Episode 59: We're Not Going Back!
Scenes of Joyful Determination at Corydon Women's March
Complete show notes and more at https://scottaaronrogers.substack.com
Today is Monday, November 4, the day before Election Day 2024. Over the course of this last year, I’ve gotten to know so many candidates, staff, and volunteers who have worked their butts off trying to create a healthier democracy in Indiana and beyond. I know that is many of you listeners. Thank you for tireless effort. You are the heroes that make this experiment work. And thank all of you listening for whatever you’ve done in your own life to help better our civil society. whether you’ve been making calls, writing postcards, or just nudging a friend in the right direction, everything helps.
This weekend, tens of thousands of people gathered in Washington, and at Women’s March events in all 50 states, primarily to fight for abortion rights. Harrison County Democrats organized a sister march in Corydon. Statehouse District 70 candidate Sarah Blessing invited me to be there, so my wife and I made a weekend of it, traveling to meet new friends, march in solidarity with the women of Southern Indiana, and get a feel for the mood of the Hoosier electorate before the big day.
Now Saturday, we enjoyed a leisurely drive through the state’s rolling hills to arrive in the old capital city in mid-afternoon (and Ford - loving the fuel efficiency on the Maverick Hybrid - I’d read an ad for the right price). But 9th district Democratic congressional candidate Dr. Tim Peck started his day earlier, just up the Ohio River in Jeffersonville - which they just call Jeff down here, resulting in interesting phases like, “I was just up in Jeff this morning - at a rally for Indiana gubernatorial candidate Jennifer McCormick, and featuring popular Kentucky Governor Andy Bashear. The two-term incumbent and VP short-lister knows what it takes for a Democrat to win in a traditionally red state, and he feels good about Hoosier’s chances to flip some seats this year, including the 9th.
Dr. Peck is the last person I got a chance to sit down with Saturday evening, after he’d been rallying all day, but that discussion is where I’d like to begin this program, as he has his finger on the pulse of Southern Indiana better than just about anybody.
And while I’ve got you, PLEASE consider supporting HoosLeft with a paid subscription. I’d rather be dedicating my full energy to building a more democratic Indiana than turning over apartments, but that’s what’s currently paying the bills. There are so many more things I want to do here at HoosLeft - more campaign finance research, more live hangouts, and a daily episode if we can get there -but that’s where you come in.
But, most importantly, spread the word. Forward the articles to friends, family, and colleagues; don’t just like, but share on social media; invite others to our little corner of the Indiana left. And I might be the guy with the microphone, but I try to take this thing where your input leads me, so please be generous with feedback - good, bad, or meh - I value it all. To those who have joined this community already, especially those paid subscribers, thanks for believing in me, and the HoosLeft Project.
Links:
Harrison County Democrats: hcindems.com | Facebook | Instagram
Adam Schneider for Recorder: https://hcindems.com/adam-schneider (CORRECTION: Schneider is misspelled Snyder on the video.
Tim Peck for Congress: timpeckforcongress.com | ActBlue
Sarah Blessing for Indiana HD70: Facebook | ActBlue
Corinne Straight: TikTok | Bluesiers.com
Chris Glomb for County Clerk: https://hcindems.com/christina-glomb
Crawford County Democrats & Friends: Facebook
HoosLeft on social media:
https://www.facebook.com/hoosleft
https://hoosleft.bsky.social
https://www.youtube.com/@hoosleft
https://www.tiktok.com/@hoosleft
https://www.instagram.com/scottrog78/
https://www.threads.net/@scottrog78
https://hoosier.social/@scottrog78
And once again, subscribe at
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Welcome to the HoosLeft podcast, a show about Indiana politics, history, and culture from the unapologetic perspective of the Hoosier left. My name is Scott Aaron Rogers. I’m recording from Bloomington, and the following voice is Pastor Micah Beckwith, chosen by delegates at the Indiana Republican Party state convention on June 15 over the preferred pick of gubernatorial candidate Mike Braun, as their nominee for Lieutenant Governor:
This is both bad theology and bad history, but never mind those pesky details. Beckwith has a million-dollar smile, an indefatigable drive for celebrity, and a preternatural gift for bullshit.
