This Ain't It

On this week's episode, we unpack Lillia Ellis's Christian Century piece "Spectator Violence is a Form of Moral Injury," sparked by the recent attempted assassination at the White House Correspondent's Dinner. Why does an NPR poll show 30% of Americans now believe political violence may be necessary? What does Simone Weil's writing on the Iliad tell us about how violence dehumanizes the oppressor as much as the victim? And why is "the boy who cried wolf" energy creeping into how we react to attempts on people's lives? From there, the conversation pulls in Hannah Arendt, Steve Bannon's "flood the zone" strategy, Joseph Goebbels quotes that hit way too close to home, and James Baldwin's most disturbing short story (you've been warned). Matt and Melissa dig into how authoritarianism doesn't need you to believe the lie, it just needs you too exhausted to look for the truth. Plus why education and critical thinking are the actual antidote, why you should always read the graffiti when you travel, and dispatches from Puerto Rico's far-right government gutting their universities. It wraps with the most unhinged customer service email Melissa has ever received about her y'allainright.co store, involving dozens of postcards, a stranger's mailbox, and one very confused recipient who may or may not be in the Epstein files. Mentioned in this episode: Lillia Ellis (Christian Century), Simone Weil's "The Iliad, or the Poem of Force," Hannah Arendt, Lillian Smith, James Baldwin's "Going to Meet the Man," Sinclair Lewis's It Can't Happen Here, and Daniel Immerwahr's How to Hide an Empire.

This week, Melissa and Matt dig into the ongoing entanglement of the Trump administration and Christianity — and why it should bother everyone, especially right after Easter. From Pete Hegseth reading a fake Bible verse pulled from Pulp Fiction at a Pentagon prayer service and comparing the press to Pharisees, to Paula White-Cain telling Trump at Easter lunch that his suffering mirrors Christ's, to Hegseth drawing parallels between a military rescue and the Resurrection, to Trump posting an AI image of himself as Jesus, the lines between political power and faith keep getting blurred. Then we get into the escalating public feud between Trump and Pope Leo XIV, including Trump's claim that Leo only became pope because of him, Vice President Vance telling the pope to be careful when speaking on theology, and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops pushing back by reminding everyone that the pope isn't freelancing — he's drawing on a thousand years of church teaching on just war. It's a lot. Buckle up. NPR article: https://www.npr.org/2026/04/15/nx-s1-5779690/pope-leo-donald-trump-war-iran-vance-history 

It's Holy Week, and Matt reads a piece he wrote last year exploring the political and revolutionary dimensions of Jesus's final week in Jerusalem. Drawing on Howard Thurman's Jesus and the Disinherited, Diana Butler Bass, and Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan's The Last Week, the conversation digs into what "Hosanna" actually means — not a shout of praise but a cry for salvation — and why Jesus's entry into Jerusalem was a deliberate counter-protest to Roman imperial power. They explore how Jesus's first sermon in Luke 4 pointed to the Year of Jubilee, how the "domination system" of political oppression, economic exploitation, and religious legitimation carries into the present, and why growing up Southern Baptist meant missing much of this context. Melissa pushes back, asks questions, and keeps things grounded. They wrap up by sharing what's keeping them sane right now — baseball, hammock weather, bird watching, a dense Irish novel, and the importance of stepping away from the news cycle for your mental health. Books & Authors Mentioned: Howard Thurman – Jesus and the Disinherited; Marcus Borg & John Dominic Crossan – The Last Week; Diana Butler Bass – Christianity for the Rest of Us, Freeing Jesus; Lillian Smith – Killers of the Dream; Anna Burns – Milkman

