The Stephen Mansfield Podcast

Sex traffickers in Romania say they specifically target the church. Why? “Church girls are pure and their fathers are too busy to tell them they love them. If we tell a church girl she is pretty five times and give her flowers, we have her.” This problem certainly isn’t limited to Romania. Stephen shares some shocking statistics about the extent of the global sex trafficking epidemic. (Mentioned i...

As you may know, on September 14 there was a drone strike on one of the largest oil fields in the world in Saudi Arabia. All evidence suggests the attack arose from Iran. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew in to Saudi Arabia to declare the event an act of war. President Trump responded by saying the US is, “locked and loaded.” But should the US take action? In this episode, Stephen encourages all...

This year it came to our knowledge that some wealthy people had spent huge amounts of money to get their children into American universities. Hot on the heels of last week’s episode about the United States’ preoccupation with higher education (particularly the liberal arts), Stephen tackles the moral and leadership flaws behind the Varsity Blues Scandal. In wrapping up, he mentions one person in p...

You probably know unemployment is at an all-time low in many states. But did you know that there are one million unfilled jobs in the US? In fact, there half-a-million unfilled jobs in manufacturing alone! In this episode, Stephen challenges the conventional wisdom that every high school graduate should rush off to college or university. The higher education model may not serve every individual be...

Donald Trump says he wants to buy Greenland, and the world reacts as if watching an SNL skit. Of course, there’s much more to the story than meets the eye. For Stephen, the Greenland idea captures almost all the good, bad, and ugly of the Trump administration. Learn why this idea isn’t as novel as it may sound and why the Arctic could become a global political tension zone in the very near future.

American society is becoming a high-tech version of Rome, where life was cheap and control was maintained through “bread and circuses.” Today, for the first time ever on the podcast, Stephen tackles the topic of football, focusing specifically on the story of Andrew Luck, the famous 29-year-old quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts who recently announced his decision to resign from the sport due...

Stephen’s been receiving some odd phone calls lately: “Are you in the family?” Which one? Ah, Netflix’s new mini-series, The Family? In this episode, Stephen answers that question while providing some background and insights regarding The Fellowship organization, the Netflix production, and the possible motivations behind this dramatized documentary. Cue the ominous music… and pop in your earbuds!...

What demographic trends are shaping the world in which you live? In this follow up to a May 2019 episode, Stephen examines high-level global and domestic trends. Dive into this statistically rich episode, and learn about rising and falling birth rates, the white/non-white divide in political parties, and the increasing urban/rural divide that’s turning conventional wisdom on its head.

Pain and hardship is a part of life. In fact, these things may even be the price of an exceptional life. There’s no avoiding them. Happy Warriors know that there is glory and victory on the other side. They’re made better by the struggle. Every swing of the sword and push of the shield invigorates them. They love to overcome adversity and raise a glass with their band of brothers or band of sister...

Ready for a thought experiment? Join Stephen in this episode as he imagines what he would say if he were an advisor to the GOP. Stephen addresses demographic issues (one of the most important truths of American politics today), rhetoric, Trump (the good and bad), and key points about free markets and economic development that the GOP should be making in order to attract a wider voting base. Next,...

In the speeches of Bernie Sanders, in the Occupy Wall Street movement, and in popular chitchat, we hear often that the top one percent of earners in our society are destroying us. Is this true? Is one percent of the country the cause of all our woes? And what do you have to earn to be in the top one percent, anyway? Stephen answers all these questions and points us to a more sane view than you may...

Immigration is one of the most difficult topics to discuss in the U.S. today. In this episode, Stephen addresses the serious flaws in the United States’ standard operating procedures of holding and treating illegal immigrants as American criminals under U.S. criminal law. This flawed policy results in parent/child separation with many parents ultimately being released in the U.S. Stephen, who is p...

