The SkyePod - Mailbag

Summary

The SkyePod - Mailbag Episode Summary

Release Date: March 21, 2025
Host: Skye Jethani
Producer: Mike Stralo

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Introduction

In this engaging "Mailbag" episode of The SkyePod, host Skye Jethani, accompanied by his producer Mike Stralo, delves into listener-submitted questions, offering thoughtful insights and practical advice on various aspects of Christian faith and contemporary issues. Despite Skye's audible congestion from a cold, the conversation remains robust and informative, covering topics from emotional authenticity in faith to the implications of political changes on education.

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1. Balancing Emotional Gospel and Avoiding Ritualistic Faith

Listener Question: "If we want to avoid the pitfalls of a gospel based on emotional highs and low ooey gooey feelings, how do we avoid just going through the motions in our faith?"
Timestamp: [01:22]

Discussion Highlights:

• Emotional Authenticity vs. Ritualistic Practice: Skye references his previous discussion on justice to emphasize that faith should be rooted in active, material love for others rather than solely on emotional experiences.

  Skye Jethani [02:27]: "It's about what you do. And sometimes the feelings aren't there. You go through the motions because it's the right thing to do."

• Obedience Over Emotions: He argues that obedience and allegiance to Jesus should guide actions, irrespective of fluctuating emotions.

  Skye Jethani [03:27]: "It's not about your feelings. It's about obedience. It's about allegiance to Jesus, regardless of one's feelings."

• Practical Example: Using parenting, Skye illustrates that routine actions driven by love are valuable, even when they're not accompanied by strong emotions.

  Skye Jethani [05:50]: "You have to do these motions... all of those motions are still motivated by your love for your children."

Conclusion: Authentic faith balances genuine emotional experiences with steadfast obedience and practical actions, ensuring that rituals and routines are meaningful expressions of commitment rather than empty gestures.

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2. Household Salvation: Implications for Children's Salvation

Listener Question: "Why does the Bible mention that you and your household will be saved? Does that mean my children will be saved because I am?"
Timestamp: [08:16]

Discussion Highlights:

• Cultural Context: Skye explains that in the ancient, collectivist cultures of the Bible, household identity was paramount. The patriarch's faith commitment often extended to the entire household.

  Skye Jethani [12:03]: "Your identity was defined by who the patriarch was... your household gave their allegiance to the patriarch."

• Modern Individualism vs. Ancient Collectivism: He contrasts this with today's individualistic society, where personal faith decisions are paramount, and the household dynamic does not automatically extend religious commitments to all members.

  Skye Jethani [14:04]: "In our culture, you don't slavishly devote yourself to your mother and father the way that ancient cultures did."

Conclusion: While biblical passages emphasize household salvation within a collectivist framework, this concept does not directly translate to modern individualistic societies. Therefore, children are not automatically saved based solely on their parents' faith but must make their own personal commitments.

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3. Baptism and Household Faith

Listener Question: "In Acts 16, it says that the jailer went home and got baptized along with his entire household. How does this influence our understanding of baptism, specifically infant baptism?"
Timestamp: [16:20]

Discussion Highlights:

• Household Commitment: Skye reiterates that infant baptism aligns with the household model, signifying the child's inclusion in the faith community without implying that baptism itself is salvific.

  Skye Jethani [17:13]: "Infant baptism, if it's understood in this model, makes perfect sense... baptism is a sign of belonging to this household of faith."

• Theological Perspective: He emphasizes that while infant baptism symbolizes inclusion, it does not guarantee salvation, which remains a personal decision.

  Skye Jethani [17:40]: "If people think that baptism in and of itself is somehow salvific, that's where I'm going."

Conclusion: Infant baptism serves as a communal affirmation of faith within the household, reflecting the collective commitment rather than an individual salvific act.

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4. Politics and Education: The Department of Education and Public Schools

Listener Question: "With Trump threatening to dismantle the Department of Education, what are your thoughts on the Christian nationalist movement and the school choice movement versus the role of public schools in democracy?"
Timestamp: [18:21]

Discussion Highlights:

• Lack of Detailed Opinion: Skye admits limited knowledge on the specifics of the Department of Education's functions but acknowledges conservative opposition rooted in skepticism towards public schooling.

  Skye Jethani [18:37]: "I'm not going to give a strong opinion because I'm not deeply familiar with the specifics."

