and the Big Election Lie of 2020.Conason clearly lays out the downward spiral that stole conservatism decades ago, ultimately leading to the rise of Trumpism and the dangerous divide in the U.S.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-like-it-s-live--4113802/support.

One reason for the appeal of Christian Nationalism - either in its current form or its 1980s Moral Majority version - is the loss of moral norms in the wider society.  American Christians (Protestants more than Roman Catholics) functioned in their society relatively comfortably with generic Christian morality as the standard for public and private behavior.  As a moral consensus has eroded (is Donald Trump up or down stream from Pride Month?), churches may need to be more intentional about the basics of Christian morality than they were in previous generations. This discussion among the co-hosts - D. G. Hart (Presbyterian), Korey Maas (Lutheran), and Miles Smith (Anglican) goes fairly deep into the weeds of preaching the law with the unexpected twist of the Lutheran leading the charge for application and moral exhortation in sermons.   Later in the recording, the co-hosts also discuss the legitimacy of churches having a one-strike-and-you're-out policy for church officers who commit adultery through sexual sin.  Is plagiarism in preaching as bad as adultery?  Or do sexual offenses compromise a church officer's integrity in ways unlike other breaches of the moral law? Apologies to listeners for taking so long to post this recording.  Hiccups in schedules and switching podcast platforms are partly to blame.

Concrete Imaginings: Building a Liberated Palestine An In-Person and Livestreamed ConferenceWednesday, February 28, 2024   Panel 1 Introductory Remarks by Professor Frances Hasso (@nasawiyya)   “The Urgency of Anti-Imperial Feminism: Lessons from Palestine” Walaa Alqaisiya, Ca' Foscari University of Venice (via Zoom) (08:30-38:30) This talk maps the epistemic, political, and moral grounds informing the urgency of anti-imperial feminism that Palestine brings into sight. Combining decolonial and Third-Worldist Marxist theoretical approaches, the first part of the talk unpacks the functionality of gender to the onto-epistemic foundations of Zionist settler colonialism under US-led imperialism. The second part discusses how the centering of the Palestinian national question redefines the moral and political parameters of feminist and queer mobilisation. In doing so, the last part shows the limitations and tensions that post-structural feminist and queer approaches carry, when dealing with the question of liberation, violence, and development in global South contexts, such as Palestine. (25 minutes)   “Christian Zionism, Displacement, and the Role of Travel” Jennifer Kelly, University of California, Santa Cruz (via Zoom)(~39:00-1:03:00) A central tenet of Falwell's Moral Majority, founded in 1979, was unequivocal support for Israel and, by 1983, he began his first of many “Friendship Tours to Israel,” which included meetings with government officials and tours of Israeli military installations. Today, Christian Zionism tours follow this template, pairing pilgrimage with celebrations of Israel's sustained displacement of Palestinians. At the center of displacement in Jerusalem, for example, is a biblical theme park—run by settlers—planned for Silwan that comprises a cable car, a seven-story Jewish cultural center on Wadi Hilweh land, and shopping centers and homes for settlers. And, during this current genocidal war on Gaza, Christian Zionists across the U.S. are once again eagerly seeing Israel's destruction of Gaza as a sign of end times and calling for unchecked Israeli control over all of Palestine. In this paper, I show not only how tourism is never a thing apart from colonial state violence, but also how tourism is part of the fabric of a U.S. Christian Zionism that both enables and facilitates Palestinian displacement. (25 minutes)   Art credit:  "Untitled 2022" by Heba Zaqout, artist and fine arts teacher, martyred 13 October 2023 with two of her children in Gaza.

A weekly podcast exploring stories at the intersection of faith and culture through an inclusive Christian lens. This week: Mitch and Missy contrast the lows of recent rhetoric out of Oklahoma with the highs of the Together for Democracy conference. Guest: Keri Ladner, author of "End Time Politics: From the Moral Majority to QAnon." "Good Faith Weekly" is produced out of Norman, Oklahoma. Music is by Pond5. Learn more at www.GoodFaithMedia.org and @GFMediaOrg "End Time Politics: From the Moral Majority to QAnon" book ~ https://www.amazon.com/dp/1506493904 Democracy Forward ~ https://democracyforward.org/ This episode was brought to you by the Summit for Religious Freedom on April 13-16, 2024, in Washington D.C. TheSRF.org has all the details. Use promo code "goodfaith" for 10% off registration.

 Keri Ladner is the author of the 2024 book End Time Politics: From the Moral Majority to QAnon. She earned her doctorate in Divinity from the University of Edinburgh and much of her doctoral research focused on  researching the theological roots of Jerry Falwell, the co-founder of the Moral Majority. She exposes the racism, contempt for the poor, and false patriotism of Falwell and his followers, as well as his commitment to "Biblical capitalism," which led Falwell to call for the elimination of all social welfare programs, including public education.What Ladner does well is demonstrate how Jerry Falwell and his associates -- including former Anchorage pastor Jerry Prevo --  with their promotion of end times prophecy and various conspiracy theories, laid the path for the Tea Party and QAnon, which thus led to the election of Donald Trump and ultimately to the January 6, 2021 attack on the U. S. Capitol.Find End Time Politics  here

How do countries outside America support families and therefore lighten the mental load?What do nordic countries do to support families:Baby boxes with important newborn items to set families up for successPaid parental leave In Norway, parental leave is paid at full pay for the first 44 weeks or at 80% if parents opt to take 54 weeks. To encourage both parents to play their part, fathers must take at least six weeks' parental leave or risk the family losing payments for the same period.Free universal childcare from 18 mo - 7 yearsCapped childcare costsStrong gender equality in the workforce:Gender quotas legislate for a 40% female presence in the country's parliament and on business boards, resulting in a strong female presence – Norway's prime minister, minister of finance and minister of foreign affairs are all female, while women make up 41% of the C-suite.What happened to America?"Ronald Reagan: by 1980 the Moral Majority, the main Evangelical lobby, had almost half a million members (Diamond 174).2 These new activists had three priorities, and they were directly related to the sexual revolution of the 1960s and the issue of women's rights: the denunciation of homosexuality, the fight against abortion (which was famously declared constitutional by the Supreme Court with its Roe v. Wade decision in 1973), and the rejection of the ERA (the Equal Rights Amendment) (Martin 162-166, 193-194). In the late 1970s, Ronald Reagan quickly understood the incredible electoral potential of the Christian Right."These policies all hold women back economically by making childcare unaffordable (which means we have to puzzle piece it together).Once covid hit, moms were spending five hours a day more on chores than menHit women of color especially hard bc there are stricter gender normsWhen we're faced with this onslaught of policies that harm more than they help, we decide to leave the workforce. The nation loses a major economic factor:Household earnings therefore spending go downCompanies lose more workers and therefore innovationWhy don't we view it as economically beneficial to support families?America's lack of family support rests on a false assumption: that providing help discourages parents from taking responsibility for their children.And while other wealthy countries spend an average of $14,000each year per child on early-childhood care, the U.S. spends a miserly $500. Underlying each of these bleak truths appears to be the same, misguided belief: that government support for parents is at odds with parents being responsible for their kids.Helping parents is not the same as parenting, and support does not replace real-life parents.Why do we think tough love is good for families as policy?Treating parenting with punitive punishmentWhat are the good things to come from supporting families and why should we care?We know that in countries with greater gender inequality just closing the gap in women's labor force participation could increase economic output by an average of 35 percent. New Mexico used $77 million in American Rescue Plan Act dollars to create the Competitive Pay for Professionals (CPP) program to fund $3/hour pay increases for an estimated 16,000 child care staff.37 Iowa used $30 million to provide $1,000 and $2,000...

In Part 2: Divine Fascism we dive into the historical context of the Religious Right and how evangelical Christians became so emboldened as to propose legislation explicitly pushing their own batshit crazy beliefs upon the entire nation. We're discussing the Moral Majority, the Heritage Foundation, the John Birch Society, and the anti-semitic/anti-democratic/fascist trio of the 1930s: Gerald LK Smith, William D. Pelley, and Gerald Winrod, whose beliefs and publications have a direct link to today's Religious Right. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/uftp/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/uftp/support

The "The Falwells are exactly who we thought they were" episode. Dave Johnson and Pat Kahnke continue to discuss Tim Alberta's new book "The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism." In this episode we discuss Chapter 3,which focuses on Jerry Falwell Sr., Jerry Falwell Jr., the formation of the Moral Majority, and various shenanigans at Liberty University.

This week's guest is Beth. Beth grew up in a fundamentalist Christian home that revered James Dobson, Jerry Falwell and all those who created the “Moral Majority.” Her father was a pastor whose sermons centered on the End Times and protecting their families from the “shifting culture,” (read: all the movements happening in the 60's and 70's).As a teen, she lived a double life, keeping plenty of secrets from her parents. However, as a young adult, followed all the rules with the expectation that the “umbrella of God's protection” would take care of her. It didn't.It took decades of trying to do what was “right” and watching the promises of the Church come to naught before she finally took the leap out of Christianity. She now identifies as SBNR—spiritual but not religious. Beth is now able to trust her own judgment and make decisions that are best for her. No “umbrella of protection” needed.InteractFor quotes, recommendations, transcripts and more see the full episode show noteshttps://gracefulatheist.com/2023/12/10/beth-deconstruction-from-the-moral-majority/Join the Deconversion Anonymous Facebook grouphttps://www.facebook.com/groups/deconversionGraceful Atheist Podcast Merch!https://www.teepublic.com/user/gracefulatheistpodcastSupport the podcast on Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/gracefulatheistSecular Gracehttps://gracefulatheist.com/2016/10/21/secular-grace/Deconversionhttps://gracefulatheist.com/2017/12/03/deconversion-how-to/Deconstructionhttps://gracefulatheist.com/2017/12/03/deconversion-how-to/#deconstruction/Attribution"Waves" track written and produced by Makaih Beatshttps://makaihbeats.net/