Here is his biography from the indispensable election information site Ballotpedia,
“Micah Beckwith was born in Hillsdale, Michigan. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business and economics from Huntington College in 2005. His career experience includes teaching a high-school constitutional literacy class for a Christian school in Carmel. He also co-hosts the podcast, “Jesus, Sex and Politics” with Pastor Nathan Peternel. He has served as the keynote speaker for several not-for-profit and community groups and has spent time advocating for healthcare freedom around the state. He has also worked as CEO at Sing Love Ministries Inc., as a worship pastor at Northview Church and White River Christian Church, as a co-owner of Attaboy LLC, and as a franchisee with EmbroidMe.”
Beckwith now leads his own congregation as the head pastor at Life Church’s Noblesville campus. Life Church is an affiliate of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God network.
Beckwith grew up in the shadow of Hillsdale College, the Harvard of far-right Christian indoctrination, and first came to the attention of the Hoosier public in 2020, running for Congress in Indiana’s 5th District. Though he finished a distant 3rd in the Republican primary, losing to now-Congresswoman Victoria Spartz, Beckwith drew backlash in his community with aggressive and inflammatory social media posts, irresponsible positions on COVID mitigation, retrograde views about our LGBTQ neighbors, climate change denial, and his blurring the line between church and state.
After the 2020 election, Beckwith joined the chorus of Trump sycophants claiming widespread election fraud which, as we all know, culminated in the attempted insurrection of January 6, 2021. The following day, our guy Micah took to social media with the following message:
That’s right, Beckwith claims to receive communication directly from God, and that the creator of heaven and earth endorsed the attempted overthrow of the duly elected government of the United States of America. No explanation is given as to how the all-knowing, all-powerful ruler of the universe couldn’t quite pull off the coup.
Micah was active throughout 2021 fighting to keep COVID spreading like wildfire in Indiana, leading anti-vaccine rallies, calling mask mandates a “demonic assault trying to cover up both physically and spiritually the voice of God’s people,” and writing over 4500 “religious exemptions” for Hoosiers who refused the life-saving jab.
In late 2021 and early ‘22, Beckwith turned his attention to the manufactured “parents rights” movement, joining with the Hitler-quoting extremist group Moms for Liberty to rail against diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in schools and to remove so-called obscene material that might “groom” their children for “deviant lifestyles” from public libraries, leading to his backdoor appointment to the Hamilton East Public Library board by far-right political allies on the county council in September of 2022.
The false prophet and his political allies spent the next year throwing the library into chaos. A witch-hunt for “objectionable” content in the teen section led to thousands of mostly-innocuous titles being banished, including Hoosier author John Greene’s YA-romance tearjerker, “The Fault in Our Stars.” The Naziesque policy brought the community attention, embarrassment, and a $300,000 bill before the the religious terrorists were thrown from the library board, the policy reversed, and sanity restored.
In addition to this impressive resume of fuckery, Beckwith has also spent the last five years working for the Indiana Family Institute, the Hoosier chapter of a much larger network of Family Policy Councils, all of which are spin-offs from the anti-gay hate group Focus on the Family. Beckwith serves as executive director of both IFI’s political action committee and their Hoosier Leadership Series. Former GOP congressmen Mike Pence, Mike Sodrel, and Dan Burton founded the Hoosier Leadership Series to “identify, educate, and connect conservative leaders from around Indiana” and equip them to advance a conservative worldview - the literal definition of grooming.
No less than Terre Haute-based conservative super-attorney Jim Bopp, the guy who once served as special counsel for Focus on the Family, who has served as general counsel for National Right to Life since 1978, who wrote Indiana’s extreme abortion ban, the architect of Citizens United, confided in a leaked memo recently that even he thinks the pastor’s extremism poses a threat to Braun’s election chances. However, given the chance to distance himself from his potential LG’s far-out-of-the-mainstream positions, Braun said to Beckwith, “everything you believe in, I have as well.”
