March 03, 2014 Podcast

Show open, introductions, and agenda

A host opens the show from the Pathway Studios in Johnston proper. On-air introductions name John Boova III (rendered 'John Buba the third'), Mike Fust (rendered 'Mike Foust'), Dan Hudson, and the opener himself as Ben Fust (rendered 'Ben Foust'). The agenda is set: a set-visit article listing reasons Christians should see the Noah movie, Randy White's article on leaving the church-growth movement, the expastors.com site, and Dan's trending topics.

What's Trending with Dan: McConaughey's Oscar speech

• What do you think of public figures thanking God for their accomplishments?

Dan Hudson presents three trending topics. First: Matthew McConaughey thanked God in his Oscar acceptance speech for Dallas Buyers Club, prompting Christians to celebrate him as a spokesman while nonbelievers mock. The hosts are offered three response options; most choose B — thanking 'God' is too vague, name Jesus specifically — and warn against being desperate for Hollywood validation.

What's Trending: the Ellen Oscar selfie

• What do you think of the Ellen DeGeneres Oscar selfie?

The second trending topic: Ellen DeGeneres' star-studded Oscar selfie broke the all-time Twitter retweet record and crashed Twitter. The hosts pick option A — innocent fun, candid, no airbrushing — and note it's nice to see an ego-driven industry get along.

What's Trending: swearing on Twitter and the Pope's slip

• Why do people swear more online than they do in real life?

The third topic: a study of 14 million tweets found one in 13 contains a swear word, with more swearing early in the week and by men. The hosts answer 'all of the above' — vulgarity is culturally defined, anonymity removes consequences, and Christians should watch their language. A coda: the Pope accidentally used an Italian profanity ('cazzo' for 'caso') and kept going.

Noah movie: debunking the set-visit article, reasons 1-4

• Are the set-visit article's reasons valid grounds for telling Christians to see the Noah movie?

A host reads and rebuts a set-visit article listing reasons Christians should see the Noah movie. Reason 1 (he was on set, talked to Russell Crowe, they were serious): not a reason to see it. Reason 2 (Paramount added a 'inspired by' disclaimer after the National Religious Broadcasters' appeal): good idea, not a reason. Reason 3 (epic film, fills biblical silences, Flannery O'Connor comparison): not a need. Reason 4 (encourage Hollywood Bible movies, don't stifle): the hosts call it absurd to fund inaccurate renditions.

Comedy bit: casting a Hollywood Jesus

A comedy tangent on casting Jesus in a movie: no on-screen Jesus has matched anyone's mental image, and the hosts riff on what directing the Messiah would even require, including jokes about casting Samuel L. Jackson in Bible stories.

Noah movie: reasons 5-10 and the verdict

Reasons continue: 5 (don't expect a secular studio to be 100% accurate), 6 (Paramount's hundreds of millions make it a national conversation — dismissed as non-altruistic), 7 (a witnessing opportunity — mocked), 8 (it's only a movie, citing George Barna's Passion of the Christ stat), 9 (don't withdraw like the apostle Paul wouldn't — the Joseph 'alien culture' analogy is called a twisted example), 10 (Christians in Hollywood, pray don't boycott). Verdict: no reason to recommend Christians see it, but no reason to boycott it either; see it or don't, don't treat it as scripture — treat it like the Gilgamesh epic.

Randy White: leaving the church-growth movement, point 1

A host reads Randy White's article 'Why I'm Leaving the Church Growth Movement,' starting with point 1 — 'I refuse to believe that a Christian community will save anyone.' The hosts push back on his attacks on countdown screens, small groups, and mission projects like repairing homes, arguing he paints every church with a broad brush.

Critiquing the critic: broad brushes and Moses

The hosts debate the article's tone: legalists draw ever-smaller circles until no one qualifies. When one host defends a prophetic takedown, the others counter with Moses and the golden calf — he declared sides and half the people died — and note the article mostly makes people laugh at or fight the author.

Randy White continued: small churches, music, manipulation, break

The article reading resumes: White praises a small Bible-believing church with bad, unpolished music and real prayers, and rejects manipulation — countdown videos, A-team-only praise teams, mood lighting. The hosts agree in premise but call him inconsistent (he'd still wear a suit to look authoritative; 'wear your best but don't sing your best'). Includes the mid-show radio break with sponsor reads for the Eisenlauer team and Westfield Veterinary Hospital, and directions to livefromthepath.org for 99.3 listeners.

Randy White's final points: good feelings and the CEO pastor

White's remaining points: he refuses to let his congregation be deceived by good feelings (missional churches preaching a social agenda), and rejects the church-as-program with the pastor as CEO — 'Don't call me lead pastor... Just call me pastor.' The hosts mostly dismiss the framing while conceding a few of his diagnostic questions, like whether members could stick with a months-long study of Numbers.

Verdict on Randy White and deferred topics

The hosts land: White is right in slices but throws out the whole pie, raging at a system that isn't worth the rage — 'one bad apple doesn't make the whole bunch bad,' quoting the host's 'theological mentor' Michael Jackson. A host apologizes to listeners burned by men like White. Deferred to next week: the expastors.com discussion and 'what to do with the Old Testament.'

Dear LFTP: the hunting-themed wedding cake

• How can an animal-rights activist bow out of a hunting-themed wedding without hurt feelings?

A listener ('Baker in the Midwest'), an animal-rights activist, was to bake her nephew's groom's cake until the couple chose a hunting theme with a camouflage wedding dress. The hosts' advice: be honest that it violates your convictions, don't overstate your importance, and make the cake anyway since it's just colors and shapes. The 'Secular' answer is read: send a warm letter and a gift, no hurt feelings expected.

Dear LFTP: loud elderly in-laws in restaurants

• What should a family do about elderly in-laws who loudly discuss personal matters in restaurants?

A listener's elderly in-laws, hard of hearing even with aids, must shout in restaurants and loudly discuss personal and medical matters. Advice ranges from 'stop going out with them' and eat at home to letting grandpa talk — he's earned it — versus not ruining other diners' meals. The 'Secular' answer: ask to be seated away from others and tell eavesdroppers 'they're actually whispering.'

Dear LFTP: is a dating background check wrong?

• Is it wrong to do a background check on someone you are dating?

A listener reconnected with a man from 13 years ago, ran an amateur background check, found no trace of his claimed surgeon mother or his records, confronted him, and was dumped. The hosts' verdict: checking isn't wrong, but she was bad at it, confronted him hostilely, and probably deserved the breakup. The 'Secular' answer: stop feeling guilty — if he wasn't who he claimed, she dodged a bullet.

Dear LFTP: the seven-year-old sore loser

• Can a seven-year-old's terrible losing behavior (screaming, hitting, biting) be changed?

A listener's seven-year-old is a terrible loser — screaming, hitting, biting. Advice: stop letting him play, then beat him at a game every night until losing feels normal; set boundaries and consequences in advance; and check whether the parents built his bulletproof self-confidence and owe him an apology and reteaching. Ends with the principle: make sure your kid knows 'my dad will always love me,' not 'I'm awesome.'

Close: next week and sign-off

The hosts preview next week — people leaving the pastorate and what to do with the Old Testament — and sign off with 'Have a good week.'