Patreon Question And Answers

AD Robles iconAD Robles

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All right, well, let's jump into the Patreon Q &A today. Sorry for how late this is.
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I was planning on doing it last week, so for the last week of July is what I was planning. But unfortunately,
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I guess, I don't know if you keep track of this kind of thing, but one of my videos hit an algorithm wave and almost at this point, like 180 ,000 people,
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I think, have watched that one video about McLean Bible Church. I wanted to take advantage of that and sort of put out some content that I thought people should see that were new to the channel and stuff like that.
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So hopefully that was successful. And again, I apologize for the delay here on the
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Patreon Q &A, but let's jump right into it today. We don't have too many questions, so let's just jump right in.
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All right, so first one says this, Hi AD, I noticed a comment in your video on EDLA in asking if you have looked into the
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EFCA as a denomination. I attend an EFCA church and recently noticed many articles on the website that look as if they are on the same path as the
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SPC as far as social justice issues go. I know their seminary has teachers who have been tagged as sympathetic to or outright promoters of social justice, and I would not be surprised to see the
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EFCA follow in the same footsteps as the SPC, since that has been the history of the American evangelicalism in general.
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I'm heartbroken, though, as Greg Stand is our former pastor, and it seems that he is at the very least not taking a stand against the drift.
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We all know the SPC is a sinking ship as an organization. Maybe it would be helpful for you guys, you,
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John Harris, to begin looking at other large nominations. Yeah, totally understandable. So I don't really know a whole lot about the
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EFCA, but what's interesting about this question is just two days ago, actually, an
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EFCA pastor in the local area where I live reached out to me and wants to have lunch or a drink or something like that with me.
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So I would imagine that he wants to talk to me regarding something regarding my content, or maybe he just wants to chat because he likes it or doesn't like it.
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I don't know. So hopefully I'll find out a little bit more about the EFCA and we can report back from there.
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But yes, to your point about maybe expanding and talking about other denominations, it's a very valid point because I don't want it to seem like the
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SPC is the only denomination that has a problem here. You know, the super liberal denominations, it's really not my target audience, so I probably won't get into that, like the
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PCUSA or like the United Methodists, stuff like that. But the PCA is probably a denomination
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I should talk a lot more about, or other evangelical denominations. So thank you for the question, and I think you're probably right,
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I probably should expand a little bit. The SPC is just such a low -hanging fruit though, you know, it's just too easy to ignore.
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But thank you so much for your patronage and thank you for the questions. All right. Next question has two.
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First one says, do you think America was founded as a Christian nation and conversion therapy for gays?
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Yay or nay? Great question. So as far as the Christian nation one, I do believe that America was founded as a
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Christian nation. However, in a very sort of, they should have done it more explicitly, like the
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Constitution should name the name of Christ explicitly. I've seen the arguments about how it does kind of implicitly, and if you read their writings outside the
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Constitution, you know what they're talking about. And that's all well and good, but the Constitution should have explicitly acknowledged the lordship and the kingship of Jesus Christ, and how we have to submit ourselves and everything to Jesus Christ's law and all of that.
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Should have mentioned the scriptures, should have mentioned the law of God, and essentially establishing the general equity thereof.
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So the answer to your question is yes, but they could have done a much better job and they should have done a much better job, and we should amend our documents to do so.
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Now a lot of the states actually do explicitly mention Christ in their constitutions and that's good, and obviously we want to hold them to account regarding that.
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So yes, the answer is yes, in my opinion, but they could have done a much better job and clearly we're no longer acknowledging
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Christ in almost any way. So I hope that answers your question. And as far as conversion therapy, well, you know, it depends on specifically what you mean as far as conversion therapy, what they're actually doing in order to convert.
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But I don't think that any of that should be illegal, you know, like if you want to do whatever you want to do to not be gay anymore, you don't want to have homosexual feelings or attractions, stuff like that.
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It's totally within your right to do what you have to do with yourself and your money to stop having those feelings.
