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Was America founded as a Christian nation, or was it a nation founded by Christians? There's a difference, and it's one Craig wants people to take seriously. As claims about America's Christian identity circulate through churches, social media, and political campaigns, Craig welcomes Daryll Bryant of REAL Xians to examine the history behind them. Daryll's article, America Is Not a Christian Nation, challenges a familiar assumption: Christian influence on America's founding doesn't necessarily mean the United States government was established as Christian. Together, Craig and Daryll explore the religious beliefs of the Founding Fathers, the Constitution, religious freedom, John Locke and Enlightenment thought, and the Treaty of Tripoli. They also discuss 1 Samuel 8, voting, the early church, Constantine, and what happens when Christianity becomes entangled with political power. The conversation moves between American history and a more uncomfortable question: If Christians already have a King, why are so many looking to government to secure His Kingdom? In this episode: Why being founded by Christians isn't necessarily the same as being founded as a Christian nation What the Constitution, Founding Fathers, and Treaty of Tripoli contribute to the debate How Greek, Roman, and Enlightenment ideas influenced American political thought Why Daryll's study of 1 Samuel 8 changed his thinking about voting What Jesus, Caesar, and the early church reveal about competing allegiances Constantine, paid clergy, and the relationship between church institutions and power Why questioning government isn't the same as hating your neighbors or your country As Daryll puts it, the earliest Christians weren't trying to “make Rome great again.” They proclaimed another King. Read Daryll's article: https://daryllbryant2025.substack.com/p/america-is-not-a-christian-nation Explore REAL Xians: https://realexians.com Full show notes, reflections, and episode chapters: https://www.thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-172 Support and connect with The Bad Roman Project: Support the project: https://thebadroman.com/donate Bad Roman Salsa: https://badromansalsa.com Social links: https://thebadroman.com/social-links No King But Christ Network: https://nokingbutchristnetwork.com If this conversation raises questions you've been asking (or challenges an assumption you've never examined) share it with someone willing to think it through with you! Not left. Not right. Just following Jesus.

Craig used to be a “back the blue” guy. When police hurt or killed someone, he could reach for the familiar answer: they should have just obeyed. George Floyd made that answer harder to live with. In this episode, Jason Bassler of The Free Thought Project returns to talk about ICE, masked federal agents, accountability, and a question that cuts through a lot of the politics: Is legality morality? Then the conversation moves to something Craig has only recently started noticing around his own town: Flock cameras. What begins as a discussion about immigration enforcement becomes a much bigger conversation about surveillance, safety, consent, and the powers we are willing to tolerate when the people we trust are the ones using them. And somehow, after all that, Craig and Jason end up talking about hope. Maybe Craig isn’t black-pilled or white-pilled. Maybe he’s a gray pill. 🤝 Connect with Jason Bassler: Jason’s Personal Links Police the Police Links Free Thought Project Links 📖 For Full Show Notes and Summaries visit: https://thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-171 💕Ways You Can Support the Bad Roman Project 💕 👀 Share the show with a friend or leave a review, It helps people find us!👀 Know someone who’s been asking “Bad Roman Questions” about the tradeoffs of privacy vs. safety in mass surveillance? Send them this episode and start a conversation!   💸FUND THE FEED 💸 100% of donations above production costs go to local Memphis charities. Donate at: https://thebadroman.com/donate 🌶️ TASTE THE LOVE 🌶️ Feeling spicy? Grab a jar of Craig’s homemade salsa at:  https://badromansalsa.com  🔗 Want to Get Involved with the Project?  Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links GO DEEPER: Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!) Explore the No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com Keep it Bad. Kept it on Jesus.

Tyler Boyd used to say the Pledge of Allegiance without thinking much about it. Then one word started bothering him: “indivisible.” At first, he simply stopped saying that word. Eventually, a bigger question followed: If Christians already confess Jesus as King, what exactly are they promising when they pledge allegiance to a nation? Craig sits down with Tyler, co-creator and writer at The Christian Exile, to discuss his article, “The Case Against Christians Saying the Pledge of Allegiance.” Together they wrestle with the meaning of faith, loyalty, obedience, and allegiance—from the Greek word pistis and “Jesus is Lord” to Romans 13, competing loyalties, patriotic rituals, and the witness of early Christians like Polycarp and Speratus. Can Christians respect earthly governments without pledging allegiance to them? And when we say No King but Christ, what does that actually demand of our loyalty? Listen and consider the words for yourself. Inside this conversation: Should Christians say the Pledge of Allegiance? Why Tyler stopped saying “indivisible” Is a pledge an oath? Respect vs. allegiance to government Pistis: faith, faithfulness, loyalty, and allegiance What “Jesus is Lord” means in Tyler’s argument Can Christians have dual allegiance? Ordered loyalties vs. mutually exclusive loyalties Romans 13, Acts 17, and Revelation Polycarp, Speratus, and early Christian witness Social pressure around patriotic rituals Flags, patriotism, and worship in church Staying in Christian community across disagreement  📖 For Full Show Notes: https://thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-170 🤝 Connect with Tyler Boyd🤝 Tyler’s Article: The Case Against Christians Saying the Pledge of Allegiance  The Christian Exile Website Tyler’s Article: How the Early Church Approached Politics Other Resources Mentioned:  Salvation by Allegiance Alone, Matthew W. Bates On Civil Government, David Lipscomb The Martyrdom of Polycarp Acts of the Scillitan Martyrs 💕Ways You Can Support the Bad Roman Project 💕 👀 Share the show with a friend or leave a review, It helps people find us!👀 Know someone who’s been asking “Bad Roman Questions,” tell them what you got from the episode and send it their way. The more Christians talking about how to stay focused on Jesus the better in our book! 💸GIVE US YOUR CHANGE💸 100% of donations above production costs go to local Memphis charities. Donate at: https://thebadroman.com/donate 🌶️ SALSA THE LOVE 🌶️ If you haven’t tried Craig’s homemade salsa, grab a jar today at:  https://badromansalsa.com  🔗 Want to Get Involved?  Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links GO DEEPER: Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!) Explore the No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com Stay Bad Romans! No King but Jesus.