Travis asks, “What is Christian statesmanship?” In this episode, Stephen shares several Biblically-based answers to the question through addressing foundational Christian theology and reflecting on great leaders and events from history. Discover why Christian statesmanship matters and why it should be understood by people of all backgrounds.

July 1, 2019 marked the longest period that the US economy has gone without a recession. We’re at a 50-year unemployment rate low. Naturally, the doomsayers are coming out of the woodwork and predicting a turn for the worse. Nobody knows what will happen, but Stephen believes a modulation is on the horizon. In this episode, Stephen shares three critical concepts every adult must understand and mas...

Stephen has written on the faith of several former Presidents, including George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Abraham Lincoln. In this podcast, he addresses the reasons why his most recent book is not called The Faith of Donald Trump. Discover how religious figures like Paula White and Norman Vincent Peale (author of The Power of Positive Thinking) influenced Trump from his early years all the way th...

At surface level, the economy appears to be stronger than ever. But those who understand economic trends know how to interpret the bellwether, namely, the current state of debt. Commercial and consumer debt is in trouble and sending some disconcerting signals about the future. In the first quarter of 2019, credit card delinquency reached a new high since 2012 (largely driven by consumers age 18-29...

There’s something troubling the Southern Baptist Church, and the discussion is rippling out into the rest of the evangelical world and beyond. The issue: whether women (specifically Beth Moore, in this case) should be able to teach men. Stephen addresses the issue from several angles in this podcast episode. Image via lproof.org/about

On June 17, 2015, a young man walked into Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, SC, sat through a prayer meeting and Bible study, then pulled out a gun and killed nine black people who had just shown him love and hospitality. Amazingly, within 48 hours the surviving families of the victims openly forgave the shooter and urged him to receive Jesus Christ into his life. A very special movie has been...

Did you know that a nation must have a birth rate of 2.1 in order to maintain a population? Understand birth rates and you’ll understand more about the future of your country and world than most people. In this episode, Stephen touches on some critical data that reveals what the United States will look like 20+ years from now. Learn how demographics, lifespans, and populations will radically trans...

A lack of religious knowledge has plagued our society for years, causing great devastation at home and abroad. Many people, for example, don’t know the difference between a Muslim and a Sheikh or an Evangelical and a Catholic. Very few have ever had a comparative religion class. In this episode Stephen presents a challenge and discusses an opinion on the matter that he shares in common with the AC...

“I think this ought to be discussed in closed session,” is a phrase that makes many Americans, especially members of the press, wild with fury. It’s anti-democratic! It’s deceptive! Stephen argues the opposite from his experience living in DC. Lives are frequently ruined when things that should be dealt with in closed session are dealt with publicly instead. In this episode, Stephen looks at a rec...

As our nation finds itself constantly preoccupied with Trump, Barr, Mueller, and the rest, very important happenings are taking place with little notice. This past week, for example, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed that Putin encouraged Nicolás Maduro, the President of Venezuela, to stay in office instead of leave for Cuba. Stay alert, don’t get distracted, and be ever vigilant, for eternal...

There is a white supremacy movement rising among young, white, privileged males in the US, and it’s doing a great deal of damage. Stephen encourages us all to take responsibility for this as far as we have reach and influence. Let’s stamp out this evil and destructive idea by having conversations, building friendships across racial lines, and traveling as we’re able.

Stephen observes a trend of “all or nothing” politics. As a Christian and a conservative, he can say he’s grateful for many of Trump’s policies. At the same time, he can say that Trump is foul-mouthed, immoral, deceptive, and brings others into his deceptions. Statements like Michele Bachmann’s (“We will in all likelihood never see a more godly, biblical president again in our lifetime.”) are imba...

Donald Trump has been threatening out of anger to relocate illegal immigrants to sanctuary cities. Though he may be right on the issue of illegal immigration, he is wrong in his approach. In this episode, Stephen discusses why leaders need to be aware of the emotions affecting their decisions. Great leaders must “clear the weeds” of emotions blocking the view to a good decision, for when we make d...