Truce - History of the Christian Church

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcastMany of us are familiar with Joseph McCarthy and his infamous hearings on Communism in the US government. What we don't know is that McCarthy was far from the first person to use these tactics. In this episode of the Truce Podcast we examine the Rapp-Coudert Committee-- an effort in the New York City school system to root out Communists, Fascists, and Nazis who might be teaching students. In the end, even outspoken Christians participated in this witch hunt, which targeted mostly Jewish teachers and staff.Discussion Questions: Why were Americans so afraid of Communists? Was it against the constitution to withhold rights from people because Rapp-Coudert was just a hearing? What would you have done if you were accused of being a communist? Would you have named names? Why were Jewish people targeted for violence by the Christian Front? Do the actions of one part of a group define the entire group? In this episode, some communists advocated for using schools to teach communism. But, to our knowledge, nobody in the district did that. Yet they were accused of having done so. Who do we scapegoat today in our society? Knowing that the Soviets did have spies working in the US government (like Klaus Fuchs who stole nuclear secrets), what should the government have done to root out spies? Helpful Links: Bad Faith: Teachers, Liberalism, and The Origins of McCarthyism by Andrew Feffer Fatty Arbuckle and the MPAA: episode of the Truce Podcast where we talk about how Christians censored the golden age of cinema The Santa Clause comic strip from the top of the show Smithsonian article about Soviet spies Brief article about the House Un-American Activities Committee Helpful article about the Communist Control Act Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give a little money to help support Truce! Details are at www.trucepodcast.com/donate2020 has been a difficult year for many. I wanted to take a few minutes to discuss things that went well. So I opened up a phone line to collect stories from you, the listeners. Thanks to everyone who submitted their stories!I'll be opening up the phone lines again in another month to collect more listener feedback.Happy New Year and thanks for supporting Truce! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcastIt's time for our second annual Christmas Episode Exchange! Each year I put out a call on the Christian Podcasters Association Facebook page for 5-minute mini-episodes based on the theme of Christmas. Now I'm going to present several of the best from that group.1) An Endurance Christmas from the Truce Podcast www.trucepodcast.com http://www.facebook.com/trucepodcast http://www.twitter.com/trucepodcast 2. Letters from Home Podcast by Meg Glesener https://lettersfromhomepodcast.com/ https://www.Twitter.com/letters_podcast 3. Life, Repurposed Podcast by Michelle Rayburn http://www.liferepurposed.me https://twitter.com/michellerayburn 4. Moments with Moni Podcast by Monika Hardy  https://www.momentswithmoni.com https://twitter.com/Monika_Hardy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcastThe 1983 Supreme Court case Lynch v Donnelly brought church and state together in one important decision. In it, the court decided that a city-owned creche (also known as a manger scene) could remain on private land because it was part of a greater display. It wasn't a stand-alone creche. It was surrounded by Christmas trees, a Santa's village, and more. The diorama could stay because it held no significant religious value. It was, in their words, "ceremonial deism".In this modern era where it seems like religion is slipping away from public life, it's good to stop and ask what we're losing. Do our public displays of piety have any real Christian weight to them in the first place? What are we fighting for if "In God We Trust" doesn't specify which God it's referring to?Supreme Court audio for this episode was used with a Creative Commons License from Oyez.org. The audio was edited from it's original form.Helpful Links: Full Lynch v. Donnelly audio US Treasury article about symbols on money One Nation Under God - book by Kevin Kruse Helpful Slate article about Christmas displays Helpful article about ceremonial deism Ligonier article about Festival of the Booths Pawtucket and the Industrial Revolution Majority opinion on Lynch v. Donnelly from Justia.com Discussion Questions: Where do you see examples of ceremonial deism? What do expressions of ceremonial deism hope to achieve in our society? Does it work? How can we make them better? Do you like seeing God on the money? Why? Where would you like to see more of God in the public square? Where would you like to see less? Should we be more specific in our public displays? Do you think the manger scene can be both religious and non-religious? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcastIn 1954 the United States government, led by Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, staged a coup to oust President Jacobo Arbenz of Guatemala. For what reason? To help the United Fruit Company.United Fruit was a giant company, capturing over 90% of the market in its heyday. The juggernaut found President Arbenz to be a nuisance when his agrarian reform meant they would be paid for some of their unused land, which would be given to peasants. With the help of powerful friends like Allen Dulles (the Director of the CIA), the United States staged a coup, installing Castillo Armas in his place.All of this took place while the USA was busy framing itself as a Christian nation. What does that mean for the Christian Church today? Are we a nation that supports that kind of behavior?Our special guest for this episode is Stephen Schlesinger, co-author of the excellent book "Bad Fruit: The Story of the American Coup in Guatemala".Discussion Questions: What threat did President Jacobo Arbenz pose to United Fruit? United Fruit owned many utilities in Guatemala from the trains to telephone lines. How would you feel if our utilities were owned by foreign entities? If they controlled our natural resources? Do you think the land reform deal was a good one for their country? Were people like John Foster Dulles right to overthrow Arbenz? How might it have