On this final episode of Season 5, I look at the topic of Statism. Despite using that term in the past, I wanted to do a deeper dive into Statism - the idolatry of the civil government. Referencing works such as Idols For Destruction and Identity and Idolatry, I discuss what Statism is, what it looks like, and how to respond to it. I also play a recent clip from New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani regarding government-run grocery stores as a perfect example of Statism. Ultimately, the answer to Statism is not separatism, or staying removed from politics/civics, but the word of God and the good news of Jesus Christ.

Please sign up to attend the Future of Christendom conference from October 9-11 in Lancaster, PA. The theme of the conference is No Other Name and includes an address by Pastor Jeff Durbin. If you use the code GovernedbyGod when you sign up, you will get a 10% discount on your tickets!

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected].

You can follow also me on Facebook or Twitter, or go to http://www.ericluppold.com/

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On today's episode, I finish reviewing a video by Professor R. L. Solberg on the topic of God's law. While I agree with most of what Professor Solberg says, I think that there a few points of disagreement. Most of them surround the application and use of the Old Testament law in the life of a Christian.

On a different note, if you have not done so yet, please sign up to attend the Future of Christendom conference from October 9-11 in Lancaster, PA. The theme of the conference is No Other Name and includes an address by Pastor Jeff Durbin. If you use the code GovernedbyGod when you sign up, you will get a 10% discount on your tickets!

That being said, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected].

You can follow also me on Facebook or Twitter, or go to http://www.ericluppold.com/

And if you would like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron!

On today's episode, I briefly discuss the Hebrew Roots movement and then begin reviewing a video by Professor R. L. Solberg on the topic of God's law. In what I believe to be his attempt to counter the Hebrew Roots movement, Professor Solberg goes a bit too far and seems to be advocating for a kind of antinomianism. While that may not be his intent, it demonstrates that we must take care to not fall into ditches on either side of the road on any topic, including that of God's law.

If you have not done so yet, please sign up to attend the Future of Christendom conference from October 9-11 in Lancaster, PA. The theme of the conference is No Other Name and includes an address by Pastor Jeff Durbin. If you use the code GovernedbyGod when you sign up, you will get a 10% discount on your tickets!

That being said, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected].

You can follow also me on Facebook or Twitter, or go to http://www.ericluppold.com/

And if you would like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron!

On today's episode, I discuss the recent Theonomy Symposium hosted by Future of Christendom in Lancaster, PA. While there I was invited to serve on a three-judge panel that was given a mock trial/case to adjudicate. The specific problem we were presented with was a noise complaint. Aside from going over the trial and how we reached a solution, on this episode I also look at the related issue of zoning laws. Now, if you have not read your local zoning code, I would encourage you to do so. Not only will you see just how ridiculous it is, you will probably be surprised by how many times you have violated the code without even realizing it. Such is the nature of man's attempt to solve problems apart from God's law.

And if you have not done so yet, please sign up to attend the Future of Christendom conference from October 9-11 in Lancaster, PA. The theme of the conference is No Other Name and includes an address by Pastor Jeff Durbin. If you use the code "GovernedbyGod" when you sign up, you will get a 10% discount on your tickets!

That being said, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected].

You can follow also me on Facebook or Twitter, or go to http://www.ericluppold.com/

And if you would like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron!

In a follow-up episode from last time, I had the opportunity to chat with David Fowler on the topic of parental rights and responsibilities. David has been a previous guest on the podcast and is a former state senator from Tennessee. He also just recently retired from his position as president of the Family Action Council of Tennessee. Today we cover topics such as child abuse, parental rights, the right to life and limb, and the role of the common law. More specifically, we discuss how many of the current, well-meaning, attempts at protecting the rights of children and parents is a form of compromise with a secular worldview.

If you have any questions or comments about our conversation, please email me at [email protected].

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What rights and responsibilities do parents have when it comes to their children? Well, according to Colorado, any parents who question or oppose the gender identity or chosen pronouns of their children are considered abusive. While we would agree that parents do not have absolute authority over their children, the limits to their authority must be determined by God. But, in our godless society, the State has stepped in and now decides when parents may keep their children. Caesar giveth and Caesar taketh away...

Here is the link to Colorado's most recent bill: Colorado House Bill 1312

And, as always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected].

You can follow also me on Facebook or Twitter, or go to http://www.ericluppold.com/

And if you would like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron!

The power to tax is the power to destroy, or kill. But for most of U.S. history, tariffs were the primary means by which the federal government acquired revenue. Yet, since the introduction of the income tax in 1913, tariffs have fallen by the wayside. Only recently have tariffs returned from the dead, causing great consternation and debate. But what is a tariff and how does it work? Furthermore, how were tariffs viewed in the past and why did the U.S. switch to the income tax? Join me as I discuss these questions on today's episode.

And, as always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected].

You can follow also me on Facebook or Twitter, or go to http://www.ericluppold.com/

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Based on my previous natural law episode, today I look at possible traces of theonomy throughout history. Theonomy is often accused of being novel or modern, originating with 20th Century theologians such as Bahnsen, North, and Rushdoony. But it seems that an argument could be made that theonomy is much older than that. Were there Christians during the Roman Empire that advocated for greater conformity to the Old Testament civil laws? Was even medieval Ireland influenced by the Mosaic law code? Today I tackle those questions in the hopes of tracing the threads of theonomy throughout history.

And, as always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected].

You can follow also me on Facebook or Twitter, or go to http://www.ericluppold.com/

And if you would like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron!

This week I look at the topic of natural law in an attempt to find a clear and useful definition. I consider statements from Aristotle, Aquinas, Calvin, and Blackstone, and compare/contrast their perspectives. Finally, I comment on a short video published by Jon Harris from Conversations that Matter regarding natural law. At the end of the day, any discussion of natural law needs to start with clear a definition of what it is in order to avoid unnecessary confusion.

And, as always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected].

You can follow also me on Facebook or Twitter, or go to http://www.ericluppold.com/

And if you would like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron!

This week I had the opportunity to chat with Luisa Rodriguez, a friend and fellow Christian who has had extensive experience working with/for the government and seeing the impact of government "assistance" in other nations. We discuss some of the reasons why government help, despite being well-intended at times, is inefficient and ineffective. We also consider the role of both the government and the church in caring for the poor, the widow, and the orphan. And we try to consider some of the reasons why people, including Christians, become upset when government assistance is either reduced or cut.

To see more of Luisa's writings, you can follow her work at the below links:

https://medium.com/@luisafrodriguez

Biblical Warfare

Fruitfully Women

And, as always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected].

You can follow also me on Facebook or Twitter, or go to http://www.ericluppold.com/

And if you would like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron!