ChristianPodcast

I want you to get this. Love your gay friends. It's okay to have them have friends. Okay? Don't change your perspective because of feelings.

The underwear thing was that once somebody has seen you in your underwear, they no longer respect you as an authority figure.

I love sports. I mean, I really love sports. I love playing sports, watching sports, and talking about sports. I spend most mornings listening to three hours of sports radio and most evenings at least checking out whatever sporting events might be on any of my TV service’s 19 dedicated sports channels. I love the sights, sounds and smells of taking my family to the ballpark, whether it be sitting along the third baseline at an Angel game or sitting in a lawn chair at my son’s flag football game. My “addiction” was most revealed early in the pandemic, when I found myself watching replays of the 1977 MLB All-Star Game, collegiate Spike Ball and the only live sporting event that was available: professional cornhole. In fact, as I sit here writing this right now, I’m listening to professional ultimate frisbee! As a football fan in San Diego, I really miss the days when the Chargers called America’s Finest City their home. As a Kansas City Chiefs fan, I REALLY miss the days when I could make the short drive down the 15 freeway to see my Chiefs trounce the home team. To this day, New Year’s Day 2017 still holds as one of my son’s favorite days when we got to see our Chiefs wallop the Chargers 37-27 in what would be the final Chargers game at the Q. And, in hindsight, it was the end of more than a sports era. It was the end of a societal era. You see, on that day, and for years and years prior to then, we could stand in a sea of powder blue clad fans decked out in our Chiefs gear, rooting for our team at the top of our lungs, exchanging high fives with the guy three rows back who also happened to be wearing all red and taking the ribbing from the Charger fans as the game ebbed and flowed. The lines for hot dogs and beer were dotted with fans on both side of the NFL aisle, as was the pre-game tailgating and at the end of the game, whichever team came out on top, we all filed to our cars side-by-side, exchanging friendly “good games” and “We’ll get you next time!” My dad and I shared a similar experience as I wore my Angels gear to the Seattle Kingdome back in the 80’s, and my dad encountered the same rivalry-filled friendliness when he’d wear his Pirates gear to sit next to me along the third baseline in Anaheim. In almost all sporting events, rooting for the away team is actually kinda fun! Except when the Raiders are involved. I once had tickets to see my Chiefs play in Los Angeles against the silver and black, when - luckily - a good friend of mine - a die-hard Bronco fan - warned me against going. He said he could not imagine how much money was wasted on beer that was poured over his Elway jersey instead of consumed by the Raider fans in the seats behind him. Then again, maybe it was better that they had poured it on my friend instead of drinking EVEN MORE. Anyway, all this sports nostalgia got me thinking about the 1972 Presidential Election. Leading up to the McGovern / Nixon decision, Richard Nixon promised to work toward “peace with honor” in regard to the Vietnam conflict. The more radical George McGovern wasn’t making any such promises, but rather said that he would withdraw all American troops immediately whether or not US POWs were released. As the wife of a recent Vietnam Veteran, my mom voted for the Republican. Her dad, a dyed-in-the-wool, staunch Democrat, did not take kindly to his daughter’s “rebellion” at all. And, like those Raider fans I mentioned, Papa didn’t hide his animosity toward the opposition. Papa didn’t even speak to his own daughter for six months after that election. Simply because she voted for the other guy. Never mind that she had a new, and may I say adorable, baby - his only grandson… Papa cut us out of his life for half a year. Now, he did eventually come to his senses, and it cost him. He showed up with a mink and cashmere coat in hand more compelling than his gift for my mom was his sincere apology. And, of course, she hugged him, and all was made well. But, my point is that we, as a society, more closely resemble my unapologetic Papa and Raider fans when it comes to today’s hot topics than they do Charger fans or my mom. Gone, it seems, are the days when civil discourse was held with Evelyn Beatrice Hall’s quote as its backbone: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”. In other words, “You do you, I’ll do me, we can discuss, and even vehemently disagree. But at the end of the day, founded in our common decency and humanity, we will be at peace with one another.” But, what if our perspectives are so diametrically opposed on life or death issues? What if we are at odds with the very nature of our societal systems such as education, parenting, the economy and governmental authority? Well, in my mind, that’s when I think of a quarter. On one side, I see a Bald eagle - our nation’s symbol - with its wings spread and our motto E Pluribus Unum: Out of many, one… all under the banner of the official name of where we live: The UNITED States of America. These elements may be symbolic, but they reinforce what we, as a nation, and as individuals, have represented for over 200 years: We may disagree, but all of our various opinions are unified as one people. Then, on the other side, I see an embossed portrait of George Washington - our Founding Father who gave his all in order to secure a future for our generations without tyranny and warned us of such division when he wrote: “It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption…” You see, as I think of where we are at today, where I see family members refusing to even speak to their own parents, brothers and sisters… where I see neighbors and fellow church members spewing venomous rhetoric in the direction of those who dare disagree with them, I see President Washington’s warnings, I see our call for unity as a country, and yet I’m also reminded of another founding father, Patrick Henry who exclaimed the famously inspirational words: “Give me liberty... or give me death!” We ought to be free to non-violently disagree. We ought to be understanding enough to hear the other side without resorting to creating chasms between us. We are called, by God, Himself to: “As much as you can, live in peace with all people”. And, if it offends you for me to quote the Bible in regard to all the tumult we see in our schools, neighborhoods and churches, all I can do is refer to one of the great orators of our time, the great David Puddy, when he found himself confronted by his girlfriend, Elaine Benes: Elaine: Is it a problem that I’m not very religious? Puddy: Not for me. Elaine: Why not? Puddy: I’m not the one going to hell. Look, my point is this: are we going to fall prey to Washington’s warnings and allow our disagreements to cause an irreparable rift between anyone and everyone who disagrees with us, or will we acknowledge that, if nothing else, we are all human beings, Americans even, with rights, freedoms, intrinsic value, and worth fighting for… not against. And just as important, this is the behavioral pattern I want to set as an example for my kids. It’s what I’d like to see exemplified in other adults, as well, so that our kids… ALL our kids… will grow up with an understanding that people who disagree with us are not to be feared, hated, or even avoided, but to live at peace with, as much as humanly possible. And, when we reach the breaking point beyond “humanly possible”, my hope and prayer is that in that very moment, someone extra-human will step in. History has proven that He will. And, all I’m saying at that moment is that you don’t want to be the one going to hell.

