The Bad Roman

• Is Your Christianity Just Patriotism? The Cross & the Flag with Misty Hubbard

  Craig and Arkansas friend Misty Hubbard trace their journey from “vote harder” conservatism to No King but Christ. They talk about propaganda, “paid patriotism,” online Christian rage, compassion that crosses borders, and why the solution isn’t a better party but a deeper allegiance to Jesus and His Kingdom. How Mike Gaddy shattered Misty’s sense of civic religion, with the haunting question “When have you ever voted yourself more free?”, and what happens when your faith starts sounding more like a campaign ad than the Sermon on the Mount.  In the end, this isn’t a call to find a better party; it’s an invitation to step out of the culture war and into small, local communities where people quietly learn to look, and love, more like Jesus. What’s Inside this Episode: How “vote harder” patriotism discipled them more than Jesus The path Misty took that broke her founding myths and civic religion Propaganda, “paid patriotism,” and how getting back to Jesus expands compassion Online Christian rage vs. everyday kindness at work (and what Jesus has to say about it) Why the solution isn’t apathy, but deeper allegiance to Christ’s Kingdom Power and importance of small, local groups (like Misty’s in Russellville) as quiet deprogramming from empire 🤝Connect with Misty Hubbard: Facebook 📖 For Full Show Notes: thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-149 Key Episode Moments: (00:25) Meet Misty: Arkansas, restaurant, and kindness over hate (01:22) The Chris Ann Hall rally and early constitutional days (12:29) “Good candidates” and the lost cause of electoral politics (14:24) Owning neocon votes and paid patriotism (15:31) “Vote harder” and the salsa break (16:25) The class that wrecked Misty’s civic religion (18:00) When have you ever voted yourself more free? (39:29) None of us were born anarchists (47:40) Compassion that outgrows the flag (52:16) A daily Jesus lesson at work (54:06) Spotfund, “No King but Christ,” and Memphis charities (55:48) “Founded on Christian values?” vs cursing your enemies (57:04) You’re pushing people away from Christianity (58:00) Take it offline: Face-to-face hits different (59:10) The solution: Be more like Jesus (1:04:12) Misty’s local Russellville group (1:06:12) How to connect with Misty (1:08:08) Stepping back from social media and cat memes (1:10:21) Outro 💕 Support the Project 💕 If this conversation with Misty Hubbard about “vote harder” Christianity, civic religion, and untangling patriotism from following Jesus helped you see your own loyalties differently, please consider supporting The Bad Roman Project at thebadroman.com/donate. Your support keeps stories like Misty’s in the feed, calling out flag-wrapped faith, online Christian rage, and party-first discipleship, and keeps pointing people back to No King but Christ. As always, 100% of donations above production costs go to local Memphis charities. 🌶️ SALSA THE LOVE 🌶️ Donations are awesome, but salsa is hands-on neighbor love. Every jar helps us create episodes that confront flag-first, party-first “faith” and call us back to a Jesus-first, neighbor-first way of living. That's a lot of firsts... so grab your first jar at badromansalsa.com and snack your way into more Kingdom conversations about patriotism, discipleship, and what it really means to say, “No King but Christ.” FREE: Share the Episode, Start a Conversation with a Fellow Christian Know a friend whose Christianity might just be patriotism in a Jesus jersey? Send them this episode with Misty Hubbard and ask: Are we following Jesus… or just cheering for “our side” with Bible verses attached? Do my posts and conversations sound more like Christ, or more like my favorite pundit? What would it look like to let Jesus, not America, define what “faithful” means? Let the questions do the work. Then listen, don’t just lecture. 🔗 Stay Plugged into the Project 🔗 Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links Want to get more involved? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!) No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com  

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• Jesus the Freedom to Move in God's Creation with Chris Polk

