About this Episode
Craig is joined by Alan Mosley, the host of “It’s Too Late with Alan Mosley”, historian and libertarian writer, for a friendly discussion about what Alan, an atheist and anarchist, has in common with Christian anarchists. They work through the anarchist catchphrase, “No rulers, no masters, no gods”, exploring its meaning and conclude that Christian and secular anarchists can, and indeed should, be allies in liberty.
Alan could school some Christians in the teachings of Jesus, especially concerning holding an anti-war stance, the application of the non-aggression principle and disdain for institutional structures. The way Alan sees it, the church has been conquered by the state. Churches fly the American flag and teach the Christian voting block to hate their neighbors and enemies, in direct contrast to the teachings of Jesus. The Bible is full of revolutionary thoughts that, if applied, should transform societies just as they have in the past.
Craig and Alan discuss everything from dropping bombs to end WWII, support for troops and how to improve their psychological well-being, judging the morality of historical characters from past eras, and things that make the church unappealing to unbelievers. Yet, they continuously come back to the need to speak the truth about all of these things courageously.
Alan Mosley:
YouTube: It’s Too Late with Alan Mosley
Facebook: It’s Too Late with Alan Mosley
Twitter: It’s Too Late with Alan Mosley
Apple Podcast: It’s Too Late with Alan Mosley
Article: Ike and Leahy Were Right: The Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Were Wrong
Episode Timestamps:
1:38 – Who is Alan Mosley?
Podcast host
Jazz musician
Historian
Writer
3:22 – What common grounds do atheists and Christian anarchists have?
Anti-war
Not interested in playing politics with war
WWII and the atomic bomb
Christian anarchists and libertarians are good on this topic
The early church were pacifists and anti-war
Christians should not defend war
Christians should opt out until the government receivess no support for war
We need to raise children on principles of non-aggression so they don’t join the military
These need to be spoken of rather than ignored
Police officers are trained in an us-versus-them mentality
Churches teach this way too
That was not in the teachings of Christ
Supporting the troops is talking about the pressures that face them when they come home
High suicide rates
Participating in drone bombing pre-schools
Improving their psychological well-being
Stopping children from entering the recruiting offices
Just following orders is not a good excuse
It enables the bad ideas of angry rich men in DC to happen
25:27 - The state has conquered churches
That’s what the American flag on the stage means
The flag is a rival of Christ
The state manipulates people through the state
Turning you against your neighbor and enemy
Making people afraid of the other team
Creating a voting block
Christians should be suspicious of the state; it killed Jesus
30:14 – Comparing morality through the ages
It’s easy to look back and assume moral superiority over the founding fathers over their non-politically correct actions
If you look at the state of the world now compared to earlier times, scripture was full of revolutionary ideas
Live by the sword, die by the sword
Might makes right was the ethos of humanities history
The Bible is full of transformational thoughts
Christian history is full of people giving their lives to defend their faith
But these days, people won’t talk about their beliefs in case they are ostracized
34:55 – What makes the church unattractive to unbelievers?
Not representing Jesus correctly
Endorsing war and the state
Not helping the poor and widows
Unequivocal support for Israel’s war atrocities makes the church unappealing
Warmongers in Israel don’t care about you even though your taxes pay their way
42:15 – The roots of liberty
Anarchy is the root of liberty
Christ made everyone with liberty
Can anarchists serve Christ?
More atheists are statists
Alan says no enforced rulers, no enforced masters, no enforced gods
True Christians are not for theocratic fascists
Adding enforced to the catchphrase makes more sense
Bible-thumping church-goers are insufferable
Christian anarchists and secular anarchists should be allies in liberty
Jesus was the OG anarchist
Be charitable in attempting to understand your opponent’s worldview
It helps build a community
We should not be forced into relationships that we do not want to be a part of either
Pick your battles
Find the like-minded remnant