They want you to think the SAVE Act is about showing your ID when you vote. It's not. It's about requiring documentary proof of U.S. citizenship just to register — and when you actually read the bill, the implications are staggering. Your driver's license doesn't prove citizenship. A passport does, but roughly half of Americans don't have one. Changed your name when you got married? You'd need to produce a paper trail connecting your birth certificate to your current ID. Nearly 21 million voting-age citizens don't have a current driver's license. More than 3.8 million don't have the required documents at all. And Kansas already tried this — a nearly identical law blocked over 31,000 eligible voters while catching fewer than 30 non-citizens. Melissa and Matt walk through the Constitution, the history of voter suppression in this country from poll taxes to literacy tests, and the exposed math showing that this bill would actually hurt Republican voters more than Democrats. They break down the lies fueling the whole thing, why Trump is holding DHS funding hostage over it, and the part of the bill almost nobody is talking about — the voter roll purges that could remove you without notice. The episode closes with the Declaration of Sentiments from 1848 and a reminder that the right to vote has never been given freely in this country. It has always been fought for. Every single time. SHOWNOTES: The Hill opinion piece New York Times article about Kansas' similar law BipartisanPolicy.org - 5 Things to Know About the SAVE Act SAVE Act - full text of bill Check Your Voter Registration    

In Episode 26 of This Ain't It, Melissa and Matt dive into the aftermath of the Texas Democratic Senate primary, where James Talirico defeated Jasmine Crockett to become the Democratic candidate. The hosts explore the backlash Talirico has faced from conservative Christian media outlets, including a Christian Post article listing six supposedly "blasphemous" theological takes from the candidate. Melissa and Matt break down each controversy — from Talirico's statement that God is non-binary, to his claim that some of his atheist colleagues in the Texas legislature are more Christ-like than self-proclaimed Christians, to his victory speech comparing his campaign to Jesus flipping tables in the temple. The conversation goes deeper into the tension between progressive and evangelical Christianity, examining how critics from the religious right are labeling Talirico a "false teacher" while ignoring that his views align with mainstream Protestant theology shared by millions of Presbyterians, Methodists, Episcopalians, and others. Matt pulls from the Sermon on the Mount, MLK's Letter from Birmingham Jail, and Thoreau's Civil Disobedience to contextualize the discussion. The hosts also touch on the broader issue of theological gatekeeping, the "country club church" mentality, legalism versus authentic faith, race and the Black Lives Matter movement, and why empathy seems to be in short supply.

Eschatology, the study of the end times, isn't just a Sunday School topic anymore. It's shaping military rhetoric, command structures, and foreign policy. When the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, Matthew's first thought wasn't about geopolitics. It was about the end-times ideology driving some of the people in power right now. This week, Matthew and Melissa are joined by Reverend Timothy Garvin-Leighton, pastor at the Church of the Pilgrimage in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Tim has taught classes on eschatology across Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, and he brings serious academic depth to a conversation that desperately needs it. The episode opens with Pete Hegseth's Pentagon briefing quote about Iran being "hell bent on prophetic Islamist illusions" and a leaked letter from a military NCO describing how their commanding officer told troops that the Iran strikes were "all part of God's divine plan" and that "President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon." Multiple complaints were filed with the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. From there, the conversation goes deep: What is dispensationalism and where did it come from? Who was John Nelson Darby and why is his 1800s theology shaping American foreign policy? What are the seven dispensations? Why are evangelicals so committed to the modern state of Israel, and what does that have to do with John Hagee, red heifers, the third temple, and the settler movement? How do Jewish, Christian, and Islamic eschatology mirror each other in surprising ways? Why do some believers think they can speed up the end times through military conflict? Is Trump the Antichrist? And what does any of this have to do with the rapture, a concept that most biblical scholars trace back to the Latin translation of a single word? Tim also walks through the "prophecy checklist" that dispensationalists use, including the wild phonetic system that maps ancient biblical place names onto modern Russia, and explains why reading Revelation literally creates a dangerous feedback loop between theology and policy. The episode closes with Tim sharing how he scrapped his Sunday sermon after the Iran strikes and preached instead on Matthew 5:9 ("Blessed are the peacemakers") because in a moment when end-times theology is being used to justify war, the most important Christian witness might just be making peace. Referenced in this episode: Jonathan Larsen's Substack article on military officers invoking Armageddon theology Joe Smith Substack article  Merch & more: yallaintright.co  