• Importance of Public Schools: He underscores the critical role of public schools in fostering diversity and unity in a fragmented media landscape.

  Skye Jethani [19:55]: "Public schools are a critical and indispensable part of American society... they force us to learn how to get along with each other."

• Potential Consequences of Dismantling: Concerns about unintended consequences, such as the impact on student loans and special education funding, are discussed.

  Mike Stralo [23:18]: "The Department of Education funds just about everything related to a child with special needs."

• Support for Public Schools: Skye advocates for strengthening public education through reforms rather than undermining it, highlighting the societal benefits beyond individual preferences.

  Skye Jethani [26:50]: "On a national level, we desperately need good, healthy, functional public schools."

Conclusion: Public schools play a foundational role in maintaining democratic values and societal cohesion. Christians are encouraged to support and reform public education rather than contribute to its dismantling through the school choice movement.

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5. Combating the Manosphere: Promoting Healthy Masculinity

Listener Question: "What are the voices that are combating the manosphere definition of masculinity that I can both read, follow, and point my kids and their friends to?"
Timestamp: [27:33]

Discussion Highlights:

• Role Modeling: Skye emphasizes the importance of being a positive role model himself and relying on real-life male figures such as coaches, teachers, and church leaders to exemplify healthy masculinity.

  Skye Jethani [27:37]: "You need to be that for them. And hopefully there are other men in their lives who can also see as models of healthy masculinity."

• Limitations of Social Media: He points out that the manosphere thrives on digital platforms that favor sensationalism, making it difficult for positive movements to gain traction online.

  Skye Jethani [28:07]: "Healthy, humble manhood is just not going to get a huge following on social media."

• Personal Responsibility: The responsibility lies with fathers and male guardians to embody and teach godly masculinity, rather than seeking external sources.

  Skye Jethani [27:37]: "I don't know a better answer than that."

Conclusion: Combating toxic masculinity requires intentional role modeling within the home and community. Fathers and male mentors should exemplify and teach healthy, godly masculinity through their actions and interactions.

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Final Thoughts

Throughout this mailbag episode, Skye Jethani provides nuanced perspectives on maintaining authentic faith, understanding biblical teachings in modern contexts, and addressing societal challenges. His emphasis on active obedience, the importance of public institutions, and personal responsibility in shaping masculinity offers listeners practical guidance rooted in Christian principles.

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Note: This summary excludes the episode’s promotional content and focuses solely on the substantive discussions and listener interactions.

Transcript

[Sky Jatani]

I don't really care. And I don't honestly think God does either. Hey, everybody. Welcome to the Sky Pod, brought to you by Holy Post Media. I'm Sky Jatani. We are doing a mail bag, air mail, sky mail.

[Mike Stralo]

We go back and forth, what we call this.

[Sky Jatani]

So our faithful producer, Mike Stralo is here to read the questions we're gonna go through. And I apologize up front, everybody. I've got a cold. I probably sound congested, but the brain's working, so hopefully.

[Mike Stralo]

Are you sure, Scott? Are you sure?

[Sky Jatani]

For the most part. For the most part.

[Mike Stralo]

I don't know. It's almost Friday. It's gonna be 75 tomorrow.

[Sky Jatani]

Well, I'm going to California, where it's only in the 50s tomorrow, which is bizarre. Why is it 50 in California and 70 in Chicago?

[Mike Stralo]

I think it's God telling you you should stay. Well, there's nothing good in California.

[Sky Jatani]

All right, here's the deal. We. It's been a while since we've done one of these episodes. There's been a backlog on all kinds of different topics, so we obviously can't get to all of them. So we've selected the ones that we think we can have a robust conversation about, but keep sending them in, like. And I've tried to respond to some people on particular episodes in the comment section on Holy Post plus, but can't always get around to that either. But what do you want to start with? Where we going?

[Mike Stralo]

Let's start with the first one I have is if we want to avoid the pitfalls of a gospel based on emotional highs and low ooey gooey feelings, how do we then also avoid the pitfalls of just going through the motions in our faith?

[Sky Jatani]

I think this is in reference to the. The skydive I did on Justice.

[Mike Stralo]

I think so, yeah.