The State of Arkansas told Brenda “Granny” Smith to stop attending births. She wadded up the cease-and-desist letter and threw it away. Brenda had already spent years helping mothers when she found herself facing state scrutiny, an arrest warrant, legal bills, and what she says were eight years of Facebook screenshots collected as evidence. Why keep going? Because Brenda believed God had called her to stand beside women who needed help, and she was not willing to let fear of the state become more important than obedience to Christ. That lived experience eventually helped her recognize something about herself: the Christian faith she already practiced fit naturally with anarchy built on consent and non-aggression. Her challenge is simple: “If your faith doesn’t require something difficult of you, why are you even doing it?” In this episode, Craig and Brenda dig into: 👶 Home birth, midwifery, and informed choice ⚖️ State regulation and voluntary relationships 📱 Arrest warrants, surveillance, and Facebook screenshots ✝️ Obeying God rather than men 🕊️ Consent, non-aggression, and Christian anarchy 👑 “Who is your master?” 🏛️ Government as a “perpetual parent” ❤️ Loving enemies instead of simply rejecting rulers 🌅 Becoming an “apocaloptimist” when the world looks like it is falling apart   📖 For Full Show Notes: https://thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-169   🤝 Connect with Brenda 'Granny' Smith 🤝 Facebook: Catching Freedom   💕 3 Ways You Can Support the Project 💕 💸DONATE 💸 100% of donations above production costs go to local Memphis charities: https://thebadroman.com/donate 🌶️ SALSA THE LOVE 🌶️ Grab a jar of Bad Roman Salsa: https://badromansalsa.com  👀 Share an Episode with a Friend, Start a Conversation 👀 Send this episode to someone and ask: When does obedience become compliance? What should a Christian do when the state commands something that conflicts with conscience? If faith never costs us anything, how much does it actually shape us?   🔗 Get Involved with the Project 🔗 Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links Want to dig deeper? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!) Explore the No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com

Adam Stump asked two congregations if they knew Christians lived in Iran. Not one hand went up. We hear plenty about Iran as an enemy, a government, or a military target. But how often do American Christians think about the people living beneath those labels, including fellow Christians? Adam joins Craig to talk about Christians in the Middle East, Iranian converts worshiping in underground churches, and what happens when nationalism teaches us who our enemies are before Jesus teaches us how to love them. Adam puts it simply: “We have tried bombs and bullets and it doesn’t work. Why don’t we try love?” So Craig asks the question hanging over the whole conversation: Have we actually tried Jesus? They dig into: Christians in Iran and the Middle East Iranian converts and underground house churches Armenian and Assyrian Christian communities war, American power, and Christian witness Christian nationalism and political party loyalty Constantine, Christendom, and the pursuit of political power loving people our governments call enemies relationships as an alternative to fear and coercion 📖 For Full Show Notes: https://www.thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-168 🤝 Connect with Adam Stump: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/Pastor.Adam.Stump Substack: https://pastoradamstump.substack.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pastor_adam_stump/ TikTok: @pastor.adam.stump Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Pastor-Adam-Stump-100095132295636/ YouTube: [email protected] Western Pennsylvania UMC Profile: https://www.wpaumc.org/clergydetail/479051 Central Highlands UMC: https://www.wpaumc.org/churchdetail/218250 💕 Support the Project 💕 If this conversation with Adam helped you see the people behind the politics, and question whether bombs, borders, and nationalism belong in the way of Jesus, help us keep conversations like this going. Support The Bad Roman Project at: https://thebadroman.com/donate 100% of donations above production costs go to local Memphis charities. 🌶️ SALSA THE LOVE 🌶️ Prefer your support edible? Grab a jar of Bad Roman Salsa at badromansalsa.com. Every jar helps fuel more Jesus-first, No-King-but-Christ conversations. FREE: Share & Start a Conversation Send this episode to a friend and ask: Do we know any of the people we call our enemies? Can Christians be Kingdom people first if national loyalty tells us who to fear? If bombs and political power keep failing us, have we actually tried Jesus? Meet people. Listen well. Love the person behind the label. No King but Christ. 🔗 How to Get Involved with the Project 🔗 Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links Want to dig deeper? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!) Explore the No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com

