The Progressive Christians Podcast

The massive political polarization of today can make fighting for change seem impossible, but there is an extra layer when you're someone responsible for kids. This week, our friend Claire McKeever-Burgett returns to discuss parenting in our Fascist reality. We discuss children's radically empathetic nature, ways to help them (and you) find their place in the resistance, and the importance of keeping an open mind - especially in the last places you would think. This episode is for everyone, not just parents. As Blair says: "everyone is in relationship with children, because children are a part of society." Take a load off and rest with us, knowing you're not alone in this journey.
Support our work here:
https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct 
Show Notes:
- Claire's website:
https://www.clairemckeeverburgett.com/ 
- Claire's Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/clairemckeeverburgett/ 
- Claire's Substack:
https://clairemckeeverburgett.substack.com/ 
- Spain approves legal pathway for 500,000 immigrants to gain residency
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62n6gw1dp9o  
- Revolutionary therapy treats "untreatable" blood cancer: "A few years ago this would have been science fiction." 
https://www.positive.news/society/revolutionary-therapy-treats-untreatable-blood-cancer/ 
- California court hears two cases to protect kids from the effects of social media: 
https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2026/01/social-media-addiction-suits-in-california/  
The Progressive Christians Podcast is available on all podcast platforms, TikTok, and Instagram. You can find the links and the links to the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians  
If you love the show, please sign up to become a supporter of The Progressive Christians Podcast! You can choose to make a one-time or monthly donation, and your support is tax-deductible. We need your support to continue and grow this outreach ministry. You can sign up to support us here: https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct
The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church. If you have an idea for the show or want to connect with us, please email us at [email protected].

We have all been flooded with the horrifying stories out of Minnesota recently. This week, we discuss Alex Pretti and the children who have been kidnapped, along with some of the incredible stories of resistance and community from Minneapolis. Join us to rage, cry, grieve, hope, and plan. And remember, in a world full of evil - Be Good.
 
Show Notes:
 
Anti-trans riders COMPLETELY removed from final house appropriations bill. Everyone say thank you Sarah!!!

https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/anti-transgender-provisions-stripped
Judge threatens contempt ruling to ICE head: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/27/ice-chief-todd-lyons-minnesota-court-contempt.html

Minnesota Superintendent comments: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/they-are-circling-our-schools-superintendent-says-after-5-year-old-detained-by-ice 

Hatred as Numbness, Listener Ben's Substack: https://substack.com/home/post/p-185636768

John Abernathy's story and photography: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/throwing-camera-thing-photographers-behind-140000257.html

People killed by ICE in 2026: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/27/us-witnessed-many-ice-related-deaths-in-2026-here-are-their-stories

"Jesus Saves" Picture: https://calendar.eji.org/racial-injustice/apr/7 

Ground News: https://ground.news/

Our "they like the lying" episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1EJZsATPo8rPramZmOJSLw?si=CDGjRT9USEG2dfxzb1-8Xg 

Our empathy episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2UeVUgafrOQRskCVcFjF0l?si=f69648c9ede44d32 

One day everyone will have always been against this: https://www.nationalbook.org/books/one-day-everyone-will-have-always-been-against-this/ 

 
The Progressive Christians Podcast is available on all podcast platforms, TikTok, and Instagram. You can find the links and the links to the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians 
 
If you love the show, please sign up to become a supporter of The Progressive Christians Podcast! You can choose to make a one-time or monthly donation, and your support is tax-deductible. We need your support to continue and grow this outreach ministry. You can sign up to support us here: https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct
 
The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church. If you have an idea for the show or want to connect with us, please email us at [email protected].

You've asked for it, and it's here! Our first ever Q+A! But first, we have a big announcement. We have decided to adopt a donation (rather than subscription) model to support the podcast. You can find more information about how to support the podcast further down in the show notes!
This episode is quite out of the ordinary for our podcast, and we tried to keep it very light and fun.
 
Potential topics include: Our views on Heaven and Hell, our favorite (and least favorite) movies and TV shows, why we are Methodists, what the best place in the world to live is, what a Progressive Christian is, our most controversial hot takes, our thoughts on substitutionary atonement, and Dr. Carter's ADHD.
 
