This week Democratic presidential candidate, Beto O’Rourke, called for churches and religious organizations that do not support same-sex marriage to lose their tax-exempt status. Skye talks with law professor and political scientist John Inazu about the issue. Is there a real risk? What’s the difference between churches and religious schools according to the law? And would losing tax-exemption necessarily be bad? Also this week, “Rise of the Planet of the Pigs”? Filipino pigs in France have learned to use tools. The court says the University of Iowa has discriminated against religious students. And a progressive seminary is conducting services for people to confess their sins to plants.

Did God create the different races and intend them to be separate, or is race a social and cultural invention? Theologian Willie James Jennings joins Skye for a mind-stretching conversation about the role of race in our faith, how “whiteness” has influenced Christianity, why a proper vision of Jesus’ incarnation challenges many of our assumptions, and the racial Cold War occurring in our country. Also this week: A study that found religious kids are nastier and less generous than secular kids is retracted due to a math error. Trump’s “court evangelicals” warn that his impeachment could start a new civil war. The podcast hosts discuss the pros and cons of impeachment and over-spiritualizing political differences.

It’s been over 20 years since Lee Strobel wrote his best-selling book “The Case for Christ.” He talks with Skye about the changing role of apologetics in our post-Christian culture. It’s no longer just intellectual barriers that keep people from faith, says Strobel, but emotional barriers. Today, Christian credibility depends more on our love than our arguments. Also this week: Scientists discover squirrels eavesdrop on birds. Phil and Skye debate the significance of a Missouri council member taking her oath on a Dr. Suess book. Conservative critics are accusing Democrats of being “godless,” but Pew finds a strong majority of voters in both parties say religion is important in their lives. Plus, the top 10 signs your Christianity has been “Americanized.”

“What really happened?” That’s a question many people bring to their reading of the Gospels. As a result, some Christians stitch together divergent accounts from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to create a single narrative of Jesus’ life and ministry. According to Juan Hernandez, professor of biblical studies at Bethel University, this is a huge mistake. He talks with Skye about common errors we make when reading the gospels and why we must understand them literarily and not just literally. Also in this episode: Russian priests bomb a city with holy water to stop the drinking and fornication. Skye supports a mass wedding at a Dallas megachurch for cohabitating couples. The Methodists are planning a split over LGBT ordination. One writer believes 2016 marks the biggest crisis for evangelicals since the Scopes Monkey Trial in 1925. And Phil bends the knee to the invisible hand of the almighty Bezos.

For ten years, Scott Harrison was one of the most successful club promoters in NYC. His life was marked by every hedonistic indulgence imaginable. Today, he’s the founder and CEO of Charity:Water, a non-profit that has brought clean water to over 10 million people around the world. Scott shares the remarkable story of his transformation and faith with Skye in an interview you won’t want to miss. Also this week, the head of a Catholic school bans Harry Potter books because he fears the spells they contain are real. New data says Millennials are abandoning God, country, and family. Is there a single explanation for all three? The podcast gang debates the leading theories. And Phil is hopeful about a new NPR podcast that interviews religious believers.

Based on a decade of research with the Barna Group, David Kinnaman says we’re not in Kansas anymore. We now occupy digital Babylon—a new world where people are discipled by their screens, don’t know how to have meaningful relationships, and distrust organizations. What does this all mean for the church? He talks with Skye about everything from rethinking preaching, the diminishing value of youth ministry, and a backlash against “professional” worship. Also this week, Phil reads from his new Bible and has a dream/nightmare about Donald Trump. Christian asks where we should get our news from. NFL quarterback Drew Brees gets in trouble for appearing in a Focus on the Family video. And research says the church, like politics, is losing moderates.

According to years of research from the Barna Group, only about 10% of young adults raised in the church have a resilient faith. Some may see that as bad news, but not David Kinnaman. He dug deeper to see what was different about these 4 million Millennials and Gen Zers, and he came away deeply encouraged. He talks with Skye about the 5 traits of “resilient disciples” and what it means for the future of the church. Also this week, Phil, Christian, and Skye talk about the wave of Christian leaders abandoning the faith and what it means for labels like “evangelical,” “ex-evangelical,” “fundamentalist,” and “progressive.” Plus, plague-infected prairie dogs and pooping Legos.

Buckle your seatbelts. While promoting his new VeggieTales show, Phil was asked about LGBTs in kids’ media. Now everyone from Ben Shapiro to The Advocate is responding. Phil’s off the cuff remarks have made him a hero to some and a villain to others. This week he explains why he’s neither, and how both sides of the culture war twist things to fit their biases. Then Skye interviews official Holy Post historian, John Fea, about the new Netflix documentary series “The Family.” Is there really a secret society of evangelicals inflitrating world governments? Fea offers both history and perspective on the shadowy group behind the National Prayer Breakfast and explains what the Netflix show gets right and wrong about Christians in politics.

Another celebrity couple’s marriage has ended, but don’t worry—they’re still committed to their pet pigs. New data finds Americans have lost faith in technology to the point that churches are now viewed more favorably than big tech firms. Another survey finds conservative Christians use less porn than other Americans, but they feel way worse about it. Should we continue to stigmatize the sinfulness of pornography? The gang has a lively discussion about it. Also this week, Drew Dyck is back with his latest book recommendations, and he talks with Skye about the flurry of Christian leaders announcing their renunciation of the faith via social media. Plus, Phil wants to know why web algorithms are telling him to buy a cereal called Poop Like a Campion.

American Christianity is fixated on celebrity pastors, spectacular worship, and doing big things for God. But most of our lives aren’t that extraordinary. That’s good news, according to Glenn Packiam. He’s been a megachurch worship leader and pastor, but now he finds God in the most ordinary things. He talks with Skye about his new book, “Blessed, Broken, Given.” Also this week, Phil and Skye reflect on the recent shootings in El Paso and Dayton. Should the Billy Graham Rule apply to police officers? And a German study involving dropping oranges at train stations reveals surprising things about immigrants and discrimination.