Stone Choir

The modern world presents many challenges for and to the young man, particularly the young man who would be a Christian. Often men, and particularly young men, may feel that they have been forgotten or written off by society. In today’s episode, we focus on the issues that concern young men — here and now. As Christians, we must contend with the fact that, although we are sons of God and predestined for glory, we yet live in a fallen world plagued by sin, temptation, and suffering. The promises of God always come true, but they do so in His perfect time, not our imperfect one. And so, for the Christians, the question must be twofold: What does God say about these matters? What is our role in these matters? The world offers terrible advice to young men, and so do many of those who not only should know better but also have a duty to offer sound advice. We will try to undo some of that terrible advice and replace it with advice that is both consonant with God’s Word and with the reality of the world we all inhabit. The answer for the Christian man is not withdrawal or despair, but engagement and perseverance. God calls us to be men, so that is what we must do. Subscribe to the podcast here. Show Notes “On the Nature of Woman” “On Sexual Immorality, Temptation, and Marriage” Donate to Stone Choir See Also “Birth Control Pills Affect Women’s Taste in Men” “Abortion” Episode 22: “On Women: Scripture and Ontology” Episode 23: “On Women: Feminism” Episode 30: “Against the Clockwork Universe” Watch Some Chickens Further Reading Proverbs 31 (ESV) Matthew 6 (ESV) The First Commandment, the Large Catechism Parental Warnings These is some frank discussion of sexual matters in this episode, but not in explicit terms. There is a brief discussion of the mechanics of hormonal birth control.

The State is the left hand of Christ; it is that final prepositional phrase — that imports so much of the meaning — that is often ignored. As Christians, the ‘political’ realm is not a realm of indifference or adiaphora — and this is particularly true for Christian men. We are not called to separate ourselves from the world (except with regard to righteous behavior), but to be engaged in the world — put another way: to be in the world but not of the world. Where Christians retreat, Satan advances. The times are evil and the Church must respond accordingly. It is incumbent on the Christian man to do his duty, and such duty most certainly includes a political dimension. So what may Christians do with regard to the kingdom of the left hand? What must we refrain from doing? What is merely permissible? In this episode, we lay the foundation for a series on government, on the political, on the left-hand kingdom. Subscribe to the podcast here. Show Notes Gottesdienst: On Resisting the Government: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 See Also The Magdeburg Confession Further Reading Parental Warnings We discuss capital punishment — primarily in the context of Scripture — in this episode.

The ‘scientific’ consensus is that the Earth is some billions of years old (on the order of four-and-a-half billion years old) and that the Universe is some fourteen or so billion years old. But Scripture paints a different picture. Which may, should, or must the Christian believe? Is the contention of the so-called ‘scientific community’ even reasonable? Which is to say: Does it stand up to scrutiny? Knowledge is warranted true belief, and so it is vitally important to ask upon what warrant the scientists base their beliefs. As we will show in this episode, the Christian position is — unequivocally — that the Earth is ancient in terms of created age and young (some six thousand or so years) in terms of chronological age and that God created all things in six literal, twenty-four-hour days. As to the supposedly ‘scientific’ position? Well, it does not stand up particularly well under scrutiny. Subscribe to the podcast here. Show Notes Hexameron [Wikipedia] See Also “Geochronologically Speaking” “James Tour: The Origin of Life Has Not Been Explained” [YouTube] “James Tour & Stephen Meyer Bring Clarity to the Origin of Life Debate (Ep. 1)” [YouTube] Discover Science [YouTube Channel] “Copying and Pasting Passwords” (Relevant for the math involved in the latter part of the episode.) Creation.com CreationWiki.com Further Reading Cosmic background radiation [Wikipedia] DNA [Wikipedia] RNA [Wikipedia] mRNA [Wikipedia] Chirality [Wikipedia] “The Significance of Chirality in Drug Design and Development” “Nature’s mirror: The code for chirality” “Understanding the Thalidomide Chirality in Biological Processes by the Self-disproportionation of Enantiomers” Amino Acid [Wikipedia] Abiogenesis [Wikipedia] Neo-Darwinism [Wikipedia] Modern Synthesis [Wikipedia] Hard Problem of Consciousness [Wikipedia] Qualia [Wikipedia] Probability [Wikipedia] Blood Clotting “How it all starts: initiation of the clotting cascade” “Coagulation Cascade” Coagulation [Wikipedia] Vision Visual Phototransduction [Wikipedia] “Phototransduction” Labeling of Fertilizer [Wikipedia] Deoxyribose [Wikipedia] Organophosphate [Wikipedia] Books Darwin’s Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution by Michael Behe Theistic Evolution: A Scientific, Philosophical, and Theological Critique edited by J. P. Moreland, et al. Also available on ChristinBook.com. Parental Warnings None.

