“Authoritarian parenting—especially the evangelical variety—isn’t just abuse. It’s training. It teaches kids that love = fear. That power = safety. That obedience is the highest virtue, and questioning authority gets you a backhand and a one-way ticket to Hell,” writes journalist Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez. In this episode we discuss the psychological consequences of authoritarian parenting and how it can help us understand why some can view Trumps immigration policies, lies, and his abuse of power as a type of “love.”

The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church. If you have an idea for the show or want to connect with us, please email us at [email protected].

Articles mentioned in this episode:

1. https://alisav.substack.com/p/are-americans-just-stupid
2. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/4/16/can-trump-legally-deport-us-citizens-to-el-salvador-prisons
3. Joe Rogan and Anne Coulter concerned about deportation https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/joe-rogan-ann-coulter-break-with-trump-immigration-rcna199344
4. https://theintercept.com/2020/01/09/factory-farms-california-animal-rights-criminalization/