Guest Bios Show Transcript How did loving your enemies—a command of Jesus—suddenly become a sign that you're “woke”? And why is “owning the libs” now the answer to “What would Jesus do?”  On this edition of The Roys Report, bestselling author and journalist Tim Alberta joins host Julie Roys to explore a disturbing phenomenon in American evangelicalism. Though once evangelicals understood that the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of man were separate, now the two are being combined into an unholy mix. And sadly, for millions of conservative Christians, America is their kingdom—and proper adherence to their political ideology is their litmus test for Christian orthodoxy! On this podcast, you'll hear Julie's compelling conversation with Tim, exploring how evangelicals got into this mess—and if, and how, we can get ourselves out. Yet Tim doesn't speak as an outside critic passing judgment, but as a practicing Christian and the son of an evangelical pastor.  Tim spent years sifting through the wreckage of American evangelicalism, interviewing pastors, evangelical/political activists, congregants, and scholars. The result is his new book, The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory, which tells story after illuminating story of major players and institutions within the evangelical movement that have succumbed to political idolatry.  One example is Liberty University, founded in 1971 by Jerry Falwell Sr. Recent headlines have exposed how Senior's now-disgraced son, Jerry Falwell, Jr., made Liberty into a far-right, culture warring, money-making powerhouse. But is this mixing of the kingdom of God and the kingdom of man a corruption of Senior's vision—or, is it the culmination of it? And what does it say that everyone—the administration, board, and Liberty supporters—were all fine with it, as long as the money was coming in?  Tim also shares stunning admissions he got during one-on-one interviews with major evangelical/political figures, like Robert Jeffress and Ralph Reed. In private, these men confessed that they know mixing political advocacy with the gospel is misleading and wrong. Yet, as Tim documents, these men keep doing it! Yet Tim also offers stories of hope—like his chapter on Rev. Dr. John Dickson, who teaches at the flagship evangelical school, Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill. In it, Tim explains why Dickson has become a missionary to America—and how Christians can lose the culture wars yet live joyfully and winsomely among unbelievers. Tim's book also includes a chapter on exposing abuse and corruption, featuring Rachel Denhollander's work and our work at The Roys Report. On the podcast, we discuss why our reporting is so important and why this chapter is Tim's mother's favorite! This is such an important podcast for Christians wanting to remain true to their calling to worship God first and foremost, rather than succumb to political idolatry.  Guests Tim Alberta Tim Alberta is a staff writer for The Atlantic and has written for dozens of other publications, including the Wall Street Journal and National Review. He is the author of The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism and the New York Times bestseller American Carnage: On the Front Lines of the Republican Civil War and the Rise of President Trump. He lives in southeast Michigan with his wife and three sons. Show Transcript SPEAKERS TIM ALBERTA, Julie Roys Julie Roys  00:04 How did loving your enemies, a command of Jesus, suddenly become a sign that you're woke? And why is owning the libs now the answer to what would Jesus do? Welcome to The Roys Report, a podcast dedicated to reporting the truth and restoring the church. I'm Julie Roys and joining me on this podcast is New York Times bestselling author Tim Alberta, whose latest book explores what happened to American evangelicalism. Decades ago, Americans viewed evangelicalism favorably. In 1976, author and historian Gary Wills called evangelicalism, the major religious force in America, both in numbers and an impact. And leading evangelical thinkers claimed that evangelicalism could no longer be regarded as reactionary but was vigorously and sometimes creatively speaking to the needs of the contemporary world. Fast forward to today and evangelicalism has become synonymous with Donald Trump, a thrice married vulgar opportunist who said he doesn't need to repent or ask for forgiveness. A recent poll by Pew Research found that the only religious group that views evangelicals favorably are evangelicals. And as Tim Alberta notes in his book in 1991 90% of Americans identified as Christians, but today, only 63% do. What happened to this once vibrant movement? And can it be saved, or has it passed beyond the point of no return? Un his new book, The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory. Tim Alberta does a masterful job of exploring these questions, but he doesn't do it as an outside critic passing judgment. But as a practicing Christian and the son of an evangelical pastor. I found Tim's book eye opening on many levels, and I'm so excited to share this interview with you. Julie Roys  01:47 But before I do, I want to thank the sponsors of this podcast, Judson University, and Marquardt of Barrington. If you're looking for a top ranked Christian University, providing a caring community and an excellent college experience, Judson University is for you. Judson is located on 90 acres just 40 miles west of Chicago in Elgin, Illinois. The school offers more than 60 majors, great leadership opportunities, and strong financial aid. Plus, you can take classes online as well as in person. Judson University is shaping lives that shaped the world. For more information, just go to JUDSONU.EDU. Also, if you're looking for a quality new or used car, I highly recommend my friends at Marquardt of Barrington. Marquardt is a Buick GMC dealership where you can expect honesty, integrity, and transparency. That's because the owners there Dan and Kurt Marquardt, are men of integrity, to check them out, just go to BUYACAR123.COM. Julie Roys  02:51 Well, again, joining me is Tim Alberta, a staff writer for The Atlantic and the former chief political correspondent for Politico. Tim also is the author of The New York Times best seller American Carnage on the Frontlines of the Republican Civil War, and the Rise of President Trump. And his latest book, The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory, explores American evangelicals in an age of extremism. So, Tim, welcome. It is just such a pleasure to be with you again. TIM ALBERTA  03:16 Yes, Julie, it is. It's great to catch up with you and come sort of full circle from where we were a couple of years ago talking about all of this. Julie Roys  03:24 That's right. We spent a couple of well, more than a couple of hours. I think it was supposed to be like maybe an hour and a half, and we got so into our discussion. I think we closed down one coffee shop and went to another. TIM ALBERTA  03:35 We did. I hijacked your whole day. Julie Roys  03:38 Oh, it was fantastic. And so, encouraging to me, but always fun to talk to a fellow journalist with similar convictions. And I was excited about this book when we had our discussion. I'm so honored, I have to say, you know, to get the galley of the book, and I figured because we spent so much time that I'd be in it, but you know, just what you wrote, and the way that you captured some things just so honored to be featured in a chapter with Rachel den Hollander. So, thank you so much for that. I just really appreciate it. TIM ALBERTA  04:07 I should tell you that is my mother's favorite chapter of the book. Oh, for what it's worth, because she's big into strong feminine Christian leadership. And so, she was particularly smitten with you and with Rachel. So, I thought you should know that. Julie Roys  04:21 Oh, wow. Well, I'm honored. I really am. And I should mention that we are offering your book as a premium to anybody who gives $50 or more to The Roys Report in this month. Again, this is just a way that you're able to support the work that we do, but also get this fantastic book. Just go to JULIEROYS.COM/DONATE if you're able to help us out and continue the work that we do, and also get what could be a great Christmas present for somebody or for yourself. So anyway, encourage you to do that. Well, Tim, as I mentioned in the open, you're not writing this book as sort of an outsider critiquing evangelicalism. You grew up evangelical, your dad was an evangelical pastor. And oddly enough, it was at your dad's funeral in 2019, that something sort of awakened you to the severity of what's happening right now within evangelicalism. Tell us a bit about that story. TIM ALBERTA  05:17 Yeah, so my dad, Reverend Richard Alberta, was an amazing, amazing guy. We were very close. And he had a pretty crazy come to Jesus story himself where he was actually kind of a hotshot New York finance guy. And my mom was kind of a hotshot, young journalist with ABC Radio. They lived in New York and my dad, despite having all of this worldly material success, just felt this emptiness. And he was an atheist. He grew up in an unbelieving home. And he, one day stumbled into this church in the Hudson Valley, and heard the gospel and he gave his life to Christ. And it was already a pretty dramatic conversion because he became completely unrecognizable to people around him, including my mom, who was not yet a Christian. Everybody who knew him just thought he was sort of losing it. Suddenly, he's waking up at four in the morning to read his Bible and meditate in prayer for hours. And they're all like, what is this guy doing? And then pretty soon after that, he feels the Lord calling him to ministry. And now they all think he's like certifiable, right? You know, but he follows the Lord's calling. And, you know, he and my mom who became a Christian, they sell all the possessions so he can go to seminary, and they basically they give up this pretty lavish lifestyle they'd had. And for the next like, 20 years, they just work in small churches and live on food stamps and serve the Lord that way. And then when I come along, some years later, we eventually settle in Brighton, which is a suburb of Detroit. And my dad builds this kind of small startup church there into kind of a mega church. And that was my home. It was my community. It was my whole life, really. My mom was on the staff there at the church as well. It was called Cornerstone Evangelical Presbyterian Church. I was raised physically, literally, inside of that church. TIM ALBERTA  07:11 And so, my dad dies a few years back. And when I came back to the church for the funeral, because of the work I've done in politics, and because I had just recently written this book about Trumpism and his takeover of the Republican Party, I was kind of in the crosshairs of right-wing media at that time, because of the book. And so, at the funeral or at the wake during the visitation, I had a bunch of people at the church kind of confronting me and wanting to argue about politics and about Trump and asking me if I was still a Christian and how I could be criticizing him this way. And it was pretty ugly. And as you said, sort of a wakeup call. Julie Roys  07:52 Yeah. And it is something isn't it when you don't support these people that certain evangelicalism believe you have to your, you know, I've got people praying for my salvation, because I've taken on John MacArthur, you know, It's craziness. But there is this tribalism now, within evangelicalism, and it's probably at its very worst when it comes to former President Trump and what he typified. It's interesting to me, you know, as I look at the evangelical movement, you know, I was a card-carrying conservative right? Before Trump came along, and then something really happened. And I feel like I was going back and reading a little bit of Chuck Colson's, Kingdoms in Conflict. Do you remember that book? TIM ALBERTA  08:34 I do. Yeah. Julie Roys  08:35 I mean, he was pretty even handed. I mean, he's very clear in there that being in the kingdom of heaven means it's not about ruling others, it's about being under God's rule. And yet something has tripped, where we're not saying that anymore. We're really become about this whole Dominionism. And he talks about the cultural mandate and things like that, but it's from a very, very different perspective. So here we are dealing with all of this Christian nationalism, and according to your book, a lot of this began, and it's funny because now, Lynchburg Virginia has become synonymous with the Falwell's and with Liberty University. But I've got to say, growing up in the 80s, you know, I knew about the Moral Majority, and some of that, but it just wasn't that big to me. And yet it has grown and grown, and I guess I wasn't even aware of the influence it had. But talk about how a lot of this has its roots really there, in Lynchburg, Virginia, and with what Jerry Falwell Senior. started in, like the late 70s, early 80s. TIM ALBERTA  09:42 Sure, in the context of the American church experience, it is Lynchburg, Virginia. It is the mid-1970s. And it is Jerry Falwell Senior who was a brilliant businessman who, you know, this guy could sell anyone on anything, and he was kind of a master entrepreneur, also a master manipulator. And what Falwell Senior. effectively did, he had already built out Thomas Road Baptist Church into a massive congregation. And then he had tapped into the relatively new medium of television to broadcast his sermons around the country. At one point, he became the single most telecasted program in the entire country. And so, he's reaching millions of people and he's raising a lot of money. This is pretty cutting-edge stuff at the time, but he's building out a mailing list with like more than 10 million names on it, and they are raking in money. So, then he already has his church. But Falwell, Senior is really almost the early archetype of the Christian nationalist. He believes that sort of fighting for God and fighting for America is one in the same and that if America falls, then almost God's kingdom on earth will fall. And so he recognizes that he needs something more than a church; that he needs kind of a cultural stronghold. So, he does two things. First, he takes this little Baptist College Lynchburg Baptist College, and at the time of the bicentennial in 1976, he rebrands it to Liberty University, and he changes the colors from green and gold to red, white, and blue. And basically, they do this whole patriotic rebranding exercise, which is aimed at tapping into not only patriotism in the church, but also tapping into the percolating low simmering at the time, fear in the church and grievance in the church. This sense that, you know, abortion is now legal. Pornography is prevalent, the drug culture is out of control. Prayer is banned in public schools. Secularism is on the march and they're coming for us like they are coming for Christianity in America. And so, Jerry Falwell turns Liberty University into this cause, and then piggybacks onto that with this new organization, The Moral Majority. So suddenly, he's got these three cogs. And he builds out this machine, Falwell Senior does, and it is incredibly effective. They mobilize 10s of millions of voters and sort of bring them under this banner of not just, you know, Christianity, not just following Jesus, but a very particular type of Christianity, a sort of subculture of a subculture. And in many ways, those seeds planted by Falwell 50 years ago, we are harvesting them now. And what we are dealing with, you know, the fracturing of the modern evangelical movement, I think you can trace it directly back to that period. Julie Roys  12:36 It's so interesting, because I think when you talk about Jerry Falwell Senior, and I've talked to a lot of people from Liberty, I've done a lot of reporting about Liberty. And a lot of folks look very wistfully back to the early days, and these are good people, you know, I've talked extensively to them. They're really good people, sincere believers. They look at what's happened to Liberty, and they're like, this isn't Senior. Like Senior loved the Lord and he really was sincere in his walk with the Lord and Junior just was like, we don't know how Junior happened, right? I mean, that's how they often talk about it. I'm going to have you come back to that, because I think what you present is a very, very different picture and honestly, one that I've begun to suspect myself. But let's talk about what happens with you know, Senior dies pretty abruptly right of a heart attack. And then Jerry Falwell, Junior, who is the lawyer, right? He takes over not Jonathan Falwell, who's the pastor, much more of the spiritual leader, but Jerry Falwell, Junior takes over. Very clearly, I'm not a spiritual leader. I mean, he really assued that whole entire title. But when he takes over, despite all the success that his dad had, the school was on the brink of bankruptcy at this point, right? And he kind of turns it around. 13:57 So, Falwell, Junior. is the yes, the UVA trained lawyer, businessman, real estate developer, who is a smart guy. He knows business. And he had really kept the church and organized religion at arm's length. His younger brother Jonathan was the preacher in the family. But Jerry Junior, he'd gone to Liberty for his undergraduate studies. And he says that, you know, he believes in the teachings of Jesus but rejects a lot of the other stuff that comes with it, including Liberty itself. Jerry Junior never wanted to really be a part of Liberty. And suddenly as he's working in the private sector, the school is about to go under. Jerry Senior has really badly mismanaged the finances and he tells his son that basically the school is on the brink of insolvency. And so, Jerry Junior kind of reluctantly comes aboard and he helps to stabilize everything, and he makes a lot of drastic cuts to the different programs and kind of rejiggers the whole balance sheet operation. And he saves Liberty in a lot of ways that, you know, his father gave him credit for that. And it's interesting though, Julie, that when Jerry Falwell senior dies, it's not an accident that Jerry Junior. takes over. That was the plan of succession. It's notable that here is Jerry Falwell senior, who is both businessman and culture warrior, but also a preacher. And he's got these two sons that exemplify one of each, right? He's got the son who's a preacher. And he's got the other son who's the kind of culture warrior businessman. And he appoints the latter to take over Liberty after he's gone. And that in and of itself, I think, speaks volumes. And then more to the point, Jerry Junior, as you said, he comes in and he tells anybody who will listen, look, I'm not a religious leader, I'm not here charged with the spiritual well-being of this school. I'm here to turn us into a powerhouse, I'm here to turn us into a highly profitable, highly influential organization that can sort of, you know, push back against the forces of secularism in the left in this country. But he doesn't, to his credit, I suppose. Falwell Junior, he doesn't pretend that he's something that he's not. And the irony of it all, Julie is that everybody was fine with it. They were fine with it. Right? They were, as you know, when the money was coming in, and the buildings were going up at a rapid clip, and the endowment was bulging, everybody was fine with it. Because he's Jerry Senior's namesake, and he's a Falwell, and the school is doing great. Clearly God is blessing this project. So, what's not to like? Julie Roys  16:47 Well, and you say everyone was fine with it. And it's true on a public face, everyone was fine with it. I will say I started hearing from a lot of people who weren't fine with it from I mean, obviously the Jane DOE's and now we know about who were victims of sexual assault, and their cases got just horribly mismanaged. In fact, not even reported. And you know, now we have the Department of Education looking into how badly Liberty bungled these cases and violated Title Nine mandates, and they could face like a 30 some million dollar fine, which could be one of the largest ever. So, this was percolating under the surface, but nobody knew about it at the time. And I also talked to a lot of professors who were like, the way this place is being run is abysmal. There's nothing Christian about it. The way the administration handles things, there's nothing Christian about it. And we know too, from some of the people you interviewed, it was less like a religious institution and more like a mafia like a mob boss. Like Jerry turned into I think Jerry is very, he's very likable when you meet him. I mean, obviously very socially gifted, even though he's an introvert. He seems like this kind of your good old boy that, you know, everybody likes. But he began to become very controlling, and lock that place down where Jerry ruled with really an iron fist. And by the time some of the stuff started coming out about him, that place I mean, am I right, that it was a lot less like a Christian institution a lot more like the organized crime syndicate? TIM ALBERTA  18:24 Yeah, well, and listen like this is so Julie. It's funny, because obviously, you and I are in the same line of work. We're coming at this from pretty similar worldviews, and we're having similar conversations, with some of the same people. And you're exactly right when they're using the term family business. You know, Liberty is a family business. They're not just talking about like the Falwell family. There's, you know, the implication there is like very clearly that there is almost a mafioso-esque quality to, you don't cross the Falwell's, the power is concentrated in a few hands here. If you get a seat at the table, you are just lucky to be there and you nod and you know, at one point, I think I make sort of an offhand smart aleck comparison to like the North Korean military where, you know, you stand and salute the dear leader and don't dare step out of line. And of course, that's tragic on a number of levels, one of them being that Liberty has been filled over the years with really good and godly students and good and godly professors who are there for the right reasons. Some of these professors who started to really see the rot from the inside., they chose to stick around because on the one hand, they could see the success around them. The kind of observable material success that you know that the campus is absolutely stunning. Maybe God is doing something really marvelous here and I just have to kind of see my way through this part of it. But I also think that there's a level of devotion, and a feeling for some of these people that they wanted to help right the ship, that they wanted to be a part of the solution. And obviously, those are some of the characters I talk to in the book who now have finally gotten to a breaking point where they say, you know what? I just can't do it anymore. And not only can I not do it anymore, but the world needs to know, the whistle needs to be blown here that like this is not okay. Julie Roys  20:21 What does it say about evangelicalism, Tim, that when the money was coming in, and the money still is coming in, that everybody was okay with how godless this place was? And anybody that was in administration knew and saw it. The Board, who it's astounding to me that when Jerry Falwell Junior, got embroiled in this big sex scandal, and he gets fired, that Jerry Prevo takes over. And we think that that is a change of the guard. This was the man who was the chairman of the board the whole time that Jerry was doing all of this stuff. It's shocking to me, but yet I see it so much in so many different Christian organizations. And so, what is it about us that we're okay with these things, with really what is just absolute rampant hypocrisy? TIM ALBERTA  21:15 I'm afraid that in many ways, we're actually worse than some of those secular institutions. Because of this idea of the prosperity gospel, it's almost become like this proper noun. And so, people feel like well, those are those people are crazy. I'm not one of them, I'm not a part of that, right? But the idea inherent to the prosperity gospel, right is that, well, if you give to the Lord, and if you serve the Lord, if you follow the Lord, then you will be blessed. But that is so conveniently and so easily reverse engineered by a lot of Christians, either at a conscious or at a subconscious level, where when you see any sort of material success around you, you then say, well, clearly, I'm blessed. Clearly, the Lord is blessing this project. And that creates a kind of a permission structure, I think, for a lot of us to then turn a blind eye to things that are very obviously wrong, or kind of downplay things that you otherwise would never downplay. And whether that's an individual church congregation, whether that's a big college campus, whether it's the President of the United States, this can manifest in a lot of different ways. It's so much based on that kind of material thinking that I think we are particularly vulnerable, particularly susceptible to it here in the American church. I think the saddest part about it is that many of us just don't see it, or maybe don't want to see it. I don't know. Julie Roys  22:44 Your book has a stunning quote, stunning quote by a former professor, Dr. Aaron Warner. And he says, and I quote, Jerry, Senior, was always a bit of a scoundrel, and Jerry Junior, perfected the art of using fear and hatred as a growth strategy. Christianity happens to be the thing that they used to build a multibillion-dollar institution. It could have been anything else. It could have been moonshine, but they chose Christianity. And it's gained them a lot of power and a lot of money; the two things these people truly worship. You talked to a lot of people, interviewed a lot of people at Liberty. Is that characterization fair? Or do you think it's a little too harsh? TIM ALBERTA  23:23 It's harsh, that's for sure. It might contain some traces of hyperbole. But I will say this, Aaron Werner is another guy who knows that institution very well. Went there as an undergraduate, has deep longstanding ties to Liberty And the stories he tells from the inside are stunning. One of the other quotes, actually, I thought it might be the one that you're going to read because it kind of runs right along in parallel to that one is from a current professor. Now, at the time of this recording, he's a current professor. My sense is that when the book releases and when this gets back to the administration that he could be dismissed and he's expecting that that will happen. But his name is Nick Olsen, and he's an English professor, very popular English professor there. Brilliant, godly young guy. And he's a legacy at Liberty. His dad was one of the first students at Liberty and a contemporary of Falwell Senior. And Nick has sort of agonized in recent years with this inheritance at Liberty and everything that he's seen and struggled with there. And he says to me, this is not quite verbatim, but he says this to me in the final chapter of the book, he says, Jerry Junior, thought that he was fulfilling his father's vision by assuing spiritual stuff and by building out this massive multibillion dollar like culture warring Republican institution. And he says, and it is heartbreaking, because that's exactly what he's done, and he did fulfill Jerry Senior's vision. And I think that piece of it, Julie is not hyperbole. I think that when you spend enough time digging through the archives and talking to people who were there in the room where it happened, so to speak, it becomes pretty self-evident. And by the way, you know, you mentioned earlier that there are people who will say, Yeah, but you know, Jerry Senior, he really loved the Lord. Yeah, well, these things aren't mutually exclusive. I mean, I'm not suggesting that he didn't love the Lord. But I'm suggesting that like many people who love the Lord, he got his priorities out of whack. And by the way, we are all susceptible to this. But it's very hard to evaluate the history of Liberty University, the decisions made there, the structure of the place and the personnel and how they've treated people and what the benchmarks have been. It's very hard to assess all of that and reach any other conclusion than the one that Nick Olsen reaches at the end of the book. Julie Roys  25:41 And yet Liberty continues to be the largest Christian university in the country. It still has this dominance, there's still a lot of people that I know sending their kids there. And it's heartbreaking to me. I mean, I just wonder at what point do we say enough, and we stand up to this? And I'm glad that people are starting to speak out. But sometimes I wonder if it's too little too late, when we have just these juggernaut organizations and it really has been a marrying of two kingdoms that should be in conflict, and we're trying to say that they can be married together the kingdom of this world, the kingdom, the political realm, and the kingdom of Christ. And Jesus never became a political leader. It's stunning to me some of these quotes that are in your book, that are just like you expect a lightning to fall out of the sky, the way that scripture and Jesus are being misrepresented. It's just so awful. Julie Roys  26:37 In your first section, though, I have to say there's always some redeeming thing in each section, which I'm like, Thank You, Lord. It's like a palate cleanser in a lot of just awful stuff. But you have this beautiful chapter. And it's on a guy, John Dixon, who I actually got to know in my reporting on Ravi Zacharias, because John used to be a speaker for Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. And he was one of those who, you know, pretty early in the game as things were starting to come out, recognized that there were some lies being told by the institution he had been a part of, and he quickly made a break, and he boldly took a stand. I mean, I really respected him for that, that he didn't seem to have this Oh, fear of, if I say something, what's going to happen to me? I mean, he just said what was right, and what was what was true. And now he's at Wheaton College, which is right in my backyard. And what I love is that he's so joyfully on the losing team. You know, we've got all of these people, all these Christians out there telling us we have to be on the winning team, we got to take America back. And here's John Dixon saying, No, we're on the losing team right now. I mean, eventually, when Christ comes back, we'll be you know, he will set things right, and we'll be on the winning team. But for now, we're kind of on the losing team. And it's okay, people. So, talk about John and what we can learn from him and his example, because again, he's from Australia, which is probably about 10 or 15 years ahead of us in sort of this post Christian era that, you know, is beginning to happen here as well. Julie Roys  28:16 And that is so tough for us. I mean, it's not tough for Chinese Christians to get this, right? I mean they get it right away. Because to be a believer means you have to get rid of everything, you can't hold on to anything, you're gonna lose all your power, all your position. But I think we've been, actually it's the curse of being prosperous. And being in