A Show of Faith
Millennial, Priest, Minister, and Rabbi walk into a radio station...
A Show of Faith
Episode 171: Faith, Politics, And The Common
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Sirens overseas. Shouting at home. When the world heats up, the hardest question isn’t who holds power—it’s why they deserve it. We gathered to wrestle with legitimacy: what elevates authority above mere control, and when does resistance become a duty instead of a slogan.
We start by separating elections from ethics. Ballots can seat leaders; they can’t sanctify self-interest. Drawing on Catholic social teaching, we unpack the common good as a real standard: protecting life, upholding justice under law, preserving social peace, defending religious and moral freedom, and sustaining basic economic stability. From there, Romans 13 anchors a bias toward lawful reform—while the Catechism’s stringent conditions for overthrow remind us why revolutions so often devour their children. Historical touchstones—from Hitler’s rise to today’s Venezuela—make the stakes plain: when rulers rig redress, legitimacy collapses.
Humility emerges as the hidden engine of good leadership. Through the Jewish portrait of Moses—who bows before answering critics—we test the habits that keep power honest. We talk impeachment as a guardrail, protest versus violence, and how language like “terrorist” can poison public trust. Then we confront culture: why some societies drift toward strongmen and others toward process, and how clear institutions can help people adapt, thrive, and hold leaders to account. Along the way, we tackle borders, policing, and the tug-of-war between compassion and law, searching for policies that save lives without surrendering justice.
By the end, we land where faith and civics meet: citizens share the work. Judge your leaders by how they serve the common good, not by tribal wins or viral clips. Use the tools of redress before you reach for the match. If this conversation sharpened your thinking, subscribe, share it with a friend who loves a good argument, and leave a review telling us your single best test for legitimate authority.
Opening, Host Intros, Setup
SPEAKER_08There's something happening here, but what it is ain't exactly clear. There's a man with a gun over there. Telling me I got to get where I think it's time we stop. Children, what's that sound? Everybody look what's going down. But nobody's right if everybody's wrong. Young people speak in their minds. I get so much resistance from behind we stop. Hey, what's that sound?
Crises Abroad And At Home
SPEAKER_13Everybody knows what's going down. Welcome to a show of faith where a professor, priest, millennial, and rabbi discuss theology, philosophy, morality, ethics, and anything else that interests us. If you have any response to our topic or any comments regarding what we say, we would love to hear from you. Email us at show of faith1070 at gmail.com and show of faith1070 at gmail.com. You can hear our shows again and again by listening pretty much everywhere podcasts are heard. Our priest is Father Mario Arroyo, retired pastor of St. Carol of Alexandria in the 10,000 block of Westheimer. Hello. Professor David Capes is our Protestant minister, director of academic programming for the Lanier Theological Library. Good to be with you. Rudy Kong is our millennial, he's a systems engineer and has his master's degree in theology from the University of St. Thomas. Howdy, howdy. I'm Stuart Federal, retired rabbi of Congregation Sha'ar, Hushalum, the Clear Lake area of Houston, Texas. And Miranda is our board operator, and she helps us sound fantastic. And tonight, Rudy, you are show director.
SPEAKER_03Oh my goodness. I get to open up the ear. And I don't know how I feel about this because it has been quite an interesting start to 2026. And uh well I I think that's putting it mildly, of course. Um with the things that have been going on, of course, with uh with Venezuela. Um there was some military action against the dictator Maduro, and there are, of course, uh for about the last week a lot of things going on in Iran as well. And several other places that don't get a lot of attention in Nigeria, in Yemen, um Ukraine is still going on, Gaza. Uh it it's a whole it's a whole thing. But so with um Nicaragua, Cuba, um it's it there's there's there's a lot. There's a lot. And it got me thinking about leadership and more specifically, the legitimacy of leadership, which is one of the things that has been strongly questioned, specifically with uh the United States entering into Venezuela, removing Maduro. Um there's been a lot of talk in the news about what authority the United States has and whatnot. And and I don't I don't want to make this about a legal precedence because I mean we could I'm sure we could talk about it, but uh, we're not lawyers and we're not as much as we can read the news and stuff, so uh what I would really want to focus on is the sort of theological side behind elected leaders, uh legitimate leaders, whether it's uh uh a sort of a democracy or of a king. And so um, you know, in this age, there's a lot of polarization and contentions of authority. And our different faiths, in essence, sort of lay out a framework for thinking about our obligations or the obligations of civil government and us as citizens to a civil government. So uh of course it's not just something that can be imported wholesale, but I think it's something that that I think we can spend a little bit of time discussing from each of our different perspectives, and I would like to start um well I guess let me back up a little bit. Would you guys like to address anything in particular about the events that have happened uh this weekend, or is it okay if I just jump in?
