Every relationship you have — with your employer, your spouse, your children, your nation — is either governed by God's law or governed by you playing God. There is no third option. In this episode, Andrea Schwartz and Chalcedon Vice President Martin Selbrede trace the catastrophic consequences of what Rushdoony called "direct, unmediated relationships" — from wage fraud hiding in plain sight to the collapse of marriage to the inevitability of socialist tyranny. If you think God's law is just about personal piety, this conversation will dismantle that assumption. Listen now.

Is war ever justified — or is it, as the famous song declares, "good for nothing"? In this episode of Out of the Question, Andrea Schwartz and Pastor Charles Roberts examine the subject of war through the lens of biblical law, asking the question that too few Christians are willing to ask: by what standard do we evaluate military conflict?

Drawing on Genesis 3:15, Deuteronomy 20 and 28, and the writings of R.J. Rushdoony and Greg Bahnsen, Andrea and Charles lay out what a truly just war looks like — defensive in nature, covenantally grounded, and accountable to God's law rather than the ambitions of politicians or the profits of the military-industrial complex.

From Vietnam to Iraq to the current conflict involving Iran and Israel, they trace a consistent pattern: wars prosecuted on humanistic rather than biblical foundations, propped up by propaganda, and paid for in the blood of young men whose leaders would never set foot on the battlefield themselves.

They also tackle hard questions — what about the conquest of Canaan? What does Matthew 26:52 actually mean? And what does it say about the church when supposed Reformed scholars dismiss Old Testament law as "basically harmless"?

This episode is essential listening for any Christian serious about applying God's word to all of life — including the hardest questions of statecraft, national faithfulness, and what it means to truly seek peace.

#OutOfTheQuestion #JustWar #BiblicalLaw #Theonomy #ChristianReconstruction #Rushdoony #GregBahnsen #Deuteronomy28 #BiblicalWorldview #ReformedTheology #ChristianPolitics #GodsLaw #ByWhatStandard #Chalcedon #NationalReformation #WarAndPeace #ChristianMen #FaithAndCulture #BiblicalJustice #CovenantFaithfulness #OutOfTheQuestionPodcast

In this episode of Out of the Question, Andrea Schwartz and Pastor Charles Roberts tackle an issue that quietly corrodes the health of the body of Christ: the failure to act when something isn't right.

Drawing from Deuteronomy 22:1–4 and R.J. Rushdoony's exposition on the liability of the bystander in The Institutes of Biblical Law (Eighth Commandment), Andrea and Charles explore how God's law places a clear obligation on believers — not merely to avoid wrongdoing, but to actively respond when they witness it.

The conversation covers practical, real-world dynamics within churches: the difference between gossip and a legitimate concern, who should investigate when something seems off, how the misapplication of the "two witnesses" requirement silences people from raising red flags, and the damage done when church culture prioritises reputation over justice. Charles and Andrea discuss how rampant individualism and ignorance of biblical law have left many believers without the tools — or the will — to address symptoms of serious problems before they become full-blown scandals.

They also explore how families and church leaders can cultivate wisdom to navigate these sensitive interpersonal situations — from inappropriate physical contact to the more subtle signs that something isn't right with a child or a fellow member. The episode concludes with a call to study and apply God's law as the foundation for true fellowship, justice, and restoration within the body of Christ.

Related Resource: R.J. Rushdoony, The Institutes of Biblical Law, Chapter on the Eighth Commandment — "The Liability of the Bystander." Audio lecture available at Chalcedon.edu.