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In this solo show, Hemant interviewed Dr. Randall Balmer, the author of Bad Faith: Race and the Rise of the Religious Right.

Dr. Balmer holds the John Phillips Chair in Religion at Dartmouth College, Dartmouth’s oldest endowed professorship. He previously taught as professor of American religious history at Columbia University for twenty-seven years. In his scholarship, Dr. Balmer focuses on Christianity’s interrelationships with American politics.

We spoke about the real origins of the Religious Right, whether white evangelicals accept their own history, and if Democrats should use churches to their political advantage.

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Jessica and I spoke about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.

— A mom got ordained online, then signed off on 150+ “religious exemption” forms for students. (1:57)

— Pope John Paul I‘s beatification makes no sense to reasonable people. (10:13)

—  Christian liar David Barton says slaveowners just didn’t read their Bible much. (22:40)

— Despite the French Catholic Church’s sexual abuse problem, its leader doesn’t want priests to break the “seal of confession” even if it helps victims. (26:15)

— Joel Osteen‘s church is finally paying back some of the PPP money it got last year. (33:30)

— The one mom at One Million Moms is very angry with Credit Karma for acknowledging the existence of gay people. (44:21)

— Turns out being “vaccinated in Christ” doesn’t protect you against COVID. (51:30)

— A Florida police chief gave a speech encouraging other cops to convert their colleagues. (55:05)

— A Spanish archbishop is very sorry he allowed a risqué music video to tape suggestive dancing in a famous cathedral. (58:52)

— “Teen Challenge,” a Christian rehab center for kids, is far more troubling than we knew. (1:01:23)

Patreon supporters who give $5 a month will get an ad-free version of the show!

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Please join our new Discord server!

Jessica and I spoke about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.

— An Oregon official wants you to trust God, not doctors, with your vaccine decision. (1:55)

— Pat Robertson has retired and there’s at least one reason to be sad about it. And here’s Jessica’s excellent cross-stitch with one of Robertson’s infamous quotations. (9:58)

— Facebook did not go down because of Mercury Gatorade or whatever astrologers believe. (20:48)

—  A new Christian makeup store doesn’t make any sense. (29:25)

— Christian creepster Logan Dorn still hasn’t apologized… but he rapped about cancel culture. (35:11)

— France’s Catholic Church is a hotbed of abuse, according to a massive new report. (38:09)

— Christmas has been canceled already. Or so Republicans say. (46:59)

— A survey finds that about 40% of Black atheists hide their religious views from their families, more than any other group. (51:00)

— Brazil’s top court has upheld a ban on missionaries trying to invade Indigenous tribes. (55:13)

— Several former members of Young Life ministries say they were victims of sexual abuse. (1:00:38)

Patreon supporters who give $5 a month will get an ad-free version of the show!

Join our private Facebook group here!

Please join our new Discord server!

Jessica and I spoke about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.

— This sexist sermon from 2014 didn’t age well, and the pastor is trying to make sure no one can see it. (3:15)

— No role-playing in the bedroom, says preacher John Piper. (16:40)

— Two pastors traded advice on how to spank their kids. (23:09)

— Should New York Gov. Kathy Hochul have delivered a very Christian pro-vaccine message? (32:32)

— Steven Pinker wrote the worst sentence ever. (39:07)

— A Christian school board candidate defended cheating by citing the Bible. (43:07)

— The Supreme Court will soon hear a case involving a Christian flag flying in Boston. (52:07)

— North Carolina’s Lt. Governor Mark Robinson is trashing atheists, church/state separation, and trans people. (1:03:39)

— A Texas lawmaker wants to make the Bible the official state book. (1:08:45)