SPEAKER_13No, so go ahead.
SPEAKER_02Okay, well, I I uh the other the other I think the other thing, uh Rudy, that we've got to consider is what happened in Minneapolis uh recently with the shooting of the the woman in the car. And the general um sort of the general charge that we have a tyrannical government here in the United States. So it's not just it's not just Venezuela, it's not just Iran, uh, it's not just other places. It's it's it's the challenge that we have that we will see in the streets, and we will continue to see in the streets of some cities at least, that uh that our own government is in fact illegitimate, right? And that's one of the one of the questions that we're gonna be talking about tonight.
SPEAKER_06Uh uh David, I'm sort of taken aback that uh that you have uh introduced that because in no way have I heard in any of the news that I've been reading about our government being tyrannical, because actually we're all that the government is doing is enforcing the law that has been passed democratically.
SPEAKER_02So the accusation Yeah, no, I I I realize that, but there are people that have made the claim claim that that true uh uh Trump is himself a tyrant. But how is he a tyrant? What's it?
SPEAKER_06But what is the definition of a tyrant?
SPEAKER_02You can call it a well see that's that's a that's a part of the question, it is that's part of what we're gonna be talking about tonight. Yeah, okay. Uh I I I don't I don't think that there is any uh there there, but that's a part of the challenge. That's a part of the challenge that we are facing in our own country. Um I mean, whether a a election is legitimate, whether it's not legitimate, whether a person is is uh tyrant or not a tyrant, I mean those are those are not just simply subjective judgments. I think the Catholic catechism lays out in um in certain ways what makes for the common good. And again, we'll talk about that a little bit later.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I I wanted to kind of lay out initially, um so from a Catholic sort of political theology, authority itself, in and of itself, is not self-justifying. Right? So a ruler is legitimate not because he holds power or simply because he was elected, but because authority that he exercises or she exercises is ordered to a purpose beyond itself. So this in fancy doodle terms is called a tealy illogical nature, right? It's when we look at things with an eye towards the end goal of what this is for. And so I wanted to I wanted to bring up this concept because I think it's important that when when we make this distinction, this isn't necessarily a distinction about monarchy or democracy, but about orientation. And so you can have a democratically elected leader who systematically uses power for private benefit and be a tyrant, right? So these are things that have happened, and you could have a hereditary monarch who genuinely serves the common good and is a good king, right? So there's there's very different ways of governing, but I think what David, I think what what you were bringing up is I think exactly the point here that we need to discuss is when we when we analyze and we look at the leadership in power, right, whether they're elected or not elected, or or or how they got there, of course, and and there's a whole aspect of this where you know a leader can come into power through sort of raw power, right? Through military might, but that's that's a whole other aspect of this. But is this leader or orienting the country, the action towards the common good? And I think, of course, when we say the common good, that opens up a lot of interpretation as well, right? Because what we think what I think is common good would probably not align very much with somebody on the left or a Democrat who think abortion or maybe gender uh reassignment, um these types of things are essentially good for society. So we have a very, a very interesting dichotomy, right? Where I think there's there's an argument to be said that, for example, I did not think that Biden was a leader that was oriented towards the common good. Now, it does not make him an illegitimate leader. He was elected, right? And we can make arguments about election this and fraud and whatnot, but I don't think that's the point. The point is you can still have an elected person that was legitimately elected can still not be oriented towards the common good. And so I guess the the first question that I want to pose to the group is would you would you sort of would you sort of say that if if a if a leader has been elected and is not oriented towards the common good, does that make him still a legitimate leader? Or are there sort of lever levels to this degradation or corruption that can happen over time? We're not perfect, right?
SPEAKER_06We're all you in yeah, but you know, you know, Rudy, he is legitimate. Um he is legitimate, and at least in this uh republic, we have a redress called impeachment. Now, it's been misused in the late li in the last few years by the Democratic Party who are itching to to impeach for whatever reason. Um but but uh I think that uh once we get to the point of um uh a leader d actually doing not seeking the common good and and actually turning into harm, I think the the members of the republic, both in the Senate and in the House, would come to the agreement to remove that person. So I think there is a there is a already a mechanism in our republic.
SPEAKER_13Aaron Powell There is in our republic, yes.
SPEAKER_06Yes.
Elections, Impeachment, And Redress
SPEAKER_13You might have to say that he is legitimately elected.