benefited them to do so? In what way could the actions of the US in the 1950s reflect poorly on Christianity domestically and abroad? It has been argued that American consumers benefit when Latin American and African countries are thrown in disarray. It means cheaper diamonds, gold, rubber, and more while also stranding the people in those countries in poverty. Does it bother you that you may be benefiting from unbalanced countries? Do you find the assumption that we are benefiting to be offensive? Why? Is there anything we can do about it? Sources: "Bad Fruit: The Story of the American Coup in Guatemala" by Stephen Schlesinger and Stephen Kinzer CIA Document profiling Arbenz YouTube clips of a documentary on the Guatemalan coup Then Vice President Nixon talking with Armas after the overthrow Statistics on Fruit Financial Times article about United Fruit Book "One Nation Under God" by Kevin Kruse (for the bio info on the Dulles brothers) Peurifoy's cable to Washington President Arbenz's farewell speech List of governments that the US has overthrown Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcastBilly Graham may have been the most important evangelist of the 20th century. His words were heard by millions of people around the world. He preached in person, on television, magazines, radio, and film. His impact is still felt today. He is also one of the people most responsible for tying Christianity, Capitalism, and the United States. But his legacy didn't stop there. While he denounced communism, he went to great lengths to ensure that communists had access to the gospel too.Our guest this episode is David Aikman, author of "Billy Graham: His Life and Influence".Discussion Questions: Is Jesus' message individualistic, collectivist, or something in between? If the majority of a nation's citizens say they are Christians, does that make it a Christian nation? Does hobnobbing with the wealthy and politically connected occasionally backfire? Like, say, when you've come out backing Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal as Graham did? Is it possible to cross political and theological lines today in order to spread the gospel? When do we prioritize the gospel over social issues and when do we have to put our foot down? When do you walk out into the stadium and take down the ropes that divide us and when do you leave the ropes where they are? Helpful Links: Graham sermon "A Way of Life" from this episode. Newsreel of his 1949 crusade Truman's statement on the Soviets having the bomb Decision Magazine article about Graham's crisis of faith The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald One Nation Under God by Kevin Kruse Topics Discussed: Billy Graham's evangelistic efforts in Romania, Hungary, and China Was Billy Graham anti-communist? Billy Graham's sermons Liberal Christians Was Billy Graham a fundamentalist? What is the difference between fundamentalist and mainline churches? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcastWhat do American Christians really want in the Trump era? I think that we just want representation. We want someone to stand for us, to fight out battles. But that gets tricky. There is a story in the Old Testament that gives us some clues about how that temptation can hurt us in the end.Discussion Questions: Have you ever received a gospel tract? What was your reaction? What kind of information do you think is essential on a tract? Have you ever received a tract for a different religion? How did that make you feel? How did you know it was from a different religion? Is it okay for corporations to evangelize? What are the risks of that? The benefits? Are capitalism and Christianity the same thing? If so, where does it say that in the Bible? Does it feel threatening to question the connection between capitalism and Christianity? Why? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcastThis was one of our first ever episodes! We're rebroadcasting it today because the 2020 US Presidential election is upon us. One of the questions that keeps coming up is: why does Donald Trump appeal to white evangelical Christians? This episode was produced three years ago, so it may sound a little different, but the information is still relevant to today. President Trump has made it pretty clear that he does not know the basic tenants of Christianity. So why do we say that he is one? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcastThe CIA, big business, and the Ad Council worked together to create the America that we know and love today. Together, they bonded our ideas of patriotism, capitalism, and religion. But not many of us know who the Ad Council is. Sure they created Smokey Bear, the Crash Test Dummies, and the Crying Indian ads... but who are they?Wendy Melillo, author of "How McGruff and the Crying Indian Changed America: A History of Iconic Ad Council Campaigns" and professor at American University, joins us to discuss her research into the Ad Council.Helpful Links: Religion in American Life Video Ad Wendy Melillo's fascinating lecture on her book The creepy "Why?" ad we referenced in the episode Ad Council's own history website Discussion Questions: Have you ever been impacted by advertising? How did it make you feel? Does it matter where our ads come from? Even public service announcements? How do you feel about the CIA paying for ads to impact Americans? Should responsibility for big problems like plastic waste fall on individuals, big corporations, or both? Do you think the Bible says anything about one economic model over another? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcastDid Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle murder Virginia Rappe? That questions defined the film industry for thirty years. Upset with Hollywood's moral failures, Christians demanded changes. We took over, fighting until the studios decided to censor themselves.This special episode of Truce ties into our last episode with Abby Johnson of the Unplanned movie.This episode explores:* Who was Fatty Arbuckle?* Who was Virginia Rappe?* Did Fatty Arbuckle murder Virginia Rappe?* What is the MPAA?* What started the Motional Picture Association of America?* Did Christians really censor the golden age of films? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices