What's going on Clearview Today listeners? It's David here from the Clearview Today Show, and I just want to let you know that today's episode and today's secret word is brought to you by Mighty Muscadine, king of the super fruits. Mighty Muscadine offers a variety of products from their signature muscadine grape juice to powerful dietary supplements.
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Not only are you saving money, but you're supporting our show as well. So thank you. Today's secret word is braggadocio.
That's vain and empty boasting. Today's secret word contestant is Dr. Shaw. You're listening to Clear View Today with Dr. Abbadon Shaw, the daily show that engages mind and heart for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm Ryan Hill.
I'm John Galantis. You can find us online at ClearViewTodayShow.com. If you have any questions for Dr. Shaw or suggestions for new topics, send us a text to 252-582-5028, or you can email us at contact at ClearViewTodayShow.com. All right, you guys can help us keep the conversation moving forward by supporting the show. You can share it online with your friends and family. Leave us a good five star review on iTunes or Spotify anywhere you get your podcasting content from.
Absolutely nothing less than five stars because I don't like it and it's mean to me. We're going to leave some links in the description. And we are here again with Dr. Abbadon Shaw, who's a Ph.D. in New Testament textual criticism, professor at Carolina University, author, full time pastor and the host of today's show. Dr. Shaw, welcome. Welcome. Welcome. It's good to be back. This is our second show in the new studio. Still got a little bit of touch ups to do, but ultimately I would say very nice. This is very nice. I'm so impressed. You can even hear that it sounds better.
Yes, it does. It just comes through in the quality of the audio. In the cadence of your voice. I'm picking it up in the cadence of your voice.
Hold on, where's buzzer, buzzer, buzzer? Wrong. No way, cadence was the secret word. Was it cadence?
No. Shame on Ryan! Shame on Ryan! Shame! Shame! Shame! Cadence is a pretty common word.
Sometimes they've been kind of common. Like it was on the psych show. Can you pick it up in the tundra of my voice? And the viscosity of my dulcet tones.
Okay. Read the verse of the day. The verse of the day today is coming to us from John chapter 11, verse 26. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? That's the question.
That is the question. Do you believe it? Do you believe this? You know, it's a comfort because everyone's known someone in their life who has died. And the hope that we have is Christians who die physically, they're never separated from their relationship with God. And I think that's something that gives us hope.
And Dr. Shah, you've done tons and tons and tons of funerals over the years. And I think that's the one thing that grounds us is that hope that Jesus is who he says he is and death is not the end. That's right. That's right. What a reminder of the promise that when we die, that is not the end of life.
That's right. This is just a transition for us as believers. We're passing through this life into the life that never ends. And, you know, one of my friends loves to say we win. We win. We cannot lose is what he really says. Now he doesn't say we win. He said we cannot lose. We win in this life and then we go on to the life that never ends. And that's because of Jesus Christ.
Believing in Christ as our savior, as our king, enables us to have this life everlasting. I love it. We've got a great, great show for you guys today. Before we do anything else, fellas, how are things? How are things on this fine Tuesday? Things are busy. A little busy.
Rocking and rolling. Play season is among us. We are in the trenches of play season. Not a season for us to play. I don't think that's what you're saying.
I think it's like our Clearview Theater. He says trenches? Was that a word? No, no, no, no. I wouldn't do that.
You're not going to do it on trenches? What if he was trying to psych you out earlier, pretending like you were the one with the secret word for the day? Are my points canceled out then? Because I lost in the game?
But I didn't call you out yet. I don't know. Maybe that was a second. No. Maybe it'll give us a little bit of pause.
I'm not going to pull the trigger on trenches. Play season. Play season. There's some different things going on in this play.
Quite a few different things. Specifically, Dr. Shaw, I don't know if you were there last night when we were doing the run through where Ryan was flown about 30 feet into the air. Yes, with the Ghost of Christmas Future. Past. Past. I'm sorry. Ghost of Christmas Past.
And Christmas Future is actually my wife. She wanted a role where she didn't have to say a whole lot, so she just points. Points menacingly. Turns menacingly. It's like, oh, Spirit, what would you have me learn on this Christmas night? And she just goes, just go on over there and look at that. Just go right on over there.
