Live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston Proper. You are live from the path. And you're listening to live from the Path. We're coming from the Pathway Studios here in Johnston Proper. Yeah. You are. Okay. Hey, man. It was a it was a big

it was a big news week. And now it's been a couple weeks. Maybe there's been a lot of news floating around. There's stuff going on. But just for the posterity of the the the program and so that you you remember what happened. There a lot of lots of supreme court stuff coming down that had some kind of religious implications. And so there was the striking down of Roe versus Wade and the implication of a protected national abortion.

Historic? Yes. Historic. Historic. A significant a significant and if if nothing else, it's been a bellwether of how people have evaluated justices. Mhmm. Yeah. Basically, since it came in, is that like, okay. Is this codified or not? Like, can this change or can't it? People are passionate on either side of the issue. Yes. They are very much so. And so Very few average. Like, hey. Whatever. Take it or leave it. Yeah. I could you know, however it goes. And so I did I do wanna talk about this, but I I wanna be cautious about it.

And and and maybe what we can just do is kinda get some reaction, not necessarily on the decision itself, but like people's reaction to the decision has felt I I guess maybe I wanna try to help guide if we can

places where we need to be careful of how we're reacting to it, whether you are pro life or pro choice. Because I have seen a number, as a society, we don't progress thoughtfully. And frankly, I would even caution that the gospel can can find some barriers where we are not cognizant

of the the world that we're in, the people that are reacting to news and situations around us and and where there's a there's a a marriage in here around if we feel like the gospel explodes based upon a government, something that that rules comes down from a court or for a political policy, it's a risk. I think it's a risk. And so, I just wanna talk through a few different things that as I was watching people react,

there's been things that made, just made my heart hurt. And I don't, it may not be what you presume, the types of things that are making my heart hurt around this. And so, anyway, I I just wanna talk through some of that stuff. And I wanna briefly touch on the other the other thing that came down was the dude there was a coach who was after after the the football games was going out to, like, the 50 yard line and praying. And,

you know, kids would come out. There's kids that would follow him out there and they would pray too. And he got fired and they basically ran the ran the case up to the supreme court of is this the religious discrimination? Can you fire this guy because he's conducting public prayer? He was vindicated there as well. They said, look, he should not have been fired for that reason. It's a private faith that he just happens to be expressing. He's not doing it in the context of being a coach or whatever. And I think maybe there's some themes on where we should

be happy but also cautious and the line probably splits around what are you protecting as a nation and then what are we mindful of as a kingdom? And maybe that's where some of the distinctions lie and so we'll try to get to some of that. Should we be wearing like black robes on this episode? I think so. I think probably so. We're qualified. I feel prepared. No, no, Dan. This is we're totally qualified for this. You know, spending many late late hours giving advice to people based upon whatever just popped into your mind has has set us up for times such as these. Yes. Yes. Yes. To be able to help straighten out the world's problems. Major

things that people just need help with. So we're gonna do that. Nathaniel, did you you locate anything else newsworthy? No. It was all Roe v Wade stuff. Okay. As it would be. Okay. Alright. Then we'll talk of the town. It is. It's going around. We'll get some advice. Scuttlebutt. Also on Dear Life in the Path. That's the that's the hit. Okay. So let's talk about then as we think about Roe versus Wade, here's some of the things that I saw that I think I wanna be

cautious about or I wanted that I think we need to consider. You guys can jump in where you see fit or add on or are you. Think the start one from my perspective what I had in my mind is contrasting our reaction to this versus our reaction to proposed stricter gun laws.

And and the reason that comparison came to mind was when it comes to the stricter gun laws, we're like, hey, man, what are you gonna do? You're gonna make it harder for for for good guys to have weapons of defense and additional laws won't make a difference because people who are gonna commit criminal acts ignore laws. Okay? And so then I look at

some of the reactions I'm seeing in Christian circles and like you it would you would assume that the Lord himself descended upon the court in this reaction and like the gut thing which is, hey, Christians believe there is an innocent life and that innocent life is not being protected and there was a there's a

court ruling, not even it's not even a law. Think we gotta be clear about that. Like even original Roe versus Wade, like we're not pointing back to the everyone can do abortion act. We're pointing back to a a court ruling that said, alright, based upon the interpretation of the con of the constitution, we believe that that covers this. That was the ruling. Okay? So it was it was always a judicial ruling. It wasn't somewhere and this is the gab, by the way, like where we fight over justices and we fight over interpretations, things get a lot cleaner if we just pass laws.

Right? But no one has done that. And so you left it up to the court. I saw a lot of complaints about, hey. This has happened by judicial fiat. Well, I mean, that's how the first thing happened. Yeah. That's how it started. Yeah. So, you know, let let's at least be let's let's be honest. There's a there's an ambiguity in the situation that the constitution is intending to address, and we should be Christians, you should be familiar with this. The Bible we do this with scripture. We say, we've got a text handed down to us, and it doesn't cover how I'm supposed to treat people in the grocery line when they run out of food stamps. No. But there's implications based upon what we've learned and that's and we can apply it. But this is we do this all the time with scripture. And so we we we're in that same position with the constitution. And so the original Roe versus Wade did that. It said, based upon what we read in the constitution, we believe it extends to this. Now there's plenty of, you know, legal scholars who said, hey, we think that was poorly,

you know, found. We actually think that was a stretch of the concept. And this goes back to like core beliefs of is how living of a document is the constitution. Okay. Yeah. But but we should be super duper clear that if any politician or group of or political party had the stones to do it, they could have resolved this a lot easier. They punted. K? Both Democrats and Republicans have punted on this particular measure and left it up to the courts when all you had to do was pass a law and get a president to sign it to say very clearly, this thing is legal, this thing is not legal. And then the courts would not have the ambiguity that they have. We left it open because we didn't have the spine for it. So the clarity then I think for one is be careful

on, I think this is actually a win, even if you're not gonna hear it this way, but even if you're pro choice, this is the nation functioning like it's supposed to. It's judiciary functioning like it's supposed to. You're you're gonna have different people. It's it's not a political issue. It's it's a how do we interpret the constitution issue? Now, they do tend to split along relatively close party lines. Just generally speaking of what you're whether you're an originalist or whether you think it's more living breathing type of thing.

But it's not so much a political thing. The reason you're making it a political thing is because you don't know how else to point the finger when it's a legislative problem if we'd, like I said, if we had stated this clear out. So be careful about the notion of the radicalization of the judiciary and I would have given the same, in fact, think we did the same caution even in kind of the Obama era, even the Clinton era where we were like, well, the justices have gone nuts. Well, would you leave will you give justices room or the have to interpret? Like nothing gets to their desk that is clear. That's how it got to them. It's because if the law was clear, it wouldn't have made it through all these courts. There wouldn't have been grounds to push it back up there. And so like the,

our judiciary is in a bit of a rough spot is that like their job is to have to interpret where someone who wrote laws wasn't clear. And so just be cautious about how excited we get about how corrupt the judiciary is, whether it's a conservative leaning or whether it's liberal leaning, every single court is set up to have to handle something where someone didn't state something very clearly. So,

but I think the risk on the Christian side is that and this goes back to the gun example, is that the situations of which people were pursuing abortions didn't change just because the law changed. And so, and for one, like this didn't make abortion illegal. It just pushed it back to the states, right? Like this didn't say we as a country all agree that this is wrong. It didn't do any of that. It just said as we're now pockets of you can make a decision. And most certainly, there's gonna be states,