The podcast dives into the controversial legacy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, comparing him to Martin Luther King Jr. while highlighting the dangers of misinterpreting his teachings. It scrutinizes his denial of core Christian beliefs, revealing a complex and often contradictory theological stance. Key discussions include the nature of Jesus' sinlessness, the implications of the empty tomb, and the concept of religionless Christianity. Listeners are challenged to discern the fine line between faith and ideology, significantly questioning popular theological narratives.

Whether the topic is religion, politics, or something else, a persuasive argument will always be more effective than a merely correct argument. Of course, we must make the truth our goal, but simply having the right conclusion is insufficient, at least if we are attempting to bring others around to our point of view or over to our side. Often, persuasion is a matter of time and patience, but how we go about interacting with others is a key part of whether or not we are effective in our pursuits. Subscribe to the podcast here. Show Notes “Christian Nationalism Is The Only Godly Option” See Also Myth of the 20th Century crossover episode Parental Warnings None.

The existence of one conspiracy theory is not necessarily proof of the existence of any other conspiracy theories. That we have been lied to about a great many things, does not necessarily prove that we have been lied to about all things. It is, regardless of how we may feel about it, necessary to assess truth claims, often necessarily to personally assess them. As Christians, truth is fundamental to our worldview, for our religion rests upon truth claims — verifiable truth claims. This does not mean that we must take a stance or have an opinion on every claim sent forth into the world by other men, but it does mean that we have a duty to hold to the truth when it comes to important claims, and to assess that truth, insofar as we are capable. Under present conditions, we are faced with a great many lies — both of commission and of omission or manipulation; there are those who would have us disbelieve truths and there are those who would have us believe lies — neither outcome is compatible with a proper, Christian view of the world, of reality. How are we to wade through the morass? In this episode, we address a few of the sillier conspiracy theories, and the very serious issues underlying them. Subscribe to the podcast here. Show Notes Buzz Aldrin Talks about the Moon Landing [YouTube] Calculating the Circumference of the Earth: IBM Video Explaining Eratosthenes’ Methods [YouTube] Carl Sagan Explaining Eratosthenes’ Methods [YouTube] Himawari 9: Wikipedia, Live Feed Himawari 8: Live Feed Nuclear Weapons: Smoke Rockets [YouTube] See Also Eratosthenes [Wikipedia] X-Ray Memorial Wikipedia Van Allen Radiation Belts: Wikipedia YouTube Further Reading Flat Earth [Wikipedia] Vanishing Point [Wikipedia] X-rays are referred to as ‘Röntgen rays’ in German, because of this man [Wikipedia]. Parental Warnings None.