She'd be like, Scrooge, listen. Stop. Stop it. I fear you. How did you feel when you were getting hoisted up the very first time we did it?
Because we tested it. The first time? It's pretty similar to rock climbing. If you've ever been rock climbing before and you kind of like rappel down, it's the same feeling, except you just you're not in control.
That's what I was going to say, because I've been like we we've all done rock climbing, like we actually have had rock climbing here as events at Clearview before. That's right. And you're getting yourself up there.
You're not you're not like you don't feel the ground just leave from beneath your feet passively. Yeah. But I mean, the harness is it's pretty secure and it's smooth going up. Yeah.
It's not bad. Before we dismantle it, Dr. Shaw, after the play, would you would you fly on the harness? Yeah, I'll do it.
I'll do it. Would you do it? It's pretty fun. Haven't done it a few times. It's pretty fun. If we were able because we're upstairs right now, if we were able to get like a like a platform situation where you can like descend from the pulpit to onto the pulpit for a Sunday morning.
Would you do that? It is hilarious that you mentioned that. I'm not going to name names, but one of my students has mentioned that you need to do that multiple times since moving into the new sanctuary. Do what? Like zip line down to the pulpit. Just kind of descend over the over the congregation. Really? This has been brought up more than one. Dr.
Strange style where you just kind of levitate down. More than once. I'm talking seven to 10 times.
This person has told me. Really? Yes. Would you do it? Even if it was just once? I mean, no.
For a Sunday morning sermon? No. Maybe just just to do it? Yeah, just to do it.
I'll do it. But not for a Sunday morning. No, no.
A Sunday morning. That harness sitting like a like a speedo on you. That gets pretty uncomfortable.
Yeah, it does. I just don't want to go through that. You got to wear it for quite a while in the show. I also I also didn't love it because during the tests, I was without that view, you will fall without that. There's no no, there's nothing happening. You're going straight down. I also I, I, I was nervous the first time because I was the one with the harness on that was belaying Ryan up.
So it was like I had to actually and I like as I was taking that very first step, I was like, man, I really don't want to be the reason that this guy like falls. But it worked like a charm. Yeah.
It's nothing but pure physics in there, man. That's right. I was I was so proud of of all our people. I mean, there were people working on the lines over there. You know, Elizabeth, your wife and Natasha's over there. Nicole would be there.
But we had our Thanksgiving that that night. So we couldn't be there, but she couldn't be there. So that was going on over there. And there were a group of people like Ellie.
Your wife was over there working on the microphone. It was happening. And then there were Nicholas and David and Katie and Adam were working on the whole pulley system. I mean, everybody was doing their part. And it was awesome for me as the senior pastor to step back and and just see everybody working towards the same thing. Now, of course, there were there could have been misunderstandings or they could be, you know, oh, let's just get this going or why are we waiting?
I mean, I'm sure those things can happen. But overall, I saw that as a picture of this harmony and love and focus and vision and a desire to glorify God. It was just a great, great spirit. A hundred percent.
And, you know, speaking speaking of speaking of stage productions, Broadway plays, musicals, as we know, I'm not going to be like a braggadocios, but I'll say this. That was just to see a hundred percent everybody. Stop it. No, where's the water?
Was that really it? Braggadocios? That's not even a word.
Yes, it is. Braggadocios is a word. What do you think bragging comes from?
Braggadocios is a word. Yeah. Was that your word? That was my word. That was the secret word. But the rest of the stuff is still true.
I was still the reason I didn't even think that was I thought he was just being silly. No, braggadocios is absolutely a word. That's where we get bragging from. I'm going to contest that. OK. It's like the election recount.
I demand a recount. Braggadocios can't be a word. Braggadocios is vain and empty boasting. Wow.
So I wasn't trying to be a braggadocios. Yeah. Well, speaking of plays and Broadway musicals and the like, we have got a great show planned for you guys today. Something has been circulating the Internet here lately we're going to talk about. That's right. Stay tuned.
We'll be back after the short break. That's right. Every single donation, big or small, goes directly to the production of this show. It helps us keep the lights on in the studio.
