WEBVTT 00:00:00.460 --> 00:00:02.960 It is the 12th of June, 2026. 00:00:03.260 --> 00:00:04.300 I am Corey J. 00:00:04.300 --> 00:00:06.420 Mahler, and this is At Any Cost. 00:00:06.420 --> 00:00:08.660 And all of the levels and everything look good. 00:00:09.380 --> 00:00:13.400 So I think that I am ready to go, and we are not having any issues with OBS. 00:00:13.400 --> 00:00:19.500 The chat is working, so I guess I should expect to be struck by lightning at some point during this episode. 00:00:19.500 --> 00:00:26.400 At any rate, it's episode 32, and this is a Q&A episode, just copying over some of the questions coming in from the chat. 00:00:27.440 --> 00:00:30.080 And I will get into the questions here in just a minute. 00:00:33.940 --> 00:00:36.720 Just don't want to miss these questions for later. 00:00:50.011 --> 00:00:55.751 So, question one for today is a nice, easy question to start off, as it were, I guess. 00:00:56.991 --> 00:00:58.931 As soon as the question loads here. 00:01:00.491 --> 00:01:09.771 What is your opinion on invasive species of plants in America, specifically, but not limited to the yellow iris, native to Europe, purple irises are native to North America. 00:01:10.271 --> 00:01:17.351 We are trying to beautify the property and are wondering if we should stick to more native North American plants like echinacea, et cetera. 00:01:18.171 --> 00:01:22.391 So, generally speaking, I would say stick with native plants. 00:01:22.391 --> 00:01:29.691 That comes with sort of an enormous caveat, and that would be some non-native plants aren't a problem, right? 00:01:30.171 --> 00:01:31.271 Some are, some aren't. 00:01:31.591 --> 00:01:33.651 I have non-native plants. 00:01:33.851 --> 00:01:43.891 Most of my non-natives, in fact, I think all of my non-natives, other than obviously some crops, some things in the garden, are houseplants, right? 00:01:44.711 --> 00:01:45.951 I have tropical houseplants. 00:01:45.971 --> 00:01:52.811 I have peace lily and divanbaki, various other things that are not native to this area, but they're houseplants. 00:01:52.991 --> 00:01:53.891 They're in a pot. 00:01:54.711 --> 00:01:55.631 They're not going to go anywhere. 00:01:55.631 --> 00:01:56.431 They're not a problem. 00:01:56.691 --> 00:01:58.411 And so they can't become invasive, right? 00:01:59.251 --> 00:02:05.471 Something that has the potential to become actually invasive and start spreading and cause problems, right? 00:02:05.471 --> 00:02:06.251 I'm in the south. 00:02:06.451 --> 00:02:07.351 Kudzu is everywhere. 00:02:07.351 --> 00:02:08.811 That's an enormous problem. 00:02:09.431 --> 00:02:11.911 Eucalyptus is a problem in California. 00:02:12.611 --> 00:02:15.631 Things like that probably don't import those. 00:02:15.671 --> 00:02:19.671 In fact, I'm going to just go ahead and say straight, do not import and plant those things. 00:02:19.671 --> 00:02:25.091 And unfortunately, they're still sold at many stores, and you can buy them online. 00:02:25.091 --> 00:02:30.331 And we have very poor regulation, and certainly poor enforcement when it comes to these things. 00:02:30.691 --> 00:02:46.291 And it causes massive problems all over the place, because it's not just the issue of you have the non-native, the invasive plant basically pushing out the native plant that has additional knock-on effects for the food chain, right? 00:02:46.531 --> 00:02:52.451 There are animals that rely on the native plant, the native plant gets pushed out, maybe it goes extinct. 00:02:52.471 --> 00:02:55.671 And then there are animals that rely on that animal, and so on and so forth. 00:02:56.571 --> 00:02:58.471 So generally speaking, use native plants. 00:02:58.911 --> 00:03:03.751 You can find great resources online for plants that are native to your area. 00:03:04.071 --> 00:03:13.351 And there are probably plants that look like what you want that are native, instead of just going to the big box store and getting the easy non-native option, right? 00:03:13.931 --> 00:03:23.931 And you can also check with, at least in most states, whatever the agricultural or environmental authority is for your state, it's going to vary by state. 00:03:23.931 --> 00:03:25.051 They all have different names. 00:03:25.491 --> 00:03:33.191 They usually have a list of plants that they consider particularly problematic and a particular invasive issue. 00:03:33.991 --> 00:03:34.931 Don't plant those. 00:03:35.511 --> 00:03:38.511 So, Tennessee has that, California certainly had that. 00:03:39.011 --> 00:03:44.431 I would say, check that list, and then make a wisdom call based on the nature of the plant. 00:03:44.431 --> 00:03:53.851 If it's something that literally just, particularly if it's, you know, an annual or something, if it grows up, dies, and that's it, okay, fine, that one's not a problem. 00:03:53.851 --> 00:03:59.591 If it's something that spreads thousands and thousands of seeds, probably don't go for that one. 00:04:00.351 --> 00:04:11.111 So, it's a wisdom call, but definitely lean toward native plants, because a lot of the problems we have are due to the importation of non-native species, whether they are plant or animal. 00:04:15.331 --> 00:04:19.171 Question two is tangentially related. 00:04:20.671 --> 00:04:27.591 The West, formerly Christendom, is heading into a racial war, already certainly starting in Ireland. 