What does it really mean to "take the Lord's name in vain"? If you grew up in a Southern Baptist church like us, you were probably taught it was all about not saying "oh my God" or using God's name as a cuss word. But the deeper meaning of the Third Commandment goes far beyond language. It's about invoking God's name to justify power, violence, injustice, and personal ambition. In this episode, we dig into the Hebrew meaning behind Exodus 20:7, explore fiery passages from the prophets (Amos, Isaiah, Micah, and Jeremiah), and read from the Jewish Study Bible to uncover what the commandment was actually warning against: carrying God's name in a false, empty, or deceitful way. We discuss articles from Russell Moore and the Baptist Standard that connect this ancient commandment to modern Christian nationalism, and look at examples from political figures like Mike Johnson, Ted Cruz, and Donald Trump who have claimed divine backing for political power. Whether it's slapping God's name on a Bible to sell, storming a Capitol with "Jesus Saves" flags, or silencing abuse victims in the name of protecting the church's mission, we argue this is where the real violation of the Third Commandment lives. Referenced in this episode: Russell Moore's article on taking the Lord's name in vain (Christianity Today) Daniel Camp's article in the Baptist Standard (post-January 6th) Kevin Considine's article in US Catholic (September 2023) Jeremiah 23, Amos 5, Isaiah 1 & 10 & 29, Micah 3 & 6, Matthew 23 Merch & more: yallaintright.co

⚠️ Trigger warning: This episode discusses sexual abuse. No graphic details are shared. The Epstein files are everywhere right now, but we're not here to rehash the headlines. Instead, we're using this moment to ask a bigger question: why does the church have such a long history of protecting powerful men and silencing the people they hurt? We dig into the stories of David and Bathsheba, Tamar, and the Levite's concubine, passages that rarely get preached the way they should, and draw a straight line from biblical power dynamics to the modern church's abuse crisis, from the Catholic Church to the SBC to John MacArthur. Along the way, we talk about what the Old Testament law actually says versus what happened, what Benjamin Cremer's viral Instagram series gets right about how we preach David, and why Jesus modeled something completely different. We wrap up with what we think the church can actually do about it, and Matt shares a playlist of punk and riot grrrl songs, because sometimes you need a soundtrack for your righteous anger. Scripture Referenced: 2 Samuel 11-13, Judges 19-21, Leviticus 20:10, Exodus 21:12, Deuteronomy 22:22 Mentioned: Benjamin Cremer (@brcremer) post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DUtzPmEiU5x/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==  Music Mentioned: Dessa (Fire Drills), Bikini Kill (White Boy), Team Dresch, Le Tigre, Fea (Mujer Moderna) Christianity Today - Grace Community Church Rejected Elder's Calls to 'Do Justice' in Abuse Case  

In this episode, Melissa and Matthew dive into the 74th National Prayer Breakfast, recapping Trump's speech, Pete Hegseth's controversial remarks, and the troubling history behind the event itself. They break down Trump's claims about rising church attendance and Bible sales, and his comments about heaven, as well as Hegseth's speech declaring America a "Christian nation," his use of Mark 8 to frame U.S. soldiers as spiritual warriors, and the crusader imagery he continues to embrace. Drawing on Jeff Sharlet's work on "The Family" and the prayer breakfast's origins as a lobbying tool, they explore the blurred lines between faith and politics. They also discuss the "America Prays" initiative, prayer in schools, and the separation of church and state.    SHOW NOTES: The State of Church Attendance Trends and Statistics At National Prayer Breakfast, Hegseth Says US Soldiers Gain Salvation by Dying for 'Christian Nation' How the National Prayer Breakfast Offers Foreign Lobbyists a Chance to "Pay to Play" Trump Launches 'America Pray's Initiative  Sing A Little Louder by Penny Lea Support the pod and confuse your church friends. Y'all Ain't Right merch available at www.yallaintright.co

