Returning veterans often carry deep, often invisible wounds that far exceed the physical or psychological categories typically discussed. Andrea and Charles argue that many soldiers experience moral injury—the spiritual and ethical damage that comes from participating in wars that violate God’s standards for just warfare. Modern militaries condition young men into unquestioning obedience, often sending them to kill people they’ve never met for reasons they never fully understand. When soldiers return, there is rarely a meaningful transition back into civilian life; they are expected to simply hand in their weapons and resume normal living. The result is disorientation, guilt, trauma, and sometimes crushing despair, reflected in the staggering suicide rates among veterans—far exceeding battlefield deaths. Hollywood myths and patriotic slogans often hide the truth: many soldiers come home morally shattered, struggling to reconcile what they did with what they once believed.

The hosts emphasize that Scripture speaks authoritatively about war, and that most modern conflicts do not meet biblical criteria for defensive warfare. When nations ignore God’s law and wage offensive or preemptive wars, they create moral casualties—both among those they fight and among their own sons who are ordered into ethically compromised situations. The state offers drugs, labels, and bureaucracy through the VA, but very little true spiritual care or repentance. The Church must not hide behind clichés like “thank you for your service,” but instead minister to veterans as fellow image-bearers in need of truth, forgiveness, and restoration. Biblical law offers a path for righteous defense but condemns empire-building, aggression, and alliances with unbelieving nations. Until God’s standards are restored, society will continue producing wounded souls whom only Christ can truly heal.

The episode explores the biblical critique of modern prisons and the surprising opportunities that prison ministry provides for the gospel. Pastor Dave Bush explains why prisons—unknown in biblical law—create environments that often worsen crime, reward idleness, and foster injustice. Yet, because prisons exist in our society, he argues that Christians must step into these dark places with the light of Christ. Bush describes how his reluctant entry into prison ministry began with repeated letters from an inmate seeking reformed teaching, a process through which he gradually realized God was calling him despite his fears and hesitation.

Bush recounts the realities inside the prison: the hunger inmates show for Scripture, the spiritual clarity that comes from knowing they are guilty, and the remarkable transformations he has witnessed. Unlike many outside churches, the men he teaches know their sin deeply, and they eagerly pursue doctrine, repentance, and biblical ethics. He also describes the brokenness of the system—religious programs earn no sentence reduction, cults and false teachings flourish, and despite staff resistance or indifference, reformed teaching produces lasting fruit. Some former inmates have gone on to meaningful Christian service, even leadership in the church, demonstrating the power of true conversion.

The conversation moves into the wider biblical and ethical issues surrounding crime, punishment, repentance, and restoration. Both host and guest emphasize that modern civil government fails to follow God’s law, leading to confusion about justice, rehabilitation, and reintegration—especially for those whose crimes would have been capital offenses under Scripture. Bush stresses the need for discernment, compassion, biblical consistency, and wise boundaries when ministering to former offenders, while affirming that the gospel truly changes hearts. The episode ends with encouragement for believers to consider prison ministry only with proper training and calling, and with a reminder that God places His servants exactly where they are needed—even behind bars.

In this episode of Out of the Question, Andrea Schwartz and Charles Roberts examine the meaning of allegiance, loyalty, and partisanship, emphasizing that a Christian’s primary allegiance must always be to God alone. They begin with a reflection on a Supreme Court justice who claimed to separate her personal convictions from her rulings, using this as a springboard to discuss divided loyalties and the danger of pledging allegiance to anything other than the sovereign God of Scripture. Roberts and Schwartz argue that allegiance is a formal commitment to a sovereign, and since there can be only one true sovereign, Christians must not pledge ultimate loyalty to the state, political parties, or even national symbols. They highlight how misplaced allegiance—such as patriotic worship services or the idolatry of the nation—parallels ancient paganism’s worship of man and the state. Biblical examples like Daniel and his friends show that while Christians can be loyal to civil authority, their allegiance must remain uncompromised before God.

The hosts then explore how these distinctions apply in practical and political life, contrasting legitimate loyalty (such as to family or community) with partisan bias that often conflicts with biblical truth. They warn against partisanship that elevates party or ideology above God’s law, citing examples like “Christian Zionism” and blind political affiliation. The conversation concludes with reflections on authority, conscience, and faithfulness in public and private life: a Christian in any position of influence must obey God first, even at personal cost. They urge listeners to read R.J. Rushdoony’s Sovereignty and Christianity and the State for a deeper understanding, and to continually evaluate whether their decisions flow from allegiance to God, loyalty to people or institutions, or mere partisanship—a distinction they believe is essential for genuine Christian faithfulness in a compromised culture.