a country where Christians have had the majority and where it actually was a plus, probably for my parents to be believers. I think it won't be for my children. But maybe that'll be a good thing. And maybe that's precisely what the church needs. We already think we're being persecuted, which is funny. We really aren't. But we may see it. And right now, I think most of the persecution we're getting is because of what you said that we're not because we're so holy, but because we're actually worse than the world in so many different ways. And we deserve it. TIM ALBERTA  28:16 John is really one of my favorite people I've met in all of the journeys that I was on, and one of my favorite characters in the book for exactly the reasons that you mentioned there. And the fact that he is not an American is, I think, a big part of his perspective, right? But I think also, there's something deeper embedded in the American psyche, about winning, about the need to dominate. I have a funny quote somewhere else in the book from somebody who had spent years living and studying and teaching in Canada, who talks about how Canadians just want fourth place, and then when they get the bronze, they're thrilled. And in America, if you don't get the gold, you're a total loser, right? And so, there's something, you know, about the American Christian experience that's so different. And so, John, one of my favorite scenes in all of this reporting that I did was, we're sitting in the cafeteria there at Wheaton College, surrounded by the flags of the world all around us in the cafeteria. And I say, Why did you come here? Like, really? Why did you come here? And he says, like, this is my mission field now, like the US is my mission field because of this, this stuff. Everything you and I are discussing right now. He said this stuff is like so toxic and so unhealthy. And the church is caught in this terrible pattern. That, by the way, is not new. Right? You go back to Constantine, there has been this obsession with worldly power this inclination to merge two kingdoms into one. So, what we're living through here is not new, in a lot of ways. And I think John is so brilliant in kind of illuminating the appropriate Christian perspective here, which is to say that if you care so much about winning and losing, then the good news is you've already won, right? The tomb is empty, Jesus conquered death, and you believe in him. So therefore, you're already a part of the kingdom. But this place, which is meant to be ephemeral, and unimportant ultimately, and just, you know, a step among the stairs, that if your identity here is wrapped up in winning and losing, then you can't really have your identity there. And he says, ultimately, you know, we're the death and resurrection people. Like losing, and losing well, is a part of the Christian experience. TIM ALBERTA  31:24 John Dixon talks about how there's sort of this inverse relationship historically, between the amount of cultural and social and political power held by Christians in a society and the health of Christianity in that society, right? In other words, when you hold the commanding heights, the Christian influence it actually tends to be pretty weak and pretty corrupted and pretty compromised. When you are at the margins and when you are truly countercultural, the witness thrives. And we've seen that throughout history. Another favorite character of mine in the book, Brian Zahnd, who's the pastor of a church out in Missouri, he talks about how difficult it is for American Christians to really appreciate how the Bible is written from the perspective of the underdog, right? The Hebrew slaves fleeing Egypt, and the first century Christians living under a brutal Roman occupation. Like they had no power, they had no influence. And yet they were so joyful, and they were so content because they had their kingdom, right? And it does give me unease even in my own personal life, just the things I enjoy the materials, the prosperity, the comforts; can I fully appreciate the baby born in a manger? can I fully identify with the vagrant preacher from the ghettos of Nazareth? You know, it's a hard thing. Julie Roys  32:42 And here's the reality; that message, which is Christ's message really doesn't sell well in America. Having your best life now sells in America. And what we're seeing right now, and this, you know, brings me to the second section in your book dealing with power, which again, we've got to take back, America, has become sort of the mantra that we're hearing from so many of these, you know, political rights. And it has just morphed into something where, and again, I said at the outset, I used to be very much politically engaged with the conservative movement. I am not anymore because I can't stomach it and what it's become. I felt like we were being salt. But now it's about dominating and doing it by any means possible, where we just get rid of our morality. And I was always brought up to believe and I think this is what Scripture teaches, that the means is as important as the end. And so, if we achieve a righteous end through an unrighteous means, then we've lost. We've completely lost because we have given up what makes us unique, and what makes us God honoring for something that we're saying is a God honoring, you know end. But again, this is what has happened in our country. And, and what's interesting in this section that just captured my imagination. I mean, I've wondered this, like, you take a Robert Jeffress, right? This guy's not dumb. He's a smart Southern Baptist preacher, clearly a savvy guy. He has built this mega church, but the things that came out of his mouth, especially when Trump was in power, but it's still there. The things that come out of his mouth, and I think, he's got to know that this is not in line with the Gospels. He's got to see this. And yet, publicly, you wouldn't hear that. But when you met with him privately, you began to hear some doubt in there and allowing you to see a little bit of vulnerability, although it didn't seem to last all that long. But talk about that, because I'm not sensing much doubt in the masses that follow these men. But when you get them one on one, tell me what you see. TIM ALBERTA  34:50 And it's not just Robert Jeffress, Greg Locke, Greg Locke, Ralph Reed. Yeah, yeah, a lot of these guys. It's the pastor who in my hometown, grew his church tenfold by basically turning Sunday morning worship services into Fox news segments. And giving a Nazi salute to Gretchen Whitmer from his pulpit. I mean, but then you get them one on one. And you press them a little bit. I mean, you know, politely, respectfully, but you press them. Suddenly, they not only back off a little bit, but they do a little bit of like winking and nodding at you to basically say, like, you're right, I'm definitely putting on a bit of a song and dance here for the masses. But I think that they will ultimately justify it by saying, Well, yeah, but look at all these people who are coming in and look at the opportunity, we have to reach them now with the gospel? So, you know, those ends really do justify the means. I think the problem with that, as you hinted it, is but look, I mean, there's a lot of problems with it. You know, Mark 8:36 is not a rhetorical question, right? Like, what does it profit a man to gain the whole world yet forfeit his soul? But I think for some of these people, some of these leaders, the thing that really grates at me and I know it grates at you, Julie, is like, they're the shepherds, they're the ones who are supposed to know better, because a lot of their flock, you know, and I'm not being condescending or patronizing when I say this, they don't necessarily know better, they are the sheep, right? They need to be shepherded. And instead of shepherding, a lot of these people have just themselves become wolves. And they become wolves for what? So that you can have a seat at the table? So that you can get on Fox News? So that you can raise some money? So that for what ultimately? You're so right, when you press them on it almost to a person, they will acknowledge at some level that what they're doing is kind of gross, and kind of anti-biblical, and then they just keep on doing it. Julie Roys  36:46 So, speak to the person who is listening. And we probably don't have a ton of these. But there may be some who are listening, who have bought this hook, line, and sinker that we do need to take America back. And Franklin Graham told us it's all for the Supreme Court justices, and we got the Supreme Court justices and Roe v. Wade was just overturned and, you know, look at what was accomplished. So, you know, politics is a dirty business, Tim. I mean, come on, if we're gonna win in politics, which, you know, we're talking about babies here, babies are being slaughtered left and right. And then, you know, some of these people would allow a baby to be born alive and kill it. You know, that's who these people are. So, I mean, come on. This is the world we live in, and we've got to fight the way that the world fights. What do you say? TIM ALBERTA  37:35 I'd say a couple of things. I think you can go round and round about Roe v. Wade, and about Trump and about Supreme Court justices. But be careful what you wish for in this space. Because the fact of the matter is that Roe v Wade fell, and the total number of abortions in this country went up. I live in Michigan, where prior to Roe v Wade falling, there were pretty tight abortion restrictions in Michigan. Now, it is the wild west. It is some of the most liberalized abortion laws in the country. And that is true in seven or eight other states that have had ballot initiatives passed since Roe v. Wade, dramatically liberalizing abortion laws, and it's going to happen in a number of other states next year. So, let's be really clear eyed and fact based when we talk about what our political involvement does and what it doesn't do. At the end of the day, if you want to win hearts and minds to stop the scourge of abortion, if you are a Christian, and you view this as your great crusade, then is voting for a candidate or putting a bumper sticker on your car, is that the way to win those hearts and minds? Because the fact is, if American evangelicals had put a fraction of the energy into the social side of abortion, of doing the hard work in the clinics, and helping the single mothers and doing the foster care that is needed to address this at its root, if they had been willing to do that over the last 50 years, my guess is that public opinion would be dramatically different as it pertains to abortion. And we wouldn't even be talking about Roe v. Wade, because the number of abortions would be so low in this country that it wouldn't even register. But we've sort of self-selected into this alternate universe where politicians are our savior, and that politics is the mechanism by which we right the wrongs in this country. And I'm sorry, but if you are citizens of another kingdom?, then you can't possibly believe that. You can't possibly believe that Donald Trump or that any other politician is the person who's going to ultimately right these great moral wrongs. But unfortunately, I think that's the trap we've fallen into. Julie Roys  39:51 You know, I used to be very involved in the prolife movement. I will say, almost all of the people that I knew when I was involved in the pro-life movement, were actually involved in reaching out to single moms and caring for them and caring for their unborn children. But I think what we've forgotten so much is that politics is downstream of culture. So, if you're losing the culture, which we clearly are to change the politics, if you've got a kid that's rebellious, a teenager who's rebellious in your home, locking down all the windows and the doors in your house, that's not going to keep your kid from sinning. What's going to keep your kid from sinning, is if you can winsomely love your child into relationship with Jesus Christ and to want to be like you and to want to adopt your values. But we've forgotten about that, we've become this, you know, Midas right. And I remember in 2016, writing a commentary, The Rise of Trump, The Fall of Evangelicalism, and I said, we may win this one, but we will lose in the long run, if we throw our convictions out the window, and we alienate everyone around us, by our you know, the way that we talk and the way that we relate to people. This is not how you win people to the Lord. That fell on, you know, really deaf ears. It actually lost me some key supporters too. But I just was stunned because I did not know who these people were that I thought believed the same way that I did and had the same values. And then I went, Wow, we are just on different planets, we really don't have that. Julie Roys  41:29 I want to look at one person, again, you have these palate cleansers within all of these sections. And one of them to me is Cal Thomas, who was very much a part of the right and so I can relate to that, because that was I mean, I used to be emceeing the banquet to raise money for you know, the political cause, or whatever it was. I don't do that anymore. Cal Thomas doesn't do that anymore. What changed Cal? TIM ALBERTA  41:58 It's so funny, Julie, because just a minute ago, when you were talking about what are the weapons of our warfare? I was thinking about Cal., because Cal for those who don't know his story, you know, he was Jerry Falwell Senior's lieutenant in the Moral Majority. And he was their spokesman for the Moral Majority. And the vice president of that organization, and, you know, was really heavily involved in the kind of crusading era of the Religious Right, he was a central figure. And then Cal really started to feel uneasy with what he was seeing around him. And he doesn't even sugarcoat it. We have this very raw conversation in the book where he talks about, you know, the corruption and the greed and the grift. And how he just couldn't justify it. He justified it for a while by saying, Well, look how many people we're reaching, and look at all this money coming in. So clearly, you know, God must be doing something here. And then he eventually just gets to a point where he says, No, this is a scam. It's just immoral. And he finally walks away. And then years later, he writes this book called Blinded by Might, where he kind of tries to atone. And he just says, Listen, I was a total believer in winning the culture war to protect Christian America, as you know, part of our duty, you know, to God's kingdom. And in fact, not only has it failed, but it has backfired spectacularly, that we have driven away so many people who need Jesus, but who won't have anything to do with us anymore, They won't even let us in the door to have a conversation because of the way we've treated them because of the way we've treated the culture. So, to your point about locking down the teenager in the house, right? Cal really eloquently and powerfully was giving voice to this when he wrote that book. And then, you know, in our interviews for this book, he's an older guy now he's 80. And he's looking back with such regret on those years and thinking about how did he in some way contribute to laying the groundwork for Trump ism as this kind of sub cult in the evangelical world. And what's most interesting to me from that whole conversation, and I said this to him, is that the more things have changed, the more they've stayed the exact same. I mean, this break that he's describing in the 1980s. And this kind of crisis of conscience that he's feeling is exactly what we're trying to address today. What I'm trying to address in the book now, which is that, listen, it doesn't have to be this way. You have a choice, right? We all have a choice. It was so incredibly unpleasant for me to write this book in a lot of ways, Julie. If I'm being totally honest, I probably couldn't have written it while my dad was still alive. It would have been too hard. Like I've had some people writing me emails this past week saying, oh, like thank you for your courage. Thank you for your brave, I don't feel courageous. I don't feel brave. I feel like a coward in a lot of ways that it took me so long and that a lot of ways took my dad dying and having those experiences at his funeral to finally be willing to acknowledge and use my platform, my relatively high profile journalistically speaking to address this thing that has been so clearly wrong for such a long time. And so, for anybody listening, whether it's in your individual congregation, your faith community, your family, whatever it is like, it doesn't have to be this way. And it takes people like Cal Thomas, kind of blowing up his own life, blowing up his tribal affiliations and walking away. It takes Pastor Brian Zahnd, who I write about in Chapter 15, who had a mega church of 5000 people, and they were making money hand over fist. And then he just woke up one day and had this like epiphany from the Lord that it was all wrong, and that it was so shallow, and it was doing such a disservice to the Gospel. And he blew up his mega church. He's got like 150 people who come every Sunday now and the sanctuary seats like 2000. And he made a choice, right? Cal Thomas made a choice. You've made a choice, Julie. And I just think like, at the end of the day, the people who make that choice and who decide to reckon with what this has become? I don't think they're going to regret it. I really don't. Julie Roys  46:05 I have not regretted it once being free of the whole evangelical industrial complex as it's called, and just being free to follow your conscience without thinking, what are the consequences if I speak the truth publicly? Like what's going to happen to me? Like I see so many Christians just living in fear that if they speak out, or they tell the truth that they know that something, you know, there will be bad consequences for me, and it just makes me wonder, do we believe the gospel, like do we believe the gospel? What gospel are we living on day-to-day basis? And I love Pastor Zahnd's story that was like one of my favorite stories. And it reminded me of the book because I just interviewed Scott McKnight and Laura Behringer and their book pivot, which talks about similar things, other churches that realized church is toxic. It's huge, it's successful, but I feel empty inside, you know, and I feel thin, and they made that pivot. And it may be to smaller church, it may be and it's interesting, though, you were saying how Zahnd's church is now starting to maybe even start to grow and become a little bit healthier. And so, when I hear that I say, it's going to take a while. But in this, you know, these ashes, do you see something growing that's beautiful there that can replace this ugliness that quite frankly, I think I just think it's doomed. I think it's coming down. I don't know that it will come down quickly. This complex that we've built, but I think it will come down eventually. It may take decades. But I think there will be a Christianity I hope this was my prayer that replaces it. And it's more organic and more Grassroots less big leadership and more the Body of Christ. TIM ALBERTA  47:48 Yes,  I do see something rising from the ashes. I can sense it, particularly among the younger generation. One of the things that consistently surprised me in all of my reporting, and it was a pleasant surprise, to be clear, was spending time with younger believers. They ideologically, culturally, politically, like they're really no different from their parents, like they check those boxes on paper. But then you kind of get into some of this with them. And they want nothing to do with Trumpism. They want nothing to do with Charlie Kirk, and I'm talking about like the serious believers. I'm not talking about like the very casual kids who identify as Christian, but then go to a Turning Point USA event. I mean, like, you spend time around Liberty, and like, yes, there are some MAGA kids at Liberty. But most of the kids you spend time with  at Liberty, including those who would self-identify as like, sure I guess on paper, I would be a Republican, because of abortion because of other issues, they will really eloquently and gracefully speak to these schisms. And they're so perceptive. I think that's the big thing, Julie, is that they can see it. Right? My generation, I kind of think of us as like the children of the Moral Majority. And we can now very clearly diagnose this in a way that my dad's generation probably couldn't, they were too close to it. They were too wrapped up in it. And I think, you know, in some ways, they almost I kind of tend to maybe just give them a little bit of a pass for that because they didn't have the appropriate distance to really assess it and analyze it in the way that I think I'm able to, and certainly in the way that the generations behind me are able to. They see what this is doing to the church, and they are saying no, thank you. Even at my home church, the guy who took over for my dad, almost run out of the place. He came very close to just quitting because it got so bad for him because he hears this young guy taking over this, this mega church congregation in a very conservative Republican community. And he's not particularly a conservative Republican. He's not like some big Democrat either. He's just a guy who like loves Jesus and who processes news events through the eyes of like the gospel, right? What's so interesting is that he lost a ton of his congregation. And then this past summer, I went back for the first time since my dad's funeral, and the place was packed, and I didn't recognize anybody there. And he comes out and gives this sort of fire and brimstone sermon, challenging them on the culture wars, challenging them on like, where are your priorities, really? What kingdom do you really belong to? And so that actually, I didn't aim to end the book on that optimistic note, but I was so encouraged by it, because it makes me think that in this market of supply and demand that you and I have talked about, and mostly we focused on the perverted nature of the supply and demand, that there is also maybe more demand out there than we realize for that true, pure form of the gospel. And so that is my hope, moving forward, and particularly with these younger Christians, who will demand something better than what we've seen so far. Julie Roys  50:53 I loved that I don't often read the epilogue, but in your book I did. And that was beautiful to read about Pastor Winans and the way that, you know, you kind of left them in the early chapters really disillusioned and discouraged. And then he comes back invigorated for the gospel, and preaching it so boldly and that really, pastors like that give me hope. And I know that there's probably a lot more of them than I encounter in you know, the line of work that I do, which usually means I hear about the worst of the worst all the time. Julie Roys  51:28 Let me just ask you about this most of your chapters are about political power and about the way that these kingdoms  and the power has sort of become an idolatrous thing. And then you turn your eye to corruption going on in the church and the abuse, the abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention, how that's been addressed recently, how Rachel den Hollander stood up to it and she went, you know, most people I'm sure listening know Rachel's story. But you know, one of the first gymnasts who came forward and told her story about Larry Nasser, and how he had abused so much of the, you know, US Olympic gymnasts team. And she went from being just Joan of Arc, I think you call it to being Jezebel, right? Or from Esther to Jezebel, because she spoke out about the evil in the church. And that's what I found. When I was at Moody Radio I was allowed to speak about Joel Osteen, right? Or I was allowed to speak about the liberals in politics. But when I turned my critique on our own tribe, man, I would get shut down, you know. That's one of the reasons I left Moody besides the others that I talked about. I couldn't speak out about the evil in our own house. And I feel that at this point, we have no moral platform as Christians to be speaking about the evil out in the world anymore, until we deal with the evil in our own house and the way that it's crept in. You know, judgment begins with the house of God. He doesn't expect, you know, the people who don't know him, to act any differently than they're acting, but He expects us to, and we're not. So, I appreciated that you put this chapter in the book, dealing with some of the abuse and the corruption within the church. But you could have easily left it out and just talked about the way that politics has, you know, really usurped the gospel. Why did you put this chapter in? TIM ALBERTA  53:28 One of the things that really bugs me, is how the New Testament model here and you were just alluding to this a moment ago. The New Testament model is not ambiguous. We are to treat outsiders with unlimited grace and kindness and compassion and forgiveness, because they don't know God, and they don't know any better. That is clear. And what is also clear is that we are to treat the insiders with the utmost accountability, and they are to be held to the highest standard because they do know God, and they do know better. That is the New Testament model. And we in the American church have completely flipped it. We have nothing but hostility, and animus and enmity towards the outside world. And we practice nothing but grace and forgiveness and cheap grace and cheap forgiveness inside the church. Right? And it drives me a little bit nuts. Because if you are the person out there in the world, who is sort of curious about Jesus, and you feel something missing in your life, what are the odds today that you're going to go to a local church and try to learn a little bit more? I mean, you know, you might say, Well, some people will, some people do Sure. But the statistics here don't lie, Julie. Like when you look back 30 or 40 years, the perception of the church among unbelievers in this country was incredibly positive. People who did not know Jesus looked at the church as a beacon of moral rectitude, of compassion, of social good. Even if they were never going to sit in the pews with us, even if they didn't believe any of the doctrine, they respected the church and they admire the church. And that has completely changed. It's just completely fallen apart. There are some people who will tell you like Robert Jeffers and I go back and forth on this in the book, he said, Well, that it doesn't matter, right? Those people aren't looking for the Lord. I completely disagree. I think the credibility of the church matters enormously. TIM ALBERTA  55:37 To your question of why did I feel compelled to include that chapter? Well, who's going to hold the church accountable? Is the church going to hold itself accountable? No, I mean, typically, institutions are not very good at self-policing. We know that from working in journalism, right? By the way, the media is not very good at self-policing. Actually, I could argue the media is terrible at self-policing. I mean, any big institution, it can't be expected to hold itself accountable. Okay, so what are the mechanisms for accountability here? If we care about the Bride of Christ, if we care about the credibility of the church, if we care about how the outside world perceives the church, which I think matters enormously, then what do we do to ensure that the church is on the up and up and is doing its duty before God and it's carrying out its purpose and its mission? You know, journalism has to play a role in that. I think, you know, the law has to play a role in that. I think that there are external forces, even, you know, gasp secular forces that have to play a role in that, because otherwise, we just leave these churches, these pastors to their own devices. And I'm sorry, but you don't need to read any other source then the Bible itself. You pick up the Bible itself, read from Old Testament to new and see how well that works out. We see it time and again. I there are not accountability structures in place, then things go very badly, very quickly. And so that's a long answer to your question. Julie Roys  57:06 Hmm. Well, I appreciate that. And I appreciate your book. And I know you're getting interviews all over the country. I saw you on CBS, Good Morning America; that was so exciting to see but really wonderful that you've gotten this platform to winsomely speak to the rest of society who I remember a couple of times, I got to be on NPR. They would ask me about evangelicalism, and they are always amazed, I think that I could even string two sentences together. And I was actually an evangelical right? But I am so thrilled that you are representing evangelicals because you're a face that and I don't know, do you still identify as Evangelical? TIM ALBERTA  57:49 not really, I don't fight the label, but I would not volunteer it for myself just because of exactly what we just described, you know. Somebody outside the church hears it, and they quickly shut down the conversation, because they don't really want anything to do with you. Julie Roys  58:01 I don't know if I would take that term, either. I'm kind of where you are, as well. But you're a Christian, and you love Jesus. And even when I heard you in that one interview recently said, How's your faith? and you're like, it's as strong as it's ever been. I thank you for that and for your witness, and for this book, and for giving me so much of your time. I really appreciate it. So, thank you, TIM ALBERTA  58:21 Thank you for all that you're doing. And thank you for saying that. It's very kind of you. We're ultimately playing some small part here in trying to get this thing back on track and doing it as humbly as possible. I hope that we can make a difference. Thank you for having me on. And I know that we'll continue to talk. Julie Roys  58:39 Absolutely. And thanks so much for listening to The Roys Report, a podcast dedicated to reporting the truth and restoring the church. I'm Julie Roys. And just a quick reminder, if you'd like a copy of Tim Alberta's book, The Kingdome, The Power, and The Glory, we'd be happy to send you one for a gift of $50 or more to The Roys Report this month. Again, we don't have any large donors or advertising, we simply have you, the people who care about exposing evil and restoring the church. So, if you'd like to support our work and get Tim's book, just go to JULIEROYS.COM/DONATE. Also, I want to let you know that next week, I'll be releasing another talk from the RESTORE conference. This one is by veteran church planter Lance Ford, who gave an amazing talk on the Christian addiction to leadership and why it's so toxic. I love this talk and I think you will too. So be watching for that. We'll release the talk as both an audio podcast and as a video at my YouTube channel. Also, just a quick reminder to subscribe to The Roys Report on Apple podcast, Google podcasts or Spotify. That way you'll never miss an episode. And while you're at it, I'd really appreciate it if you'd help us spread the word about the podcast by leaving a review. And then please share the podcast on social media. So, more people can hear about this great content. Again, thanks so much for joining me today hope you are blessed and encouraged. Read more