Does questioning your theology mean you're losing your faith, or could it mean you're finally taking faith seriously? Craig sits down with Jon Kinder of The Geeky Preacher to talk about Christian deconstruction, church hurt, political allegiance, Christian nationalism, pacifism, hell, the rapture, and what happens when inherited beliefs stop looking like Jesus. Jon's deconstruction began in two places: politics and a hospital bed. Growing up in rural Christian culture, Republican politics and Christianity seemed almost inseparable. Then books like Greg Boyd's The Myth of a Christian Nation challenged Jon to judge political power by the teachings of Christ rather than by party loyalty. A few years later, Jon was hospitalized with stage-three lymphoma. While lying in bed, he heard a television preacher claim that sick people were sick because they did not have enough faith.  That hit differently when Jon was the person with cancer. Instead of abandoning Christianity, he began taking his theology apart one question at a time. His picture of deconstruction is not a wrecking ball. It is a home renovation: Christ stays as the foundation. The rooms get examined. Craig and Jon explore: Christian deconstruction without abandoning Jesus Dungeons & Dragons, horror movies, and the Satanic Panic Universal restoration and the fear of hell Christian pacifism and alternatives to violence Greg Boyd, Brian Zahnd, and Christian anarchism The Pledge of Allegiance and loyalty to the state Why honest questions threaten some church cultures Progressive revelation and reading Scripture through Jesus Finding Christ outside a brick-and-mortar church The Ship of Theseus as a picture of changing faith The Geeky Preacher and finding God in movies, games, anime, and culture One line may sum up the whole conversation: “If anything is true, it's gonna survive scrutiny, it's gonna survive questions.” Maybe deconstruction is not about destroying faith. Maybe it is about finding out what was actually built on Jesus. 🤝Connect with Jon Kinder / The Geeky Preacher🤝 Linktree: The Geeky Preacher Substack No King But Christ Network 📖 Full Show Notes: https://thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-167 🔗 How to Get Involved with the Project 🔗 Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links Want to dig deeper? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!) Explore the No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com

When the U.S. wages war in the Middle East that American Christians support, do we remember that some of the people beneath those bombs are fellow Christians? And even when they are not Christians, how can we forget that Jesus calls us to love our neighbor and enemy alike? Mennonite pastor, writer, screenwriter, and activist Nathan Perrin joins Craig for a conversation about the people Western headlines often leave out. Nathan has spent nearly a decade working alongside Assyrians, Kurds, Palestinians, and other Middle Eastern communities through local organizing and visits to northern Iraq. He recounts visiting an Assyrian church that had been rebuilt again and again after attempts to destroy it. A cross in its courtyard covered in bullet holes. Yet when new bombardments began, Christian and Muslim neighbors exchanged keys to their homes so each family would have a place of safety. That act of neighbor-love stands in sharp contrast to the fear often preached in American churches. Craig and Nathan explore why the word evangelical carries painful baggage in parts of the Middle East. Ancient Christian communities have sometimes been treated as mission targets, while humanitarian aid has been tied to conversion. Nathan challenges us to consider whether people abroad encounter Jesus through Western Christianity, or the pressure of empire. The conversation also covers: Christian communities in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine How US military action creates blowback against local Christians and Muslims Dispensationalism and unquestioning Christian support for the State of Israel The difference between loving Jewish neighbors and defending a government Craig’s Ramadan meal with a Muslim neighbor Assyrians, Yazidis, Mandaeans, and other overlooked communities Christian nationalism, political personality cults, and closed media silos Books, sermons, documentaries, and films for deeper learning Nathan reminds listeners that ordinary Muslims he has met often describe Christians in simple terms: “Christians are our neighbors.” What would change if the Western church began there? 🤝 Connect with Nathan Perrin Website: https://nathanperrinwriter.com Mennonite Action (Chicago chapter): https://mennoniteaction.org Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mennoniteaction/ Community Peacemaker Teams: https://cpt.org (peace and human-rights work in Iraq, Kurdistan, Palestine, and beyond) 📚 Resources Mentioned Munther Isaac: Christ in the Rubble Christ in the Rubble (InterVarsity Press) Mitri Raheb: Palestinian Christian writing and teaching Mitri Raheb Official Site Naim Ateek: Justice and Only Justice Justice and Only Justice (Orbis Books) Israelism (2023 documentary) Israelism Film Official Site 1948: Creation & Catastrophe (2017 documentary) 1948: Creation & Catastrophe Official Site Munich (2005 film by Steven Spielberg) Munich (IMDb) Waltz with Bashir (2008 film) Waltz with Bashir (IMDb) Lebanon (2009 film by Samuel Maoz) Lebanon (IMDb) 📚Full show notes: https://www.thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-166 Support the project by visiting Spot