SPEAKER_06And he is illegitimately impeached.
SPEAKER_13Trevor Burrus, Jr. And he could be legitimately impeached, sorry. Just because he's legitimately elected. Doesn't mean he's a good leader. He's a leader because he was elected, but it doesn't mean he's a good leader.
SPEAKER_06Trevor Burrus, Jr. But the problem is ultimately when when the leader begins to uh maneuver the the rules of the game so as to remove the the methods of impeachment or the methods of of getting rid of him, you know, such as Maduro, for example, or such as ever been elected. So it's the those are the kinds of things that they remove the legitimate function the legitimate methods of redress.
SPEAKER_13Trevor Burrus And even if they're not elected, how many times does somebody come to office and everybody's hooray and shouting hooray and everything's gonna be wonderful and they turn out to be like all the other dictators? That's right.
SPEAKER_03David, I think it's important I think it's important to look oh go ahead, David.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I'm I'm just saying, you know, this has often happened in history. I was I was thinking about the fact that, you know, uh Hitler was legitimately elected, but but he became odd obviously an enemy to the common good, not only of his own people and to large swaths of his people, but also to to Europe in in general. So legitimate elections don't necessarily mean that you have a legitimate authority who has come into this office. And I think Maduro's a great example of a person who, uh, at least on paper, he was legitimately elected. I think that was probably fabricated. But uh we have acted uh at this point we've acted unilaterally to remove a person who many many uh countries did not regard as the legitimate president of the uh the people of Venezuela.
SPEAKER_06Yeah. I ag I agree. I mean, and and you get to the point. See, the where I get where I get sure is when the the person in government removes the legitimate means of redress of the people against him. And that's what he got.
SPEAKER_13That's the first move.
Break And Station Ads
SPEAKER_06That's the first m the the first move. And that's what Hitler did, that's what Mussolini did, because the moment you start going against the person who's in ch in in in power, they remove you, they kill you, or they and or they get rid of the process. Now that's why I believe that you couldn't make that argument about Trump, because the legitimate way of getting rid of Trump would have been impeachment, but they couldn't get it done. And so it was followed and the and and we did not have the impeach it was not successful. So it was it it's working. And and so it's being said that he's not uh illegitimate. People hate him sometimes, but they can't say he's illegitimate. Well they can't. He's got full authority. He was elected, and he there's a means of removal, and and he has not been removed. And on top of that, I am saying right now that we need to go to a break. Wow.
SPEAKER_03Legitimately.
SPEAKER_06Legitimate good go to a break.
SPEAKER_03You are the authority.
SPEAKER_06Amen. And I may not be impeached. This is KNTH 1070, and we will be right back.
SPEAKER_05Explained our involvement in Venezuela.
SPEAKER_01They are not generating any revenue from their oil right now. They can't move it unless we allow it to move because we have sanctions, because we're enforcing those sanctions.
SPEAKER_17They are running Venezuela through the leverage they have over the only thing that Venezuela has that can make currency for the police state that is largely still in power there after Maduro is taken to the United States. The Q Hewitt show.
SPEAKER_05Afternoon, it's at two on AM 1070 and FM 1033. The answer. AM 1070, the answer.
SPEAKER_19The fight against sexual exploitation begins at home. Sexual exploitation is no longer a distant issue. It's happening here in our communities, schools, and even our homes. Every day, millions of Americans are targeted and trapped through manipulation, coercion, and deception. Sexploited in America, The Invisible War is a powerful docu series exposing the hidden systems and cultural blind spots that allow exploitation to thrive. And gives a voice to the survivors and families forever changed by it. Raw, unfiltered, deeply human, these stories reveal both the devastating realities of exploitation and the extraordinary courage of those who refuse to be silenced. Sexploited in America, the docuseries, is presented by AGA Media and available to everyone now at SalemNow.com.
SPEAKER_20Town Hall News, where conservative voices cut through the noise from breaking headlines to fearless opinion. We report what matters without apology, written by people who actually believe what you believe. Town Hall tells the stories the corporate press buries. From President Trump to Capitol Hill, from pivotal elections to your everyday lives. Join the movement at townhall.com. Real stories, real reporters, real conservative media.
SPEAKER_09Scott James isn't impressed with the United Nations. As well as thanking China and Russia for their support for the holding of this meeting.
SPEAKER_14Okay, so Somalia is running a meeting. Colombia is thanking Russia and China for their support. You couldn't make this up. You couldn't make one of those uh mad windows.
SPEAKER_05That's crazy if you try to go to FM1033.