The only way to really understand the challenge and the issue fully of same-sex marriage is by answering the question, what is marriage?

We need to be able to have the honesty to take a hard look at the people, places and things surrounding that person.

We’re faced with a plethora of situations today where us adults and our kids are bombarded with one “matter” after another. The trick is categorizing and prioritizing which matters matter more than the other matters, assuming they matter at all. There are moments when I REALLY long for the days when the great classical works of literature were taught throughout our schools. At some point in the past several decades, our kids are going off to – and even graduating – college without ever cracking open Chaucer or Milton, much less Orwell or Bradbury. Now, I understand that there’s a stigma throughout our American educational system today that is repulsed by the very consideration of diving into the works of a bunch of dead white guys; but that categorization hasn’t stopped the gospels of Upton Sinclair, Charles Darwin, Harvey Milk or Christopher Hitchens to be preached in public schools across the land (but, we’ll save ideology disguised as education for another episode). One of the neglected dead white writers that I was recently reminded of is none other than the under appreciated Billy Shakespeare, from his play Hamlet – or as you may know better as The Lion King. There’s a scene where Zazu… err… Polonius walks in on Simba… I mean, Hamlet reading, then we hear this Shakespearian play on words: “Lord Polonius: What do you read, my lord? Hamlet: Words, words, words. Lord Polonius: What is the matter, my lord? Hamlet: Between who? Lord Polonius: I mean, the matter that you read, my lord.” You see, Polonius is wondering about the topic that Hamlet is reading, while Hamlet thinks the “tedious old fool”, Polonius, is referring to what’s going on between two people in their lives. Who knew that “What’s the matter?” can be such a confusing question? And all THIS reminds me of a series of riddles I used to quiz my kids with when they were little. They went something like this: If blue and yellow make green, and red and blue make orange, what is 3+2? The trick to this complicated yet easy question is to disregard the irrelevant information and arrive at the actual answer, which is 5. The “matter” of the colors – even the validity of the color statements – are irrelevant to the “matter” at hand, which is “what is 3+2?” As my sons grew older, I’d ask, “If a square has four sides and a triangle has five, what is the capital of New York? If they got hung up on the argument of how many sides a triangle has, they fell into my trap and got the answer wrong. For this particular question, all they had to do was focus on the “matter” at hand: Albany. Now, what does any of this have to do with anything? Well, we are faced with a plethora of situations in today’s world where us adults and our kids are bombarded with one “matter” after another. The trick is categorizing and prioritizing which matters matter more than the other matters, assuming they matter at all. In other words: we need to stop arguing over crap that doesn’t matter. And, to paraphrase a young Pastor Mark Driscoll, if you’re hung up on the fact that I just said “crap” and not as worried about what actually matters, then your priorities are jacked up. Here’s what I mean: far too many parents today are constantly stressed out – and stressing their kids out – about our children covering their faces, or NOT wearing masks, weekly virus tests or nasal swabs every time they get the sniffles, or jabs in the arm, or mandates… and NOT concerned about the actual consequential problems that need to be solved: the 3+2’s and Albanys that should be on our front burner! In particular: actual health risks versus mere case numbers, authoritative overreach into our God-given unalienable rights, indoctrination disguised as education, and 21st century sex ed cloaked as protection of our kids’ development and privacy. When my oldest entered kindergarten, my wife and I made the conscious decision to have a presence at his school. We’d regularly volunteer in his classes, I reluctantly yet dutifully attended the monthly PTA meetings, and kept our finger on the pulse of the school and its culture, with two understandings: 1) Besides our family and circle of friends, the school was going to