In this episode, we dig into what's happening at the Department of Health and Human Services, and why it should worry anyone who cares about science, public health, or basic reality. We break down RFK Jr.'s role as HHS Secretary, from vaccine policy rollbacks and autism misinformation to fluoride removal, CDC shakeups, and the quiet erosion of evidence-based public health guidance. We talk measles outbreaks, Project 2025's fingerprints all over federal health policy, and why anti-intellectualism isn't just a talking point, it's a governing strategy. We also unpack the "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) movement: how wellness influencers, supplement grifters, conflicts of interest, and AI-generated policy reports are shaping real-world decisions that affect kids, schools, water systems, and marginalized communities. Along the way, we discuss reproductive health, Medicaid access, LGBTQ+ health data erasure, and why selective skepticism always seems to punch down. This isn't about blind trust in pharmaceutical companies or the healthcare system: we're critical of those too. It's about what happens when pseudoscience, personal beliefs, and political agendas replace research, expertise, and long-term thinking.   SHOW NOTES: CDC removal of databases on sexual orientation, gender identity sparks alarm Trump administration shuts down LGBTQ youth suicide hotline Project 2025 a threat to public health www.yallaintright.co        

This week on This Ain't It, we ask does protesting really change anything? As events continue to unfold in Minneapolis, we talk about the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, the demand for "peace" in moments of injustice, and why protest is so often dismissed or criminalized. We dig into the language used by those in power, the role of public witness, and what history—from the civil rights movement to today—shows us about how change actually happens.  If you're feeling torn between exhaustion and responsibility, between cynicism and hope, this episode sits right in that tension.   SHOW NOTES: Minnesota Timberwolves Chaplain Matt Moberg's Statement Aljazeera.com - US Witnessed Many ICE-related deaths in 2026. Here Are Their Stories.  

This week, we wrestle with a story that sparked outrage across political and religious lines: protesters interrupting a church service led by a pastor connected to ICE. What follows isn't a clean answer, but a hard conversation about protest, power, and the uneasy space where faith, law, and morality collide. We talk through Romans 13, Christian nationalism, and the way scripture is often used to demand obedience while excusing harm. Along the way, we examine the idea of "sacred spaces," historical examples of protest in and around churches, and whether legality and morality ever truly line up. This episode holds tension on purpose—between understanding and disagreement, conviction and discomfort—and asks what faith requires when systems of power claim God's authority for themselves.   SHOW NOTES: NPR article on church protests arrests FACE Act Friendly Atheist - The anti-ICE protest at a Minnesota church was a justified rebuke of the pastor's cruelty Pastor Blesses ICE, Asks God to "Break the Teeth" of ICE's opponents    

This week on This Ain't It, we devote the episode to ICE—how it was created, what it has become, and why its current tactics are creating fear rather than safety. Following the killing of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, we step back to look at the agency's origins after 9/11, its rapidly expanding budget, and the escalation of raids far beyond their legal scope. We talk about warrantless arrests, conflicting orders during raids, the surge of heavily armed federal agents into American cities, and the lack of oversight surrounding ICE recruitment and training. We also examine how fear is being used as a political tool—how intimidation replaces enforcement, and why terrorizing communities is not the same as protecting the public. Drawing on history, journalism, faith, and political theory, we wrestle with hard questions: what law and order actually mean, who the Constitution protects, whether ICE can be reformed or must be dismantled, and what responsibility ordinary people have when the state abandons its own limits. This is a heavy conversation, but a necessary one—about power, fear, and what happens when violence is justified in the name of security.