The truth does not fear examination. That which is true will hold up under scrutiny. As Christians, we are beholden to believe the truth — no matter how unpopular or unpleasant. Today, we examine one of the foundational myths (read: lies) of the modern world. Virtually all of the evils we see around us today can trace their genesis to the era covered by this episode. This episode may make you uncomfortable, but the truth is worth the cost. The truth will set you free. Subscribe to the podcast here. Show Notes How many died at Auschwitz? See Also American Pravda: Understanding World War II American Pravda: Holocaust Denial You Gentiles by Maurice Samuel [Archive.org] Germany Must Perish by Theodore Kaufman [Archive.org] A Last Appeal To Reason [Archive.org] Europa the Last Battle [Video] The production quality of this video is somewhat shaky, but the information presented is accurate (and readily verifiable). Further Reading Typhus [Wikipedia] Parental Warnings This episode includes frank discussion of war and some of the things that happen during war (e.g., rape, murder). Additionally, the entire topic of this episode is the Holocaust, which is something you should discuss with your children, but you may not want this episode to be their introduction.

Christians must be ready — in season and out of season — to speak the truth. We are not Christians only some of the time, and Christianity, unlike Islam, has no provision for dissimulation — you may not feign to be something other than Christian for the sake of convenience or even safety. Even at risk of life or limb or honor, the Christian must boldly proclaim Christ and Him crucified. This duty to speak the truth pertains not only to matters of the Christian religion, but also to all other matters. It is not the (perhaps uncharitable formulation of the) Kantian conception of truth — that one must never tell a falsehood of any kind —, but rather a duty to speak the truth when and where the truth is demanded. For instance, the 8th Commandment prohibits us from bearing false witness against our neighbor, and this duty does not terminate upon that neighbor’s death. The Christian is a Christian at all times and in all things. As Christians, we are to forgive our personal enemies (inimicus), but this does not mean that we have no political or religious enemies (hostis) — for those who are enemies of God are enemies of all Christians. It is the duty, in fact, of Christians to oppose the enemies of God and His Church. And so, in today’s episode, we continue our series on the Jews. Subscribe to the podcast here. Show Notes “Ancient Jewish History: Banking & Bankers” Prior Stone Choir episode discussing usury beginning at the 51m50s mark. Confident.Faith daily lectionary readings See Also “Marranos, Conversos, Anusim, & New Christians” Further Reading The Jewish Revolutionary Spirit — E. Michael Jones “Why Did Russian Jews Support the Bolshevik Revolution?” “The Jews Who Dreamed of Utopia” Parental Warnings None.

For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last! — 1 Thessalonians 2:14b–16 (ESV) Over a course of millennia, the Jewish people have shown a pattern of behavior (one that continues to this day) that has brought them into near-constant conflict with their neighbors. Many of our Christian forefathers have commented on this matter (e.g., John Chrysostom, Martin Luther, Paul). It is not inappropriate for Christians to ask questions about the Jews, about their behavior, and about their actions down through history. In this episode, we examine the history of the Jewish people from just after the time of Christ until just before the Enlightenment. It is in the annals of history that the Jews have proven themselves to be, in the words of Scripture, ‘enemies of all mankind’ who ‘displease God’. Not idly does Christ speak of them as the Synagogue of Satan (n.b., the words He chose). Christians need not fear the truth, no matter how unpopular (or, in some cases, illegal) it may be. Again, the words of Christ: “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28 [ESV]). Subscribe to the podcast here. Show Notes Not Conformed: “Witchful Thinking” St. Simon of Trent [Wikipedia] “Did God Prevent the Rebuilding of the Jewish Temple?” See Also St. John Chrysostom: Homilies against the Jews Further Reading The Complete List of the 1030 Jewish Expulsions in Human History On the Jews and Their Lies I am not aware of a full English translation that is available as a PDF. If you read German, the original is, of course, available (cf. Vom Schem Hamphoras). Parental Warnings We briefly touch on the occult in this episode.

Dive into the intricate distinctions between 'Hebrew', 'Jew', and 'Israelite' and why understanding these terms is crucial for Christians. Explore the rich history of Jewish identity and the evolution of biblical texts, including the notable differences between the Masoretic and Septuagint versions. Delve into the complexities of Jesus' crucifixion and the accountability of various figures involved. Gain insight into traditional Jewish prayers and their impact on interfaith relations, as well as the enduring legacy of Jewish perseverance through tumultuous times.