who are gonna say, yeah. Totally. In fact, we're gonna find a way to make it it's making sure it's free, make sure it's paid for by the government, and we're gonna encourage, you know, abortion tourism. Like, this is totally gonna happen. And so Yep. You know, and there's some states who are otherwise who've got trigger laws who are gonna automatically go through and and make abortion illegal. And so like, but our division didn't change. It's just now expressing itself at the state level. And so I think we should be one very cautious about, hey, this law will save millions of babies. I hope it, I hope, or this ruling will, excuse me. I hope

but I don't know that that's actually our situation. I'm not sure, this pushes the argument to a more local level and I don't think you're gonna find that suddenly, well, it's

not forced upon us by federal government that you're gonna find states where this was rampant aren't gonna continue doing that. And the thing is it does not change the purpose of the church in any way. You know, what we were doing three weeks ago is the same as what we're gonna do three weeks from today. That's right. Sometimes we put so much emphasis and weight on a court decision or a law or whatever government is, you know, governmental leaders in charge at the moment, and you look through church history, whether, you know, Nero is in charge or Constantine or, you know,

whoever, Hitler or Bush, whoever is heading whatever country that the Christians there that are part of the church, they have the same mission. That's right. Nothing nothing nothing's different. We're to make disciples. We're to be changing hearts. We're we're introducing people to the saving power of Jesus Christ and his transformation

process that takes place in our lives. And so regardless of what the law says, if you can go out and poke people in the eye, and Jesus says, don't poke people in the eye, then then it doesn't matter what the law says. People who follow Jesus don't poke people in the eye. That's right. So our goal is to bring people to Jesus, and and everything else falls in place. Yes. Yes. And that that's where I I think it it gets I I kinda have the same reaction that you've had a little bit that that I've I've looked at reactions, and I thought now no. Full disclosure. I am I am thrilled that

Roe went versus Wade went down. K? I I wanna save every baby possible. Right? But but I I I also was not the guy jumping up and down, you know, shooting out fireworks, slamming people against lockers, saying, you're a loser, you know. Right. Because again, nothing's changed for me. Right. Right. I'm still gonna reach into the life of many young mothers as possible and say, hey. Would you like to follow Jesus? Here's how you do that. Number one, keep that baby or or adopt it out or at least at least don't kill it. You know? Jesus kinda frowns against killing things, people,

especially innocent ones. So so the reaction has been strong and almost in your face, and and, you know, I played I'm not like a great athlete, but I played sports in in high school. Right? And and so so I I watch sports and stuff, and and I've always I get annoyed at like a team that overselebrates like a touchdown or something because I think, well, if you're a winning team, you expect to score, right? You expect to win and

I feel like Christians don't know how to win. They had a big win, so they're they're they're they're embarrassing themselves and rolling around and throwing things in the air, and they every social media post in every five minutes is like, oh, yeah. You know, you lost. Right? Hey. You know, we won. You know, God now rules because he didn't before. Yeah. And I think it's just we're just looking kinda silly even though on the inside, I might be thinking all those things. Yeah. I don't disagree with him. I'm just not gonna go to my neighbor and punch him in the face and say, you're a loser, and I'm a winner, because the court said so. I just don't think that's appropriate. Well and and because I think one of the things that we miss here, and this is gonna put me in an odd spot, but I I'm I I think

where we should where we should be on board like we are you should be pro women. You should be pro women, not be putting in terrible situations. Yep. You know what saying? Like, there are as much as they are overstated, right, when you're talking about risk to the life of the mother or rape or incest, Like, it's the numbers are super duper small,

like whatever, 1% or less, 2% or less, something like However, that doesn't account for how many situations of which someone who's gotten pregnant thought they were in a committed relationship and and some Jack and Apes just walks away. And and like without without any physical consequences to the man. Like, if you if we can't understand that, if we can't sympathize with this situation that we're talking about, which, like, the you've got some idea logs in here who, like, they're they're we're just chucking fire around on both the both the liberal and the and the and the, like Republican side. But like in in the middle, like there's real people trying to sort out. Well, what does it mean for me to have a maybe even a mistake of a relationship or one night with a guy who just turned out to be a total doofus,

and he's not gonna help me. And I got seven more months to be reminded of of what happened and to take half of his DNA with me to carry this baby and then have the burden of raising it. Like, that's a difficult human problem. Mhmm. I don't it doesn't change for me how we understand, like, protecting life. Mhmm. But, like, what does it feel like for women who are in that situation to have someone who proclaims the love of Jesus to be like light and fires here, to be pointing fingers and having a does her life feel like a victory?

It it it doesn't. There's a greater context to her life. And like, I I I don't I think we'd be we all have to be careful in the conversation. Like, abortion's the worst. It's just the worst conversation because, everyone is talking past each other just for the opportunity to have their voice bounce off the back of the room and hear their own selves and be real happy about it. Like, if our conversation is pitting women against babies, we've failed. This is a failure of a conversation on the Christian side. Now,

we shouldn't even be pushed into it. We do not accept the terms that it's that it's woman versus child. Now I have seen it. I've I've just been surprised actually after this on the number of people that I know who have come out and just like very firmly and clearly said, look. I'm not pro choice. I am pro abortion. This a woman should not be forced to carry a child, like, even up to the day before it's born. You should just be because she shouldn't be able to have to force to carry something one minute more because it's it's her body. Now here's the deal. When does life begin? When does the child viable? Like there's grays in here. Some places in Christianity like this is super simple, but like what it is to live in that, especially if you're asking for people who aren't Christians, who don't agree with when does your definition of when does life begin?

Like, they still have to react to like how these laws work, what morality you're imposing by the laws themselves. And so I just like nothing about striking down that interpretation of the constitution changes the situation for the for the the young lady who's in that situation. Mhmm. You know what I'm saying? And and doesn't change the perilous nature of of a of a thought of this child

is putting a risk to the health of mother and I know Dan, you've gone through this, your family has gone through this I think faith allows in some ways for knowledge of what to do to be simpler, but not the consequences are gone, right? They're super heavy of what that means. Right, right. Yeah, we were in a situation a number of years ago where

we thought we had to choose between the life of the unborn child and my wife and we both came to conclusion, well, baby wins. You know, we're gonna protect that innocent life, it's not its fault, whatever the situation was, not everybody would go that direction, but that's how much we definitely are on the side of life and believe

that life begins at conception. You know, my wife was willing to go ahead and sacrifice her life for her child because she would do that if it was, the child was five and was running in front of a car. You know, why would I not do it when I'm sitting here in a hospital bed? You know, of course, I had a good life, Good luck with our child. Right. You know? But that's because we come from a foundation of faith we have those are honest convictions. They're not like it's not a response to, oh, no. I'm pregnant. It's not a I don't know how I'm gonna afford this. I mean, none of those, none of that mattered to us. None of that was part of our process. It was, okay,

there's an eternal perspective here. There is a God who created us. We're gonna spend eternity. There's an eternity coming up. We wanna follow how Jesus, we believe, would want us to follow and that's where we're not, that's what we're supposed to be doing

with the population. You know, with the people around us, as you go make disciples. And that's why I say, you know, I I don't I don't it's not gonna sound right. I don't care what the law is. It doesn't change That's right. Our mission. No. I think that's right. We're teaching Jesus. We're teaching life. We're teaching what the scripture says. We're teaching those an eternal soul that we have and our children have, there's consequences

to our actions, and that's way bigger than can I afford or am I comfortable with the fact that I don't like the father of this child or how this child was conceived? Those are bigger issues than that. But you don't just push that on someone, you know, three months into their pregnancy and they're processing that's stuff we have to teach them young or anyway. Well, I I mean, get this the thing. Someone still has to live that. Yeah. You know, it's it's it's one thing

