Conversations That Matter

This week on the Conversations That Matter podcast, Jon Harris covers a wide-ranging news roundup touching on the Southern Baptist Convention, Christian persecution, the Catholic Church, the Christian Nationalism debate, Steve Lawson, and what Jon calls the “true culture of death.”
Jon begins with a personal update following a house fire in his wife’s family, along with reflections on the recent Restoring Virtue Conference and upcoming speaking engagements.
From there, he discusses Eric Erickson’s criticism of figures on the Right and the importance of clearly defining neo-Nazi ideology rather than making broad accusations. He also examines recent controversy surrounding Candace Owens, a new Vatican document on interreligious dialogue, and claims surrounding the discovery of Noah’s Ark in Turkey.
The episode then turns to the Christian Nationalism debate, including J.D. Greer’s arguments concerning church and state, religious liberty, and the role of Christianity in public life. Jon also discusses Southern Baptist figures Jason Little and Walter Strickland, including Strickland’s comments concerning Nat Turner and liberation theology.
Jon then addresses the changing Christian legal movement, Steve Lawson’s recent book concerning his adultery and disqualification from ministry, and questions from listeners.
The final portion of the podcast examines assisted suicide, declining marriage and family formation, adult toy consumption, gender distrust, juvenileization, higher education, student loans, Title IX, and policies under the Trump administration. 
Jon concludes by discussing comments from Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu concerning persecuted Christians in the Middle East and the broader decline of Christianity in the region.
Listen through to the end for Jon’s thoughts on why Christians should focus less on theoretical political battles and more on the practical challenges directly in front of them.

00:00 Personal Update: House Fire and Restoring Virtue
10:40 The News Roundup Begins
11:45 Eric Erickson and the Debate Over Neo-Nazism
22:40 Candace Owens and Online Political Commentary
29:00 The Vatican, Vatican II, and Interreligious Dialogue
38:05 The Search for Noah's Ark
42:45 J.D. Greer and Christian Nationalism
61:45 Jason Little and the Southern Baptist Convention
63:00 Walter Strickland, Liberation Theology, and Nat Turner
77:00 The Christian Legal Movement and John W. Whitehead
84:00 Steve Lawson's Confession and Return to Public Ministry
89:30 Listener Questions
94:00 Assisted Suicide and the Culture of Death
95:00 Juvenileization, Marriage, and Gender Distrust
106:00 Trump, Student Loans, and Higher Education
109:40 Title IX and Gender Transition Treatments
114:30 Christian Persecution, Trump, and Netanyahu
123:50 Final Thoughts
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What actually makes someone a strong Christian?

A viral post claimed that the strongest Christians watch Disney movies, avoid politics, wear bikinis, drink alcohol, shop at Target, and celebrate Halloween. The argument was that Christians who impose restrictions on these things are essentially modern Pharisees.

There is an important truth here: Christians should not invent laws and impose them on other believers as though those rules came from God. But there is also a problem with defining Christian freedom by a list of cultural behaviors.

In this episode, I examine the distinction between Christian liberty, legalism, conscience, modesty, discernment, and genuine godliness. Scripture does not present godliness primarily as a collection of cultural boxes that we check. It begins with the character of the heart and manifests itself in how we live.

The question is not simply, “Can a Christian do this?” The deeper question is: What actually marks a godly Christian?

The episode also considers the “weaker brother,” the misuse of Christian liberty, alcohol, Halloween, modesty, political involvement, consumer choices, pornography, and the danger of creating our own standards of righteousness.

Christianity is marked by inward virtue that manifests itself outwardly.

00:00 — The Tweet About “Strong Christians”
01:22 — Are These Really Issues of Christian Liberty?
02:58 — The Weak Brother and Christian Conscience
05:16 — When the “Weak Brother” Becomes a Human Shield
06:25 — Alcohol, Communion, and Christian Freedom
08:34 — What Actually Makes Someone Godly?
10:42 — The Biblical Marks of a Godly Man
11:57 — Modesty, Virtue, and Godly Women
13:08 — The Problem With a Pornographic Culture
15:34 — What Strong Christians Are Actually Known For
17:24 — Halloween, Alcohol, and Circumstantial Wisdom
19:04 — How to Avoid Becoming a Pharisee

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The Democratic Party appears to be changing its tune on transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.

