1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,680 Speaker 1: From UFOs to psychic powers and government conspiracies. History is 2 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 1: riddled with unexplained events. You can turn back now or 3 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: learn the stuff they don't want you to know. Mm 4 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 1: hello and welcome back to the show. My name is Noel. 5 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:30,960 Speaker 1: Our close compatriot Matt is on adventures, but it will 6 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:34,240 Speaker 1: be returning soon. They called me Ben. We are joined 7 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:38,480 Speaker 1: with our super producer Paul Michig, controlled decond and most importantly, 8 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:41,560 Speaker 1: you are you. You are here that makes this stuff 9 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 1: they don't want you to know. In the course of 10 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 1: the research for today's episode, it hit me and maybe 11 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:52,919 Speaker 1: it hit you guys as well, uh, that there are 12 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: so many groups that refer to themselves as the family. 13 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 1: The original title for today's episode it was going to 14 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 1: be what is the family? But we had to be 15 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 1: more specific because you know, different groups call themselves the family. 16 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:12,760 Speaker 1: Our families call themselves the family, are not even to 17 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 1: mentioned like bluegrass groups like the Carter Family, or like 18 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:20,400 Speaker 1: the Handsome Family, or what Happen Manson family right cults 19 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 1: as well. For a lot of listening today, this kind 20 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:27,320 Speaker 1: of moniker sounds cultish. Today's stories a little bit different. 21 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:32,320 Speaker 1: It could touch on cults, It could touch on secret societies. 22 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:34,760 Speaker 1: It's kind of in the eye of the beholder, and 23 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 1: we'd like your opinion on it. So we are going 24 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:43,480 Speaker 1: on a journey strap in. Here are the facts. Political influence, right, 25 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 1: big money, A lot of stuff happens with it. It 26 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 1: comes from a plethora of organizations, some of which are 27 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: more transparent than others. Plethora, by the way, means an overabundance, 28 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: so much of something that it's too much. And here 29 00:01:56,840 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 1: in the United States, special interest groups use lobbyists to 30 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:04,360 Speaker 1: gain legislative support. And I can't believe it. No, we 31 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: still have not done an episode on lobbyists or lobbying, 32 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:10,640 Speaker 1: even though it's a weird thing. It's come up, for sure, 33 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:12,640 Speaker 1: like a piece of mail here and there. But I 34 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:15,120 Speaker 1: think it's might be time for a deep time. And 35 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: some of our fellow listeners on our Facebook community page 36 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 1: Here's where it Gets Crazy also pointed out we have 37 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 1: yet to do an mk Ultra episode. That's not possible. 38 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:27,239 Speaker 1: I it's maybe it's one of those things where we're 39 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:29,639 Speaker 1: having a bit of a Mandela effect because it's come 40 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:33,839 Speaker 1: up in so many things. Uh, most recently and UH 41 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 1: we touched vaguely in the same sphere In our interview 42 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: with Russell Targ, it also came up with Targ that 43 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:42,919 Speaker 1: maybe it'd be fun to do an mk Ultra esque 44 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:46,360 Speaker 1: episode with him as a guest talking about LSD research 45 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 1: in general. Yep, yep, yep, with Sydney Gottlieb r right, 46 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 1: because they worked together in the United States with this, 47 00:02:57,160 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 1: with this lobbying thing. For anyone who's not familiar with 48 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 1: in the US, it is legal for a an individual 49 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 1: or a group of people, whether that's UM, whether that's 50 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 1: a local community activist group, or whether it's something big 51 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:18,519 Speaker 1: like the Koke Brothers, it's legal for them to try 52 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: to convince members of Congress to vote for things that 53 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 1: they think will make themselves where the country better off. 54 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 1: And since mind control is not really a universally accepted thing, 55 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:31,839 Speaker 1: it's technically legal for them to use that as well. 56 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 1: I guess. So now some people will falsely claim that 57 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:38,839 Speaker 1: one lobby now they're they're hundreds and hundreds of these. 58 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:42,280 Speaker 1: Some people will say that one lobby or another in 59 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 1: particular exerts undue influence on the United States government. Typically, 60 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 1: these claims are meant to paint the agenda of giving 61 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 1: group as inherently corrupt, smear tactics, smear tactics exactly somebody, 62 00:03:56,160 --> 00:04:00,160 Speaker 1: And and this goes across the political spectrum. Somebody will say, well, 63 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: you know, the n r A secretly runs the US government, 64 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 1: or they'll say a pack secretly runs the US government. 65 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 1: But if we talk about pure traceable and that's important funding. 66 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:18,600 Speaker 1: The biggest lobbies as of ten are not geopolitical, and 67 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:21,279 Speaker 1: they're not really pushing a lot of the hot button 68 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 1: issues that are so popular and divisive in the public eye. 69 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: You know, it's not gun controller gun rights, it's not 70 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:29,880 Speaker 1: pro life or pro choice. As a matter of fact, 71 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:33,000 Speaker 1: it's not anything about partnerships with a foreign country. The 72 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 1: biggest lobbying dollars come predominantly from the medical industry. Yeah, 73 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:39,719 Speaker 1: it's like it's like that great quote from the Wire. 74 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: You follow drugs, you get drug addicts and drug deals, 75 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:44,280 Speaker 1: but you start to follow money and you don't know 76 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:47,359 Speaker 1: where that rabbit hole is gonna take you. Perfect yes, 77 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:52,760 Speaker 1: and in so astute, honestly, the top five we have 78 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:57,000 Speaker 1: a list. The top five are the US Chamber of Commerce. Right, 79 00:04:57,279 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 1: you recognize the Chamber of Commerce. It's a business trade group. 