From the halls of Bedminster to the avenues of central Texas, Larry O’Connor and I cover it all today! Larry will partner with Andrew Wilkow on Salem News Channel tonight to cover Donald Trump’s first public remarks after his arraignment in federal court today, a topic we discuss at some length. We also turn to a rally of a different sort in which I participated this weekend — a Eucharistic procession. We discuss what that means to both of us, how it relates to the cultural and secular challenges that Christians face today, and why that matters. Larry ties that to the controversy in the Southern Baptist Conference this week, and how secularization eventually just leads to secular religions — complete with their own methods of punishing heretics, schismatics, and apostates. We also reveal who the missing character was in the original Village People …
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Welcome back to our VIP video series “Off the Beaten Path,” featuring my friend Larry O’Connor! The Townhall columnist and Salem News Channel host starts off our week by discussing stories and ideas that may fly under our radar, in culture, politics, sports, and more. Plus, Larry previews tonight’s SNC show!
Highlights of our conversation today include …
- Who said about the reason for robbing banks was “that’s where the money is?” Larry says it’s John Dillinger, and I said Willie Sutton. We left it as a challenge to our VIP commenters!
- On the latest in the Biden bribery allegations: “I’m sure you saw Jennifer van Laar’s report,” Larry says, “that apparently this informant — excuse me, the FBI source from Burisma — is also a source for the Russian intelligence agencies. So that’s kind of a thing,” he quips, as a preview of one segment tonight with Jennifer.
- I’m a little cautious with that information: “I think that we have to be at least a little careful about saying, well, this guy’s got the goods. Oh, by the way, he also happens to work for the FSB,” I say.
- Is there any such thing as “urban lumberjacking”? I report, you decide!
- We discuss at length my experience in this weekend’s Eucharistic Procession in Waco, and what I got out of it besides being drenched in sweat. “I have to tell you I found it to be incredibly, incredibly inspiring,” I tell Larry. “I think that says something about the draw that that is created when you when you publicly demonstrate your faith,” and go on to say that Christians of all denominations should find ways to unite on that public demonstration.
- Larry draws a contrast to the Corpus Christi procession and the secular celebrations taking place in parallel. “As you were participating in that procession or parade, there were other parades in major cities all around the country embracing a very different kind of belief system,” Larry says of the Pride parades. “You are sending a message as well to your community as well to the community at large, and both of those were going on at the same time. And I feel like that’s sort of the two tracks that our country is on right now.”
- Larry brings us up to date on the split in the Southern Baptist Convention, and why schism comes at a very difficult time in our shared Christian culture
- We also preview tonight’s rally in Bedminster, discuss SNC’s plans for live coverage, and discuss the editorial decision to do so.
Be sure to watch it all and join us in the comments!