SPEAKER_06Oh, it's good loopy nibbi nabi loopy.
SPEAKER_13Well, it's important to have this thing stuck.
SPEAKER_06No, no, this is this is good morning sunshine, right?
SPEAKER_13Yeah, it's it's it's a good detail.
SPEAKER_07Hey folks, let me tell you.
SPEAKER_13I'm begging you, please stop. I don't know what you're talking about.
SPEAKER_06Look, folks, um, I can tell you right now, I am exhausted. I had three masses this today. I had to drive down to town to Texas City. I had two masses in Texas City, came back, drove another hour back here, had another mass here, and and then and and then last night I drove back to Texas City and up, I mean up to Texas City and back downtown, and I'm exhausted. I I so you may get some loopy, or some very fine intellectual answers. But some loops are the first time loopy.
SPEAKER_03We'll get some fine intellectual answers within the loopiness of this.
SPEAKER_02So let's so let's hope so. Hey, look, uh, I need to confess something as we get started. I am a Protestant. Okay. Oh my goodness.
SPEAKER_03Did you guys know that?
SPEAKER_02I am a Protestant. But wait a minute, hold on. I have catechism envy. I have to say, you know, that's that's I thought that would be funnier than I didn't.
SPEAKER_06It is funny that you have catechism envy.
SPEAKER_02But look, I mean, I mean, what you you you as Catholics have been thinking through these issues much, much longer than many of us in the Protestant church. So uh I I would like to claim at times Thomas Aquinas as my own, right? And I would like to claim Augustine and some of the others as as my own. I think there's some very interesting ideas that we're going to be chatting about here about what makes a political authority legitimate, and it is in the catechism very very clearly that these people are ordered and they are governed by what is good to the most people. Good to the common common citizen. And and not just in their own self-interest. And so as we as we talk through this, a lot of this has come about through deliberation. And so that's why I say I I have catechism in me. Because I wish we as Protestants had had the time and the ability to have thought through some of these questions as well as the
Conditions For Overthrow
SPEAKER_03I think a lot of the a lot of the I think argument has been a lot though, I think has been deliberating and answering a lot of the product and commentary as well. So I think I think a lot of the has developed, of course not became a little bit more than the last 500 years there's really been a lot of ideological development. I think it's been important. It's been important to kind of find the thing. And I I wanted to bring up the verse Romans in chapter 13. Because I think it's it's one of the things that articulates, which is which sort of one of the foundational principles here when every person I mean for Catholic and I would have been protesters as well. Let every person be Catholic governing authority, or there is no authority except for God. And those things have been in the God. But it does sort of lay uh framework, if you will, make the framework for the more obligations, if you will, for the the government and the right and so you try to make it the claim the way I can this is what we see and a lot of us that didn't agree, for example, with Biden, um I think you have uh uh sort of automatic duty to go out and start burning everything and throwing everything, even though some people have drop with electivity, of course, right? Like try to do better than those people, but it doesn't give me an automatic duty to start overthrowing everything. There's a process, there's a procedure, there's the framework that again the Catholic had. And I'm glad you're envying of it because it does really explain a lot of great things. It it it's a great for anybody who's never read it, it's it's it's it's deep, it's long, it's it's detailed, and and I know we have to go to a break because that a catechism explains it as such that we must follow authority.
SPEAKER_06Amen. And I am the authority when it comes to when it comes to breaks. And I I who who who who left who left? Was that the you, David? Or or was that because whoever la whoever laughed is going to receive my wrath.
SPEAKER_13It was the anti-Catholics in the in the uh okay, okay.
SPEAKER_06Right. This is 1070 K and TH and we'll be right back. I am 1070, the answer.
SPEAKER_00If you're between the ages of 55 and 63, disabled and unable to work, you may be eligible for disability benefits from Social Security. The average is about$1,300 a month. It's a benefit you are entitled to from working. Use it to pay your normal living expenses. This free call only takes 10 minutes, and it could provide you the necessary financial relief you need. Plus, our services cost you nothing until you receive your benefit check. Save yourself time and aggravation. We know how to get the job done for you as quickly as possible. So if you are physically or mentally disabled and can't return to work, and you're between the ages of 55 and 63, learn if you qualify for your$1,300 a month check. Make this free call right now to the Social Security Disability Helpline.
SPEAKER_16800-368-0123. 800-368-0123. 800-368-0123. That's$800-368-0123.
SPEAKER_05Trish Regan provides the analysis you need each day on the Trish Regan podcast.
