84. The Peaceful Path with Jordan Swaim

About this Episode

The Bad Roman is joined by Jordan Swaim of The Peaceful Way podcast, which explores the ideas, concepts, and mechanisms that produce peace and reduce violence. Jordan is well-versed in research on civil disobedience and explains some of the mechanisms that make it work. He talks about some sources he used to articulate a position on civil disobedience and how many people a movement needs to be effective. Jordan points out that an ‘intransigent minority’, a few people who refuse to go along with oppressive systems, can successfully use civil disobedience. He points out that even if you can justify a violent revolution and successfully overturn a government, the desired outcome will not be peaceful. Because it is in the nature of violence to multiply, it is dangerous to start.

Jordan is in Canada and switched jobs when he saw vaccine mandates coming for his workplace because “it is always inappropriate for your employer to tell you which pharmaceuticals you must consume.” He watched the trucker protests closely, and he shares some little-known insights with Craig as they discuss how the principles of nonviolent resistance were at work and how the mandates all quietly fizzled out within weeks of the protests proving their effectiveness.

Jordan Swaim:

The Peaceful Way Podcast

Twitter

YouTube

Craig on The Peaceful Way

PokeLab Radio

Episode Timestamps:

8:23 – Political activism

• The topic of how to view the state theologically will always be relevant

• The state takes up more and more conversation time

• The temptation to put forward an agenda is always present

• It’s fruitless to do things through the state; look at the history

• Let’s give Jesus a try

• The prince and power of the air, rulers of this age

• Colossians 1:16

• The kingdom of God should be a parallel society

• It is incompatible with the state

• Voting is legitimizing the state

• Using the state to bring social change feeds the beast

• 1 Samuel 8

• If rejecting God is not a sin, then what is?

18:45 – Who is Jordan Swain?

• Lives in Calgary, Canada

• Was in social services until the vaccine mandates came

• Became a carpet and furniture cleaning technician

• It’s inappropriate for your employer to tell you what pharmaceutical products to consume

• Side jobs and a production company

• Married with two kids

25:27 – Canada 

• The government doesn’t require vaccine mandates any longer

• But businesses are allowed to require vaccines in their employees

• More open than the US

• There are zero restrictions for entering Canada

• The trucker protest had a significant impact

• The new trucker restrictions were completely absurd

• Every time the Trudeau government brought in restrictions their popularity gained

• Trudeau ran a nasty campaign maligning the unvaccinated with absurd claims

• At this point, it would be more respectable to admit to getting things wrong than going silent over covid

• Vaccines were a failure

• Ed Dowd: Epidemic of Sudden Deaths

• The data says there are more young people dying on sports fields

• The trucker convoy was wildly long

• The largest civil disobedience protest in Canada’s history

• Within 6 weeks the majority of restrictions were ended or announced to be ending soon

• Media coverage tries to deny it had any impact on the restrictions

• The Intransient Minority

• You don’t need a majority of people to agree with something you just need 5% of people who refuse to go along with what they are told

• Nassim Nicholas Taleb: The Black Swan

• Organizers of the trucking convoy have been jailed

45:01 – Peaceful responses versus violent responses

• More often than not a peaceful response is more effective

• Erica Chenoweth: Why Civil Disobedience Works

• The data proves peaceful protests are more successful

• Revolution often brings worse rulers than the existing ones

• Russian Revolution

• You can make a case for justified violence but don’t assume you will achieve the desired outcomes

• Violence spreads and intensifies

• Society is propped up by the implicit threat of violent

• This legitimizes violence

• Violence is difficult to control, so dangerous to start

• When JFK was trying to eliminate the Mafia they were just trying to get rid of the competition

• Gandhi’s first act of civil disobedience was refusing to leave the seat he had paid for on a train

• From there he developed his theory

• You can’t get too hung up on the cult of personality surrounding heroes

• Until white people saw peaceful protesters being hosed by government thugs they couldn’t understand or support what Martin Luther King’s people were going through

• The trucking convoy was the demarcation line of when things started to get better

• We had the data but the second round of lockdowns came

• The hysteria around the virus was intense

• Like something out of a movie

• We have the ability to empower one another

• We outnumber the police and politicians

• We only need a small minority, the intransient minority

1:12:13 – The church’s response to covid

• Jesus was the supreme disobedient human being

• Pastor Tim Stevens was arrested for not complying with mandates

• You should decide early at what point you will refuse to comply with the government

• There is a good possibility that the government will push you to sin at some point

• We are capable of doing things that we know are completely wrong

• Craig doesn’t trust the church since covid

• Why do you need to be involved in a church?

• Spiritual community and participation without hierarchy, even if it is not in a church building is enough 

• It's tough to find people to connect with in a church hierarchy

• Church signs that say “If you have proof of vaccination, you’re welcome” are infuriating

• You cannot turn people away based on the pharmaceutical they consume

• It looks too much like the way the state acted

• The amount of people attending churches post-covid is still lagging even though the restrictions are gone

---

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83. The Cult of Statism with Larken Rose

About this Episode

Prominent anarchist activist and author Larken Rose joins Craig for a lively discussion on deprogramming people from the cult of statism. People are mostly inherently good at heart but have been indoctrinated from a young age to believe that government is a legitimate authority. Larken Rose makes a clear case for the immorality of government. Larken and Craig discuss how to engage statists using methods designed to combat their cognitive biases and awaken their inner anarchist.

Government preys on people's fears to keep them voting for corrupt politicians' forcible domination of their neighbors. To keep the rules, the ruling class (politicians) have enforcers (police) empowered to engage in acts of violence that most voters would bulk at committing against another human beings. Thus, when Christians vote, they are unwittingly breaking Jesus' golden rule and doing to others the exact opposite of what they want to have done to themselves. 

