Scribbler Logo

    You have 4 summaries left

    The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast

    371. A Podcast Full of Inflammatory Things | Eric Metaxas

    Thu Jun 29 2023
    Eric MetaxasA Letter to the American ChurchSilence in the American churchDivine inspirationYouTube censorshipEvilFaithVirtue signalingCain and AbelSpeaking truthConversion experienceReligion and dreamsBattle between good and evil
    1. Author Eric Metaxas discusses his book 'A Letter to the American'
    2. Writing a book and divine inspiration
    3. YouTube's censorship and parallels with Germany in the 1930s
    4. Evil, faith, and the American church
    5. Cheap grace, political avoidance, and integrating theology into life
    6. Virtue signaling, cultural Marxism, and the story of Cain and Abel
    7. The significance of the story of Cain and Abel and speaking truth
    8. Speaking truth, courage, and consequences
    9. The conversion experience and the pursuit of truth
    10. Religion, dreams, and accepting Jesus Christ
    11. The battle between good and evil, and the response to the book
    12. The positive response to the book and the importance of speaking out
    13. The duty to speak out and facing backlash

    Author Eric Metaxas discusses his book 'A Letter to the American Church' and the importance of speaking out against tyranny. He draws parallels between the silence of the German church during Hitler's reign and the current silence within the American church. Metaxas emphasizes the responsibility to act against falsehood and hopes to awaken those who have been complicit in their silence. The episodes cover topics such as divine inspiration, YouTube's censorship, evil, faith, virtue signaling, the story of Cain and Abel, speaking truth, the conversion experience, religion and dreams, and the battle between good and evil. The response to the book has been positive, with a documentary film being made and churches standing for freedom.

    Author Eric Metaxas discusses his book 'A Letter to the American'

    00:01 - 08:58

    • Metaxas argues against staying silent in the face of tyranny
    • He highlights the rise of arbiters of speech throughout history and their manifestation today
    • Metaxas emphasizes the responsibility to act against falsehood, lacking in the American church
    • The book is specifically written for Christians
    • Metaxas felt a burning passion from God to write this book
    • The inspiration for writing came during the process of writing his biography on Dietrich Bonhoeffer
    • Metaxas draws parallels between the silence of the German church during Hitler's reign and the current silence within the American church
    • He hopes to awaken those who have been complicit in their silence and encourage them to speak out against injustice

    Writing a book and divine inspiration

    08:34 - 16:28

    • Writing a book can be inspired and an attempt to put forth what you believe to be true
    • The New Testament is inspired, but the authors' personalities are not erased
    • Some people hear God speak directly, but that didn't happen to Metaxas
    • Over the years, he has become more sensitive to moments where he feels God's presence in his thoughts
    • There is a presupposition of truth and a right way and wrong way in writing and speaking
    • The author claims to be directed by divine inspiration but doesn't claim every word is chosen by God
    • There is an intuition that distinguishes between words that are false and words that are true

    YouTube's censorship and parallels with Germany in the 1930s

    16:02 - 23:43

    • The speaker finds it deeply offensive and anti-American that arbiters in the West decide what conversations are okay and what are not
    • The speaker believes in the freedom of speech as a human being and as a Christian
    • YouTube wiped out the entire program of the Eric Metaxes show
    • The speaker criticizes YouTube for acting like fascists and cultural Marxists who don't believe in freedom or free speech
    • There are parallels between the current situation with YouTube and Germany in the 1930s
    • Globalist cultural elites today have presuppositions that oppose ideas such as dignity of human beings and sanctity of life
    • YouTube recently took down videos discussing topics such as what defines a woman, trans minor surgery scandals in the UK, and vaccination criticism featuring Robert F. Kennedy during his presidential campaign
    • The speaker expresses surprise that a corporation would interfere with an ongoing presidential candidate in the United States
    • Google's alliance with China is seen as despicable by the speaker due to prioritizing money over fidelity to American principles

    Evil, faith, and the American church

    23:13 - 30:38

    • Evil operates through factors like greed, self-interest, and human nature
    • Every person has a choice to participate or refuse to participate in evil
    • The author addresses Christians who claim to believe in the God of the Bible and emphasizes that faith should lead to different behavior
    • Faith is not suspending disbelief but staking oneself on the truth and doing the right thing regardless of short-term consequences
    • Telling the truth may come with a price, but lying has far worse consequences
    • The central issue is whether people will say what they believe or suffer the consequences
    • The American church has drifted from true faith by adopting an enlightenment rationalist view of faith as mere intellectual assent
    • True belief affects one's life and leads to living with courage

    Cheap grace, political avoidance, and integrating theology into life

    30:10 - 37:30

    • The idea of cheap grace and the misconception that faith without works is dead
    • The American church's tendency to avoid being political
    • The importance of integrating theology into every part of life
    • Believing something in your mind but not taking action is contradictory
    • Luther's distinction between works and grace
    • The significance of inner disposition and intentions in religious acts
    • Faith as a mode of conducting oneself in the world
    • Trusting God with the results when speaking and living the truth