Journalist Tim Alberta grew up in the evangelical church and has watched with both concern and interest as some factions of the faith have changed over the years. Following the death of his pastor father, Tim decided to take a closer look at American evangelicalism. He published the book “The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism” in December 2023. Tim joined David to talk about his new book, the profitability and politicization of the evangelical movement, the Moral Majority and the history of evangelical victimization, Donald Trump's threat to religious freedom, and the real Nikki Haley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly 80 years ago, a group of Yale scholars decided amongst themselves to add the word, "homosexual," in the Bible after mistranslating Greek text. Researchers have said this mistake changed the course of modern history as we know it. The misinterpretation also caused a lesbian Christian to explore this incident and earn the trust of those same researchers by capturing their discovery on film. Join us as host Eddie Robinson speaks candidly with Sharon "Rocky" Roggio, the director behind the controversial film, "1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture." Roggio provides I SEE U with an in-depth look at how this misinterpretation came about and what the evidence from the translation committee revealed. We'll also learn more about how she navigated through her own religious environment as well as her desire to change a narrative that speaks to all LGBTQ individuals being acknowledged as equals – and not be seen as "others," or "less than." Despite the documentary receiving backlash from religious writers who, according to the director, haven't seen the film, "1946" has already picked up praise and several prestigious awards during its festival circuit quest.