Christians should be the most suspicious of the state as it is a competing religious entity with all the rituals, fancy buildings and pomp. But unfortunately, some Christians strongly believe in the state and its illegitimate rulers even more than they believe in Jesus. These Christians need to be gently shown the contradictions in their beliefs and that when they advocate for a human ruler, they advocate for the subjugation of themselves and their neighbors. True followers of Jesus should see that Christianity and the cult of statism oppose each other, but Christianity and anarchy are not mutually exclusive.

Larken Rose:

The Most Dangerous Superstition 

YouTube

Candles in the Dark

Facebook

Episode Timestamps:

4:17 – About Larken Rose:

• Taught to doubt and debate ideas from a young age

• Began trying to decide what a legitimate or moral government looks like

• Accidentally fell off the political spectrum

• Realized that 'legitimate government' is an oxymoron

• Government has no special power to rob or legislate

• Assumes people have consciences and can distinguish right from wrong

• That's why he's an anarchist

•  Doesn't care what people say they believe about religion

• How they treat other people matters

• Do they abide by the non-aggression principle?

• If the government disappeared suddenly, Larken would prefer to be around Christian Statists than some atheist anarchists

• They are nicer people without the political monstrosity

• The quality of people matters most

16:09 – What currently ails the world?

• People have been taught to believe that when evil is committed by government authorities, it is no longer evil

• Individuals are tricked into cheering for evil

• Even Hitler, Stalin and Mao

• They fall for the false god

• Because their fears are played on

• Christians gloss over Matthew 20:25-28

• David Bently Hart New Testament Translation

24:33 – How to awaken someone else's inner anarchist

• People know the corruption of government but try not to know at the same time

• Larken Rose asks others to be personal, literal and specific while asking questions about why they need the government

• If they respond, "protect the innocent"

• Larken asks, "If I found a more efficient way to protect the innocent and refuse to pay for police. What should happen to me?"

• They get uncomfortable as Larken asks them to be specific about what should happen.

• They don't want to blurt out the violence of government

• No arguing is required

• Because if they advocate for a government they are advocating violence against peaceful citizens

• Wanting to "help the poor" is no longer fluffy-sounding goodness

• Should only the state have all the guns?

• Candles in the Dark

• No one wants to admit the violence they condone

• They don't dare look at the conflicts in their beliefs

• We need to lead them to the cognitive dissonance

41:36 – Don't do unto others what you don't want them to do unto you 

• Literally every voter does exactly what they don't want the other side to do to them

• Democracy is the best trick tyrants ever came up with

• It makes people mad at each other

• It makes people consent and vote for evil

• Politicians are all feasting together and laughing at your fears

• Did you just enable evil?

• The other bad guy option is irrelevant

• You cheer for your own subjugation

• You victimize everybody when you vote

• Jesus advocated serving others not lording it over them

• The Soviet Union, China and North Korea are all Constitutional Republics and have their own Bill of Rights

• It's wrong to ask someone else to commit evil for you

• Everyone who votes is a hypocrite without knowing it

• They vote for others to do things they know would be wrong if they did it themselves

• They are not going to go door-to-door to rob people to give to the poor

54:39 – Statism is a religion

• It has rituals, ceremonies, grandiose halls, pomp and tradition

• Voting is just choosing your new god

• The pieces of paper are religious texts

• Statism: The Most Dangerous Religion

• Government authority is not a real thing

• Pledging allegiance in churches doesn't happen in other nations

• Vaccines in churches

• It's frustrating to try to talk people out of their programming

• Need to use cult deprogramming tactics

• Belief in government is a cult

• They don't realize they hold a faith

• If people were living in a free society and someone came along and suggested we give them the power to forcibly rob and dominate we would say, 'no'

• But every election comes down to, 'give me power over you and everyone you know'

• People become violent if you dare bash the pledge of allegiance or trample on the flag

• Belief in government is a faith; not practical or logical

• People are trained to pledge loyalty to the authoritarian rulers of the US

• People are horrified if you admit to being unpatriotic

• Some Christians will become more upset when they hear, "I don't believe in government"
  then when they hear, "I don't believe in God"

• Government is what they really believe in

• Sometimes you need to offend people to shake them out of their indoctrination

1:08:28 – Government: The largest gang

• Without government, there would still be bad actors, but they would not be able to marshal the firepower that governments have

• People feel morally obliged to give them their extortion fees 

• All of the governmental power comes from the people they duped

• Taxpayers and enforcers

• Congressmen will not come to try to take your money personally

• They use it to make nuclear warheads and tanks

• Corporations cannot make us buy their products; if they tried, people would wipe them out

• No gang can enslave the population of the US

• Larken Rose is optimistic

• If people start ignoring the government and human rulers, the government is done

• The evil people are way outnumbered by good

• Rulers are just people

1:18:07 - Religion and anarchism are not mutually exclusive

• People can use gods to justify violence against others or as a standard to live by

• Government can never be legitimate, but belief in god is not automatically bad

• Not automatically authoritarian

• Religion has been used in the past to create authoritarian rulers too

• If society's standard is not initiating violence against others, that will allow peaceful co-existence

• It allows friendly discussions on all sorts of topics

• Christians have a reason to identify as anarchists: Jesus Christ

• Christian, who do you pay tribute to? Whom do you ask to save you from your enemies? If its people in Washington, you need to consider who your god is

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82. What do jiu-jitsu and anarchism have in common? with Tyler Rose

About this Episode

What happens when the Bad Roman meets a Christian Anarchist while training for jiu-jitsu? He invites him on the show, of course. Tyler Rose and Craig discuss Christianity, anarchy philosophy, self-reliance, and their experiences in the jiu-jitsu gym. They discuss why the term “good cop” is an oxymoron and contrast the need for a sovereign state with enforcers with self-reliance and the benefits of learning jiu-jitsu.