Politicians including Gavin Newsom, Pete Buttigieg, and James Talarico have recently used the language of fairness and safety when discussing women’s sports. That represents a significant change from the rhetoric surrounding transgender rights and school sports during the Obama and Biden years.

But is this a genuine change in conviction, or is it a political retreat?

In this episode, I look at the history of the Democratic position on transgender issues, the growing public resistance to males competing in women’s sports, and the political calculations surrounding the issue. I also examine the difference between voters motivated by deeply held convictions and voters who simply do not want political policies to produce consequences in their own families and communities.

The larger question is whether the Democratic retreat represents a change in principle or simply a strategic pause until the political environment changes.

Finally, I discuss why arguments about fairness and public opinion are not enough. If our understanding of men and women is ultimately grounded in God's created order, then political arguments cannot simply rest on whatever happens to be popular at a particular moment.

00:00 Democrats and the Trans Sports Reversal
02:18 Is This a Genuine Change of Heart?
04:26 The Gender Debate and the Nature Argument
07:20 Remembering the Biden and Obama Years
09:24 Why Democrats Are Changing Their Message
10:30 The Polling Problem for Transgender Sports
12:30 Convictional Voters vs. Convenience Voters
15:42 What Democrats Have Learned From the Backlash
18:05 Why “Fairness” Is Their New Argument
23:48 God's Rights, Nature, and the Foundation of Society

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Jon Harris sits down with William Wolfe of the Center for Baptist Leadership to discuss what has happened since Willie Rice became president of the SBC and what comes next.
The conversation covers the Truth and Unity Amendment, the effort to prevent women from serving as pastors in the SBC, appointments to committees and trustee boards, financial transparency, restoring trust in the Cooperative Program, the International Mission Board's vaccine requirements, and the continuing influence of progressive and DEI ideas within SBC entities.
Wolfe also explains why he believes the biggest danger may no longer be an obvious return to the previous "woke" era, but a period of what he calls "managed decline" in which institutions become less willing to take clear and courageous positions.
The discussion also examines Willie Rice's leadership, the upcoming fight over the Truth and Unity Amendment, and what conservatives and ordinary Southern Baptists should understand about the institutional battle ahead.

00:00 Intro
01:00 The Fight After Willie Rice's Election
02:50 Filling SBC Committees and Trustee Boards
03:34 The Truth and Unity Amendment
04:36 What Willie Rice Has Accomplished
06:11 The Future Direction of the SBC
07:40 Is Willie Rice His Own Man?
09:54 The Push to Ratify the Truth and Unity Amendment
10:52 Can Conservative Momentum Continue?
12:23 Restoring Trust in the SBC
13:30 The IMB and Vaccine Mandates
15:00 Are Progressive Forces Still Active in the SBC?
18:00 Opposition to the Truth and Unity Amendment
19:30 From Wokeness to "Managed Decline"
20:45 What Courageous Conservative Leadership Looks Like

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Dr. D. Millard Haskell joins Conversations That Matter to explain what happened to Christianity's influence in Canada and why Americans should pay attention.

Haskell, a sociologist and author of Christ or Collapse: The Case Against Godless Government, argues that the evidence points toward the social benefits of traditional Christianity. His research led him from liberal Christianity toward a conviction that Christian norms produce greater stability and flourishing.

The conversation then turns to Canada as a cautionary tale for the United States. We discuss multiculturalism, the decline of Christian influence, government and media, the controversy surrounding the Ezra Institute, Alberta's political future, and Canada's increasingly difficult environment for Christians who publicly defend traditional Christian beliefs.

Haskell also discusses Bill C-9, freedom of expression, political apathy, institutional capture, the loss of Christian influence in academia and government, and the growing reluctance of Canadian pastors to address controversial cultural issues.

Finally, we look at the different historical foundations of Canada and the United States and why Haskell believes America's Christian heritage must be actively preserved rather than simply assumed to continue.

00:00 — Introduction: Canada as a Warning to America
01:13 — Why Haskell Wrote Christ or Claps
04:19 — The Empirical Case for Christianity
06:25 — Canada as America's Cautionary Tale
09:00 — Multiculturalism, Alberta, and the Canadian Divide
11:00 — The Ezra Institute and the "Christian Nationalist" Controversy
24:40 — Bill C-9 and the Future of Christian Speech
28:00 — How Canada Lost Its Institutions
32:00 — Political Fatigue, Immigration, and the Next Generation
38:55 — Why America Held Onto Christianity Longer

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