Truce

Do you love the Truce Podcast? Be a part of supporting the show by giving to keep the show going. You can send a traditional check (made out to Chris Staron) to: Chris Staron PO Box 3434 Jackson, WY 83001 Or donate online using a credit card at: https://trucepodcast.com/donate/ Please note that Truce is not a non-profit and money given to us cannot be deducted on your tax returns. We did this on purpose. 90% of Americans do not benefit from write offs like those given to non-profits because the standard deduction is so high. Non-profits only benefit the wealthy. We want to try to finance this show through normal people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast We've spent the last several weeks asking the question: "Is the United States an empire?" Now we want to go even deeper: "Is empire always a bad thing?" So we invented a game that will explore that question. It's Capture the Flag... with resources. Topics discussed: Is empire always a bad thing? How can the US use resources to build alliances? Is the US a Christian nation? How should Christians treat resources? The US has over 800 military bases. Would we want a foreign military base in or near our land? Should Christian resist burglars? Would we want a Chinese military base in the US? How do we treat countries with less important resources? Truce is listener supported. Find out how to help at www.trucepodcast.com/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast The United States, a "Christian" nation, has a bad habit of forgetting its own people. Really. We'll prove it to you! We forget that the territories are a part of our country. Why does that matter? It impacts if/when they can vote and allows us to withhold federal aid. That matters! What happens when a "Christian nation" ignores its own people? Our guest this episode is Daniel Immerwahr, author of the book "How to Hide an Empire" and an associate history professor at Northwestern University. In his book, he argues that the United States has been an empire since it's inception. Special thanks to: Stand up comedian Nick Staron Helpful Links: FDR's "Day of Infamy" speech Topics Covered: Is the United States an Empire? Can Puerto Rico vote in congress? Can Puerto Rico vote for president? Can American Samoa vote for president? Who was bombed on December 7, 1941? Learn more about your

Donate a little to help the show on either Patreon or Paypal Remember to post #nowherenearcuba this week! When we were done conquering the west, done warring with Mexico, done fighting Native Americans, we looked out across the Pacific Ocean and said... "huh... I wonder what's over there?" The truth is that the United States is an empire. We accomplished that by fighting wars and by seeking out resources. In the 1800's the United States faced a very real problem: we were running out of nitrogen. Not in the air. There is plenty in the air. We were losing it in our soil. Plants need nitrogen. Where were we going to get it? The answer we came up with was: bird poop. It's rich in nitrogen and makes a great fertilizer. The trouble is that we didn't have any way to get large quantities of it. Until American businesses took over islands off the coast of our country. This is the story of greed, a different kind of slavery, a Supreme Court battle, and the worst job in the 1800's. Our guest this episode is Daniel Immer

Donate a little to help the show on either Patreon or Paypal Please fill out our listener survey here: https://forms.gle/G5euVtM3JistChuz7 What do you think of when you hear the word "empire"? Maybe Great Britain? The Soviet Union? The Mongols? Sure. But what if I told you that the United States is also an empire. And always has been. Our guest this episode is Daniel Immerwahr, author of the book "How to Hide an Empire" and an associate history professor at Northwestern University. In his book he argues that the United States has been an empire since it's inception. We claimed lands owned by native peoples, and then expanded into places like the Philippines, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Alaska, and more. This is the story of war, greed, resources, and tragedy. Helpful Links: We recorded some the games in this episode at the Spark Christian Podcast Conference A lecture from Daniel regarding his book We received help from these artists: Stand up comedian Nick Staron (Napoleon) Holland Webb of the Afterword

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Is the USA a Christian nation? There are a lot of people who argue that it is. And a lot of others who say that it is not. Which is it? What do we gain by calling it a Christian nation? Our guest this episode is Dr. Gregg L Frazer, author of The Religious Beliefs of America's Founders: Reason, Revelation, and Revolution and God Against the Revolution: The Loyalist Clergy's Case Against the American Revolution. Donate a little to help the show on either Patreon or Paypal Our "Would You Rather Questions": Would you rather make a hundred thousand dollars a year working for the mob, or be married to the best looking person on earth who cheats on you? Would you rather sell something benign like corn to Iran or be Vladimir Putin's personal barber? Would you rather go to a church where the senior pastor is always getting into Twitter fights, or one where the youth pastor is always starting go