There seem to be a lot of libertarian or anarchism-inclined people amongst those who are regularly at the gym training in jiu-jitsu; many hold to ideas of decentralization, individualism, and self-reliance. Tyler suggests that jiu-jitsu has everything for the intellectual and anyone who is athletically built. Craig and Tyler talk about the various types of people they’ve met and their experiences grappling in the gym. As a Christian and a pacifist, one of the neat things about jiu-jitsu is its ability to teach anyone how to control any violent situation while deciding exactly how much damage their opponent will sustain as they take control of any violent incident to protect themselves or their family. If you practice a martial-art or have ever thought about taking up jiu-jitsu, this episode is a must-listen!

Tyler Rose:

Fountain Memphis – Pentecostal church in Bartlett

Brotherhood jiu-jitsu in Mountainview Arkansas

Memphis Judo and Jiu-jitsu

Episode Timestamps:

1:48 – Who is Tyler Rose?

• Pentecostal 

• Got into politics at age 15 with an interest in American political history

• Saw the revolutionary war as ‘God inspired’

• Became libertarian, then anarchist

• Self-reliance is important

• Grew up in North Memphis

7:56 – We don’t need a sovereign government or their cops

• The church should help the vulnerable, widows, and orphans

• It was done with consensual aid in the early church

• All laws end in death

• If it’s not worth someone dying over, don’t call the cops

• Good cops cannot exist

• The job of governing others is inherently evil

• Law enforcement is nothing but a gang

• Cops can disrespect a man, and he can’t do anything back

• If any man without a badge and gun spoke like a cop, they would be punched

• Cops have lost respect for other men

• “Just following orders” is a terrible excuse

• Tyler’s “friend” who was a cop, was bragging about injuring a man on the street

21:40 – Don’t rely on the police; learn jiu-jitsu instead

• Men should be able to defend themselves and their families on their own

• That’s why jiu-jitsu was attractive to Craig

• The jiu-jitsu community is very encouraging

• The anarchist and jiu-jitsu communities seem to overlap quite a bit

• People who are athletic and smart tend to enjoy jiu-jitsu

• Jiu-jitsu is great for increasing physical strength

• But it's still better to use defense and control the fight than overpower anyone

• Jiu-jitsu is good for teaching children discipline and self-defense

• Jiu-jitsu is the most popular art that avoids punching people but will still give the sportsman the advantage in a fight

• There’s no need to harm your drunk uncle 

• You can put someone out calmly with jiu-jitsu

• The argument can be over without ever injuring a person

• At 56 years old, Henzo could defend himself against a random attack on the subway

• It gives confidence in one’s capabilities to be well-prepared in any situation

• Jiu-jitsu can aid women in self-defense as well

• When Tyler began, he got his but kicked by a teenage girl who weighed much less than him

52:40 – Anarchy philosophy

• No King But Christ means, “I already have a king. I don’t need a politician.”

• There are two responses to the term anarchy

• People would just run the streets shooting people because there are no laws

• No, people don’t shoot other people because they are good people

• It’s still wrong to violate life, liberty, and property

• Anarchists aren’t out there throwing Molotov cocktails

• It’s in our best interest to get along

• Craig thinks jiu-jitsu and anarchy are similar in that everyone encourages and helps their fellow man to do better and succeed 

• Tyler agrees

• Tyler has noticed that most regular jiu-jitsu practitioners hold to ideas of decentralization and self-reliance

• They are intelligent enough to know they need to defend themselves

• They are mostly libertarian and close to anarchism

• Maybe even anarchists without realizing it or saying it

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81. Unmasking the Truth Behind COVID-19 with Jeffrey Hann

About this Episode

In this eye-opening episode of The Bad Roman, we dive deep into the complex world of the COVID-19 pandemic with our guest, Jeffrey Hann, author of the book titled Covid-19 – Short Path to you’ll Own Nothing and You’ll be Happy. Our conversation covers a wide range of subjects that challenge the mainstream narrative, offering valuable insights and thought-provoking discussion points.

We begin by exploring Jeffrey's background, which includes experiences in the military, political analysis, libertarianism, and the rave scene. He shares his unique method of critical thinking, which involves grammar, logic, and rhetoric, and how it has helped him to examine various topics, including climate change and anarchism.

As we discuss the absurd behaviors during the pandemic, such as mask exceptions and social pressure, we question the validity of mask usage and whether they may be doing more harm than good. We also delve into the role of police (aka policy enforcers) in enforcing bad policies and ponder whether we truly live in a free country.

The conversation turns to the controversial mRNA vaccines and the reasons to be suspicious of their rapid development and rollout. We discuss the potential link between vaccines and various health issues, as well as the lack of accountability by those in power.

In exploring the fine line between conspiracy and questioning, we discuss the digital dollar push, potential new viruses, and the possible use of the vaccine as a biological weapon. We then examine who has profited from the pandemic and question whether the government cares more about profits than the long-term health of its citizens.

As we cover the erosion of self-sufficiency and market unpredictability, we touch on the voluntary reporting system of adverse vaccine experiences (VAERS) and the concept of "safe and effective." Finally, Jeffrey shares his understanding of Christ as an anarchist who fought against tyranny and offers insight into his book "COVID-19 to You'll Own Nothing and You'll Be Happy."

Don't miss this fascinating and thought-provoking episode that challenges the status quo and encourages critical thinking on the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath.

Jeffrey Hann:

BOOK

WEBSITE: Journalistic Revolution

Episode Timestamps:

1:06 Why Jeffrey is on the show

• Paul Perol

2:00 Jeffrey’s Background

• PLUR (peace, love, unity) in the rave scene

• Military, political analyst, author

• Libertarianism, Ron Paul

5:02 Trivia Method of Critical Thinking

• Grammar, logic, rhetoric

• Climate Change and anarchism

7:24 Writing to Refine Rhetoric

• Jefferies articles

•  19,000-word report on covid in 2022

• Chapter layout and intention

11:36 Critical thinking

• Kerry Baldwin

• Absurd behaviors during covid

• Mask exceptions and social pressure

16:51 Is there a valid case for masks the way most people use them?

