ROBERT BORTINS - Public School Was Built for This: Why Parents Lost Authority

Public school did not fail by accident. It did exactly what it was designed to do.Robert Bortins—CEO of Classical Conversations and co-author of Woke and Weaponized—joins me to explain why education is never neutral, how parental authority was displaced by the state, and why efforts to reform public schooling consistently miss the point.We trace the historical and ideological roots of the modern education system, discuss social-emotional learning, AI, homeschooling, and classical education, and examine what happens to families, faith, and culture when formation is outsourced.This is not a rant or a political argument. It’s an explanation of how education actually works—and who it ultimately serves.If you’re a parent, a father, or anyone trying to understand why education feels increasingly disconnected from truth and responsibility, this conversation will bring clarity.CONNECT WITH ROBERT BORTINShttps://classicalconversations.comhttps://robertbortins.com/woke-and-weaponized/https://x.com/TheRobertBshowhttps://refiningrhetoric.com/🌟 The Will Spencer Podcast was formerly known as "The Renaissance of Men." FOLLOW & CONNECTBiblical Men's Mentorship - START HERE Will Spencer Podcast Home Substack Twitter/X YouTube Instagram Support the Show SPONSORS Mentioned in this episode:Biblical Mentorship for MenIf you’re a man who knows something needs to change — not because life is “too hard,” but because you’ve been drifting, avoiding responsibility, or lacking direction — Will Spencer’s Biblical Mentorship for Men is a disciplined, Scripture-based process focused on clarity, responsibility, and spiritual depth. This is not therapy. It’s not self-help. And it’s not about numbing pain. It’s about learning how to suffer well, lead yourself, and live faithfully. You can book a free Clarity Call to talk through where you are and whether mentorship is the right next step.Biblical Men's Mentorship - START HERE

Pastor Matthew Statler is an Army veteran with four Iraq deployments, a former cavalry scout, and a biblical counselor who knows the trauma system from the inside. After years of PTSD diagnoses, alcoholism, and failed therapeutic models, Matthew encountered a biblical theology of suffering that radically transformed his life.In this conversation, we confront the rise of the “Trauma Mindset” as a counterfeit gospel — one that dissolves responsibility, cannot handle guilt or shame, and increasingly turns to psychedelics as a false path to healing and revelation.We explore why Scripture offers a deeper, more honest account of suffering than modern psychology, how psychedelics function as a pseudo-sacrament, and why true healing requires repentance, endurance, and hope in Christ rather than therapeutic escape.This is a serious conversation for men seeking clarity, strength, and a worldview capable of bearing real suffering.📌 Guest LinksPastor Matthew StatlerX: https://x.com/StatlerMatthewSubstack: https://matthewstatler.substack.comSierra Vista Baptist Church: https://sierravista.church🌟 The Will Spencer Podcast was formerly known as "The Renaissance of Men." FOLLOW & CONNECTBiblical Men's Mentorship - START HERE Will Spencer Podcast Home Substack Twitter/X YouTube Instagram Support the Show SPONSORS Mentioned in this episode:Biblical Mentorship for MenIf you’re a man who knows something needs to change — not because life is “too hard,” but because you’ve been drifting, avoiding responsibility, or lacking direction — Will Spencer’s Biblical Mentorship for Men is a disciplined, Scripture-based process focused on clarity, responsibility, and spiritual depth. This is not therapy. It’s not self-help. And it’s not about numbing pain. It’s about learning how to suffer well, lead yourself, and live faithfully. You can book a free Clarity Call to talk through where you are and whether mentorship is the right next step.Biblical Men's Mentorship - START HEREJoin the Will Spencer Book ClubIf this episode resonated with you and you want to think more clearly about faith, psychology, and the ideas shaping the modern church, consider joining the Will Spencer Book Club on Substack. We read one serious book at a time and meet twice a month for live, recorded discussions. Paid subscribers get access to the Book Club, ad-free podcasts, long-form essays, and more.Join the Will Spencer Book Club

Andrew Crapuchettes is a pioneer in labor market analytics and the visionary founder of Red Balloon, a job platform connecting freedom-loving employers with employees who won't compromise their values. In this conversation, he shares how he transformed from a Silicon Valley entrepreneur to building a company that rejects woke ideology in the workplace. The episode explores the false promise of workplace neutrality, the $800,000 difference between A-level and B-level engineers, and why young men must reject the lie that prosperity ladders have been pulled up.CONNECT WITH ANDREW CRAPUCHETTESRed Balloon - https://redballoon.workLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/acrapuchettesMentioned in this episode:Anxiety, Depression, Anger: There's a Biblical Path to FreedomAre you struggling with anxiety, depression, or anger? Living below your potential? Will Spencer's Biblical Mentorship for Men helps you move from fear to confidence, confusion to clarity, and bondage to freedom in 90 days—using Scripture, not worldly red pill nonsense. Book a FREE 30-minute call to get clarity on where you are and where you're heading. Because freedom in Christ isn't just possible. It's promised.Biblical Men's Mentorship - START HERE