00:04:27.611 --> 00:04:33.191 Where do Christian men draw the line between theft and rightful plunder during the conquest of God's enemies? 00:04:33.891 --> 00:04:40.871 Are there guidelines for when Christians should commit treasure and livestock to destruction, as is sometimes been instructed? 00:04:41.191 --> 00:04:49.351 So I think in the case of that kind of war, certainly, a war of annihilation, let's just not be, let's be blunt about it. 00:04:49.351 --> 00:04:54.251 In that kind of war, I think that theft is not even on the table, it's not even a consideration. 00:04:55.071 --> 00:04:57.491 Unless you're harming your own people, don't do that. 00:04:57.491 --> 00:04:58.911 Don't raid your own people. 00:04:59.811 --> 00:05:02.291 But I don't think theft is a concern. 00:05:02.291 --> 00:05:09.131 The question that's sort of the live question here is about devotion to destruction, and should we do that, and when should we do that? 00:05:09.511 --> 00:05:15.831 I don't think that we're bound to do that with regard to, you know, livestock and things like that. 00:05:16.291 --> 00:05:23.731 Enemies, religious sites, giant monkey statues, things like that, those should be devoted to destruction. 00:05:24.011 --> 00:05:29.191 But livestock, gold, silver, all that stuff, I don't think that we have to do that. 00:05:29.191 --> 00:05:36.451 That was sort of a special command for just the degree and the pervasiveness of the wickedness of the Canaanites. 00:05:36.931 --> 00:05:46.311 So maybe that would be a concern if we were dealing with some particularly nasty pagan area that had been pagan for a very long time, and these were ritual objects. 00:05:46.851 --> 00:05:52.831 Then sure, devote those to destruction as at least a show of loyalty to God, right? 00:05:53.631 --> 00:05:59.891 I don't think that we are absolutely required to do it, but I think it's probably good praxis in certain circumstances. 00:06:00.131 --> 00:06:03.271 With regard to retaking the West, I don't think it's really a concern. 00:06:03.271 --> 00:06:15.491 I don't think we have places that are that bad, except for obviously, as Christians, under those conditions, yes, we would be required to destroy religious sites that are contrary to Christianity. 00:06:16.551 --> 00:06:18.071 Those should be devoted to destruction. 00:06:18.071 --> 00:06:21.651 That's very clearly required by God in this sort of warfare. 00:06:24.191 --> 00:06:28.231 Going to copy a few more questions from the chat so that I do not miss them. 00:06:39.432 --> 00:06:43.172 Need a producer to do this for me in the background instead of doing it myself. 00:06:44.592 --> 00:06:50.752 However, question three is tangentially related to two, actually. 00:06:51.752 --> 00:06:58.072 Germans have been a part of America since before the Revolution, and I know you're quite fond of them for obvious reasons. 00:06:58.852 --> 00:07:06.052 Given I'm German, I don't necessarily have a choice in that, but I agree with your stance that Germans today are a part of the American founding stock. 00:07:06.592 --> 00:07:12.992 What I'm curious about is your thoughts on the huge German immigration boom in the 1800s and how most of them joined the Union. 00:07:13.352 --> 00:07:21.772 Were the southern states justified in having anti-German sentiment, especially during the war, when they were on opposite sides of the battlefield? 00:07:24.752 --> 00:07:48.872 This is sort of a complex question with regard to how you view your enemy in warfare, and I think that a lot of times the anti-German sentiment, and also anti-Irish and some other things as well, and this war obviously largely anti-German, I think it goes overboard because it gets into verging on what we would call genocidal, which it's not to say genocide is always morally impermissible, because it's not. 00:07:49.452 --> 00:07:51.652 But this sort of war is not a genocidal war. 00:07:51.652 --> 00:07:56.032 You are not authorized to erase your enemy in that kind of conflict. 00:07:56.032 --> 00:07:59.372 That conflict shouldn't have happened, discussion for another time. 00:07:59.852 --> 00:08:02.852 But I think the anti-German sentiment was just convenient. 00:08:02.852 --> 00:08:08.012 It was a way to gin up the soldiers against the northerners, which they were invading. 00:08:08.392 --> 00:08:10.532 I mean, I think most northerners would have met that as well. 00:08:10.952 --> 00:08:12.152 I'm a Californian, right? 00:08:12.472 --> 00:08:18.132 So in a certain sense, I don't have a dog in the fight because I wasn't born in the south. 00:08:18.172 --> 00:08:19.492 I wasn't born in the north. 00:08:19.492 --> 00:08:20.932 I was born in California. 00:08:20.932 --> 00:08:24.012 California sent some soldiers to fight for the south. 00:08:24.052 --> 00:08:24.932 Not very many. 00:08:25.552 --> 00:08:26.752 They didn't do that much. 00:08:27.052 --> 00:08:34.972 So I don't have the same sort of entrenched connection that some people have where, you know, their family's been in the south for 400 years. 00:08:34.992 --> 00:08:39.592 Mine has, but I had that sort of sojourn, as it were, in California. 00:08:39.592 --> 00:08:41.992 So it's a different sort of relationship to it. 00:08:41.992 --> 00:08:48.152 But at the same time, I think that it was largely a matter of convenience, right? 