Talkin‘ Politics & Religion Without Killin‘ Each Other

What does it mean to be a conservative? What about being a Christian? What does that mean in terms of how one would understand and uphold virtue vs vice? And if I am truly a conservative and a Christian, can I then support Donald Trump?

In this edition, we explore the nuances of conservative values and Christian beliefs amidst our politically charged environment. To get clarity on what it means to be a conservative and a Christian, it requires NOT surrendering to the extremists who monopolize conversations around politics and religion. Our discussion dives into the foundational principles of conservatism, such as:

• Individual Freedom,
• Limited Government,
• Rule of Law,
• Peace through Strength,
• Fiscal Responsibility,
• Free Markets,
• and *Human Dignity,

...contrasting these with the divisive and aggressive tactics often employed in Trump-era politics. Contrary to what passes for “conservative” in today’s political and media landscape, we’ll look at the way true conservatism respects the U.S. Constitution and promotes a healthy, engaged citizenry, devoid of blanket vilification via broad generalizations and dehumanization. We’ll also give a sneak peak into Part II of this discussion on Christian values, specifically targeting the misalignment of Trump's actions with biblical teachings. So, yeah, this one might tweak some beaks!

00:40 Celebrating Listener Reviews and Engagement;

02:49 The Impact of Extremism on Public Discourse;

13:40 Exploring the True Meaning of Conservatism;

14:16 Principles of Conservatism vs. Trumpism;

27:29 The Importance of Human Dignity in Conservatism;

34:35 Teaser for the Next Episode: Christianity vs Trumpism

Let us know what you think. You can find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as www.threads.net/@coreysnathan.

It would mean so much if you could leave us a review on Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/TPandRPod

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Very grateful for our sponsor Meza Wealth Management. Reach out to Jorge and his team: www.mezawealth.com

I know, I know! Not everything’s okay. And yeah, there’s so much we can worry about. But, seriously. It’s gonna be okay.

In this episode, we take stock of a number of ways things have gone off the rails as well as what we’re looking at down the road. We get into the potentials of a second Trump term and its implications on American democracy. We outline potential threats of another Trump administration such as weaponizing the department of justice, using the military against domestic protest, and withdrawing the U.S. from NATO among others. Despite these potential challenges, there’s still reason to be hopeful. And it’s worth constantly reminding ourselves that things will be okay - one way or another.

We can account for the current state of divisiveness within the country, particularly around sensitive topics like immigration and the wave of disinformation. Despite legitimate skepticism and criticism of Trump and the way things are shaping up, it’s worth maintaining some equilibrium. In other words, as one curtain said to its other half, the other curtain, “Pull yourself together!” While bad things could happen, life will still go on. We each have agency to dictate how we react to and experience what's happening around us and, ultimately, the ability to still find a sense of peacefulness in life.

It would mean so much if you could leave us a review on Apple Podcasts:

https://bit.ly/TPandRPod

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Please support our sponsor Meza Wealth Management:

www.mezawealth.com

You can find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as

www.threads.net/@coreysnathan.

And here's a link to that special edition of The Atlantic, IF TRUMP WINS:

www.theatlantic.com/if-trump-wins/

"...expos(ing) the activities of dictators and human rights abusers, while sharing stories of those doing good around the world."

We're on Patreon! Join the community:

https://www.patreon.com/politicsandreligion

It would mean so much if you could leave us a review:

https://ratethispodcast.com/goodfaithpolitics

Hagar Hajjar Chemali is a YouTube host and creator of “Oh My World!” which covers the major world news of the week in an easy-to-understand and entertaining way. Hagar is also an adjunct professor at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center. She writes on national security and is featured regularly as a guest expert on MSNBC, CNN, BBC, Bloomberg, and one of our favorites, Politicology. Prior to all this, Hagar was Director of Communications and Spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations under President Obama, Spokesperson for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Director for Syria and Lebanon at the National Security Council at the White House, and she was a Senior Policy Advisor on Asia, and Policy Advisor on the Middle East in the Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes at the U.S. Treasury. But the most important thing you need to know about Hagar is that she, her 3 kids and her dad are excellent dancers!

01:24 Guest Introduction: Hagar Hajjar Chemali

02:00 Hagar's Work and Background

04:32 The Crush List and Zeitouna

08:58 Civil Dialogue and Empathy

18:01 Navigating Media and Information

23:18 Columbia Protests and Student Engagement

43:28 Sanctions and Counter Illicit Finance

48:02 Global Economic Concerns

49:52 Ukraine Conflict: A Long-Term Struggle

52:09 The Role of U.S. Leadership

55:52 Transnational Repression and Authoritarianism

01:05:13 Mentorship and Career Reflections

01:19:06 The Importance of Diverse Perspectives

01:30:39 Conclusion and Future Conversations

You can also find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as www.threads.net/@coreysnathan.

