Avoiding Babylon

Avoiding Babylon Crew

Avoiding Babylon was started during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. During these difficult and dark days, when most of us were isolated from family, friends, our parishes, and even the Sacraments themselves, this channel was started as a statement of standing against the tyrannical mandates that many of us were living under. Since those early days, this channel has morphed into an amazing community of friends…no…more than friends…Christian brothers and sisters…who have grown in joy and charity.  As we see it, our job here at Avoiding Babylon is to remind ourselves and those who enjoy the channel that being Catholic is a joyful and exciting experience. We seek true Catholic fraternity and eutrapelia with other Catholics who, like us, are doing their best to live out their vocation with the help of God’s Grace.  Above all, we try to bring humor and joy to the craziness of this fallen world, for as Hillaire Belloc has famously said: “Wherever the Catholic sun doth shine, There’s always laughter and good red wine. At least I’ve always found it so. Benedicamus Domino!”

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  1. 21h ago • Subscribers Only

    Rerum Novarum LOCALS Show

    A Friday meat post shouldn’t turn into a purity test, but online Catholic culture often makes it one. We get into why public callouts feel satisfying yet rarely help, how converts and cradle Catholics talk past each other, and what fraternal correction looks like when you actually want someone to grow. Along the way we unpack the deeper issue behind so many timeline fights: the pull to be seen as righteous instead of becoming righteous.We also react to a clip that raises questions about flirting, boundaries, and the near occasion of sin for married public figures. Even when nothing “technically” happens, tone, context, and incentives matter, especially on camera. We share why we’ve built our own guardrails around guest choices, one-on-one dynamics, and content that can create scandal or bait curiosity.Then we switch gears with an absurd real-life story: riding on a two million dollar pink “Barbie” speedboat that does 100 mph and attracts a crowd everywhere it docks. It’s funny, but it also surfaces something serious about wealth, status, envy, and how people judge what you buy. We close with a sobering funeral-home service story that felt liturgically and theologically confused, plus a careful note on why clear Catholic teaching around suicide and despair matters.If you care about Catholic fasting, social media virtue signaling, marriage boundaries, and keeping your spiritual life real in a performance-driven world, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who lives on the timeline, and leave a review. What’s one practice you try to keep private, even when the internet begs you to post it?

  2. 21h ago ·  Video

    Rome Has Spoken: The Pope Who Fought Capitalism AND Communism | Rerum Novarum Part 1

    Want to reach out to us? Want to leave a comment or review? Want to give us a suggestion or berate Anthony? Send us a text by clicking this link! A pope under siege, with no army and no worldly leverage, writes a letter that rattles the rising powers of modern life. Rerum Novarum is Pope Leo XIII’s answer to an age that demanded a choice between two harsh gods: the factory that grinds families down for profit, or the revolution that promises paradise through blood and the abolition of ownership. We read it as a direct challenge to both, and as the clearest Catholic statement on money, work, and human dignity in centuries. We start with the world Leo is writing into: the industrial revolution’s wealth built on long shifts, child labor, dangerous factories, and slums where disease spreads fast and families break under pressure. That misery helps explain why Marxism sounds so seductive to the worker, yet Leo insists the socialist “cure” trades one master for another. Then we turn the spotlight where many modern conservatives don’t expect it: Leo’s warnings about unchecked competition, inhuman treatment of labor, and the shocking claim that even a mutually agreed wage can still be unjust. From there, we lay out the Catholic third way that doesn’t fit neatly on today’s political spectrum: private property as a natural right, property as stewardship with obligations, the dignity of labor, the just wage and family wage, unions and associations, and a limited state guided by the moral law. We also connect it to a very current question: if AI disrupts work at scale, what happens when a culture built on career as identity runs out of jobs to worship? Subscribe for the second part, share this with a friend who’s stuck in the capitalism vs socialism trap, and leave a review with the one line from Rerum Novarum you think every worker and employer needs to hear. Support the show Get 10% off an amazing Black Monk Rosary by going to https://www.blackmonkrosaries.com/?ref=AVOIDINGBABYLON and using code AVOIDINGBABYLON at checkout! Check out our sponsor, Nic Nac, at www.nicnac.com and use code "AB25%" for 25% off of your first order! Please subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsxnv80ByFV4OGvt_kImjQ?sub_confirmation=1 https://www.avoidingbabylon.com Merchandise: https://avoiding-babylon-shop.fourthwall.com Locals Community: https://avoidingbabylon.locals.com Full Premium/Locals Shows on Audio Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1987412/subscribe RSS Feed for Podcast Apps: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1987412.rss