Moses, Humility, And Leadership
SPEAKER_12The Democrats getting so desperate, first of all, had the quote-unquote seditions fixed with their videos saying, oh, don't follow illegal orders. It was just kind of a weird thing to do, right? Because it's not like the president has done anything illegal, but they're trying to effectively still chaos.
SPEAKER_05Subscribe today on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Rumble, or at Salem PodcastNetwork.com.
SPEAKER_04For those who have served our nation, reminds us of why we salute our flag, why we put our hands on our hearts for the Pledge of Allegiance, and why we proudly stand for the national anthem. All of us, together, as one team, one people, and one American family, can do anything. We all share the same home, the same heart, the same destiny, and the same great American flag.
SPEAKER_05President Trump on AM 1070, the answer.
SPEAKER_03Okay, so uh I wanna I want to turn this over to you guys, but I want to say this. The Catholic Church lays out particular conditions, if you will, for the overthrow of a government, so of a dictator, of a ruler, of anything. But because according to the Catholic Church, this this type of action where we just go out and overthrow whoever we don't agree with isn't based in an honest orientation toward uh a common good. Why? Because in the long history, the church has learned that revolutions frequently devour their own children and produce worse outcomes than the regime they replace. So these things have to be taken into there's there's certain conditions, right? And it has to be I'm gonna name it real quick, and then Rabbi, you've been way too quiet. So I'm gonna turn over to you and get your thoughts on this and and from the Jewish perspective as well. But for this for this type of condition to be met, it has to be a certain grave and prolonged fundamental violation of fundamental rights. All other means of redress have to be exhausted. There has to be no worse disorder likely to result, and there can be no reasonable alternative. Rabbi, what are your thoughts?
SPEAKER_13Well, I have a number of thoughts, uh, but first before I give you mine, this is an email, I believe coming from Minnesota, but it's from our very favorite Presbyterian Mark, who writes, guys, when people like J.D. Vance and Noam start implying that people protesting the administration are domestic terrorists, that is indeed scary. Grace and Peace, Presbyterian Mark. Now, I've got to tell you, obviously I know J.D. Vance is. I'm not sure who Noam is.
SPEAKER_06She's uh the uh head of the uh um uh isn't it immigration office, guys?
SPEAKER_13Yes. Oh, I think I'll talk. Okay, because all it says is J.D. Vance and Noam. So I I didn't know exactly that. But well, you know. Mark, thank you for your email.
American Revolution And Just Cause
SPEAKER_06But here's Mark, I I would push back a little bit. Because, you know, what is a terrorist? You know, you now you you can have a terrorist who's after to kill people, and a terrorist who is just trying to scare the heck out of you and uh and and using violence to do it. And so I I don't call them horrible terrorists, but they're certainly trying to instill fear by resistance. Um you know, the d they're not demonstrating that they they're actively using violence. Right. You know, so I I the I they to me they lose it. They lose their legitimacy the moment they stop demonstrating and start using violence.
SPEAKER_13Right. I would agree. All right, Rudy, you asked me what I think. Uh let me put it this way. In many of the writings in the Jewish community, the ideal leader is Moses. He wasn't elected. Or he was elected with a vote of one, namely God. So the people of Israel didn't have much of a choice to have him as their leader. However, from the Jewish perspective at least, they had a jewel of a leader. What did Moses do every single time in the five books of Moses? What did he do when he was confronted by someone questioning his authority? The first thing he did was prostrate himself on the ground. And according to Jewish tradition, at least, the first thing he's trying to do is find out within himself, are they right? In other words, Moses had humility. He had the idea that maybe he's not always correct, that maybe what he thought or how he thought the ways things should go may not always be the right way to do things. So his initial response when being confronted was to prostrate himself and give himself time to figure out are they right or not. And once he figured out no, they're not right, then he would respond accordingly. But he began with humility. Dictators don't begin with humility. Dictators don't begin with humility, they they begin with oppression and squelching the ability to have what Mario reminded us of a redress of grievances. So I think I think there's a lesson in leadership that it begins with humility. Now, I'm not quite sure where to go from there, but I'll I'll leave it at that.
SPEAKER_03I think it's a good point, Rabbi, and I think it's it's one of the foundational things towards keeping a genuine orientation towards the common good, right? Is to question yourself, okay, is this action really the best action in Moses' case, right, or for the people, or the group, or the community. Um, in our case, uh for the republic, is this the best action? And and I, for one, I think is is I would like to think that our leaders, especially somebody like Trump, does question himself. Um I think he is shown to be a man, you know, who who has some uh religious-oriented ideology, and so I think naturally with that it comes it comes with uh a sort of self-questioning which which is good. Father Mario, yes, your thoughts on on what I was what we were talking about.