Thank you so much to everyone who wrote in with questions! If we didn't get to your question, it's probably because it was too meaty for a Q+A and we would like to save it for a full episode. It's the downside of having such wise and insightful listeners! Please comment below to further burden us with this terrible curse
 
Please sign up to be a monthly supporter of The Progressive Christians Podcast! A one-time donation would be great, or you could sign up to be a monthly supporter. We don't want to deny anyone access to the great content we plan to create, but we need your support to continue and hopefully grow this outreach ministry. You can sign up to support us here: https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct
 
Show Notes:
Our salvation episode: (episode 34) https://open.spotify.com/episode/2XGSDmaS2k12ni1Cuo0T4I?si=e2e71af3c1884f80
Our episode about reading the Bible: (episode 28) https://open.spotify.com/episode/70u494d2LLgXRu2jNsTzKe?si=933a9d2e12bb4e81
Our episode about being sinful: (episode 29) https://open.spotify.com/episode/3u7TleMsTrtB6vpV1mnTyN?si=7ffc4307d2f4426c
GOOD NEWS: Education Department dropping their lawsuit against universities with "DEI:" Education Department drops appeal over anti-DEI funding threats | AP News
Donate here to support our work: https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct
The Progressive Christians Podcast is available on all podcast platforms, TikTok, and Instagram. You can find the links and the links to the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians 
The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church. If you have an idea for the show or want to connect with us, please email us at [email protected].

Only two weeks into 2026, things already feel overwhelming and out of control. In this episode, we discuss how the conservative evangelical understanding of sin as a failure to be obedient to authority figures is being weaponized to justify the shooting of Renee Nicole Good and ICE's violent treatment of protestors and innocent bystanders. Through the lens of the Just War Theory, we try to understand the mindset that allows someone to justify - and even champion - the murder of this young poet.
- Ice Shootings Tracker: https://www.thetrace.org/2025/12/immigration-ice-shootings-guns-tracker/
- White Property, Black Trespass by Andrew Krinks: https://nyupress.org/9781479823857/white-property-black-trespass/
- Just War Principles: https://www2.bellevuecollege.edu/artshum/materials/engl/Bessho/Summer05/101/PrinciplesJustWar.htm 
- Mamdani Supporting Universal Childcare: https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/01/mayor-mamdani---governor-hochul-to-launch-free-child-care-for-tw
- Renee Good's Award Winning Poem: https://poets.org/2020-on-learning-to-dissect-fetal-pigs
- The lack of training these ICE agents have: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15345295/ICE-campaign-hire-deportation-officers-unfit-violent-illiterate.html
- Legal refresher sent out to ICE agents after Renee Nicole Good's murder: http://youtube.com/post/UgkxPNe-FPJUxRR5RHd0lkwHJEDyKYtyNTFS?si=QjFdGoCJ-gsorYIs
- The murder of James Reeb (CORRECTION: NOT EUGENE DEBS. They both just have funny last names): https://www.npr.org/2019/04/30/718647599/the-murder-of-the-rev-james-reeb
- White Lies Podcast - True Crime podcast about the death of James Reeb. In 1965, Rev. James Reeb — a Unitarian minister and civil-rights activist — was killed during the voting rights movement in Selma. After three men were tried and acquitted for his murder, the city's white community buried the truth. More than 50 years later, two native Alabamians return to Selma to uncover the truth about who killed James Reeb, and to delve into the systems of oppression and violence that allowed it to happen: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp-wXwmbv3z8HO5FT1SGJrwCU19qWdSn-
 
The Progressive Christians Podcast is available on all podcast platforms, TikTok, and Instagram. You can find the links and the links to the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians 
The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church. If you have an idea for the show or want to connect with us, please email us at [email protected].

Christians should not believe IN the bible, we are called to believe in the living God revealed to us THROUGH the bible.
This week, we're releasing a special video minisode to celebrate the New Year (and let our hosts take a vacation)! Join Dr. Carter for a discussion on the similarities - and differences - between being "Biblical" and being "Christian." Is following and/or doing what you believe the bible tells you to do, enough to call an action or policy, or a position on a social subject, Christian?
Remember, the devil can quote the Bible.
Time is seriously running out (we mean it this time) to ask us your questions for the Q+A! Comment below, and feel free to ask anything on your mind - not just biblical questions!
The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church. If you have an idea for the show or want to connect with us, please email us at [email protected].
The Progressive Christians Podcast is available on all podcast platforms, TikTok, and Instagram. You can find the links and the links to the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians