The Simpleton Podcast | Catholic Culture, Mission, and Politics with Clark Massey and Laura Hehman

Episode #56! Also in this episode: • Clark reaches cyborg status • Maryland abuse report & analysis • Commercializing spirituality • Urban decay • China’s awfulness --- Chapters: 0:00 Start 1:34 Clark's new arm! Cyborg status unlocked! 2:58 The Catholic sex abuse scandal, the Pennsylvania Report... 4:58 ...and the new Baltimore/Maryland Report 8:31 Shocking facts about the acknowledgement...

Clark and Laura discuss Afroman's insane legal battle (and how to effectively embarrass the police), the moratorium on AI, and more on this episode of The Simpleton Podcast. Also in this episode: • Why is Clark in a cast and sling? • Can we make AI safe?; The lockdown on AI • What does AGI and "alignment" mean? • Jazz Jennings, "I am Jazz", and understanding transgender tra...

Clark and Laura break down the Catholic Church’s Social Doctrine, including the Compendium of the Social Doctrine. What is it, how did it come to be, what’s good about it, and where is it lacking?   Also in this episode: • Do Christians only help people because it makes them feel good? • It's ok to make money; when self-interest is good • A correction: Catholicism's official teaching on Pr...

Clark and Laura share spiritual pitfalls to stay away from, share how Microsoft's "Sydney" Bing Chatbot is creeping the heck out of people, share conservative vs. liberal thoughts on state-funded education, and more in this wide-ranging episode of The Simpleton Podcast. Also in this episode: • Microsoft Bing Chatbot "Sydney" is in love with people • Schisms in the modern-day Catholic Church • J.K....

ChatGPT has everyone excited, worried, or both. What do we make of it as Catholics? And what would happen if ChatGPT wrote an episode of The Simpleton Podcast? Also in this episode: • Does ChatGPT have any hidden biases? • Chatbots and AI: a brief history • We need...a Catholic ChatGPT? • The 1975 film "Rollerball", dysutoptia, and street luge • SIMPLE LIVING: Reverse sear your steak! Laura's Reve...

🎉 The Simpleton Podcast's 50TH EPISODE! 🎉 Clark and Laura discuss why even tried and true Christians experience doubt. What can we do about it? Also in this episode: • "Grounding in God", an Audio Essay • A special message from Ben the Editor • Supernatural vs. Natural Happenings • The machine of comfort & poverty of opportunity • SIMPLE LIVING HACK: Soviet meat axe!? --- Chapters: 0:00 Start 0:...

Back from A Simple House's yearly retreat, Clark and Laura discuss what a good Christian / Catholic retreat should look like, the things that we replace God with, "Silence" (2016), and much more. Also in this episode: • C*caine, sugar, and Greyhound buses (we'll explain) • The phrase, "Do you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?" • Catholics react to the movie "Silence" (2016) • Science, f...

Clark and Laura take a deep dive into the problem of poverty, the misconceptions surrounding it, and the solution--which isn't what you think. Also in this episode: • "The poor will always be with us": true or false? • Stupid, classic analogies: the river • Peter Theil and how nuance can destroy a message • The marketplace of ideas and what defeats good ideas • How to TRULY retreat (also: A Simple...

Clark and Laura discuss the commonalities between Libertarians and Catholics--not in beliefs, but in their messages--in this episode of The Simpleton Podcast. Also in this episode: • Red-pill moments and "breaking frame" • Catholics: stop arguing about what doesn't matter! • Gaslighting, sexuality, and breakdowns of logic • Extremism and counter-narratives • Simple Living Hacks: ice cream! --- Cha...

The EZ-DUZ-IT Deluxe Can Opener: https://www.amazon.com/EZ-DUZ-Deluxe-Opener-Black-Grips/dp/B0071OUJDQ/ref=asc_df_B0071OUJDQ/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167123558869&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1548705745127775135&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9029599&hvtargid=pla-272278256067&th=1 --- Pope Benedict XVI, former...

How can living simply help you avoid the pitfalls of planned obsolescence? Clark and Laura discuss societal threats to simple living and their solutions in this second episode of TSP's 2-part series on simple living. In this episode: • 5 items you should only buy once (if you buy them right!) • Items that everyone needs and will save you money • Why you should buy from your neighbor vs. Ikea • Buy...

**Help us with our next episode! Send suggestions on simple living to asimplehouse@gmail.com, subject line, "Simple Living Podcast".** A Simple House: I mean, it's in our name. Living simply is a core aspect of what we do (and what we're called to do as Christians). But the concept is unclear and hard to do. What is true simple living? In this episode: • The non-Christian ideas of "simple living"...