Borders, Law, And Moral Duty
SPEAKER_06Well, I you know well actually I I I was a little bit disconnected. Yeah, why? Because uh I was thinking under what we were talking about, does the United did the revolutionaries of the United States have a legitimate um a legitimate cause to break from the run bill in from England? Yeah, and I I was reading I was reading the um the the Declaration of Independence, and uh the the the part that comes out it says, but when a long train of abuses and usurpations pursuing invariably the same object evinces or shows design a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, the people, it is their duty to throw out such government and to provide new guards for their future security, such as have been the patient sufferance of these colonies, and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former subsystems of government. The history of the present king of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having an indirect object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To boot these facts, let the facts be submitted to the candidate, then he goes on with Right.
SPEAKER_13And you want to translate all that? Why do you just read?
SPEAKER_06It's in English.
SPEAKER_13Yes, I know.
SPEAKER_06But but I think it's it's important. You know, I always like, look, I I love being Catholic, but i just because we're I'm Catholic doesn't mean that I don't question the Catholic Church. Uh because I think it's a we're taught that it's radical you. No, I mean I mean we were taught as Catholics that it is legitimate. Like just because the Pope has spoken doesn't mean that that we can't criticize a little bit of what he's saying with reverence and and obedience to uh to him. But uh remember what the word obedience means. Etymologically it means listen closely. And I am listening closely, but you sometimes you have to re uh uh give a rebuttal. So I I I don't know where we want to go in terms of applying this. I I agree that the the the situations that we're in right now, I think that the government has acted not perfectly, but has acted roughly in a in a responsible way, both with uh with Venezuela and with the the arm the bombing of the Iranian nuclear uh things and with the with the trying to uh you know approach Cuba in terms of uh because they're actively trying to trade? No, to actively trying to destabilize Cuba. Destabilize. Destabilize. So I don't I don't know if Marie of that were contributes to anything.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, I think it's it's good point because um I think with certain R, at least within Catholic tradition, I think it's um yeah, I may not seem like it, maybe for a lot of people, you know, uh I see in a lot of social media we're called papists and we just kind of do what he says. But the the reality is even the Pope himself, before um anything he writes or says, I mean, he has an entire knowledge of very yeah, consultations of writings and and uh so the things that that are said and talked about aren't, you know, and he proclaimed uh both fallibly and infallibly, are not taken lightly. No, at least not by any modern pope for sure, or for the last hundreds of years really.
Defining The Common Good
SPEAKER_06Yeah. And for you know, for example, I'm uh I'm a I'm a little perturbed with the papacy, not necessarily this pope, because he's he he's he's he's been just new. So but um with the previous Pope, um what happened, I mean the issue is he they they come out really in support of immigrants, which the they should, but at the same time, they s uh the Catholic Church has not spoken about the the tremendous disaster that Biden uh allowed to happen on the southern border. On the southern border. Almost four million people by the time you count the encounters and the gataways and stuff like that. And and so the question is yes, the Catholic Church does say that each government has a right to have borders, but then are you saying that once a an a a ruler ignores the borders, causes a disaster, and then the following ruler is not supposed to be able to enforce the law, to be able to say you're here illegally? And what are we going to do? So what are we supposed to say? Oh, you're here illegally, but it's okay you broke the law, and and no problem. And so it to me it's an impossible situation that we're in. So, and we have to go to a break because it it's impossible, but we have to make it possible. That's the dictators of our record. I may be a dictator, but I still have to obey the commercials. This is 1070 KTH and we'll be right back.
SPEAKER_15AM 1070 and FM 1033, the answer. Non-attorney paid spokesperson. Could your house go into foreclosure? Are you behind on your mortgage payments? Does it seem like the bank has no interest in helping you save your home and you feel like you have nowhere to turn for help? Then we have good news for you. Foreclosure protection services can help save your home as they specialize in foreclosure assistance. That's all they do. If you're behind on your mortgage payments, being threatened with foreclosure, have been denied a loan modification, or been the victim of a predatory loan, it's critical that you call foreclosure protection services now at 800-978-0930. Their network of attorneys and their agents are available to speak to you now. If you're behind on your mortgage payments, foreclosure protection services can help stop the foreclosure process. Call today before it's too late. New laws are in effect that may save your home. Call for Closure Protection Services now at 800-978-0930. 800-978-0930. That's 800-978-0930.