Fund or grabbing a jar of salsa at https://badromansalsa.com/. All funds received above production costs support charities in Memphis, Tennessee. Read the Gospels. Meet your neighbors. Refuse to whitewash war. Key Moments: (00:00) The Christians missing from our maps (04:20) A bullet-marked cross and shared house keys (08:15) Why “evangelical” carries painful baggage (12:40) Middle Eastern Christians and the cost of intervention (19:45) Dispensationalism, Zionism, and prophecy politics (24:45) A Ramadan meal breaks through fear (32:06) “Christians are our neighbors” (36:36) Assyrians, Yazidis, and Mandaeans (41:30) A political issue and a theological issue (46:23) What remains after Trump (50:55) Learning to see the people behind the war (54:18) Nathan’s writing and peace work   🔗 How to Get Involved with the Project 🔗 Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links Want to dig deeper? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!) Explore the No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com

Ancap Tim returns to discuss his new album, It’s Not Left vs. Right, and the story behind the song inspired by the phrase, “Sometimes being a good Christian means being a bad Roman.” Drawing from his life as a musician, homesteader, homeschooling father, and Christian anarchist, Tim explains why allegiance to Jesus must come before allegiance to government, party, or nation. This is not a call to become more anti-government. It is a call to become more like Christ.   They dig into: The story behind “Sometimes Being a Good Christian Means Being a Bad Roman” Why Matthew 20:25–28 challenges domination and political power How love offers an alternative to coercion Why Christian discipleship must remain voluntary The difference between the Kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this world How music, humor, homesteading, and ordinary faithfulness can become acts of resistance Can Christians seek power over their neighbors while following a King who knelt to wash feet? Can love be commanded, enforced, or legislated? What does “Not so with you” mean in a church shaped by political fear and tribal loyalty? Let’s talk about it. 🤝Connect with Ancap Tim🤝 Website: ancaptim.crd.co Apple Music: music.apple.com/us/artist/ancap-tim Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0V00pFy29YAmmaKqSRKTRC YouTube: youtube.com/@AncapTim Instagram: instagram.com/ancaptim X: x.com/ancaptim Facebook: facebook.com/p/Ancap-Tim-61571241265825 Playing the Midwest Peace & Liberty Fest, Aug 6–9, Laingsburg, MI: mplfest.org Previous episode: “Stateless Psalms: Songs for Liberty with Ancap Tim,” Episode 142 Starting Points and Key Moments: (00:00) Ancap Tim returns with a new album (11:42) The salsa table and the song that started it all (17:18) The law of love versus the logic of coercion (27:41) When party loyalty overrides Jesus (35:33) “But I'm Extreme” — who decided what counts as extreme? (40:16) An AI choir, Rothbard, and Scott Horton (52:51) The Iran war, Hormuz, and a tragedy neither side can spin away (1:02:19) The new album, the road, and where to find Tim   📖 For Full Show Notes: thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-165   Support the Show 💕 Feed the Feed 💕 You can donate to the project at thebadroman.com/donate. Every sized donation helps, and anything beyond production costs is given to charities in Memphis, Tennessee. 🌶️ SALSA THE LOVE 🌶️ Want to an edible way to support the project? Try the Bad Roman Salsa at badromansalsa.com. Every jar helps fund more No King but Christ conversations and keeps this work independent. Want to support the project another way? Share this episode with someone untangling faith from politics!   🔗 How to Get Involved with the Project 🔗 Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links Want to dig deeper? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!) Explore the No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com

When did we start believing that someone has to be in charge? Maybe it's one of the oldest stories we tell ourselves. If the right people hold power, everything will be okay. If the wrong people do, everything falls apart. But what if Jesus was inviting us into a completely different way of living? In this special bonus episode, Craig catches up with longtime friends of the show Larken Rose and Amanda Rose ahead of Approaching Humanity, an upcoming gathering in Sedona. What begins as a conversation about an event quickly becomes something much deeper. Together they explore why people from very different backgrounds keep arriving at the same uncomfortable questions about authority, conscience, and what it means to love our neighbors without trying to rule them. This isn't a debate about politics. It's a conversation about becoming more fully human, and whether the Kingdom Jesus announced has been offering another way all along. They dig into: Why Jesus refused the crown everyone expected Him to take A fresh look at "Render unto Caesar" How political identities quietly shape our discipleship Why people with different worldviews keep asking the same questions What hope looks like when we stop trying to control one another 📖 For full show notes: https://thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-bonus Connect with Larken & Amanda