This week, we unpack the U.S. military operation in Venezuela and the capture of Nicolás Maduro, not as a breaking-news spectacle, but as part of a much longer story. We talk about America's history of intervention in Latin America and beyond, why so many people are cheering this moment as "strength," and what gets ignored when power replaces diplomacy. From oil and sanctions to immigration narratives, drug trafficking claims, and selective outrage about legality, we ask what it means when the rules suddenly don't matter—and who pays the price when they don't. This conversation connects history, faith, empire, and memory: how quickly we forget past interventions, how language is used to sanitize violence, and why "no U.S. casualties" is never the whole story. We also wrestle with the moral questions underneath it all—what responsibility looks like, what loving your neighbor actually demands, and why long-term consequences rarely factor into short-term celebrations. As always, this isn't about defending dictators or excusing abuse. It's about refusing to flatten complex realities into slogans—and insisting on critical thinking when it matters most. Books, article, and poem mentioned: How to Hide an Empire Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present Grenada Revisted Mark Twain's The War Prayer      

For our final episode of the year, we step back from the headlines to focus on the people who've been showing up anyway. Inspired by John Lewis's call to make "good trouble" and Fred Rogers' reminder to look for the helpers, we reflect on the groups and individuals who have resisted harm, protected their communities, and quietly done the work of care in a hard year. We talk about parents, students, clergy, librarians, journalists, judges, organizers, and everyday neighbors who stepped in when systems failed—especially around immigration, free speech, public knowledge, and basic human needs. Along the way, we wrestle with what faithful resistance actually looks like, the limits of persuasion, and why actions matter more than statements. We end by reflecting on faith, courage, and responsibility—what it means to call yourself a Christian in moments that demand more than comfort, and how change often happens slowly, relationally, and out of sight. As we look toward the year ahead, we ask a simple but challenging question: what are the things we can no longer accept, and how are we willing to help change them? Bless your heart—we made it to the end of the year.   SHOW NOTES: Christian Century - When Caesar Gets Demanding Christian Century - Imagining the Grace to Come Christian Century - Auschwitz Absolution poem Matthew's blog posts: The Quotidian and the Reproduction of Hate How Do We Look at Ourselves in the Mirror? Action vs Apathy in Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These    

This week on This Ain't It, we dig into health care—how we got here, why it works the way it does in the United States, and who gets left behind when coverage is treated as optional instead of essential. We talk through the current news around expiring ACA subsidies, rising premiums, and what it actually means for families who already live paycheck to paycheck. From there, the conversation zooms out into the history of American health insurance, how employer-based coverage became the norm, and why the U.S. broke from other developed countries that chose universal care. We also wrestle with the moral and theological questions underneath it all: what Scripture says about caring for the sick, why GoFundMe has become a stand-in for compassion, and whether health care should be considered a human right or a market privilege. Along the way, we reflect on our own experiences with insurance, life abroad, and the disconnect between political talking points and real-world consequences. It's a conversation about policy, power, faith, and what it says about a society when access to care depends on employment, income, or luck.   SHOW NOTES: History.com - How Health Insurance Got Its Start in America Matthew's blog posts: The History Kept Hidden from Me The Costs of Graduate School and Healthcare

This week on This Ain't It, we're finally diving into a topic we've circled for months: immigration. We look at what's actually happening right now—from canceled citizenship ceremonies to political rhetoric about who "belongs"—and how fear has become the driving force behind so much of the national conversation. From the long, expensive maze of the legal immigration process to the economic realities most people never hear about, we talk through why so many Americans misunderstand how the system works. We also trace the deeper historical patterns behind today's policies and the ways racial hierarchy has shaped U.S. immigration law for more than a century. And then we turn to scripture. We explore the Bible's consistent commands about welcoming the stranger, the refugee experiences of figures throughout the biblical story, and the tension between "law and order" arguments and the biblical witness that often celebrates civil disobedience for the sake of protecting life. It all builds to a central question: what does faithful, humane treatment of immigrants actually look like? Bless your heart… this one is packed.   SHOW NOTES: Immigrants kept from Faneuil Hall citizenship ceremony as feds crackdown nationwide United States Conference of Catholic Bishops - Why Don't Unauthorized Migrants Come Here Legally?  How Undocumented Immigrants Contribute to Our Economy Matthew's blog post: Amidst the Cruelty, Where Do You Stand? Baptist News Global - Dobson group blasts bishops' 'radical' message of love for immigrants Baptist News Global - Homan defies Scripture and church in defense of immigration policy    