SPEAKER_18Twitchy.com brings you the latest in social news, highlighting and reacting to important conversations from America's most prominent journalists, politicians, and celebrities. Twitchy's Kinetic group of editors deliver fast and amusing content around the clock to tell you who said what in global and political news, sports, entertainment, and media. If it's news, they're on it. If it should be news, they're ahead of it. Stay connected to the newswire of the 21st century with Twitchy.com. Twitchy.com.
SPEAKER_05The Big Ten70 is everywhere. Click listen live on AM1070theanswer.com. Go to the app store and download the KTH app on your smartphone where you can tap the app and listen to AM1070 The Answer. You can even use the KTH app to wake up to AM1070. On Alexa, ask the flight the Houston Answer. Plus, you can hear us on Tunein.com, iHeartRadio, and in Houston. You'll find us on AM1070 and FM 1033, The Answer.
SPEAKER_11Bring me a dream. Make him the cutest that I've ever seen. Give him two lips like roses and clover. Then tell him that his lots of nights are over.
SPEAKER_13Welcome back to a show of faith on AM107 the answer.
SPEAKER_06Today that song was fulfilled in your hearing.
SPEAKER_02Mm-hmm. Why is that? What?
SPEAKER_06Because what was it? Wasn't she saying, bring me uh this kind of guy that is just perfect?
Institutions, Amendments, And Stability
SPEAKER_13Yes, I'm still waiting.
SPEAKER_06Well, you know, I just thought that, God, that fits me perfectly. Right, yeah.
SPEAKER_02That fits you, yeah. One of the things that I appreciate about what our discussion's been about, we talked about the fact that a legitimate person in authority, President King, whatever, is is really focused upon the common good. And then the catechism goes forward and says, Well, this is what the common good looks like. The common good looks like the the protection of life. Yes. There is there is, I think, the orientation. Here. Are lives lost in um in in in in law enforcement? Yes, sometimes that's true. But there is, I think, a general disposition for this president, not only in this country, but also in other countries around the world, that life is to be protected.
SPEAKER_06That's right.
SPEAKER_02Right? And that's that's true in Israel, that's true in Iran, that's true in in Venezuela. And that there be justice under law, that we have laws that are are there that are legitimate and that there is justice there. That there is social peace. Now, this is not completely and totally the president's responsibility or anyone's responsibility. It is our responsibility to seek the social peace. And that there be conditions for moral and religious freedom. People are free. People are free to express their religious conviction. And that there is a basic financial uh stability. And I think that's that's entirely true. So all of that measures up. I I would I would argue that the president, this president, um, though he can be faulted for maybe some of his policies or some of his decisions, people could could come at him for that.
SPEAKER_06They can't really come at him for the fact that the common good of America and the rest of the world is not part of his I think they I think i in his way of being against the constant killing of people, look at the way he's trying to stay every time he approaches the whole issue of Ukraine, he's saying people are dying every day. He's keep he's constantly trying to keep people from dying. And and uh when when even when he sends the the the the police or the the National Guard to to uh enforce the law, they try not to hurt people. But sometimes this poor lady that got that got shot, they can't say it's murder, because murder is the intentional killing of an innocent person. There's no evidence.
SPEAKER_13Premeditation.
SPEAKER_06Looks like it was a a quick decision of defense.
SPEAKER_13So it's of self-defense as yeah.
SPEAKER_06So it's anyway. I've been talking too much.
SPEAKER_03No, I I think it's an important point, um, David, because I think when when we when we think about our leaders and when we think about what they're actually trying to do, I I think it's it's important for us to not not um not focus entirely on what social media or a lot of uh uh the popular press says, right? And and what what's really interesting is is at least here in the United States, uh you only get two goes at it, right? I mean, you can only be in power eight eight years. And even then you could be president and have the house against you.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, right?