It helps keeps the mics hot and running. So if these conversations are making a difference in your day or if you just want to help us keep the gospel of Jesus Christ in the airwaves, we would appreciate your support. You can give by visiting our Web site. That's Clearview today show dot com and just click on that button that says give today. And remember, your support truly makes a difference in our show.
Thank you for being part of this community. Now let's get back to the show. Welcome back to Clear View today with Dr. Abbadon Shah, the daily show that engages mind and heart for the gospel of Jesus Christ. You can visit us online at Clear View today show dot com.
Or if you have any questions or suggestions for new topics, send us a text to two five two five eight two five zero two eight. That's right. Ryan, you're a musical theater guy, right? I am. Musical theater. You're like a Les Mis type of guy. Sweeney Todd type of guy.
Phantom of the Opera sort of guy. Wicked? Love Wicked.
Yeah. Love Wicked. It's like Wizard of Oz, but it's from the... It's the untold story of the women in the story of the Wizard of Oz.
So like Glenda the Good, the Wicked Witch of the West. Right. Right. That's how that's how the book's marketed.
Is that really? Yeah, it's based on a book. OK. The book came out first and it is it's it markets itself as the true story of the Wicked Witch. Is it Frank L. Baum's book? No, no. L. Frank Baum wrote The Wizard of Oz years ago.
OK, OK. But this is written by Gregory Maguire. And it was written as like the precursor to The Wizard of Oz. But they kind of catches up in the timeline with the story.
You hear these you see these things happening concurrently. Dr. Shaw, have you ever seen Wicked? The play? No.
Never have. Well, so they turned it as as they do with all things nowadays, they turn it into a movie. OK, I mean, I'm interested.
I just don't I just don't know anything about it. Well, so everybody else is interested, but maybe for a different reason. All the musical theater nerds are going to see it. OK.
They love they love this kind of stuff. Ariana Grande is, I guess, Glinda. She plays Glinda. And Cynthia Erivo. Yep. Is that your name?
Right. Is is she plays Elphaba the Wicked Witch. The Wicked Witch of the West is who she plays. I don't know what Elphaba is. Elphaba.
No, that sounds like a Lord of the Rings character. Elphaba. They named her Elphaba as a nod to L. Frank Baum.
LFB Elphaba. Oh, that's where they came up. Are you serious? Made that up just now? No, that's Gregory Maguire when he wrote Wicked. That's funny.
He named her Elphaba as a nod to L. Frank Baum, who wrote The Wizard of Oz. So the movie apparently is pretty good, but there's a really odd press tour going on right now. OK, I want you to hear what this interviewer asks these two or it's not even a question. Just just take a look at it and see if you can decipher that. All right. I've seen this week people are taking the lyrics of Defying Gravity and really holding space with that and feeling power in that. I didn't know that that was happening. I've seen it. Yeah. That's really powerful.
That's why I want it. Oh, look at her. I've seen it on a couple of posts.
I don't know how widespread, but, you know, I am in queer media. So that's my cool. Now, what is what is what is holding space? That's the that's the that's the question holding space. I can I can tell you what they mean. But really, at the end of the day, nobody knows.
Nobody knows. It means whatever you want. So the reason this is buzzing is because everyone had the same reaction where it's like, I just saw three people get really emotional about something and I don't know what in the world they're talking about. And there's a sneaking suspicion that they don't know what they're talking about.
But she was in front of a camera and had to act like really touched. What she means is that people are taking the lyrics to the song Defying Gravity, which is like the big kind of climactic number in Wicked. It's where the Wicked Witch kind of says, fine, if you don't believe that I can be good, I'll be wicked. I'll be what you say I'm going to be. And it's just this huge musical number.
Incredibly popular as far as the shows define defining gravity, defying, defying gravity. It's where she learns how to fly. Oh, OK.
This is an aside. But the the woman who sings it in the play, is it the girl from Frozen? Yeah. It sounded just like her. Idina Menzel is Elsa from Frozen. I don't know about all that. She originated she originated Elphaba on Broadway when we could open on Broadway.