00:08:48.152 --> 00:08:58.072 You can pick out something about the opposing forces that is different from your people, and so latch on to that and attack them for that. 00:08:58.332 --> 00:09:05.572 And so you had more recent immigrants in the northern military, and particularly Germans, and some others as well. 00:09:06.132 --> 00:09:18.152 But I think that they probably would have done the same thing if it had been any other group, because it was a way to gin up war propaganda and to get people to go out and fight, right? 00:09:18.152 --> 00:09:26.092 You say they're bringing in foreigners to conquer us, despite the fact that how foreign are Germans to Americans, not particularly. 00:09:26.532 --> 00:09:28.212 They probably would have done the same thing. 00:09:28.912 --> 00:09:43.092 It would have been a little more awkward, but I think they would have done the same thing if the North had brought in, you know, history being otherwise than it was, if they had brought in a lot of English soldiers, or even Scottish soldiers, right? 00:09:43.092 --> 00:09:56.832 Did the Scottish there, but I think they would have done the same thing, because they would have said, these are recent immigrants, and so they're not American, they're Scottish instead, or they're English instead, and they're bringing in these foreigners to boost their numbers and come conquer us. 00:09:57.012 --> 00:09:58.152 They would have done the same thing. 00:09:58.272 --> 00:10:00.812 It just happened to be that it was Germans. 00:10:01.592 --> 00:10:12.512 Now, the other aspect of this that's worth mentioning, obviously, is that you had, not necessarily right at this time, but a little bit later, some of the Germans who came over were revolutionary leftists. 00:10:12.692 --> 00:10:15.052 And that's a problem later on in later decades. 00:10:15.792 --> 00:10:17.092 Not because they're German. 00:10:17.552 --> 00:10:18.952 A handful of them were Jews. 00:10:18.952 --> 00:10:19.752 Not all of them were Jews. 00:10:19.752 --> 00:10:21.152 Some of them were German communists. 00:10:21.152 --> 00:10:23.672 So, that's a problem Germany had. 00:10:23.672 --> 00:10:27.692 Germany essentially solved it, and then some of them fled. 00:10:27.692 --> 00:10:31.652 Unfortunately, they let them flee, but things sometimes happened that way. 00:10:32.512 --> 00:10:33.792 That was a separate problem. 00:10:33.792 --> 00:10:38.392 They were enemies because they were communists, they were leftists, not because they were German, right? 00:10:38.692 --> 00:10:43.452 If they had been anything, if they'd been English communists, they would still be problems. 00:10:43.652 --> 00:10:45.952 They would still have the same problems. 00:10:46.552 --> 00:10:49.552 The only difference would be they would have been able to read the literature. 00:10:49.892 --> 00:10:56.652 It's one of the reasons that Lutherans responded to communism more early on and more quickly than almost anyone else. 00:10:57.592 --> 00:11:04.332 Because Lutherans in the US context could see what was coming from Germany, had been reading the papers and spoke German. 00:11:04.892 --> 00:11:06.232 So they could read the materials. 00:11:06.232 --> 00:11:11.252 They could read the materials published by the Marxists as they were being published. 00:11:11.432 --> 00:11:19.272 That's one of the reasons Walter, one of the the founder essentially of the LCMS, responded to this stuff because he was paying attention to it. 00:11:19.492 --> 00:11:20.832 He could read the newspapers. 00:11:20.832 --> 00:11:22.012 He knew what was happening. 00:11:22.412 --> 00:11:30.472 So that language barrier did add a certain layer to that, a certain element, but I think it was largely just war propaganda. 00:11:30.472 --> 00:11:37.972 We should be careful not to go overboard in our war propaganda when, unfortunately, we're fighting a war against our brothers. 00:11:38.152 --> 00:11:50.312 It's a different thing when we're fighting a war against truly alien hostile people, but we should not dehumanize and engage in basically genocidal war propaganda, atrocity propaganda against our brothers. 00:11:50.532 --> 00:11:55.432 So we shouldn't do that to the English, shouldn't do it to the Scottish, shouldn't do it to the Germans, shouldn't do it to any Europeans. 00:12:13.109 --> 00:12:22.329 Apparently, the chat integration does not let me like comments, so I'll just say thank you to the person who said the next Feinzachse is on him. 00:12:23.829 --> 00:12:27.269 The challenge is finding one here in the South, but I'm sure I can find one. 00:12:27.269 --> 00:12:32.069 It's very odd to me, as sort of an aside, that the South didn't adopt more German cuisine. 00:12:32.429 --> 00:12:37.269 I know there used to be more German restaurants and things, but it's weird that it didn't take hold. 00:12:38.269 --> 00:12:42.389 Southerners love fried pork, and Germans love fried pork. 00:12:42.489 --> 00:12:47.729 That's what schnitzel is, and Schweinshaxe is just pork knuckle that's cooked in beer if it's done right. 00:12:48.169 --> 00:12:50.069 So hard not to like that. 00:12:50.909 --> 00:12:52.529 But question four. 00:12:53.409 --> 00:12:57.129 How would you recommend a young man temper his political radicalism? 