David French joins to discuss J.D. Vance's comments about "childless sociopaths," pro-natalist government policy, the Olympics's Last Supper-esque display, and Robert Downey Jr. returning to the MCU. Are anti-immigration policies actually even "preserving our culture?" And why are fundamentalists so eager to consider themselves persecuted?
0:00 - Theme Song
0:17 - Episode Starts
2:36 - J. D. Vance's "Sociopathic Childless Cat Ladies"
6:31 - Having Children and Selfishness
12:48 - Making Personal Experiences Universal
25:00 - Government's Attempts at Pro-Natalism
29:55 - The Devaluation of Immigration
37:52 - Sponsor - World Relief - Visit https://worldrelief.org/holypost/ and join The Path to help vulnerable people around the world!
38:56 - The Boredom of the Paris Olympics' Last Supper
42:54 - Does Our Peaceful Posture Affect the Discourse?
53:36 - Advice Skye Got About Criticism
1:09:27 - End Credits
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The sky is not falling because the population is declining. The people who freaking out about this remind me of those who panicked about Y2K. They said it would be a catastrophe. It wasn’t. People sought solutions and solved issues that arose. I believe population alarmists merely want an increasing population to keep wages low. Sure there will be challenges if the population declines, but there will also be opportunities, there always are in times of change. The people most worried about this issue seem to be the affluent. There worry seems to be entirely economic. People are making ratioal decisions based upon their experience to not have kids. A shrinking economy is not the end of the world…
Realize that the painting of the Last Supper is in a cultural context of when it was painted.
To revision a table that includes those that many exclude from the table is not necessarily an critique on Christianity, but on the sects that see the table as only belonging to those like themselves.
Two extra layers to the Olympic outrage discussion:
Perhaps the use of The Last Supper was not to degrade or even reference Christianity, but Leonardo Da Vinci and art in general (as was seen through-out the opening) As people who live in a post-Christian/secular society, maybe they misjudged the potential for outrage? and
The Church’s connection to power & governmental authority (and mis-use of that connection) throughout the history of Europe would seem to be one of the reasons that area is so secular today. And when they appear to be mocking Christ, what they may be doing is expressing their disdain and anger over the role the Church has played through-out that history.
Regarding your convo about the declining birthrate, I'd recommend Christine Emba's most recent article in The Atlantic, "The Real Reason People Aren’t Having Kids". She contends that it has more to do with the need for meaning, that young people question the value of life and a reason for being and that leaves them unaware of their own purpose, as well as that of a child.
https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2024/08/fertility-crisis/679319/