your principles should should be clear on paper and we should understand them, but it doesn't mean they're not difficult and right to walk through, to live through and it's creates an unfair an unfair burden upon the lady because the evidence of whatever is going on is very clear on her life and like this is it's a failure of men. It's a failure of a responsibility of men. It's a failure of communities holding men to account for things like this and like and I'm not just talking, I'm not talking about about rape here. I'm just talking about families. I'm talking about relationships. I'm talking about you just a listen, I'm I'm I'm all up for shame here. Like a guy a guy who behaves in this way and treats women in such a way that this becomes a burden upon her. Like we we we've we've we've fought for our individuality and the freedom to harm ourselves

and to harm each other. And unfortunately, the consequences in this particular area fall heaviest on a on a mom and on young ladies. And so like, as now here's what I know is that, you know, I know and Dan, I'm sure you know, like I know tons and tons of pastors. I can't think of a church where someone could show up and they would not find help in need. Right. I just like, this is happening. It is happening in churches and like, know, I saw a lot of push

on social media like, hey, find Christians, why don't you adopt? We're adopting the hell out of the world. Right. We are. Like we're kicking it by far by the way, like Christians by far do most of the adopting. We do most of the funding of the charities that support kids that are waiting adoption. They do most of the foster care. Like it's still generally true that way and so like, hey, could we be doing more? Yes. So the people who take on the name of Jesus who don't reflect that in any decisions that they make and this largely feels like a political victory to them. Yes. And that I'm embarrassed to that. That's shameful. And so like, yeah, you got us on, well, you got somebody. It's not like the point though is, is that like,

don't get in a piss and mess with the people of Jesus on how we care for the world. We got room to grow but like we're still killing it by far. And so I wanna be cautious of that but like it is also the time of which then the witness of such is revealed. It makes me think about and this is just, we are teaching in this recently in first Peter, there's a section that causes a lot of trouble among people and it's where he writes in chapter two and three and he's talking about, if you are a household slave, this is how you should conduct yourself. If you're a wife, this is how you should conduct yourself. If you should submit to the government, nobody likes this. Nobody likes any of these parts because it's essentially what Peter is doing is advocating for, look, we all know that

imbalances of power should change. We know people shouldn't subjugate each other like this. We know that people should be treated with respect and with honor and be treated fairly. He doesn't advocate that you blow up the structure of the society is working. Even if even if that's what biblically they would like to, you know, because it wouldn't, it wouldn't happen. Right? Like Peter could go, hey, you know what? As a household slave, declare yourself free and fight back. But I mean, it wouldn't, he knew that it wouldn't change. And so the question was, is how do you live within the constraints of an evil society? And the advocation to the slave and this is same thing Paul basically did in Philemon and the advocation he gives to the wife as well of an unbelieving husband is even within those constraints,

use your example so that they may meet Jesus. And if you go, you look at how Paul talks in Philemon, he writes to Philemon and says, look, want you, I want you to accept this man back into your household and then you become brothers. The relationship itself changes. And so by the Christian example within constraint, the opportunity to show that example

and for Christians to bear up underneath it is the opportunity to be a witness when people are looking. Because in the example that Peter's giving with the wife, like to show honor to a husband who does not follow Jesus and who will not listen to you talk because that was one of things that like you can talk him all you want to, but he's not gonna be listening. But through your example, he will come to know what it means to see

Yahweh enter your life and the influence of Jesus Christ on how you interact with him and then it becomes a place that could change and so the whole, the point I'm coming to here is, is that like, there's a very eye of sore on here on the Christians because they're like, okay, well, what are you gonna do with these babies? How are we gonna help with the mothers? These are things Christians are doing but what I'm saying is, is it like, fine, let them look and and let them let bless their socks off. Yeah. Let them be surprised that the accusation they made against the Christians, like, they're gonna totally feel ashamed of because you know what? Everything that they say we're not doing, we're doing. They're doing it. That's right. I just, this past Sunday was in Matthew 16 where Jesus and his disciples are at Caesarea Philippi, and this is the big

place where Jesus says, who do people say I am? And then Peter says, you're the Christ, the son of the living God, he's on this rock, I'm gonna build my church, right? Yep. Well, location happens to be a place where there are multiple fertility God temples, there's a temple to pan, they're in a, I mean, you can just, you can find it today, actual place where they were, right? Yep. There's a cave there called the Gates Of Hades where they believe Pan went for the winters and he'd come out. Well, worship of Pan

involved all kinds of sexually deviant behavior, including sex with goats. I mean, it was just something that obviously you can go back to the Leviticus and God says, yeah, don't do that. Right? Mean, it's just, it's just not, it's completely against his character. Right. So Jesus says on this rock, I'm gonna build my church. He uses the word talking like a cliff of rocks. It's a big rocks. It's called Peter. It's like a small rock, Petrus and Petros. Anyway, don't wanna get too deep there.

Point is, he's pointing at this place where all these temples are and where all those worships taking place, where all these idols are located, you can still see where they were carved into the edge of the mountain there. He says, I'm gonna build my kingdom on that right there. He did not say, we're gonna take down all of this sexually deviant behavior with Roman law. Right. He didn't he didn't say we're gonna protest and we're gonna scream, and we're gonna get on social media, we're gonna shut these people down, and we're gonna tax them, and we're gonna do everything we can to get these temples run out of business. He said my kingdom's gonna come in. It's gonna replace all of that, that as people start following Jesus, you'll just stop having sex with goats. Right? And people start following Jesus, and they're they're gonna stop having sex with the temple prostitutes and and the priests and and just all the stuff that was going on there. His kingdom is a transformation thing that happens in us as the spirit takes

over our lives and controls us, it changes us, and we just stop living that way. That's kind what I was saying earlier. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And so that's why I don't I just don't get I try not to get too excited one way or the other on on laws. I have grieved Roe versus Wade over the years. I have Yes. Prayed for it to end. I'm thrilled that it ended, but it's still like I said, it does not change a bit what we're to do. We're to establish the kingdom of God here on earth in the hearts of people,

make disciples, and that changes everything, whatever the law is, and gotta be our focus, and we're celebrating the wrong things. I just got a video from some friends who were going to Africa here in like three weeks, and they're there right now doing a revival in just a few miles from where we're going, and they sent this video back of just these tons of baptisms happening. There's this big revival going on right now. That's the kind of stuff we ought to be celebrating. Yeah. People are coming to Christ, they've changed their lives, they're deciding to become followers of him. That's gonna change things there in that community. That community will be transformed because

the kingdom of God is moving in and it'll replace some of the behaviors that they're doing. It's a struggle and we all struggle with sin, none of us say perfection happens, but that's what happens, that's what the church does. I wish we could focus more on that than all the political action committees and all the stuff that takes place.

Some of us legitimate, but still our focus has gotta be spreading the word of Jesus, the gospel of Christ, making disciples of people, building his kingdom here on earth, then we're giving glory to God. Yes. Yeah. That's that's right. Like any any what feels like political or societal victory that isn't changing hearts and minds for Jesus is not only shallow, but it's transient. Like how long how long has has the pro choice lobby been celebrating the fact that Roe was codified and they thought and it probably wasn't gonna go anywhere. Like, humans are fickle. And and and to be honest to the point I made at the start of the show, like, give it ten years, they could totally get some, like, legislation where this is not even a question anymore. Like, there's no hope of something being overturned. It's law. Yeah. It's not a judicial problem because someone came in clear. Pendulum swings. That's right. And and and that's not our that's not our god. Our God is not a swinging pendulum.