00:12:57.369 --> 00:13:01.469 Part of me wants to forget about politics, find a wife, and be a normal family man. 00:13:01.929 --> 00:13:08.089 Another part of me wants to go guns blazing against my enemies that seek to destroy my people, forsaking all else. 00:13:08.309 --> 00:13:09.229 What should I do? 00:13:10.809 --> 00:13:13.869 This is a question that comes up a lot, and I've answered it many times. 00:13:14.189 --> 00:13:17.429 Not necessarily on here, but I've answered it in person many times. 00:13:18.149 --> 00:13:27.589 So the short answer, and sort of the overarching answer, the outline, as it were, is live a normal life, but prepare for the worst. 00:13:28.429 --> 00:13:31.629 Not in the sense of become a crazy prepper. 00:13:31.629 --> 00:13:33.569 You're not Bert Gummer or something like that. 00:13:34.089 --> 00:13:38.309 Don't do that, but maybe a little bit of it, just to be safe. 00:13:38.809 --> 00:13:41.589 But the thing that I would say is go to the gym. 00:13:42.189 --> 00:13:45.849 That's always a top recommendation for particularly young men, but all men. 00:13:45.849 --> 00:13:47.469 Older men should also be going to the gym. 00:13:47.469 --> 00:13:49.329 It's great for you as you age. 00:13:49.329 --> 00:13:54.109 You'll age more gracefully, and it's often been said that you're only as old as your back. 00:13:54.409 --> 00:13:59.569 Going to the gym and working out will help you not have back issues, as long as you're doing it right. 00:13:59.569 --> 00:14:01.629 If you don't know how to do it, then get some help. 00:14:02.189 --> 00:14:16.069 But find a wife, have children, and probably before you do that, just because of practical considerations, find a group of like-minded men and work with them on whatever it happens. 00:14:16.069 --> 00:14:18.169 It doesn't even matter that much what it is. 00:14:18.629 --> 00:14:21.169 If you're doing activism stuff, great. 00:14:21.169 --> 00:14:26.909 If you're just playing poker one night a week and going hiking one night a week, that's also great. 00:14:27.269 --> 00:14:31.909 Men need to have men's clubs and have that sort of camaraderie, vitally important. 00:14:32.209 --> 00:14:36.509 But then yes, find a wife, have children, do all the normal things you're supposed to do. 00:14:36.509 --> 00:14:39.189 Because ultimately, all of this is in God's hands, right? 00:14:39.189 --> 00:14:40.509 We're relying on God. 00:14:40.869 --> 00:14:49.509 And so in having a wife and children and normal life, you're telling God, I trust in you to see me through this regardless of what comes. 00:14:50.009 --> 00:15:01.549 And there's also the practical consideration of when we win, and I believe that we will win, we need future generations, so our people need to be having children. 00:15:02.429 --> 00:15:03.529 That's not an option, right? 00:15:03.789 --> 00:15:04.789 That's not an optional thing. 00:15:04.789 --> 00:15:07.589 You can't go, well, we won't have children to win the war. 00:15:08.609 --> 00:15:09.669 Then why are you winning? 00:15:09.669 --> 00:15:11.069 And what have you won when you do? 00:15:11.549 --> 00:15:13.049 You need to continue to have children. 00:15:13.049 --> 00:15:14.189 That's an important thing to do. 00:15:14.189 --> 00:15:16.409 So definitely don't forsake that. 00:15:16.949 --> 00:15:22.629 But at the same time, do prepare for things because we can see where things are heading. 00:15:23.209 --> 00:15:26.369 And look at Ireland, that stuff is coming here as well. 00:15:26.369 --> 00:15:32.269 So don't let it discourage you from living a normal life, normal as it were. 00:15:32.629 --> 00:15:35.489 But don't fall into the trap of normalcy bias. 00:15:35.569 --> 00:15:37.529 See the Stone Quire episode on that. 00:15:38.089 --> 00:15:45.669 Don't fall into that trap because we do not live in normal times, and there are problems ahead. 00:15:45.669 --> 00:15:49.689 But that doesn't mean that you don't marry and have a wife and children, all those things. 00:15:49.689 --> 00:15:51.329 Do all of these things at once. 00:15:52.049 --> 00:15:54.629 It's not an either or situation, it's a both and. 00:15:58.569 --> 00:16:00.249 Question 5. 00:16:01.009 --> 00:16:07.689 I think we need a new confession created for our time regarding race, Jews, and interracial marriage. 00:16:08.149 --> 00:16:12.449 I know of wicked men and groups performing such a task from the opposite of a biblical viewpoint. 00:16:12.529 --> 00:16:24.429 There have been many of those, basically not one of them has gained traction, but they've been there, who will make such statements mandatory in our denominations soon, if they are not already. 00:16:24.889 --> 00:16:27.049 They basically are in some cases, unfortunately. 00:16:27.689 --> 00:16:32.549 Would such an official document or confession be appropriate for our guys inside to make? 00:16:32.549 --> 00:16:35.189 And if so, who do you think these men should be? 00:16:37.309 --> 00:16:41.109 This is something that absolutely should be done. 00:16:41.629 --> 00:16:43.349 It is something that needs to be undertaken. 00:16:43.349 --> 00:16:48.169 There are only a handful of men who can really do this and get it done correctly. 