The Rose Channel: therosechannel.com Larken Rose's personal site: larkenrose.com Candles in the Dark seminar: attendcandles.com Larken on X: x.com/larken_rose Larken on YouTube: youtube.com/user/LarkenRose Approaching Humanity event tickets: therosechannel.com/humanity Approaching Humanity pre-order the book: therosechannel.com/humanitybook Also Mentioned in This Episode (Approaching Humanity Speakers) Sheriff David Hathaway: Sheriff of Santa Cruz County, Arizona; previously featured on The Bad Roman Podcast, Episode 53, “Love at the Border with Sheriff David Hathaway” Jason Bassler: co-founder of The Free Thought Project and founder of Police the Police Patrick Smith: host of Disenthrall Mark Maresca: host of The White Pillbox Carey Wedler: voluntaryist content creator; former editor-in-chief of Anti-Media Derrick Broze:  journalist, author, and founder of The Conscious Resistance Network James Corbett: independent journalist, The Corbett Report, joining remotely from Japan Rebecca Anzini: speaker on the hidden dangers inside “freedom-minded” intentional communities Brittany: homeschooling mother, comedian, and past cast member of The Jones Plantation Key Moments: (00:00) Announcing Approaching Humanity (02:02) Who Actually Shows Up (05:27) Faith, Atheism, and Getting Shut Out (09:24) The Core Challenge (13:10) Renaming the Book (15:30) Rereading “Give Unto Caesar” (18:52) The God Nobody Names (23:06) Candles in the Dark (25:55) Why Approaching Humanity Brings Together So Many Beliefs (33:22) Meet More of the Speakers (36:30) Even More Speakers (41:04) Why the Event Won't Hand the Ring Back (48:45) Getting to Sedona   3 Ways You Can Support the Show 💕 Feed the Feed 💕 You can donate to the project at thebadroman.com/donate. Everything beyond production costs is sent to charities in Memphis, Tennessee. 🌶️ SALSA THE LOVE 🌶️ Looking for the spicy side? Try the Bad Roman Salsa at badromansalsa.com. Each jar helps No King but Christ conversations continue and keeps this work independent. Or simply share the show for free! It helps people find us and starts more conversations.   🔗 How to Get Involved with the Project 🔗 Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links Want to dig deeper? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!) Explore the No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com Jesus over empire. Mercy over shame. No King but Christ.

What if the biggest political threat facing the church is not opposition, but formation? Brian Drinkwine returns to The Bad Roman Podcast to discuss his new book, Kingdom Over Empire: Recovering the Gospel from Political Captivity. Drawing from his own journey through conservative evangelical politics, Brian explains how empire shapes what Christians fear, whom they treat as enemies, and where they place their hope. This is not a call to switch parties. It is a call to recover undivided allegiance to Jesus. They dig into: The six ways empire disciples us Why enemy-love leaves no room for political loopholes The social cost of leaving partisan identity Constantine and the transformation of the cross into a symbol of conquest Seven Mountains teaching, the Cyrus narrative, and the slow assimilation of the church into political power Can Christians defend cruelty because their side gets results? Can the Kingdom of a crucified King be advanced through domination, fear, and coercion? Let's talk about it.   📖 For Full Show Notes: thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-164   🤝Connect with Brian🤝 Kingdom Over Empire: Recovering the Gospel from Political Captivity Also available through Amazon and other book retailers Email: [email protected] Website: https://briandrinkwine.com/ Linkedin X Facebook Instagram  Ministry at Breakthrough Church Key Moments: (00:00) Introducing Kingdom Over Empire (05:30) A Crisis of Hope and Identity (09:30) How Empire Disciples Us (18:50) Enemy-Love and the Way of the Cross (24:30) Winning, Certainty, and Control (28:45) When Party Loyalty Overrides Jesus (36:30) Remembering the Poor and the Marginalized (43:49) The Cost of Leaving Political Identity (49:30) Image-Bearers Over Political Categories (53:25) Constantine and the Co-opted Cross (57:45) When the Church Gains Power (1:01:10) Seven Mountains, Cyrus, and Political Power (1:05:25) Nebuchadnezzar and Assimilation into Babylon (1:07:45) Assimilation and the Subtle Loss of Identity (1:09:40) Finding and Sharing the Book   Support the Show 💕 Feed the Feed 💕 You can donate to the project at thebadroman.com/donate. Every sized donation helps, and anything beyond production costs is sent to charities in Memphis, Tennessee. 🌶️ SALSA THE LOVE 🌶️ Want to an edible way to support the project? Try the Bad Roman Salsa at badromansalsa.com. Every jar helps fund more No King but Christ conversations and keeps this work independent. Want to support the project another way? Share this episode with someone untangling faith from politics or or pick up Brian’s book and start your own conversation.   🔗 How to Get Involved with the Project 🔗 Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links Want to dig deeper? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!) Explore the No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com Jesus over empire. Mercy over shame. No King but Christ.