Our work is the service of the world for the glory of the kingdom, for the transformation of the hearts. So like, we just Now here's the boundary though, is I saw, I heard another pastor talking and he was saying, hey, I think this is not gonna work. We shouldn't be celebrating this at all. Like it doesn't work for Christians. We're creating a theocracy by taking our morals and pressing them upon somebody else. Now here's the thing, all laws represent

a set of morals. Right. And so like, is unfair to tag as if this is a Christian theocracy problem simply because there's a like, there's a there's an implicit morality in every in every set of laws. The question is whose morality is it? Mhmm. Like, who whose then do I trust? Like, the fact that, hey. This particular law happens to agree with god's position on the matter doesn't make it a theocracy.

Like, no one was up in arms when we continue to enforce the, hey. Murder in general is bad. Right. No one go and, like, that's a clear 10 commandment. We don't go, oh, look. A Christian theocracy. Thou shall not murder. Look at you trying to press it upon everybody else. And so, like, this is where things get super difficult. It's easier, frankly, if you're a Christian because we go, okay. I I I get I get god's character. I get how he sees the world. Here's here's how we should bind ourselves. Here's how our behavior should should show that. Outside of that, you're in a very tricky position because now, like, whose whose morality do the laws of our society reflect? Mhmm. Is it is it what the majority feel are okay? Because like, I mean, again, you can totally look back at at societies through time and be pretty embarrassed of our of of those societies and even ourselves on the things as a society where we said, you know what? Yeah. That's two thirds of a person. Yeah. That was a founding document problem. Yeah. You know what saying? And so like, and the majority would have gone gone with it and we were like, well, yeah. But like, so so there's a fallibility in

in human morality, but like, I think we just gotta be careful. I was a little bit I was frustrated with the laziness of this. Because I think in trying to protect the fact that knowing that there are going to be quite a few people who feel like they're on the other side of that decision, who they're feel like there is a, they're being ignored, that their situations are being ignored, that they as people are, I don't know, being represented without value because this option is off the table. Again, I think it pits the wrong things against each other, but like, whatever, like that's how they are, that's how they feel. And so in order to try to say, hey, like not everyone's setting, not every Christian is like jumping up and down here.

I think the guy over committed because like, just isn't a, you're not being thoughtful, Like, everything represents some sort of some level of morality. And frankly, trying to sort out the morality among groups of humans is super hard. Mhmm. Is super duper hard because, I mean, there's some wacky people out there. A lot of them are currently in the prisons. A lot of them are fleeing the police. A lot of them live in your neighborhood. Like, you've met some people and you're like, this is the guy? This is he's he's he gets to vote in the morality bucket? Right. Right. I mean, like, you and I would say, well, you can't steal, but someone else would say, but if they're hungry Right. Then you can then you can. Right. That's not stealing. That's just providing You for vandalize,

well, they're angry. Yeah. So let them let them, you know, express themselves. And so right. Right. Exactly. Or, like, hey. You can't you can't harm people. Well, it's my kid, and I get to do what I want. Like, we we look at these things and we're like, it can't be this way. Mhmm. So but I I think we just we gotta be careful. This is not I saw I saw some implication that, like, that the Christians have been been like that our society is becoming a Christian theocracy. I'm like, are you there's no way. There's no way. No. No.

Now, if now here's the deal. It might be a it might be a what's what's the word I'm looking for? It might be a Christian coalition type of view. And they were making progress on some of those things, but like, this doesn't look like, this doesn't look like the kingdom of Jesus. And anybody, any Christian who looks out at our nation and goes, oh yeah, this is a mirror of the kingdom of Jesus. Like we're too caught up in our own structure and we gotta be and we gotta be mindful of that. Now, here's the thing. I think protecting the notion of these freedoms is what allows I think this is this is all good. And I think there is we've talked about this before on, your participation in the political process is important because like you are, you do get to contribute your voice to

our collective morality. That you're sourcing it from Yahweh, is is irrelevant because someone else is sourcing it from what they thought of that day or or two tokes and a vote, know, like, don't whatever. I I I don't I just I think we gotta be careful. There's all kinds of things that we can overreact to. It seems so weird. This is such a, like, a big thing that people are talking about to say, well, don't overreact, but don't overreact. Like,

keep the main thing, the main thing. And I think, you know, if if if this causes the world or specifically America to shine the light on churches and say, alright, well, are you if you say it can work where people can take care of mothers and children, then do it. And we should go, hey man, we're in, we're in twice, we're in four times, whatever. Let us do it. And so maybe encouragement to churches,

I said, a lot of churches, it's not like you, I can't just can't think of a guy that I've ever met as a pastor who would ever, the church wouldn't find some way to help or direct them to good help but like might be the time to be intentional about money that's going out the door intentionally for these types of things. You know, are you specific about, hey, you know, 10% of the money that we're taking in is going out to this kind of thing. I think that is one of the things that's gonna become difficult in the years to come is that as

if more things like this happen, religious freedom type of stuff comes by, it's gonna continue to draw attention and focus on the church. And I think, you know, the last time I saw it, I don't know if the numbers are right anymore, like 80 to 90% of the money that comes into churches stays inside the walls, whether it goes to the pastor salary or whether it goes to like heating and cooling the operation or whatever. I think that is gonna be harder to sustain the narrative if that continues to bear out.

And so I think it's just, it's not a caution, it's an encouragement. Like we want our money to be going to these type of resources to go to these types of things, our time going to these types of things. It might just be a good time for a health check and go, hey, if someone were to come in and look, what would they say our priorities were? And does our, does our, does our giving reflect that? Does our time and commitments reflect that? And it's a prayer option. Don't allow outside forces to force you to do things that, you know, aren't right for your either your congregation or or you, but like, I'm just saying it's kind of a good time to say, look, if my mom's gonna look in my bedroom and see whether it's clean, I might check take a look around and say, is it? Is this what I wanna present back? Mhmm. Kinda yes or no? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. What do think? Nathaniel, you just kinda hanging tight over there. What do you what are your thoughts? I'm deeply in agreeance with you and Dan deeply.

I also until Sunday when you mentioned it, I I I don't really watch the news, and I didn't even know what was going on. You had no idea. Yeah. So after you said it on Sunday, I popped on the Facebook. I was like, I'm sure I'll find something about this out. And, howdy did I. Oh, man. Somebody might be saying something. Yeah. Somebody might have something to think about this, and I was like I was it was almost overwhelming with the amount that there was Yeah.

About it. Yeah. But, yeah, I had no I don't I'd I maybe that's a miss on my part, but I don't didn't I didn't know at all. I mean, I feel like you should probably know. Yeah. I mean, you just don't have to overinvest in the reaction like we've been discussing, but, I mean, you know, maybe keep up with the times just a hair. Yeah. I'll pick up a paper every now and again. Okay. Get the newspaper. Get the newspaper. 75¢. Pull up a chair to the radio.

Hey. For real, though. I used to know all sorts of news because I had a a thirty minute commute, and I would listen to NPR. Right. Whether that's, you know, good news or bad news or indifferent, I at least knew things. Right. I yeah. No more. No more. No. I there's a health to that, and then there's a dishealth to it. I'm off too bad. You can just catch me on a Tuesday. I we'll see how I feel about it. Sometimes I'm like, let's let's bail. Let's not take anything else in. Let's let's decreep my mind. And then you go like, but what are people what does the corruption look like so I can pick it out? I'm gonna start doing this. I'm gonna text you every every every Wednesday. I'm a say, hey, Ben. What's the news? Okay. That's an idea. Here's the thing. You overconsume news. I do. I do. Here's the I'll get the highlights. Luckily, I don't think anybody I work with actually listens to the program, but I'm on a quite a few boring meetings where people are jibber jabbing around for their own glory. And so I just pick up I'm just picking up news, reading around, seeing what's going on in the world. Okay. So there was another major well, okay. I I I almost hesitate to do this, but, like,

if you listen to everything we just said and have a reaction to what we actually said, not a, I think it's great, or I think this is terrible, but like within the context of the, I want to say nuances and grays and principles that we just discussed, and you feel like you want to add to that conversation, I am interested. I would love to hear it.