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I think that obviously, though, we understand that this is a spiritual problem that has spiritual solutions.
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It does not mean that we can't do things, you know, practical things to sort of eliminate the sinful desires that we have regardless of whether they're for food or for, you know, sex, whatever it is.
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Like you need to repent of your homosexuality just like you would need to repent of other sins, but that doesn't mean you also can't do other things.
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So like let's say you were a glutton, for example, and I'm not saying these are equivalents, obviously, but if you were a glutton, you should repent of your gluttony, but that doesn't mean you can't get a
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Weight Watchers account. You know what I mean? Like it doesn't mean that or it doesn't mean you can't have a psychologist, counselor, let's just say a counselor that you can talk to about some of this stuff or strategies and stuff like that.
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So yeah, I'm for it. It just depends on what it means, though. I'm really not for drugging yourself, if that's what you mean, like I don't think that drugging yourself is the right way to go.
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But anyway, I hope that answers your question. God bless you. Here's a question that I thought was pretty interesting.
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So the question is this, A .D., you promote Gab as an alternative to Twitter. I have a
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Gab account, and while I reject the broad brush accusation that it's an anti -Semitic platform, I'm also bothered that Andrew Torba's regabs like E.
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Michael Jones, who seem very clearly anti -Semitic. It's one thing to have an open platform that invites contrarian views for public consideration, but highlighting and seemingly encouraging some of those unsavory contrarian views with what seems like a kind of a stamp of approval is concerning to me.
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I agree with you that critical race theory is racist. To me, E. Michael Jones is an objectionable for the same reasons.
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How do you evaluate Gab's and Torba's seemingly friendliness with someone like E. Michael Jones? I don't get,
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I don't evaluate it at all when it comes to the platform itself. So like, if you're going to have a free platform, then yeah, absolutely, we should have total, it should be totally okay to spout whatever nonsense you want to spout.
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So long as it's not pornography or something like that, or threats or whatever. The Bible limits speech in some ways, like blasphemy and bearing false witness.
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But besides that, it's pretty, it's pretty libertarian in that regard. So I'm totally fine with it.
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I don't evaluate the platform at all for that. And as far as, I've heard the accusation many times like here, where it's like, well, they woo these people, they promote these people.
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And I think that there is some truth to that. But the problem is that I think one of the reasons they do it is because these are the voices specifically that have been so silenced and censored in all of the other platforms.
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So they want to kind of counterbalance that this is the, this is the people that they're trying to shut up. The, I don't know why they're trying to shut these people up, but these are the people that they're trying.
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They want to highlight that. And I think there's value in that, to be perfectly honest with you. Because I want to know, like there's, let me give you an example.
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This is, this might get me in trouble, but I don't care. So there was a guy who, I forget his name now, who used to do a ton of research into IQ and race.
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So he did a lot of research and said, you know, Latinos and blacks, they tend to have lower
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IQs than whites. And he was a white guy. So people said, oh, obviously racist, total racist.
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And so they would censor him and stuff like that. And so as a Latino, obviously I'm one of the groups that tends to have a lower
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IQ in this guy's opinion of than, than whites in this guy's opinion.
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So I thought, I thought long and hard about this, right? So, so is it racist if that's what your research suggests, right?
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Well, you know, maybe you're a racist, maybe you're not, but the point is that why should that be censored?
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Why should that be hidden from people? Like why would anyone want to hide that fact from me? Like wouldn't, if I, if I belong to a demographic group that tends to have a lower
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IQ, wouldn't it be helpful for me to know that? Like why would you feel like you need to protect me?
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Like I'm some kind of a kid from knowing that information. Like I would, I want to know that if I have a weakness that you can identify, that would be very helpful information for me to have.
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So that way I don't go out into the world thinking that I've got a high IQ when I really actually probably don't, you know, again,
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I'm not endorsing the research because I don't even understand half the things this guy used to say, talking about waves and you know, different kinds of weird things.
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I don't understand it. But the point is, why would you feel the need to hide that from me or from the world in general?