00:16:48.169 --> 00:16:50.669 And I will just be blunt and say, I need to be involved in it. 00:16:51.189 --> 00:17:06.209 And I'm not saying I need to be the sole author of it, and I kind of would prefer not to be the sole author of it, but I do need to block out the time and work toward that and see which other men can helpfully contribute. 00:17:06.549 --> 00:17:15.489 I know some other men who are good on these issues, who have done the necessary reading and thinking and could contribute to this in a useful way. 00:17:15.949 --> 00:17:18.829 Woe obviously would also be involved in some capacity. 00:17:18.829 --> 00:17:21.809 I don't know that he would want to be necessarily publicly involved. 00:17:21.809 --> 00:17:22.929 I'll let him comment on that. 00:17:22.929 --> 00:17:25.429 That's his decision. 00:17:26.129 --> 00:17:32.809 But yes, that's something that I should dedicate more time to, which it's the same as everyone else. 00:17:32.809 --> 00:17:36.949 I only have so many hours in the day and a thousand different things dragging me in different directions. 00:17:36.949 --> 00:17:39.669 But no, I need to prioritize that, and it needs to be done. 00:17:40.109 --> 00:17:42.309 It's not just something that's appropriate. 00:17:42.309 --> 00:17:43.489 It's something that's necessary. 00:17:43.489 --> 00:17:44.069 We need it. 00:17:49.269 --> 00:17:53.489 I am now getting into some of the questions from the chat here at the beginning. 00:17:54.489 --> 00:17:55.949 It's a two-part question. 00:17:56.489 --> 00:18:00.389 I have a very young nephew who probably has genius level IQ. 00:18:00.589 --> 00:18:04.949 Any tips on properly raising such young boys to become soldiers for Christ? 00:18:05.489 --> 00:18:08.149 Then part two, if you don't mind sharing, what is your IQ? 00:18:08.189 --> 00:18:09.109 Just curious. 00:18:09.849 --> 00:18:13.189 So I will answer these in reverse order. 00:18:13.209 --> 00:18:14.789 We usually don't give a number. 00:18:15.169 --> 00:18:22.309 Woe actually did in one of our episodes, but he gave the number combined with a tweet. 00:18:22.309 --> 00:18:32.609 And so people had to be paying attention both to his Twitter, I think it was still Twitter at the time, his ex as it were now, and the episode in order to get that number. 00:18:32.609 --> 00:18:33.969 It's not that hard to find. 00:18:34.089 --> 00:18:38.249 His estimate was accurate enough, so I'm not going to quibble with it. 00:18:38.949 --> 00:18:46.789 I will comment that on IQ, and I've mentioned this before a number of other places, and you can find this really anywhere. 00:18:46.789 --> 00:18:48.509 This is not contentious. 00:18:48.509 --> 00:18:50.889 I'm not giving you novel information, any sense here. 00:18:51.709 --> 00:18:56.129 Above about 160, the tests become decreasingly reliable. 00:18:56.129 --> 00:19:05.349 So the greater you are, or the farther you are beyond 160, or I guess further, it's more metaphysical than physical. 00:19:06.329 --> 00:19:11.209 The further you are beyond 160, the less accurate the test is going to be. 00:19:11.669 --> 00:19:16.469 And so at that point, it starts to have more fudge factor. 00:19:16.469 --> 00:19:31.269 So if someone says that he has an IQ of 185, okay, he has a high IQ, assuming it was a valid test conducted validly, but he doesn't know that it's exactly 185, because again, that's too far above 160. 00:19:31.549 --> 00:19:33.309 Standard deviation for whites is 50. 00:19:34.069 --> 00:19:38.689 That's way too high above 160 to be reliable within one point. 00:19:39.089 --> 00:19:42.869 So, you know, Woh gave his number in the 160s. 00:19:44.269 --> 00:19:48.929 That's one of those, it's above 160 is enough, right? 00:19:49.689 --> 00:19:55.729 Certainly, you can say that there are many of IQs that are higher than that, but again, less and less reliable as you go. 00:19:56.449 --> 00:20:02.849 But to answer sort of the core question here, the more important question, the more reliable it is. 00:20:02.849 --> 00:20:14.469 Contrary to what Hollywood would have you believe, men with high IQs are not generally socially maladjusted, they don't generally have more mental problems or anything like that. 00:20:15.029 --> 00:20:28.069 If anything, they may develop a tendency to be more focused on the inner world as it were, more reserved after dealing with people for a long period of time. 00:20:28.969 --> 00:20:35.989 It is a learned behavior, a learned response, instead of something that is necessarily native to those with high IQ. 00:20:36.489 --> 00:20:45.469 I do think that introversion versus extroversion does correlate with high IQ, but at the same time, it's not always the case. 00:20:46.029 --> 00:20:48.509 Which is to say that he's going to be a normal boy. 00:20:48.729 --> 00:20:59.469 Generally speaking, he will have friends, he'll have hobbies, he'll have interests, he will like girls, all these various things, going to be by and large normal, but he will be more capable than his peers. 00:20:59.849 --> 00:21:10.189 He will get bored in school, he will get through the material faster, he will find it trivially easy, he will find it to be maddening that he is kept at the same pace as others. 00:21:11.329 --> 00:21:12.569 Take that into account. 