  3. 5d ago ·  Video

    The Catholic Case for a Young Earth | Christian Bergsma

    Want to reach out to us? Want to leave a comment or review? Want to give us a suggestion or berate Anthony? Send us a text by clicking this link! The older we make “creation,” the easier it gets to picture God as distant, hands-off, and only occasionally involved. That’s the nerve we keep pressing with our guest Christian as we dig into why Genesis isn’t just a timeline question, but a question about revelation, providence, and what God wants us to know about him through the way he creates. We walk through the Catholic case that the Church Fathers and scholastic theologians aren’t optional background reading on creation, but central witnesses to how Christians historically understood Scripture. From there we tackle the modern pressure points: why “trust the science” often turns into a one-way authority claim, why debates about evolution and old earth assumptions reshape theology downstream, and why the burden of proof matters when scientific models rely on interpretation and starting premises. Then we get concrete. We talk dinosaurs and the controversy around soft tissue and hemoglobin claims, what uniformitarian geology assumes, and why radiometric dating ends up carrying so much weight in the modern story. We also connect creation to the Fall by asking what millions of years of suffering and predation before Adam would mean for original sin and nature’s relationship to humanity. Finally, we pivot to Graham Hancock, global flood memory, ancient structures across cultures, and the Sphinx weathering question, highlighting where alternative history is strongest and where it gets methodologically sloppy. If you enjoy thoughtful Catholic apologetics, Genesis interpretation, creation theology, and honest friction with mainstream narratives, hit subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave us a review so more people can find the show. Support the show Get 10% off an amazing Black Monk Rosary by going to https://www.blackmonkrosaries.com/?ref=AVOIDINGBABYLON and using code AVOIDINGBABYLON at checkout! Check out our sponsor, Nic Nac, at www.nicnac.com and use code "AB25%" for 25% off of your first order! Please subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsxnv80ByFV4OGvt_kImjQ?sub_confirmation=1 https://www.avoidingbabylon.com Merchandise: https://avoiding-babylon-shop.fourthwall.com Locals Community: https://avoidingbabylon.locals.com Full Premium/Locals Shows on Audio Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1987412/subscribe RSS Feed for Podcast Apps: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1987412.rss

  4. 5d ago • Subscribers Only

    The Catholic Case for a Young Earth | Christian Bergsma (Full LOCALS Show)

    A dinosaur bone with intact hemoglobin proteins should make you stop mid scroll. If the standard story says “millions of years,” what do we do with evidence that looks more like “thousands,” and why do the stakes feel bigger than a science argument? We sit down with Christian to talk through the young earth vs old earth debate from a Catholic lens that starts where most conversations never start: what creation is meant to reveal about God Himself. We get into why the Church Fathers and scholastic theologians treat creation as a deliberate act of divine teaching, not a distant process God simply watches unfold. That opens into hard questions about Genesis interpretation, the theological problem of death and suffering before the Fall, and why modern “trust the science” instincts can quietly replace the authority of Scripture and tradition with a new default creed. Along the way, we talk dinosaurs and soft tissue, the pitfalls of sediment based dating assumptions, and why radiometric dating rests on big premises about closed systems, contamination, and constant decay rates. Then we widen the lens: Graham Hancock’s lost civilization claims, global pyramid style structures, the flood question, and the Sphinx weathering debate. Whether you agree with every conclusion or not, you’ll leave with clearer categories, better questions, and a stronger sense of what’s actually being claimed when someone says “science has settled it.” If this conversation helped you think more clearly, subscribe, share it with a friend who loves origins debates, and leave a review with the question you still can’t shake.