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So I actually like when Torba shares something that is definitely the uncouth of the uncouth nature and stuff like that.
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Because I want to see who's being silenced because that information is helpful to me. What are they attempting to silence?
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Are they attempting to silence, you know, people who believe that either there's lizard people in the, in the, in the center of the earth, or are they trying to suppress people that don't trust
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NASA or whatever it is? Like, like, I want to know who the powers that be think I shouldn't hear, and actually do want to hear those people.
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Because you know, there's a good reason why someone would be suppressed, or something like that. And I want to know what that's all about.
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So I actually kind of like that. And I don't think it's a criticism at all. Now, as far as, you know, endorsing this stuff, does
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Torba endorse anti semitic stuff? Well, I've seen some tweets from Torba that I would say are a little bit, let's just say, unsavory, right?
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But the thing is, again, like, none of this has anything to do with the platform, right? Like Jack, Jack, whatever,
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Dorsey, whatever his name is, he's got so many unsavory beliefs, it's unbelievable. And nobody questions Twitter as a platform just because of his beliefs.
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I just don't, I don't really find the need to do that. I'm on friendly terms with Torba, you know, we've exchanged an email or two, and, you know, that kind of thing.
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But I don't know everything about his theology or his beliefs or anything like that. And so I'm not gonna,
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I'm not going to disavow, I think he's doing a lot of good. Does he have some anti semitic beliefs?
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Well, I mean, he certainly seems to share a lot of questionable content. But again, I actually don't necessarily have a problem with that.
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So I get it. And so, you know, do I, do I think Torba is an anti semite?
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I don't think so. Does he share stuff that might be anti semite? Probably. But again,
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I don't really evaluate the platform based on that kind of thing. I hope that answers your question. I don't know if it does. But God bless you.
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All right, next one. Do you know who funds the docent research group?
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No, I don't. Not even a little bit. That would be very interesting information to have.
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But I don't. I hear that Protesti is working on it. And they've got connections that are, you know, researchers and investigators and stuff like that.
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So hopefully they'll have some information on that soon. But I am waiting with bated breath on who is actually behind, from a financial perspective, docent research group.
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Good question. All right. So here's a multi -part question. And it's an interesting one as well.
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The question is, what authority do elders of a church actually have over the lives of churchgoers? I've heard you say that the
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Bible doesn't give them the authority to require a work to come to the Lord's table, for example, masks, but what authority does it give them?
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Is it biblical for them to say you can't take communion outside the church building? Do you believe the sacraments should only be administered by ordained elders?
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And if so, what is the basis for that? Yeah, so I think, so the multi -part question.
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So the first one about, it's not biblical for them to require work, I should be more specific there.
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So as far as biblical commands, they can certainly require people to obey biblical commands.
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So what I mean is, you know, if the Bible commands you not to have sex with another man and you're a man, then they can hold you to that because that's a scriptural command.
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It's a law of God. If you're rejecting the law of God, they have the, they have the actually not only the authority, but also the obligation to confront you,
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Matthew 18, and to plead with you and to take, you know, and to eventually excommunicate you, which means you cannot take communion.
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You can't partake in the body and blood of Jesus. So that's their primary authority over the life of a
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Christian. They can decide who's in and who's out. The Bible says that, that whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven.
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Whatever you loose on earth shall have been bound, loosed, I'm sorry, in heaven. And so they're making those proclamations of eternal significance.
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And so, so the mask thing, that's a fake law, right? They can't require you to do stupid stuff to take communion when
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God hasn't spoken. Like if they said, hey, you got to take communion, but in order to do it, when you come here, you got to hop on one leg and say, dooble, dooble, dooble, before you take communion.
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Well, they couldn't do that because that's not, that's not in the scripture, right? They don't have the authority to make stuff up is my point there.
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So that's where I meant they don't have the authority to require things of you, but they actually do have the authority over, you know, whether or not you're, you're, you're a member of the body of Christ based on your beliefs, your works, your faith.
