We are reviewing the first half of Murray Rothbard’s classic essay Anatomy of the State, in which he argues that the state can be defined as the entity that maintains a monopoly on violence in a given geographical area and that the state generates revenue through coercion. This is a classic in libertarian political philosophy and will be the way in which we define the concept of ‘state’ on this podcast. We look at the implications of Rothbard's ideas for a Christian understanding of the state and how we might begin to think about the way in which power is manifested in our society. 

 
Episode Outline:
I. Who is Murray Rothbard, and what is Anatomy of the State
II. Section 1: What the State Is Not
III. Section 2: What the State Is
IV. Section 3: How the State Preserves Itself
V. Threatening the State

Media Referenced:
Murray Rothbard Biography: https://mises.org/profile/murray-n-rothbard
Anatomy of the State PDF: https://mises.org/library/anatomy-state
Enemy of the State podcast series: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/enemy-of-the-state-murray-rothbard/id1170131270


Questions, comments, suggestions? Please reach out to me at [email protected].  You can also follow the podcast on Twitter: @prolibertypod. If you like the show and want to support it, you can! Check out the Protestant Libertarian Podcast page at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theplpodcast. Also, please consider giving me a star rating and leaving me a review, it really helps expand the shows profile! Thanks!

I sit down with my wife and first ever co-host Bethany Bernardo and discuss the amendment to Kentucky’s constitution that will be on the ballot in November. Issue 2 will read "Are you in favor of amending the Constitution of Kentucky by creating a new Section of the Constitution to be numbered Section 26A to state as follows: To protect human life, nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to secure or protect a right to abortion or require the funding of abortion?" While we both are strongly against abortion on moral and theological grounds, we think that there are problems with this amendment. We discuss why we will likely be voting ‘no’ on the amendment in this episode while acknowledging that libertarians can have legitimate differences on this issue.

Media Referenced:
Lexington Herald-Leader Article: https://www.kentucky.com/news/state/kentucky/article267183231.html
Amendment 2 Text: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/21RS/hb91/orig_bill.pdf

Questions, comments, suggestions? Please reach out to me at [email protected].  You can also follow the podcast on Twitter: @prolibertypod. If you like the show and want to support it, you can! Check out the Protestant Libertarian Podcast page at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theplpodcast. Also, please consider giving me a star rating and leaving me a review, it really helps expand the shows profile! Thanks!

On this episode, we review Bonnie Kristian’s “What the Methodist Split Tells us About American Political Polarization”, which was published in Reason magazine, and explore the impending breakup of the United Methodist church, the theological, social, and political ramifications of the split, and why Christians should do a better job of trying to get along, even with other Christians that disagree with them. We look at how the church is the family of Abraham defined by faith in Jesus and the presence of the Spirit, as well as the potential threats of both the erosion of religious liberties and right-wing Christian nationalism. 

 Episode Outline:
I. My First Experience with a Church Split
II. The Methodist Church Is Breaking Up
III. What Conclusions Should We Draw from This?

 Media Referenced:
“What the Methodist Split Tells us About American Political Polarization”, Bonnie Kristian, via Reason Magazine: https://reason.com/2022/08/10/what-the-methodist-split-tells-us-about-american-political-polarization/

 Questions, comments, suggestions? Please reach out to me at [email protected].  You can also follow the podcast on Twitter: @prolibertypod. If you like the show and want to support it, you can! Check out the Protestant Libertarian Podcast page at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theplpodcast. Also, please consider giving me a star rating and leaving me a review, it really helps expand the shows profile! Thanks!

In this episode, we explore the contemporary definition of the term ‘love’, analyze how it is used in both theological and political discourse, and challenge it by interpreting the how the writers of the New Testament, particularly John, have an alternative understanding of the concept. We will then look at how, as protestants, we should apply the Biblical understanding of ‘love’ to our lives and the political corollaries that emerge as a result. 

 Episode Outline:
I. Why We Don’t Understand Love as a Society
II. The Historical Context of 1st John
III. 1 John 4:7-11
IV. How Do We Apply This New Definition of Love?

Questions, comments, suggestions? Please reach out to me at [email protected].  You can also follow the podcast on Twitter: @prolibertypod. If you like the show and want to support it, you can! Check out the Protestant Libertarian Podcast page at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theplpodcast. Also, please consider giving me a star rating and leaving me a review, it really helps expand the shows profile! Thanks!

I am a public school teacher. I am also a libertarian. How did this happen? In this episode, I explain why I became a teacher and why teacher tenure is a bad idea. I am eligible to receive tenure this year, and I have no plans to accept it. If you have been wondering about my career and how it intersects with my faith and my principals, this is the episode you have been waiting for!

 
Episode Outline:
I. Why I Became a Public School Teacher
II. Teacher Tenure
III. The End of Teacher Tenure Article
IV. I am Turning Down Tenure

Media Referenced:
The End of Teacher Tenure, Chester E. Finn (https://www.hoover.org/research/end-teacher-tenure)
Kentucky Teacher Tenure FAQ: https://education.ky.gov/t  eachers/Documents/Teacher%20Tenure%20FAQ%20Post.pdf
Definition of Key Terms: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=48753

On the first ever Protestant Libertarian Podcast roundtable, my three guests are Reverend Doctor Jennifer Copeland, who is the director of the North Carolina Council of Churches, Doctor Christina Cowger, who is the facilitator of North Carolina Stop Torture Now, an organization that has been fighting against CIA torture programs that use North Carolina-based planes, and Raymond McGovern, an army veteran and a CIA analyst for decades, who has a heroic record of opposing the excesses of the US war on terror and writes for antiwar.com. We discuss Dr. Copeland’s recent piece ‘Dishonoring the Boy Scouts of America’, in which she critiques the George W. Bush administration’s shameful record on torture. We discuss the torture programs, the CIA, rendition using North Carolina tax-funded planes, how we are programmed to legitimize the bad foreign policy decisions of the US government, why this is a bi-partisan problem, and why Christians need to take this issue extremely seriously. This is not one to miss!


