With both the election and polls getting closer, new research from Lifeway says a record number of pastors are refusing to say who they’re voting for—even on an anonymous survey. Mike Erre says he wouldn’t answer the survey either. His reason may surprise you. Phil explores how Pat Buchanan’s 1992 presidential campaign was a harbinger of today’s politics. And diversity experts featured in Matt Walsh’s new documentary claim he lied to get them to participate in the film. Walsh says it’s okay to lie for the greater good of winning the culture war. Is he right? Then, Kaitlyn interviews America’s Government Teacher and social media sensation, Sharon McMahon, about her new book “The Small and the Mighty.” McMahon says history can give us hope and resilience to live faithfully in our divided times. Also this week—Be careful, that’s not an Oreo on the ground.
0:00 - BioLogos - Go to https://biologos.org/podcast/language-of-god/ and check out the Language of God podcast!
1:05 - Intro
2:24 - Preview of The Esau McCaulley Podcast
5:36 - Show Starts
6:58 - Theme Song
7:19 - Sponsor - The National Association of Evangelicals - Listen to the Difficult to explore how Christians can become peacemakers. Go to https://www.nae.org/introduction-difficult-conversations-podcast-series/ to check it out!
8:26 - Skye’s New Hat
13:24 - News of the Oreo Butt
18:27 - LifeWay’s Research on Pastors’ Voting Polls
27:42 - Mike’s Church Navigating the Political Divide
30:58 - The GOP’s Slow Turn from Evangelicalism
42:41 - Has Anti-Immigration Sentiment Become Mainstream in Christianity?
51:00 - Matt Walsh’s “Am I a Racist?”
57:38 - Sponsor- Brooklyn Bedding - Brooklyn Bedding is offering up to 25% off sitewide for our listeners! Go to https://www.brooklynbedding.com/holypost to get yours now!
58:40 - Sponsor - World Relief - Visit https://worldrelief.org/holypost/ to learn more about refugee resettlement!
59:48 - Interview
1:01:34 - How Did McMahon Get Into Teaching History on the Internet?
1:06:55 - How Do You Engage Online Without Falling Into Outrage?
1:10:30 - What Is Your Most Important Work?
1:16:09 - What Is Your Capacity?
1:27:17 - Septima Clark
1:33:27 - Loving Your Enemies
1:39:16 - End Credits
Links Mentioned in the News Segment:
Oreo Spider Butts
The GOP’s Slow Turn from American Evangelicalism
Half of Pastors Plan to Vote for Trump, Nearly a Quarter Wouldn’t Say
How Far is Too Far?
Other resources:
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"Pat Buchanan won posthumously" -- actually Buchanan is still alive.
But it is a good point that the modern Republican Party has mutated into something much closer to Pat Buchanan than to Ronald Reagan. I think Pat Buchanan and the John Birch Society are two very underrated influences on the modern embrace of MAGA, including its embrace by evangelical Christians.
And Skye said something very important. It is right to recognize that the U.S. immigration situation (legal and illegal) is messed up. But if the reason at the core of immigration concerns is that you don't want more non-white people in the country, that is profoundly un-Christian and needs to be forcefully rebuked.
"If you have to set aside the…
This piece covers politics and media with a wide range of opinions. The debate features Sharon McMahon, a teacher known for her resilience and hope in divisive times. If you need a break from the stressful news, try relaxing with io games. These games are simple and fun and are a great stress reliever.
Matt Walsh seems to be one connection away from a Kremlin-financed propaganda and agitation network(1) that is the subject of a recent Justice Department indictment. For example, Matt Walsh has collaborated with Tim Pool. Tim Pool allegedly received $100K per podcast episode with money that can be traced back to Russia (2). One can easily find references to Pool praising Walsh. Example: (3).
Tenet Media received $10M from the Kremlin, (4). (5) provides an example of Matt Walsh using a Tenet Media quote in his writing. Also, Matt Walsh has teamed with Benny Johnson (another alleged $100K beneficiary from Russia (6)) including joining with him on a Tenet Media video(7). YouTube removed Tenet Media after the indictment (8).
I think a better question than "When is it OK to lie?" is "Does this lie damage a person's credibility?" If someone lies to prevent a child kidnapping (for example, "Where are you taking my daughter?" when it's a child they don't know) that lie won't damage their reputation. They have nothing personal to gain and have prevented a terrible crime. On the other hand, when a person misleads or lies and potentially reaps millions of dollars in the process, then we know they will lie for their own benefit. In my opinion, that behavior calls into question everything they say and do. Are they lying about their motives? Are they really doing it to "win a culture war" or…