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After the horrors of Auschwitz, Elie Wiesel lost his faith. “Where were you, God of kindness?” he asked, recalling the evil he and others suffered. “In my childhood I did not expect much from human beings. But I expected everything from you.”
And yet, Wiesel realized later that his faith had never really left him. “It is because I believed in God that I was angry at God,” he told a journalist, “and still am.” You don’t get angry at someone you don’t believe exists.
We might feel uncomfortable expressing anger at God, but biblical characters did. “You deceived me, Lord” Jeremiah cried (20:7). “Will you forget me forever?” David wrote (Psalm 13:1). “God has wronged me,” Job said (19:6). Unaware of Satan’s role in his misfortune, Job accused God of being cruel (10:3) and even subpoenaed Him to court (31:35)! While Job later discovered that his understanding was limited (42:3), it’s important to note God never rebukes his feelings.
Despite his questions, Elie Wiesel prayed, “Let us make up. It is unbearable to be divorced from you so long.” We too might be angry at God for not limiting the suffering in our world, but our expressing it to Him can become prayer in disguise—keeping us close to the God who wants us to bring not just our praise, but our anger to Him too.
Politics can be loud enough that we forget what’s actually at stake. We sit down with Tim Goeglein, longtime Focus on the Family leader and former George W. Bush White House aide, to get clear about the foundations that make a free society possible: faith, family, and freedom. If you care about religious liberty, parental rights, and a culture where truth still means something, this conversation puts the spotlight where it belongs.
We talk honestly about the sobering trends shaping American life, including record-low marriage rates and fertility rates, and why so many young adults feel unstable even when they say they want marriage, kids, and a life grounded in faith. Tim lays out why the “political class” often debates everything except the first principles, then connects the dots between policy, culture, and what happens in our own homes. We also explore what it means for young men to become marriageable, dependable, and purpose-driven in a time that often tears down masculinity and fractures family formation.
One of the most urgent threads is the loneliness crisis among men and the digital displacement that replaces real friendship with virtual contact. We connect that reality to timeless biblical wisdom about companionship, community, and iron-sharpens-iron relationships, and we make the case that the local church can be a front-line solution by rebuilding fellowship, mentorship, and belonging. Along the way, we also highlight encouraging Gen Z trends that suggest better days are possible if we choose intentional relationships and resilient habits.
Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of faith and culture, share this with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review so more people can find it. What’s one practical step you think would strengthen families in your community?
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How Do I Get The Public Square®?
Topic: Our Mission
thepublicsquare.com
Air Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Alicia Lofthouse shares with us her true story.
Visit our podcast website to learn more about this ministry, unshackledpodcast.org.
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