[Sky Jatani]

Because I talked about. I talked about the heart and how we assume that when Jesus rebukes the religious leaders, saying that they. They're. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, that we interpret that to mean emotion that God wants us to have. Ooey gooey. That's why it's in quotes in the question, because he's quoting me. And so you can go back and listen to that skydive episode to get my whole thing. So if we're not supposed to be all about ooey gooey feelings and emotional highs, how do we avoid the pitfall of just going through the motions? I don't think that either one of these is a problem. In other. What I mean, by it, it's not wrong to have emotional highs. That's fine.

[Mike Stralo]

Right.

[Sky Jatani]

But when you have an emotional low, that doesn't mean your faith is failing or it's deficient. On the flip side, I don't think there's anything wrong with just going through the motions. It depends what the motions are. My argument in that episode about rooting it in creation, all the whatever, all this stuff about justice, is that what we're called to is to actively and materially love people around us, the image bearers of God. And so when you encounter that throughout the Scriptures, it's not about how you feel towards the people around you, it's about what you do. And sometimes the feelings aren't there. And you. Yeah, you go through the motions. You do the right thing because it's the right thing to do. If this person's asking, like, what about a worship gathering? And you're just saying the words or you're just reading the prayer, or you're not. Your heart's not. I'm not talking about a worship gathering. I'm talking about following Jesus.

[Mike Stralo]

Okay, okay, that makes sense. But I think you would still argue. Well, it's not good to always just feel like you're going through the motions.

[Sky Jatani]

Sure. But I don't think you can control feelings.

[Mike Stralo]

Yeah. But I think my question is going to be, do you have advice or wisdom to give? Because I think there's probably a lot of people in our audience who feel like I've actually been going through the motions for a really long time. I'm in a rut. I'm not loving the sermons at my church. The worship's fine. I just. I've been like this for years. How do I get out of it?

[Sky Jatani]

Okay. I mean, these are two different things.

[Mike Stralo]

Okay.

[Sky Jatani]

On one level, I mean, I've been there with the church stuff. I don't. I mean, my greatest concern is not whether people like their church or whether they enjoy the sermon or they feel inspired or they, you know, the music stirs them. I don't really care.

[Mike Stralo]

Okay.

[Sky Jatani]

And I don't honestly think God does either.

[Mike Stralo]

Yeah.

[Sky Jatani]

I think what he cares about are you finding deep communion with him. And is that then reflected in the way you engage his image bearers? Yeah. So if you're not getting it, quote unquote, at your church, if you're going through the motions on Sunday morning, so be it. The fact that you even have a choice is a luxury. Like, it's a privilege that we get to pick what church we go to. And we can decide whether we like a sermon or music. There are Christians all over the world and throughout history who've not had that option. So. Sorry. The idea that my faith depends on what I feel on Sunday morning or going through the motions Sunday morning is the wrong measure. It should be, how are you cultivating your communion with Christ throughout the week? And there are various disciplines and tools he's given us to encounter his presence. And sometimes that will be really inspiring and give you a jolt. Other times it won't be. But. But then the other factor is not just how am I encountering Christ and living in communion with him, but then how am I revealing that in the way I'm engaging the people around me? And again, sometimes you will feel like it, and sometimes you won't. It's not about your feelings. It's about obedience. It's about allegiance to Jesus, regardless of one's feelings. And that's the grace of faith. So I just think we're so consumeristic in our thinking and mindset. We're so focused on feelings or going through the motions, and that somehow going through the motions is bad. If you're going through the motion of loving your child, that's not a bad thing. You don't. I mean, you have three boys, little kids, ton of work at that stage of life. I have. I don't want to assume too much, but I think it's safe to say there are some evenings you probably go home and your heart is not full of emotion and adoration of your children. And you're thinking, I gotta get these kids bathed, I gotta get them fed, I gotta get them cleaned up, I gotta get them to bed. You're going through those motions, and all of those motions are still motivated by your love for your children. And so that, I think, is a more honest and realistic view of the Christian life than. Am I feeling like, you know, tucking this kid in for bed tonight.

