Avoiding Babylon

Avoiding Babylon Crew
  • 4.7 (196)
  • Christianity

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!”

AVOIDING BABYLON PLUS+

Get access to the FULL episodes. Locals included!

$2.99/mo or $29.99/yr after trial

  1. 2d ago · Subscribers Only

    Reform the Knights, or Judge Them by What They Are?

    One viral clip trashes the Knights of Columbus as a boomer “wife guy” club, and we use it as a launch point for a real argument about Catholic men’s groups, institutional decay, and what younger men actually want. We’re candid about what you see when you walk into a local council meeting: older members, lots of service, plenty of charity, and not much that feels like a coordinated plan for culture. That honesty matters, because you can’t fix what you won’t name.From there we get into the core question: is the Knights of Columbus a backbone for renewal, or proof that respectable institutions watched society fall apart? Peter pushes back with a surprising defense rooted in Titus 2 and the value of steadfast older men, while we challenge the idea that “can be great” is the same as “is effective.” We also talk practical fixes: turning fraternity into real networking, mentoring, and leadership development that helps young Catholic men build families, careers, and local influence.Then the lens widens into America First politics, voting strategy, and why “infiltrate the institutions” only works when you show up to boring meetings. We debate GOP primaries, local power, immigration and H1B visas, the Vivek blowback, and the deeper identity question of whether America is a nation with a people or just an economic zone. We close by confronting something more personal: algorithms profit from outrage, and if you’re not careful, you can win arguments while losing your soul.If you want a serious, unfiltered conversation about Catholic fraternity, cultural strategy, and where real leverage lives, hit play, share this with a friend who complains online, and subscribe and leave a review so more people find the show.

  2. 2d ago · Subscribers Only

    Reform the Knights, or Judge Them by What They Are? (Full LOCALS Show)

    A viral clip about the Knights of Columbus turns into a much bigger argument: are Catholic institutions failing because they’re beyond saving, or because younger men refuse to show up and do the unglamorous work? We walk through what the Knights looks like in real parishes, why the “all boomers” critique keeps coming up, and whether a group built around insurance and charity can realistically become a force for Catholic renewal, masculine fraternity, and cultural rebuilding.From there we get practical. If you think an institution has drifted, do you abandon it or infiltrate it? We talk about “capturing” infrastructure, leveraging local councils for events and mentorship, and why Catholics often lag behind other communities when it comes to networking and pulling the next generation up. We also challenge the addiction to complaining online, especially when the fix might be as simple as showing up to the meeting with four friends and taking responsibility.Then we widen the lens to politics and the America First movement: how to avoid turning strategy into a cult of personality, why long-term planning matters, and where local elections, primaries, and county parties can matter more than national fantasies. We also confront immigration, H1B resentment, and the uncomfortable question of what it even means to be a nation. Finally, we pull it back to the interior life: resisting algorithm-driven outrage, loving your neighbor without surrendering your conscience, and why confession and spiritual discipline shape everything else.If you enjoyed this one, subscribe, share it with a friend who actually shows up, and leave a review. What would you rather do first: rebuild a legacy institution or start something new?

  3. 4d ago ·  Video

    Stop the Synod, Save the Council? Cardinal Zen's Blind Spot

    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! Somebody tried to get our sponsors to drop us, and it accidentally became the funniest kind of promo. We start with that sponsor-email drama, why it failed, and what it reveals about modern cancel tactics in podcasting. Then we veer into something that sounds like a bit but is very real: an AI voice assistant that can place phone calls. We used it to prank the producer, and the laughter quickly turns into a real conversation about how automated calling changes harassment, persuasion, and online influence overnight.  After the chaos, we settle into the main event: Cardinal Zen’s critique of the Synod on Synodality. We read large chunks, pause often, and say the quiet part out loud about what feels solid and what feels off. That takes us straight into Vatican II debates, the long shadow of religious liberty, and why so many Catholics feel like modern catechesis is failing their kids. We talk Baltimore Catechism, the “separated brethren” language problem, and why confusion doesn’t start with one pope, one document, or one decade.  We also dig into the mechanics of synodal politics: hidden agendas, pre-planned outcomes, study groups, and the Fiducia Supplicans fallout. If you care about Church authority, Catholic moral theology, and what “local experimentation” does to unity, you’ll hear exactly why we think this moment matters and why “subtle” leadership can be more dangerous than loud leadership. Subscribe, share this with a friend who follows Catholic Church news, and leave a review with your take: is the synodal process reform or a loophole machine? 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. 4d ago · Subscribers Only

    Stop the Synod, Save the Council? Cardinal Zen's Blind Spot (Full LOCALS Show)

    A “virtual assistant” called Anthony on a recorded line to read the Gettysburg Address, and somehow that wasn’t even the weirdest part of the night. We start with sponsor drama and the modern “cancel the show” playbook, then detour into AI tooling, automated phone calls, and how easy it is to turn trolling into a full-blown content ecosystem.Then we get serious and walk through Cardinal Zen’s long critique of the Synod on Synodality, the manipulation baked into synodal processes, and the downstream chaos from documents like Fiducia Supplicans and the broader same sex blessings debate. We agree with Zen on a lot, but we also push back on the popular framing that the crisis begins with Francis alone. For us, the deeper fault lines run through religious liberty, doctrinal ambiguity, failed catechesis, and a Church culture that struggles to say what it believes without immediately “contexting” it into meaninglessness.We also talk about building real Catholic life outside the algorithm: sponsor relationships that don’t fold under pressure, a pilgrimage to Italy centered on daily Mass and the Lanciano Eucharistic miracle, and the challenge of forming families and young men in a confused age. If any of this hits home, subscribe, share the episode, leave a review, and tell us what you think: where does the real turning point in this crisis begin?