This week on This Ain't It, we're talking about the newest culture-war claim: that empathy is dangerous, unbiblical, or even a sin. Starting with 2 Thessalonians and the recent headlines about "empathy as a Christian battleground," we look at how compassion got politicized — and why some Christians are working so hard to separate love from empathy. We also dig into how scripture actually treats compassion, what Jesus models in his own ministry, and why conversations about empathy always seem to circle back to immigration, poverty, and power. From boundary-setting to bad theology, we unpack what's really going on underneath the anti-empathy movement — and what's at stake when Christians start treating care like a liability.   SHOW NOTES Axios - "Empathy is the New Christian battleground" AP - "Can empathy lead to sin? Some conservative Christians argue it can." Matthew's blog post: "What Is Our Obligation to Others?" Straight White American Jesus - It's in the Code ep 146: "Empathy is...What, Exactly?" The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander Film: "13"  

This week on This Ain't It, we're digging into national Christianity (a bit different than Christian nationalism), Pentecost, and why so many American churches still resist the radical inclusion the early church was built on. We talk through Mac Loftin's critique of "national Christianity," the idea that faith in the U.S. has become a national identity instead of a global one, and why some American Christians act like they own Christianity itself. We also dive into W. Benjamin Boswell's Pentecost sermon and what it means that the Spirit was poured out on all flesh. From the Babylon Bee dismissing Christians killed in Gaza to churches gatekeeping who "counts," we wrestle with the difference between the church we inherited and the church Pentecost calls us to be. Bless your heart… this one has fire.   SHOW NOTES: For the Facing of this Hour: Preaching that Resists White Christian Nationalism by Benjamin Boswell The Christian Century - The Blasphemy of National Christianity by Mac Loftin Sojourners Dynamics of Faith by Paul Tillich

This week on This Ain't It, we're sitting with the Beatitudes and asking a simple but uncomfortable question: Are we actually "blessed"? From Russell Moore recalling pastors being accused of "liberal talking points" for quoting Jesus, to 30,000 Charlotte students staying home out of fear of immigration raids, we talk about what happens when compassion gets labeled as weakness. We dig into W. Benjamin Boswell's sermon How to Be Blessed, written during the 2017 Muslim ban but still painfully relevant today. We talk about why so many churches have twisted "blessing" into wealth and status, how the Puritan work ethic shaped today's bootstrap theology, and why individualism keeps separating faith from the care Jesus commanded. We also get into churches turning people away for baby formula, the myth of laziness in capitalism, Ludwig Müller rewriting the Beatitudes for Nazi Germany, and why empathy is one of the first casualties when a culture slips toward authoritarianism. And finally, we read Boswell's modern Beatitudes — blessings for refugees, immigrants, disabled people, Black and brown lives, Muslims, mourners, and all who stand for dignity — and wrestle with where we see ourselves in them.   SHOW NOTES: For the Facing of this Hour: Preaching that Resists White Christian Nationalism by Benjamin Boswell A Church Undone: Documents from the German Christian Faith Movement, 1932-1940 by Mary M. Solberg Axios - Charlotte Faith Leaders Push Back on Trump's Immigration Agenda NPR - Russell Moore on 'an altar call' for Evangelical America Propublica - "Ticking Time Bomb": A Pregnant Mother Kept Getting Sicker. She Died After She Couldn't Get an Abortion in Texas.  Huffpost - A Woman Tested Faith Centers' Willingness To Donate Formula. What She Found Says A Lot About Charity In The U.S.

