Podcast #34: Occultism, Religious Persecution, and Rock & Roll

25 March 15, 2015 by

34_finalIn this episode of Drunk Ex-Pastors, our correction of a misstatement about the occult leads to a discussion about whether religious rationalism spelled the triumph of Muggles over Magic. We then revisit our favorite Monster Energy Drink conspiracy theorist and watch in horror as she blows her shot at web redemption (and perhaps divine redemption as well), and then wind up agreeing with an online Christian pundit who bemoans the rabid persecution of American believers (don’t worry, there is irony involved). We turn our attention to the issue of capital punishment, agreeing on our conclusion while differing on how we each arrived at it (Jason’s position is bound up in the dignity of the human person, while Christian’s just comes down to math). We tackle a few voicemails, one of which involves determining the best rock band of all time (as well as whether and why Christian music sucks). Jason is biebered by wet socks, and Christian’s bieber will anger all school teachers, everywhere.

Also, what’s the deal with Guam? Seriously.

25 Comments (click here to leave a comment)

  1. Dudes, this episode inspired me to download Radiohead’s, ‘Exit Song’ and smoke pot (well, I guess I was smoking pot while listening to your podcast at 11am on Monday…like a man), I love WA.

  3. I mean, when you guys are way famous, I hope you’ll still have your minions edit out the “uhs.” Not that I mind, since I pretty much hang on every word … twice … but I have noticed there are some other podcasts that don’t even make the teeniest effort and it shows.

  14. Jason,

    As a protestant (muggle?) I post only because you talk Xtian rock, my speciality:

    Never much for celebration
    Always raining on someone’s parade
    St.Joe of the self afflicted
    Deeper meanings for a simple day
    I am the king of the tragic ones
    Only happy when something’s wrong
    I go on…
    There’s a method for the madness
    Tortured artist wearing dark sunglasses
    Wear depression for a fashion
    Hiding only to be seen by someone
    I am the king of the tragic ones
    Only happy when something’s wrong
    I go on
    I wear my bleeding heart high on my sleeve
    For all to see
    I wear my bleeding heart high on my sleeve
    Don’t look at me

  15. Daniel Amos, and Lost Dogs (which have some of the same members), are great bands, who just happen to identify as christians.
    I was listening to Stryper before I ever wanted to go to church (which is how most of the people in europe are who listen to them), mainly due to their music being as good as others in the scene.

    Bieber:- Now we want to change the story in Game of Throwns so it can be lengthened?

  16. Finally getting around to the podcast this week since I’ve been sick.

    Never really thought the argument about God not wanting to push the people too far in the Old Testament made much sense.

    The God depicted in the Old Testament, specifically within the first five books is a God not to be messed with. He could have told the Israelites, “Okay, guys. Remember when you were slaves and how much that sucked? Yeah, you can’t own people.”

    “Also, women are thinking, breathing full people. You can’t own them either. They have a choice. They can get an education if they want one, and they’re to be treated as equals.”

    “For that matter, let’s get some public education set up so everyone can read and write. We’ve got a welfare system in place, but we should probably beef that up a little. Let’s set up a marginal income tax on the rich. Having less will help them get into heaven. Oh, and I should mention, genocide? Yeah, let’s not do that.”

    “And Bob, yeah, I saw your request about passing a law letting parents kill their douchebag teenagers, and no. Not allowed. Do you know many teens you’d have to kill for acting like a douchebag to their parents? There wouldn’t be any of you humans left. Talk it out with him.”

    “Now, as your boss, I do value your feedback, so if anyone would like to object to what I’m saying, please line up over there, just outside of camp and I’ll be sending some poisonous snakes along to talk you into doing things my way.”

    “Also, just to mention it, 12/25/04 BC will be Take your Son to Work Day. So be nice to my Kid when He gets here. We’ve been talking, He’s got some good ideas that I think you’re going to love. This is just a head’s up, so you don’t think He’s just some wandering crazy homeless guy and try to kill him or something. Yes, I’m looking at you, Kevin.”

    “Okay then. We’re all good? Great. Now, don’t forget, this week in place of your regular delivery of manna, Tuesday will be Taco Tuesday with a guacamole and salsa bar.”

  18. Yeah, I love the idea that God could lay down all the incredibly difficult laws that he did in the OT, but to tell them not to stone their own kids, own people, or kill people just because they were different would have been just too much for them to handle.

  22. To answer your question about Tarot reading, Yes it’s definitely an occult practice. It helps reveal what is hidden to the conscious mind. At least, that’s my experience. 🙂

    I disagree with the general use of the word “supernatural”, as I think that most of what we’re tapping into is quite natural. When Science quits turning up its nose at the unseen, we’ll get to learn what’s really going on.

  23. Don’t some tarot readers believe that they are contacting people’s spirit guides and such? That seems to me like it would qualify as “super”-natural. (By which I mean outside of that which is natural.)

  24. Hey Guys,

    Love the podcast. My wife and I were listening to this one on the way down to Florida. We had a great discussion about the seeming contradiction between Mean Father God and is strict laws and cool uncle Jesus.
    To simplify what I want to say, I’ll just focus on the story about the woman caught in the act of adultery and brought before Jesus. It seems to me that Jesus just convinced everyone in earshot to opt for mercy, which must have been legal since everyone just dropped their rocks and walked away. You guys are the learned ones so, is that correct? Mercy was always an option? They didn’t have to stone her right? If they did I guess they were all breaking the law by dropping their rocks and walking away.

    Is it possible that the law was “good” since the penalties let us know just how bad these crimes were in God’s eyes. I don’t know of anyone who thinks adultery is a good thing. It seems to me that most people think it is a bad thing. So in this, most of us agree with God’s law in that adultery is bad. It seems we just think it isn’t so bad that someone should be killed for it. But perhaps it really is that bad and we are just too stupid to see it.

    So perhaps Jesus just helped everyone there realize that it could be them cringing at his feet while everyone standing around was waiting for the nod to let the stones fly. Didn’t Jesus say something like “even if you have lusted in your heart for someone you have committed adultery”? In other words, “everyone of you here deserves to be stoned to death.” It seems to me we are all sitting here on death row trying to decide who’s the most righteous and who is evil. It’s quite comical when I think about it. We all think we aren’t really all that bad. But perhaps we all deserve to die.

    So my point is this. Perhaps the law is the horrible truth about our moral condition and Jesus is the wonderful truth about God’s disposition towards us in spite of our guilt. Mercy trumps Justice. Justice is for hard hearted men. Mercy is from God.

    What if no one showed up for the stonings? Do you think God would have been upset?

    And Christian, you’ve probably been asked this already but, have you ever read any George MacDonald?

    Thanks.

  25. Good Christian music is hard to find because a lot it suffers the same problems evangelism in general suffers from: it feels it has to be a certain way and thus ends up being fake – not real.

    However, if you like rap, check out Lecrae. For a band who falls into Jason’s wider category of Christian music, I think Mumford and Sons is great.

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