The squad is brought to the Heraklion to be debriefed in the aftermath of the Moral Majority's terrorist attack, but something seems to be wrong with the supermax prison known as the Labyrinth... Academy H is...Will Malkus as the StorytellerBrendan Sherlock as Alex Sandowsky, aka VictoryJamie Carbone as Danni Carseat, aka The Stage JD McElligott as Kazimir Bright, aka Spectral Julia Smith as Lyra Krol, aka BethelFEATURING Sidney Rubino as FractalAcademy H is filmed in front of a live studio audience (kind of) over at twitch.tv/livefromtheapocalypse every other Sunday at 6 PM EST! Feel free to join us as we pretend to be teen superheroes while raising money for charity, or for one of our many other ongoing streamed campaigns that happen throughout the week! If you'd like to donate, you can do so here.Find our schedule, links to socials, merch and Patreon info, and our Discord community at https://livefromtheapocalypse.com!Special thanks to Ariel Popil (⁠@oxybelisdraws⁠ on Instagram) for the jaw-dropping character art for Academy H. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The F.B.I. played a key role in the development of White Christian Nationalism. Sound like a tinfoil hat conspiracy theory? Dr. Lerone A. Martin joins us to share the receipts. His new book THE GOSPEL OF J. EDGAR HOOVER shows how F.B.I. Director Hoover worked with evangelical leaders like Billy Graham a generation before the Moral Majority and the rise of the Religious Right. Hoover wrote essays for Christianity Today that Evangelical pastors and Sunday school teachers used for sermons and lessons across the country - and that's just the beginning. Listen in; you won't believe how wild this interview is!