  Are borders tyrannical or necessary? Returning guest Chris Polk helps us dismantle the political theater around immigration and ask what allegiance to Jesus looks like when the state shows up with masks and rifles. From truck-stop stories to John 4, they explore why restricting movement may be the worst tyranny and how ordinary neighbor love beats team-red/blue fear. Chris argues both parties fed the ICE machine, shares a Cuban car rescue story that needed no papers, and reminds us that Jesus walked through Samaria, not around it. If Mary and Joseph fled Herod today, would we demand their passports? They dig into: Why “do something!” turns into state violence Borders as cages that keep you in vs. others out The Good Samaritan as the “Good Immigrant” Cop-aganda and qualified immunity “Would Jesus follow the law?” when the law crushes the least 🤝 Connect with Chris Polk: Blue Ribbon Logistics Website Blue Ribbon's YouTube, Facebook, Tik Tok Previous Bad Roman Episodes with Chris Lessons from the Trucking Industry with Chris Polk (Episode #77) Home School: 2021 Year End Round Table (Episode #47) Your Rights with Chris Polk & Jacob Daniel (Episode #38) God's Country or Jesus’s Kingdom? Navigating the Nexus of Nationalism and Faith in America (Epsiode #99) 📖 For Full Show Notes: thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-148 Key Episode Moments: (01:00) Framing the Question: Christ vs. Caesar (04:00) The Machine Called “Do Something” (10:30) Fear Cycles & Border Theater (18:00) Borders as Cages (Keeping You In) (23:00) The Cuban VW & Neighbor Love (27:00) Jesus Through Samaria (35:00) The Worst Tyranny: Blocking Movement (44:00) When “Our Guys” Get Power (50:00) Cop-aganda & Qualified Immunity (57:00) Would Jesus “Follow the Law”? (1:02:00) Sowing Violence, Reaping Blowback (1:08:00) Repentance, Friendship, & “No King but Christ”   💕 Support the Project 💕 If this conversation on borders, ICE, and the freedom to move helped you fix your eyes on Jesus, not the state, not a party, please consider supporting The Bad Roman Project at thebadroman.com/donate. Your support keeps “No King but Christ” in the feed and resists the urge to baptize coercion. As always, 100% of donations above production costs go to local Memphis charities.   🌶️ SALSA THE LOVE 🌶️ Donations are awesome, but salsa is hands-on neighbor love. Every jar helps us create episodes that challenge border-first thinking and call us back to person-first, Jesus-first Faith. Grab yours at badromansalsa.com and snack your way into more Kingdom conversations about freedom, hospitality, and hope.   FREE ACTION: Share the Episode, Start a Conversation with a Fellow Christian Know a friend who thinks “law and order” equals righteousness? Send them this episode with Chris Polk and ask: Are we viewing immigration through the eyes of Christ or Caesar? Do borders keep “them” out, or keep us in? What would it look like to love the traveler first and let the paperwork be second?    🔗 Stay Plugged into the Movement: Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links Want to get more involved? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!) No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com

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• Judas the OG Christian Nationalist: Why Imposters Are Worse Than Opponents with Domenic Scarcella