  5. Jul 15 ·  Video

    Shia LaBeouf's Stalker Thinks He's a Clone of Her Dead Husband - And She Found Him!

    Want to reach out to us? Want to leave a comment or review? Want to give us a suggestion or berate Anthony? Send us a text by clicking this link! A state is on fire, we’re cooked from the sun, and somehow that turns into a conversation about stalking, marriage, and what the Catholic internet does to your brain. We’re joined by Alexander Poe, a recent Protestant-to-Catholic convert who started making short Catholic apologetics videos just to explain the faith to people around him, then watched it grow into interviews, bigger topics, and real pushback. If you’ve ever felt like you don’t have anyone in your day-to-day life to talk Catholicism with, you’ll recognize why this online world pulls people in so fast. We also react to a viral Shia LaBeouf clip that looks one way on first watch, then flips when the backstory appears. The deeper context points to a woman making intense claims about clones, stolen DNA, and harassment, and it becomes a case study in how social media framing can distort reality in seconds. It’s funny, unsettling, and way more revealing than a simple celebrity moment. Then we get to the part that stays with you: a Peter Kreeft clip from Matt Fradd’s show, recorded shortly after Kreeft’s wife dies. His marriage advice is blunt and deeply Catholic: if you only love the body, don’t get married, because real love has to survive age, sickness, wrinkles, and suffering. From there we talk practical marriage and parenting realities, including what changes when the first baby arrives, how husbands and wives can lose connection if everything becomes child-centered, and why fatherhood often “clicks” when your kid recognizes you and lights up when you walk in the door. Subscribe for more candid Catholic commentary, share this with a friend who needs a serious take on marriage, and leave a review if you want more conversations like this. What’s one lesson you learned the hard way about marriage, conversion, or the internet? Support the show Get 10% off an amazing Black Monk Rosary by going to https://www.blackmonkrosaries.com/?ref=AVOIDINGBABYLON and using code AVOIDINGBABYLON at checkout! Check out our sponsor, Nic Nac, at www.nicnac.com and use code "AB25%" for 25% off of your first order! Please subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsxnv80ByFV4OGvt_kImjQ?sub_confirmation=1 https://www.avoidingbabylon.com Merchandise: https://avoiding-babylon-shop.fourthwall.com Locals Community: https://avoidingbabylon.locals.com Full Premium/Locals Shows on Audio Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1987412/subscribe RSS Feed for Podcast Apps: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1987412.rss

  6. Jul 15 • Subscribers Only

    Shia LaBeouf's Stalker Thinks He's a Clone of Her Dead Husband - And She Found Him! (Full LOCALS Show)

    A viral Shia LaBeouf clip looks like a random celebrity confrontation until the backstory lands and it turns into something darker: stalking, delusion, and the internet’s hunger for the most flattering narrative. We walk through what actually happened, why the first version felt “off,” and how fast a bad frame can spread when people want a scandal more than the truth.Then we shift into something unexpectedly moving: Peter Kreeft’s marriage advice on Matt Fradd’s show, spoken in the shadow of his wife’s death. We react to his blunt test for marriage, talk about what love looks like when beauty fades, and get real about the early years of marriage, having kids, and learning that your day is no longer “your day.” If you care about Catholic marriage advice, family life, or what makes a marriage last, this part is worth a quiet listen.From there the conversation goes where Catholic YouTube always goes eventually: the Church crisis and the mess of online factions. Our guest, Alexander Poe, shares what it’s like to be a recent convert who starts posting uncomfortable truths and immediately gets pushback, especially around John Paul II, Vatican II, and the trad vs mainstream Catholic media divide. We also dig into Fatima and the errors of Russia, “ops” accusations, and why you can’t replace the Pope with your favorite YouTube channel, even when trust feels shattered.If you like thoughtful Catholic commentary with humor, marriage realism, and an honest look at the trad Catholic internet, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