Andy Felton is a former nuclear submarine officer and author of "Nourished by Design," exploring faith, food and health from a Christian worldview. His journey from personal health struggles to writing a comprehensive theology of nutrition reveals how the secular wellness space has captured territory the church abandoned. The conversation challenges both progressive food co-op culture and conservative McDonald's Christianity, arguing that neither understands God's design for human flourishing through food.CONNECT WITH ANDY FELTONhttps://NourishedByDesignBook.comBuy on Amazon: https://a.co/d/2Wajhsm🌟 The Will Spencer Podcast was formerly known as "The Renaissance of Men." FOLLOW & CONNECTBiblical Men's Mentorship - START HERE Will Spencer Podcast Home Substack Twitter/X YouTube Instagram Support the Show SPONSORS Mentioned in this episode:Anxiety, Depression, Anger: There's a Biblical Path to FreedomAre you struggling with anxiety, depression, or anger? Living below your potential? Will Spencer's Biblical Mentorship for Men helps you move from fear to confidence, confusion to clarity, and bondage to freedom in 90 days—using Scripture, not worldly red pill nonsense. Book a FREE 30-minute call to get clarity on where you are and where you're heading. Because freedom in Christ isn't just possible. It's promised.Biblical Men's Mentorship - START HERE

Doug Wilson is a Reformed pastor in Moscow, Idaho, and author of over 100 books on theology, culture, and family. In this conversation, he discusses his recent whirlwind of mainstream media appearances including CNN, The New York Times, and his conversation with Sam Harris. Wilson explains why the media's panic reveals a shifted Overton window, shares wisdom on generational faithfulness from his first-generation Christian parents to his fifth great-grandchild, and offers practical advice to young men navigating the modern dating landscape while critiquing both big-box evangelical feminization and toxic incel resentment.CONNECT WITH DOUG WILSONhttps://noquarternovember.comhttps://douglaswils.com🌟 The Will Spencer Podcast was formerly known as "The Renaissance of Men." FOLLOW & CONNECTBiblical Men's Mentorship - START HERE Will Spencer Podcast Home Substack Twitter/X YouTube Instagram Support the Show SPONSORS Mentioned in this episode:Biblical Mentorship for MenIf you’re a man who knows something needs to change — not because life is “too hard,” but because you’ve been drifting, avoiding responsibility, or lacking direction — Will Spencer’s Biblical Mentorship for Men is a disciplined, Scripture-based process focused on clarity, responsibility, and spiritual depth. This is not therapy. It’s not self-help. And it’s not about numbing pain. It’s about learning how to suffer well, lead yourself, and live faithfully. You can book a free Clarity Call to talk through where you are and whether mentorship is the right next step.Biblical Men's Mentorship - START HERE

Legendary pastors Joel Beeke, Geoffrey Thomas, Rick Phillips, and Paul Smalley unite to discuss their groundbreaking collaborative work "The Redeemed Man" - a comprehensive guide addressing biblical masculinity across every domain of life. The conversation features powerful testimonies spanning seven decades of faithful ministry, from Thomas's 1950 conversion to Phillips's dramatic transformation at age 30. These four distinguished Reformed pastors reveal the vision behind creating a book that equips men not just spiritually, but in work, family, physical health, and finishing well. The discussion emphasizes that true manhood flows from redemption in Christ and must permeate every area of life.BUY "THE REDEEMED MAN" At Reformation Heritage Books - CLICK HEREPre-Order on Amazon.com - CLICK HERE CONNECT WITH MY GUESTSReformation Heritage Books: https://rhb.orgJoel Beeke Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joelbeeke/Rick Phillips' Church: https://spcgreenville.org🌟 The Will Spencer Podcast was formerly known as "The Renaissance of Men." FOLLOW & CONNECTBiblical Men's Mentorship - START HERE Will Spencer Podcast Home Substack Twitter/X YouTube Instagram Support the Show SPONSORS Mentioned in this episode:Biblical Mentorship for MenIf you’re a man who knows something needs to change — not because life is “too hard,” but because you’ve been drifting, avoiding responsibility, or lacking direction — Will Spencer’s Biblical Mentorship for Men is a disciplined, Scripture-based process focused on clarity, responsibility, and spiritual depth. This is not therapy. It’s not self-help. And it’s not about numbing pain. It’s about learning how to suffer well, lead yourself, and live faithfully. You can book a free Clarity Call to talk through where you are and whether mentorship is the right next step.Biblical Men's Mentorship - START HERE

