It's the final podcast of 2017! I don't have an awesome way to track people who actually listen to these episodes, but if you did, thank you very much. It is kind of fun to do anyway, so even if no one listens, I still enjoy it. Today's episode is kind of random. I had a few leftover Christmas articles and a few other articles I thought were interesting. Have a very Happy New Year!

1. We Need Christmas More Than Ever by James Robison from The Stream

2. Charles Schulz's Pushback Against Secularism by Martin Cothran from Intellectual Takeout

3. What Is the Historical Evidence That Jesus Christ Lived and Died? by Dr. Simon Gathercole from The Guardian 

4. Students Claim They've Created Browser Extension Measuring How Much 'Fake News' You're Reading by Jared Sichel from The Daily Wire

5. 'Gaming Disorder' May Get Classified As a Mental Health Condition — Here's What That Means by Kevin Loria from Business Insider 

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Well, we are here on Christmas Eve Eve, and what else should I be talking about other than the big day itself? We are at that weird intersection between a secular world that loves Christmas and a Christian world that actually has a reason for loving Christmas. That's what were talking about today.

1. Christmastime is Here — Cue the Charlie Brown Music by Barbara Lilley from The Stream

2. Why Do We All Watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” Every Christmas? by Hugh Whelchel from the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics

3. 10 Christmas Carols Everyone Should Know by Keith Getty from The Gospel Coalition

4. Americans See More Jingle, Less Jesus in Christmas Celebrations by Cathy Lynn Grossman from USA Today

5. The Reason for the Season by Rev. James V Schall SJ from The Stream

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We're going into some controversial territory today on the podcast. I haven't done this for a while, but there are things we need to talk about despite the fact that they might make people somewhat uncomfortable.

1. Why I'm Nervous about Driverless Cars by Russell Moore from RussellMoore.com

2. Ex-Facebook VP: Social Media Destroying Society with 'Dopamine Driven Feedback Loops' by Amy B Wang from the Chicago Tribune

3. What the ACLU Gets Wrong About the Separation of Church & State by Mark David Hall from The Imaginative Conservative

4. Planned Parenthood Tried To Cloak Itself In Religion, And Christians Are Having None Of It by Holly Scheer from The Federalist

5. How ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ Symbolizes the Triumph of Common Sense by Annie Holmquist from Intellectual Takeout

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Christianity has always been countercultural, and that's what we're going to talk about on the show today. We hold a lot of positions that are rapidly falling out of favor in American culture, and as a result, we have to be prepared for the reality that our life is going to look a little bit different than that of our neighbor. Maybe in the past, there was kind of a Christian coating that blanketed American culture, but that is becoming less and less true. Let me show you what I'm talking about.

1. The Desirability of Storytellers by Ed Yong from The Atlantic

2. Are Christians Called To Influence Society? A Note Of Caution by Jonny Mellor from Think Theology

3. Magnanimity: The Balm for Our Brutalized Public Discourse by Stephen M. Klugewicz from The Imaginative Conservative

4. Why I Would Never File A Lawsuit Saying My Child With Cystic Fibrosis Should Not Have Been Born by Mary Vought from The Federalist

5. How Celebration Fuels Achievement by Stu McLaren from MichaelHyatt.com

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Although unintentionally, on the podcast this week we definitely have an educational theme going on. When you think about one common experience that almost everybody in America has, we pretty much all went to school. Even though we might have completed various levels of education, we inherently understand that there is something important to learning and gaining knowledge. Today's podcast is dedicated to that commitment.

1. Appreciating the Importance of Vocational Education by Rev. Ben Johnson from the Acton Institute Powerblog

2. Flat Earth Movement: Controversial Conspiracy Theory Is Booming in the U.S. by Katherine Hignett from Newsweek

3. Teacher Discovers that Young Students Really Can Be Taught to Think for Themselves by Annie Holmquist from Intellectual Takeout

4. Stop Acting Like Technology Holds You Hostage by Trevin Wax from The Gospel Coalition

5. The Christian University: Steward of Western Civilization by Benjamin Myers from The Imaginative Conservative

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Happy belated Thanksgiving to all of you! I hope you had a wonderful day. On the podcast today, we are going to be touching on the holiday itself, the idea of progress and some more about those crazy Christians.