Idina Menzel played Elphaba to prep for the show. I listen to the song. You're giving me a chance to be real nerdy on the show today. The song is legit. It's pretty catchy. I'm not going to lie. I can see why people like it. But I was like, man, this sounds like the girl from Frozen.
That's OK. OK. She she was the first Elphaba on Broadway. And so how and so people are holding space. What they mean with holding space is they are taking the lyrics and the theme of defying gravity as an anthem for coming out as gay or trans or whatever.
Blah, blah, blah. That's what that means. That's what they mean as holding space like this.
The I'm taking these lyrics and I'm reserving them for my my space, my ownership, my my queerness, according to this video. But those two people who are being interviewed, did they understand that? Yes. Yeah.
You thought so? They understood what she meant? Yes.
By holding space? Yeah, because there have been other there have been other videos of the two of them talking about Wicked and the and the women that they play, the witches in the show as kind of champions of homosexuality. I guess my question then is, was that the first time that they encountered that statement from the interviewer?
Yes. So do you think at that time they understood what she was referring to? I think they understood what she was referring to, but they hadn't heard it yet because they did not.
They knew the term, but they hadn't heard that people were doing it. I thought it was odd because I thought she was complimenting Cynthia Erivo was acting like she wrote it. She was like, yeah, that was what I always wanted. Yeah, that was she said that. Yeah, that was that was what I was. She said that was what I in the video.
She said that's what I wanted. That's powerful. I'll be the first one to tell you that musical theater people are weird, speaking as a musical theater person are weird.
But this is another level. This is this is the problem with theater and musical theater is that there's such a homosexual agenda attached to and driving most things. Is there homosexuality in Wicked?
No, no. Let me not say that confidently, but the show itself is not about there's nothing gay in the show explicitly. People now in 2024 have said that Glinda and Elphaba are romantically entwined. They don't and they don't there's no affection between them in the show.
They don't end up together. But they said that anything could very quickly gets used for something very much that does not really support a storyline. Does it make sense? But it's to push an agenda like I wish I could just put it rewrite that and push put in there.
The boat came to know the Lord as they were flying, they saw they went over the hill called Calvary. People would be up in arms. Yeah, I mean, it would be like they'd be outraged. Why does that have to do with anything? Right. You know, so I don't know. I think what we're seeing a lot of this and I think maybe this gets to the heart of the issue is why people are making fun of this so hard.
Even people on the left, people who are making fun of this very much that really that clip right now is mega viral. Number one, put your hand on the table. Ariana Grande comforted her like this. She held her index finger. If you go back and watch the video, she doesn't do this. She didn't hold her hand.
She just holds her index finger. It was really strange. And they've been like bursting out into tears like that at almost every interview they've done.
Really? And so people are making. So that has happened again and again.
Tons of times. That's the most viral one. That reaction from the two of them. Yes. That reaction. Yes. Same exact reaction.
Almost all. And more emotional. Yeah.
Tearful. Over nothing. Yeah. And so people. On the same kind of question.
Similar. Yeah. But when will people wake up and go, this is just pretend. Right. That's what they're starting to realize. This is pretend. This is just this is just for show.
So someone somewhere is telling them, hey, you do that. I'll give you another another 100 percent. Trust me, you just consider it done. You've signed, sealed, delivered.
All you got to do is. People are making fun of it so much because I think we're we're so tired. Even people on the left. I think people who even buy into that agenda are tired of seeing these like out of touch celebrities elevate these performative emotions.
You know what I mean? Like it's all a show to let you know I'm on your side. I'm with you.
I'm an ally. But I think they're even starting to see you're not real. Let's not forget that the women who are being interviewed made millions and are making millions of dollars. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that's sad to me that these people are doing that and and and writing a narrative that is not there. Yeah. And it's sad that people buy into that and go, oh, if they are like that, then I should be too.
I should be an ally. I should feel for the same people that she is feeling for. And that's it's make believe it's money into their bank account, not yours. That's right. The very real danger behind all of that is that there is a real homosexual agenda behind much of theater, behind much of the performing arts, behind much of, you know, media.
I would say most most media. And it's people don't realize they're just dismissive. Oh, it's just a good story. Oh, it's just they're just passionate about what they do.