A secret fellowship has been anonymously tackling the crippling effects of Big Pharma and Big Alcohol for the last 85+ years. Clark sits down with "Dave", an anonymous member of this society, to learn more about it and how, surprisingly, anyone can join it. In this episode: • The steps that define this fellowship • Addiction and its spiritual treatment • The promises of recovery • The worldwide re...

Transhumanism: enhancing the human condition by developing technologies that can greatly improve cognition and longevity. Technology makes life easier, but at what point does it make life itself, less? In this episode: • Technology-infused humans: how far should it go? • "Playing stupid" as a way to connect with someone • Transgenderism's repopulation issue • Homesteading & the "Back to the La...

***Some sexual content is discussed in this episode. It's not very descriptive, but it would likely fall in the PG-13 category. Viewer and listener discretion is advised.*** Garrett Johnson, also known as "Brother Without Order", is a Catholic speaker and blogger living in the DC area who experiences same-sex attraction (SSA). While some want him to claim that his identity is found in being gay, G...

The Catholic Church has been entangled in a complex and confusing situation in Canada for the past several years. Claims of mass graves outside Catholic schools have been rumored for a while now. But is there any evidence? Was the Church involved? And who's to blame? In this episode: • Terry Glavin, NYT, and false journalism • The Chinese genocide and disingenuous narratives • How far should the C...

"Inclusivity" has taken on a radically different definition in the past few decades. How should Catholic understand the term, especially in relation to the LGBTQ community? Also in this episode: • A Simple House's "accompaniment model" and its benefits • Where the Catholic synod process is it now (and what A Simple House has gained from it) • Following up on our interview with Dr. Dan Gibbons abou...

What's the best way to influence our government to create policies that align with Catholic social teaching? Catholic Lobbyist Dcn. Tyler McClay shares his experience working in the political realm. What does it take to make a positive influence on our political representatives? In short: not much. --- In this episode: • What is a Catholic lobbyist? • After Roe v. Wade, what issues will Catholic v...

***Corrections:*** • While St. Jerome Academy (SJA) is an Archdiocesan parish school, St. Jerome Institute (SJI) is an independent school formed by the same ideas (and some of the same people) behind the SJA curriculum and Montessori programs. SJI cannot officially call itself a "Catholic School" yet, since  canonical recognition from the Archbishop has not yet been obtained. • In an earlier...

Critical Race Theory dominates social discourse. What is it? Is it valid? Is it healthy? And what does it have to do with the Black Lives Matter movement? In this episode: • Roe v. Wade's reversal and its overlooked consequences  • The Marxist roots of Critical Race Theory • Why CRT is a "Mind-Virus" that flocks to two extremes • Islamic conversion and the Christian parallels • Black Lives Ma...

The Catholic Church has always been a stable presence in the shifting waves of pop culture. But right now, Catholicism is getting more attention than ever before. It's a great thing--but it comes with a word of caution. In this episode: • We were canceled?? The story of our semi-viral episode • You're wrong about Shia LaBeouf (and the new evangelization) • Tim Dillon and the traditionalist Catholi...

True evangelization is happening right now with some of the most unlikely people to turn to God: nihilists. Despair can lead us to Christ, and a group of Christians known as the "Recovering Nihilists" know that better than anyone. In this episode: • What brings nihilists to Christ? • True, long-lasting conversion: what nihilists have that we sometimes don't • How the Catholic Church can evangelize...

With the recent overruling of Roe v. Wade, Clark and Laura take a look at the Church's political affiliation and reception in this episode of The Simpleton Podcast. In this episode: • The recent acts of vandalism against Catholic schools and communities • Does the church lean Democratic or Republican? You'd be surprised! • "Being on the right side of history" and its implications for our current p...

Learn more about Source of All Hope through their website, https://www.sourceofallhope.org/ Colin Miller went from securing a Ph. D. in physics to serving those most in need in Baltimore, MD. He co-founded Source of All Hope with Fr. James Boric in 2019, and missionaries with Source have been serving the city's homeless population ever since. Colin's trust in God and his ongoing faith journey is o...

You can find Ryan at ryan.haber@gmail.com or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanhaber/ Ex-seminarians and ex-religious often struggle with one major task: how to find a job (that ISN'T ministry) once they leave their former path. Clark sits down with Ryan Haber, a volunteer career coach in Washington, D.C. who guides these candidates in how to find a fulfilling career. In this episode:...