[Mike Stralo]

Yeah, that reminds me. I remember during the pandemic, I was catching up with an old college friend, and they just had a baby. A baby was probably like six months old. And at that time, we just had one, but he would have been around two or so, and he was. Me how it was going, I was like, oh, it's actually really fun because for the. He's starting to show personality and emotions. And, like, I feel like I'm. I'm connecting with them kind of for the first time, like the first six months to a year. It was just kind of hard that I didn't feel like I loved him, of course, but I didn't feel that feeling that you hear about on the movies or the TV shows. My friend was like, oh, thank you so much for saying that, because he was in the similar boat of, I like, I love this kid, and I'm just not feeling that connection. And I think the same thing happens in our faith where so often we are told if you're not feeling it, whether in the service or just throughout the day, if you're not feeling God move in your life, that there's something wrong and you need to fix it. And, yeah, I think your explanation is really helpful to say, like, oh, actually working on the disciplines, going through the motions, that's a good thing. There's nothing wrong with that.

[Sky Jatani]

Yeah, we are. We're so driven by the emotional side of it. And again, I'm not seeing emotion as bad. Just like when you have a wonderful, beautiful connection with one of your children, you're like, that's great. But you don't only do what's right by your child. When you feel that way, you do it regardless, because you have an allegiance and a loyalty to that kid as its father. That is just. It's not determined by feelings.

[Mike Stralo]

Yeah.

[Sky Jatani]

So I think that's more how we're called to live our Christian lives. And the church thing is a whole separate deal. And you can leave that for another.

[Mike Stralo]

Another sky mail. Okay, let's go to the next question. That was good. That was helpful. How about this one? Why does the Bible mention that you and your household will be saved? So this is a verse in Acts. I'll let you explain the context. But he goes on to ask, does that mean that my children, who were Ra. With prayer and Scripture and. And their own salvation choice and baptism as older kids, will be saved because I am. I am. Or their stepdad is, even if they are adults, not walking with the Lord. So I kind of jumbled that. But basically, is this first saying that if. If I'm a Christian, that my kids will be saved as well?

[Sky Jatani]

Yeah. Okay. This. This is great. This is a great question. And there's more than one place where this idea is seen, especially in the book of Acts. I'm thinking of the story of Cornelius, where he's a Roman soldier who Peter comes and preaches the Gospel to, and. And he's. And it says his whole household was saved and they were all baptized. So here's the dilemma. Anthropologists, sociologists, historians, whatever, they talk about cultures as highly individualist cultures or highly collectivist cultures, and there's kind of a spectrum between the two. So we live, if you are a white American in the 21st century, we are on the extreme end of the individualist spectrum. For a culture we tend to celebrate stories of individuals who defy their families. Right. Who, who head out west as a pioneer, who left the old world to come to the new world, who you know, don't follow in their parents family business but venture out on their own. Like those are the stories that inspire our culture. Very cowboy, entrepreneurial, all of that kind of stuff. And we carry that view into our faith, which is my faith is my own and I make a decision to follow Jesus or not. We even switch denominations and religious traditions because of individual preferences. I mean it just permeates everything about our culture. Well, there are other cultures, including many ancient cultures that were way more collectivist.

[Mike Stralo]

Sure.

[Sky Jatani]

And a collectivist culture says that your individual identity is less important than your corporate identity. So I mean, what is it? China, some Asian cultures where your last, your family name comes before your individual name. That's an idea of a collectivist culture because people are more concerned about what family do you belong to than your particular role in that family. And that's a, you know, very huge generalization. But the ancient biblical world was a world that was much more collectivist than ours. And so people lived within household structures. And by households, I don't mean nuclear families. It's not just mom and dad and kids. These households were usually multi generational, broad and they included everything from biological family units to extended relatives to even non blood relatives who are incorporated into the household, enslaved people, other like a whole bunch of folks could be under a household and that household was defined by who the patriarch was, the father figure of that household. And so your identity, I mean even in the way people had their names, it was, you know, it's, it's Yeshua Ben Joseph. Right. It's Joshua, the son of Joseph or so. And so the son of. That's a patriarchal household kind of idea. Even our, we sell English names like Johnson.

[Mike Stralo]

Yeah.

[Sky Jatani]

Means son of John or Anderson, the son of Anders, whatever. Like those names come from that older model of, of identity. All that to say your identity was defined by who your patriarch was. Your patriarch's identity was defined by who their allegiance was to.

[Mike Stralo]

Okay.