• Self-responsibility

• The challenge of using a mask properly

• Mask ratings, sealing, fit, and wear time, proper PPE use

• Could the mask be making you sicker?

• Keeping your hands clean

24:36 Is our food safe/helping keep us healthy?

• Public indoctrination

• Mcdonald’s was open and gyms were closed in Covid

• Defending the cops for enforcing bad policy

• Do we live in a free country?

• People forget very fast

• Gold Fish Mentality

30:18 The Thin Blue Line

• Modern-day redcoats

• Policy enforcers are the boots on the ground violating our rights

• 13th Amendment

• Free of slavery unless convicted of a crime

•  Supreme Court – no obligation to protect and serve

• Public Schools foster blind obedience to authority

35:17 Reasons to be suspicions of the mRNA Vaccine Push

• Gene Therapy

• Hard to find information

37:07 Policy Enforcers, Guns, and State Power

• Do you want the government to have guns?

• 2and Amendment is intended to be a check on the government not citizens

• Government is not static

• Global Tyranny is what we are headed toward

• Was covid a test to see how the global population would react?

• If anyone should not trust the government it’s Christians

• Jesus was killed by the state

44:24 The Vaccine Chaos and Future Health Cautions

• Religious exemptions

• Spike proteins and mRNA vaccine

• Buffalo Bills NFL player Hamlin collapse

• Could it be vaccine related?

• Australia Database

• RSV

53:59 Lack of accountability by those in power

• Arresting Trump for money vs mass murder

• Trump brought us the vaccines

• Liability free with the FDA and government funds

• Ohio Derailment

59:52 The fine line between conspiracy and questioning

• “Man in the middle attacks”

• Information scrubbing

• Is the vaccine a biological weapon

• The digital dollar push

• Has the next virus already been developed?

• Vitamin deficiencies 

• D & C & Zinc

1:11:08 Who profited from the pandemic?

• Pfizer and Moderna stock

• Its connection to members of Congress (most owned stock)

• Fauci patented HIV sequence

• Making money off taxpayer money

1:16:10 Does the government care about your long-term health or profits?

• Vaccine Commercial Marketing

• Vanguard and Black Rock own most of everything we buy

• Seed Oils

• Our food system has been poisoned

• Fresh eggs & meat vs. store-bought

• Increase in the price of eggs

1:23:33 Erosion of self-sufficiency and market unpredictability

• Lack of a unified American Culture

• Are we being infiltrated from within or destroying ourselves?

1:29:11 VAERS

• Voluntary reporting system of adverse vaccine experiences

• What is “safe and effective” — how much time is needed to know

1:35:03 Jeffrey’s Understanding of Christ 

• Jesus was an anarchist

• Against tyranny

• Balenciaga Runway Show

• Stantanism

• Sam Smith's Unholy Performance

• God is a pure source of consciousness

1:43:40 How to find Jeffrey’s book and where to learn more about him

• Book: Covid-19 Short Path to you’ll Own Nothing and You’ll be Happy

• More writing and website: Journalistic Revolution

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80. Pacifism History: Notable Examples of Peacemaking with Nicholas Harrelson

About this Episode

Combat-wounded veteran-turned-pacifist Nicholas Harrelson returns to the show to discuss his paper comparing the expressed pacifism of Martin Luther King Jr and Leo Tolstoy. Nicholas is a Transitional Deacon in the Anglican Church, currently pursuing a PhD in Political Theology and Christian Ethics. While studying, he learned that there is a historical connection between Tolstoy and MLK. Nicholas wanted to compare the non-violent stance of Tolstoy and Martin Luther King Jr. Through Gandhi, MLK learned about Tolstoy’s pacifism. However, MLK’s pacifist stance and thoughts became more like Tolstoy’s and less like Gandhi’s with time, arguably because of his understanding of the sermon on the mount and its practical applications. Perhaps this is why both men sought to break vicious cycles of violence.

Nicholas elaborates on the practical application of Tolstoy and MLK’s understandings of the sermon on the mount, revealing how they are still applicable to Christians today. As Tolstoy said, the sermon on the mount is always relevant in every situation. Although we may not be able to see into the future, when we act in ways congruent with Jesus and the sermon on the mount, God can use it to change the world profoundly. We can see this in the saying, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” As Christians, we should always seek to be self-reflective and see where we can make changes to better aspire to live out Jesus’ teachings and the sermon on the mount. 

Nicholas Harrelson:

Email: Nicholas.harrelson@duke.edu

Facebook

Episode Timestamps:

5:35 – Who is Nicholas Harrelson?

• Works at Duke University’s Office of Student Veterans

• Combat-wounded veteran from Iraq

• Worked for the government

• Transitional deacon in the Anglican church

• Father of two

7:50 – Why do discussions about universalism upset folks?

• Craig enjoyed the fact that Nichola’s church invited Dr Bently Hart for discussions about universalism

• But when he expressed it on Facebook, he was blasted by strangers

• It would be nicer if we could have respectful talks rather than getting angry

• Nicholas’ article – The Salvation Theology of C.S. Lewis

• CS Lewis might be termed a “hopeful universalist”

• Dr Hart can rile some people up with his approach to discussing universalism

• People who view universalism as a heresy may view its expression as leading people’s souls astray

• But things were taken out of context during the conversations at Nicholas’ church and got heated

• Origen wasn’t called a heretic because he was a universalist

• He believed that God would even restore Satan, which earned him the title of ‘heretic’

• Gary Chartier -  published author of Christian Anarchy books

• Christian anarchists seem to tend towards universalism too

20:21 – Martin Luther King Jr and Tolstoy

• There is a historical connection between Tolstoy and MLK

• Through Gandhi

• MLK’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail

• There are just/natural laws as well as unjust laws

• If a law is in tune with God’s law, even Christian anarchists are going to follow it