80 00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:02,800 Speaker 1: You probably have one in your city. Right when there's 81 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 1: one even here in Atlanta, the Metro Atlantic Chamber of Commerce. 82 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:10,560 Speaker 1: Then there's the National Association of Realtors, which is a 83 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:12,840 Speaker 1: little surprising, but there's a lot of money in real estate. 84 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:17,479 Speaker 1: And then the other three are all healthcare or medicine related. 85 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: You got your Blue Cross, Blue Shield, you got your 86 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 1: American Hospital Association, and you've got your Pharmaceutical Research and 87 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:31,400 Speaker 1: Manufacturers of America, all very innocuous sounding names. And people 88 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:35,120 Speaker 1: have listened to our previous episode on the opioid crisis, 89 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:38,159 Speaker 1: Will will probably look askance at that last one, the 90 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:41,560 Speaker 1: Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. That's what I'm saying. 91 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:45,560 Speaker 1: There's so straightforward, innocuous sounding names that have the potential 92 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:48,839 Speaker 1: to be the top of the umbrella of some very 93 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 1: nefarious activities. Not a conspiracy theory, absolutely a fact. People 94 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:55,920 Speaker 1: are going to jail or at least paying serious money 95 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: for crimes there. Yeah, yeah, And the big question is 96 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:02,159 Speaker 1: will they be the right people right? Will they be 97 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 1: the brains of the operation just some patsies and just 98 00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 1: some patsies, some scapegoats. We also see the emergence of 99 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:11,919 Speaker 1: super packs. These are political action committees. They've opened the 100 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:14,520 Speaker 1: door for massive amounts of money. But again, for the 101 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:18,359 Speaker 1: most part, without making an entire episode about lobbying just yet. 102 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:21,720 Speaker 1: For the most part, this is all very legal and 103 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 1: very cool. There are other more secretive groups, however, influencing 104 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 1: American politicians. These groups have agendas that may be unfamiliar 105 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:36,039 Speaker 1: to most American citizens. Their cash and their influence are 106 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:41,000 Speaker 1: also much more difficult to trace. They're not necessarily filing 107 00:06:41,279 --> 00:06:44,680 Speaker 1: a lot of reports. It's tough to follow the money. 108 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:48,240 Speaker 1: And this might sound like a fanciful conspiracy theory, but 109 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:51,599 Speaker 1: according to journalist Jeff Charlotte, at least one of these 110 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:56,159 Speaker 1: shadowy groups is very much real, incredibly effective, and quite 111 00:06:56,200 --> 00:07:02,040 Speaker 1: possibly dangerous. Let's meet the Emily after a word from 112 00:07:02,040 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 1: our sponsors, why not. Here's where it gets crazy. So 113 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:15,520 Speaker 1: the Family they've got another name too, right, Yeah, they're 114 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 1: called like the what is it? The Fellowship, not of 115 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:21,600 Speaker 1: the Ring necessarily it was low hanging fruit there, Yeah, 116 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:24,480 Speaker 1: I know, the Fellowship. Um. They are in fact a 117 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 1: nonprofit evangelical Christian organization. But the issue is their members 118 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:33,440 Speaker 1: regularly denied that this group exists in the first place. 119 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:36,800 Speaker 1: In a book called The Family, The Secret Fundamentalism at 120 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 1: the heart of American power. Jeff Charlotte really digs deep 121 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 1: into the secret and puts it as such. Quote. They 122 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:47,680 Speaker 1: believe they are most effective if they don't seek publicity 123 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:50,320 Speaker 1: and they minister to those who they consider what they 124 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 1: call the up and up or key key men in 125 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 1: positions of influence, if they minister to them privately beyond 126 00:07:56,760 --> 00:08:01,320 Speaker 1: the public eye. So to hear Charlotte describe vibe their tactics, 127 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 1: they tend to manage to direct ministry as opposed to open, 128 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:12,600 Speaker 1: publicly observable ministry, directly to folks who they consider. They 129 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:15,520 Speaker 1: have these terms like up and out or key men 130 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:19,720 Speaker 1: in other words, people in positions of influence or power. Um, 131 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 1: if they minister them in private, beyond the public eye, 132 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:26,200 Speaker 1: that gives them. Uh, it's a weird situation. It's like 133 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:30,120 Speaker 1: a direct line to these individuals as opposed to them 134 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:33,040 Speaker 1: having to attend a church that could be observed and 135 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:37,199 Speaker 1: reported on. Is that right then? Would yeah? Yeah, absolutely, 136 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 1: because it depends on who we It depends on the 137 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:47,160 Speaker 1: key man in question, and again these overwhelmingly going to 138 00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 1: be dudes, key dudes. What we found is that until 139 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 1: Jeff Charlotte wrote this expose, you would be hard pressed 140 00:08:56,320 --> 00:08:59,280 Speaker 1: to find a lot of information about the family. But 141 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 1: now thing to him, we have it. The family's origin 142 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:06,320 Speaker 1: dates all the way back to the nineteen thirties. N. Five. 143 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:10,640 Speaker 1: There's a preacher named Abraham Veri Day and he experiences 144 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:13,760 Speaker 1: what he believes as a vision from God. So God 145 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 1: speaks to Abraham and says, Christianity, it's been getting it 146 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:24,319 Speaker 1: wrong for two thousand years. It's been getting it wrong, Abraham, 147 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:27,360 Speaker 1: because it's got an undue focus on the poor in 148 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 1: the week and the down and out. What's all this 149 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:32,560 Speaker 1: focus is unlike helping the poor and ministering to the 150 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 1: to the downtrodden of the world. No, no, no no, no, 151 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:38,440 Speaker 1: no no, I say to you, Abraham, not that Abraham, 152 00:09:38,559 --> 00:09:42,280 Speaker 1: this