This week on This Ain't It, we're diving into the wild claim making the rounds online: that women have "ruined" the workplace. A New York Times podcast and a viral essay insist that empathy, emotional awareness, and accountability are destroying American institutions so we pulled the receipts, the history, and the Bible verses they conveniently left out. From Paul's actual teachings on equality to the long, complicated road women have walked to even enter the workforce, we unpack the sexist logic behind blaming women for everything from HR complaints to "wokeness." We talk tradwife nostalgia, toxic femininity, why "emotions" only seem to be a problem when women have them, and how patriarchy still shapes the workplace. We also dig into the history of women's labor, wage gaps, the Equal Rights Amendment's long fight, intersectionality, and why calls for women to "pick a part-time job so they can have babies" are insulting. If you've ever been told women are too emotional to lead, too empathetic to manage, or too "woke" to belong in positions of power, bless your heart… this episode has thoughts. Articles We Talked About: The New York Times: Did Liberal Feminism Ruin the Workplace? The Atlantic: No, Women Aren't the Problem Books Mentioned: The First Paul by Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde Red Valkyries by Kristen Ghodsee Motherland by Julia Ioffe  

This week on This Ain't It, we're talking about the "s" word—no, not that one, the other one: socialism. We dig into what terms like "socialism," "communism," and "democratic socialism" actually mean—and how they've been twisted into scare words by decades of American politics. From McCarthyism's lingering playbook to today's online outrage machine, we trace how fear and misinformation keep shaping how Americans think about fairness, freedom, and community. We also talk about Norway's social democracy, why universal childcare shouldn't be controversial, and the lost art of critical thinking in a viral world. And we end with a possum story, because some weeks you just need to laugh so you don't cry. Bless your heart, this one's got range.

In this episode of This Ain't It, we talk about hunger, hypocrisy, and what happens when politics collides with basic human need. With SNAP benefits set to be slashed during the government shutdown, we dig into what that really means for families, grocery stores, and local economies and why Christians can't ignore the call to "feed the poor," no qualifiers attached. From Bible verses in Exodus and Matthew to the hard math of minimum wage and food insecurity, we connect the dots between faith, policy, and the myth that churches alone can shoulder the nation's hunger crisis. We also talk food deserts, Walmart wages, and practical ways you can help. Bless your heart, it's about time we put compassion back on the menu.   Show Notes: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's brief on SNAP work requirements: https://stateofchildhoodobesity.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/rwjf473381.pdf John Oliver on SNAP: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3muIqABbrY8 John Oliver on the Big Beautiful Bill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjFL-cBcjKc Food Bank Database: https://whyhunger.org/find-food/#hotline

In this episode of This Ain't It, we dig into the myth of Christian persecution and why so many believers in the U.S. have been convinced they're under attack. From Bible verses twisted to justify power to media and political elites fanning fears for clicks and votes, we unpack how the "we're being silenced" narrative took hold, and what it's really covering for. We talk about missionary martyrdom stories, the Columbine myth that became Christian marketing, and the way victimhood gives people moral permission to harm others in the name of faith. We also look at how this persecution complex feeds white Christian nationalism, conspiracy thinking, and performative politics that have little to do with the Gospel. Bless your heart, this one might step on some toes.

Praise music, punk protest, and why artists keep ringing alarms we ignore — a playlist episode about worship, politics, and speaking up. We pulled up a chair, hit play, and let the music do the talking. This week on This Ain't It, we talk worship music's performative side, why polished praise can sometimes feel like emotional manipulation, and how artists — from punk bands to country rebels — call out the very systems faith communities often gloss over. We walk through a playlist that runs from 1980s punk to the newest protest songs: why Fear's Let's Have a War still lands, why Bad Religion's American Jesus bites at the heart of Christian-nationalist myths, and why modern singers are shouting "Speak" at a world that too often stays quiet. Along the way we talk about hymns and the megachurch productions that make us suspicious and argue for music as a kind of prophecy (or at least Matthew does).  It's part music nerd-out, part theology class, and all kitchen-table honesty. Bless your heart—turn up the volume, this one has teeth. SHOW NOTES: Spotify playlist of the songs we talked about: https://spotify.link/NL5ookDwxXb Body Piercing Saved My Life - the book Matthew mentioned Hillsong Documentary  

