Merry Christmas Eve! In this episode of the Ask A Christian Podcast, host Nate starts by tackling the common claim: Is Christmas a pagan holiday?. We look at why the "Hebrew Israelite" arguments often miss the mark and explore the legend of St. Boniface and the "Thor’s Oak" tree—a symbol of Christ’s victory over paganism rather than a continuation of it. We also dive into several major stories from social media and the news: The Dallas Preacher Arrests: We analyze the viral footage of Dallas police officers arresting Christian street preachers on public property for "not backing off" (watch here: https://x.com/libsoftiktok/status/2003584909336871067?s=20). Nicki Minaj & Faith: Nicki Minaj reveals how going to church in New York changed her life, leading to a discussion on authenticity in faith (see the clip: https://x.com/WWUTTcom/status/2003246321852162217?s=20). King David & Archaeology: Is there real evidence for King David? We look at the Tel Dan Stele ([suspicious link removed]) and why your AI might be giving you the wrong historical data. The University of Oklahoma Controversy: A transgender instructor was fired after failing a student for citing the Bible (read more: https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/2003480694161572183?s=20). Whether you're a believer, a seeker, or one of the "pagans welcome" guests, join us for a serious (and occasionally sardonic) look at biblical truth in a digital world. For more content, visit: https://www.askachristianpodcast.com 📚 Resources & Links Dallas Preacher Arrest Clip - https://x.com/libsoftiktok/status/2003584909336871067?s=20 Russell Brand Christmas Message - https://x.com/rustyrockets/status/2003530779851391472?s=20 "Greatest Clip Ever Seen" (Context unknown) - https://x.com/Catholicizm1/status/2003568641141592131?s=20 John Rich: Life Visualization - https://x.com/johnrich/status/2003671861050085621?s=20 1,000 Drone Christmas Display - https://x.com/BreitbartNews/status/2003610671326638555?s=20 Oklahoma University Instructor Fired - https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/2003480694161572183?s=20 Epstein File Redaction Hack - https://x.com/flyosity/status/2003487819587821613?s=20 Nicki Minaj on Church - https://x.com/WWUTTcom/status/2003246321852162217?s=20 David (2025) Film Reviews - https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/david_2025/reviews/top-critics Tel Dan Stele (Archaeological Evidence) - [suspicious link removed] 🕒 Timestamps 00:00 - Intro 05:19 - Can AI have a soul? 07:52 - Dallas police arrest street preachers 10:32 - Russell Brand’s Christmas message 15:31 - Why the winter solstice doesn't make Christmas pagan 17:45 - St. Boniface and the legend of Thor's Oak 21:54 - Discussion on genetic diversity and IQ 29:07 - John Rich: How much free time do you actually have? 33:05 - 1,000 drones reenacting the life of Jesus 38:39 - OU fires instructor for religious discrimination 41:40 - TikTok users "un-redacting" Epstein files 58:12 - Nicki Minaj: Church changed everything 01:11:40 - Reviewing the "David" (2025) animated movie 01:20:44 - Extra-biblical evidence for King David (Tel Dan Stele) 02:11:32 - Why did God send the Flood? Hashtags #AskAChristianPodcast #ChristmasPagan #StreetPreaching #DallasPolice #FirstAmendment #NickiMinaj #KingDavid #Archaeology #BibleEvidence #StBoniface #Faith #Jesus #Apologetics #ChristianPodcast #Gospel
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Dateline NBC
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The Burden
The Burden is a documentary series that takes listeners into the hidden places where justice is done (and undone). It dives deep into the lives of heroes and villains. And it focuses a spotlight on those who triumph even when the odds are against them. Season 5 - The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance On April Fools Day 1999, 26-year-old Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home. David Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, was instantly a suspect. Another young man admitted to the murder, and David breathed a sigh of relief, until the confessed murderer fingered David; “He paid me to do it.” David was sentenced to life without parole. Two decades later, Pulitzer winner and podcast host, Maggie Freleng (Bone Valley Season 3: Graves County, Wrongful Conviction, Suave) launched a “live” investigation into David's conviction alongside Jason Baldwin (himself wrongfully convicted as a member of the West Memphis Three). Maggie had come to believe that the entire investigation of David was botched by the tiny local police department, or worse, covered up the real killer. Was Maggie correct? Was David’s claim of innocence credible? In Death and Deceit in Alliance, Maggie recounts the case that launched her career, and ultimately, “broke” her.” The results will shock the listener and reduce Maggie to tears and self-doubt. This is not your typical wrongful conviction story. In fact, it turns the genre on its head. It asks the question: What if our champions are foolish? Season 4 - The Burden: Get the Money and Run “Trying to murder my father, this was the thing that put me on the path.” That’s Joe Loya and that path was bank robbery. Bank, bank, bank, bank, bank. In season 4 of The Burden: Get the Money and Run, we hear from Joe who was once the most prolific bank robber in Southern California, and beyond. He used disguises, body doubles, proxies. He leaped over counters, grabbed the money and ran. Even as the FBI was closing in. It was a showdown between a daring bank robber, and a patient FBI agent. Joe was no ordinary bank robber. He was bright, articulate, charismatic, and driven by a dark rage that he summoned up at will. In seven episodes, Joe tells all: the what, the how… and the why. Including why he tried to murder his father. Season 3 - The Burden: Avenger Miriam Lewin is one of Argentina’s leading journalists today. At 19 years old, she was kidnapped off the streets of Buenos Aires for her political activism and thrown into a concentration camp. Thousands of her fellow inmates were executed, tossed alive from a cargo plane into the ocean. Miriam, along with a handful of others, will survive the camp. Then as a journalist, she will wage a decades long campaign to bring her tormentors to justice. Avenger is about one woman’s triumphant battle against unbelievable odds to survive torture, claim justice for the crimes done against her and others like her, and change the future of her country. Season 2 - The Burden: Empire on Blood Empire on Blood is set in the Bronx, NY, in the early 90s, when two young drug dealers ruled an intersection known as “The Corner on Blood.” The boss, Calvin Buari, lived large. He and a protege swore they would build an empire on blood. Then the relationship frayed and the protege accused Calvin of a double homicide which he claimed he didn’t do. But did he? Award-winning journalist Steve Fishman spent seven years to answer that question. This is the story of one man’s last chance to overturn his life sentence. He may prevail, but someone’s gotta pay. The Burden: Empire on Blood is the director’s cut of the true crime classic which reached #1 on the charts when it was first released half a dozen years ago. Season 1 - The Burden In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname. Then the story changed. Scarcella ran into a group of convicted murderers who all say they are innocent. They turned themselves into jailhouse-lawyers and in prison founded a lway firm. When they realized Scarcella helped put many of them away, they set their sights on taking him down. And with the help of a NY Times reporter they have a chance. For years, Scarcella insisted he did nothing wrong. But that’s all he’d say. Until we tracked Scarcella to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, where he started to talk..and talk and talk. “The guilty have gone free,” he whispered. And then agreed to take us into the belly of the beast. Welcome to The Burden.