Abraham, Abraham V Abraham V. What God actually wants 153 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:45,840 Speaker 1: for for you to do, Abraham, um and those who 154 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 1: you deem worthy, is to minister to what he refers 155 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:53,560 Speaker 1: to God as the up and out or the key 156 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:59,480 Speaker 1: men right, the movers, the shakers, the geopolitical bakers, as 157 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 1: it were. So he partners up with a businessman named 158 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:06,240 Speaker 1: Walter Douglas and they begin a weekly breakfast meeting. It 159 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:11,000 Speaker 1: starts with nineteen executives, and during this time they do pray. 160 00:10:11,679 --> 00:10:14,640 Speaker 1: They have breakfast, and they pray for divine intervention to 161 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 1: redeem Seattle and crush the unions as the True God 162 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:23,040 Speaker 1: would want them. To fast forward a little bit, a 163 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:26,680 Speaker 1: little bit later, uh right now. The Family's most public 164 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:30,839 Speaker 1: gathering is the famous National Prayer Breakfast. You've heard about 165 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:34,440 Speaker 1: this all the time. It happens the in the on 166 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:38,760 Speaker 1: the first Thursday of every February. It's been attended by 167 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:43,960 Speaker 1: multiple US presidents, every president since Eisenhower's gone. They created 168 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:47,600 Speaker 1: this as a recruiting device for their organization. Back in 169 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:50,640 Speaker 1: the nineties and fifties. They were planning it, and their 170 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:53,760 Speaker 1: goal was to normalize this idea of prayer at the 171 00:10:53,840 --> 00:10:59,240 Speaker 1: center of American political life, specifically Christian prayer, and they 172 00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:01,800 Speaker 1: wanted this be so normal that people would take it 173 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:05,920 Speaker 1: for granted. The first National Prayer Breakfast occurred in nineteen 174 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:11,880 Speaker 1: fifty three and Eisenhower attended, albeit reluctantly. He owed a 175 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:15,400 Speaker 1: debt to Billy Graham because Billy Graham had worked with 176 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:19,680 Speaker 1: the Family to swing the evangelical vote for Eisenhower. And 177 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:25,240 Speaker 1: that's back when Southern evangelicals didn't vote Republican. So he 178 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:29,599 Speaker 1: went and his idea was, look, I'm paying off a favor. 179 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:32,360 Speaker 1: I don't want any press. I don't want this to 180 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:36,720 Speaker 1: become a thing essentially, but become a thing. It did. See, 181 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:41,200 Speaker 1: the family had tried this before with both Truman and 182 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:46,560 Speaker 1: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and they both said no. But it 183 00:11:46,640 --> 00:11:49,880 Speaker 1: became a tradition because one president said yes, and now 184 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:54,120 Speaker 1: it's the same. It's the family's only public event and 185 00:11:54,160 --> 00:12:00,400 Speaker 1: it is a p R cavalcades president saying yes. No, no, 186 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:04,480 Speaker 1: I mean not really. I guess it's just the the 187 00:12:04,559 --> 00:12:08,800 Speaker 1: way that politics work here currently. If one president says 188 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:13,120 Speaker 1: yes to something faith based, especially Christian based, and another 189 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:15,400 Speaker 1: president says, I'm not doing it. But now, wouldn't you 190 00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:17,720 Speaker 1: say that this is sort of the beginnings of the 191 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:20,840 Speaker 1: power of the evangelical vote that is now such an 192 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:26,160 Speaker 1: important base in Republican circles. It's definitely, it's definitely a 193 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:30,040 Speaker 1: facet of it. No religious vote, the religious vote is 194 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:33,959 Speaker 1: not necessarily a uniform block. It can swing in different directions, 195 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:36,680 Speaker 1: of course, of course. But yeah, this is this is 196 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:40,679 Speaker 1: a huge um, a huge piston in the engine of elections. 197 00:12:40,679 --> 00:12:43,120 Speaker 1: Not to install anyone's intelligence. But should we really quickly 198 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:48,760 Speaker 1: define what makes evangelical Christianity sure different than just standard Christianity? Sure? 199 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:50,400 Speaker 1: I mean I I've always thought of it as just 200 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:54,480 Speaker 1: being a more uh strict adherence to the Gospels and 201 00:12:54,559 --> 00:12:58,839 Speaker 1: just like a little bit more of a I don't know, 202 00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:01,000 Speaker 1: pedantic sounds like an negative world, but I guess it 203 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:03,840 Speaker 1: just means a little bit almost like strict constructionism of 204 00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:07,640 Speaker 1: the Constitution, you know, where you take everything literally and 205 00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:09,800 Speaker 1: that face value is that is that your understanding then? 206 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 1: So from an outsider's perspective, it's the difference is Protestantism 207 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:21,360 Speaker 1: is just being in protest against the Roman Catholic Church. 208 00:13:22,080 --> 00:13:30,040 Speaker 1: The evangelical perspective stresses personal conversion, right like being born again? 209 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:34,080 Speaker 1: Ah ha, right, got it? Now, please write to us. 210 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:38,280 Speaker 1: I know we have several religious studies scholars and experts 211 00:13:38,280 --> 00:13:40,080 Speaker 1: here in the audience, so it would be great to 212 00:13:40,120 --> 00:13:44,440 Speaker 1: hear the breakdown of the of the nuances here, right, 213 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:46,959 Speaker 1: And I'm sure it's something that has evolved over time, 214 00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:50,800 Speaker 1: as as has the voting party of choice for this book, 215 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:56,200 Speaker 1: as as mentioned here. Yeah, yeah, good point. So the 216 00:13:56,240 --> 00:14:01,640 Speaker 1: thing about this National Prayer Breakfast is that, as the 217 00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:04,920 Speaker 1: family has described, it is a recruiting device. The actual 218 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:08,120 Speaker 1: breakfast does happen on that first Thursday, but it is 219 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:14,200 Speaker 1: surrounded by a week long, um deluge of lobbying events. 