• By the end of his life, MLK was closer to Tolstoy’s version of non-violent civil resistance than where he began with Gandhi

• The sermon on the mount is relevant in every situation at every time, and in every place

• The US Government killed MLK

• King was adamant about not putting his hands back on the state, even though the state would put its hands on him and his followers

• The weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral; it multiplies hate

• Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that

• Both King and Tolstoy had a beautiful understanding of how Christ worked

• King sought a community where the oppressor and oppressed could be reconciled

• In refusing to return violence, he broke the cycle of violence

• Tolstoy also showed this desire to see the cycle of violence break in his letter to Czar Alexander III

• The Czar didn’t take Tolstoy’s advice but if he had, it could have changed Russia’s history

33:45 – Pacifism 

• You never know how God could use your pacifism

• The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church

• When you act in a way that is congruent with Christ’s actions it has a profound effect

• Saw this in Libya

• We are fallen and need to reflect on our own lives constantly

• We should aspire to live as Christ would

• Craig learns jiu-jitsu to ensure he can respond to protect others without a weapon

• Christ came to offer us eternal life

• We should focus on the way that He told us to live

• We should think about the eternal

• We can return good for evil

43:34 – Tolstoy 

• Craig loves Tolstoy’s black-and-white descriptions

• Jesus wasn’t grey either

• You must love your neighbor and enemy

• Tolstoy provided simplicity in his understanding of the sermon on the mount

• He was upset when people maligned his path rather than himself when he failed to live up to his own explanation of the sermon on the mount

• Why judge what you are reading because of personal flaws or the person who wrote it?

• What is beneficial stands on its own

• When people bring up the sins of the figure you are talking about its usually a deflection

• It’s a strawman argument

• If you are arguing with something that Jesus said, you are arguing with Jesus not people

• Jesus said to buy a sword “so that the prophecy might unfold.”

• Not as permission to buy a weapon

• People tend to come to conclusions and then search the Bible for proof texts

• When they do this, they take the scripture out of context

1:00:19 – On being a combat-wounded veteran

• Nicholas was tip-toeing around whether or not he wanted to come out as a Christian anarchist

• But was blessed to preach on Romans 13

• There was grace because he is a combat-wounded veteran, so people assume he has the right to talk about why pacifism really matters

• Craig enjoys talking to veterans and hearing their perspectives on war

• Christians need to hear why veterans take their positions

• War and pacifism are extremes

• When listeners hear about people who have gone from one to the other, it makes them curious

• The experience makes people more willing to listen

1:08:28 – David Bentley Hart’s translation of the Bible

• Reading the Bible which is directly translated from Greek, changes your perception of the Bible

• If people read it they would be less entangled with the state

• The state only needlessly hurts people

• The translation emphasizes how the words were used when the text was written

• Sometimes it changes the meaning

• Christian anarchists seek a life as independent of the state as possible

• Making tangible the kingdom of God

• Tolstoy understood that we are capable of bringing about the kingdom of God today

• We need to love our neighbors as ourselves

• We need to sort ourselves out first

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79. Spotting Government manipulations with Michael Storm

About this Episode

Natural-born anarchist Michael Storm of the Toward Anarchy radio show joins Craig to discuss anarchy, covid times, and institutional manipulations. Michael has been aware of the lies and manipulations of the political elite and Federal Reserve since he was a teenager. He was in Denver at the beginning of the Occupy Wall Street movement when it was an authentic movement before false anarchists appeared in order to give the movement a bad name. At the beginning of the covid period, Michael accurately predicted government lies, collusion with Big Pharma and how the government would behave. Throughout the conversation, Michael notes the times and places where institutions have lied and manipulated money and the public.

The government has never said anything for your benefit; it always lies for the sake of acquiring more money and power. Some key takeaways on anarchy include the recognition that people interact daily, building and creating without needing authority. Anything less than pure anarchy holds a degree of tyranny. Anarchists believe that it’s okay to be you, to live as you desire, to follow whomever you wish to, and that the only thing the government does is make it harder to be the best version of yourself. Everything we have built exists despite the government getting in the way, wasting our time, and leeching off of us. 

Toward Anarchy:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Episode Timestamps:

1:51 – Who is Michael?

• Norman guy from Denver, Colorado

• Plays multiple instruments

• Knew what the Federal Reserve was at 13 years old

• Knew that money is a manipulated representation, not real money

• Already an anarchist

• Former wild partier

• Understood 9/11 in light of false flags

• Radio presenter and producer

• Loves football

• Was there when Occupy Wall Street was just people gathering to protest big banks

• Saw the false anarchists come to:

• mess things up

• give real anarchists a bad name

19:11 – Social media is useless garbage

• You don’t have to be shouting at or about the state to be an anarchist

• Institutions are full of manipulations

• Will tire you out

• Let’s just be human beings

• Let’s not just sit on Facebook and rant

• Craig’s 3-day Facebook ban was pleasant 

• Corporate media does not talk about children dying in Yemen because of our government

• Prefer to talk about Kanye West

• People don’t even understand the things the media wants them to be angry about

29:33 – Changing the political system from the inside doesn’t work

• Ron Paul’s 30 years in government roles did not change much for freedom

• Ron Paul has done more to introduce people to sound economic theory than any economist

• You lose credibility when you try to use the system to change the system

• “Legalising freedom” does not work

34:19 – Toward Anarchy Show

• Michael’s show is just him journaling his life

• Podcasts can break down barriers when people just talk from the heart

• We are anarchists because we have no king but Christ

• Michael appreciates the people he gets to talk to

42:14 – Anarchy

• Anarchists should be able to have their thing if it’s a voluntary relationship

• Be it a King Jesus or someone else

• The absence of a state doesn’t mean there will not be a voluntary government

• Today’s state only has the illusion of participation

• Daily we cooperate and build together without any consideration for the authority’s input