No, there is a very real danger. And it it impacts our kids and grandkids. That's right. Yeah. Maybe you can speak to that, Dr. Shaw, because I think a lot of people are actually turning it and trying to make fun of the interviewer because she says, you know, I'm in queer media. And so people are like, what the heck is queer media?
What is that? But I think we would we would say that's almost the realest thing that was said, because there is a purposeful agenda. Now, I am not as educated on that issue. So queer media, is that a syndicate? Is it? No, I don't think so. Is it just a label put on certain gay, lesbian, trans media? So it's the second one. It's the label put on any media that that celebrates and promotes gay, trans, queer media. Right.
That's how she says it. It's not a it's not a network, much as it is a classification. Like if you said I'm in ministry, people will be like, right. Where do where do I go to ministry isn't a place I can't log into ministry, but it refers to a. Yeah, I'm in the business of queer media. I mean, I'm in the business of getting homosexual ideology into the hearts and minds of people about the people of America and ultimately the world. Sad. And I hope average normal people will have more sense. And I think they do. I think they do. If anything, we have learned in the past month with the elections in our country that people know better.
And they look, there was so much promotion happening that everybody is into this sexual revolution and everybody is for this. And everybody and the polling booths have proven otherwise. That's right. It's extremely true for this. The average American is not for this.
No one is being hateful towards people in gay, lesbian, trans lifestyle. They're just saying that don't push it on me. That's right. I just don't want that. I don't want that for me.
I don't want that for my kids. I don't want your agenda. I just want you to live your life and let me live mine. And no, you don't have to force feed me your agenda and try to make me an ally or try to make me, you know, wake up and and realize how how prejudicial I am.
No, I don't need all that. I'm good. And so I am very hopeful about America.
Same. And the fact that right now people are calling out those people who pretend and that's a great indication. It is. I think so.
I think so. And we're seeing that more and more and more, even from people who are in that lifestyle. I mean, I mean this when I say a lot of the people who are criticizing these women are and really this whole like queer media thing, this performative emotion, they're not just conservatives. They're not just people on the right. I've seen tons of people this election cycle who are on who will say I'm a Democrat, always been a Democrat, always been a liberal, but this is fake. Yeah, that's tired of seeing it.
Call it out. Yeah. You know, because if they're being fake about that, what else are they being fake about? What are they looking for at the end of the day? Do they really believe in that? No, they don't. Do they believe in anything? No, they're simply mouthpieces.
As long as you can put a certain amount of money into the bank account, they will say what they want us, what you want them to say. Right. Dr. Shah, what's really, because I think we've really got at the heart of the issue here, but what happens if we ignore this? So two different issues happening here. One is the issue of homosexuality or this whole gender agenda that has been happening in our culture for the past few decades.
And especially in the past, I would say five, six years, it has really taken on turbo speed. That's one issue. The other issue are the lies, this make-belief, this propaganda that is not real, but is being presented as if this is the real.
Where are you? Have you stuck your head in the sand that you don't know this is? You're out of touch.
You're out of touch. So those are two different issues happening. So for the first issue, we who hold to the Bible, we who hold to the biblical understanding of marriage, let's go back to the Word of God and let's once again affirm what traditional marriage is all about. It's between a man and a woman, a biological man and a biological woman for life.
That's what it is supposed to be. Can people live in gay lifestyle? Yes. Can people pretend to be a man, can pretend to be a woman? Yes.
You can do those kind of things. You just cannot make it such that now I have to validate that. I have to agree with you or I have to become your ally. No, I don't. I can still call sin, sin. Do I have to be hateful and punch you in the face? No. No, nobody does that. I just, you know, call that sin.
I'm not going to tell you to your face, but that's sin for me. And also, don't try to funnel that into our children's face either. We don't need to do that in the school system. Leave them alone. Let them be children.
Disney is under a lot of fire for that. And I think I appreciate you saying what you said, because there is this subtext of, hey, guys, this is all on the surface. This is all compassionate. We're just inclusive. But there's the subtext of you are very backwards and very hateful and very dangerous for not being on.