220 00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:18,440 Speaker 1: We're talking three thousand dignitaries who come from all around 221 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:21,760 Speaker 1: the world and from all sorts of corporate interest. They 222 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:24,480 Speaker 1: all pay. Get that. I thought this is a pretty 223 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:26,560 Speaker 1: low price. I think we could actually go, you guys, 224 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:29,120 Speaker 1: if we all, if we all make it a thing. Um. 225 00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:31,520 Speaker 1: They pay four hundred and twenty five dollars each to 226 00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:34,680 Speaker 1: attend for the breakfast. But it comes with a breakfast, right, 227 00:14:34,760 --> 00:14:36,840 Speaker 1: I know, Yeah, it does come with a breakfast. I 228 00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:38,560 Speaker 1: don't know if it's a buffet thing. I don't know 229 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:42,680 Speaker 1: if there's like salmon, Are there eggs, benedict? Is it 230 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:45,120 Speaker 1: gonna be? Is there a bagel bar? Will there be 231 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:48,440 Speaker 1: an omelet? Station? Four is a lot, you know, And 232 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:51,720 Speaker 1: I've been to some swank buffet's. I actually I would 233 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:54,880 Speaker 1: prefer a buffet if I'm paying four d twenty five dollars, 234 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:56,760 Speaker 1: you know, because because I would try to eat fo 235 00:14:58,400 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 1: get some crab legs on there. Yeah, so this this 236 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:06,080 Speaker 1: is just for the ticket to the buffet, and for 237 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:09,520 Speaker 1: most people the breakfast is just that you have some 238 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:12,960 Speaker 1: muffins and some praying. But a lot of people stay 239 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:17,080 Speaker 1: on for days and days of seminars organized around the 240 00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:21,720 Speaker 1: message that they think Jesus Christ, the the actual Jesus 241 00:15:21,760 --> 00:15:27,200 Speaker 1: Christ has for particular industries. Yeah. Yeah, the key industry is, 242 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:32,000 Speaker 1: no doubt right exactly. Uh the industry is I suppose, 243 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:33,960 Speaker 1: I don't know. This is interesting. This is sure sounds 244 00:15:34,040 --> 00:15:38,360 Speaker 1: like a central leader who had this one on one 245 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:41,480 Speaker 1: with God and then a sort of allowing himself to 246 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:44,520 Speaker 1: be the conduit to God between God and his followers, 247 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:48,440 Speaker 1: and he gets to decide what God's agenda is. Uh, 248 00:15:48,920 --> 00:15:51,200 Speaker 1: let's see if if that's the direction that's going. Um, 249 00:15:51,200 --> 00:15:54,400 Speaker 1: it sure sounds like it. So we have, um, the 250 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 1: oil industry being a biggie right Um. And the defense industry, 251 00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:05,360 Speaker 1: defense contractors and and many others also hold events. Um, 252 00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:10,040 Speaker 1: we've got foreign dignitaries that are just thirsty for access 253 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:17,200 Speaker 1: to all of these powerful, powerful arms manufacturers, the energy industry. 254 00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:21,640 Speaker 1: Let me adam. Let's say you're Boeing, right, or you're 255 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:25,560 Speaker 1: a working member of Congress, and Boeing is big in 256 00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:29,200 Speaker 1: the state or district, you represent, but the optics of 257 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:31,600 Speaker 1: and you want to sell some stuff, but the the 258 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:35,400 Speaker 1: optics towards your voters would would would just be um 259 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:40,080 Speaker 1: fatal to your political career if they saw you selling 260 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:43,840 Speaker 1: or facilitating the cell of some sort of technology. To 261 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:47,240 Speaker 1: like a dictator, the gentleman must remain neutral, right right, 262 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:50,360 Speaker 1: right right? Do you see your time? The gentleman seats, 263 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:56,280 Speaker 1: I do not. I love I love parliamentary procedure. It 264 00:16:56,520 --> 00:17:00,560 Speaker 1: so hard I have tried to hitch it in my 265 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:03,440 Speaker 1: personal life. I don't think too you guys, just in 266 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:07,000 Speaker 1: conversation at the bar, it would be a lot of fun. Yeah, 267 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:10,960 Speaker 1: I would like the gentlemen's time has expired. Does the 268 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:14,760 Speaker 1: gentleman seed his time? The gentleman does not seed his time. 269 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:18,080 Speaker 1: It would be a lot of fun. I say that now, 270 00:17:18,119 --> 00:17:19,760 Speaker 1: But we'd have to take it out on the road 271 00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:21,800 Speaker 1: and try it, and probably shouldn't do it during a 272 00:17:21,840 --> 00:17:23,840 Speaker 1: live show. We should just do it we're hanging out. 273 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:30,200 Speaker 1: But anyhow, yes, you're absolutely right. They the group's real 274 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:37,119 Speaker 1: strength lies in its influential members working too facilitate this networking, 275 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:40,000 Speaker 1: but also to push their agenda, which will get to 276 00:17:40,040 --> 00:17:42,520 Speaker 1: in a second. Critics will tell you that the MPB 277 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:45,520 Speaker 1: or National Prayer Breakfast is used by the Family to 278 00:17:45,680 --> 00:17:51,000 Speaker 1: essentially circumvent the State Department. The meetings read like a 279 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:58,200 Speaker 1: Rhodes gallery. Charlotte called it a who's who of nasty figures, 280 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:01,159 Speaker 1: people who might not otherwise be able to go have 281 00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:06,560 Speaker 1: a conversation with an arms manufacturer or um nuclear power, 282 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:13,320 Speaker 1: a nuclear power conglomerate. Right. So they have this vision 283 00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:16,480 Speaker 1: as as you, as we established earlier, they have this 284 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:20,960 Speaker 1: vision of Jesus as a strong man, as a dictator, 285 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:24,720 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, that is, and of helping not the sheep, 286 00:18:25,119 --> 00:18:29,840 Speaker 1: but helping the wolves because they're more powerful. And the 287 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:33,840 Speaker 1: family believes that anyone who has in power like that, 288 00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 1: or those those people who are dictators and such, that 289 00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:39,399 Speaker 1: they are there because they are supposed to be, that 290 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:43,640 Speaker 1: they have been anointed by God to be in charge, 291 00:18:44,320 --> 00:18:47,040 Speaker 1: and so they want to broker power. And this is 292 00:18:47,520 --> 00:18:50,280 Speaker 1: this is weird, right, But these dictators and you can 293 00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:55,720 Speaker 1: you can find list of suspected and confirmed members. These 294 00:18:55,760 --> 00:19:01,239 Speaker 1: dictators in many cases are the same people that the 295 00:19:01,359 --> 00:19:08,760 Speaker 1: US publicly shuns, including including the Russian government that came 296 00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:11,679 Speaker 1: to head quite recently. It turns out that the National 297 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:14,800 Speaker 1: Prayer Breakfast is home to a Russian connection. Do you 298 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:17,320 Speaker 1: think they offer a little borshed on the on the 299 00:19:17,359 --> 00:19:20,080 Speaker 1: on the buffet? You know what. The hardest thing for 300 00:19:20,119 --> 00:19:22,359 Speaker 1: me to find in all the research here, and I 301 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:24,439 Speaker 1: don't know if you found it yet either. I couldn't 302 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:26,920 