Meg hunts down Andre Rand, the real life bogeyman of Staten Island. Jessica learns how yuppies were tormented by the gift that kept on giving: the scarlet H(erpes)!Please check out our website, follow us on Instagram, on Facebook, and...WRITE US A REVIEW HEREWe'd LOVE to hear from you! Let us know if you have any ideas for stories HEREThank you for listening!Love,Meg and Jessica

**To unlock the full 2-hour episode, visit (https://www.patreon.com/BareBactrian) and become a patron** VOTE NO ON THE VOICE REFERENDUM! Today, Basil is joined by the one and only Aimee Terese - easily on of the hundred most famous Australians alive - formerly of "What's Left" and currently of Pod of The Valkyries (https://www.patreon.com/PodoftheValkyries). Follow Aimee on X.com (https://twitter.com/baby_deranged). If anyone knows Elon Musk, we'd both appreciate if you could ask him to unban @aimeeterese and @neobactrian. We'll both love you forever! Two Piscine queens come together to maximize their joint slay. Aimee and Basil discuss: -The end of the Bernie era and the importance of noticing and having good instincts. "not being r-tarded is more imporatant than being able to quote any political treatise" - the libtards and ex-muslim snakes of Compact Magazine - Is Australia more or less POZ'd than the imperial core? - hating Women(tm) but simping for Basil-approved e-girls. - What is an e-girl? - Basil's hatred for Misandry and "right-wing" radfem-tardation - Aimee Judges just how Gay tm Basil's voice is - monkeypox - The libtarded-right shadowboxing the defeated corpse of the Moral Majority(tm) - Trump vs. Desantis - Right-liberals wasting their time on questions that are NOT in political contention - The Kayfabe of IQ and Women and utopian Right - The fake reactionary illiberalism of the Dissidents(tm) - Sodomy as an instrument of imperialism and the state religion of Buttfucking - Does Aimee have a raceplay fetish? - should sodomites be allowed to marry and buy children? - Libertarians as the Lefts most useful idiots - Right-Liberals Praising Anna Kaparian for her Transphobia(tm) (LOL) - The loyal regime Trannissary - Is Aimee pureblooded? - The price of cigarettes in Australia - The Bleaching of the Aboriginals and The Voice Referrendum - Mental Health as the left's criminal justice weapon --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barebactrian/support