What happens when the faith you inherited no longer looks like Jesus? Josif Wright joins Craig to talk about leaving Christian nationalism, questioning the flag-and-cross mixture, and learning to trust Christ instead of political power. Josif is a teacher, coach, hospice chaplain, church speaker, and author of The War Within: My Story. The conversation later turns toward his son Ryan’s decade-long struggle with addiction. Craig also shares memories of his brother TJ, whose battle with alcohol ended in 2020. Together, they ask what families and churches can do when control fails, shame makes things worse, and love is the only faithful path left. They dig into: Why Christians should question “God-and-country” teaching Flags, pledges, voting, and divided allegiance Loving people beyond national and political teams Addiction from a parent’s point of view Grace, identity, recovery, and harmful church labels 📖 For Full Show Notes: thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-163   🤝Connect with Josif🤝 Book: The War Within: My Story at Barnes & Noble, Amazon Email: [email protected] Instagram: @Josifwright  X: @Josifwright  Nostr/Damus: @j3 Josif also invites people who cannot afford a copy to email him. His stated goal is not sales, but helping families and people who are struggling.   Key Moments: 00:00 Leaving Christian nationalism 04:20 “Don’t trust the government and be kind” 08:30 God is pro-people 21:40 Flags, pastors, legalism, and fear 25:18 Can Christians pledge to two masters? 29:10 Voting and political identity 34:53 The War Within and Craig’s brother TJ 40:00 A family living on emotional life support 44:05 “Step back. Let God be God” 47:10 Recovery, grace, and new identity 53:40 Why people are more than their addiction   Support the Show 💕 Feed the Feed 💕 Support the show at thebadroman.com/donate. Every gift helps, and everything beyond production costs goes to local charities in Memphis, Tennessee. 🌶️ SALSA THE LOVE 🌶️ Want to support the project in a tastier way? Grab Bad Roman Salsa at badromansalsa.com. Every jar helps fund more No King but Christ conversations and keeps this work independent. Want to support the project another way? Share this episode with a friend or make sure you're subscribed wherever you found this episode! 🔗 Stay Connected with the Project 🔗 Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links Want to get more involved? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!) Explore the No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com Jesus over empire. Mercy over shame. No King but Christ.

What does it mean to follow Jesus when governments demand your allegiance, your silence, or your fear? In this episode of The Bad Roman Project, Craig sits down with Ara Torosian, an Iranian-born Armenian pastor who grew up under the Islamic Republic of Iran, served in the underground church, and now pastors Iranian Christians in Los Angeles. Ara shares his journey from reading the Bible in Farsi as a teenager to smuggling Bibles, enduring house arrest, and witnessing the explosive growth of Christianity in Iran. He explains why many Western Christians misunderstand both Iran and the Iranian people, and why the underground church continues to thrive despite decades of persecution. The conversation also turns to the present. Ara discusses Iranian Christian asylum seekers detained by ICE, the challenges facing refugees fleeing persecution, and the responsibility Christians have to speak for those who have no voice. Along the way, Craig and Ara wrestle with difficult questions about war, government power, national loyalty, and what it means to follow Jesus when political solutions seem inadequate. At the heart of the discussion is a reminder that the Christian's ultimate citizenship is not found in America, Iran, or any earthly nation, but in the Kingdom of God. “I'm proud US citizen, but most important, I'm a heaven citizen.” — Ara Torosian Whether discussing persecution abroad or immigration policy at home, this episode calls listeners back to a simple but challenging truth: Jesus is King. Highlights & Takeaways The underground church in Iran continues to grow despite severe persecution. Iranian people should not be confused with the Iranian regime. Following Jesus often comes with a cost that Western Christians rarely consider. Christians are called to show mercy before choosing political sides. The church must resist the temptation to place political leaders above Christ. Refugees and asylum seekers are people, not political talking points. The Kingdom of God transcends every earthly nation and political movement. No King but Christ. 📖 For Full Show Notes: http://thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-162 🤝Connect with Ara Torosian🤝 Instagram: Ara Torosian, @aratorosian (Instagram) Facebook: Ara Torosian (Facebook) Church connection: Cornerstone West Los Angeles / Farsi-speaking community; Ara has written publicly for the church about war, immigration struggle, and his congregation’s pain. (cornerstonewla.org) Related reporting: Christianity Today covered one Iranian Christian connected to Ara’s church being freed after nine months in immigration detention. (Christianity Today) Related reporting: Religion News Service covered Ara’s hunger strike and advocacy for detained Iranian Christians. (RNS) Related reporting: Reuters covered immigration arrests of Iranian asylum seekers in Los Angeles and Ara’s response as pastor. (Reuters) Key Moments: (00:00) Government oppression and Iranian Christians (00:37) Meeting Ara (02:01) Ara’s background (03:32) Discovering the Bible in Farsi (04:06) Childhood under government propaganda (07:00) Pressure on Christians in Iran (10:17) Following Jesus when it costs (11:28) Smuggling Bibles into Iran and house arrest (12:43) The underground church grows (15:03) People versus regimes (17:10) War, freedom, and mixed Iranian views (30:57) Craig presses the Jesus question (33:32) Ara’s struggle with war and peace (34:46) Presenting, not protesting (35:37) Government worship in churches (37:03) Politics inside the church (48:38) ICE arrests and asylum seekers (52:03) Masked agents and trauma (54:00) Broken immigration system (55:44) Children praying for their dad (56:08) Speaking because he can (58:00) What Christians should show (59:36) Silence and complicity (01:01:03) Life belongs to Jesus (01:03:11) Bad Roman Salsa break (01:03:54) How many Christians in Iran? (01:05:30) Where to find Ara (01:07:14) Lakers, Luka, and closing   🔗 Ways to Get Involved in the Project 🔗 Blog submissions:https://www.thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog Connect with us on social:https://www.thebadroman.com/social-links Want to get more involved? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!) Explore the No King but Christ Network:https://www.nokingbutchristnetwork.com/