    Virtue signaling, cultural Marxism, and the story of Cain and Abel

    37:02 - 44:19

    • Trusting oneself requires humility and a desire to be reliable in judgment
    • Seeking God's help is important to avoid making mistakes
    • Easy moral virtue is an attempt to proclaim moral superiority without putting in the work
    • Universities contribute to this by promoting the idea that being against certain things is enough, rather than being a good person
    • Cultural Marxism lacks a belief in God, truth, or good and evil, yet they talk about morality and marginalized groups
    • Without a basis in the Bible, their claims about right and wrong are unfounded
    • To be pro-reality is seen as radical in today's society
    • The story of Cain and Abel is a manifestation of two principalities: one who makes proper sacrifices and reaps the benefits, and one who is envious and resentful

    The significance of the story of Cain and Abel and speaking truth

    43:58 - 51:29

    • The story of Cain and Abel continues to terrify Jordan Peterson
    • Marxism is seen as the rational manifestation of the eternal spirit of Cain
    • Religion arises from the recognition that something is wrong and attempts to bridge the gap between humans and gods
    • Adam and Eve's attempt to cover their nakedness with fig leaves is a deceptive and insufficient religious act
    • God deems their attempt insufficient, requiring innocent blood to be shed for true covering
    • Today, people have created a false religion where everyone must celebrate and worship certain ideologies or face consequences
    • Without connection to truth or reality, people conform out of fear of losing jobs or friends
    • Christians should behave fearlessly as martyrs if they truly believe in the God of the Bible who defeated death

    Speaking truth, courage, and consequences

    51:05 - 58:34

    • Speaking truth and caring about people is essential, even if it means facing consequences like losing jobs or tax status
    • Silence in the face of suffering is not true theology or gospel preaching
    • The government mandating speech control was a catalyst for speaking out against it
    • Not speaking up when you have something to say can lead to dire consequences
    • Examining our lives and seeking truth is important, regardless of religious beliefs
    • Selling one's soul for personal gain is a destructive choice
    • Christians should lead the way in showing courage and speaking truth, even at the risk of their lives
    • Remaining silent on important issues harms human beings and goes against God's command to love and care for others

    The conversion experience and the pursuit of truth

    58:15 - 1:05:45

    • Christians who know they need to tell the truth but still lie will be punished more harshly than those who lie out of ignorance
    • Lying not only goes against moral code, but also betrays one's innermost self and core identity
    • The speaker became a Christian after a period of being lost and agnostic
    • The conversion experience involved a dramatic dream that spoke to the speaker unequivocally
    • The dream encompassed three parts of the speaker's life: Greek identity, fishing as a hobby, and the pursuit of knowledge through literature
    • The fish symbol associated with Christianity was significant to the speaker due to their Greek background and upbringing
    • Fishing was an important hobby for the speaker growing up
    • The pursuit of knowledge and meaning in life through literature was central to the speaker's time at Yale University

    Religion, dreams, and accepting Jesus Christ

    1:05:26 - 1:12:41

    • Religion is like drilling through the conscious mind to touch the collective unconscious
    • The dream of standing on a frozen lake and catching a golden fish symbolizes God's message
    • The realization that the fish represents Jesus Christ as the Son of God
    • The theological significance of a fish coming out of water and dying
    • Accepting Jesus in the dream led to a dramatic change in life
    • Immediate sacrifice of stopping premarital sex with girlfriend
    • Feeling God's presence and not wanting to hinder the personal relationship

    The battle between good and evil, and the response to the book

    1:12:17 - 1:19:51

    • You just know that that's not about anything
    • This happened to me. So this is the definition of a gift from God
    • When you choose God, you don't know where that's going to lead you
    • God invites us to this glorious adventure and when you turn it down, you think you're turning down some kind of bummer
    • You're being given a role in the battle between good and evil, which is real
    • The ruler of hell is actually the least successful person in hell if you use power
    • We must learn the lessons from history and prevent similar atrocities from happening again
    • It's painful to look at the evil happening in the world, but we must confront it and respond
    • Don't be afraid, God is with you in this fight against evil
    • Telling the truth may be brutal, but lying will lead to even worse consequences
    • If we do not repent and speak out boldly against these things, the result will be worse than what happened in the Holocaust

    The positive response to the book and the importance of speaking out

    1:19:30 - 1:26:45

    • The response to the book has been extraordinarily positive, with speaking invitations and daily emails expressing gratitude
    • A documentary film based on the book is being made to reach a wider audience
    • Churches that remained open during COVID and stood for freedom have seen their numbers grow significantly, while those playing it safe have declined
    • The battle for freedom between good and evil is ongoing, and the hope is to restore America to its foundational principles
    • Victory would include draining the deep state swamp, ensuring free speech, questioning important issues like vaccines and election integrity, and reestablishing freedom as promised in the founding documents
    • Remaining neutral or silent in the face of evil is considered complicity

    The duty to speak out and facing backlash

    1:26:32 - 1:31:20

    • Religious leaders in Germany during the Nazi era chose to remain silent and not speak out against the Nazis, but this is seen as a failure to fulfill their duty to God
    • God requires people to be fully committed and engaged, and remaining passive or silent is considered wicked
    • The podcast host has faced backlash from various groups, including trans activists, vaccine proponents, Christians, and atheists
    • Due to ongoing conflicts with YouTube, the conversation will continue on the Daily Wire platform
    • The guest encourages listeners to visit his website for more information on topics that couldn't be covered in the podcast
    • The host expresses gratitude for the guest's courage and thanks him for being a voice of reason amidst chaos
    1