And you are no different than the civil rights people who were who were, you know, cursing at African-Americans as they were trying to go and have a an education or trying to sit in a bus like Rosa Parks. And I would say those people would find that very insulting that you are equating that with that very much. Two different things. Two different things. Yeah. Secondly, is the issue of this this make believe stuff. Right.
Like like what would be. And I had to clarify because I'm I'm I'm unaware. I didn't know about all this. And so to me, it's high time that normal everyday people wake up and go, hey, this is pretend. Yes. Yes. This is pretend. So for several reasons, maybe it's to change my mind about the world out there. Oh, my goodness. So people who sing so beautifully and look so pretty are touched when their songs are being used as a come out anthem.
Oh, well, you know, maybe maybe, you know, hey, I need to get with the times and just stop and go and say, wait a minute. Even people on their own side are calling people out. Yes. Who are fake.
Yes. Who are fake. Who are doing it for the dollar.
So let's wake up and call this out and not believe everything that you see on social media or on television. It's fake. Yeah. It's for money. It's it's it's the almighty dollar. That's right.
Absolutely. Hollywood is an illusion. And at the end of the day, it's all an illusion. It's a magic trick. It's it's misdirection. And they will tell you if you're in that life, they will tell you to your face. The bottom line is to make money, just like you said. And I think that points back to what we're doing here, because the gospel of Jesus Christ is there to set you free. That's the whole point of us doing this show.
Absolutely. Ariana Grande, the only reason I even know her name is because we you know, we have two girls, two boys and our two girls. When they were a certain age, they watched I think it was what show was it? Was she on? I think she was with Miley Cyrus. She was with Miley Cyrus, I think. It was victorious. Yeah, that's right.
That's right. She was on that show and she had a beautiful voice. And at some point, I remember the girls would talk and say she is a much better actor actress because she's playing the second role, like like the friends role. But actually, she is a better actress and a better singer than the main character.
And I was like, I have no idea. How does she sing? And then they showed me a song that she sang and I was like, oh, my goodness.
And I remember telling the girls, I'm like, she's going to be famous one day. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. The thing to remember is that the end of the day, an actor is always an actor.
That's right. They will read whatever script is in front of them. They will give you whatever lines you tell them to give, as long as that is the part that they're told to play.
And the funny thing is, take away the lines. And they're like, I saw that with Mel Gibson. I like Mel Gibson back in the day.
Mel Gibson was amazing. And then I don't know how he kind of fell off a little bit. But I remember watching him in one of those talk shows after I think one of his movies. Maybe it was The Passion. Maybe it was another movie. I can't remember which one.
Maybe it was Lethal Weapon. Yeah, yeah. And and so they went off script and he didn't know what to say. It's like, I don't know. Yeah.
And it was like, you are such a good actor, but since you don't have a script in front of you, you don't know what to say. That's right. That's right.
And same thing with these people. It's the script. That's right.
The smart people. But they're just following a script. That's right. Absolutely right. So helpful for us in understanding how to navigate that world and how to handle these videos that are going viral and how to think rightly about, you know, the gifts that God has given us, especially where theater is concerned.
That is a gift from God. And let's not misuse it to further some other agenda. And remember that we are never going to give you anything on the show to make you sound like a better Christian.
We don't want to make you a better actor. We want to actually make you a better Christian and a better person. And so that's the whole goal of the show. Amen. Make sure you join us tomorrow.
Same time, same station. We're going to be diving into another great topic here on the Clear Read Today show. Big thanks to Mighty Muscadine for sponsoring today's episode. Thank you. Thank you. And don't forget, you can support us by subscribing to the show on iTunes if you want to re-listen to any episode. And you can always support us financially at Clear Read Today show dot com. John, what are you going to leave our listeners with as we close today?
As always, want to leave you with Dr. Shot and Nicole's book, 30 Days of Praying for Our Nation. Those are daily devotions to help heal. 30 Days Praying for America, I should say. Daily devotions to heal our nation. And our debut album, Heaven Here and Now, is on iTunes, Spotify, and anywhere digital music is sold. It's available right now. That's right. Make sure you guys join us tomorrow. We love you guys. We'll see you tomorrow on Clear Read Today.