00:21:12.569 --> 00:21:32.409 Now, obviously, this is your nephew, so you don't have total control over raising him, but suggest very strongly to your brother, sister, whomever it happens to be, teach him a second language, and maybe a third, and pick one that's truly useful, even Latin, German, French, anything like that. 00:21:32.669 --> 00:21:40.049 A structured language with the proper grammar, get him to learn that very early on, should already be starting probably. 00:21:40.509 --> 00:21:50.509 Teach him an instrument, probably piano, generally one of the best ones for someone like that, and then also a good basis for learning other things in the future. 00:21:51.029 --> 00:21:57.389 These are things that he will maybe bristle out a little bit initially, but he will thank you later in life. 00:21:57.469 --> 00:22:06.349 So, other than that, he's going to have hobbies and interests, and just help them with those. 00:22:06.729 --> 00:22:15.789 Buy materials, whatever it happens to be for him, so he can do that kind of thing, because he's going to be bored going at the same pace as others, because he doesn't need to go at their pace. 00:22:16.749 --> 00:22:25.429 He will have already finished all the work for the year in school in the first semester, that sort of thing, so take that into account. 00:22:25.749 --> 00:22:33.349 Don't let the system that is designed to destroy men who are exceptional, destroy him in that way. 00:22:34.109 --> 00:22:37.889 But other than that, he's going to be just another functional person. 00:22:37.889 --> 00:22:40.349 He's just going to understand more things than most men. 00:22:44.409 --> 00:22:50.309 Question seven, could you explain the teaching in Luke 6 to love your enemies? 00:22:50.309 --> 00:22:55.449 Are these personal enemies only as opposed to our public enemies who are enemies of God? 00:22:55.989 --> 00:23:00.569 I've explained this one before, but it's worth going over again because it's sort of relevant right now. 00:23:00.629 --> 00:23:02.569 So let me pull up Logos, since... 00:23:04.169 --> 00:23:05.669 Let me pull up the correct Logos. 00:23:07.209 --> 00:23:08.849 Just read the relevant... 00:23:09.649 --> 00:23:14.089 Don't read the second paragraph, just read the first paragraph, since that's really the core of it. 00:23:14.129 --> 00:23:15.949 Obviously, everyone knows this one, right? 00:23:15.949 --> 00:23:17.749 This is very well known. 00:23:18.809 --> 00:23:22.329 But I say to you who hear, love your enemies. 00:23:22.449 --> 00:23:23.969 Do good to those who hate you. 00:23:24.149 --> 00:23:25.609 Bless those who curse you. 00:23:25.829 --> 00:23:27.429 Pray for those who abuse you. 00:23:27.769 --> 00:23:30.709 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also. 00:23:31.129 --> 00:23:34.889 And from one who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. 00:23:35.449 --> 00:23:37.229 Give to everyone who begs from you. 00:23:37.409 --> 00:23:40.609 And from one who takes away your goods, do not demand them back. 00:23:41.069 --> 00:23:44.909 And as you wish, that others would do to you, do so to them. 00:23:46.929 --> 00:23:53.489 So the question about enemies, and obviously it's a larger question about this entire section of teaching, and I'll get into that another time. 00:23:53.489 --> 00:23:54.889 I don't think I'll do that right now. 00:23:55.489 --> 00:23:58.149 But it is about your personal enemies. 00:23:58.269 --> 00:24:00.609 This is not public enemies. 00:24:00.609 --> 00:24:05.389 And I pointed out an article on my site last week. 00:24:05.389 --> 00:24:07.209 In fact, I would say go and read that. 00:24:07.209 --> 00:24:12.129 In addition to my comments here, I will note for myself to put that in the show notes again. 00:24:12.929 --> 00:24:19.629 So, but at the same time, there are three kinds of enemies, right? 00:24:19.829 --> 00:24:28.409 You have personal enemies, you have public enemies, and then you have enemies of God. 00:24:28.409 --> 00:24:33.589 You don't really have those, but they're kind of your enemies as well, because they're enemies of God, and you belong to God. 00:24:34.309 --> 00:24:40.309 You are to forgive your public, your private enemies, your personal enemies, whichever one you want to term, private, personal, same thing. 00:24:40.669 --> 00:24:42.109 You are to forgive those enemies. 00:24:42.669 --> 00:24:48.229 So, you know, don't plan the downfall of someone you just particularly don't like at work. 00:24:48.809 --> 00:24:51.049 Forgive that man, that man you forgive. 00:24:51.749 --> 00:24:58.369 If your country goes to war with another country, you are not in the office of the prince. 00:24:58.449 --> 00:25:00.209 It is not incumbent on you. 00:25:00.209 --> 00:25:04.769 In fact, you are not even permitted to forgive that enemy nation. 00:25:06.109 --> 00:25:07.569 It's ridiculous even to say it, right? 00:25:07.569 --> 00:25:09.869 We can understand that's insane, right? 00:25:10.509 --> 00:25:22.969 If we go to war, say, in the US., we go to war with Mexico, can you stand up and say, well, I'm a Christian, I forgive Mexico for these reasons that we went to war with them, and so, what now? 00:25:23.349 --> 00:25:24.269 The war is over? 00:25:24.869 --> 00:25:25.849 That's not how it works. 00:25:25.849 --> 00:25:27.049 The enemy gets a vote. 00:25:27.449 --> 00:25:33.629 So you're public enemies, you can't forgive because you're not the one in charge of the state. 