• Everything we have built, we have done so despite the government

• Wasting out time

• Misdirecting our energy

• Leeching off of us

45:00 – Covid vaccines are a scam

• The government experimented on people with the Tuskegee experiment

• Then publicly honored the suffering and sacrifice of the victims

• Similar to the covid vaccines

• As soon as government is behind something, it is motivated by either money or politics

• At the beginning of covid Michael accurately predicted how things would happen

• Through his podcast

• His predictions proved correct

• Has studied vaccine history

•  The bell curve of knowledge about new diseases and vaccines

• People begin dying

• Scientists begin figuring out how the disease works and how to treat it

• Fewer people die

• Vaccine is introduced

• Strange health problems begin

• Government and Big Pharma will sell a vaccine whether it works or not

• The vaccine industry is built on lies

• When the government says something, Craig says ‘no.’

• People should say ‘no’ and take their business elsewhere

59:07 – Toward Anarchy

• Anarchists started the Libertarian Party

• David Nolan

• The World’s Smallest Political Quiz

• Are libertarians simply “settling”?

• There’s tyranny and anarchy, and everything in between is differing levels of tyranny

1:07:24 – Covid times

• The struggles of covid times overtook TJ

• There were many manipulations during covid

• The losses still take their toll on Craig and his family

• People died of manipulations that sent them into isolation, not just covid

• Without isolation and fear, TJ would probably still be here struggling along

• There are hidden costs to the government’s heavy-handed policy

• Suicide rates and alcohol sales spiked during lock-downs

• The next thing will be harder because we are in a weakened financial and mental state

• People only just beginning to wake up to the issues is bitter-sweet

• TJ is still gone

• Anarchists are still saying, “We told you so.”

• Craig was surprised at how people responded to covid

• Now he thinks people would prefer to be told what to do

• We are all born anarchists, and everyone is manipulated off the track

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78. The Role of Propaganda in Abusive Relationships with Derek Kreider

About this Episode

Derek Kreider, host of pacifist podcast “The Fourth Way,” joins Craig for a discussion on his latest season about propaganda. What is propaganda? Who propagandizes? And what benefits do they receive from doing so? From personal relationships, church institutions and the state, propaganda plays a part in how people organise themselves and Derek and Craig discuss them all.

The conversation starts with institutionalised abuse within the Southern Baptist Convention and how poorly churches deal with allegations of sexual abuse. Every year allegations of sexual misconduct are the church’s biggest problem. Even higher-ups who are not abusers are incentivized to cover up for underlings abusing their authority to keep the money flowing. We also learn that propaganda is not just what is communicated, but also includes leaving out important information, in this case to avoid “tarnishing God’s reputation” or other reasonable-sounding excuses.

Next, they discuss state propaganda. The state is basically an abuser who feels the need to control through the usual methods: charisma, controlling the flow of information and if these things fail then resorting to violence. Finally, Craig gets vulnerable about his abusive second marriage, the isolation and altercations, ending the episode with a note of hope for those who believe they are stuck in a situation of domestic violence: it is possible to escape.

Find Blue Ribbon Logistics: 

YouTube

Facebook

Spotify

Episode Timestamps:

3:08 - Who is Derek Kreider?

• Raised conservative with Christian education

• Likes apologetics

• Currently in Romania as a missionary

4:22 – What is causing the rise in atheism? 

• Institutionalising religion ruins it

• There’s a lot of people leaving the church in America, but it’s the institutions they are leaving

• Church could also be people gathered in Jesus’ name

9:19 – The Fourth Way Podcast

• 2016 and the election of Donald Trump made Derek want to start a podcast

• The ends don’t justify the means, but the evangelical community tried to justify Trump’s actions

• Consequentialism

• Watched a video on pacifism

• Pacifism works better than grasping for power in the political realm

• Made the podcast to explore his own Christian reasoning

• The name comes from Walter Wink’s “The Third Way” but Pacifism is a fourth way, not fight, flight or freeze, but being active in pacifism

• Families who allow their loved ones killers live on death row rather than have them killed have changed those people

• Pacifism requires a whole lot more creativity to solve problems

• It brings the humanity back to the killer 

• There is nothing in the writings of the early church that indicate they were not pacifists

20:06 – What’s happening with the Southern Baptists?

• Recently it has come to light that some of their prominent leaders have abused people and other leaders have covered it up

• Then asked others to be silent about it

• Rachael Denhollander – What is a Girl Worth?

• Famous for coming forward after being abused by a doctor

• Talks about how terrible the church was at dealing with that

• Became an advocate for abuse within the Southern Baptist Church

• Although it’s not specific to the Southern Baptist Church

• Sexual allegations are the biggest problems for church every year

• When people take advantage of their positions of authority it doesn’t look like Jesus

• There should not be flawed human beings being given power in the church

• “It shall not be so among you”

• Individuals must take personal responsibility for their actions

• A lot of times power ends up corrupting people

• The Southern Baptist Convention also had leadership that covered up abuse

• In order to keep their own power

• So they don’t loose funding or control

• Do it in the name of Jesus – don’t want Him to look bad

• This is simple consequentialism

• After studying conspiracies for a year Derek thinks lots of people can hide a conspiracy

• This is not a uniquely church thing, people are corrupt

• A new structure would be full of people doing the same thing

• Maybe people are pulling back from the church because it looks just like government politics

• Sometimes members of churches solely blame individuals for problems that may be systemic

• Pastors are celebrities not shepherds, leading to people abusing power

35:09 – Propaganda, the state and abusers

• Politicians are going to go wherever the funding comes from

• This is a structural problem

• Propaganda is 100% intentional

• But its often done by people who are sincere about their cause

• A jerk on a power trip is easier to disbelieve

• Everyone propagandises

• Derek educates his kids therefore by some definitions he propagandises them

• We use the word for education that we don’t like

• In the Southern Baptists the higher-ups silence the news media that’s also propaganda