Speaker 1: find the menu. And when we're talking about the buffet, 303 00:19:27,359 --> 00:19:30,920 Speaker 1: I started. I try not to not to mess around 304 00:19:30,920 --> 00:19:33,159 Speaker 1: too much on the computer when we're recording. Nope, but 305 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:36,960 Speaker 1: I had to try to search again and I could 306 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:39,919 Speaker 1: not find the menu. Serious, and it's haunting me because 307 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:45,560 Speaker 1: what if you're paying for dollars just for muffins? I 308 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:49,040 Speaker 1: just typed in who caters the National Prayer? Oh good, 309 00:19:49,119 --> 00:19:52,120 Speaker 1: that's the way to go at it. Let's see. Ah, 310 00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:54,840 Speaker 1: now we've got who attends, who spoke. I don't care 311 00:19:54,880 --> 00:20:00,720 Speaker 1: about any of that. I want to know who caters it. Uh. Nope, Man, 312 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:03,520 Speaker 1: that is the most closely guarded secrets surrounding this entire event. Man, 313 00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:06,280 Speaker 1: we should do an episode entirely on the menu at 314 00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:08,359 Speaker 1: the National Prayer Breakfast. Well, let us have to use 315 00:20:08,359 --> 00:20:10,800 Speaker 1: our imagination. I'm hoping that it's a little bit a 316 00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:14,840 Speaker 1: cut above like Shawney's Breakfast Buffet. You know, and I'm hoping, yeah, 317 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:16,440 Speaker 1: I'm hoping for seafood. And I'm hoping they have some 318 00:20:16,480 --> 00:20:19,920 Speaker 1: international choices for their foreign dignitaries, because that's that would 319 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:23,080 Speaker 1: only be fair, That would only be fair. Yeah, especially 320 00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:26,159 Speaker 1: when considered cultural dietary restrictions and source. And also the 321 00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:28,119 Speaker 1: fact that like our idea of breakfast, I may have 322 00:20:28,119 --> 00:20:29,360 Speaker 1: to get it on a high horse here. But we've 323 00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:33,159 Speaker 1: had this conversation. Breakfast food, you know, here is such 324 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:36,520 Speaker 1: a specific thing. In other countries. They like regular food 325 00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:39,040 Speaker 1: for breakfast, like an Asian country especially, it's all like, 326 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:41,920 Speaker 1: you know, rice and noodles and things of any any 327 00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:44,600 Speaker 1: other time of the day. And I support that wholeheartedly. Yeah, 328 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:47,120 Speaker 1: me too, Me too. I mean, if Edward Bernese had 329 00:20:47,119 --> 00:20:49,560 Speaker 1: not come along, breakfast in the US would be a 330 00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:53,720 Speaker 1: much different affair. But let's get back to this Russian connection. 331 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:59,040 Speaker 1: So remember Maria Boutina recently came up in the news 332 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:03,560 Speaker 1: as being and agent of a foreign government. According to 333 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:06,439 Speaker 1: the affidavit from the Department of Justice, she used the 334 00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:11,320 Speaker 1: National Prayer breakfast twice to uh to set up some 335 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:15,919 Speaker 1: back door diplomacy between members of the US government and 336 00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:20,200 Speaker 1: members of the Russian power structure. She even brought prayer 337 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:26,080 Speaker 1: breakfast organizers with her to Moscow, where Charlotte suspects that 338 00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:31,040 Speaker 1: they they brainstormed the guest list for the Russian delegation. 339 00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:36,760 Speaker 1: They saw her as access to and from the Family's perspective, 340 00:21:36,760 --> 00:21:38,840 Speaker 1: we have to understand this is sort of the work 341 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:41,879 Speaker 1: that they pursue. They feel they are right in doing this. 342 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:44,720 Speaker 1: Tensions are high between the US and Russia, and the 343 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:49,440 Speaker 1: family sees itself as a power broker but also a peacemaker. 344 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:53,920 Speaker 1: So they think these two uh strong men, for lack 345 00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:56,720 Speaker 1: of better phrasation, meat and hammer things out and that 346 00:21:57,080 --> 00:22:02,440 Speaker 1: then Jesus Christ or God will shape these things to 347 00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:06,760 Speaker 1: what is appropriate and Christian. So as far as they're concerned, 348 00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:09,399 Speaker 1: they were not helping a Russian spy. They were helping 349 00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:15,360 Speaker 1: bring peace between two worthy and strong leaders. They again 350 00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:18,280 Speaker 1: believe that if you were in power, you are supposed 351 00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:20,880 Speaker 1: to be there. You're in power because God put you there, 352 00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:25,040 Speaker 1: never mind the voters. It's dangerous attitude. Really is in 353 00:22:25,080 --> 00:22:28,560 Speaker 1: a slippery slope, my friend. So we mentioned their agenda 354 00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:33,120 Speaker 1: right now, what what exactly is there is their agenda? Well, 355 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:37,040 Speaker 1: according to our writer Pal Charlotte. The family believes that 356 00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:42,679 Speaker 1: most Christians tend to misread, misinterpret the New Testament, and 357 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:46,320 Speaker 1: that at the heart of Christ's message was a message 358 00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:51,520 Speaker 1: of not not peace, not kindness to the poor and downtrodden, 359 00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:56,959 Speaker 1: but power, pure, abject unbridled power. Not love, no power 360 00:22:57,640 --> 00:23:01,760 Speaker 1: right right love through power assive read, very aggressive read 361 00:23:01,840 --> 00:23:04,440 Speaker 1: of Christ. Because we think of Jesus as this kind 362 00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:07,000 Speaker 1: of barefoot hippie. Well, I mean, we know he had 363 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:09,000 Speaker 1: in a temper with like flipping over the tables and 364 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:10,639 Speaker 1: the money changes and all that, and we knew that 365 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:13,040 Speaker 1: he meant business. But he's always been like kind of 366 00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:17,400 Speaker 1: made out to seem like more of a you know, uh, 367 00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:21,200 Speaker 1: affecting change through non violence kind of way, and more 368 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:24,440 Speaker 1: like changing hearts and minds rather than wielding some sort 369 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:27,360 Speaker 1: of iron fist right right, helping the poor and downtrodden, 370 00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:30,960 Speaker 1: the lepers, those outcasts from society. No no, no, no, no, 371 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:33,479 Speaker 1: no, no no, no no no, say the members of the family. 