September 10 2012

Show open and creeper banter

The show opens from the Pathway Studios in Johnston Proper. The hosts riff on viewers being 'creepers' who can see them while they can't see back, then debate what a manly shower curtain looks like -- settling on moose silhouettes and trees for the log-cabin feel.

Guest intro, Gomez tire shops, and the show outline

The hosts announce that Chris Roloff is in studio as the night's guest and will play music. Comedy bits cover a guy named Gomez opening numbered tire shops in Des Moines, a fake 'bill for philanthropy' scheme, a fraudulent ad ('Brought to you by Lady Speed Stick'), and the night's topics: proof #17 on leprechauns, Dear LFTP advice letters, Troy's run-in with David, and a study on churchgoers not reading the Bible.

Proof #17 read aloud: think about leprechauns

• Is God imaginary like leprechauns -- is there no evidence for God's existence?

A host reads the full text of proof #17 from godisimaginary.com, which argues God is imaginary the same way leprechauns are imaginary: no physical evidence, no answered prayer by statistics, no divine response to atrocities like the Holocaust and AIDS, and a Bible that is 'provably incorrect.'

Roundtable rebuttal: intelligent design and leprechauns

Troy is invited to respond and argues from intelligent design, citing astronomy and molecular biology. The guest Chris Roloff flips the proof, arguing leprechauns 'exist' by its own standard -- cereal, books, legends, TV appearances. The hosts counter that the author invents what God would do (a red t-shirt, taking over TV stations) and that historical gods were real spiritual beings, just not the true God. Ben is addressed directly in the exchange.

Atheists, the CNN Belief blog, and the party conventions

A host recounts getting stuck in the CNN Belief blog comments after atheists felt snubbed by the convention process and the Democratic platform briefly dropping God. The hosts argue Christians should not fight over God's name in a party platform -- 'Jesus is not on the ticket' -- and cite an article on increased illegal sex trade at the conventions as evidence the fight misses the point. They land on 'shake the dust' and 'pearls before swine' rather than endless argument.

How we know God is real: tradition and personal testimony

Wrapping up proof #17, the hosts argue all knowledge is passed on -- illustrated by an old joke about Hittites and by a story of teaching his daughter about Ronald McDonald from a Minute Maid juice box. A host adds that beyond tradition and biblical evidence, he has a personal, responsive relationship with God and a peace unbelievers do not have, citing the Lee Strobel case as a model of the evidence argument.

Preview: proof #18 -- Imagine Heaven

The hosts preview next week's proof #18, 'Imagine Heaven,' a hypothetical dialogue between Norm and a guy named Chris about eternal life, noting it name-checks the book Left Behind.

Mid-show station IDs and the two YouTube channels

The hosts give station IDs -- livefromthepath.org and the two YouTube channels (full archives and clips) -- joking that the two channels are 'much like the Holy Trinity.'

Troy's question: David, Bathsheba, and 'a man after God's own heart'

• How can David be called a man after God's own heart after adultery and murder?

Troy recounts reading 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel for the first time and being appalled by the Bathsheba-and-Uriah story: David sees Bathsheba bathing from the palace roof, lies with her, gets her pregnant, and has her husband Uriah killed. A host corrects that the first child dies and Solomon comes later. The question: how can David be called a man after God's own heart? The answer given: David was not perfect, but he truly repented -- Nathan's rebuke brought an immediate 'I have sinned against the Lord' (2 Samuel 12:13), and Psalm 51 shows his grief.

David's hair, Absalom's hair, and why translations keep some words

• Why do English Bible translations sometimes leave words like raca untranslated?

A comedy detour into whether David had curly, 'luscious' hair and the son whose thick hair caught in an oak tree leads to a real question: why do English translations sometimes break back to the original words, like 'raca' or Christ's words on the cross? The answer offered: transliteration happens when translators cannot agree on a rendering -- examples given include baptism, angel, and Sanhedrin.

Meet the guest: Chris Roloff, shampoo, and hair in a can

The hosts formally introduce Chris Roloff as their 'musical slash intellectual guest.' Banter about his 'luscious locks' spirals into shampoo-versus-conditioner habits, regrow shampoo that tingles, and the revelation that spray-on hair products are really mascara in a spray bottle.

Chris Roloff performs two hymns and a Bathsheba improv

Chris Roloff plays two old hymn texts to new tunes -- 'Christ for the World We Sing' and 'God Is My Strong Salvation' -- after accidentally starting the wrong song (a bit of Tracy Chapman's 'Fast Car'). When the second tune falls apart, the hosts improvise a comic Bathsheba song: 'I built a tower to look at the ladies on the roof... I've repented.'

Dear LFTP: the 45-year-old English teacher

• A 45-year-old teacher has lost motivation and her husband is on disability -- what can she do next?

A listener letter is read: a 45-year-old English teacher of 19 years, with her husband newly on disability, finds it harder to be a good disciplinarian, fears shortchanging students, and has lost motivation. A host asks Dan for his take. The advice: do not give up on herself; refresh, take classes, talk to younger teachers. A long tangent follows about 'new math' and whether calculators will make hand math obsolete, with Troy pushing back over the 10-year timeline.

Dear LFTP: who checks the laundry pockets?

• Who is responsible for items left in laundry pockets -- the person loading the hamper or the person doing the wash?

A stay-at-home wife and mother of two asks who is responsible for items left in pockets -- the person loading the hamper or the person doing the wash. The hosts' ruling: if it is garbage, clean out your own pants; if it is cash left in the pocket, it belongs to the person doing the wash. A host shares a story about backing his daughter over his wife on pocket-checking and getting in double trouble.

Show close

A host closes the show as 'Daniel's dad,' giving the Monday 10-11 p.m. time slot, livefromthepath.org, and the two YouTube channels, and announcing that Double J will be in studio next week.