February 17, 2014 Podcast

Show open and soundboard gag

The episode opens with a failed attempt to unmute the studio soundboard channels with a thumb slide. A host greets the audience, asks how their mothers are doing, and gives the show email address.

Tonight's lineup and studio guests introduced

• Is the 'ten men Christian women should never marry' list Christian-specific advice or universal?

A host previews the night: a discussion of the snake-handler death in the news, a story about an altercation at Red Robin, Dear LFTP letters, a 'ten men Christian women should never marry' list, and six questions teenagers have about being Christian. Rick Gray and Trey Engle are introduced as in-studio guests; Trey is on the 'orange mic'.

Snake-handler death news: Jamie Coots

• Why do snake-handling churches handle snakes, and is refusing medical treatment after a bite the faithful response?

A host reads a news report about Jamie Coots, a Kentucky snake-handling preacher who appeared on the National Geographic show Snake Salvation, who died of a snake bite after refusing medical treatment. The hosts note his church is raising money because he had no life insurance.

Biblical roots of snake handling and refusing medical treatment

A host is asked for the roots of snake handling and explains the practice is tied to Mark 16:17-18, paraphrasing the passage about signs accompanying believers. The hosts discuss why handlers refuse medical treatment ('rely on God'), the counter-argument that God created medicine and doctors, and tell the flood joke about a man refusing rescue boats and a helicopter because 'God will save me'.

'What are our snakes?' — self-imposed tests of faith

• What are 'our snakes' — the actions by which we measure the strength of faith in ourselves and others?

A host, addressed on-air as 'Ben', poses the reflective question: what are 'our snakes' — the actions by which people measure the strength of faith in themselves and others, such as how someone disciplines their kids or how fast they can quote scripture. The hosts discuss 'God is not a sideshow' — refusing to put God to a test — and Mike's goats are jokingly volunteered for a goat-matador faith test.

'Ten men Christian women should never marry' list

• Is the 'ten men Christian women should never marry' list Christian-specific advice or universal?

The hosts work through a list of ten types of men — the liar, the playboy, the deadbeat, the bum, the narcissist, the abuser, the man-child, the control freak — and conclude the advice is universal rather than Christian-specific: an abuser or liar is bad news for any woman. One item (number two) is deliberately skipped as debatable.

The Red Robin altercation story

A host (addressed on-air as 'Buba', and teased earlier under the name form 'Ingledader') tells the story of an altercation at Red Robin: a hostess jokingly offered to saw pieces off the table so he could fit into a booth. He chose not to retaliate, posted about it on Facebook instead, and reflected on grace, perspective, and what it means to be a follower of Christ when wronged.

'Millisecond justice': outrage culture and grace for service workers

The hosts discuss society's appetite for instant outrage — 'millisecond justice' — the pile-on against the NBC reporter who interviewed Bode Miller about his late brother at the Olympics, and how social media gives everyone an unchecked platform. They also discuss how little grace church people show restaurant workers, noting Sunday church crowds are notoriously bad tippers, and a parallel anecdote about a cook who skipped handwashing.

Sponsor break: Eisenlauer team and Westfield Vet

A host reads sponsor spots: the Eisenlauer team (Bob Eisenlauer, realtor, eisenhowerteam.com), urging listeners to text him after midnight so he remembers the show, and Westfield Veterinary Hospital in Johnston, noting February is doggy dental month.

Hard question: can demons repent?

• Can demons — or Satan himself — repent?

A question that came up at church: can demons — or Satan himself — repent? The hosts reason that demons are fallen angels who chose against God in full knowledge, citing Hebrews 2:16 ('it is not angels that God helps'), 2 Peter 2:4, and Jude 6. The conclusion is no: the offer of redemption through Christ is for humans, and evil is the misuse of God's good creation, not a rival power at war with God.

Dear LFTP: son, girlfriend, and stepfather

• How can a father support his son through a stepfather/girlfriend betrayal without damaging the relationship with his ex-wife?

A host reads a Dear LFTP letter from Missouri: the writer's grown son ended his relationship after discovering his girlfriend was texting pictures of herself to his stepfather; the son is now distant from his stepfather and worried about his relationship with his mother, the writer's ex-wife, who seems in denial. The hosts advise setting boundaries, having the awkward conversation, and not writing the stepfather off without finding out more. The 'secular answer' is read and partially endorsed.

Dear LFTP: helicopter mom at the party door

• Should parents meet the other parents before letting their kids attend parties, even if it embarrasses the kids?

A host reads a Dear LFTP letter from a mother who walks her 13-year-old son to the door at friends' houses and introduces herself to the parents to make sure a responsible adult is home. The hosts agree with the principle — 'embarrass your kids' — but caution that a doorway introduction is not a robust check, and that the letter sits on a high horse about underage drinking. The 'secular answer' praises involved parenting.

Dear LFTP: 'booty call' underwear after 33 years

• What should a man married 33 years do about his wife's 'booty call' underwear?

A host reads a Dear LFTP letter: a man married 33 years found a pair of his wife's underwear with 'booty call' printed across the back and asks 'what gives?' The hosts' advice is unanimous: just ask her — if he cannot ask his wife that question after 33 years, that is the real problem. The 'secular answer' agrees the surest way to get to the bottom of it is to ask his wife.

Biblical camel quiz

The hosts take a ten-question online quiz about camels in the Bible (unclean animals, Samuel and Saul, the eye of the needle, Abraham's servant's camels, Jacob and Esau, Joseph sold to the Ishmaelites, the queen of Sheba, Job's camels, the wise men). They score 70%, beating the 62% all-time average from 3,296 quiz takers since 2004.

Sign-off

A host thanks listeners, points them to livefromthepath.org for clips, past episodes, the podcast, and sponsors, and signs off until next week.