372 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:36,159 Speaker 1: And then, according to an article by Lisa Guetta in 373 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:39,000 Speaker 1: The l A Times, the group wants to take this 374 00:23:39,119 --> 00:23:42,600 Speaker 1: family global, a family of friends that will spread their 375 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:48,320 Speaker 1: agenda across the world. And when we when we see 376 00:23:48,320 --> 00:23:51,080 Speaker 1: a global family of friends, we have to realize that, 377 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:54,479 Speaker 1: like many organizations, we can think of it being arranged 378 00:23:54,520 --> 00:23:59,840 Speaker 1: in concentric circles or domains. So, according to former nix 379 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:05,840 Speaker 1: Neate and Watergate fell in Charles W. Coulson, the family 380 00:24:06,359 --> 00:24:09,640 Speaker 1: numbered uh in the nineteen seventy nine family numbered about 381 00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:15,080 Speaker 1: twenty thou people, although the number of dedicated associates around 382 00:24:15,080 --> 00:24:18,920 Speaker 1: the globe was much smaller, maybe as much as a 383 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:21,679 Speaker 1: three hundred and fifty in two thousand and six. So 384 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:23,480 Speaker 1: you can buy a ticket to the prayer breakfast and 385 00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:25,399 Speaker 1: it doesn't make you like a member of the organization, 386 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:28,080 Speaker 1: right exactly? I would imagine do you apply to become 387 00:24:28,080 --> 00:24:29,679 Speaker 1: a member? Do you have to be invited? Is it 388 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:32,679 Speaker 1: very closed door policy? I think you need to be 389 00:24:32,720 --> 00:24:35,359 Speaker 1: in power for them to have interest. It got to 390 00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:38,760 Speaker 1: be a key people. Yeah, yeah, it's it's not for 391 00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:41,120 Speaker 1: somebody who just came for the salmon, which is again 392 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:44,080 Speaker 1: would be me right. So it's almost more of a 393 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:49,800 Speaker 1: Builderberg or by Trilateral Commission kind of situation, right close, Yeah, yeah, yeah, 394 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:53,440 Speaker 1: it's similar. So they have a closely guarded database of 395 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:56,920 Speaker 1: these associates, members and keyban, but they don't issue cards, 396 00:24:57,119 --> 00:25:00,119 Speaker 1: they collect no official dues, and members are asked not 397 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:05,159 Speaker 1: to speak about the group or its activities. Um a 398 00:25:05,280 --> 00:25:08,920 Speaker 1: member the Family's inner circle once said to the group's 399 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:14,000 Speaker 1: chief South African operative, the movement is simply inexplicable to 400 00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:17,359 Speaker 1: people who are not intimately acquainted with it. The first 401 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:21,400 Speaker 1: rule of breakfast Club. You don't talk about breakfast Club literally, 402 00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:29,040 Speaker 1: the first rule. Yes. Yes. So they say that their 403 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:33,359 Speaker 1: initiatives have always been misunderstood by outsiders and that they 404 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:35,880 Speaker 1: learned the hard way to never commit to paper any 405 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:40,640 Speaker 1: discussions or negotiations. There are no such things as confidential 406 00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:44,720 Speaker 1: memos because if you write something down, it will inevitably leak. 407 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:49,520 Speaker 1: So they urge people not to put anything relating to 408 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:53,040 Speaker 1: any of the work they're doing on paper unless you 409 00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:57,080 Speaker 1: know the reciprian well enough to put. Please destroy after 410 00:25:57,160 --> 00:26:01,560 Speaker 1: reading at the top of the page. Not exactly free 411 00:26:01,560 --> 00:26:04,120 Speaker 1: and clear transparency. See they ought to do it. Inspect 412 00:26:04,119 --> 00:26:08,280 Speaker 1: your gadget style. That's message well self destruct. Yes, that 413 00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:12,520 Speaker 1: would be pretty cool. Yes they should. So they are 414 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:18,320 Speaker 1: longtime leader Doug co who ministered in private and lead 415 00:26:18,359 --> 00:26:21,720 Speaker 1: the organization kind of behind the scenes. He had a 416 00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:24,440 Speaker 1: pretty rare interview in two thousand one, and he said, 417 00:26:24,480 --> 00:26:27,439 Speaker 1: if I told you who has participated and who participates 418 00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:30,440 Speaker 1: until this day, you would not believe it. You'd say, 419 00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:35,720 Speaker 1: you mean that scoundrel, that despot. He passed away in 420 00:26:35,760 --> 00:26:43,080 Speaker 1: twenty seventeen. But the practice continues, the institution exists. And 421 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:48,200 Speaker 1: this leads us to a question. Is this legal? I mean, 422 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:53,359 Speaker 1: on the surface, it's not necessarily illegal. Right. People should 423 00:26:53,359 --> 00:26:56,320 Speaker 1: be able to get together and at breakfast have a chat, 424 00:26:57,400 --> 00:27:00,919 Speaker 1: and people constantly network, and sure, this secrecy is creepy, 425 00:27:01,040 --> 00:27:03,520 Speaker 1: but there are hundreds of religious groups working to bring 426 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:06,240 Speaker 1: their values to a wider audience, you know what I mean. 427 00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:10,560 Speaker 1: There's uh, you know, they're they're all. There's spaghetti dinners 428 00:27:10,600 --> 00:27:14,800 Speaker 1: across the world, their breakfast meetings in and at churches 429 00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:18,560 Speaker 1: all the time, and a lot of nonprofits and charities 430 00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:21,399 Speaker 1: have religious roots as well. With this in mind, the 431 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:25,680 Speaker 1: family is not really unique, right, Yeah, I mean I 432 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:27,960 Speaker 1: have a question for you man. We you mentioned the 433 00:27:28,080 --> 00:27:31,960 Speaker 1: name of Coulson, right, is the name of their their 434 00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:34,720 Speaker 1: high level are the names of their high level people, 435 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:36,679 Speaker 1: their board or whatever you wanna call it. Is that 436 00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:39,240 Speaker 1: public information or do they keep that pretty much pretty 437 00:27:39,320 --> 00:27:42,000 Speaker 1: under wraps? Too. They keep a lot of it pretty tight. 438 00:27:42,080 --> 00:27:45,560 Speaker 1: We do know that membership includes people are serving in 439 00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:50,160 Speaker 1: the US government, like Pence is a member being Commander 440 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:53,840 Speaker 1: in chief. Donald Trump and Barack Obama and Bill Clinton 441 00:27:54,320 --> 00:27:59,000 Speaker 1: all attended the National Prayer Breakfast. But how intimately involved 442 00:27:59,080 --> 00:28:02,520 Speaker 1: were they? We know Hillary Clinton for a long long 443 00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:08,520 Speaker 1: time received personal ministry services from Doug co. So that 444 00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:11,399 Speaker 1: that's the part that we have to emphasize here. The 445 00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:16,280 Speaker 1: family itself, their mission fuels politicized with a trend towards 446 00:28:16,359 --> 00:28:20,159 Speaker 1: you know, what they see as strong, powerful authoritarians, but 447 00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:25,360 Speaker 1: there fan club goes across all sides of the political 448 00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:28,879 Speaker 1: My question is, what is this personal ministry business? What 449 00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:32,600 Speaker 1: does that look like? Is that like hitting a house call? Yeah, 450 00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:35,200 Speaker 1: I mean, I don't know, man, it's a closed door thing. 