Adam Coleman is a husband, father and author of The Children We Left Behind who speaks openly about fatherlessness, marriage and masculinity. In this conversation, Coleman exposes the growing problem of Christians In Name Only (CINOs), where people weaponize Christian rhetoric without living out the faith, driving seekers away from Christ. The discussion challenges victim ideologies in both feminism and the Manosphere, reveals why online dating creates resentment toward the opposite sex, and demonstrates what genuine biblical marriage actually looks like in practice.KEY TAKEAWAYS1. Victim ideologies render you helpless by blaming external forces instead of building internal strength2. Online dating's stranger-based format creates massive failure rates and opposite-sex resentment3. Christians In Name Only drive people from Christ through brow-beating and theological narcissism4. Biblical marriage requires the wife to trust her husband's leadership even through failures5. Show don't tell works better than preaching when advocating for marriage and family6. Win the man not the argument when engaging skeptics about Christianity onlineCONNECT WITH ADAM COLEMANhttps://substack.com/@adambcolemanhttps://x.com/wrong_speakBuy "The Children We Left Behind" - https://a.co/d/aO2Be0m🌟 The Will Spencer Podcast was formerly known as "The Renaissance of Men." FOLLOW & CONNECTBiblical Men's Mentorship - START HERE Will Spencer Podcast Home Substack Twitter/X YouTube Instagram Support the Show SPONSORS

Rob Ager is a film analyst who reveals Hollywood's deliberate destruction of classic cinema culture. In this conversation he exposes how modern filmmakers no longer care about making good movies but instead seek to destroy traditional storytelling and values. The episode explores how scientists in the 1960s sought God through AI and alien contact, paralleling themes in Kubrick's 2001. Ager also discusses how Hollywood accepts negative spirituality like demons while rejecting positive religious themes.KEY TAKEAWAYSModern filmmakers increasingly reject spiritual and narrative depth, aiming to dismantle classic cinematic conventions and heroes.Science fiction frequently reflects humanity's spiritual yearning, displacing God with AI, alien contact, or technological utopias.Many classic films used subtle spirituality, allowing viewers to interpret deeper meanings rather than providing explicit answers.Old movies encouraged audience engagement with ambiguity, while today's films often over-explain and avoid challenging mysteries.Social engineering in cinema is complex; propaganda can originate from both top-level institutions and individual creators' biases.Negative spirituality—demons, possession, dystopian technology—is widely accepted in film, while positive redemption stories often face skepticism.The destruction of traditional narratives and values on screen mirrors broader cultural attempts to erase inherited social frameworks.CONNECT WITH ROB AGERhttps://collativelearning.com

Melissa Dougherty is a Christian apologist with nearly 400,000 YouTube subscribers and over 18 million video views. In this conversation, she unpacks her groundbreaking book "Happy Lies" which exposes the New Thought movement—a spiritual philosophy most Christians have never heard of yet encounter constantly. Melissa reveals how this century-old movement has infiltrated American evangelicalism, progressive Christianity, and secular self-help culture while masquerading as biblical truth. Her personal journey from New Thought deception to authentic Christianity provides urgent warnings for believers navigating today's spiritually confused landscape.KEY TAKEAWAYSNew Thought disguises itself as Christianity while promoting self-deification and manifestation theologyMost Christians unknowingly encounter New Thought beliefs in churches, self-help books, and worship musicUnity churches exist in most cities yet few believers recognize them as New Thought centersThe "living your truth" movement has direct roots in transcendental and New Thought philosophyProgressive Christianity shares significant theological overlap with New Thought's rejection of biblical authorityTrue wholeness comes only through Christ's blood, not recognizing supposed divinity within yourselfCONNECT WITH MELISSAhttps://www.melissadougherty.co/https://www.instagram.com/melissaldougherty/https://www.facebook.com/NewAgeToChristianityBuy "Happy Lies" on AmazonMentioned in this episode:Anxiety, Depression, Anger: There's a Biblical Path to FreedomAre you struggling with anxiety, depression, or anger? Living below your potential? Will Spencer's Biblical Mentorship for Men helps you move from fear to confidence, confusion to clarity, and bondage to freedom in 90 days—using Scripture, not worldly red pill nonsense. Book a FREE 30-minute call to get clarity on where you are and where you're heading. Because freedom in Christ isn't just possible. It's promised.Biblical Men's Mentorship - START HERE

Nathan Spearing is a 13-year U.S. Army Special Operations veteran and founder of a tactical training facility in North Carolina. In this conversation he breaks down Pete Hegseth's explosive speech to military generals, shares his analysis of the Charlie Kirk assassination using construction modeling software, discusses the crisis of emotional masculinity in conspiracy theories, and calls for young Christian men to step up while older leaders step back. The episode tackles military standards, church hierarchy, submission, and why Christians need to pursue truth over conspiracy when tragedy strikes.KEY TAKEAWAYSPete Hegseth's military speech represents long-overdue return to merit-based standardsMilitary had become dangerously top-heavy with unfit general officersWomen in combat units fundamentally compromise male unit effectivenessConspiracy theories often stem from male emotional dysregulation, not evidenceYoung Christian men need meaningful responsibility, not busy workSubmission applies to men in church hierarchy, not just womenMENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE"Principles of War" - Jim WilsonCONNECT WITH NATHANhttps://spearing.co🌟 The Will Spencer Podcast was formerly known as "The Renaissance of Men." FOLLOW & CONNECTBiblical Men's Mentorship - START HERE Will Spencer Podcast Home Substack Twitter/X YouTube Instagram Support the Show SPONSORS