Should Christians care about privacy? The surveillance state does not need your worship; it just needs your fear. In this episode, Craig talks with Jon Padfield of Business Reform about Flock cameras, license plate readers, data brokers, and why Christians should question any system that treats neighbors like suspects and calls it safety. Jon brings experience as an engineer, former Indiana state representative, professor, and Christian privacy advocate. Together, he and Craig unpack the old line, “If you have nothing to hide, why worry?” and ask the better question: who gave Caesar the right to decide what counts as wrong? This is not just about cameras on poles. It is about fear, consent, courage, and the way surveillance trains people to obey before anyone even gives an order. Can Christians simply shrug and say, “I have nothing to hide”? Jesus did not call us to outsource our courage to Caesar or trade neighbor-love for state-managed safety. They dig into: Why the “nothing to hide” argument fails How Flock cameras expand beyond stolen-car searches Data brokers, insurance companies, and digital profiling Public records, local pushback, and privacy laws Christian resistance in a watched world 📖 For Full Show Notes: http://thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-161 🤝Connect with Jon Padfield🤝 YouTube: Business Reform Buy Me Coffee Tour: Brush Fires of Freedom Tour Privacy tool mentioned: DeFlock Me LinkedIn X: @Dr_Jon_Padfield TikTok: businessreform Listen & Reflect: Listen Listen for the way Jon connects technology, public policy, business, and faith. Ask yourself where surveillance has already become normal in your own town. Reflect Where have you accepted “safety” language without asking who gains power from it? Have you ever used the phrase “nothing to hide” without thinking about who gets to define guilt? Read Read Matthew 10:16–31 and Psalm 146. Sit with Jesus’ call to be wise, fearless, and loyal to God above rulers. Practice Look up whether your city or county uses Flock cameras. Talk with one neighbor about privacy, consent, and what it means to love people without treating them like suspects. Key Moments: (00:00) Should Christians care about privacy? Flock cameras and public unease (01:23) Meet Jon Padfield Business Reform YouTube channel (03:00) Surveillance changes behavior You Already Have a Reputation Score (05:25) The “nothing to hide” fallacy (06:00) What Flock cameras are Deflock mapping tool (09:30) Beyond license plates (12:00) Daycare camera concerns Audit logs from Dunwoody daycare (17:54) Who decides what is wrong? (20:37) Local, state, and federal use (22:30) Who owns the data? Flock’s perpetual license Data retention concerns (24:20) “Investigation” as a search reason (27:08) Pushback and privacy laws Ring  Superbowl backlash (28:15) Local wins against Flock (31:00) Federal privacy law concerns (34:21) Data brokers and insurance companies (41:30) How cameras appear without debate (45:56) Consent and government power (49:30) The four boxes (52:32) Christian resistance and voting (55:00) Jon’s case for engagement (1:02:54) Brothers, not enemies (1:04:00) Pragmatic limits on surveillance (1:07:00) Safety arguments (1:28:00) Where to find Jon (1:29:13) Closing and support   🔗 Ways to Get Involved in the Project 🔗 Blog submissions:https://www.thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog Connect with us on social:https://www.thebadroman.com/social-links Want to get more involved? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!) Explore the No King but Christ Network:https://www.nokingbutchristnetwork.com/

What happens when Christians stop looking to government to do what only Christ can do? Brandon Kroll returns to explore Christian anarchism, Revelation 18, Ephesians 6, the love of money, and the spiritual powers at work behind the systems we trust too easily. What begins with the merchants of Babylon becomes a deeper reflection on empire, deception, money, and whether followers of Jesus should keep trying to fix the world through the kingdoms of this age. This episode traces the tension between earthly power and heavenly citizenship, asking where our loyalty really belongs when Christ calls us out of fear, control, and allegiance to Caesar. They Explore: Christian anarchism and allegiance to Christ Revelation 18, merchants, and deception Ephesians 6 and spiritual warfare The love of money as a loyalty issue Merchant power and America’s roots Digital control, dependence, and fear Christian nationalism and the lure of power citizenship in heaven and what belongs to Caesar 📖 For Full Show Notes: http://thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-160 🤝Connect with Brandon Kroll🤝 Previous Bad Roman Episodes EP 123 Patriot or Saint with Brandon Kroll Mana Daily Podcast on YouTube Mana Daily Podcast on Spotify Mana Daily Podcast on Rumble Mana Daily Podcast Patreon Listen & Reflect Listen: Listen for the way Brandon and Craig connect money, empire, and spiritual warfare, not as abstract ideas, but as real pressures that shape how we live and who we trust. Reflect: Where have we asked government, wealth, or political order to give us the peace and security that belong to Christ alone? Where have fear and comfort made us slow to question empire? Read: Revelation 18:23, Ephesians 6:10–20, 1 Timothy 6:6–10, and Philippians 3:20. Pay attention to what Scripture says about merchants, rulers, money, spiritual powers, and the citizenship that belongs to heaven. Practice: This week, name one system you trust for safety, comfort, or control, and ask whether that trust has taken a place in your heart that belongs to Jesus.   