451 00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:39,200 Speaker 1: You know, it's the come into my office, close the door. 452 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:43,200 Speaker 1: Let's pray together about the best way to help raytheon 453 00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:46,120 Speaker 1: make a sale. You know, I don't know, I don't know. 454 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:49,840 Speaker 1: I'm being a little glib, but but we should talk 455 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:56,080 Speaker 1: about what the critics say and where this institution operates. 456 00:28:56,440 --> 00:29:07,840 Speaker 1: After a word from our sponsor, we're back. So here's 457 00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:10,640 Speaker 1: the thing. A lot of critics say, what's your take 458 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:13,440 Speaker 1: on this? A lot of critics say that there's more 459 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:17,600 Speaker 1: than breakfast going on. It's not just a Meg's Benedict. 460 00:29:18,640 --> 00:29:20,400 Speaker 1: They are you saying they have lunch items as well? 461 00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:25,600 Speaker 1: Then not in public behind the closed doors, though there 462 00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:28,560 Speaker 1: could be sandwiches that could be like a deli tray. 463 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:32,920 Speaker 1: Some soups are off barbecue. I love the idea of 464 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:36,040 Speaker 1: this being an exclusively food based organizations. I love that too. 465 00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:39,120 Speaker 1: Uh So, the fear is that they may be influencing 466 00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:43,640 Speaker 1: politicians and voters have no control over their behavior. Whatever. 467 00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:46,400 Speaker 1: That's what that's what the critics say. But I mean, 468 00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:48,280 Speaker 1: isn't that like we're talking about lobbying. Isn't that what 469 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:52,280 Speaker 1: lobbying is in general? Right? We don't have access to 470 00:29:52,320 --> 00:29:56,160 Speaker 1: the lobbyist because they're paid by the corporations to interface 471 00:29:56,200 --> 00:29:59,600 Speaker 1: directly with politicians, and we can sort of say, hey, 472 00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:01,960 Speaker 1: politics atitions, please let me write you're a letter and 473 00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:05,120 Speaker 1: my congressman, please don't be swayed by the siren song 474 00:30:05,440 --> 00:30:07,800 Speaker 1: of lobbyists. But that's something I take this. I don't 475 00:30:07,800 --> 00:30:10,720 Speaker 1: know I see exactly what you're saying, though, Like if 476 00:30:10,760 --> 00:30:16,480 Speaker 1: we if we got together and we crowdfunded five dollars 477 00:30:16,760 --> 00:30:19,960 Speaker 1: from each of us and everyone listening. Then we we 478 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:24,000 Speaker 1: could make a donation to a politician and then get 479 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:26,520 Speaker 1: their attention to say here's what I think you should 480 00:30:26,520 --> 00:30:28,640 Speaker 1: do about a certain issue. Yeah, but Ben, even you 481 00:30:28,760 --> 00:30:32,640 Speaker 1: saying that it requires a donation goes against the entire system. 482 00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:34,960 Speaker 1: It's there supposed to listen to our phone calls, whether 483 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:37,800 Speaker 1: we give them money or not. That's what I'm saying. 484 00:30:38,120 --> 00:30:39,800 Speaker 1: I think we're on the same page. I think our 485 00:30:39,880 --> 00:30:43,800 Speaker 1: glibness are our glibnesses are aligned. We've earned this citizens, 486 00:30:43,880 --> 00:30:48,320 Speaker 1: and I think so where where do they operate? Though? 487 00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:51,720 Speaker 1: Do they do they just stay in d C? No, 488 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:55,920 Speaker 1: I think not, Ben, because they need to branch out. 489 00:30:56,080 --> 00:30:59,720 Speaker 1: They need to wield these powers beyond washing in d C. 490 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:02,840 Speaker 1: And where do they do this. That's a very important question, 491 00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:06,240 Speaker 1: especially in a modern nation that prizes the separation of 492 00:31:06,400 --> 00:31:09,320 Speaker 1: church and state. We haven't even talked about that because 493 00:31:09,320 --> 00:31:11,680 Speaker 1: that's the thing too. Lobbying is one thing, but at 494 00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:15,320 Speaker 1: least that doesn't necessarily go against the separation of church 495 00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:18,960 Speaker 1: and state. This, on the other hand, very very weird 496 00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:21,680 Speaker 1: gray area, especially when it has such across the aisle 497 00:31:21,840 --> 00:31:24,360 Speaker 1: kind of support you know, at least in terms of 498 00:31:24,360 --> 00:31:26,720 Speaker 1: like the optics of it. So here the question to 499 00:31:26,840 --> 00:31:31,280 Speaker 1: the Family's supporters, this organization as an ability to bridge 500 00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:40,400 Speaker 1: political gaps and unite antagonistic groups through a mutual spiritual understanding. Yeah, yeah, 501 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:46,400 Speaker 1: that's that's the thing. We have examples of the kind 502 00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:51,360 Speaker 1: of scandals they've encountered. They're most well known probably for now. 503 00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:54,520 Speaker 1: It came about in two thousand and nine. Some investigators 504 00:31:54,600 --> 00:31:59,480 Speaker 1: claimed the family had, through their key men, influenced Uganda's 505 00:31:59,520 --> 00:32:05,320 Speaker 1: anti homosexuality legislation. This was this is a series of 506 00:32:05,920 --> 00:32:13,120 Speaker 1: laws that allowed the death penalty for people who, you know, 507 00:32:13,160 --> 00:32:17,600 Speaker 1: we're attracted to the same sex, or also for quote 508 00:32:17,720 --> 00:32:22,880 Speaker 1: harboring a known homosexual. So let's say you've got a 509 00:32:22,920 --> 00:32:26,960 Speaker 1: friend or a family member and they are gay, and 510 00:32:27,040 --> 00:32:30,280 Speaker 1: you live in Uganda, and they say they're coming to 511 00:32:30,360 --> 00:32:33,840 Speaker 1: kill me because of my sexual orientation, and you say, 512 00:32:33,880 --> 00:32:37,440 Speaker 1: that's fine, just hide here and we'll wait till the 513 00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:40,840 Speaker 1: soldiers leave. If they are found, then the way the 514 00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:44,600 Speaker 1: law was written, uh the way the law was proposed, 515 00:32:45,120 --> 00:32:48,400 Speaker 1: then not only the person they were searching for, but 516 00:32:48,440 --> 00:32:50,760 Speaker 1: the person hiding that person would be put to death. 517 00:32:52,520 --> 00:32:57,880 Speaker 1: That legislation was recently changed, I believe, yes, yeah, yeah, 518 00:32:57,960 --> 00:33:00,600 Speaker 1: but they were instrumental in pushing it through. Not to 519 00:33:00,640 --> 00:33:02,440 Speaker 1: mention that if you I just typed in. There's a 520 00:33:02,480 --> 00:33:04,960 Speaker 1: website called Focus on the Family. UM. I don't know 521 00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:08,920 Speaker 1: if it's their direct website, but it's definitely affiliated with them, 522 00:33:09,080 --> 00:33:11,880 Speaker 1: And they have a resource page called when a loved 523 00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:15,080 Speaker 1: One Says I'm Gay Research List, and it has things 524 00:33:15,160 --> 00:33:19,400 Speaker 1: like titles like bringing Home the Prodigals, uh is God 525 00:33:19,480 --> 00:33:23,000 Speaker 1: Anti gay? And other questions about homosexuality. Um. The secret 526 00:33:23,040 --> 00:33:26,760 Speaker 1: thoughts of an unlikely convert an English Professor's journey into 527 00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:31,600 Speaker 1: Christian faith. It it feels largely like there is a negative, 528 00:33:31,640 --> 00:33:36,400 Speaker 1: inherently negative spin on the treatment of LGBT individuals in 529 00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:42,320 Speaker 1: the church. Yeah. Absolutely. The thing is that because they're 530 00:33:42,360 --> 00:33:49,800 Speaker 1: pushing this power based authoritarian agenda, of course they will 531 00:33:50,360 --> 00:33:57,200 Speaker 1: naturally tend to gravitate toward UH despots, towards dictators, but 532 00:33:58,040 --> 00:34:03,479 Speaker 1: they see this as an effort of reconciliation. They also, 533 00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:10,080 