  What if Judas wasn’t just a betrayer, but the first to politicize Jesus? Judas’s story exposes a much older problem: the temptation to make Jesus “fit” the system. Domenic Scarcella (author of the book and Substack Good Neighbor, Bad Citizen) returns to argue that Judas tried to make the Messiah more respectable to rulers, trading costly faithfulness for public influence. From the temple clashes of Holy Week to today’s culture wars, they trace how disciples drift when we ask Jesus to fit the system instead of following Him out of it.  Domenic explains why anti-Christ means impostor (not merely opponent) and how post-Constantine Christianity flipped from persecution to privilege, and why coercion never appears in Jesus’ toolkit for discipling nations. From Caesar to modern politics Domenic and Craig trace how compromise creeps in when disciples trade the cross for influence,and faithfulness for respectability.  Constantine’s empire did to the Church’s soul, and how grace keeps the Gospel alive even when the Church gets it wrong. “Judas didn’t hate Jesus…he just wanted Him to be more compatible with the government.” If you’ve ever wondered what it means to follow Jesus in a world addicted to power, this conversation will challenge and comfort you. The Kingdom of God still runs on love, not control.  We cover: Judas was the “normal” disciple, and that’s what makes him dangerous The difference between Antichrist and Contra Christ (imposter vs. opponent) Why Jesus never used coercion or political force How Constantine flipped Christianity from persecution to privilege Hope for the remnant: good neighbors, bad citizens under “No King but Christ”  🤝 Connect with Domenic Scarcella: Book: Good Neighbor, Bad Citizen Audio Content: Sunday Buffet Podcast & The Friday Meditation Radio Substack: Good Neighbor, Bad Citizen Twitter (X) @GoodNeighBadCit 📖 For Full Show Notes: thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-147 💕 Support the Project 💕 If this conversation with Domenic on Judas as the OG Christian nationalist helped you refocus on Jesus, not party, not power, please consider supporting The Bad Roman Project at thebadroman.com/donate. Your gift keeps “No King but Christ” in the feed and pushes back against the impulse to baptize coercion. As always, 100% of donations above production costs go to local Memphis charities. 🌶️ SALSA THE LOVE 🌶️ Donations are cool, but salsa is spicy (or mild, Judas 👀). Every jar fuels episodes that challenge Christian entanglement and call us back to Jesus’ way. Join the craze at badromansalsa.com and snack your way to more Kingdom conversations. FREE ACTION: Share the Episode, Start a Conversation with a Fellow Christian Know a friend who thinks “Christian nation” is the point? Send them this episode with Domenic Scarcella and spark a better conversation: Are we following Jesus, or asking Him to bless our politics? If Judas tried to make Jesus respectable to rulers, are we doing the same?   Key Episode Moments: (0:22) Judas: the OG Christian nationalist? Previous episode with Domenic: Christianity Unpacked in "Good Neighbor, Bad Citizen" with Domenic Scarcella Domenic’s Judas Article (1:05) “Good Neighbor, Bad Citizen” (1:58) What Domenic’s been building (4:02) Five years of The Bad Roman (7:26) Judas as “the normal guy” (11:42) “Judas 8:2” and the mercy of Jesus (13:55) Setting the Holy Week scene (20:16) Modern parallels (21:35) The deal that wasn’t (26:05) Antichrist vs. Contra Christ (30:10) Coercion and the Kingdom (34:03) Constantine’s inflection point (38:16) Three models of church–state fusion (47:50) The remnant remains (53:25) Imperfect messengers, perfect Gospel (56:42) Where to find Domenic    🔗 Plug into the Movement: Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links Want to get more involved? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!) No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com

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• Jesus Centered Life, Not Left or Right: Christianity without Compromise with Jake Doberenz