From our nation's founding, religion and politics have been intertwined. But the stereotype of what a “religious activist” looks like and believes is far from the reality. Our nation has a rich history of diverse people of faith fighting for justice, from racial equality, to health care access, to LGBTQ+ rights, the list goes on. […] The post September 9, 2023: The Real Moral Majority with Rev. Jen Butler first appeared on State of Belief.

* District Attorney Euthyphro weighs in on Spike Lee and Gen. Flynn: Athens' district attorney Euthyphro weighs in on the hoax charges against General Michael Flynn being dropped and then on Spike Lee within 24 hours praising and then apologizing for praising Woody Allen. (See this at kgov.com/pedophiles. Turns out Jerry Falwell was ahead of his time. Thirty years ago on Bob Enyart Live we'd say that Falwell would schedule on his calendar, "Monday, issue statement. Wednesday, apologize." For whenever the Moral Majority leader would say something about a current moral controversy within 48 hours he would apologize. Now, #MeToo and Cancel Culture have leftists doing the same. Ha!) Euthyphro also explains why the concept of a "hate" crime, even though there's no such thing as "love" crimes, is nonetheless a valid concept. At this point in the program Bob introduces Euthyphro himself, a state's attorney headed to court in Athens to prosecute his own father who happens to come upon Socrates. If you search the web for: Christian answer to Euthyphro's dilemma, you'll see that Google ranks Bob's article at or near #1 at kgov.com/euthyphro and that one of the world's most brilliant scientists, Dr. Jonathan Sarfati, links to KGOV from his own writing on Euthyphro. Atheists today correctly use Euthyphro's dilemma (though they're unaware of doing so) to falsify Islam's claims of deity for Allah. We Christians however, beginning with the teaching of Jesus Christ, are able to answer Socrates, Euthyphro, and the atheists. * Hannity Mentions Neal Boortz: Our recollection being prompted today by Sean Hannity, we suggest that you may enjoy hearing Bob Enyart debate this national "conservative" at kgov.com/boortz. * To Hear the Full Series: - Euthyphro Part 1 - Euthyphro Part 2 - Euthyphro Part 3 - Euthyphro Part 4 - Euthyphro Part 5 - Euthyphro Part 6 Today's resource: Spiritual Growth Pack: Christians sometimes need a push forward to grow spiritually. After forty years as a Christian, these teachings represent my best effort at discipling another Christian to mature in his or her relationship with God: The Plot presents an amazing overview of the whole Bible story. The Tree leads a believer into a deeper relationship with God. Predestination & Free Will will help the believer better understand God and reality. Bible Tour of Israel brings the viewer along on our trip to Israel and celebrates much of what he has already learned reinforcing the key spiritual truths! So many believers have said that their understanding of the Bible has grown greatly and their spiritual lives have matured as they have benefited from these four teaching materials. We invite you to do likewise!

Despite the Moral Majority, the Christian Coalition, and subsequent Christian policy and political organizations, Christian virtue in our society has waned. Some think that is a sign of the end times. David examines what this says about our knowledge of God and creation and offers a reason for hope found in the strangest of places.

Despite the Moral Majority, the Christian Coalition, and subsequent Christian policy and political organizations, Christian virtue in our society has waned. Some think that is a sign of the end times. David examines what this says about our knowledge of God and creation and offers a reason for hope found in the strangest of places.Support the show: https://www.factennessee.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rev. Dr. Wakoh Shannon Hickey, BCC, in this dharma talk from Beginner's Mind Temple, describes a 1984 encounter with Jerry Falwell and the Moral Majority that provoked a crisis leading her to come out as lesbian, to enter the path of Zen, and to study the question of how to assert one's dignity and value without demonizing those who would deny it. She addresses the current backlash against advances in LGBTQIA+ civil rights and describes her own growing understanding of Trans people's struggles. In her current work as an interfaith hospice chaplain, she illustrates how Zen teaching and practice help her navigate encounters with dying people, and to love and serve even those who express bigoted beliefs.

In this session, Carla and L channel Hatonn, who gives another sermonette on seeking and service. Next, L channels Latwii, who opens the session to questions: Can Latwii speak of Witchcraft? Can Latwii speak to the “Moral Majority” who tries to impress their will upon others, while trying to do good? Can Latwii speak on the similarities between the experience of S in Denver during an age-regression hypnosis session (where she was initiated in a temple) and the experience of an initiate in the Queens chamber as described by Ra? Can the higher self could have two instead of one mind/body/spirit complexes on the same plane of being in the same density at the same time, and, if so, if they could be as close as mother and daughter or father and son? Is the author, Capra, being used by the Confederation to guide and help the planet? This meditation can be found at https://www.llresearch.org/channeling/1982/0404L|L Research home page can be found at https://www.llresearch.org/home.aspxDisclaimer: This is not an L|L Research production. However, explicit permission has been granted by L|L Research to create these episodes.......A note about these transcripts from the L|L Research websiteThis telepathic channeling has been taken from transcriptions of the weekly study and meditation meetings of the Rock Creek Research & Development Laboratories and L/L Research. It is offered in the hope that it may be useful to you. As the Confederation entities always make a point of saying, please use your discrimination and judgment in assessing this material. If something rings true to you, fine. If something does not resonate, please leave it behind, for neither we nor those of the Confederation would wish to be a stumbling block for any.......#LawOfOne #LLResearch #Hatonn #Latwii

 Could all of this mean Americans aren't as thoroughly converted on these matters as activists assumed?   

Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, questions@townsquaretalk.org or @townsquaretalk. Throughout history, Americans have been upset over moral issues. In the 1980's, we saw the rise of the Moral Majority, while the 90's brought outrage over violence in the Mortal Kombat video game and boycotts against the raunchiness seen in the TV show Married… with Children. In recent years, we have seen protests over election reform, racial justice, gun violence and abortion.  Just recently, Target has been in the cross hairs over its Pride displays, Bud Light called out for using a transgender influencer in a marketing campaign, and Chick-Fil-A was said to go “woke” for adding a diversity, equity, and inclusion officer.  Where does moral outrage come from, what does it accomplish, and where do we go from here?  We first talk with Emily Stewart, Senior Correspondent at Vox, about the current landscape of moral outrage in our culture. From protests over companies supporting the LGBTQ+ community, the outrage over the PGA's merger with LIV Golf, and the censorship that comes with book bans, are voices growing louder? Then, University of Miami Political Science Professor Dr. Joseph Uscinski, Ball State University History Professor Dr. Emily Suzanne Johnson, and Houston Christian University Senior Research Fellow Dr. Adam Lloyd Johnson, join the conversation on what fuels moral outrage in our society, the history of moral panics in America, and have these high standards of virtue become more integrated into our political system.    Guests: Emily Stewart Senior Correspondent, Vox Dr. Joseph Uscinski Professor of Political Science, University of Miami Author, The People's News: Media, Politics, and the Demands of Capitalism and American Conspiracy Theories Dr. Emily Suzanne Johnson Associate Professor of History, Women's and Gender Studies, and African-American Studies, Ball State University She writes about religion, sexuality, and moral panics in U.S. History Dr. Adam Lloyd Johnson Senior Research Fellow, Houston Christian University President, Convincing Proof Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day's most important and pressing issues. We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps

The boys return for a loose holiday weekend dive back into 1979 with a look into the rise of the evgangelical right. We talk more shit about Tim Lahey, go even harder on Anita Bryant and talk megachurches, homophobia and Orson Welles and the concept of eternal return. All that plus the murder of Harvey Milk, the Twinkie defense, admitting Jim Jones had sauce and remembering yet again "holy shit, Dianne Feinstein is so old". Watching the End of History's Summer of Bangers will start this weekend with another good friend joining us to talk Michael Mann's 2006 vibes based masterpiece Miami Vice (theatrical cut).