00:25:33.629 --> 00:25:38.329 You're not the Christian prince, you're not the rightful ruler, you don't get to forgive public enemies. 00:25:38.769 --> 00:25:41.809 Okay, what about God's enemies? 00:25:42.129 --> 00:25:46.809 Well, you can't forgive God's enemies because only God can forgive God's enemies, right? 00:25:47.049 --> 00:25:48.189 That's what sinners are. 00:25:48.189 --> 00:25:49.209 Sinners are God's enemy. 00:25:49.209 --> 00:25:50.969 Can you forgive your own sins? 00:25:51.489 --> 00:25:52.949 No, God had to do that. 00:25:53.309 --> 00:26:09.049 And so, the extreme example that I like to use here, because it drives home the point, sometimes even with those who want to use this, not necessarily maliciously, because those who are malicious will never change, but very foolishly will say, could you forgive Satan? 00:26:11.629 --> 00:26:12.929 The answer is no, right? 00:26:12.989 --> 00:26:19.409 You can't say, I forgive Satan, and suddenly he springs out of his chains, and he's no longer damned for all eternity, right? 00:26:19.409 --> 00:26:20.569 You can't do that. 00:26:20.569 --> 00:26:22.229 You can't forgive God's enemies. 00:26:22.549 --> 00:26:27.449 And so, right off the bat, we know it cannot possibly apply to all enemies. 00:26:27.749 --> 00:26:30.009 So the question is, to which enemies does it apply? 00:26:30.369 --> 00:26:31.949 It applies to your personal enemies. 00:26:32.169 --> 00:26:42.029 The only ones that you can forgive in any meaningful way, and trying to exercise a power you don't have, say, to forgive Satan, is actually sin, is wrongful. 00:26:42.149 --> 00:26:46.129 So, forgive your enemies, your personal, your private enemies. 00:26:47.289 --> 00:26:52.849 Don't say that you can't go to war as a Christian, because in other parts of scripture, what do they tell soldiers? 00:26:53.109 --> 00:26:53.849 Do your duty. 00:26:54.409 --> 00:27:00.129 Well, if soldiers are told to do their duty, then Christianity is not a pacifist religion, and you don't forgive your public enemies. 00:27:01.629 --> 00:27:03.429 Also, it calls the emperor supreme. 00:27:03.429 --> 00:27:06.189 That is another place that kind of flows from that, right? 00:27:08.209 --> 00:27:09.589 But yes, it's your private enemies. 00:27:09.589 --> 00:27:12.629 It's not your public enemies, and certainly not the enemies of God. 00:27:12.629 --> 00:27:15.489 You don't forgive the Muslims for worshipping a false god. 00:27:15.489 --> 00:27:17.669 That's not your place to do that. 00:27:18.069 --> 00:27:21.869 That's God's place, and he doesn't do that unless they repent. 00:27:26.069 --> 00:27:26.769 Let's see. 00:27:29.609 --> 00:27:31.129 Question eight. 00:27:34.449 --> 00:27:37.849 I think I'll move this next one down one question. 00:27:43.409 --> 00:27:45.889 I just cannot understand the fall. 00:27:45.949 --> 00:27:48.769 How did it affect the animals' physical mortality? 00:27:49.509 --> 00:27:52.169 What did it mean to realize they are naked? 00:27:52.429 --> 00:27:53.909 What was the nature of the fruit? 00:27:54.029 --> 00:27:55.889 Does Stone Quire cover this? 00:27:56.969 --> 00:28:02.529 We cover this in bits and pieces here and there, but not really in full. 00:28:03.909 --> 00:28:10.529 However, we do answer in full, we answered in full the question about the fall affecting everything, right? 00:28:10.969 --> 00:28:15.909 You can go and listen to the episode on Headship for that, primarily the episode on Headship. 00:28:15.909 --> 00:28:16.909 It's elsewhere as well. 00:28:17.829 --> 00:28:19.089 But that's the issue. 00:28:19.609 --> 00:28:22.029 Adam is the federal head of humanity. 00:28:22.549 --> 00:28:24.369 Adam is the head of all creation. 00:28:26.229 --> 00:28:30.229 Everything fell in Adam because everything follows the head, right? 00:28:30.229 --> 00:28:32.669 Where your head goes, your body follows. 00:28:33.009 --> 00:28:35.089 And you can say, well, my head's following the body. 00:28:35.089 --> 00:28:37.769 That's not really what's happening, because your head's the one directing the body. 00:28:37.769 --> 00:28:39.829 So where your head goes, your body follows. 00:28:40.209 --> 00:28:43.789 It's the same thing for all of creation. 00:28:44.509 --> 00:28:45.929 That's how it functions everywhere. 00:28:46.249 --> 00:28:52.229 That's one of the reasons that you will have corporate punishment in scripture. 00:28:52.789 --> 00:28:58.709 And I know that we try to say, that's wrongful now in our modern laws with regard to laws of war and things like that. 00:28:58.709 --> 00:29:01.089 But God engages in corporate punishment. 00:29:01.309 --> 00:29:04.709 You can think about the rebellion in the desert against Moses and Aaron. 00:29:05.309 --> 00:29:08.589 He destroyed those men, their wives, their children, their livestock, their goods. 00:29:09.089 --> 00:29:18.929 So headship is a vitally important part of, and a fundamentally important part of understanding how God's system works. 00:29:18.929 --> 00:29:22.829 If you don't understand headship, you're going to miss a lot of things. 00:29:23.089 --> 00:29:29.169 And so the reason that everything fell in the fall is because Adam was the head of everything. 00:29:29.449 --> 00:29:33.969 And that is essentially what is happening when you are joined with Christ. 