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Show me your faith by your works. If your works are all wicked and evil, um, then you don't have faith.
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And the, the, the, the minister has the authority because they have the keys of the kingdom to say,
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I just have no, no belief that you're actually a believer in Jesus Christ. You have to leave, right?
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So that's where their authority really lies. It lies in sort of the, the, the, um, the proclamation of whether or not you're saved essentially, whether or not you're in the kingdom of God.
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Now the authority over your life, it's, it's, it's very narrow in that way though.
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Cause like, imagine if a pastor started saying, okay, well, you know, when, when you spank your children, you have to use three spanks and a belt and they started getting real specific and weird about it.
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They wouldn't have that authority, right? They have the authority to require you to discipline your kids, of course, but they don't have the authority to tell you how to discipline your kids at all.
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They also don't have the authority to tell what job you take, right? Like where you, you know, where you work or stuff like that.
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Like, yeah, if you're working at a, like a porn store or you're a stripper or something like that, that's different.
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They have, they have the authority whether or not to, you're in the church and something like that. But beyond that, beyond these very narrow areas that the
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Bible specifically addresses, they don't have lots of authority. I think that personally,
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I believe that the sacraments should be administered by an elder, ideally. Um, I can see extreme circumstances where that might not be the case.
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Um, and where I would get that from the Bible is again, when Jesus gives the keys of the kingdom, uh, you know, to the apostles and, you know, then that's kind of transferred to the elders and stuff like that, um, the ability to partake in the body and blood of Christ.
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And that kind of ceremony, uh, is part and parcel of, you know, the keys of the kingdom, who's in and who's out binding and loosing, that's where I would draw that, but I don't think that if there's extenuating circumstances, like for example, like let's say, you know, you, you get, you, you, you're on a deserted
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Island, you get, you crash into a deserted Island. Uh, can you never take communion again? I'll, I don't think so.
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Um, so I hope that helps. And, um, it's a very, very good question. It's a very relevant question, especially these days regarding all the vaccine stuff, they definitely do not have the authority to require you to take a vaccine or anything like that.
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That's not biblical. It's not in the scripture. Um, and, um, yeah, I think, I think,
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I think we all get the point here. And if that doesn't answer the question, by the way, message me and I'll try to answer it more specifically.
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God bless. All right. Couple more, couple more. How did you become post -millennial? And what were the most compelling reasons that led you to believe the
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Bible teaches post -millennial eschatology? What eschatology did you hold to previously? You know, I don't really know exactly how
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I became post -millennial, but what I will say is that I read quite a bit of post -millennial content and I just was extremely attracted to the positivity.
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The, the, the, um, the confidence in Christ that was just exuding from these works,
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I think, you know, part of it was reading the Psalms and how often the Psalms speak of victory and all of that kind of stuff.
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Um, I, I think it just kind of happened naturally like that before I was post -millennial, I just kind of believe the typical kind of left behind type stuff, um, to a certain degree.
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Um, but I was never really that convinced of it. I just, just really all I knew. So, um, sorry, my answer is not going to be very good there.
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I just, I just really was attracted to the, the, the, the style of the post -millennials and as I read their arguments, they made sense.
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And I saw it in the Psalms. I saw it in the new Testament and the gospels, all that kind of stuff.
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Um, Gary DeMar was probably the, the person who had the most influence on me in that regard.
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Gary DeMar stuff on the end times is so good. Just Google it, you know, YouTube it.
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Um, he's got books out on that. Amazing, amazing stuff. Gary DeMar is probably the one man.
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If I, if I had to pick one who had, uh, an influence on me in that regard. Okay.
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Somebody says this, I'm reading the excellent book. You recommended productive Christians in an age of guilt manipulators.
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I realize this doesn't mean you agree with everything that says in the book, but he does still advocate tithing today.
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Have you any thoughts on this? Yeah, I think tithing is a good thing to do today. Uh, I wouldn't want to hold someone to the law in that regard because I do think it was a ceremonial law.