On today's episode, Gavi and Sadie discuss the history of Jerry Falwell's ministry at Thomas Road Baptist Church, his political activism with The Moral Majority, and his christian university, Liberty University. TW: In general we talk about a lot of potentially triggering topics on this show, including but not limited to suicide and mental health, racism, misogyny, PTSD and PTSD symptoms, child abuse, mental, physical, and sexual abuse, and spiritual abuse including guilt, shame, and fear. In most episodes we'll mention at least a few of these topics, but we try very hard to avoid graphic detail unless it's relevant to the story we're telling, and we do our best to give the audience a heads-up before going into detail on any of these topics. This episode has a general content warning for racism and homophobia, but it's not as brash or as intentionally hurtful as the Ruckman episode for example. We are going to read some quotes from Falwell on race and on LGBTQ people, but we'll give a heads-up before we get into that. An extended, uncensored, and ad-free version of this podcast episode is available to subscribers at Patreon.com/LeavingEdenPodcastWE HAVE NEW MERCH AVAILABLE, AND A NEW MERCH SHOP, at https://leavingedenpodcast.threadless.comStream the Leaving Eden Podcast theme song, Rolling River of Time on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/artist/6lB7RwSQ9X5gnt1BDNugyS?si=jVhmqFfYRSiruRxekdLgKA.Join our Facebook Discussion group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/edenexodusJoin our subreddit! Reddit.com/r/EdenExodusInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/leavingedenpodcast/https://www.instagram.com/sadiecarpentermusic/https://www.instagram.com/gavrielhacohen/Twitter:https://twitter.com/LeavingEdenPodhttps://twitter.com/HellYeahSadiehttps://twitter.com/GavrielHacohenFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/LeavingEdenPodcasthttps://www.facebook.com/GavrielHaCohen Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nearly 80 years ago, a group of Yale scholars decided amongst themselves to add the word, “homosexual,” in the Bible after mistranslating Greek text. Researchers have said this mistake changed the course of modern history as we know it. The misinterpretation also caused a lesbian Christian to explore this incident and earn the trust of those same researchers by capturing their discovery on film. Join us as host Eddie Robinson speaks candidly with Sharon “Rocky” Roggio, the director behind the controversial film, “1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture.” Roggio provides I SEE U with an in-depth look at how this misinterpretation came about and what the evidence from the translation committee revealed. We'll also learn more about how she navigated through her own religious environment as well as her desire to change a narrative that speaks to all LGBTQ individuals being acknowledged as equals – and not be seen as “others,” or “less than.” Despite the documentary receiving backlash from religious writers who, according to the director, haven't seen the film, “1946” has already picked up praise and several prestigious awards during its festival circuit quest.

Should we think of morality in terms of objective truth or social consensus?Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesOnce the fashion of a postmodern age, moral relativism has always had its detractors, many of them religious. But now a new breed of atheist celebrity thinkers, from Sam Harris to Peter Singer, are making claims for the existence of absolute moral truths. Critics argue that like authoritarian moralists of the past, they use so-called 'objective' morality to shore up to their own prejudices and silence dissent. Firebrand philosopher Slavoj Žižek, bestselling author of Zed Joanna Kavenna, and philosopher and author of Truth Simon Blackburn debate objective morality in a postmodern age. Hosted by Professor and Chair of Jurisprudence at the University of Oxford, Ruth Chang.There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/podcast-offers?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=[iai-tv-episode-title] See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Give to help Chris do Truce full time! Tennessee was the first state in the United States to crack down hard on the teaching of evolution in public schools. Others had dabbled, but Tennessee went all the way. The ACLU wanted to challenge the validity of the case in the courts. In order to do that they needed an educator to teach it, get busted, and be brought to trial. At the same time, the town of Dayton, TN needed a boost. After the biggest employer closed down it faced serious economic trouble. What if the men of Dayon could manufacture a court case to draw the attention of the nation? They found a young teacher named John Scopes and convinced him to participate in their scheme. They booked Scopes, even though he probably never taught evolution. The ACLU had its case. Soon William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow hopped on board and it went from a publicity stunt to something for the history books. This is the event that some historians (wrongly) point to as the death of Christian fundamentalism in the United States until it was revived by the Moral Majority. One man fighting for the biblical idea of creation and another for godless atheism. But the real history is far more complex. Edward Larson, professor at Pepperdine University, joins us to discuss the trial and his Pulitzer Prize-winning book "Summer for the Gods". Helpful Sources: "Summer for the Gods" by Edward Larson Rhea County Heritage and Scopes Trial Museum Worth a visit! Court Transcript of the Scopes Trial (easy to find online) "A Godly Hero" by Michael Kazin Discussion Questions: What events led to the Scopes trial? Why did the ACLU feel they had to try the Tennessee Law? Who should decide what is taught in schools? Teachers? Parents? Lawmakers? Or some combination? What were William Jennings Bryan's motives for joining the prosecution? What were Clarence Darrow's motives for joining the defense? Should prayer be allowed before a trial about religion? Should Christians get involved in what is taught in schools? To what degree? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode we discuss the Hulu documentary God Forbid about the downfall of Jerry Falwell Jr. after a sex scandal, but this documentary is about so much more than that. Falwell Jr. is the son of the infamous Jerry Falwell Sr., the deceased televangelist pastor and founder of the "Moral Majority." Falwell Sr. spent most of his life trying to influence American politicians to support his anti abortion, anti LGBTQ and anti feminist beliefs. Fallwell Jr. worked to continue that legacy on behalf of his father and while he was personally dethroned by a sex scandal, ultimately he brought his father's mission full circle by unwittingly helping to elect Donald Trump.    Psych Legal Pop Podcast is a podcast where we talk about popular culture through the lens of a therapist and an attorney. We are sisters, Tess Brigham is the therapist and Brooke Brigham is the attorney. If you enjoy the podcast please leave us a 5 star review. You can contact us at psychlegalpoppodcast@gmail.com if you have recommendations for future episodes. Thanks so much! The Psych Legal Pop Podcast, the statements we make whether in our own media or elsewhere, and any content we post are for entertainment purposes only and do not provide legal or mental health advice. Any party consuming our information should consult a lawyer for legal advice and a licensed mental health professional for personal advice. The podcast, our opinions, and our posts, are our own and are not associated with our employers. 

In the early 1980s, Newt Gingrich starts recruiting Republican congressmen to his cause. They form the Conservative Opportunity Society and take advantage of a new cable channel, C-Span, which lets them circumvent the traditional media to spread their message to voters. And they confront Democrats with a fervor that old-school Republicans find distasteful. But when — in 1984 and 1985 — Newt and his followers inspire two angry showdowns in the House, their more staid colleagues start to see value in this new, confrontational style.

Recent United States Supreme Court decisions on the questions of abortion rights and prayer in public school have suggested to many observers that the Court is following a theocratic Christian paradigm in passing its verdicts. The Christian Right's involvement in politics has been a staple of twentieth-century American society and has been championed by Billy Graham in his magazine Christianity Today, Jerry Falwell with his Moral Majority, and Pat Robertson in his presidential campaigns. At its worst, the Christian Right helped to prop up a genocidal dictator in Guatemala and at its most effective it has made significant changes to American law. How have evangelicals shaped conservatism and what can that tell us about their impact on contemporary politics?

At long last, Matt and Sam dive into the origins of the Christian right—a complicated tale often flattened by contemporary debates. What was the history of Christian anti-abortion activism before Roe, and how soon after the landmark Supreme Court decision did conservative Christians coalesce around the abortion—and other issues—to become the political force we know today? What did it take to get Catholics and evangelicals to join forces, and what were the barriers to them coming together, especially given the history of anti-Catholicism in the United States? And how did all this help reshape the GOP into a vehicle for anti-abortion politics, given that such a scenario was not fated on the eve of Roe? Your hosts take up these questions and more, stopping in the early 1990s—when they'll pick up with the story in the third and final episode in the series.Sources and Citations:Randall Balmer, "The Religious Right and the Abortion Myth," Politico Magazine, May 10, 2022Neil J. Young and Gillian Frank, "What Everyone Gets Wrong about Evangelicals and Abortion," Washington Post, May 16, 2022Neil J. Young, We Gather Together: The Religious Right and the Problem of Interfaith Politics (Oxford University Press, 2015)Kristen Luker, Abortion & the Politics of Motherhood, (University of California Press, 1985)Mary Ziegler, After Roe: The Lost History of the Abortion Debate, (Harvard University Press, 2015)Ilyse Hogue and Ellie Langford, The Lie That Binds (Strong Arm Press, 2020)Rick Perlstein, Reaganland: America's Right Turn 1976-80 (Simon & Schuster, 2020)Daniel K. Williams, Defenders of the Unborn: The Pro-Life Movement Before Roe v. Wade (Oxford University Press, 2016)Joshua Wilson, The Street Politics of Abortion: Speech, Violence, and America's Culture Wars, (Stanford University Press, 2013)David L. Chappell, A Stone of Hope: Prophetic Religion and the Death of Jim Crow (UNC Press, 2005)"Killing Abortionists: A Symposium," First Things, December 1994