Join me with Bishop William Gregg to discuss what it means for Israel to be God's chosen people, and what does that mean for the rest of us, who are not Jewish, and do not live in Israel? Why do people pay attention to Israel as an indicator for the end times?

#israel #gazawar #endtimes #chosenpeople #whatabouttherestofus

Welcome to "The Journalism of Everything Podcast," where curiosity knows no bounds. In today's thought-provoking episode, your host, journalist Darisse Smith, delves into one of the most complex and contentious regions on the planet: Israel. Brought up in both progressive Southern Baptist and Episcopal traditions, Darisse shares her personal journey of the contrasting biblical teachings she encountered as a Southern Baptist and Episcopalian. She then tackles a rapid-fire, condensed history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, from the Balfour Declaration to the ongoing 2025 strife, offering a panoramic view of this century-long territorial and cultural battle.

The highlight of the episode is a profound interview featuring Bishop William Gregg, an Episcopal Bishop with a PhD in Theology from Notre Dame. Together, they explore why Israel holds such significance in the Bible and the intricate layers of modern geopolitical and religious contexts. Are the Israelites still God's chosen people? How do biblical prophecies shape today's world views and conflicts? And critically, can critiquing a nation be separated from condemning a faith? Join us as we peel back the layers on Israel, prophecy, and what being "God's chosen people" means in a modern world of cultural pluralism and political tumult. Don’t miss part one of this captivating discussion, and be sure to tune in next episode for the continuation with Bishop Gregg.

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#Israel #GazaConflict #Palestine #IsraelEndTimes #Theology #IsraelintheBible

• (00:00:00) - Introduction
• (00:01:00) - Two Pews, Two Perspectives
• (00:03:00) - A Lifelong Question: Why Israel?
• (00:05:00) - Modern Israel in 10 Minutes: A Timeline
• (00:14:00) - Religion and Geopolitics Collide
• (00:15:00) - Meet Bishop William Gregg
• (00:17:00) - What Is Israel? Geography, Symbolism, and Theology
• (00:23:00) - Who Are God’s Chosen People?
• (00:27:00) - Is It Antisemitic to Criticize Israel?
• (00:34:00) - Prophecy and the Bible: What Are We Actually Talking About?
• (00:38:00) - Covenant, Judgment, and Redemption
• (00:42:00) - Closing Reflections: Who Speaks for God?
• (00:44:00) - Podcast & Social Media Update

As I was doomscrolling TikTok one day, I came across an intriguing, fast-paced storyteller who described the experience of Tom and Michelle with a ouija board they found in their backyard. Essentially, Michelle became obsessed with using the ouija board, and eventually fell into a psychotic state. I had been warned off of ouija boards before, but my experience with them was largely as a game to play at slumber parties. The only thing our ouija board summoned was uncontrollable giggling from sugar-infused girls. Ouija boards are quite mysterious, though, since there are many anecdotal tales of the board summoning demons or spirits. There are also scientific explanations as to how it works, and how the planchette seems to move by itself.

In this podcast episode, I talk to Ashleeinc, who is a TikTok, Instagram and YouTube content creator with nearly 2 million followers. Ashlee tells Spooky Scary Stories that range from creepy roommates, Appalachia rules, time travelers, and of course, ouija boards. Ashlee and I talk about having skepticism about ouija boards, while also acknowledging perhaps we can't always have an explanation for spiritual things, or someone else's experience. I also talk about the history of ouija boards, which have roots in the spiritualism movement of the late 1800s and early 1900s. While today many people believe ouija boards summon demons, this notion is only from the past 50 years, and is mostly due to a popular horror movie. Which one? You'll have to listen to this episode!

#OuijaBoard #SpookyStories #TikTok #AshleyInc #Spiritualism #TheExorcist #Paranormal #PodcastInterview #IdiomotorEffect #CulturalHistory

• (00:00:32) - Introduction
• (00:06:24) - Ashleeinc Interview
• (00:38:06) - History of Ouija Boards
• (00:46:14) - What's In A Name?
• (00:48:40) - The Movie
• (00:55:50) - The Science
• (01:00:26) - Conclusion