What makes Micah Beckwith so dangerous? He coyly slithers around the full truth, defining a Christian nationalist, in his words, as “someone who loves Christ and loves their nation.” But actual religious scholars have a different definition.
Fortunately, Hoosiers are lucky to have one of the preeminent experts on Christian nationalism right here in our backyard, so I reached out.
Dr. Andrew Whitehead is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of the Association of Religion Data Archives (theARDA.com) at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at IU-Indianapolis. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI.org) and the Religion Research Association.
Whitehead is one of the foremost scholars of Christian nationalism in the United States. He is the author of American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church, which released August 2023 from Brazos Press. He is the lead author of Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States (Oxford University Press, 2020)—along with Samuel Perry—which won the 2021 Distinguished Book Award from the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. […]
Whitehead is a sought-after speaker and has shared his work with diverse audiences: academic and public, religious and secular. Whitehead’s research on Christian nationalism has been featured across several national outlets including The New York Times, NPR, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, CNN Today, The Economist, Rolling Stone, and The Guardian. He has been interviewed on NBC News, National Public Radio, and the BBC, among others, and is routinely contacted for perspective on religion and politics from national and international news media. He has also written for The Washington Post, Time, NBC News, and the Religion News Service, among other outlets. Along with his work on Christian nationalism, Whitehead’s research also explores childhood disability and religion.
He is the author of fifty peer-reviewed journal articles. In 2019, his co-authored article “Make America Christian Again: Christian Nationalism and Voting for Donald Trump in the 2016 Presidential Election” (Sociology of Religion, 2018) won the Distinguished Article Award for both the Association for the Sociology of Religion and the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. […]
In the following interview, we’ll talk about the REAL definition of Christian nationalism, its inherently anti-democratic nature, circular reasoning, and twisted morality. Then, Dr. Whitehead will introduce the three false idols of Christian nationalism that adherents really worship, turning their backs on the gospel of Jesus.
Before we turn to that conversation, I want to remind you that HoosLeft is a pro-democracy, organizing project. I might be the guy with the microphone, but I want everybody within earshot to think of themselves as participants. What’s going on in your part of the Hoosier State? Are there topics you’d like to see me cover? Folks I should reach out to? I want your input, feedback, and advice.
Remember the 3 P’s of organizing: PEOPLE coming together to exercise POWER - which Dr. MLK defined as “the ability to achieve PURPOSE” - a specific concrete goal.
That’s us, you and I, and everybody we know, doing whatever we can, and then reaching deep to find more, to build a more just, equitable, and compassionate Indiana.
That’s why I invite the guests I do. When we speak with candidates and elected officials, we have a direct line to those who do, or might, exercise the legitimate power of government on our behalf. When we speak with activists, we have opportunities to join with them and/or learn from their activism. When we speak with academics and experts, we broaden our knowledge base so we can better understand the larger forces at work. I’m so excited to bring you this summer lineup already in the works, with multiple Congressional candidates and some big, nationally-renowned authors sprinkled in amongst Hoosiers working at the state and local level to help their neighbors.
I’m constantly working to bring more and more elected officials, activists, organizers, authors, and experts, into our community so we - and OUR PEOPLE, our extended networks - can more effectively come together to exercise our POWER for our PURPOSE of building a better Indiana.
I currently work as an independent craftsman during the day and work on this project on evenings and weekends. There are so many more things I want to do with this project if I could do this work full-time, but I need your help to get there. If you can, help me out with a paid subscription at scottaaronrogers.substack.com. For five dollars a month or $50 a year, you can help me push our state in a better direction, and maybe if we reach critical mass, I can put down my tool belt and devote my full time to you, to this project, and to Indiana’s future. So, if you have the means, pause right now, go to scottaaronrogers.substack.com and subscribe at the paid level.