You can give a call to The Life From The Path, Bob Eisler complaint line. That's (515) 517-0085. Call or text. We would love to hear from you. Yeah, I've been particularly interested in the

thought of now then how shall we live? So like, and I think Dan's point is basically the same as you did before but like, maybe the question is with a heightened

view on it, you know, have you done an inventory either personally or within your church or within your small group of folks or your family or whatever and said, you know, I would've I put 20 posts on social media and I gave $8 or I refused the conversation or I know like I haven't met a single mother in ten years. Okay, well maybe we gotta change where we're at and what we're doing. If we're not running into people, that's one of the biggest cautions is that like your principles

and even if I think they're good and godly, recognize that they may hit you differently because you're not in that position. It doesn't mean that they're not right. It just means that there's a context to people's lives of which they have to digest this and like, it doesn't help even if, oh, know, it's a bad example. If someone was hungry and you thought, well, they could probably eat a lion and you just threw it over the throw it over the wall and said, good luck. It's right. You should be able to eat this lion. Like, you may have thought you've been helpful, but, like, they might need some help here in, you know, I don't know, eating the lion or knowing how to prepare it or whatever. I just say, I knew this was a bad example. I couldn't come up with a better one. Had to go with but like, I I just if

I I try to make a point, especially with really hot button things to like make sure I'm close enough to a situation or know people in that situation. Hopefully people who would disagree with me who are in that situation so that I am, I know what context I'm speaking into.

Because even if your words are true, it does matter how people are going to receive them and what you intend may not be received the way you expect simply because you didn't know the context you were speaking into. And so anyway, it's just a caution, but I'd be interested to see whether anything about this situation caused you to rethink things that you're doing, things that you're praying on, situations that you're exposing you and your family to or your church to. I I'm particularly interested in that, but if you got any thoughts, let us know. Call or text the Bob Eisenhower Life in back of play line. (515) 517-0085. There was another,

I don't I big supreme court case, at least from a religious liberty front. Let me just read the the quick summary. The United States Supreme Court has ruled that a Washington school district was wrong to punish a high school football coach for praying on the field after games. In a decision released Monday morning, the Supreme Court ruled six to three that the Bremerton School District discriminated against coach Joe Kennedy. Justice Neil Gorsuch delivered the court's opinion. Does it matter? Kennedy prayed during a period when school employees were free to speak with a friend, call for a reservation or restaurant, check email, or attend to other personal matters. He offered his prayers quietly while students were otherwise occupied. Still, the Bremerton School District disciplined him anyway. Both the free exercise and free speech causes of the First Amendment protect expressions like mister Kennedy's. The constitution and the best of our traditions counsel mutual respect and tolerance, not censorship and suppression for religious and nonreligious views alike. So in general, the contention here was,

and I think this is, this again is sticky and I think we gotta recognize that if it's at the court, it's because our, we've not passed laws that provide clarity. The concern on the other side, we're like, well, okay. People should be able to pray. But he said he was the coach, so he's an authority figure. Some of the students went out there. And so there was a concern on the some of the other students who weren't going out there who said, does this put me in a, the potential for like a discriminated against position because if I don't go out and pray with him like everyone else is going out and praying with him, you know, I felt I feel forced to

And so that that's essentially what the that's essentially what the case was about. I I think what was interesting was is that this this seems like a like a legal question that is religious irrelevant. Like, in general, it it it'd be like like, if let's say I I worked in an office building and my boss really loved to, like, he loves nachos. Nacho Wednesday, he says. And he he invites every all the people to come out to Nacho Wednesday who are on our team. If, like, there's 10 people and eight of them go,

me and the other dude are gonna be like, you know, I don't really I don't care for nachos at all, to be honest with you. And I'm busy Wednesdays, but, like, my whole team's there. I feel like they're getting in good with the boss, and I I feel compelled to go. Mhmm. Like, I get it. Like, it feels like the same type of situation. We're saying, you know, when someone has some sort of level of authority or power or influence over you, how much should you feel compelled to do the things that they're doing because it keeps you in their good graces? Now I I don't think that part's constitutionally protected. You don't have to go if you don't want to. And, frankly, like, if he if if my boss is discriminating against people because they don't show up to Nacho Wednesdays or the coach is saying, look. I'm gonna treat you differently because you don't pray at the 50 yard line with me, then he's a bad coach, and you should fire him. I'm fine with that. That's not that's not firing him for his religious

beliefs. That's firing because he is using his religious beliefs to otherwise not make thoughtful decisions around the thing you actually hired him to do. And so I actually don't I don't care whether if they fired him for that reason, but they didn't fire him for that reason. They fired him because they felt like it put some sort of pressure on these kids because he then might do that. And I don't I don't I'm not sure that they should be legally protected. And, frankly, ignore the fact whether you have a problem of his religious beliefs or not. I I don't know that most people actually think that either, that, like, someone should be forced to basically not be themselves or allow anything that they believe that someone might cause offense or difference of opinion on lest someone feel pressured to go along with it because you're in a position of authority. Like my boss has to give up nachos.

Let's nacho Wednesday. He loves nacho Wednesday. It's his favorite. But he has to give it up because two guys thought that he might, you know, not treat them very well if they didn't show up. I did. This this seems well ruled to me, to be honest with you. Yeah. And so I yeah. I don't know. I I I'd like it was interesting because looking at both of these cases, I thought, you know, I I read them. Like, I get the law. I understand the the law's perspective. I the the the moral questions weren't answered here. The law questions were answered here. Mhmm. The moral questions show up in in in better or clearly more clearly written laws. Yeah. That that that was a hard one for me because, like, I just

if I were one of the players, I would just be like, I wouldn't care if I mean, I wouldn't feel pressured, but I just I'm just not my personality. I I never go with the crowd necessarily. I mean, if I want to do what the crowds do, go with the crowd, but I that's not the reason I go with the crowd. It's like, oh, I gotta be like everybody. So I've never quite understood that thinking. So, yeah, I've of struggled with the whole conversation about it because I don't know how to relate to. My wife is a pleaser, so she would probably be one of first ones, I better go over and pray, and I'm like, well, why? Because the coach is watching. It's like, well, then you should pray somewhere else because that's not why you pray. Right. You know? But so I I kinda get it because because, you know, I I but but I don't at the same time. Yeah. I just think we'll just stop it. Just be your per be your own self. Be be do your own thing and don't worry about it. I like, I was the coach, I'd be like, hey. I'm gonna go over here and pray. Lost my job. Okay. I'm still gonna pray. I mean Yeah. You know, you're not gonna stop me from praying. Right. So I understand where he was coming from too. Yeah. I you know, it's it's it's such an odd thing because, this came up

this has come up in societally to on the run this notion of people feeling like they have to do or say or behave in a certain way around people who have positions of authority over them. Mhmm. We talked a lot about it with it with with like through some of the me too stuff but like in general, the question is is that like, you know, people feel like they have to go along because someone has some level of power authority and and like it's it's it gives I I'm I can't talk to every circumstance. I don't know, you know, I'm a white dude. I don't know what it's like to be all kinds of other situations.

