episodes
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S4:E13 King Leopold’s Ghost
King Leopold II of Belgium used forced labor to build his empire in the Congo. When you think of the world's worst mass murderers, King Leopold II doesn't usually come up. But due to his forced labor practices in the Congo, nearly 10 million people lost their lives....
S4:E12 Christians and the British Slave Trade
Christians helped to end the British Slave Trade. But we forgot one of it's greatest heroes: Thomas Clarkson The British slave trade had several well-known enemies: William Wilberforce and John Newton (who wrote "Amazing Grace") to name a few. But historian Adam...
S4:E11 The Cult of MLM
Multi-level marketing companies behave like cults. Does that make MLMs cults? Multi-level marketing companies have many similarities to cults: They tend to have strong authoritarian leadersThey expect you to believe their philosophyThey separate you from your loved...
BONUS: This Goes All the Way to the Top
People as diverse as Kamala Harris and Donald Trump support multi-level marketing Multi-level marketing companies have very powerful friends. Here is a list of some of the well-connected people tied to MLMs: Vice President Kamala HarrisFormer President Donald...
S4:E10 The Hidden History of Multi-Level Marketing
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...
S4:E9 How Do Pyramid Schemes Work?
How do pyramid schemes work and what is multi-level marketing? What is multi-level marketing? It is a very popular business model that targets Christians and other people of faith. But… it is almost guaranteed to fail. Because MLM’s and direct sales companies are not...
S4:E8 Can I Still Love the Church?
Can Christians love the Church in an era of deconstruction, politics, COVID, and BLM? So many Christians are angry at the Church. Not just the Church but their local churches as well. Can Christians love the Church in an era of deconstruction, politics, COVID, and...
S4:E7 100th Episode!
Melvin Benson of the Cinematic Doctrine podcast asks Chris Staron about the Truce Podcast Truce usually uses research, music, sound effects, and expert interviews to tell complicated stories about the Christian Church. We've made something like 100 episodes! Our...
S4:E6 Is It A Sin to Be Wealthy?
What the richest town in the United States can teach us about the rich young ruler and the potential evils of wealth Jackson, Wyoming is a small tourist town in the middle of nowhere. It is just a few miles south of Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone. Millions...