Podcast Summary: "One Nation Under Paganism?"

Podcast: I Don't Have Enough FAITH to Be an ATHEIST
Host: Dr. Frank Turek
Guest: Pastor Lucas Miles (Author of "Pagan Threat," President of TPUSA Faith)
Date: October 31, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode explores the resurgence of paganism in America and its merging with Marxist ideology, particularly focusing on its challenge to Christianity and American culture. Dr. Frank Turek and Pastor Lucas Miles discuss Miles' new book, Pagan Threat, highlighting how ancient pagan beliefs and Marxist frameworks are blending to undermine Christianity and shape the nation's cultural and moral landscape. They also address how Christians and churches can counter these trends and stand for truth in an increasingly hostile environment.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Defining Paganism and Its Modern Manifestation

• Paganism: Broadly, any religious practice seeking connection to the divine outside the God of the Bible. Specifically tied to Wicca, the occult, witchcraft, druidism, shamanism, etc.

  • Quote (Lucas Miles, 05:41):

    "Paganism on a broad stroke level...is any sort of religious practice or path that is trying to look for a connection to the divine outside of the God of the Bible."

• The pagan threat is not about individual pagans but the systematic replacement of Christian worldview with pagan values, making room for Marxist ideas.

2. Marxism: Oppressor vs. Oppressed and Cultural Transformation

• Marxism borrowed from Hegel’s master-slave dialectic and expanded beyond economics into race, sexuality, gender, and identity (07:12–09:39).

• Critical Theories (race, queer, fat, etc.) now frame every societal conflict as oppressor vs. oppressed.

• Consequence: Dividing society intentionally so minority 'oppressed' groups can band together against the dominant worldview, i.e., Christianity.

• Quote (Lucas Miles, 09:39):

  "Christianity has been the dominant worldview...and now what we're seeing is the Marxists, the pagans, and the LGBT all working together [to] overthrow that."

3. Conflict with Christian Worldview

• Christianity emphasizes personal responsibility and individual stewardship before God, as opposed to group identity (10:47–13:05).

• Assigning spiritual value to suffering for group identity (race, economics, etc.) “robs God of the glory” meant for Christian persecution.

• Quote (Lucas Miles, 12:23):

  "If Charlie was killed for being white, [or] Republican...rather than ... for being a believer...we have robbed God of the glory and honor due in his martyrdom..."

4. Marxism, Paganism, and the Issue of Abortion

• Paganism regards both birth and abortion as sacred, promoting a moral flexibility that accommodates Marxist objectives (17:28–19:14).

• The fusion of Marxism with mystical or religious language makes it more palatable to spiritual people.

• Quote (Lucas Miles, 18:09):

  "Pagans talk about...both [birth and abortion] as beautiful, [with] the opportunity to participate with the divine. It’s a failure to understand the value of human life."

5. Hegelian Dialectic and Synthesis in Modern Ideology

• Synthesis occurs when Christianity (thesis) merges with Marxism (antithesis) to produce a "religious, zealous Marxism" using Christian language for Marxist ends (19:14–20:46).

• Quote (Lucas Miles, 19:57):

  "...a religious zealous Marxism or religious fundamentalist Marxism. It takes the language of Christianity...it looks spiritual, it looks religious, but it's still peddling that same anti-God framework."

6. Cultural Transmission: Media and Education

• Pagan/Marxist ideas are pushed via entertainment (films, shows) and school curricula (21:15–32:17).

• Critical Pedagogy (Paulo Freire): Indoctrination starts early, embedding Marxist ideas using seemingly innocuous content (diversity, inclusion, etc.).

• Quote (Lucas Miles, 30:29):

  "Critical theory or critical education is education based upon a Marxist framework...Giving [children] words that...set a framework for slow indoctrination."

7. The Motte and Bailey Fallacy

• Tactic where radicals make extreme claims but, when challenged, retreat to more socially acceptable positions (26:33–29:25).

• Quote (Lucas Miles, 28:10):

  "It's a way to...kind of have this double speak...they’re advancing these radical ideas, the Bailey, and anytime that they are confronted on that, they’re going to retreat back to the Motte..."

8. Infiltration of Christianity: Progressive Christianity & Soft Paganism

• Progressive Christianity denies essentials like the authority of scripture, exclusivity of Christ, sexual morality, often adopting pagan or Marxist ideas (33:40–39:43).

• Soft pagan influences (like the Enneagram or mystical practices) are adopted under a Christian veneer.

• Quote (Lucas Miles, 35:57):

  "Progressive Christianity...a brand new invention...less than 100 years...versus the 2000 years of Christian orthodoxy..."

9. Response & Solutions: How Christians Should Respond

• Need for a new apologetic: Clear defense of faith, unity around primary doctrine (Nicene/Apostles Creed), and strong evangelism (40:41–43:09).

• Use technology and go where young people are (TikTok, Discord, etc.)

• Quote (Lucas Miles, 40:51):

  "...we need a new apologetic for this time period. Christianity won over pagan Rome because of the apologies of people like Justin Martyr..."

• Don’t divide over secondary issues; unite on essentials (Trinity, deity of Christ, resurrection, authority of the Bible, etc.).

• The tent at TPUSA Faith is broad on secondary doctrine but unyielding on primary Christian tenets (44:43–46:53).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the merger of paganism and Marxism:

  "Ancient esoteric beliefs are getting incorporated into a Marxist substructure...ultimately that's leading to this pagan threat..."
  (Lucas Miles, 05:41)

• On why Marxists target children:

  "Ultimately the children are the greatest means of production. It is the reproduction of a civilization through young minds..."
  (Lucas Miles, 33:32)

• On progressive Christianity’s denial of sexual ethics:

  "They're literally taking kind of a black Sharpie marker and have to kind of cross out certain Bible passages in order to make their theology stand..."
  (Lucas Miles, 37:52)

• On church unity and doctrine:

  "If they are unified, the authority of The Word, the lordship of Jesus, the Trinity, heaven and hell...I'm going to stand united with them despite any secondary differences..."
  (Lucas Miles, 43:33)

Important Timestamps

• Defining Paganism: 05:41
• Marxism’s oppressor-oppressed framework: 07:12
• Conflict with Christian worldview: 10:47
• Pagan/Marxist synthesis & abortion: 17:28
• Satan as Prometheus, Marxism as anti-God revolt: 14:03
• Hegelian dialectic explained: 19:14
• Cultural transmission and education: 21:15, 30:29
• The Motte & Bailey trick explained: 26:33
• Soft paganism in church (Enneagram): 33:46
• Progressive Christianity critique: 35:57
• New apologetic strategy & primary Christian doctrines: 40:41, 43:09
• TPUSA Faith scope and unity: 44:43

Takeaways: What Can Listeners Do?

• Ground yourself in historic Christian doctrine.
• Be vigilant about terminology shifts and manipulations (e.g., “tolerance”, “healthcare”, “inclusion”).
• Engage in intentional, strategic evangelism — especially reaching youth where they already are.
• Unite the church around essentials, set aside secondary disputes when facing primary cultural threats.
• Challenge deceitful tactics (Motte & Bailey, doublespeak) with truth and clarity.
• Educate yourself and your children on ideological influences in media and education.

Further Resources

• Lucas Miles: lucasmiles.org
• Book: Pagan Threat: Confronting America’s Godless Uprising
• TPUSA Faith: tpusafaith.com
• Dr. Frank Turek’s events and resources: crossexamined.org

This episode provides both a warning and a strategy: the ideological challenges facing Christianity are deeply entrenched and multifaceted, but clarity of doctrine, united action, and engaged evangelism offer a way forward.