But like like, I think we gotta be real cautious as a society that we don't start drawing the same thing that we would have said that the pharisees fail that, right? Like drawing lines in front of lines, in front of lines, lest something that could happen, but isn't happening may never. Right. Because we we thought he might, this might be some sort of problem. And so, you know, I think we just have to be cautious about that kind of thing. I think it's it's it's right. Like, I think we always need to be we should always question folks in authority and and like, you're you're an American. You're we're bred for this. It's to look at people who are supposed to have some level of authority over us and go, I don't know. I don't think so. Think I that guy takes a dump like everybody else and so I don't think I'm gonna do that. And so like like you should question that and and but but I I I think we're in a weird spot societally

where we we have I don't know when this changes or maybe maybe this is is to leave it to beaverish where it felt like we had a place where, like, our principles were more important and we were willing to deal with the consequences. Where we said, you know, hey. Look. My boss says I gotta do this to get ahead. And I said, no, thanks. I'll work somewhere else. You're a sleazebag. You know? And like, I get it. The things in society are difficult because like, well, I don't have a job. I can't take care of my family.

You know, I well, we stand on principle and the principles that other people agree with. I bet we can find ways to care for situations where people are standing up for what's right. And I I get it. Just leave me alone. Don't send me a bunch of stuff. I I get there's there's places where maybe those folks feel like they don't have a voice or a way to say it or ways to support. I get it. But my broad point is, is that like what good is the principle if we're not willing to hold to it and

you know, but also it's not fair to say everybody that is in a position of power authority should be questioned like you should have some healthy skepticism of them because they're guiding you and the things that you're supposed to be doing. However, it doesn't presume, it's not fair to presume that just because someone has a level of authority that they will misuse that. Like think of how many people look up to coaches or mentors or leaders of dance troops or like people who were better parent type figures than their own parents. They had power, they had positions of authority and they used it for awesomeness.

And encouraged people and helped them be better humans, pastors and elders and big brothers and big sisters, like, oh, there's all kinds of structures where there's like, there's a submission in there somewhere that says, I'm willing to defer to this person whom I trust to guide my life. And so I I just you lose potential if we say, well, no one can have that and then act within their own personality in that lest they mislead or force them. I think we just gotta be super careful. So I I'm actually good with the ruling.

Nathaniel? I love the ruling. You were aware of this one as well. You studied it closely. Yeah. Okay. I was actually unaware of it until you started talking about this evening. Holy kiss. So I I don't know, Dan. Have you seen any any reactions on that one? Not no. Like, not that I can think of. I mean, I probably have. I probably it it wasn't as out there as as like the Roe versus Wade or pro or against, you know. Yep. There there was not a lot of arguing

on it that I that I saw. Yep. Other than I think I saw somebody say, hey. A lot of wins for Jesus this this week or something. And I'm like, okay. I mean Yeah. I I that's where I'm cautious, like, on this. I think I think that case is a thing of a type. I think it could have been about the nachos and it's the same question to me. I this that that one's not a win for Jesus. This is the how would we how do we safeguard things within our society and and how do we know when we're overstepping, like, minority report style and trying to prefigure whether someone's gonna be offensive or not or misuse their power. I think

yeah. You see it framed as a religious liberties win. You know? And and Yeah. I I think that overstretches it. Yeah. I think it overstretches it. Yeah. It's nacho time. And the guy I mean, it happened to be about that, but it's not like it it wasn't that the supreme court goes, hey, man. Yeah. We're pro prayer. That wasn't what they were doing. They're saying he's a he's a private citizen, and his his influence was not mandatory at the time. People chose whether they wanted to join or not. And, frankly, he's he's free to pray just like he's free to, you know, sing the hits of Marvin Gaye on the 50 yard line if he wants to. Right. You know, like, it's the same thing. It happened to be prayer which is a loaded religious thing. I get that but, like, I I don't, I think it overstretches what they ruled to act like it's a religious liberty issue. It's a there it's a constitutional question that just happened to be a prayer thing for this man. Yeah.

I mean, I would think if if it was a Muslim and he ran out there and put a prayer carpet down and and started going through the prayer time, they probably would have responded the same way. Like, hey. Don't don't do that right here. Yeah. Don't do it on the 50 yard line. I mean, go go go somewhere else. Which is interesting. Right? Because, like, if I'm okay with this this guy doing Christian prayers at the 50 yard line as a as an American,

am I just as good with the with the Muslim putting out the prayer rug? Right. I I I'm assuming in in supreme court setting that that that that's opening up to anything. Yes. If you're a Satan worshiper, you get to go slay a goat and, you know, have a sacrifice. And This is what's difficult. This is the and this goes now we again, now you're you're facing the problems of a common morality that doesn't roll up to a trustworthy god. It's just a guy like, you know, you I wanna pray to Jesus. This guy wants to, you know, eat my cat for the glory of Beelzebul.

Like, I would Mhmm. This is it's very difficult to come with a reasonable moral plane. And but but, see, as an American, I would say if this is that's it's a win for religious liberty if you also count the Muslim. Mhmm. That that that and so this is where I think we have to be you have to be fair. The precedent set here says there isn't anything about a religious observance post football game that would cause someone to say, hey. You can't do that. You can't. And so, like,

this is just Christians, you gotta be don't be too narrow. No one converted to the lord Jesus today because that court case was won. In fact, what what you did, if anything else, is you set a precedent that makes it easier for alternative viewpoints to behave in similar ways. And, Frank, from an American perspective, they should be free to do so. From a Christian perspective, I don't like that because it could influence people negatively. But, like Yeah. I think just be careful. Be careful where your victories are at. What if I go to the nudist church and it's well, I'm gonna go pray. And I didn't see that example coming, Nathaniel. What are thinking, like You know, honestly 20 to one on nudist church. I should know a nudist church was a thing. You guys aren't hip. Is that a thing, Dan? Oh, absolutely. What? Man, it's been around a long time. I remember when I was in college, someone put a flyer on my window once. They were inviting me to the nudist church. Were there was it were there nude people using the flyer? No. I mean, it was, like, eighties, you know,

poorly type Oh, yeah. That's true. I mean The options for flyer making were lower in the eighties. Exactly. I had to go to professionals to have little flyers made. That was before the the personal computer. Right. So it was pretty crude, and there were I don't know. There was just a bunch of writing. Like, hey. Come to the new church because, you know, in Genesis, they renewed and felt no shame. Therefore, that's how we are.

And It was a real legit thing. Oh, man. You were born of your father, Adam. You do have shame. Put a loin glove on, friend. Okay. Wow. We did that's like a thing now? Like, people are still doing this type of thing? You know, I haven't I haven't looked into that in recent decades.

It's just at the time, I've I've used it as an example for different things in the class I teach sometimes Right. About interpreting scripture, like, you know, let's look at some basic hermeneutics, like, they're probably incorrect Right. In interpreting that particular scripture. Yeah. That's why it comes to mind once in a while. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Let's let's give some advice so that we can call it a day here.

Here we go. Dear, line from the path. I love my husband, but I'm getting tired of being a second class citizen in my home. Uh-oh. It started when we bought a van from a friend of mine. We talked about different things we could do with it, fix it up in a little and sell it, or use it for vacation. But somehow along the line, it was suggested that we let my ex, Paul, buy it from us because he's homeless and chooses to let everyone else take care of him. The van is now fixed. Paul lost his job and is now living in the van in my driveway. The problem is he doesn't stay in the van. He crashes on my couch, uses my electricity, water, etcetera, and now eats my food. I told my husband this is not healthy for my mental well-being. My husband and I this is a weird situation. Yeah. My husband and I own our own business, and Paul has now become involved in that too. My husband says he can use the help, and it gives Paul money to move. The only problem with that is my ex doesn't use the money for bills. He blows it on junk he doesn't need. I'm tired of raising a 41 year old grown man. Help. Which man is she referring to? Her husband or her ex husband? Yeah. Right. They're both children.

