Series Title: Religion IS Political [Part IV of VII]

In this episode Val & Nathan continue to build a case that it is impossible for religious systems to be "neutral" on political issues. They explore how society evolves as religions & political systems engage in the dance of shaping and being shaped by one another and how in every era brave individuals lead out in inviting social change & can come from either spiritual realm as both politics & religions confront how to dignify human life.

They also talk about how some churches lead the charge of social justice (confronting longstanding dominator hierarchies) and some churches are society's great "feet draggers" (defending dominator hierarchies). Why the feet-dragging? And why do the "feet draggers" often finally begrudgingly jump on the enlightenment train?

Timestamps:

00:00 Welcome and Series Setup

01:44 Legitimacy vs Transformation Religions

05:43 Silence and Power Structures

09:42 Why Churches Cannot Condemn

11:37 Article of Faith 12 Obedience

13:54 Moral Consequences and Neutrality

18:38 Religion and Politics Interwoven

19:55 Civilizational Development Framework

22:50 Center of Gravity in Mormonism

24:13 Leading Edge Reformers

25:54 Civil Rights Awakening