Chris Polk

99. God's Country or Jesus’s Kingdom? Navigating the Nexus of Nationalism and Faith in America

Could the intertwining of faith and state authority be warping the very soul of Christianity? Unlock the complexities of Christian nationalism as we sit down for a round table to dissect the idolatrous juxtaposition of faith and governance. This episode dissects the potential hazards of conflating faith with state authority and how this can distort genuine religious practice and the core tenets of Christianity itself.

Join your host, Craig Harguess, along with friends of the show Chris Polk, Cody Cook, Paul Parayil, and Darren Freidinger, who help us peel back the layers of entanglement to reveal the true call of Faith. Witness a bold examination of Christian nationalism's historical claims and current implications in the realm of politics and social justice. 

As echoes of January 6th reverberate through the national consciousness, we scrutinize its portrayal as a Christian nationalist insurrection and the subsequent impact on political landscapes. The breach, the media's narrative, and the political fallout are dissected with a critical lens, contrasting the motives behind these actions with the broader implications for American society. We confront the seductive pull of cultural identity and the struggle to prioritize important global issues over trivial cultural squabbles. 

Through this dialogue, we strive to foster a deeper understanding of how a desire for a 'Christian nation' impacts both the spiritual body of Christ and our broader societal fabric. With a laid-back yet critical approach, we discuss the importance of curiosity and questioning in religious communities, advocating for meaningful action against social injustices rather than getting lost in cultural distractions. The panel lays out a thought-provoking journey through the contradictions of Christian nationalism, inviting you to reflect, question, and expand your understanding of faith in the public square.

The digital age has transformed the battleground of ideas, and we explore the challenges of engaging in meaningful discourse on social media amid generational technology. As we draw to a close, we advocate for deeper awareness and action, urging listeners not to be sidetracked by fleeting controversies but to remain steadfast in the pursuit of no king but Christ. Tune in for a thought-provoking journey through the contradictions and complexities of Christian nationalism.

Key Moments:

01:20 Christian Nationalism and Its Contradictions

  • Christianity Today Article: What Is Christian Nationalism?

  • Critiqued for distorting religious practice and undermining Christian principles.

  • Enforcement of state authority is a key concern.

05:11 Christian Nationalism and the New Covenant

  • Inconsistencies with Jesus' teachings are highlighted.

  • Cherry-picking from the Old Testament discussed with guest Cody Cook.

15:20 Christian Nationalism and State Role

  • Examination of Christian nationalism and its contrast with a kingdom culture mindset.

  • Emphasis on the spiritual body of Christ over earthly rulers.

27:52 The Impact of Christian Nationalism

  • Growth of the church during persecution discussed.

  • Detachment from state affairs, detrimental effects, and pitfalls of striving for a "Christian nation."

33:13 January 6th and Christian Nationalism Discussion

  • Discussion on the Capitol breach on January 6th.

  • Examination of Christian nationalism, media portrayal, politicians' response, and intentions vs. implications of actions.

43:54 Exploring Christian Nationalism in Politics

  • Aftermath of January 6th discussed.

  • Accusations of Christian nationalism, manipulation by agencies, spectrum of ideologies, and complex relationship between American and Christian identities.

58:49 Challenges of Social Media Discourse

  • Christian nationalism debates on social media.

  • Generational gap in technology use, lack of curiosity in education and religion, and strategy for online discourse.

01:08:32 Christian Nationalism and Cultural Identity

  • American democracy's defense of Anglo-Protestant culture discussed.

  • Exclusion of Catholics and Orthodox believers, trivial cultural controversies distracting from pressing social injustices.

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77. Lessons from the Trucking Industry with Chris Polk

About this Episode

In this episode Craig welcomes back Chris Polk, “professional hornet’s nest kicker”, podcaster, content creator, trainer and truck owner-operator at Blue Ribbon Logistics. Chris regales Craig with stories about everything from how he found success in the trucking world, to history lessons, and about how government and citizens wreaked havoc with supply chains during covid times. Additionally, Chris tells how collusion between big corporations and government have led to over-regulation, driving shipping costs up and resulting in tough times for every-day truckers. That said Chris pulls no punches while discussing the things that truckers have done to make their own situations worse. 