Wow. That is bizarre. Okay. I'm gonna I'm gonna just gonna restate it for the the facts for the jury here. She she was married, divorces Paul. Marries another man. They have a business from their house. They they they run their own business together. She they they discuss buying a van. They they buy a van,

and I think on like, in discord with her, they fix up the van, but then the now husband suggests that the ex husband can buy it. Which tells you he's in the picture anyway before the van. That's right. He's around. Yeah. He has to be okay. So he's around, and he suggests that the the ex husband could buy it. And the wife ex wife. The wife has a problem with this in general, it sounds like. Even just selling it to him, she feels like the husband has overstepped his bounds.

I mean, I don't know. We'll we'll come back to it. And so and the note that they give they said try to sell it to him. It doesn't sound like he can make the payments, and and he lives in the van now, and he lives in their driveway. And in their house. And he goes in the house. He wanders in there, and now he works with the now husband as, an associate. And the the now husband says, yeah. That's gonna give him some money so he can move out of this van or the driveway

except for she didn't say he buys, like, drugs or booze with it. She just says he buys junk. Yeah. He buys Crapola. And she says but she says, but I'm a I'm a second class citizen in my home. I don't okay. So I don't know. Nathaniel, help me help me sort this out. Okay. Here's what I think's happening. K.

Husband and ex husband were pals. Have been pals? Yeah. Have been pals. Okay. And that's how wife found new husband. Oh, okay.

Okay. She was stealing from the cookie jar. Okay. I gotcha. Gotcha. Gotcha. So now ex husband and new husband, they're still pals. They're still pat Remarkably. Out of Alley. Yeah. Because I don't think that'd work with me. Yeah. This Paul is a real saint. Yeah. Okay. He you know, maybe it's his volition to to let her go. I see how this is playing out. Go ahead. But,

you know, he still wants a pal. He doesn't wanna spend a lot of money. You know, she took everything in the divorce. Right. New husband probably feels a little guilty Yeah. For having stolen her. And so he says, listen, Paul. Live in the van. Yeah. We'll give you some coin. I don't care if you buy a drum set and put it in the van. You know, what do I care, Paul? You know? It's just old Martha over here. She she doesn't care for it, but we'll just move on. Well, yeah. Sure. You can choose what type of candy bar we sell this month and be let it be the special. Mhmm. Mhmm. And I think that's what's going on here. And I think Martha

has a reason to be upset. I'm troubled with the fact that you said drums qualify as junk. I mean, like, if Everything else I'm liking. And and a a van, though? Well, I mean, it's never they're never junk either. Oh, sure. But, like, he's got better things to spend his money on, like finding a real place. I don't know, man. If you were living large and gotta stay rent free in this van, wouldn't you feel like it's time to buy drums? He he can move the drums into the living room. Time to beat the skins. She she she she makes poor choices all around in men. Yeah. Yes. So yeah. Yeah. I I think I think Nathaniel's onto something. I think the guilt explains the now the new husband's behavior best.

Otherwise, this is like, why? Now I don't I don't care whether he was gonna sell the van to the ex husband. Like, what what does that matter to me? I don't care who drives the van around. The problem was the moving in, living in the van, working with, and blowing money. It seems to be more of the problem. But, like, the guilt would explain that is that he feels guilty for for, putting the moves on this guy's wife. And so he's more tolerant of it. And the the ex wife,

hates this or the the the the wife hates this because she felt justified in leaving the guy, and now he's around. And now he seems to be sucking in new husband, and so she comes off the worst. But but if it went down like Nathaniel said, she I don't know. You kinda had this coming. I don't know. It's the whole thing's bizarre. If if my wife, for whatever reason, left me and was with a friend of mine who were

buddies since high school Yeah. And all that stuff, I would find a way to find a new friend, and I would just leave that situation. Would I would I had no desire to know what they're doing out there. You know? It's like, just no. No. Can I live in your driveway in a van? Like, no way. Can I pop into your place? I lay on the couch while you guys are in the bed that used to be shared by me. Yeah. I mean No. No. No. I'm just not Okay. This situation's messed up. What was her limit? Let's just go back to here. She just said help. Jerry. Okay. Now

here's what I'm gonna tell you. I think she has this I'm a second class citizen in my own house. I think frames this incorrectly. There's something else. I think what we've discussed in you know, if it's even remotely close, there there's other things going on here. This isn't just like, hey. My husband treats me less than. I have weird relationships with my ex husband. Yeah. She's treating herself less than. Yeah. Yeah. Or treated the original husband less than and is now reaping what she sowed in this odd situation because the the I think the new husband's totally feeling guilty about this. So I think the second class citizen kinda sums it up. Maybe not perfectly, but, like, if Doug and Paul are are besties for life

and she's the third wheel now, but maybe by her own volition or not or consequences of her actions or not Okay. That's that's true. Then, yeah, she she's a a second class citizen in the home when Doug and Paul make all the good decisions like who who gets the van. So what's not clear though, she says, I told my husband this is not healthy for my mental well-being. I I I mean, I would ask, I suppose, like, tell me what you said to him. Did you say, my my ex husband cannot stay here? Did you try that? Were we super clear? This man cannot stay in a van in our driveway.

I don't care that you feel guilty. I yeah. Okay. Here's so so legit advice, here's what I would say. I would say the very firm thing. I would start with your current husband, and then, if if it doesn't make movement like you want, I would go to the ex husband and say, look. You need to move out directly. You don't live here anymore. And I'd be willing to like, if it could push go mashove, I mean, you can call the law on him. He doesn't have he does not allowed to stay at your place. I don't like calling the law on people. But, like, if you asked him to leave and he refused to leave Yeah. I actually thought that myself. I thought, oh, that's that's what secular always says. Don't wanna go there. But But, like, I mean, there's there's a difference between you being a selfish turd, which is what most of the time people are trying to do, and they're trying just to further problems versus, like, I don't want this man living in a van in my in my front yard.

And if he refused to go anywhere, then, like, I mean, he's trespassing. And that's now whether this blows up your current marriage is, I think a second problem. I'm it might be a good time for counseling without Paul. Paul doesn't get to go. You you do with new man. You and new man do the counseling, and, you just need someone to help facilitate some conversations that you guys seem incapable of having. Because you know what would be fascinating? I'd be willing to sign a two book deal with new husband. He's a fascinating character to me. I I I'm I'm interested in all the ins and outs of how he thinks about life. And

so, I think you need to I think it might be time to call in a trusted friend or a counselor. Alright. Secular says, you are not a second class citizen. Now that's not true. You're just trying to encourage her. To Nathaniel's point, you may very well be. Yeah. She said this arrangement seems crazy. Boy, it takes a lot to get Secular to use words like that. Because it is interfering with your marriage, tell your husband the situation is affecting your mental health and insist upon a deadline by which Paul will be out of there. Guests,

like fish, start to stink after three days, and Paul has exceeded that by far. He has a van, so whether or not he is safe enough for a place of his own, he won't be without shelter. Your mental health is more important than your husband having an extra hand in the business. Yeah. I think that's true. Okay. What do you think, Nathaniel? We agree? Yeah. Ball needs to get out of there. Okay. Alright. Here we go. Dear, life on the path. I have several creative friends who have either written a book or made a music CD. What the what is this person? 85 years old? They got one of them music CDs. I

get asked to read or oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. I know where this is going. I get asked to read or listen to these creations and submit an online review. The book was written about a very rough divorce, and my friend described her ex using some gossipy and awful information that I knew was not true. She placed all the blame on her ex when it was she who committed adultery, a fact she conveniently left out the book. The music CD was not to my liking either. My friend cannot sing. How do I handle these review requests? So far, have simply not submitted a review because I'm not going to lie or give bad or give a bad one. But what do I say when they ask? You think there's you think there's any chance that it was this book and or CD was put out by that woman? With with the van? Yeah. That's how it kinda crossed my mind. It seems like the same situation.

