by Chris Staron | Sep 14, 2021 | Episodes
The story of how pyramid schemes came to effect 1 in 6 American households
Multi-level marketing (MLM) is a relatively new invention. It was created when a failed vitamin salesman named Carl Rehnborg was out of options. So his wife suggested that he attend a rally by Dale Carnegie, author of “How to Win Friends and Influence People”. Once there, he formed a bond that created one of the most profitable predatory financial traps in modern history: multi-level marketing. One that found its legs… in the world of cemetery plots.
Our guest in this episode is Robert FitzPatrick. He’s the founder of PyramidSchemeAlert.org, a non-profit that tells the truth about pyramid schemes. He’s also the author of the excellent book Ponzinomics: The Untold Story of Multi-Level Marketing.
Discussion Questions:
- Do you know someone who sells for an MLM?
- Have you ever sold for an MLM?
- Do you think they should be legal?
- What is market saturation and how does it impact salespeople?
- Have you ever bought an item that you didn’t need just because the salesperson was so good?
- What can you do to show MLMs for what they are?
- Has anyone at your church ever tried to sell you on an MLM?
- How can tying a bad business practice impact how people see Jesus?
Helpful Links:
by Chris Staron | Apr 27, 2021 | Episodes
Is the United States a Christian nation? And is that notion worth pursuing?
Some of the most common feedback I heard about season 3 of Truce is that I didn’t give the Christian America camp enough time to back their opinion. In this mini-episode, I discuss my reason for leaving people like David Barton of Wall Builders off of the show.
I also play a short clip from Gregg L. Frazer who was on our Christian America episodes. His book is “The Religious Beliefs of America’s Founders“.
by Chris Staron | Apr 13, 2021 | Episodes
What Christians can learn from unions in General Motors from the 1980s.
A few months ago I produced two episodes about the Christian roots of American labor unions. And… a bunch of people stopped listening to the show. It turns out that many American Christians are conservative and, therefore, anti-union.
This mini-episode is the counterbalance to that series. Here we discuss the inefficient practices at General Motors in the 1980s. It was an era where GM slipped from holding over 40% of the market share to 17%. What happened? It’s a story of unions, gasoline, and the reasons we treat labor well.
Resources used:
Discussion Questions:
- Do you have a bias for or against labor unions?
- Who do you know who is or was in a union? What is their work ethic?
- The labor unions in GM in the 1980s were inefficient. Does that make all labor unions inefficient?
- Does specialization in factories help or hurt in the long run?
- Do you have a bias for employers or employees?
- Do you work as unto Christ in your own job?
- What is the Christian way to work? To employ someone?
by Chris Staron | Jan 19, 2021 | Episodes
Christian missionaries sometimes export the United States with their messages.
Melani McAlister, author of “The Kingdom of God Has No Borders” and Professor of American Studies and International Affairs at George Washington University, joins us to discuss how we export Christianity. In the 1950s and 1960s, American denominations sent white missionaries to Africa to share the good news. But with them went their bias and racism. This was the era of Jim Crow laws. Some missionaries took those laws to Africa, not allowing black people to eat at their tables.
In this episode, we examine the problem of tying the United States to Christianity. When the US makes mistakes or does evil, how does that reflect back on the church?
Christian missionaries sometimes export the United States with their messages. What else is going with our missionaries?
Discussion Questions:
- Have you ever been on a mission trip before? What was your motivation for going?
- Do you think that it is possible to marginalize the people we are trying to witness to?
- How do you feel about showing pictures of poor people in church presentations? How might that practice encourage churchgoers to marginalize a people group?
- Do you think poor people in other countries are happier?
- Is it okay for us to export the American way with the gospel? If yes, then which things should we export?
Links:
by Chris Staron | Dec 22, 2020 | Episodes
Enjoy a sampler of Christian podcasts, including one inspired by the book “Endurance” by Alfred Lansing.
It’s time for our second annual Christmas Episode Exchange! Each year I put out a call on the Christian Podcasters Association Facebook page for 5-minute mini-episodes based on the theme of Christmas. Now I’m going to present several of the best from that group.
1) An Endurance Christmas
2. Letters from Home Podcast
3. Life, Repurposed Podcast
4. Moments with Moni Podcast
