December 22, 2014 Podcast

Show open from the Pathway Studios

The produced opening voiceover plays ("from the Pathway Studios in Johnston proper"), then the live show start from the studio. The main host says being on the show is one of his favorite parts of the week and tees up the night's topics.

Tonight's topics preview

The host previews the episode: an atheist contest to write 10 new commandments (a $10,000 prize), the Pope Francis "dogs in heaven" news story, Dear LFTP listener advice, and the recurring "what is Jesus saying" segment, where Dave Herrick previews Matthew 5:11 ("blessed are you... people are gonna hate you").

Do dogs go to heaven?

• Will we see our pets (like Fido) in heaven?

The hosts debate the Pope Francis news story (a report that he told a grieving boy "paradise is open to all of God's creatures," later walked back). Boova argues heaven is not for dogs and the Bible gives animals no everlasting life; the others counter with the integrity of creation, the creatures praising God in Revelation, and the new earth. The bit ends with jokes about Fido peeing on a white robe.

The atheist 10 non-commandments, part 1

• Can Christians agree with any of the atheists' 10 non-commandments?

The hosts work through the winning entries of the atheist "10 non commandments" contest (2,800 submissions, 13 judges): #1 be open-minded and alter beliefs with new evidence (they agree, citing James 3); #2 believe what is most likely true, not what you wish (agree); #3 the scientific method is the most reliable way of understanding the natural world (partially agree, noting its limits on singular phenomena); #4 every person's right to control their body (rejected as unworkable); #5 God is not necessary to be good or live a full, meaningful life (problematic without a shared definition of "good"); #6 be mindful of consequences and take responsibility (weak as a commandment since awareness doesn't change behavior).

The atheist 10 non-commandments, part 2

The hosts finish the list: #7 treat others as you would want to be treated (Herrick calls it "Jesus theft" — plagiarizing Jesus' golden rule), with a story about a man who tells everyone he collects silver coins for Christmas; #8 responsibility to consider others including future generations (agreed); #9 there is no one right way to live (mostly agreed, with Boova noting the one right way is faith in Christ); #10 leave the world better than you found it (agreed, but "better" is subjective — illustrated with Jeremiah the weeping prophet). A tangent mocks people who accept the feeding of the 5,000 as true but quibble that the crowd simply shared food. The wrap-up: the list's core problem is subjectivity — it tries to produce a type of person without defining what is good.

"What is Jesus saying" — Matthew 5:11

• Is persecution a base-level expectation for all followers of Jesus?
• What does persecution look like in modern life?

Dave Herrick leads the recurring segment, reading Matthew 5:11 ("Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account") from the Beatitudes and posing three questions: is persecution a base-level expectation for all followers, what does it look like in modern life, and should Christians seek it out?

Persecution: expectation vs. result

Mike argues persecution is a base-level result, not something to go looking for — a natural outcome of promoting God's kingdom in a world that isn't His. Ben adds that being reviled in the US differs from Sudan or Iraq, and that American Christians often can't see where Christ's kingdom actually clashes with their culture; Herrick adds that the culture defines good by humanism rather than by God. Modern persecution looks like being thought a fool, losing jobs or promotions, or quiet discrimination (e.g., scrubbing religious references from a resume).

Persecution: seek it out or accept where you are?

Boova argues believers should expect persecution in some form and cites Luke 6, Matthew 10 (standing before governors), and 2 Timothy ("all who wish to live a godly life will be persecuted"); a joke about "Xmas" vs. "Christmas" as persecution is shot down. Ben recounts children beheaded for refusing to renounce Christ ("we love Yeshua"), the martyrdom of Polycarp's rebuke of those who seek martyrdom, and argues for obedience over bravery: do what God tells you where He tells you, and accept the consequences. He closes by recommending Voice of the Martyrs as a reminder that persecuted Christians are family.

Dear LFTP: the Santa Claus letter

• Am I awful for skipping Santa and teaching my kids about Saint Nick instead?

Mike reads a letter from a non-religious listener who won't do Santa with future kids, preferring the real Saint Nicholas, the birth of Jesus, and the winter solstice; after years in retail they are saddened by holiday greed and kids asking Santa for money for their unemployed parents. The hosts agree this isn't Scrooge-like: treat Santa as a fun story without giving him Christ-like powers. Mike then reads "Secular's" advice: teach Jesus' birth and the pagan festivals Christmas replaced, and tell children the truth about Santa when they ask so they learn their mother answers honestly.

Dear LFTP: Boova's crushed alarm clock

• Did Boova really need to pay for the alarm clock he broke?

Boova asks the panel for advice: he crushed an alarm clock in a store, tried to pay for it, the cashier waved it off under pressure from the line behind him, and he compensated by paying double for batteries. The hosts debate whether a cashier has the authority to forgive the debt or whether only a manager does, whether Boova was refusing a gift or being a "prideful beast," and where integrity stops (calling corporate? flying to headquarters?). Ben's Subway soda-spill hypothetical and Mike's "manager code" test sharpen the disagreement; the verdict is that Boova was right to try to pay but wrong to double-charge the batteries.

Dear LFTP: the guitar-playing husband

• How should a wife handle a husband whose guitar hobby takes over the house?

Mike reads a letter from a wife whose husband took up guitar ten years ago and now demands she sit, listen, and never interrupt; he plays well but "can't sing a note" and performs like he's playing for a crowd. The hosts side with her: the support he expects is unreasonable, though "tolerance" is a fair ask. "Secular's" advice — praise his guitar mastery, tactfully suggest a vocal coach, and push him to find other musicians — is mocked as passive. Mike adds that he and Ben used to play in a band and riffs on the misery of casual jam invitations.

Dear LFTP: the eighth-grade boy

• How should an eighth-grade boy approach a girl he likes?

Mike reads a letter from an eighth-grade boy who likes a girl, is afraid to tell her he loves her (she likes someone else), and wants to drop poems at her locker. The panel is unanimous: ditch the poetry — eighth-grade girls don't like bad poetry. Boova tells his own story: the only person who liked his poetry was the lunch lady, who brought him a notebook; he had no friends until he ditched the poetry. "Secular's" advice: wait until the girl is over her crush, and don't anonymously drop poems at her locker.

Sign-off and sponsors

The show closes with sponsor mentions: realtor Bob Eisenlauer ("God bless Bob Eisenlauer," eisenhowerteam.com) and Westfield Veterinary Hospital, plus a pointer to lifeinthepath.org for the week's content including last week's performances with Matt Bear and the interview with Mary Wastie.