19.20 - The Government, the Gospel, and the Christian: Pick a Side?

What if the nation you despise most is actually on God's payroll? In this episode of The After Class Podcast, John, Ron, and Sam trace what the Bible really says about God and governing authorities — from Babylon and Assyria to Cyrus the Great — and why the "lesser of two evils" argument might be more sub-Christian than you think. If politics has been messing with your faith, this one's for you!  Tune in to today's episode of <span data-descript-pasteboard= "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