  7. Jul 13 ·  Video

    Touch Grass: The Devil Is Using Church Drama to Keep You From Heaven

    Want to reach out to us? Want to leave a comment or review? Want to give us a suggestion or berate Anthony? Send us a text by clicking this link! The Catholic internet can make you feel like you have to pick a team every five minutes and if you refuse, you’re the enemy. We’re tired of that, so we talk honestly about burnout after the SSPX blowups, the pressure to perform certainty online, and why stepping away for a weekend can reset your head and your heart. Sometimes the most “traditional” move is closing the apps and living your actual vocation. We also get into the most sobering kind of reality check: a funeral Mass where basic Eucharistic discipline and liturgical boundaries feel optional. When priests refuse to clarify Communion norms or let the liturgy turn into something improvised, families leave confused and scandalized. That experience feeds right back into the bigger SSPX and Traditional Latin Mass debate, Traditionis Custodes, and the question we keep circling: how do we acknowledge authority while still naming injustice and bad governance? Then we deliberately pivot to real life: Fourth of July on the water, fireworks, a sudden storm that changes everything, travel plans for an anniversary trip, and the very normal joys and risks of hobbies like quadding and side-by-sides. We close by reacting to the tradwife trend and the media’s caricature of marriage, work, and “fulfillment,” with a blunt reminder that meaning is usually built slowly, at home, with your spouse and kids. If this resonated, subscribe, share the episode with a friend who needs a break from the drama, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Support the show Get 10% off an amazing Black Monk Rosary by going to https://www.blackmonkrosaries.com/?ref=AVOIDINGBABYLON and using code AVOIDINGBABYLON at checkout! Check out our sponsor, Nic Nac, at www.nicnac.com and use code "AB25%" for 25% off of your first order! Please subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsxnv80ByFV4OGvt_kImjQ?sub_confirmation=1 https://www.avoidingbabylon.com Merchandise: https://avoiding-babylon-shop.fourthwall.com Locals Community: https://avoidingbabylon.locals.com Full Premium/Locals Shows on Audio Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1987412/subscribe RSS Feed for Podcast Apps: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1987412.rss

  8. Jul 13 • Subscribers Only

    Touch Grass: The Devil Is Using Church Drama to Keep You From Heaven (Full LOCALS Show)

    The Catholic internet is in full civil war mode, and we’re tired. We start by naming the burnout and then get honest about what happens when the arguments stop being theoretical. A funeral turns into “Novus Ordo roulette,” Communion gets mishandled, and you realize why people spiral into anger and absolutist takes online. That lived experience sets up the bigger question we keep circling: how do you hold a clear moral position while still respecting real authority, especially when leadership decisions feel unjust or careless?We dig into the SSPX fight, the pressure to choose a side, and why “measured” has basically become a dirty word on social media. We respond to a popular framing that tries to force a binary logic, and we explain a distinction that matters for faithful Catholics: you can despise a policy and still admit the Pope has the authority to issue it. From there we react to public scandals that make people feel like nothing is enforced, which feeds the temptation to justify anything and everything as “necessary.”Then the conversation opens up into everyday life and the broader culture. We talk trad wife LARP content, the myth that careers automatically fulfill you, and why a healthy marriage is built on shared life and real presence, not performance. We also hit surveillance concerns with license plate reader cameras, and we close with a serious look at medical aid in dying, euthanasia creep, and why the Church’s teaching on suicide exists to protect people when despair feels convincing.If you get value from these conversations, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it.

4.7
out of 5
192 Ratings

About

Avoiding Babylon was started during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. During these difficult and dark days, when most of us were isolated from family, friends, our parishes, and even the Sacraments themselves, this channel was started as a statement of standing against the tyrannical mandates that many of us were living under. Since those early days, this channel has morphed into an amazing community of friends…no…more than friends…Christian brothers and sisters…who have grown in joy and charity.  As we see it, our job here at Avoiding Babylon is to remind ourselves and those who enjoy the channel that being Catholic is a joyful and exciting experience. We seek true Catholic fraternity and eutrapelia with other Catholics who, like us, are doing their best to live out their vocation with the help of God’s Grace.  Above all, we try to bring humor and joy to the craziness of this fallen world, for as Hillaire Belloc has famously said: “Wherever the Catholic sun doth shine, There’s always laughter and good red wine. At least I’ve always found it so. Benedicamus Domino!”

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