• Because it shapes your understanding

• The higher-ups say they prefer to highlight the good and leave out the bad

• It’s propaganda to leave information out

• Its an intricate web of self-justification and gaslighting

• Trump was worse on the second amendment than Obama

• Jacques Ellul – Propaganda and The Technological Society

• Propaganda produces extreme polarization

• And other quotes that could have been written yesterday

• Propaganda seeks to isolate individuals

• Repeats simple content

• Creates a problem to resolve then offers itself as a saviour

• Abusers do the same thing

• Craig’s second marriage was abusive like this

• Derek’s episode about marital abuse: Propaganda and Domestic Abusers

• You can escape an abusive relationship and God won’t be offended

• Things escalate when the abuser feels like they are out of control

• Craig’s second wife threw knives and had him arrested

• Then moved in next door when he left

• Its different in every situation

• David Graber – The Dawn of Everything

• Talks about how the state functions

• The state is basically an abuser who needs control

• Violence is risky but effective if you are stronger

• Information can also be used to control

• Charisma can be used to control others, this is the most effective

• States work like this too, when charisma (stories) stops working then they try manipulation then violence

• Abusers isolate their victims

1:00:21 – The conspiracy of corporatism

• How do we discern truth and how are beliefs formed?

• How was propaganda implemented?

• A 70 episode series on propaganda could have been much larger

• Corporations and businesses propaganda

• How do they do it?

• What effect does it have?

• What should you look out for?

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77. Lessons from the Trucking Industry with Chris Polk

About this Episode

In this episode Craig welcomes back Chris Polk, “professional hornet’s nest kicker”, podcaster, content creator, trainer and truck owner-operator at Blue Ribbon Logistics. Chris regales Craig with stories about everything from how he found success in the trucking world, to history lessons, and about how government and citizens wreaked havoc with supply chains during covid times. Additionally, Chris tells how collusion between big corporations and government have led to over-regulation, driving shipping costs up and resulting in tough times for every-day truckers. That said Chris pulls no punches while discussing the things that truckers have done to make their own situations worse. 

Chris gives his best advice on how to become rich, with principles that will work whether you are interested in joining the trucking industry or not. The great news is that you have something unique to offer the world. If you combine that something with some good maths (get yourself a BS Eliminator 9000, otherwise known as a calculator), hard work and a customer centric focus you too will become wealthy. It will not be easy, but if you build your life in such a way that you give value to others by helping them to get what they want, money will naturally flow your way.

Find Blue Ribbon Logistics: 

YouTube

TikTok

Facebook

Website

Episode Timestamps:

1:04 - Who is Chris Polk?

• Enjoys stirring

• A trucker for 25 years

• Owner-operator of trucking business

• Podcast host at Blue Ribbon Logistics

• Training truck drivers to be owner-operators

• Content creator on YouTube

4:56 – Blue Ribbon Logistics

• Met Larry Long and went to work for him

• Began having Larry on his podcast

• The podcast brought them dedicated truckers

• Created a program to train them how to earn as a trucker

• Business only works when it's competitive and customer focussed

• You can have anything you want if you help enough other people get what they want

• Never thought he’d have to teach all sorts of people maths and map reading

• Calculator is the BS Eliminator 9000

• Craig would make a terrible truck driver 

• He’d be too busy napping on the side of the road

• Driving a truck and a car are two different things

21:45 - Broken supply chains and broke truckers

• Products were manufactured just in time to get them onto the trailer or the assembly line

• It used to be a finely tuned machine

• 2020 broke it with toilet paper

• Cascade effect means trucking has been in a state of crisis since March 2020

• Peoples spending drove demand

• People brought trucks for work 

• Truck prices went up

• Market demand is going back down 

• Those who bought overpriced trucks will go broke

• Truckers blame fuel costs and the government

27:09 – Lesson in supply line history

• Separation of church and state is a distraction

• The danger lies in the collusion of corporations and state

• Mark Levison – The Box

• When the market was deregulated in 1980 it made shipping more efficient

• Allowing for more competition by individuals

• Explosion of economic activity

• These days there are so many middle-men that it has driven the cost of shipping up

• Blockchain might make it more efficient again

• Any time there’s a bottleneck, you can generally find a bureaucrat standing in the middle of it

• There are a million single truck owner-operators

• That’s a third of the trucks on the road

• They haul the majority of life’s necessities

• Big businesses can’t keep up so they are lobbying for regulations that will wipe out the owner-operators in costs

• Truck makers make more money as more legislation is added

• Little guys can’t afford new trucks

• The state does the bidding of 15% of the trucking industry

33:15 – The biggest scam in trucking history

• The biggest scam in trucking history on YouTube

• No license points for warnings until 2008

• Chris got 30 points from one inspection

• No actual violations

• At his latest inspection, he fixed a light

• Another 18 points even though the light worked

• Fines came next

• Even though there were no violations

38:28 – The cheap driver shortage

• Subsidies from the state for hiring drivers

• There is a shortage of cheap drivers

• The largest expense at big corporations is wages for the drivers

• But they haul easy bulk stuff for cheap

• People like Chris are paid more for specialized freight

• You can’t idiot-proof a truck

• A bad driver is going to have problems

43:50 – The price of eggs and corruption

• Eggs are expensive

• Is this because the state interfered with supply chains?