[Sky Jatani]

So if your household worshiped Zeus, or your household was devoted to Caesar, or your patriarch of your household was, you know, a worshiper of Athena or whatever the deity was, then that was true of the whole household because there was no view that you could go differently than your patriarch. So when Cornelius, for example, decides, I'm going to give my allegiance to Jesus the Messiah, it was just understood that everyone in the household gave their allegiance to Jesus the Messiah, because my allegiance is to Cornelius, and Cornelius allegiance is to Jesus, therefore, my allegiance is to Jesus. It wasn't this idea that each individual had to make a profession of faith for themselves, because they didn't make a profession of a lot of allegiances themselves. It was defined by your household. So when you get to these kinds of passages in the New Testament that talk about the whole household being saved, it was because they had a collectivist identity.

[Mike Stralo]

Yeah.

[Sky Jatani]

Now, how does that transfer to today?

[Mike Stralo]

I have a lot of questions.

[Sky Jatani]

Yeah, well, anyway, I can pause there. Okay.

[Mike Stralo]

Okay. Well, let's go with, like, what you're describing sounds familiar, or you're gonna say it's different. I'm sure it is, but it sounds like cultural Christianity. So, like, I grew up in a very small town, and many of the parents and the grandparents were Christians, and I had many friends who, you know, went to catechism or they went to confirmation class, and they went through all the motions and they got baptized, and. Because that's what their family did, but they weren't Christians. Like, they. They didn't make a personal commitment that, you know, we're so big about. So what's. What's the difference there? Or am I asking the wrong question?

[Sky Jatani]

No, it's not the wrong question. But it is a little difficult to take the ancient world's understanding of collectivist household culture and make a parallel to ours. I think it is very different, and here's why. Going back to kind of the Cornelius household, if I'm in the household of Cornelius and Cornelius makes a commitment, gives his allegiance to following Jesus, I give my allegiance and my commitment to Cornelius, it legitimately means that whatever Cornelius tells me to do, I'm going to do right. So when Cornelius says, hey, you know what? Our master Jesus says? We are to love our enemies, I'm like, okay, I guess I'm loving my enemy. If Cornelius tells me our master Jesus calls us to be generous, like, okay, I'm going to be generous. That's just how it worked. Like, there wasn't this view that an individual within the household would defy the patriarch. Right. That's not true today. So you could be in a family or a home or a town where everyone's a Lutheran. And you, I don't know, your catechesis in the Lutheran Church. You're baptized in the Lutheran Church, you take communion leaders, but it's not like you're hanging on every word of your grandfather and absolutely following his following of Jesus. This is what Paul essentially meant when he said, follow me as I follow Jesus. That's what he's appealing to. It's the household idea. I'm your patriarch. I'm following Jesus. You follow me. That is not how American society works. So it's hard to take this and transfer it to our culture, because now if somebody truly was like, sky, I am devoted to you the way that Sam was devoted to Frodo. Like, I am never leaving your side. My entire identity is dedicated to you. And everything you do, I will do. And I go, okay, great. Well, I'm following Jesus. I think this applies. But that's not our society. That's not how that works. So it's weird. I get why people struggle with these kinds of texts, but to answer this person directly, I would say, no, your children are not automatically saved because mom and dad are Christians. Because in our culture, you don't slavishly devote yourself to your mother and father the way that ancient cultures did to their household. Patriarch or matriarch.

[Mike Stralo]

Okay. Makes a lot of sense. I have another question. This wasn't on our list, so we'll see how you feel about it. In this passage in Acts 16, it also says that the jailer that was went home and got baptized along with his entire household. So how does this influence our understanding of baptism? And I'm thinking specifically infant baptism, as I'm assuming. Yeah, I'll stop there. Yeah.

[Sky Jatani]

No, first of all, it's very similar because the jailer, who. The head of his household, makes this commitment to Jesus, and everyone else in his household goes, all right, well, our patriarch changed his. His loyalties and allegiances. So do we. That's just how it was. It's just how it goes now when it comes to baptism, I don't. I mean, I don't have a strong view on this, but I think infant baptism, if it's understood in this model, makes perfect sense.

[Mike Stralo]

Sure.

[Sky Jatani]

Like, if infant baptism is the sense that this child is part of our household of faith, meaning our church household of faith, then baptism is a sign of belonging to this household of faith. And I think that's a very legitimate understanding of baptism. If, however, people think that baptism in and of itself is somehow salvific. Yeah, that's where I'm going. It doesn't quite work.