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Was the American Revolution biblical? There are lots of people who argue that the United States is a Christian nation. But our nation is founded on revolution. The Bible is clear that we are to obey our leaders. How do we reconcile the fact the Revolution was not a Christian act with the assumption of a Christian nation? Our guest this episode is Dr. Gregg L Frazer, author of The Religious Beliefs of America's Founders: Reason, Revelation, and Revolution and God Against the Revolution: The Loyalist Clergy's Case Against the American Revolution. Donate a little to help the show on either Patreon or Paypal Special thanks to those who contributed their voices to this episode including: Paul Hastings of the Compelled Podcast, Eric Nevins of Halfway There, Angel McCoy of Angel Reads the Bible, and Bonnie Burns from Sex Chat for Christian Wives. Helpful Links: Live Free or Die image Jonatha

Were the founding fathers of the United States Christians or Deists? That question has been at the heart of a debate that comes up all the time in the Church: is the United States a Christian nation? Our guest for this episode is Dr. Gregg L Frazer. He's the author of The Religious Beliefs of America's Founders and God Against the Revolution. Donate a little to help the show on either Patreon or Paypal Helpful links: Jefferson's letter about his beliefs Searchable database of founding father documents John Adam's diary entry from Feb 13, 1756 Topics discussed: Were the founding fathers Deists or Christians? Was George Washington a Christian? Was John Adams a Christian? Was Alexander Hamilton a Christian? Was Thomas Jefferson a Christian? What does the Constitution say about God? What did Christians believe in the 1700's? Did Benjamin Franklin build churches? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Are you curious about why Truce is covering the topics that it is? Wondering where this thing is going? We've heard you! In response to the confusion of our audience, we've put together this special interview episode to answer some of your questions. Chris is joined by Eric Nevins, host of the Halfway There podcast. Would you like to see Eric's review of Truce in Podcast Magazine? Click here to learn more. The review will come out March 30, 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast In Russia during the Soviet era, hundred of posters and magazine covers were printed to encourage people to abandon their faith. They were state-sponsored and designed to be interpreted even by people who could not read. This propaganda clearly tied anti-Christian sentiment to the United States. In his new book, Godless Utopia, Roland Elliott Brown collected a number of these images and provided commentary on their meaning. What does it mean that we call the United States a Christian nation? What does it mean when presidents like Ronald Reagan merge their faith with the US? How does that impact our witness? These are questions we'll continue exploring throughout this series. Donate a little to help the show on either Patreon or Paypal Helpful links: You can view images from the book here. Please note that some of these images may not be appropriate for all eyes. Watch the whole "evil empi

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast How strong was the soviet mythology? Strong enough to make a young boy turn in his own parents. At least... that's what the communist government of Russia wanted their people to believe. They created a myth around a boy named Pavlik Morozov who they deemed Pioneer 1. Select Sources: https://www.britannica.com/topic/collectivization https://www.rbth.com/history/329601-demon-or-hero-morozov https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/1450370/Squalid-truth-of-Stalins-little-martyr-killed-for-informing-on-his-father.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Vladimir Prokhnevskiy moved to the United States as a Christian refugee from Ukraine. He and his family left that country after enduring oppression from their governments. He spoke with Chris about what it was like to live in such poverty, how his father was threatened with work in Chernobyl, and how a shoebox from Operation Christmas Child impacted his life. Vladimir and his twin brother own Ukramedia, a company that teaches people to make motion graphics. You can watch this video about their lives and work. It was a thrill to talk with Vladimir. Please consider supporting this show so that we can continue to make these episodes. You can donate via our Patreon or Paypal pages or at trucepodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast After the fall of the Romanov dynasty, Russia fell into the hands of the Bolshevik political party. They led the country into one of the darkest chapters in world history when religious people and dissidents were targeted, imprisoned, and murdered. This history is hard to hear but important for us to know. Our special guest this episode is Felix Corley of www.forum18.org. In this episode, we discuss why Vladimir Lenin persecuted Christians and how Joseph Stalin instituted a policy of fear in the Soviet Union. Helpful Links: Forum 18 Article about the poem "First They Came" The Gulag Archipelago by Alexandr Solzhenitsyn An interesting article about former Soviet countries Topics discussed: Why did Vladimir Lenin hate Christians? Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia Persecution of Muslims in Russia How many people did Joseph Stalin kill? Nikita Khrushchev Learn more abo

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast When the Russian tsars fell, they left a power vacuum. Who would rule Russia after the Romanov dynasty? The Bolshevik's rose to power, led by Vladimir Lenin. Lenin immediately began persecuting anybody he didn't like. In this episode, we'll examine the dark realities behind the Russian revolution: how it started with good intentions but ended with the death of millions. We'll also see how a culture of fear and suspicion held the nation captive. Our guests today are Professor Barbara Engel (author of "Russia in World History"), and Roland Elliott Brown (author of "Godless Utopia"). This is part of our series examining how the rise of communism in Russia impacted the Christian church. Check out the rest of season three for more information. We're working hard to make Truce the best Christian podcast on the market. Please rate and review the show! FACT CHECK NOTICE: Genghis Khan, who I did no