And while the best way to help this project is a financial contribution, if you can’t afford it at this time, you can still help. Subscribe at the free level over on Substack. Set your favorite podcast player to auto-download new episodes of the show. Rate and review the show on whatever platform you use - this is the most important thing you can do to help new listeners find us. Follow me on social media at facebook.com/hoosleft (spell); I’m also on Bluesky at the same handle. On Instagram, Threads, and Twitter, I’m at scottrog78 (spell) and on Mastodon at scottrog78@hoosier.social. Full video episodes of the pod are now available on YouTube, with clips on TikTok: the handle on both of those is @hoosleft. Please subscribe on whichever platforms you use, and make judicious use of the comment function. The DM’s are always open to discuss ideas for the project.
But, most importantly, share our message. Forward the articles to friends, family, and colleagues; don’t just like, but share, share, share on social media; invite others to this community of Indiana leftists. Nobody is coming to save us - we’ve gotta do it ourselves. To those who have joined this community already, especially those paid subscribers, thank you SO much - I truly am honored and humbled. And to everybody, thanks for listening.
Here’s my interview with Dr. Andrew Whitehead
Once again, that was Andrew Whitehead, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Association of Religion Data Archives at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at IU-Indianapolis.
So, what did we learn? Christian nationalism goes far deeper than, to use the words of Tom Petty, loving Jesus, and America too. This is a reactionary ideology committed to enforcing a narrow, hierarchical, race-based, social order, where the fear of losing power leads to violence. I think Dr. Whitehead gave us a great overview, but there is still so much to explore. Throughout the summer, I will speak with more scholars on religious extremism and talk about the ways it manifests itself right here in our Hoosier State - and what WE can do about it at the ballot box and beyond. I look forward to bringing you those conversations.
But for now, I’ll leave you with this: you know, charismatic Pentecostals in the rural south are notorious for practicing the curious ritual of snake-handling. In a Christian nationalist Indiana run by the likes of Micah Beckwith, snake handles you.
Thank you for listening and thanks again my guest today, Dr. Andrew Whitehead. I’ll link to his author page at bookshop.org in the show notes as well as his four-part podcast series American Idols from Axis Mundi Media. I highly recommend it - and just about anything the guys over at Axis Mundi put out. Again, I kindly ask you to consider a paid subscription at scottaaronrogers.substack.com. A membership over there is the best way to help this project grow, but in addition to Substack, you can find me on Facebook, Bluesky, YouTube and TikTok at hoosleft and on most other social media sites at scottrog78. If you want send me a message, my DMs are open on social media or email me at scottrog78@gmail.com. Forward the show to a friend and tell them to forward it to another friend. Let’s keep this project growing. Until next time, this has been the HoosLeft podcast. I’m Scott Aaron Rogers. Love each other, Indiana.
Episode 41: Handling Snakes: Christian Nationalism in Indiana
Guest: Dr. Andrew Whitehead, professor at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at IU-Indianapolis.