1. Americans Say To Pass The Turkey, Not The Politics, At Thanksgiving This Year by Jessica Taylor from NPR

2. Meet the Woman Who Helped Make Thanksgiving a US Holiday by John York from The Daily Signal

3. How Evil Is Tech? by David Brooks from the New York Times

4. Progress Comes Through Conflict? by Devin Foley from Intellectual Takeout

5. The Early Christians Were Odd, Too by Michael Kruger from The Gospel Coalition

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Human nature is a funny thing, and it is even funnier that we never learn from the past. I know that there is certainly debate as to how cyclical history really is, but the stories I have for you this week seem like a 21st-century perspective on debates that have raged for hundreds or thousands of years. What does that tell me? Probably everything I am about to say has been said before, but I'm going to say it anyway.

1. Childhood Expert: Current Education System Will Soon ‘Disappear’ by Annie Holmquist from Intellectual Takeout

2. Campus Conservatives Should Check Their Own Trolling by Nick Phillips from The American Conservative

3. Why the Worst Humans Are Able to Rise to Power by Brittany Hunter from Intellectual Takeout

4. Netflix Thinks You’re Bored and Lonely by Trevin Wax from The Gospel Coalition

5. Science: Constant Christmas Music Has Some Extremely Negative Mental Effects by Relevant Staff from Relevant Magazine

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This week, I was struck by the change in the world as well as the stability. We find ourselves in a seemingly endless tide of change, but we see certain themes shine through that seem to be inevitably tied to our human nature. We will see that in our story today.

1. 'Everyday Objects': Tiffany & Co Selling $9,000 Ball Of Yarn, $1,500 Coffee Can by Joseph Curl from The Daily Wire

2. Why We Still Love Agatha Christie’s ‘Murder On The Orient Express’ 40 Years After Her Death by Jessica Burke from The Federalist 

3. Do Americans Shame Too Much – Or Not Enough? by Peter Stearns from Intellectual Takeout

4. The Surprising Revolt at the Most Liberal College in the Country by Chris Bodenner from The Atlantic

5. Our Secular Theodicy by Matthew Rose from First Things

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Just like we heard at the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring, the world is no doubt changing. As Christians, we understand that there were certain things that are never going to change, and those are the things that we hold firmly to. All five of my articles today relate to this important truth. 

1. Christians and Intellectual Endeavors by George Yancey from Patheos

2. Why Nothing Is Sacred Anymore by John Horvat II from Crisis Magazine

3. CS Lewis: Don't Compromise Your Values to Fit in by Art Lindsley from the Institute for Faith, Work and Economics

4. Poll: 71% of Americans Say Political Correctness Has Silenced Discussions Society Needs to Have, 58% Have Political Views They’re Afraid to Share by Emily Ekins from Intellectual Takeout

5. Happiness Is Other People by Ruth Whippman from the New York Times

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Another month has come and gone. Can you believe Halloween is coming right up on Tuesday? I didn't want to do an entire Halloween episode, but I will slip an article in at the end. We have a lot of fun things to hit first. This is a practical episode I think for 21st century America.

1. Edmund Burke: Champion of Ordered Liberty by John Attarian from The Imaginative Conservative 

2. The Political Thrill of Having an Enemy by Shadi Hamid from The Atlantic

3. Big Data Meets Big Brother as China Moves to Rate Its Citizens by Rachel Botsman from Wired

4. The Right and Wrong Way to Close Your Mind by Trevin Wax from The Gospel Coalition 

5. Why Millennials are Ditching Religion for Witchcraft and Astrology by Kari Paul from MarketWatch

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