Media Referenced:
Dishonoring the Boy Scouts of America: https://www.ncchurches.org/2022/09/dishonoring-the-boy-scouts-of-america/
North Carolina Council of Churches: https://www.ncchurches.org
NC Council Twitter Handle: @ncchurches
North Carolina Stop Torture Now: http://ncstn.org/content/
Dr. Christina Cowger Twitter Handle: @ChristinaNCSTN
Raymond McGovern’s Website: https://raymcgovern.com
Raymond McGovern’s Twitter Handle: @raymcgovern


Questions, comments, suggestions? Please reach out to me at [email protected].  You can also follow the podcast on Twitter: @prolibertypod. If you like the show and want to support it, you can! Check out the Protestant Libertarian Podcast page at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theplpodcast. Also, please consider giving me a star rating and leaving me a review, it really helps expand the shows profile! Thanks!

In this episode, I sit down with Bill Schult, who is running for city council in Crescent Springs, KY. We talk about his campaign, libertarian philosophy, local government, and how libertarian principals should be applied at the local level. Bill is a practicing Catholic who is married with four kids, and is actively involved in the Libertarian Party of Kenton County. If you are interested in thinking about how libertarian principals work at the local level, this is the episode for you!

Media Referenced:
Bill Schult’s Phone Number: 859.391.9006
Bill Schult’s Email: [email protected]
Libertarian Party of Kentucky: lpky.org
Libertarian Party of Kenton County Twitter: @LPKentonCounty

Questions, comments, suggestions? Please reach out to me at [email protected].  You can also follow the podcast on Twitter: @prolibertypod. If you like the show and want to support it, you can! Check out the Protestant Libertarian Podcast page at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theplpodcast. Also, please consider giving me a star rating and leaving me a review, it really helps expand the shows profile! Thanks!

In this episode I talk with Ezra Wyrick, the man behind the excellent Twitter account @ezra4liberty and a rising star in the libertarian movement. Ezra describes himself as a ‘Rothbardian’, someone who is committed to the political outlook of the legendary libertarian philosopher and economist Murray Rothbard. We discuss stateless approaches to a number of social issues, the relationship between libertarianism and Christianity, and the upcoming election cycle. If you want a comprehensive libertarian look at society, this is the episode for you!

Media Referenced:
Ezra Wyrick Twitter: @ezra4liberty
For A New Liberty, Murray Rothbard
Enough Already, Scott Horton

Questions, comments, suggestions? Please reach out to me at [email protected].  You can also follow the podcast on Twitter: @prolibertypod. If you like the show and want to support it, you can! Check out the Protestant Libertarian Podcast page at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theplpodcast. Also, please consider giving me a star rating and leaving me a review, it really helps expand the shows profile! Thanks!

In this episode I talk to Lawrence W. Reed, president emeritus of the Foundation for Economic Education, about his recent FEE article entitled ‘Jesus Would Support Student Debt Forgiveness? Not So Fast’. We discuss both the economic and Biblical problem with student loan forgiveness, which he critiqued in the article. We discuss the Biden administration’s motives for student loan forgiveness, how Time magazine misinterprets Matthew 6:14 and Leviticus 25, the mechanics of the student loan industry, and, as an added bonus, the relationship between the Chicago and Austrian schools of economics. This is a great one!

Media Referenced:
‘Jesus Would Support’ Student Debt Forgiveness? Not So Fast: https://fee.org/articles/jesus-would-support-student-debt-forgiveness-not-so-fast/
Reed’s Website: https://www.lawrencewreed.com
Foundation for Economic Education: fee.org
FEE Twitter handle: @feeonline

Questions, comments, suggestions? Please reach out to me at [email protected].  You can also follow the podcast on Twitter: @prolibertypod. If you like the show and want to support it, you can! Check out the Protestant Libertarian Podcast page at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theplpodcast. Also, please consider giving me a star rating and leaving me a review, it really helps expand the shows profile! Thanks!

In this episode, I sit down with author Timothy Price and discuss an article he published entitled “The Problem with Inerrancy”. We discuss the challenges posed by the doctrine, why it might misguide believers into focusing on secondary theological issues instead of God, and why Biblical authority and sufficiency are better models for understanding the significance of the Bible. We also talk about the social and political implications of both inerrancy and the kingdom of God.

Check out Timothy Price's work:
https://www.labyrinthoftheworld.com/blog
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl4QyjjZguldLs-78cmGp_Q
https://independent.academia.edu/TimothyPrice8
https://www.facebook.com/tim.price.3766/
https://twitter.com/SlickPen50
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5523543-timothy-l
https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothy-price-95443b42/

Questions, comments, suggestions? Please reach out to me at [email protected].  You can also follow the podcast on Twitter: @prolibertypod. If you like the show and want to support it, you can! Check out the Protestant Libertarian Podcast page at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theplpodcast. Also, please consider giving me a star rating and leaving me a review, it really helps expand the shows profile! Thanks!