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast What is the difference between communism and socialism? They get used interchangeably in our culture, but do they really mean the same thing? In this episode, we'll give a textbook definition of each and then see how those ideas change in the wild. Our guests today are my friend Brian Faehnrich, Professor Barbara Engel (author of "Russia in World History"), and Roland Elliott Brown (author of "Godless Utopia"). The basic difference between communism and socialism is where the profit goes: In communism, the profits go to the government In socialism, the profits can go to the people Also, communism is inherently atheistic, in keeping with the vision of Karl Marx. Topic Covered: What is the difference between communism and socialism? Who was Karl Marx? Who invented communism? What was the first communist country? (Russia) How did Vladimir Lenin rise to power? Does communism work?

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast "We did our best, but it turned out as it always does". Kind of a dark statement, no? It is a popular Russian phrase that kind of encapsulates the spirit of Russian history. People who try hard to make a change, but that change is not exactly great. In this episode of the Truce Podcast, we spoke with Jennifer Eremeeva, author of the excellent book, "Have Personality Disorder, Will Rule Russia" about the history of the Russian Christian church. Christianity came to Russia by sword point. It started out as a pagan culture, heavily influenced by the Vikings. When Vladimir, ruler of ancient Moscow, wanted some of the treasures of the Byzantine empire, he had a couple of options. He could invade and capture them, or he could make a trade deal. He tried both, but it didn't quite work out. As part of the peace deal, the Byzantine empire offered him a bride and trade if he converted to Christianity

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Christmas and New Years can be a stressful time for us. But what if you had to celebrate two Christmas' and two Years'? Our special guest Jennifer Eremeeva (author of Have Personality Disorder Will Rule Russia) is an American married to a Russian. Each year they have the potential of four holidays in less than a month. But why? The confusion has to do with a discrepancy in calendars. It turns out that the old Julian calendar, which is used by the Russian Orthodox Church, is several days different than the Gregorian calendar that we use. This has to do with an old disagreement between the Catholic and Orthodox churches. Subscribe to Truce so you'll get every new episode as it is released! Donate here to keep Truce going! Herring Under Fur Coat: This recipe is pretty simple, but it may take a few hours to make so do this one in advance. Ingredients: 1 jar of mayonnaise (squeeze-able is easi

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Merry Christmas! As a bonus, we are featuring some stories from the Christian Podcasters Association Christmas Episode Exchange. Each person in the group was allowed to submit a 5-minute mini-episode on the theme of Christmas. I've collected a few of them here and some more will be on our Patreon page for people who donate a little each month to keep Truce going. You can access the Truce Patreon page and for those extra stories. Here are the submissions in order of appearance: 1) Truce Podcast – Christmas Bolero Chris Staron http://www.trucepodcast.com http://www.twitter.com/trucepodcast http://www.facebook.com/trucepodcast 2) The Road Home To You Podcast Brandy Goebel – Every Home Needs a Gnome http://theroadhometoyou.libsyn.com/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/166024570692834/ 3) Biblical Chili https://biblicalchili.podbean.com/ https://www.facebook.com/BiblicalChili/ http://www.twitt

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Rasputin - the rogue monk who changed the face of the world. Or did he? Grigory Rasputin was a wandering monk from Siberia. A peasant. A long-haired man with a family. Through a series of connections with powerful people, he became the right-hand man of Nicholas II, the Russian tsar. Some claimed that he had the power to heal. He was also a known philanderer. Rumors of his relationship with the tsarina ran rampant. He, a peasant, may have influenced military decisions in WWI. The man was everywhere all at once--until he was brutally murdered in Petersburg one dark night. They tried cyanide and nothing happened. The shot him, and he fled. Who was this mystery man? What was his impact on Russia? On the Christian church? Listen to this special episode to find out! Our goal is to become the best Christian podcast out there. We can only do that with your financial support. You can donate on Patr

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast This is the second in a two-part story about the fall of the last czars of Russia. Their murder had a ripple effect across history. After them came Lenin and the rise of communism and the USSR. The modern American church changed to keep up. If Russia was going for collectivism and atheism, the USA would hold on to capitalism and Christianity. Which means that the gospel would soon be identified with money, power, and military might. In this episode we follow the abdication of Nicholas II to the untimely end of him and his family. Theirs was just the first of a long string of murders that would elevate Lenin and Stalin to power. Truce is a listener-supported show. Please consider donating a little each month via Patreon (which entitles you to some cool bonus material) or helping out with a one-time gift on Paypal. These gifts are not tax-deductible. Our research was greatly aided by the fol