https://scottaaronrogers.substack.com/subscribe
https://raac.indianapolis.iu.edu/about/who-we-are/our-staff/andrew-l-whitehead/
Beckwith 3 reasons: https://fb.watch/t1GYetE-FM/
Bad theology:
Beckwith on Ballotpedia: https://ballotpedia.org/Micah_Beckwith
God did January 6: https://rumble.com/v51y8ro-january-7-2021-micah-beckwith-claims-god-took-credit-for-january-6-insurrec.html
Anti-vax rally:
Demonic mask mandates:
4500 religious exemptions: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/micahbeckwith_micah-beckwith-did-not-sit-on-the-sidelines-activity-7201288811509653504-koeb/
Moms for Liberty quotes Hitler: https://www.wfyi.org/news/articles/indiana-chapter-of-moms-for-liberty-features-hitler-quote-in-first-newsletter
Beckwith appointed to library board: https://readthereporter.com/fishers-reader-has-questions-about-hepl-board-appointment/
Book ban policy: https://fox59.com/news/hamilton-east-library-board-could-reverse-controversial-book-policy-with-new-member/
Indiana Family Institute: https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Indiana_Family_Institute
Leaked Bopp memo: https://www.wfyi.org/news/articles/indiana-republican-memo-jim-bopp-nominee-micah-beckwith-mike-braun
How Beckwith defines Christian nationalism: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/micahbeckwith_the-people-in-the-media-like-james-briggs-activity-7207028556864856064-m26T/
ARDA:
https://www.thearda.com/
PRRI:
https://www.prri.org/
Whitehead on Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/contributors/andrew-l-whitehead-fad3bfbb-c6da-4772-8c0b-b203b8327553
2019 Whitehead article: https://academic.oup.com/socrel/article/79/2/147/4825283
Snake handling: https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/snake-handling/
“In Christian nationalist Indiana…”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Soviet_Russia
HoosLeft on social media:
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https://www.instagram.com/scottrog78/
https://www.threads.net/@scottrog78
https://hoosier.social/@scottrog78
And once again, subscribe at
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Episode 59: Scenes of Joyful Determination at Corydon Women’s March
Complete show notes and more at https://scottaaronrogers.substack.com
Welcome to the HoosLeft podcast, a show about Indiana politics, history, and culture from the unapologetic perspective of the Hoosier left. My name is Scott Aaron Rogers and I’m recording from Bloomington.
Today is Monday, November 4, the day before Election Day 2024. Over the course of this last year, I’ve gotten to know so many candidates, staff, and volunteers who have worked their butts off trying to create a healthier democracy in Indiana and beyond. I know that is many of you listeners. Thank you for tireless effort. You are the heroes that make this experiment work. And thank all of you listening for whatever you’ve done in your own life to help better our civil society. whether you’ve been making calls, writing postcards, or just nudging a friend in the right direction, everything helps.
This weekend, tens of thousands of people gathered in Washington, and at Women’s March events in all 50 states, primarily to fight for abortion rights. Harrison County Democrats organized a sister march in Corydon. Statehouse District 70 candidate Sarah Blessing invited me to be there, so my wife and I made a weekend of it, traveling to meet new friends, march in solidarity with the women of Southern Indiana, and get a feel for the mood of the Hoosier electorate before the big day.
Now Saturday, we enjoyed a leisurely drive through the state’s rolling hills to arrive in the old capital city in mid-afternoon (and Ford - loving the fuel efficiency on the Maverick Hybrid - I’d read an ad for the right price). But 9th district Democratic congressional candidate Dr. Tim Peck started his day earlier, just up the Ohio River in Jeffersonville - which they just call Jeff down here, resulting in interesting phases like, “I was just up in Jeff this morning - at a rally for Indiana gubernatorial candidate Jennifer McCormick, and featuring popular Kentucky Governor Andy Bashear. The two-term incumbent and VP short-lister knows what it takes for a Democrat to win in a traditionally red state, and he feels good about Hoosier’s chances to flip some seats this year, including the 9th.
Dr. Peck is the last person I got a chance to sit down with Saturday evening, after he’d been rallying all day, but that discussion is where I’d like to begin this program, as he has his finger on the pulse of Southern Indiana better than just about anybody. Here, he talks about the population’s mood palpably shifting, and you’ll also hear Harrison County activist Kenna Lentz leading chants in front of the Old Capitol building. For all the audio in today’s episode, this was my first experiment in recording remote and in the field. Thanks for bearing with any sound quality issues.
That giggle was brought to you by a pointing Spiderman moment with Corinne Straight - comms pro, activist, and Indiana TikTok influencer - who was also in Corydon on Saturday. It’s been a pleasure to get to know and work with her these last couple months, and we’ll be back together Tuesday with a special HoosLeft Election Night livestream. Mark Gevaart of My Labor Radio joins us and that begins at 7pm Eastern at youtube.com/@hoosleft. We’ll break down all the Indiana races with one eye on the national contests. Tears of joy or sorrow, cry them your people. No both-sides garbage here.