[Mike Stralo]

Most people who hold the infant baptism don't think that.

[Sky Jatani]

Right, right. So, yes, this is the same theological household model is where infant baptism gets its legitimacy. Yeah, for sure.

[Mike Stralo]

Yeah. Okay. All right. Interest, next question here. All right, we're moving into politics. It's been a while, y'all, so you gotta forgive us here. In recent weeks, Trump has been threatening to dismantle the Department of Education. What are your thoughts about this? What do you think this could mean for the Christian nationalist movement? Should Christians embrace the school choice movement, or are public schools foundational for democracy?

[Sky Jatani]

Okay, there's a couple different questions here. First of all, the Department of Education. I, to be honest with you, I've not read up deeply on this thing. I mean, I know it's been on the, the wish list of conservatives for a long time to get rid of the Department of Education. And I.

[Mike Stralo]

Let's stop there. Do you know why? Like, why has this become a boogeyman.

[Sky Jatani]

For the conservative right? I think partly it's because there's a conservative side of politics and, and the Christian movement that is just suspicious of public school in general.

[Mike Stralo]

Okay.

[Sky Jatani]

But there are other reasons, and I don't want to open that can of worms. But my, my thing, I can't give a strong opinion on this because I'm not. I can't say I'm, like, appalled that he would close the Department of Education. The question becomes, how will some of the functions of that department that really need to persevere? Where will they be picked up? Right. If it's just obliterating the department and everything. It does. I mean, frankly, I, I cheer that a little bit because my oldest daughter has student loans that I wouldn't mind just suddenly disappearing, but I don't think that's going to happen. Like, the student loans are going to go somewhere.

[Mike Stralo]

Yeah.

[Sky Jatani]

Right. And there's other departments that do. Like, special ed is largely funded through a lot of the Department of Education. Like, that has to get picked up somewhere by the states or someone. So I, you know, devil's in the details here. I'd have to see what the proposal for all those different functions of this department. The more interesting part of this question, I think, is, should Christians embrace school choice?

[Mike Stralo]

Yeah.

[Sky Jatani]

Or are public schools foundational to democracy? Okay. I, again, I'm kind of agnostic about, like, I don't people know if you followed me for a while. I don't give parenting advice. I don't give marriage advice. I don't tell people where they should send their kids to school. Like, it is such a. It depends on every family, every kid, every community. There's, you know, it's complicated. I'm not. I don't think there's a right answer. Okay, so with that, take it as you will. However, I think public schools are a critical and indispensable part of. Of American society. We are a very diverse culture, very diverse country with lots of different people with lots of different beliefs. And you feel how, at least since I was a kid, the country is fracturing more and more and more. I think part of the reason for that is media. Like, when I was growing up, we just had a couple of channels on tv. Cable came along, but, like, everyone watched the same nightly news programs, everyone watched the same sitcoms, everyone. And it, In a weird way, it unified the country. And with the proliferation and fracturing of media, it's broken us apart. So now we're all in our little media silos, and we watch the cable news station that has the perspective we want. It's fractured us. One of the other things that still binds us together as a diverse people is the fact that a majority, large, majority of Americans still go to public schools. And that's the one institution in this country where we are forced to sit side by side with people from different backgrounds and different races and different cultures and different religious beliefs and political convictions, even in relatively homogenous communities. The public schools are probably the most diverse institution in those communities and I think forces us to learn how to get along with each other. And if. If the public school system in this country fails, I think we're in deep, deep trouble as a society Now. I also think it is failing, and it's not failing simply because of private schools. There. There's a lot of blame to go around for, for. And some public school systems are strong and great. The ones in my community, thankfully, are very good. I'm grateful for that. And in some places, they're terrible. And so I think there's a. There's a lot we need to do to save and strengthen public schools. I think we need reform of the teachers unions in some communities. I think we need funding reform. I think we need to think differently about some of the stuff that goes on there. I know they are the battleground right now for all kinds of culture war issues and stuff like that, which can get into absolute insanity, but we desperately need public schools. So I'm not against private schools. I'm not saying you shouldn't send your kids to private schools. I'm not saying you shouldn't support school choice if necessary. But I think Christians who are so committed to private schools that they are willing to defund and undermine the public school system, are cutting off their nose to spite their face. You know, even though your kids may not go to public schools, it's an overall positive good for our society, and we should support them.