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Very grateful for our sponsor Meza Wealth Management. Reach out to Jorge and his team: www.mezawealth.com

https://youtube.com/@ohmyworldshow

https://www.instagram.com/geekoutwithhagar

https://www.instagram.com/ohmyworldshow/

This is a special episode of TP&R. We're sharing an interview Justin Peters did with Corey Nathan on Justin's excellent podcast The Struggle Is Real.

Here are the show notes from the original airing on The Struggle Is Real:

Title: How to Talk Politics and Religion Without Killing Each Other | E55 Corey Nathan

Description:

I’ve dreaded some recent get-togethers knowing argumentative political conversations are going to be on the agenda and for quite some time, I’ve taken the approach that it is better to avoid these conversations by staying quiet and giving a friendly nod.

That line of thinking is changing for me now. Avoiding participation in these conversations is forgoing the opportunity to learn something new, and maybe even change my mind. Along with that, if I’m not taking the time or initiative to understand someone else’s point of view, I’m only reinforcing the current state of divisiveness between these binary camps of blue and red.

I invited Corey Nathan on the podcast to give us inspiration on how this could be done right. He shares his personal story of making amends with his dad when he decided to leave the Jewish faith.

In the second half of this episode, Corey shares some basic communication skills to help us have more enabling conversations. Some of my favorites include the feel, felt, found framework, the phrase “help me understand”, and changing our mindset from competition to collaboration.

I hope you enjoy my conversation with the stockbroker by day, theater guy by night, Jew from Jersey that became a Christian, and the host of the incredible podcast, Talkin’ Politics & Religion Without Killin’ Each Other...Corey Nathan.

More of Corey:

Podcast: Talkin‘ Politics & Religion Without Killin‘ Each Other

https://www.politicsandreligion.us/

Instagram: @tpandrpod

More of TSIR:

Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/

Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/

On today’s edition, we shook it up a bit. Rachel Bitecofer, Ph.D. has dissected well-worn tactics that today’s Republican Party deploys with a great deal of success. Her latest book HIT ‘EM WHERE IT HURTS is about how to “beat Republicans at their own game.” As former RNC Chair, Michael Steele, has said, “Democrats and Republicans who care about democracy would be wise to pay attention to her work.” (Yeah, you read that correct and it wasn't a typo - that's from the guy who used to head up the Republican National Committee.)

Rachel Bitecofer is a political scientist and election forecaster turned political strategist. You may have seen her interviews and analysis in such outlets as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Salon, Politico, The New Republic, Real Time with Bill Maher, CNN, MSNBC, and many other prominent news sources. She worked with Democratic Party candidates and organizations to implement negative partisanship strategy in the 2022 midterms. Rachel is also the author of HIT ‘EM WHERE IT HURTS: HOW TO SAVE DEMOCRACY BY BEATING REPUBLICANS AT THEIR OWN GAME. But she came to prominence way before all this when she predicted the size (to the seat) of the Democrats’ Blue Wave in the 2018 midterms.

00:54 Spotlight on Rachel Bitecofer: From Political Scientist to Strategist;

01:49 The 2018 Midterm Predictions and Political Shifts;

05:31 Analyzing the 2024 Election Risks and Trump's Influence;

08:23 The Urgency of Understanding Project 2025;

15:16 Rachel Bitecofer's Personal Journey and Academic Background;

20:29 Strategies for the Democratic Party: A New Approach;

36:22 The Role of Journalism and Media in Democracy;

38:22 The Impact of Right-Wing Ecosystem on Public Belief;

38:41 The Role of Donald Trump in Shaping Public Distrust;

39:12 Manipulation of Journalism and Public Perception;

39:49 The Strategy Behind Republican Messaging;

40:59 Observing Real-Time Messaging During the Mar-a-Lago Raid;

41:14 The Power of Unified Messaging in Politics;

41:41 Media's Role in Legitimizing Questionable Narratives;

42:35 Challenging the Normalization of Extremism;

45:47 The Art of Electoral War: Strategies and Countermeasures;

47:14 Tackling Misinformation and Strategic Messaging;

59:46 Engaging in Political Conversations: Strategies and Insights;

01:01:50 Effective Communication Across Political Divides

It would mean so much if you could leave us a review:

https://ratethispodcast.com/goodfaithpolitics

Let us know what you think. You can find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as www.threads.net/@coreysnathan.

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Very grateful for our sponsor Meza Wealth Management. Reach out to Jorge and his team: www.mezawealth.com

https://www.hitemwhereithurts.com/

https://twitter.com/RachelBitecofer

And please remember that review: https://ratethispodcast.com/goodfaithpolitics