674: Parades, Protests, and Habeas Corpus with Michael Bird
- Phil Vischer
- Jun 18
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 24
It was a wild weekend. Donald Trump presided over a military parade on his birthday while an estimated 5 million Americans protested around the country. Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn discuss the optics of both events and ask, with America’s divided politics and media silos, is protesting still effective? They also unpack a new article by Abby McCloskey in CT that argues evangelicalism’s focus on a private, personalized faith undermines learning, curiosity, and exercising the mind. Then, theologian and Holy Post Pundit, Michael Bird, is back. He offers an outsider’s perspective on Trump’s military parade, the “No Kings” protests, and why he thinks more Christians should be concerned about the suspension of habeas corpus. Also this week: More ’50s slang and an update on Ed the zebra.
Holy Post Plus:
Getting Schooled - Ethics of Exile 101:
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0:00 - Show Starts
3:25 - Theme Song
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6:18 - 50’s Slang
9:44 - Ed the Zebra’s Return!
14:35 - Military Parade
23:48 - What Does Protest Do?
32:05 - The Christian Mind Out of Practice
47:30 - Teaching Essentials of the Faith
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52:24 - Interview
59:30 - Polarization of the Military
1:10:05 - Right to Protest
1:19:45 - End Credits
Links from News Segment:
A Christian Mind Out of Practice by Abby McCloskey:
Other Resources:
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No deep thoughts here, but as an enthusiastic Holy Post listener and child of the fifties, I have been interested in the search to find a suitable 50s-style opposite word for the term "hunky dory." Unfortunately the only authentic fifties words that might qualify seem to be words that have actually become common in our language since then, such as "lousy," "yucky" or "bugged." There IS the more 50s-centric word "nowheresville," but that has more the connotation of "boring."
Awhile back I gave a lot of thought to the humor value of what my daughter calls "old people words," and wrote a blog about which ones we should re-popularize today and why (beginning with "hunky dory"). If you'd like to…
Thanks for this interview. Reminded me of Red Letter Christians who are "playing the long game" Michael Bird mentions. Shane Claiborne living The Simple Way and being arrested more times than I can count for praying in public and speaking Christ's truth to power is an excellent example. Bryan Stevenson also comes to mind for his endless dedication and sacrifice for the forgotten and the condemned & his realization of the Legacy museum & the memorial for Peace and Justice. I am presently reading the biography King by Jonathan Eig. Eig does an amazing job documenting all the relationships in King's life, all the people living out a life of long obedience to their faith, and their sacrificial wo…
Kaitlyn makes a valid point that everyday Christians often need to rely on others for guidance in navigating complex issues. The real tragedy, though, is that many American evangelicals have chosen to follow loud, anti-intellectual voices—like Rush Limbaugh, Fox News, and the MAGA movement—rather than turning to thoughtful Christian scholars. When figures like David Barton are given more credibility than actual historians, when Answers in Genesis is trusted over the scientific minds at BioLogos, and when Christians listen to RFK Jr. over someone like Francis Collins on vaccines, it’s clear that political loyalty has overtaken a commitment to intellectual and spiritual integrity. This shift has seriously undermined the development of a truly thoughtful Christian perspective.
Kaitlyn is right that there is some necessity for rank-and-file Christians to outsource their discernment on complex issues. I think the tragedy is that most American evangelicals have, instead of turning to sound Christian thinkers for that discernment, turned instead to anti-intellectual blowhards (Rush Limbaugh, Fox News, MAGA). When David Barton has more influence than legitimate historians, when Answers in Genesis has more influence than the real scientific thinkers at Biologos, when Christians look to RFK Jr. instead of Francis Collins on vaccines, the political tribalism has destroyed whatever Christian mind we might have aspired to.
Edited to add: A closely related problem is the influence of the pseudo-intellectual, where work gains influence that purports to be real scholarship, but…
There was a Zeke the Zebra at the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk, VA. It is a sad tale involving the aforementioned Zeke, a rhino, and a lion. Zeke was exiled to Ohio after the incident. I don’t believe it is the same Zeke as the event occurred over 20 years ago. You can google it to learn the whole story.