[Mike Stralo]

And like many of the cuts that are happening right now, there are going to be unintended consequences when they're taking a chainsaw. So, I mean, you mentioned special needs, and, yeah, that's something close to my heart. I used to work for a nonprofit that provided respite care to families raising kids with special needs. And the Department of Education funds just about everything related to a child with special needs. And so I fear for those families and what they already get very limited resources. And if those are just cut altogether, it's going to make it even more challenging. And I think you and I would both say we're so sympathetic to teachers because y'all are doing your best. And like you said, they're just caught in the middle of giant culture war. But the interesting conversation to me is just like, yeah, a Christian's approach to. I think that idea of, do we protect our kids and so go the private or homeschool routes, or do we send them out into the world? And I think, like you said, you could make an argument either way. My wife and I have had conversations and we've gone the public school route because my logic has simply been, well, I would rather. 1. I think there's a lot of value in public schools and being exposed to different communities and belief systems. And I would rather they be exposed to those sort of things when they are still willing to listen to me than when they're in college and they don't care about my opinion anymore. And it's been fun seeing our oldest come home from. He's in first grade this year, and fortunately, the biggest thing he picked up from school is just calling everyone bro, so.

[Sky Jatani]

Including the girls?

[Mike Stralo]

Yes, including the girls, including his mom, including me. We've heard a lot of like, come on, bro this year. And it's funny, I had one person say, like, you're gonna let him call you bro? And I was like, if that's the worst, he's calling me after a year in public school.

[C]

Slippery slope.

[Mike Stralo]

I'm gonna take it.

[Sky Jatani]

We'll just see. Yeah, I. I think it's very specific to every. Every kid, every community, every family. We. Our kids all went to public school. I went to public school my whole life. My wife went to private school, part of her upbringing in public high school. So we were kind of a mixed bag. But I was talking to a friend recently who's got kids around your age who's in the same conversation with his wife about, you know, public or private school and the different options. And I'm thinking, like, 20. Go rewind 20 years, whatever it was, when we were making that decision. And first of all, we had no money, so, like, it was. The private school thing really wasn't an option for us. And thankfully, our public schools were. Were strong. They're good schools and stuff, so it was somewhat easier. But I was thinking, if I were in that dilemma right now, I don't think it'd be a slam dunk for. For public school for various reasons. And so I. And I know other families where one kid goes to public school, one kid's homeschooled. Like, it's. It's so dependent on what each child needs in their development. And so I have no judgment about families who make whatever decisions they feel is best for them. And it's not just, oh, you're trying to, you know, protect your kids in a bubble, or you're sending your kids out to the wolves, or, like, I is so much more complicated than that. So I have no judgment about any of it. But I will say, on a national level, we desperately need good, healthy, functional public schools. And I don't want to be a part of undermining that.

[Mike Stralo]

Yeah. And I think even many of the teachers I know would say, oh, the system is broken right now. There needs to be some sort of reform, and I just don't know when or how that's going to come. Okay, well, let's keep talking. Speaking of my sons, I do have three boys. And so this question I'm very curious about. Sky, I've got sons. From this listener, I've got sons that are 13 and 9. Who are the voices that are combating the manosphere definition of masculinity that I can both read, slash, follow, and point my kids and their friends to.

[Sky Jatani]

Yeah, this is gonna sound really cliche.

[Mike Stralo]

Yeah.

[Sky Jatani]

But you are. I. I mean, you're their dad. Whoever wrote this question. And, like, you need to be that for them. And hopefully there are other men in their lives, whether coaches or teachers or men at the church or can also see as models of healthy masculinity, of healthy godly Christianity, and not be drawn to those manosphere voices. I don't know a better answer than that. I think manosphere people are so popular in social media because social media is geared towards the outrageous and the inflammatory and the aggressive and crazy. And in that environment, healthy, humble manhood is just not going to get a huge following. I'm sorry. So don't look to this to social media or YouTube for where the godly men I should be pointing my kids to. You need to be that.

[Mike Stralo]

Yeah, I've thought about this a lot. You know, there's been this trend recent in the last, I don't know, five, ten years of the girl dad. Yeah, and how it used to be. I'm speaking of generalities.

[C]

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