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Um, but I do think that if you're, if you're not tithing, um, or giving to your church in any way, first of all, if you're not giving to your church in any way, you're in clear violation of the scripture.
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Um, as far as the tithe, is it an actual 10 %? I know the arguments for it and I know the arguments against it.
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I tend to fall towards the for it because there was a tithe before the law was given and all of that kind of stuff.
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I think it's a tithe on the net, not the gross. I think that the law of God specifically talks about that.
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It's a tithe on the increase, not the total, um, revenue that you're getting. Um, but I'm not,
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I'm pretty squish on it because I definitely understand the arguments against the tithe, uh, these days as well.
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And so, um, so I, I personally believe that I, I still do tithe and I believe that I should, um, and I think, um,
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I would probably recommend people tithe. Um, but I would not hold your feet to the fire there, if that makes sense, because I do think that the arguments about it being ceremonial to a large degree, make some sense.
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I don't land there because of the tithe that was established before all that, but there it is.
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Um, very good question. And again, I feel squishy, but that's just the reality. That's the reality on it.
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So, um, but anyway, yeah. So I think in that book, he kind of makes it a matter of law.
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And with that, I disagree. Uh, okay, cool. Last one. Every year, the rabbit room hosts a gathering in Nashville to bring
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Christ centered artists and music, art, and story together to celebrate creativity. I've noticed over time, the contributors are liberal leaning.
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And this year, Russell Moore is a keynote speaker. His topic is why we need fiction for moral formation.
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Knowing what I know about him, there's no way I would want to join this community. Why is the artistic community?
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Why is it that the artistic community leans left all in the name of Christ centeredness, mind you. Great question.
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And actually we spoke about this on the, uh, Patreon hangout.
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Uh, last month, which was really fun. It was just three of us. We had a good, good conversation. And the, one of the guys on the call actually had a great answer for this.
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And I wanted to share it with you. I felt like this was a super insightful, uh, answer. He basically said that, that the people on the left have narratives that are very effective, but they don't have truth on their side.
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So they'll tell stories, but the stories are based in lies. They're based in falsehoods. And so the only way for them to convince people, since they don't have the truth on their side is through story.
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And so they have to get really, really good at the story. And so all their time goes into crafting these narratives and stories and, and being creative with it and stuff like that, because out of necessity, because they don't have the truth on their side.
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Now for conservatives, we do often have the truth on our side. I mean, theological conservatives and sometimes even political conservatives as well, we do have the truth on our side and we fall into this trap where it's like, well, all that matters is the truth.
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And that's actually not correct. The truth is important and it should be all that matters, but the way people are, the way we think the story and the narrative matters as well.
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And so conservatives, while they have the truth on their side, we can't just show someone data and expect them to believe it.
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Like the whole thing with the COVID stuff, right? You could show someone the data about, wow, you know, this has a great survival rate.
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This is really a fantastic situation because if I get it, I'm going to survive most likely and, um, and that's really good.
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Uh, and so that should be enough to convince most people to not shut down their business, to not freak out, stuff like that, but that's not enough for most people, right?
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They need the narrative as well. And so we have to spend more time working on our narratives, working on our, on our art to promote these kinds of in creative ways, how this information is presented.
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And I think we're getting better at that over time, but the liberals, the leftists, that's all they have.
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So they have to spend all their time there because the truth is not on their side. I thought that was very insightful.
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I don't know what you guys think about that, but I think that that strikes me as it might be correct there. I like that. I like that.
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But anyway, uh, I did want to thank you guys again. Thank you so much for supporting the channel. Um, you know,
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I couldn't obviously do this without the support. And so I thank you so much. We will do another Patreon Q and a in August.
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We'll do another hangout in August. Uh, and then yeah, we'll see where it goes. By the way, if I ever don't actually answer your question here, because sometimes there's like a few parts of the question, and so if I'm not getting it for some reason, which
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I definitely have that, I definitely can not see what your real question is sometimes. Um, message me and I'll try to,