And while I’ve got you, PLEASE consider supporting HoosLeft with a paid subscription. I’d rather be dedicating my full energy to building a more democratic Indiana than turning over apartments, but that’s what’s currently paying the bills. There are so many more things I want to do here at HoosLeft - more campaign finance research, more live hangouts, and a daily episode if we can get there -but that’s where you come in. If you can, visit scottaaronrogers.substack.com and subscribe at the paid level. For five dollars a month or $50 a year, you can help me push our state in a better direction, and maybe if we reach critical mass, I can put down my tool belt and devote my full time to you, to this project, and to Indiana’s future. Independent state and local media will be integral to vibrant pro-democracy networks. So, if you have the means, pause right now, go to scottaaronrogers.substack.com and subscribe at the paid level.
And while the best way to help this project is financially, if that doesn’t work for your budget at this time, you can still help. Subscribe at the free level over on Substack. Set your favorite podcast player to auto-download new episodes of the show. Rate and review the show on whatever platform you use - this trains the algorithm to help new people find us. Follow me on social media on FaceBook, Bluesky, YouTube, and TikTok at HoosLeft (spell). On Instagram, Threads, and Twitter, I’m at scottrog78 (spell) and on Mastodon at scottrog78@hoosier.social. Please subscribe on whichever platforms you use, and send me a DM to discuss ideas for the project.
But, most importantly, spread the word. Forward the articles to friends, family, and colleagues; don’t just like, but share on social media; invite others to our little corner of the Indiana left. And I might be the guy with the microphone, but I try to take this thing where your input leads me, so please be generous with feedback - good, bad, or meh - I value it all. To those who have joined this community already, especially those paid subscribers, thanks for believing in me, and the HoosLeft Project.
So, after marching around the square in downtown Corydon, protestors returned to party headquarters, adjacent to lovely Bicentennial Park, where Harrison County Democratic Chairman Adam Snyder kicked off a series of speeches. Here, he is followed by Tim Peck and Sarah Blessing. I’ve got a cameo appearance, followed by Corinne. We’ve also got brief remarks from volunteer Kenna Lentz and organizer Benita Darst.
After the ceremonies, I got to sit down and talk a little bit with a few of the folks down in the Kentuckiana region working to make Indiana a better place. First I spoke with candidate for Harrison County Clerk Christine Glomb. Then you’ll hear a classic local commercial from late Corydon pharmacy Butt Drugs, followed by my aside with Indiana Statehouse District 70 candidate Sarah Blessing.
That was my dear friend Sarah Blessing. Next, a quick word from Crawford County Democratic Party Chair AHndrea Cranford, followed by the conclusion of my one-on-one with Dr. Tim Peck.
Democracy. Priceless indeed. Once again that was Dr. Tim Peck, candidate for US House of Representative in Indiana’s 9th Congressional district. Let’s go out with some final scenes from Saturday’s March - generations of activism in action, Dr. Peck leading protestors in a chant bookended by crowd work from volunteer Kenna Lentz up front and followed by the future of the movement. The unnamed child is too young to be quoted on the record, but old enough to be tired of Republicans’ shit.
Thanks for listening. If you haven’t voted yet, what are you waiting for? Tuesday is your last chance. The race may be over, but campaigns still have to reconcile their books - If you’re looking for good candidates to support financially, you’ve met several here today. Links will be in the show notes. Finally, If you’re feeling extra generous, after you’ve contributed to one of these fine democracy defenders, head over to scottaaronrogers.substack.com and help support this project with a paid subscription. Thats’s where you’ll find everything I publish, but you can also find me on Facebook, Bluesky, YouTube and TikTok at hoosleft and on most other social media sites at scottrog78. My DMs are open for feedback, tips, ideas, and concerns. You can also email me at scottrog78@gmail.com. Forward the show to a friend and have them to forward it to another friend. Let’s keep building this project - and more democratic state - brick by brick. Until next time, this has been the HoosLeft podcast. I’m Scott Aaron Rogers. Love each other, Indiana.
