July 1, 2013 Podcast

Show open: the Ben and Dan show

Ben opens the show live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston with a sparse studio: just him and Dan tonight, 'the Ben and Dan show.' He previews the final proof from godisimaginary.com and a planned interview with Dan about a pastor's daily life.

Preachers of LA trailer and the preacher's-house webcam joke

Ben reads a christianpost.com story about the upcoming 'Preachers of LA' reality series featuring the lavish lifestyles of six mega-church pastors. Dan jokes that his own life is far too boring for a webcams-in-the-preacher's-house reality show.

Tonight's lineup, last week's guest, and the Eisenlauer Team sponsor

Ben runs through the night's plan: proof number 53, Dear LFTP advice, and 'pope-style advice.' He plugs last week's guest Chandra Knudson, her upcoming Clyde Fest appearance at Point of Grace, her Secular vs. Solomon appearance on the site, and reads the sponsor spot for the Eisenlauer Team (Bill and Bob Eisenlauer, eisenhowerteam.com in the transcript).

Proof #53 read aloud: think about marriage as described in the Bible

• Does the Bible condone polygamy and the other 'biblical' marriage practices proof #53 lists?
• Why don't Christians follow the Old Testament marriage laws (stoning adulterers, forced marriage, virginity laws) today?

Ben reads proof number 53 from godisimaginary.com in full: the claim that the Bible condones polygamy (David, Jacob), bride-prices, captive wives (Deuteronomy 21), forced marriage after rape (Deuteronomy 22), virginity death-penalty laws, and execution of adulterers — so Christians who ignore these laws prove God is imaginary.

Rebuttal: Scripture documents history; it doesn't condone it

Dan responds that the author confuses documentation with endorsement: Scripture historically records polygamy without condoning it, and the biblical mandate is one spouse for life. Ben adds that every documented case of polygamy ended in strife, and that David's story shows God's grace, not approval. Dan reframes the rape law as a responsibility law that restrained the culture, and both point to Jesus and the woman caught in adultery as the arrival of grace.

Husbands, cherry-picked Scripture, and the week's court ruling

Ben argues that most husbands fail the Ephesians standard of loving their wives as Christ loved the church. Both hosts lament pick-and-choose Christianity: 'if you and God agree on everything, that's not God.' They discuss the week's court rulings on marriage, holding that cultural decisions don't change what is true.

Dan: I'll never sign a state marriage document again

After processing the court ruling, Dan concludes he will never again sign a state marriage document: the state side is about taxes and contracts, so couples should handle legal matters first and come to him only for a covenant celebration among believers in good standing. Ben agrees the state's role and the church's role are separate.

Wrapping proof #53: holy distinction, and a word to the author

Ben notes the proof left out much of what the Bible says about marriage, and explains Old Testament distinctives (diet, textiles) as God setting Israel apart in holiness. Dan closes by speculating the author was hurt by unanswered prayer and urging him to give God another chance, read the Bible thoroughly, and find someone to disciple him.

Station break: KTIA, the games archive, YouTube favorites

Station ID for KTIA's Saturday 7 PM broadcast and the Monday live show. Ben plugs the website's game archive (Secular vs. Solomon, the end-times quiz), notes the 'outstanding literature' videos are among their most popular YouTube content, and jokes about the chat's taste.

Interview setup: a day in the life of Pastor Dan Hudson

• What would surprise people most about a pastor's daily job?

Ben introduces the interview: Dan Hudson is a pastor at Pathway Church in Johnston, and tonight they will explore misconceptions about what a pastor's daily life actually looks like, starting with what would surprise people most about the job.

What people get wrong: sermon prep is a 12-14 hour weekly research paper

Dan says nobody grasps what fills a pastor's week: the craft of a sermon takes 12-14 hours of prep, plus weddings, counseling, logistics, and a weekly hour-long prayer group. Ben notes the average pastor spends 12-14 hours a week just writing the sermon, like turning in a research paper every six days for public critique.

The hardest part: watching people self-destruct in sin

• What is the hardest part of being a pastor?

Dan says the hardest part is knowing the consequences of people's sin and watching them ignore counsel — from pornography destroying marriages to life-shattering choices. He describes being 'the ambulance dude,' often present in people's most intense pain, including being in the room when someone breathes their last breath.

Pray your pastor stays scripturally pure — or gets out

• What should people pray for their pastor?

Asked what people should pray for their pastors, Dan says: pray they stay scripturally pure, since a straying pastor leads the whole church astray. He describes the holy, reverent fear that hits him before preaching — 'this is the living word of the living God' — and says if a pastor loses that, he should get out of ministry.

Pope-style advice: the means matter

• What advice would you give if a crowd mistook you for the pope and demanded it?

Ben delivers his 'pope-style advice' — what he'd say if a crowd mistook him for the pope: 'the means matter.' Every step of a process, like the church building purchase and renovation underway, must be done with integrity and love for the people involved, pursued with humility rather than arrogance.

Dear LFTP: the lonely 16-year-old homeschooled girl

• I'm a lonely, depressed 16-year-old homeschooled girl who cuts herself — what should I do?

Ben reads a letter from a lonely, depressed 16-year-old homeschooled girl who has been cutting herself for over a year. The hosts advise her to talk with her parents, find community (church youth group, neighbors), and get professional help for the cutting. Ben, a homeschooling parent himself, warns against isolating kids while noting homeschooling's social advantages when done intentionally. A KTIA sign-off is included for radio listeners.

Interlude: Tim Timmons and the secular answer to letter one

Ben plugs musician Tim Timmons (Mike's interview with him was ruined by a beeping phone-call recording artifact), then reads the 'secular answer' to the first letter: homeschoolers should engage community activities, and the girl should tell her family doctor about the cutting.

Dear LFTP: new puppy while trying to get pregnant

• My husband brought home a puppy and we want to try for a baby — will it be too much?

Ben reads a letter from a woman whose husband brought home a five-month-old puppy while they plan to try for a baby; she fears the stress. Both hosts side with the husband — the puppy will be trained long before a baby arrives, and there is no perfect pregnancy. The secular answer agrees: enroll the dog in obedience classes and stop over-stressing.

Dear LFTP: the 70-year-old boyfriend who winks at young women

• My 70-year-old live-in boyfriend winks at young women — is there hope for us?

Ben reads a letter from a 59-year-old woman living with (not married to) a 70-year-old man who winks and smiles at young women at the grocery store. Dan's first advice: 'you need Jesus — get yourself married.' Both agree the winking is almost certainly harmless old-guy silliness, sharing their own retirement-home anecdote, while noting he could still be more respectful.

Closing bit: the 11-year-old YouTube troll and sign-off

Ben reads the troll comments ('You suck. Boring. Ugh. Not funny. Dislike.') a young viewer left in the first three minutes, pulls up her YouTube page on air, and realizes she's about 11 — deciding he'd rather be boring than her entertainment. He thanks the chat and signs off as 'the Dan and Mitch show,' promising the full crew next week.

Produced ad: Nestea playlist refresher

A produced third-party ad (different voice, speaker-2) for Nestea's playlist refresher summer promotion with Spotify Premium and a concert trip giveaway.