Key Moments: (0:00) Is Christian anarchism a good place to be as empire grows? (3:20) Revelation 18, merchants, and deception (4:44) America founded by merchants (6:58) Articles of Confederation and federal control (7:33) Property, money, and public voice (24:18) Saints, rulers, and the governments of this world (35:03) Technology, feeds, and programmed belief (36:53) Ephesians 6 and the real battle (37:20) Government, demons, or both? (49:14) Rome, Charlie Kirk and Christian nationalist imagination (50:40) Restrictions, surveillance, and forced “Christian” order (59:23) Fear, compliance, and getting back to normal (1:00:00) Voting, agency, and what we hand to government (1:02:41) Caesar, land and sea, and citizenship in heaven   Consider Supporting the Show 💕 Help us keep the lights on! 💕 Support the show at http://thebadroman.com/donate. Every gift helps, and everything beyond production costs goes to local charities in Memphis, Tennessee. 🌶️ SALSA THE LOVE 🌶️ Want to support the project in a tastier way? Grab Bad Roman Salsa at https://badromansalsa.com. Every jar helps fund more No King but Christ conversations and keeps this work independent. Want to support the project another way? Share this episode with a friend and ask: Have I trusted the systems of this world to do what only Christ can do?   🔗 Ways to Get Involved in the Project 🔗 Blog submissions:https://www.thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog Connect with us on social:https://www.thebadroman.com/social-links Want to get more involved? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!) Explore the No King but Christ Network:https://www.nokingbutchristnetwork.com/

What if the gospel is not just about being declared right, but about being rescued from a world that keeps trying to enslave us? Cody Cook returns to the show for a conversation about Galatians, law, union with Christ, the present evil age, and the spiritual powers Jesus came to defeat. What begins as a discussion of Cody’s book Delivered from the Evil Age of the Present becomes something deeper: a reflection on how we read Paul, what Galatians 4 is really saying, and why the gospel is bigger than being declared right. This episode traces the movement from law, slavery, and the “elementary principles of the world” toward rescue, adoption, new creation, and the kind of allegiance that belongs to Christ alone. They Explore: Galatians and the question of law or Christ old, new, and apocalyptic readings of Paul union with Christ, adoption, and being made new the “present evil age” and rescue through Jesus stoicheia and the “elementary principles of the world” spiritual powers, slavery, and the scope of salvation ordo amoris, J.D. Vance, and nation-first love why Christian nationalism distorts our loves 📖 For Full Show Notes: thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-159 🤝Connect with Cody Cook🤝 Book: Delivered from the Evil Age of the Present: How Jesus Brought About a New Creation by Subverting the Powers Behind Nationalism and Ethnic Identitarianism Explore Cody’s Books: The Anarchist Anabaptist, The Pocket Anabaptist, Fight the Powers, What Belongs to Caesar? Podcast and writing: Cantus Firmus Libertarian Christian Institute author page X: @CantusFirmusCC Podcast: Cantus Firmus Website: cantus-firmus.com Bad Roman Episodes with Cody Cook: EP 89 God's Country or Jesus’s Kingdom? Navigating the Nexus of Nationalism and Faith in America EP 99 Navigating Revivals in Christianity with Cody Cook EP 128 The Anabaptist Way: Rediscovering Radical Christianity with Cody Cook   Listen & Reflect Listen: For the way Cody widens the frame of Galatians, not into a narrow debate about law and grace alone, but into a deeper conversation about rescue, slavery, the powers, and new creation. Reflect: Where have we reduced the gospel to being declared right while resisting the deeper change Christ brings? Where have nationalism, tribe, or political identity competed with our belonging to Jesus? Read: Galatians 1:3–4, Galatians 4:1–11, Luke 10:25–37, and Philippians 3:20. Pay attention to what Scripture says about rescue, adoption, spiritual slavery, neighbor-love, and the citizenship that belongs to heaven. Practice: This week, take one identity you hold tightly—political, national, tribal, or religious—and ask whether it has been shaped more by the present age than by the Kingdom of Christ. Key Moments: (0:00) Can law make us right, or only Christ? (1:26) Why Cody wrote this book (4:13) Different ways people read Paul (9:27) Courtroom, table, and battle (15:08)“We wanna be declared right” (20:23)Why Galatians 4 matters (34:13) Ordo amoris, J.D. Vance, and nation-first love (57:48)Athanasius, incarnation, and the defeat of evil (1:01:23) Christians, weapons, and the words of Jesus (1:06:16) Where to learn more   Consider Supporting the Show 💕 Want more episodes that keep our loyalty with Jesus, not power? 💕 Support the show at thebadroman.com/donate. Every gift helps, and everything beyond production costs goes to local charities in Memphis, Tennessee. 🌶️ SALSA THE LOVE 🌶️ Want to support the project in a tastier way? Grab Bad Roman Salsa at badromansalsa.com. Every jar helps fund more No King but Christ conversations and keeps this work independent. Want to support the project another way? Share this episode with a friend and ask: Have I reduced the gospel to being right, instead of letting Jesus make me new?   🔗 Ways to Get Involved in the Project 🔗 Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links Want to get more involved? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!) Explore the No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com