In this episode of This Ain't It, we dig into Banned Books Week and what it reveals about our culture's fears. From Texas schools using AI to remove classics like To Kill a Mockingbird and Frederick Douglass's memoir, to ongoing fights over what belongs in classrooms, we explore how censorship shapes both students and society. We also tackle the bigger questions: What's the real purpose of education? Where's the line between teaching and indoctrination? And how do we raise kids who can think critically in a world flooded with misinformation and propaganda? Bless your heart, it's complicated—but we've got thoughts.   Show Notes: The BookRiot article we talked about: https://bookriot.com/leander-sb-13/ Gender Queer: https://bookshop.org/p/books/gender-queer-a-memoir-maia-kobabe/e0187f83093ae9b7?ean=9781549304002&next=t&next=t&affiliate=1688 Out of Darkness: https://bookshop.org/p/books/out-of-darkness-ashley-hope-p-rez/6871f9c349b12762?ean=9780823445035&next=t  Matthew's article on "Why Do You Fear Education?": https://interminablerambling.medium.com/why-do-you-fear-education-why-we-must-imagine-a-new-world-9de5a5990df0  

In this episode of This Ain't It, we wade straight into the deep end: Christian nationalism, or as Matthew is starting to call it—Christian fascism. We unpack Jason Stanley's framework for fascism, talk about how words like "patriotism" and "nationalism" get twisted, and why those buzzwords are doing more damage than most church folks want to admit. From Puritan predestination to prosperity gospel, from Jefferson's cut-up Bible to modern-day attempts to rewrite history, we trace how faith and power keep getting tangled up. Along the way, we swap stories about flags in churches, misplaced pride, and why remembering the ugly parts of our past is the only way to make sure they don't come back around. Bless your heart, it's not light listening—but it's real, and we've got thoughts. SHOW NOTES: How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them --Jason Stanley "Why I Started Using Christian Fascism Instead of Christian Nationalism" "Christianity, Ross Barnett, and White Supremacy" "The Dangers of Preaching the Persecution of Christians in the United States" "The Dangers of Preaching the Persecution of Christians in the United States Continued"

In this episode of This Ain't It, Melissa and Matt start with James 3 and dive into why words matter—from the power of the tongue in Scripture to the way political strategists, preachers, and influencers weaponize language today. We unpack how marketing teams craft messages to stir emotions, how coded dog whistles shape politics, and why biblical texts have been used to justify both justice and oppression. Along the way, we share stories from church life, debate whether Jesus could be called a "socialist" or even a "terrorist" to the Roman Empire, and talk about the importance of discernment in a world where everything is branded and sold, including faith. We close with a challenge: step away from the comment sections, talk to real people, and find common ground across divides. Bless your heart, you know we've got thoughts.

In this episode of This Ain't It, Melissa and Matthew dig into the headlines you may have missed—or tried to ignore—over the last couple of weeks. From Trump's bizarre "Help Me Get to Heaven" fundraising email to the tangled mess of Christian nationalism, we talk about why the fruits of the Spirit still matter and how political leaders keep weaponizing faith language. We also dive into the Epstein files, the Speaker of the House's spin, and why the silence around who's implicated tells its own story. Then we shift gears to immigration—pulling from our own experience living abroad and working alongside undocumented folks—to unpack how rhetoric, policy, and prejudice collide in everyday life. It's messy, it's frustrating, and it's not going away anytime soon. Bless your heart, we've got thoughts.

In this debut episode of This Ain't It, Matthew and Melissa open up about their journey from being lifelong Southern Baptists and Republicans to becoming outspoken critics of Christian nationalism and voices for a more inclusive faith. With honesty, humor, and plenty of backstory, they share what led them to leave the Southern Baptist Church, how their perspectives on politics and religion have shifted over time, and why they believe questioning, learning, and evolving are essential parts of faith. From childhood church experiences to the 2016 election, from navigating disagreements in congregations to raising kids who ask big questions, this episode lays the foundation for the conversations to come—about politics, faith, and everything in between.