• It costs Blue Ribbon about $200,000 per year to run a truck

• There are 3 million trucks on the road

• Reducing the cost of fuel won’t help that

• There’s inflation

• There’s manipulation

• Corrupt money

• Corrupt processes

• Shipping container costs quadrupled

47:15 – How to become wealthy

• Turn the television off

• Don’t make decisions based on fear

• You can control your own life and make better decisions

• Boom and Bust is the pattern of economics

• Build your life in a way that you create value for others

• Once you get that right the wealth comes

• That doesn’t make it easy

• Find a niche

• It will be uncomfortable

• Be unaffected by BS crisis

55:44 – Fauci

• Would be happy to see him handcuffed

• He’ll end up in the evil hall of fame alongside Hitler one day

• One day in heaven we may want forgiveness for him when he has to explain himself to Jesus

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76. "What about Romans 13?" with Matt Mouzakis

About this Episode

Craig is joined by Matt Mouzakis, worship pastor and co-host of Expedition 44, a popular theology podcast where the ancient languages and context of the Bible are discussed. Matt is doing his doctorate in New Testament studies, specializing in the passages often cited by Christian statists when they want to defend strict obedience to the government.

Matt explains how words like submit (hypotassesthō), and concepts like paying taxes take on very different meanings when placed in their proper context. Read Romans 13 through the eyes of a first-century Jew, see it in a fresh new light, and be prepared to confound the next statist who asks you, "But what about Romans 13?".

In fact, the only one to whom people owe allegiance and should be under the authority of is Jesus Himself. When we desire to put another into power over ourselves and our neighbors, it is a sin because humans are not to have authority over one another.

Craig and Matt delve into those passages used against women in ministry. Again, we discover that read in the context of the time and in their original language, nothing suggests women are to be subject to men in God's kingdom. We find God's ideals at the beginning and end of the Bible, and that is God alone reigning over humanity.

Expedition 44:

YouTube

Website

Covenant Theological Seminary

Expedition 44 episode on Romans 13

Ryan's book: This is the Way

Episode Timestamps:

1:54 – Who is Matt Mouzakis?

• Worship pastor at "Bapticostal" church

• Father of 4

• Theology geek doing Doctorate in New Testament

• Co-host of Expedition 44 podcast with Dr Ryan (Head Chair of Biblical Studies at Covenant Theological Seminary

• Expedition 44

• Discuss the ancient context of the Bible

• Salvation is a journey "expedition" 

• The separatist ancient Essene community gave themselves the number 22

• God doubles the portion, which is where the 44 comes from 

8:15 – The Church of Nationalism

• American pastors don't speak against the entanglement of Christians and the state

• Sometimes they advocate for candidates

• The early church was outspoken against the Roman Empire

• But it is glossed over these days

• Churches seek power through the state now

• There's no basis in the Bible for Christians to be seeking any power

• We need no king but Christ

• Politics comes into your theology

• Some would say that representative government is different from serving another king

• In the first two pages and last two pages of the Bible is where you find God's ideals

• Everything in the middle is messed up

• Humans are not to have authority over one another

• Not even men over women

• The hebrew word "Tsela" should be translated as "side" rather than "rib"

• On the last page of the Bible, you see men and women under God's authority

• That's God's ideal

• That should inform our politics

• We are ambassadors from another King

• Our government has its own kingdom

• The fall is the "defilement of all of creation"

• There are multiple falls in the Old Testament

• When people usurp God's authority, humans rule other humans

• That is not a part of God's ideals

18:58 – Women in Ministry

• A topic that is spoken about on Expedition 44

• Women were the first to tell of Jesus' resurrection

• The men were in hiding

• Paul was very egalitarian

• When we don't look at the Bible in context, it gets confusing

• If Genesis 3 is reversed in Jesus, the church should reflect that

• The local context of Paul telling women to be quiet was an all-women-led cult

• Right before that, he tells the men off for being angry

• None should have authority over others in the church

• The women were trying to teach before they had learned

• Greek tenses matter in better translation

• Keith Giles's episode about women and the church

• Women stayed at home and were less educated in Paul's day

• Women were to learn but not interrupt the service

• 1 Corinthians 14: 34-35 might be an error added to the text based on a scribble by a scribe

• Philip Payne's book – One In Christ

• Expedition 44 episode – Women Must Be Silent?

26:16 – Romans 13

• The words "submit" and "obey" are two different words

• Romans 13 is the go-to for opponents of "No King but Christ"

• Romans 13 should be read in light of Romans 12

• The chapter breaks weren't there originally

• Romans chapters 12-16 should be read as a chunk

• All the things that Jesus said about enemy love do not fit with Romans 13

• Romans 13:1 & 5 Submit is hypotassesthō

• Defined as voluntary yielding

• Obey God is hupakouó

• David Bently Heart – New Testament

• It is necessary that we obey God rather than man

• The Bible should be read as a whole

• The whip that Jesus used was a common tool to heard animals

• He didn't harm any people

• He was angry at the extortion in the temple

• The gospel spreads by word of mouth too

• "Governing authorities"

• A common expression for anyone with authority

• Not necessarily government

• The people of the day were in Rome

• A place of multiple layers of governing 

• Neighborhood watch role, rather than law enforcement

• Rome wasn't taxed at the time when Romans was written

• Romans 13:1 - exousia means evil powers

• And appears in Ephesians 6:12

• Paul understood demons controlled the empires

• Jesus didn't rebuke Satan when he offered Him the kingdoms of the world

• Deuteronomy 32 – Moses says God divided mankind and gave them to the sons of God

42:18 – Is voting a sin?

• 1 Samuel 8

• Craig has concluded that voting is a sin

• Jesus said the gentiles lorded power over others, but we were not to be the same

• God said it was not Samuel that was rejected, rather it was God Himself

• Rejecting God is a sin

• Sleeping is better than exercising power over others

• Matt and Steve discussed whether or not Christians should vote

• The desire to have a king is to reject God

• Voting is the desire to put someone in power over ourselves and neighbors

• Therefore, voting is a rejection of God

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75. Finding Common Ground Between Christian and Secular Anarchists with Alan Mosley

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

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