Speaker 1: for instance, they helped persuade South African Zulu chief both 534 00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:14,799 Speaker 1: Alasy to avoid civil war with Nelson Mandela and their 535 00:34:14,880 --> 00:34:18,680 Speaker 1: defenders such as former President George W. Bush have praised 536 00:34:18,680 --> 00:34:20,640 Speaker 1: their work, and they say, yeah, they're out of the 537 00:34:20,640 --> 00:34:23,360 Speaker 1: public sphere, but they're making the world a better place 538 00:34:23,480 --> 00:34:26,640 Speaker 1: because they're stopping war. And this leads us to the 539 00:34:26,719 --> 00:34:31,360 Speaker 1: question just how much influence does the family wield in Washington, 540 00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:36,600 Speaker 1: d C. You know, like you said. The supporters say 541 00:34:36,680 --> 00:34:40,040 Speaker 1: it can bridge political gaps and unite antagonistic groups. But 542 00:34:40,960 --> 00:34:46,160 Speaker 1: to the critics, this kind of combination of political power 543 00:34:46,719 --> 00:34:52,040 Speaker 1: and religious zeal historically leads to disaster and there are 544 00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:56,880 Speaker 1: some very strong precedents for that throughout human civilization. And 545 00:34:57,120 --> 00:35:02,080 Speaker 1: for critics, the most important and most frightening part of 546 00:35:02,120 --> 00:35:06,040 Speaker 1: the entire equation is that citizens everywhere it can be 547 00:35:06,080 --> 00:35:10,800 Speaker 1: affected by this secretive legislation process without having any input 548 00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:14,239 Speaker 1: upon it, like Uganda may just be the tip of 549 00:35:14,280 --> 00:35:19,160 Speaker 1: the proverbial iceberg. Uh. There there are other things like 550 00:35:19,320 --> 00:35:23,200 Speaker 1: um the youth Core, which is a network of Christian 551 00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:27,080 Speaker 1: youth groups that attract teenagers and then later steer them 552 00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:33,440 Speaker 1: to Jesus. And this this youth core is active in 553 00:35:33,480 --> 00:35:38,080 Speaker 1: places like Russia, Ukraine, Romania, India, Pakistan, Uganda of course 554 00:35:38,360 --> 00:35:43,360 Speaker 1: now Paul Bhutan, Ecuador, Honduras and Peru. This is big stuff. 555 00:35:43,560 --> 00:35:45,360 Speaker 1: We might not hear about it a lot here in 556 00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:49,680 Speaker 1: the States other than that national prayer breakfast, but powerful 557 00:35:49,719 --> 00:35:54,440 Speaker 1: geopolitical things are happening outside of the public eye. And 558 00:35:54,480 --> 00:35:56,600 Speaker 1: at this point we know the family is still working 559 00:35:56,680 --> 00:35:59,120 Speaker 1: quietly behind the scenes in the US and abroad, but 560 00:35:59,440 --> 00:36:04,239 Speaker 1: on what specifically for now, that's something they don't want 561 00:36:04,280 --> 00:36:07,160 Speaker 1: you to know. I have to ask you, though, do 562 00:36:07,200 --> 00:36:10,640 Speaker 1: you think this kind of thing should be legal or illegal? 563 00:36:13,960 --> 00:36:16,080 Speaker 1: It feels like a loophole to me. I mean, it 564 00:36:16,120 --> 00:36:18,799 Speaker 1: feels like extra legal in a lot of ways, because 565 00:36:18,840 --> 00:36:22,560 Speaker 1: lobbying is not is not illegal, but we are supposed 566 00:36:22,560 --> 00:36:25,080 Speaker 1: to have separation of church and state, and it feels 567 00:36:25,160 --> 00:36:29,480 Speaker 1: like hiding behind the guys of like this feel good 568 00:36:29,640 --> 00:36:32,680 Speaker 1: kind of let's bridge the gap between the aisle, when 569 00:36:32,680 --> 00:36:36,480 Speaker 1: it also has this legacy that sort of forces participation 570 00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:40,880 Speaker 1: because of not wanting to offend the evangelical voter base. 571 00:36:41,280 --> 00:36:45,960 Speaker 1: And it just feels kind of inherently like dirty money. 572 00:36:46,040 --> 00:36:47,680 Speaker 1: I don't I don't like it. I don't like it 573 00:36:47,680 --> 00:36:52,239 Speaker 1: one but especially when you consider their ideology and they're 574 00:36:52,400 --> 00:36:58,520 Speaker 1: very exclusionary attitude towards um, lgbt Q or the poor 575 00:36:59,440 --> 00:37:02,319 Speaker 1: exactly mean, it's It's just it feels like a very 576 00:37:02,360 --> 00:37:07,000 Speaker 1: like Tom Cruise's character in Uh Magnolia, kind of pyramid scheme, 577 00:37:07,360 --> 00:37:10,640 Speaker 1: reinterpretation of something that you know. Say what you will 578 00:37:10,680 --> 00:37:14,320 Speaker 1: about Christianity. I think at its heart there is goodness. 579 00:37:14,360 --> 00:37:16,720 Speaker 1: There is a sort of do one too others mentality, 580 00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:19,120 Speaker 1: and people use it in all kinds of horrible ways. 581 00:37:19,120 --> 00:37:20,880 Speaker 1: But I think at it's heart there's a good message. 582 00:37:20,920 --> 00:37:22,960 Speaker 1: There is some in some parts of the Bible. It 583 00:37:22,960 --> 00:37:25,080 Speaker 1: feels to me like a little bit of a bastardization 584 00:37:25,160 --> 00:37:28,719 Speaker 1: of that and turning it into a tool to manipulate 585 00:37:28,760 --> 00:37:33,680 Speaker 1: people more than more than even some forms of Christianity. Well, 586 00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:36,440 Speaker 1: tell us what you think. We hope that you enjoyed 587 00:37:36,600 --> 00:37:39,960 Speaker 1: this episode, and we want to hear from you. Have 588 00:37:40,080 --> 00:37:44,560 Speaker 1: you encountered other secretive organizations like this and how much 589 00:37:44,560 --> 00:37:47,080 Speaker 1: influence do they actually wield. You can let us know 590 00:37:47,280 --> 00:37:49,640 Speaker 1: on Instagram. You can let us know on Facebook, you 591 00:37:49,680 --> 00:37:51,960 Speaker 1: can let us know on Twitter. Find the favorite part 592 00:37:52,040 --> 00:37:55,440 Speaker 1: of our show our fellow listeners on our Facebook community 593 00:37:55,440 --> 00:37:59,000 Speaker 1: page Here's where it gets crazy, And you can follow 594 00:37:59,200 --> 00:38:03,520 Speaker 1: our shenan ageins personally on Instagram. I'm at Ben Bolling, 595 00:38:03,680 --> 00:38:07,320 Speaker 1: i am at embryonic insider and our friend Matt these days, 596 00:38:07,360 --> 00:38:13,680 Speaker 1: I believe operating under the account k Kylie Jenner. Kylie Jenner. Yeah, 597 00:38:13,880 --> 00:38:15,799 Speaker 1: I had no idea that was It's true, but it 598 00:38:15,840 --> 00:38:17,480 Speaker 1: makes sense when you think about it. Do you have 599 00:38:17,480 --> 00:38:19,640 Speaker 1: any idea how much money he gets for one single 600 00:38:19,760 --> 00:38:23,000 Speaker 1: Instagram post? It's outrageous. That's what he's doing right now, 601 00:38:23,040 --> 00:38:26,720 Speaker 1: He's off negotiating Instagram post. Yeah, some kind of facial cleanser. 602 00:38:27,200 --> 00:38:30,839 Speaker 1: So if you would like to call us directly, we'd 603 00:38:30,840 --> 00:38:32,840 Speaker 1: love to hear from you. We have a phone number. 604 00:38:33,040 --> 00:38:38,440 Speaker 1: It's one eight three three std W y t K. 605 00:38:39,600 --> 00:38:43,560 Speaker 1: It was beautiful and uh, please do remember that has 606 00:38:43,640 --> 00:38:46,400 Speaker 1: a three minute cut off, which I can tell you 607 00:38:46,400 --> 00:38:49,680 Speaker 1: from personal experience. We'll sneak up on you. Uh. Also, 608 00:38:49,800 --> 00:38:51,800 Speaker 1: if you do not want us to put that message 609 00:38:51,800 --> 00:38:55,240 Speaker 1: on the air, if it's just something private, please explicitly 610 00:38:55,320 --> 00:38:58,239 Speaker 1: say that in the message it's very true. Otherwise, uh, 611 00:38:58,280 --> 00:39:00,719 Speaker 1: you know we and and again if even if you 612 00:39:01,239 --> 00:39:02,680 Speaker 1: don't mind, if we use it and you want us 613 00:39:02,680 --> 00:39:05,320 Speaker 1: to keep your identity anonymous, We've in the past used 614 00:39:05,360 --> 00:39:08,080 Speaker 1: them and disguised voices and stuff. People have given us 615 00:39:08,080 --> 00:39:10,279 Speaker 1: the inside scoop for companies they work for. I don't 616 00:39:10,280 --> 00:39:13,239 Speaker 1: want to jeopardize their relationship with their employers, but do 617 00:39:13,400 --> 00:39:15,640 Speaker 1: want us to get the info we we we totally 618 00:39:15,760 --> 00:39:18,719 Speaker 1: respect that and treat it with care. And if none 619 00:39:18,760 --> 00:39:21,600 Speaker 1: of that quite bags your badgers. You don't care for 620 00:39:21,640 --> 00:39:24,480 Speaker 1: the social media and you hate getting on the phone, 621 00:39:25,040 --> 00:39:27,040 Speaker 1: but you desperately want to talk to us, we have 622 00:39:27,160 --> 00:39:29,360 Speaker 1: good news for you. You can hit us up directly 623 00:39:29,360 --> 00:39:31,839 Speaker 1: on our email. We are conspiracy at how stuff works 624 00:39:31,840 --> 00:39:53,000 Speaker 1: dot com.