The Willing Fool

We've come to the rootless, unhinged, and disingenuous endgame of our New Secular Religion. Claims are being made, lines are being drawn, and goalposts are ever moving in this movement towards group madness. Check out the video podcast at https://www.youtube.com/@paultrimble22/videos Support the show

Who are the founders of the modern movement that we now find ourselves a part of? What were their lives and thoughts like? Understand them can bring surprising insight and clarity into our confusing and chaotic cultural moment. Psst...Did you know the podcast is now also available on YouTube in video form? Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@paultrimble22.  Support the show

A hot button post and a spicy comments section are a thread that will lead us to a deeper analysis of what's going on in this cultural moment. Pssst...Did you know that these episodes are also now available on YouTube? It's under my channel @paultrimble22 or search for Paul Trimble. Support the show

Looking at the direction our conversations have been moving in the last five years points to a new sensibility, and maybe even a new religion being born. Psst...These podcast episodes are now also available as YouTube videos. Just go to my channel @paultrimble22 or search for Paul Trimble. See you there. Support the show

What happens when people take on a belief system that works like a religion but they claim to be non-religious? Something like what we see in the public today. Psst...These podcast episodes are also now YouTube videos. Just go to my YouTube channel @paultrimble22 to check them out.  Support the show

Why have the progeny of early Feminists turned to devour their Mother? If you understand this, you may understand what's underneath our New Secular Religion--a movement which refuses to define what it is or what it stands for but feels justified in tearing down nearly everything. Support the show

Some people took offense at performances during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Were Christians imagining references to Jesus' Last Supper re-enacted by drag queens, or was it Greek mythology? Does it matter? Is there anything there to take offense?  Support the show

I discuss the difficult topic of transgenderism and what it points to in terms of language, power, fundamental mental categories, and the direction of humanity. Support the show

For some time, modern Westerners have prided themselves on building and basing their beliefs purely on scientific evidence. But this was never true, and this reality is becoming more obvious. Where science cannot speak, the bible has an important paradigm for how we believe and live. Support the show

Sometimes it isn't the content of the critique but the tone and spirit of the critic that hits us hardest. In this episode, we talk through 5 critiques of belief and some ways to process them. Support the show

Sometimes we say we believe one thing, but our actions reflect that some part of us believes another. Whether we're open to that evidence may in turn shape our lives. This interview with Jordan Peterson and Susan Blackmore is a great dialogue to investigate how this works. (Apologies for the audio in this episode. I had a camera/mic issue.) If you prefer to watch the videos of these podcast e...

The landscape about belief has changed in the last several decades, but these developments take time to work their way through to the popular culture. In this episode we track a few of the macro-developments. Gary Habermas' website:  https://www.garyhabermas.com/ Richard Hays' book:  Echoes of Scriptures in the Gospels Support the show

You may hear versions of these three arguments for why believing in God is ridiculous or unreasonable. Hearing and considering them can help you decide what you do believe and why. Support the show

The ancient trope of making a bargain with the devil, then paying the price is one worth understanding and considering. Power, success, and advantage are nice in the moment, but what might we be giving away in their pursuit? Support the show

If you've noticed a change in the environment in the last several years, you're not alone. Culture is always changing, but it seems the movement has accelerated in dramatic and unexpected ways during this specific time frame. What are the markers of that change, and what might be the reason for it? This is what we explore in this episode. Support the show

From the mental health crisis and the meaning crisis, to growing interest in nonhuman beings, to the twin trans movements, is there something more than just the random unfolding of events at work when it comes to the flourishing and fulfillment of humankind?  Support the show

The pressing issues and conflicts of our day should drive us to gain a clear understanding of what a human is and should be. Some of these same issues also may reveal how we are being challenged and undermined--and to what end. It's worth the effort to think and consider deeply, for as much clarity as possible.  The shape of the future depends on it. Support the show

What is a human? What are we for and what is our purpose? How you answer that question will determine how you view life and reality. The truth is something that is scary, but also more fantastical and better than any answer we could invent.  Support the show

What is the solution to the so-called "male crisis"? And what is the cause in the first place? Opinions abound. There may be more going on than we can see at first glance.  Support the show

Is there a third way between avoiding the harsh realities and conflicts of the world, on one hand, and joining an entrenched position and posture of conflict, on the other? Jesus tapped into a rich vein, a kernel of truth, that we often miss, that enabled him to go from quiet reflection in the countryside to the heart of most tense geopolitical conflict of his day, with strength and authenticity. ...

In this episode, we look at how language around transgender issues has changed in the last few years, reflecting an evolving rhetoric. Since our meta-narrative, values, and norms are related, this is one more manifestation of the new civic religion that has evolved.  Support the show

Is all inequality the result of oppression? Are there alternative explanations?  In this episode we take a stroll through some of the public dialogue around gender and gender inequalities, questioning if the mainstream narrative of patriarchal oppression of women is the gold standard of narrative explanations. Support the show

It's easy to be overwhelmed by what goes on in the world around us. It's easy to either A) try to ignore it and stay as safe and neutral as possible in our own life because it's all too much or B) enter the fray and take a well-established side in an acrimonious atmosphere. Are those the only options, or is there a different way? How did Jesus seem to walk that question out? What is...

Many were shocked by the brutality of the attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians in October of 2023, only to be further amazed by the cheering of these events by many in the U.S. and other western countries. How did we get here? Is it possible to have an opinion in the context of such bitter conflicts without becoming an unthinking agent of one group or another?  Support the show

In Jesus' day, a certain popular way of thinking and believing made religious people dumber, more arrogant, and resistant to change and correction. Their posture and claims as God's "honor guards" were betrayed by their resistance and dishonoring actions. What is the strain of theology and psychology that makes this possible, and is it still around and active today in churches?...