Culture, Strongmen, And Rule Of Law
SPEAKER_03So it means that you're not gonna get a lot of stuff done. In this case, you know, the the Republican side, we have the majority in the House, there's a Republican president, so there's there's been a lot of things that have aligned, but it happened on the other side of the bench too, right? There's been times in history where the Democrats had a president and the Democrats had a had uh majority in the houses, and there was a lot of leak legal things that happened, a lot of legislation that passed that was blocked. So it it it's uh honestly, really, here in the United States, it really is a beautiful thing, and and it it kind of amazes me still. And I'm gonna give you a quick example because one of the things that that uh that that I find sort of incredible is in the Bill of Rights was ratified what, in 1790, 1791? Um and since then the constitution um has only had 27 amendments to it, okay, in its entire history. And this is it's it's not a huge long history, but it's pretty long as far as a republic goes in a country, uh a continuous governing body, right? Um and I was recently in Brazil, and the most recent government in Brazil has only been ratified and constitutionalized in since 1988, 1989. And since then, they have had 77 changes to their constitution, 77 amendments. So when I look at coercion, and when I it's it's just an insane number, right? So when I look at the amount of um uh coercion that happens, right, then it it yes, there's a lot of push and pull here in the United States, but for the most part, I think a large majority of the population is interested in in following the law. And the law, you know, it may not happen immediately, but it catches up. You know, there's there's a process and things really do get get sorted out in the light. At least that's how I perceive it. I don't know if you guys would agree with that.
SPEAKER_13Rudy, that makes me that leads me to ask a question and I am not capable of answering. I'm hoping Mario and you, Rudy, are. And it has to do with culture. Because you're you're you're the what you just asked leads me to the question. When a people, society, culture, community are so used to ingrained in dictatorships. Are South America, Central America, maybe even Mexico, but I'm not I don't know enough about it. Are the people of these countries capable of being in a country, living in a country that's not a dictatorship? Are they so are they so related to it?
Assimilation And Gratitude
SPEAKER_06Yeah, I I think I in front, you really you might jump in here because I I have often said that uh the Latin America and and the Lat the uh it not just Latin America, I think the issue with is the word Latin. Okay. Now the reason I say the word Latin as opposed to Anglo. As opposed to Anglo. Anglo-Saxon. This is uh maybe a controversial statement, but the Latin character is much more focused not on the rule of law, but on personality, on on the great leaders of personality. And so uh the Americans or the Anglo-Saxon seems to be a lot more uh focused on procedure and law uh uh above all. And uh the Latin countries, if you look at their history, not all of them, but many of them, um, have been constantly plagued with strongmen, people, the personality cult. So I think this whole idea, because in I think in many places in in Central and Latin America, and it probably also in Spain and in other places, it's who you know.
SPEAKER_13Right, and it's corruption and bureaucratic. I think that's the thing.
SPEAKER_06Yes, they can, but it has to be it, they have to, we have we have to confront our Latin tradition of, but it's who you know more than the personality. Rudy, how do you feel about that?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I think what what what you really have to understand, uh Rabbi, is that at least from what I've read, history is the two different sums of government and extractive economies that happen with compared to the Spanish colonization versus the English colonization. A lot of it boils down to the belief that um within the Anglo-Saxon, let's call it English uh colonies, they had way more experience with local and self-government governance. So versus the Spanish, um, it was just way more centralized about the crown, and so it it it's I it's I think something hereditary and cultural too that's been kind of passed down, if you will. But I do think that people that come to the United States can adapt in rather quickly.
SPEAKER_16Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Uh because I've lived it. Mario, you've lived it. I mean, and and we like it, you know.
SPEAKER_06It's a lot of people came to the United States. I I know my family came to the United States as a result of uh uh of you know a country that had lost its way. And we love the the the American legal system and and the the way that things are ordered here. We have about a minute left, minute and a half. Rudy, you want to bring us to a close?
SPEAKER_03No, just I just want to thank you guys. It's it's always a pleasure talking with you guys and and having the opportunity to to direct and and it kind of feels out of place sometimes. You know, the a lot of the times I feel like I should just be the one listening to talking, but I appreciate very much uh Well Rudy, you're you are a treasure even though you're just a boy.
SPEAKER_13Indeed, indeed he is.
SPEAKER_06But you are a treasure.
SPEAKER_13He's the epitome of when they say out of the mouths of babes.
Closing Thanks And Next Week
SPEAKER_06Out of the mouth of babes. He's Rudy, for those of you who don't know who are listening or don't know, Rudy's in his what, your late 30s?
unknownI am 40. I just turned 40 December 4th.
SPEAKER_06He's an old man.
SPEAKER_13Speaking of which, my birthday's Tuesday.
SPEAKER_06Yeah. Oh right. Well, happy birthday. Thank you, thank you. Well, we are almost out of time. So, and who's show director next?
SPEAKER_13David.
SPEAKER_06David, you are show director next. Okay.
SPEAKER_02And God willing, I'll be there and we'll have a chance to have a great conversation.
SPEAKER_06Mucho bueno. Well, you've been listening here to the show of faith. Please, during this week, uh, stay tuned and be involved and keep using your purse because you're going to be an hour.
SPEAKER_05Find out at WTR.com. Download our app.24.com.