00:29:34.209 --> 00:29:36.029 Christ is your new head. 00:29:36.289 --> 00:29:42.249 And so instead of having fallen Adam as your head, you have the risen Christ as your head. 00:29:42.249 --> 00:29:48.749 And so being in Christ, having Christ as your head, you are then part of the new creation. 00:29:49.109 --> 00:29:52.649 You have the newness of life, you have the forgiveness of sins, all these other things. 00:29:53.769 --> 00:29:54.729 It's headship. 00:29:54.889 --> 00:29:57.949 Headship is the core concept that you must understand. 00:29:58.709 --> 00:30:01.649 And so all of creation fell with Adam. 00:30:01.649 --> 00:30:02.929 It's not just the animals. 00:30:03.369 --> 00:30:05.049 It's the physical world. 00:30:05.049 --> 00:30:06.149 It's the planets. 00:30:06.149 --> 00:30:07.069 It's the stars. 00:30:07.069 --> 00:30:09.129 It's literally everything fell. 00:30:09.549 --> 00:30:14.269 And that's why it says creation is groaning together for the restoration of all things. 00:30:14.669 --> 00:30:15.769 It's not just man. 00:30:15.769 --> 00:30:17.089 It's not just the animals. 00:30:17.449 --> 00:30:19.429 It's everything in creation. 00:30:19.909 --> 00:30:25.269 So you can think of why stars eventually run out of fuel and run down and burn out. 00:30:25.629 --> 00:30:26.889 That's because of the fall. 00:30:27.429 --> 00:30:32.969 Everything slowly winding down, coming to a close, is because of the fall. 00:30:32.969 --> 00:30:36.009 Yes, God's going to draw it to a close before the stars burn out. 00:30:36.409 --> 00:30:42.149 But all of that degradation, everything running down, is because of the fall. 00:30:42.509 --> 00:30:43.669 And it affects everything. 00:30:43.989 --> 00:30:47.289 It affects us, it affects animals, it affects the natural world. 00:30:48.809 --> 00:31:01.109 But the question of realize they were naked is a difficult one to interpret fully, because scripture doesn't tell us everything about that. 00:31:01.489 --> 00:31:06.449 But from the context, you can take sort of the core important points to take away. 00:31:07.689 --> 00:31:30.309 And by realizing they were naked, essentially, it is them realizing not just the vulnerability, right, because they now have a separation from God and a growing antagonism with the nature that is going to be at odds with them, because before man was at peace with all the animals, right, we're no longer at peace with bears, as anyone who goes hiking knows full well. 00:31:31.069 --> 00:31:32.589 Usually, not at peace with bears. 00:31:32.589 --> 00:31:34.889 Some people try to pet them, and some people succeed. 00:31:35.009 --> 00:31:35.629 Don't try. 00:31:36.649 --> 00:31:55.669 But realizing they're naked is going from that state of innocence and having no awareness of sin, of fallenness, of imperfection, of any of these things, to the fallen state and recognizing all that comes along with that, including that loss of innocence. 00:31:56.289 --> 00:31:59.749 And so, you can think of the loss of innocence as part of the core of this. 00:32:00.229 --> 00:32:05.469 It is the fall from original righteousness into original sin. 00:32:05.749 --> 00:32:11.089 Not in the sense that it replaced our nature, because our nature is still made by God, our nature is still good. 00:32:11.449 --> 00:32:23.189 But in the sense that it's so corrupted our nature that it is only Christ's sacrifice that can restore that, and it is only ultimately restored in the resurrection of the just, the final resurrection on the last day. 00:32:25.869 --> 00:32:29.329 So that's essentially the core of realizing that they were naked. 00:32:29.349 --> 00:32:31.069 That's the takeaway from that. 00:32:31.069 --> 00:32:34.029 It's what you want to read when you see that phrase. 00:32:35.649 --> 00:32:38.589 The nature of the fruit is just that God told them not to eat it. 00:32:38.869 --> 00:32:43.769 The fruit probably was not special in any particular way. 00:32:44.709 --> 00:32:48.369 The only thing that made it special was the attachment of God's commandment to it. 00:32:48.529 --> 00:32:49.869 It's the same as baptism. 00:32:50.809 --> 00:32:52.689 The water in baptism isn't special. 00:32:52.969 --> 00:32:53.949 It's just clean water. 00:32:53.949 --> 00:32:54.529 That's it. 00:32:54.909 --> 00:32:55.829 That's all it is. 00:32:56.329 --> 00:33:00.029 If it's flowing water, maybe that's a little better, doesn't have to be, right? 00:33:00.029 --> 00:33:01.969 Doesn't have to be a certain quantity of water. 00:33:01.969 --> 00:33:08.949 It just has to be enough water, as it were, for baptism to fulfill the fact that water is a requirement. 00:33:09.669 --> 00:33:11.949 And so, the water is not special. 00:33:12.589 --> 00:33:18.689 That's why Luther says that without the word, it may as well be a bathkeeper's baptism, which is to say a bath. 00:33:19.589 --> 00:33:24.669 It is the water plus the word that makes it a sacrament, that makes it something special. 00:33:25.009 --> 00:33:29.769 In the case of baptism, it works forgiveness of sins, and all that follows from that. 00:33:30.269 --> 00:33:38.289 In the case of the fruit, because God said, do not eat this, it works damnation, it works the fall, it works corruption, all these other things. 00:33:38.709 --> 00:33:42.569