have the most significant influence on the types of men my sons would grow into; and 2) if and when we saw something that we disagreed with, our on-campus presence should give us some credibility in the opinions of the teachers and administration. As the kids have gotten older, this same tactic has transformed into driving the boys and their teammates to their sporting events, having our sons’ friends over for pizza as often as they’d be willing, and establishing real relationships with the school administrators. This has resulted in opportunities for us to raise our hand and not be a squeaky wheel, but a credible voice in the ears of those who impact and influence our kids most: their friends, their teachers, and administrators. Has this plan been full-proof? Of course not. But it has opened doors that we otherwise would not have even been aware of. And, today, as we have one kid in elementary, two in middle school, and our oldest in college, we are tasked with keeping a careful eye out for more open doors than ever before. All this to say, maintaining an intentional presence in the most significant influences on our kids’ lives have been very important “matters” in our house. And, as I mentioned earlier, these days, the people that surround our kids are just one item on a growing list of “matters that matter”. It seems like every time we turn around we have to re-assess, which issues in life are correct, but not front burner (like blue and yellow), which issues are full of crap, but irrelevant (like red and blue) and which issues need to be front burner and solved (like 3+2). We discuss with our kids ad nauseam the importance of the words in our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution and the Bible. We talk about global health data and how our hospitals are affected (as opposed to propaganda and ever-changing objectives we hear all around us). We discuss current events and how even news items in far off places can impact how we live our lives here in our neighborhood. We constantly invite their friends to be part of our lives and encourage our boys to get to know their friends’ parents. I’m not saying that it takes a village to raise our kids, because villages are chock full of village idiots. But it does take other adults with the same core beliefs and priorities as ours to grow and develop our boys into amazing young men! And, that’s the goal, right? After all, our kids aren’t really OURS, are they? They are merely leant to us to teach, learn from, develop and grow into incredible young adults that will one day not just be our kids, but as my dad calls me, “FRIEND”. And THAT’S what really matters! Check out more Parent Like You Mean It videos on our YouTube Channel! And, watch more entertaining and engaging videos from our incredible influencers videos at ChristianPodcastCentral.com!

How Good Is Good Enough? Since we’re all sinners, by definition. The first step to ceasing the stinking is to recognize your stench. https://christianpodcastcentral.com/cartys-contemporary-classics-you-stink-cpc-classic/

I'm break down a list that we came up with. I'm going to just give you my thoughts on them one by one. Marriage Free Will Smoking and more.

Why are Christians so judgmental? You're judging me now. Why are Christians so judgmental, is that a bad thing? How Should Christians Judge?

What is the scariest verse in the Bible? I don't have the answer to that today, but I do know of a couple of verses.

Kevin Max of DC Talk saying he's no longer a Christian. He's just an ex-vangelical. He's no longer an evangelical.

Whose side is God really on? Can we reconcile this difference? Can we bridge this gap, or is this divide unbridgeable?

Submission, is it really as dirty a word as we think it is? In looking further at the divide, the major divide in Christianity these days.

We live in the “Information Age”, thus we are bombarded by competing ideas at an ever-increasing rate. One key to remember is that information is never neutral. Every website you look at, every show you watch, every song you hear, every sign you read offers you information about life, the world around you and varying perspectives about these things. These messages all come loaded with ideas and all ideas have consequences – some good, some bad.

How many sexes are there and the other is how many genders are there. It's essentially the dealing with the same issue in our society.