  5. Nov 6 ·  Video

    The Lesser Evil Lost — Now What for Catholics?

    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! You can feel it after this election: the old scripts are breaking. We sit down with Stephen Cox to talk through the fallout, the fury aimed at Catholics who refuse to “just press R,” and the deeper issue underneath the internet drama. When political identity becomes a substitute for moral reasoning, even serious Catholics start excusing what they used to call evil, as long as it comes packaged as conservative. We dig into the heart of the argument: the “lesser of two evils” approach has trained generations to normalize corruption, foreign policy disasters, and moral compromise while calling it prudence. We walk through Catholic moral theology in plain language, including material cooperation with evil, proportionate reasons, and why scandal matters when you publicly back candidates who keep moving the line. Along the way we challenge talking points on abortion politics, abortion pills, IVF, and contraception, and we ask why so many leaders treat “pro life” as branding rather than policy. The conversation also turns to how certain historical and religious debates become taboo, how edited texts and social penalties shape what Catholics feel safe discussing, and why media narratives can control a movement without ever winning an argument. We close with what all this means for the next few years: immigration pressure, war politics, growing distrust of establishment figures, and the search for a coherent Catholic public witness. If this hit a nerve, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review. Where do you draw the line between prudence and compromise? 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. Nov 6 · Subscribers Only

    The Lesser Evil Lost — Now What for Catholics? (Full LOCALS Show)

    The election dust settles and we’re left with a brutal question: what if the “lesser of two evils” has stopped being lesser and has started shaping our consciences instead? We talk through why some Catholics chose to abstain, what that choice signals, and why the online backlash got so personal so fast. Along the way, we dig into the deeper issue beneath the party drama: consistency. If we can spot liberalism and modernism in church life, why do so many of us suddenly lose that clarity when the same logic shows up in the civil order?We also take on the pro-life conversation without slogans. We argue about “pro-lifeism” as an industry, the incentives that keep abortion permanently useful to politicians, and how issues like IVF, contraception, and abortion-pill access get quietly normalized as long as the branding stays conservative. We connect that to foreign policy and war messaging, especially how moral outrage can switch on or off depending on who is holding the microphone.Then we zoom out to culture and control: immigration and social fragmentation, the memory of COVID-era coercion, and why future crackdowns could look different but feel familiar. We also discuss Catholic media, censorship pressures, and why publishing transparency matters when older Catholic texts get edited or sanitized. Finally, we land on a practical path forward: stop outsourcing your judgment, build real Catholic habits, and think long-term instead of chasing political serotonin.If this conversation helps you think more clearly, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it. What part of the “lesser evil” argument still feels convincing to you?

  7. Nov 4 ·  Video

    Marvel Jesus? What Happened to The Chosen

    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! That new trailer moment where Christian TV starts to look like superhero cinema is the kind of thing that makes us pause and ask a serious question: are we being entertained into believing the wrong things about Jesus? We react to The Chosen’s latest direction and explain why “creative liberties” stop being harmless when a show puts brand-new words in Christ’s mouth, dodges His divinity, or frames Him like a reluctant hero who needs help finding His confidence. If you care about the Gospels, Catholic teaching, or just honest storytelling, this is a conversation worth having. From there we branch out into the wider culture and the way institutions bend under pressure. A Ryan Long comedy clip about women priests turns into a blunt, practical discussion about confession, secrecy, and why some ideas fail not only theologically but humanly. Then we pivot into geopolitics, where the loudest headline is often the least important detail. We talk foreign aid to Israel, what “leverage” really looks like, and why focusing on a single dollar figure can miss the deeper machinery behind policy and war. We close by connecting the uneasy “pre-COVID” vibe a lot of people feel right now to real vulnerabilities: cyber disruptions, smart devices, AI surveillance, inflation that outpaces wages, and the creeping pressure toward digital money control. Our most grounded takeaway is also the least glamorous: build community now, know your neighbors, and don’t let the next crisis script isolate you again. If this hit a nerve, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave us a review with your take on where all of this is heading. 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. Nov 4 · Subscribers Only

    Marvel Jesus? What Happened to The Chosen (Full LOCALS Show)

    A new trailer drops and suddenly you can see the whole problem with modern Christian entertainment: it doesn’t just “add backstory,” it can quietly change how people imagine Jesus. We dig into The Chosen trailer beat by beat, why invented dialogue and missing moments of divinity matter, and why portraying Christ on screen is the one creative choice that demands real theological fear and trembling. If you’ve ever felt a show made Jesus seem unsure, hesitant, or like a reluctant hero, we put words to that discomfort and explain what’s at stake for viewers who treat TV as catechesis.Then we widen the lens into the uneasy mood a lot of people feel right now. We talk U.S. foreign policy and escalation fears, what cyber attacks and “internet of things” dependence could look like on the ground, and why disruption doesn’t have to be a movie-style blackout to still wreck supply chains and daily life. We also get practical: cash, gold, local trust, and why knowing your neighbors may be the most underrated preparedness plan.The most personal part hits culture and relationships. We talk parenting young adults through social media loneliness, why men stop approaching and why good women avoid the apps, and how pop culture keeps selling moral inversion to girls by rebranding villains as heroes. If you want Catholic commentary that connects theology, media criticism, politics, and real family life without pretending any of this is normal, you’ll feel at home here. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

See All (745)

4.7
out of 5
196 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!”

Information

  • Creator
    Avoiding Babylon Crew
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    745
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Avoiding Babylon
  • Show Website
    Avoiding Babylon
  • Provider
    Robert Blyton

You Might Also Like