Here's the deal. I I don't think it's gonna sell a whole lot, so I don't think anybody's gonna read your review either. So I wouldn't worry about it. Yeah. But I would also wouldn't lie, I mean, in your review. Yeah. I mean, just say, I'm trying to think if I've ever had the situation where someone presented me with art in, like, a in, like, a serious thing and I had to go, you know, I don't love that. Yeah. I mean, music's easier for me. I might say, actually both of those are, I think I could handle. If someone gave me a CD that I really did not enjoy, I would try to say one positive thing. I might try to say like, as a matter of fact, this has happened to me. I've had a friend give me a CD and I listened to it. And I said, there was one of the songs I'm like, you know, if I had to pick a favorite, it would be this one. I don't know that I'd listen to it 15 times, but if I had to pick a favorite, I'd let it'd be that one. And then I'd say, you know, otherwise, it's not it's not necessarily the type of music I I listen to very often, but, yeah, that one would definitely have been my favorite. That's probably all I would say. Yeah. And then that that's a fair that's fair. Yep. You're helping them out and you're also not being dishonest. Yeah. And then for the book, I would say, look, don't I don't feel comfort if I thought a friend a friend of mine, like, quote's friend had written a book that they didn't represent it correctly, I would say, look, I don't feel comfortable providing a review here

because I don't this is not how I recollect it happening. And so rather than contradict you in an online review, I'm just gonna pass. Just ask if you can write the preface. Yeah. Can I write the preface? The following pages are filled with lies and trash. Let me tell you about the affair that happened. Yeah. It was before all of this took place. It wasn't always Paul. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I I think I think you be honest, be kind,

but be honest and leave it leave it at that. Nathaniel, has anybody ever handed you something where you'd list to it and you're like, or read it? Yeah. I I knew a guy. I worked with him at three m and he he was a temp worker and he's the re he chose to be a temp because they offered him a full time position. But he was a drummer

in a punk metal band. Yeah. I was Out of the band? I'd like to get a listen on that because, you know, I'm a I'm a metal fan. Yeah. And so he said, oh, sweet, bro. You know, he got all jacked up and he came in and he gave me a couple of the CDs. Yeah. And they were just terrible. Oh, no. Yeah. I mean, they were they were awful. But

there was one song that kinda had a catchy catchy chorus. Yeah. And so I said, yeah. That that song had a catchy chorus. It was it was pretty rad. Yeah. And he's like, yeah, man. Went on and we went on our way. Usually, people don't ask me to read books. So or review them.

So I haven't had that experience. But, yeah, I wouldn't say that you have to lie to them and say, hey. Or or make a fake up make a fake post online that that it was the best book in the world. And if they ask you why you didn't, just tell them to tell them the truth. Yeah. I think it's alright. Dan, have you been in that position? No. No. I've asked someone to do it before.

I was kinda thinking about that. Like, it was in the late nineties. I wrote a little book, a couple books that were like from columns, which I actually I was looking at some of the stuff today from it because my daughter wanted to know a story, and I was like, hey, I wrote about that once. Yeah. And I would say it's about a third grade quality writing,

not the penmanship, but the writing quality and skill. But I put this book together and it was self published and everything, and I sent a copy or samples

to Bob Russell, who was like, especially at that time, like one of the premier preachers in in the country. Oh, yeah. And I said, hey. Can you write a little endorsement thing? And and I thought he'd be ridiculous to do this. Yeah. But he did. Oh, nice. And like a few weeks later, he sends back a little thing, and I had sits on the back cover of my my book, and I think, gosh. I bet now he's embarrassed about that, but but he did it. What a cool thing for Bob Russell to do. Yeah. I've always been just so crazy appreciative of that. Yeah. Because he didn't know me, and and it wasn't like I say, wasn't it was just a thing I threw together every week for a column. I mean, it wasn't even like, just like,

crap. I got fifteen minutes. Quick. Throw something together. Right. And and as I was reading one of the little stories, it just sounded a lot like I had fifteen minutes and I threw it together real quick, you know, and and he still had a nice old things to say. Yeah. You think Bob actually read it? Yeah. Because I didn't I didn't give him a big sample. Oh, okay. And he or somebody did. Maybe he just said here, write a review. That is possible. But still, he didn't have to put his name on it. Yeah. That's true. I mean, that's his reputation. Yeah. He's a big author too now. Yeah. Yeah. That's true. Maybe not ask me to review his book, though. I was gonna say, it's coming. It's coming, man. He's gonna send you a snippet. Okay. So

that was our advice. Let's see. Secular says, tell your author friend, while she may be a talented writer, you are not comfortable endorsing her book because it's being used as a weapon to make her ex husband look bad. Point out that if her book succeeds, he could retaliate by suing her for libel, and you want no part of it. As to your musician friend, all you need to say about the CD is that it's clear the singer has music in their soul. Oh, yeah. Right. In the future, when you're asked to write a review, decline by stating that because you are a friend, you cannot give an unbiased review, period. That's weird. That seemed real forceful to me. Reviewed anything, like online?

Yeah. An Amazon purchase. You have reviewed an Amazon purchase? Yeah. I did, I think I've done, like, one or two. I'm not very good at them. I've done a handful. I I won't give negative ones. I give, like, restaurants and stuff. I think maybe if it's a bad day, I was given the benefit of the doubt. I don't wanna make them lose business. Right. But I'll I'll I'll do the positive ones. Hey. Great experience. We laid up the spaghetti. I've never given feedback, I don't think, on anything, any purchase I've ever made. No kidding. Yeah. I don't think so. I don't know. I don't have an advocation whether you should start or not.

I feel like I like, there's been times where I just felt, if it was a particularly good interaction. Like, I felt like I should say something because of all the people who don't, like all the Nathaniel's in the world. Yeah. If I have a bad situation, I'll I'll write, like, personally. I'll send a message to the whatever, either corporate or local whatever, just so they know because I figured they need to know. I was in a a local grocery store once where they serve, restaurants, food,

and, went into the restroom and I I saw, a cook come out of the stall and not wash his hands and go back to the kitchen of which I was about to head to to order food. Yeah. And I thought, you know, I'm kinda uncomfortable with that. And so I got onto the website and emailed the corporate and and I could they were like, bam. They were within five minutes have responded back. And I said and even even my email was like, hey. Not complaining. Just, you know, you might wanna review your, safety, procedures with your people in the kitchen.

I noticed one of the guys not washing his hands after, you know, dropping a deuce. Right. And, you know, it just kinda grossed me out. I'm sure it grossed other people out. So that was kinda cool. Yeah. Yeah. But I didn't make a big public, you know, stink out of it. He he he made a stink earlier. Sorry. It's okay. That's gonna tap us out. Hey. Thanks for listening to Life From The Path.

Yeah. We we really appreciate you hanging out with us. And, if you got any feedback for the show, hit us up on the Life From The Path. Look at Bob Eisner. Complaint line (515) 517-0085. We'd love to hear from you. In the meantime, be faithful in the means. God will handle the ends. You've been listening to Live From The Path.