Episode 470: The Happiest Countries & Childlike Faith with Mandy Smith

The Holy Post

Phil Vischer

Skyejethani, Society & Culture, Philvischer, Religion & Spirituality, Christianity, 226012, Christiantaylor, Atheism, Veggietales

4.6 • 4.1K Ratings

🗓️ 18 August 2021

⏱️ 87 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The United Nations World Happiness Report is out, and it says the United States is still behind the world’s happiest countries. Can we learn anything from them, or does America’s diversity mean perpetual conflict? Then, pastor and author Mandy Smith says Western culture has warped our understanding of what it means to be a Christian by focusing too much on knowledge and power. The antidote? Embracing Jesus’ call to childlike faith. Also this week—covid skeptics have some explaining to do because last year life expectancy in the US dropped the most since WWII—and it wasn’t because of murder hornets. Plus, a woman sues McDonald’s for tempting her to break her Lenten fast.

News Segment:

Woman sues McDonald’s after burger ad compelled her to break Lent fast [2:55]
https://nypost.com/2021/08/06/woman-sues-mcdonalds-after-burger-ad-made-her-break-her-lent-fast/

COVID-19 caused U.S. life expectancy to drop 1.5 years [09:38]
https://time.com/6082192/covid-19-us-life-expectancy-drop/

White evangelical COVID-19 vaccine acceptance has jumped 11 points since March [09:38]
https://www.relevantmagazine.com/current/nation/study-white-evangelical-covid-19-vaccine-acceptance-has-jumped-11-points-since-march/

UN report on global happiness [21:47]
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/03/21/americans-are-unhappiest-theyve-ever-been-un-report-finds-an-epidemic-addictions-could-be-blame/

https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2021/

Interview with Mandy Smith:

Unfettered: Imagining a Childlike Faith beyond the Baggage of Western Culture - https://amzn.to/3nhS6o7

Interview Start [48:06]
How is Western civilization in a tailspin? [49:56]
An antidote for two false ways of engaging faith [52:35]
Qualities of a childlike faith [56:01]
Wholistic faith and childlikeness [57:29]
Humility & honesty within disorder [01:00:37]
Error in overreacting to rationality of Western culture [01:05:21]
Story about dancing, healing, and releasing control [01:10:31]
Reconciling the call to maturity with a childlike faith [01:19:59]

Other resources mentioned:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1hiPIEqDMq2yobve2PyTH7?si=4ab2ce3ebf7d4bbb

(The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.)

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Welcome to Holypost Episode 470.
0:03.6	On today's show, a woman sues McDonald's for tempting her to break her fast.
0:08.2	Does she have a case?
0:09.7	COVID skeptics have some explaining to do because last year life expectancy in the US dropped
0:14.7	the most since World War II, and it wasn't because of murder hornets.
0:19.5	In some good news, vaccination rates among white evangelicals has jumped 11% since March.
0:25.2	We speculate about what the reason might be and wonder what influence pastors are actually
0:29.5	having.
0:30.5	Then, the United Nations Global Happiness Report is out, and it says the United States
0:35.1	has fallen even farther behind.
0:37.7	Can we learn anything from the world's happiest countries?
0:40.7	And then I talk with Pastor and author Mandy Smith about the assumptions we carry about
0:45.0	faith in Western culture, and what Jesus really meant when he said we must become like children
0:50.1	to enter his kingdom.
0:52.0	But first, a quick reminder that you can interact with us about each episode by visiting HolyPost.com.
0:58.4	We love reading your comments, and sometimes we even continue the debates that started
1:02.1	on the podcast with you, our faithful listeners.
1:05.4	And for those who want to go even deeper down the rabbit hole that is the HolyPost, you
1:09.5	can support us through Patreon.
1:11.6	You'll get access to bonus interviews, early access to new content like the Jesus and
1:15.8	John Wayne series we did with Christen Dumay, and a live stream every month with me, Phil,
1:20.6	and Christian, plus access to exclusive merchandise like t-shirts.
	...

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