  When Christians step into politics, how much compromise comes with the territory? Can we preach about loving enemies on Sunday while voting to bomb them on Tuesday? Jake Doberenz, host of Christianity Without Compromise and author of the Smashing Idols newsletter, joins us to explore what happens when believers trade the cross for a ballot, and call it discipleship. From a high school election that may have been rigged to the very adult reality of war-making, political idolatry, the allure of power, we ask: what happens to our witness when we outsource sin to Caesar? Jake shares his journey from Republican Club president to his tug of war between faith and politics, highlighting the compromises often required in politics and presenting a firsthand look at how politics pulls Christians away from the teachings of Jesus. Craig and Jake dive deep into the inconsistencies that arise when Christians prioritize political allegiances over Jesus' teachings, particularly in hot-button issues like the Israel-Palestine conflict. Together they revisit 1 Samuel 8, Psalm 146, the Sermon on the Mount, and why Romans 12 must shape any reading of Romans 13. The heartbeat: No King but Christ is a reminder that Scripture consistently warns us against putting our trust in rulers and systems that thrive on coercion. Through it all, Craig and Jake call the church back to consistency, repentance, and allegiance to a Kingdom that doesn’t run on violence or votes. Jake explains the mission behind his podcast, emphasizing the importance of addressing modern idols (including politics and Christian nationalism) that often distract from true faith. If you’ve ever wondered whether Christians can follow Jesus without compromise in a world obsessed with power, this episode will challenge you to rethink how you live out your loyalties. Because at the end of the day, there’s only one political statement that matters: No King but Christ. Highlights & Takeaways Why “small” political compromises become soul-sized contradictions for disciples of Jesus. The high-school election story that exposed politics’ deep messiness. How participation can cause real harm (especially when the rulers we empower unleash violence) 1 Samuel 8: Israel demanded a king. God forecast the taxes, conscription, and sorrow that followed. Psalm 146 as a Christian political manifesto: “Do not put your trust in princes.” Read Romans 13 through Romans 12 (enemy-love before empire-law) Why consistency (“love your neighbor/enemy”) draws seekers, while hypocrisy drives them away. 📖For Full Show Notes: https://www.thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-146 🤝Connect with Jake Doberenz: Article Discussed in this episode: I Think I Rigged an Election Christianity Without Compromise Podcast: Apple, Spotify Jake’s Website Substack Instagram Twitter (X) LinkedIn Facebook Company Website: Theophany Media  Key Moments: (0:22) Introducing guest Jake Doberins (1:00) From “Smashing Idols” to “Christianity Without Compromise” (2:26) Standing firm on the words of Jesus (4:07) Jake’s background and calling (8:00) Early political experience (15:22) Wrestling with faith and politics (19:52) The cost of Christian political involvement (24:12) Consistency as Christian witness (28:51) 1 Samuel 8 and Israel’s demand for a king (32:00) Reading Romans 13 through Romans 12 (35:35) The corrupting nature of power (40:17) Psalm 146 — trusting God, not princes (45:39) The mission behind Christianity Without Compromise (50:28) Encouragement for Christian creators   💕Support the Project💕 If this episode helped you refocus on Jesus, consider supporting the work of The Bad Roman at thebadroman.com/donate. Thank you for helping us keep the message going.   🌶️SALSA THE LOVE🌶️ Donations are cool, but salsa is spicy (or mild if you like)? Every jar eaten helps keep us in your ears. Join the craze and get a jar at badromansalsa.com   FREE ACTION: Share the Episode, Share the Mission Know a friend tangled up in red-vs-blue anxiety? Send this their way and start a better conversation: Flag or Cross: who gets your first allegiance?   🔗For more on The Bad Roman Project Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links Want to get more involved? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!) No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com

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• Charlie Kirk and the Cross: Little Charlies or Little Jesuses?

  Is political loyalty pulling our hearts away from Jesus?  Craig speaks with Brian Drinkwine, a pastor and church planter who’s seen both the beauty and the brokenness of the American church. After one of Brian’s posts about Charlie Kirk’s death went viral, he found himself in the middle of a national conversation about faith, politics, and misplaced allegiance. Brian shares his story, from growing up in a strict Baptist home to planting churches across the country, and how he learned that following Jesus means laying down every other flag. Together, he and Craig talk about what happens when believers confuse the Kingdom of God with the kingdoms of this world. They dig into: Why early Christians were persecuted for refusing to worship Caesar How politics can sneak in and take the place of Christ What real repentance looks like when we’ve mixed faith with empire The freedom that comes when our only loyalty is to Jesus first Brian also shares how he’s helping others recognize political idolatry and live out the words, “No King but Christ.”   Take a listen and ask yourself: where does your allegiance really lie…the flag or the cross?   📖For Full Show Notes: https://www.thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-145   🤝Connect with Brian Drinkwine: Email: [email protected] Website: https://briandrinkwine.com/ Linkedin X Facebook Instagram  Ministry at Breakthrough Church 💕 3 WAYS TO SUPPORT THE PROJECT: TASTE IT BAD ROMAN SALSA, ADD TO THE BAG thebadroman.com/donate, and share with a friend (it's free!)🌶️ Key Moments: (0:22) Discussing reactions to Charlie Kirk's death (0:48) Brian Drinkwine's background (4:09) The viral post about Charlie Kirk (10:45) Addressing the church's response (23:52) Reflections on the memorial service (29:19) The danger of political allegiance (35:32) Early church perspective on empire (41:34) The malaise in modern Christianity (54:46) Christian nationalism and its impact (1:06:56) Tools for self-reflection (1:17:34) Conclusion and future discussions   🔗For more on The Bad Roman Project Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links Want to get more involved? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!) No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com

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