Chris gives his best advice on how to become rich, with principles that will work whether you are interested in joining the trucking industry or not. The great news is that you have something unique to offer the world. If you combine that something with some good maths (get yourself a BS Eliminator 9000, otherwise known as a calculator), hard work and a customer centric focus you too will become wealthy. It will not be easy, but if you build your life in such a way that you give value to others by helping them to get what they want, money will naturally flow your way.

Find Blue Ribbon Logistics: 

YouTube

TikTok

Facebook

Website

Episode Timestamps:

1:04 - Who is Chris Polk?

  • Enjoys stirring

  • A trucker for 25 years

  • Owner-operator of trucking business

  • Podcast host at Blue Ribbon Logistics

  • Training truck drivers to be owner-operators

  • Content creator on YouTube

4:56 – Blue Ribbon Logistics

  • Met Larry Long and went to work for him

    • Began having Larry on his podcast

  • The podcast brought them dedicated truckers

    • Created a program to train them how to earn as a trucker

  • Business only works when it's competitive and customer focussed

  • You can have anything you want if you help enough other people get what they want

  • Never thought he’d have to teach all sorts of people maths and map reading

  • Calculator is the BS Eliminator 9000

  • Craig would make a terrible truck driver 

    • He’d be too busy napping on the side of the road

  • Driving a truck and a car are two different things

21:45 - Broken supply chains and broke truckers

  • Products were manufactured just in time to get them onto the trailer or the assembly line

    • It used to be a finely tuned machine

      • 2020 broke it with toilet paper

  • Cascade effect means trucking has been in a state of crisis since March 2020

    • Peoples spending drove demand

  • People brought trucks for work 

    • Truck prices went up

  • Market demand is going back down 

    • Those who bought overpriced trucks will go broke

    • Truckers blame fuel costs and the government

27:09 – Lesson in supply line history

  • Separation of church and state is a distraction

  • The danger lies in the collusion of corporations and state

  • Mark Levison – The Box

  • When the market was deregulated in 1980 it made shipping more efficient

    • Allowing for more competition by individuals

    • Explosion of economic activity

  • These days there are so many middle-men that it has driven the cost of shipping up

    • Blockchain might make it more efficient again

  • Any time there’s a bottleneck, you can generally find a bureaucrat standing in the middle of it

  • There are a million single truck owner-operators

    • That’s a third of the trucks on the road

    • They haul the majority of life’s necessities

    • Big businesses can’t keep up so they are lobbying for regulations that will wipe out the owner-operators in costs

  • Truck makers make more money as more legislation is added

    • Little guys can’t afford new trucks

  • The state does the bidding of 15% of the trucking industry

33:15 – The biggest scam in trucking history

  • No actual violations

  • At his latest inspection, he fixed a light

  • Another 18 points even though the light worked

    • Fines came next

    • Even though there were no violations

38:28 – The cheap driver shortage

  • Subsidies from the state for hiring drivers

  • There is a shortage of cheap drivers

  • The largest expense at big corporations is wages for the drivers

    • But they haul easy bulk stuff for cheap

    • People like Chris are paid more for specialized freight

  • You can’t idiot-proof a truck

    • A bad driver is going to have problems

43:50 – The price of eggs and corruption

  • Eggs are expensive

    • Is this because the state interfered with supply chains?

    • It costs Blue Ribbon about $200,000 per year to run a truck

    • There are 3 million trucks on the road

    • Reducing the cost of fuel won’t help that

  • There’s inflation

  • There’s manipulation

    • Corrupt money

    • Corrupt processes

    • Shipping container costs quadrupled

47:15 – How to become wealthy

  • Turn the television off

    • Don’t make decisions based on fear

    • You can control your own life and make better decisions

  • Boom and Bust is the pattern of economics

  • Build your life in a way that you create value for others

    • Once you get that right the wealth comes

    • That doesn’t make it easy

  • Find a niche

  • It will be uncomfortable

  • Be unaffected by BS crisis

55:44 – Fauci

  • Would be happy to see him handcuffed

  • He’ll end up in the evil hall of fame alongside Hitler one day

  • One day in heaven we may want forgiveness for him when he has to explain himself to Jesus


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