To EL and Back

A humorous yet in depth look at religion and it's cultural impact on our lives.

Episode 131 - Nahum 11/16/2025

Episode 131 - Nahum This week Riff takes us to a very uncomfortable place. Usually, translation station is a fun stop, but it'll be a little darker this week. Help Bael cope with the bad news by joining him in hearing this insanity. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/39009625

Episode 130 - Zechariah 11/11/2025

Episode 130 - Zechariah Our 2nd minor prophet is Zechariah, another guy that you may have heard of, but probably know nothing about. He's a little more upbeat than Amos, not that it would be hard. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/38972260

Episode 129 - Amos 11/02/2025

Episode 129 - Amos The book of Amos is tiny little book smack dab in the middle of your Bible. You've likely never paid it much attention. Today, Bael & Riff will show you why that's a mistake. Join us as Amos makes everyone who sucks uncomfortable! /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/38881820

Episode 128 - Lapsarianism 10/26/2025

Episode 128 - Lapsarianism If the title of today's episode is a word you haven't encountered before, don't feel bad. It's a classical Christian concept that was begging to be discussed. If ever there was an argument that was both fundamentally important yet incredibly pointless it's this one. Bael and Riff must pick the ism for them. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/38781395

Episode 127 - Jesus's Brothers 10/05/2025

Episode 127 - Jesus's Brothers Families are complicated. Blended families even more so. Families with supernatural entities? That has to be extremely complicate. Have no fear, Bael and Riff are here to try and make some sense of the Christ family's dynamic. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/38410510

Episode 126 - The Gospel of Afranius 09/21/2025

Episode 126 - The Gospel of Afranius In starting our new series about Bible Conspiracy Theories, we thought it would be best to start with one that's not only modern, but pretty fun overall. Written by Russian scientist , this book has it all. Suspense, drama, and wild accusations. It's everything we here at To El & Back love. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/38185185

Episode 125 - Nephilim 09/14/2025

Episode 125 - Nephilim The old testament is jammed full of strange characters and cryptic tales. One of the most mysterious is the Nephilim. There are variety of theories as to who or what these creatures are, but they all require so rather extreme mental gymnastics. Join Bael & Riff as they try and make sense of these shadowy figures. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/38086990

Episode 124 - Jesus Foretold 09/07/2025

Episode 124 - Jesus Foretold If you've spent anytime listening to sermons you've likely heard the idea that "Jesus was foretold many times in the Old Testament. His birth is the fulfillment of prophecy." Is it? As usual, the fellas are skeptical and decided to take a look. Join Bael and Riff as they do their own research. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/37973385

Episode 123 - Colonial Christianity Pt. 2 08/31/2025

Episode 123 - Colonial Christianity Pt. 2 So last week we were kind of hard on Catholics and how they treated the Native peoples they encountered. Today, we're going to provide equal opportunity for the examination of how Protestants interacted with the Native people they encountered. **SPOILER** It doesn't go well. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/37973335

Episode 122 - Colonial Christianity 08/24/2025

Episode 122 - Colonial Christianity Colonialism is the gift that keeps on giving. Giving you feelings of ick and remorse anyway. Join the guys as the unwrap exactly where these seemingly well meaning people went so wrong. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/37934850

Episode 121 - Heretic 08/17/2025

Episode 121 - Heretic When a movie titled "Heretic" comes out, there's a pretty good shot that Bael and Riff will want to watch it and discuss. Join the guys for a look at this interesting and kind of bizarre film. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/37849130

Episode 120 - Confederate Christianity 07/13/2025

Episode 120 - Confederate Christianity Now that we've established that the United States was not founded on Christianity, it's time to take a look at what a nation founded on those ideals would look like. Hint, it's a shit show that won't last long. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/37387980

Episode 119 - Founding Fathers ft. Brother Thomas 07/06/2025

Episode 119 - Founding Fathers ft. Brother Thomas America just had a birthday, so we thought we'd take a look at the religious views (or lack thereof) of the founding fathers. We also decided that it was time to have a guest, and Bael's brother Thomas was kind enough to share his knowledge with us. Join us as we ask the classic question, was the United States founded as a christian country? /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/37292425

Episode 118 - Bible Queer Coding 06/29/2025

Episode 118 - Bible Queer Coding There are a ton of characters in the Bible. Some good, some evil, and most are complicated. Did you also know that there are queer coded characters in the Bible? From bros who are a little more than roomies to the original Themla and Louise, the Bible has some characters that are a little more colorful than Sunday School may have let on. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/37060420

Episode 117 - Saved! 06/22/2025

Episode 117 - Saved! The boys are back with another media study. This time it's a hilarious movie from 2004, Saved! With a fantastic cast and an even better message, Bael & Riff set out to give you all the reasons you need to watch this underseen classic. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/37060350

Episode 116 - Bob Luiz Botehlo 06/15/2025

Episode 116 - Bob Luiz Botehlo Bael and Riff take a look at a fascinating man who is ACTUALLY living the words of Christ. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/37014990

Episode 115 - The Rainbow Book 06/08/2025

Episode 115 - The Rainbow Book Finding the right religious group for yourself can be difficult, especially if you're not straight. Have no fear, Bael and Riff are here to help. They've got a handy guide to each group's thoughts and policies on our friends in the rainbow community. Let's take a trip together. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/36906320

Episode 114 - The Mormon Wars 06/01/2025

Episode 114 - The Mormon Wars When you think of Mormons, you probably think of either a hilarious musical by the creators of South Park or BYU. Did you ever wonder why BYU, and the heart of the Mormon Church, is in Utah? Join us to explore the various atrocities that led to Utah becoming a religious haven for Latter Day Saints. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/36618600

Episode 113 - Left Behind 05/25/2025

Episode 113 - Left Behind As we continue our 'Media May' exercise we decided that like exercise we should do something that sucks. Watching this movie sucks. It sucks more than Kirk Cameron's acting. Listen to us comiserate over this episode so you don't have to watch it. left behind /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/36618525

Episode 112 - The Rapture 05/18/2025

Episode 112 - The Rapture Time to look to heavens and shout "Oh Lord, he's a comin'" or something like that. The boys ask tackle the topic that has split up more churches than sexual misconduct, of course we're talking about the Rapture. Who gets picked, when do they get picked, what happens to everyone left behind? These questions and more will not be answered but discussed and joked about nonetheless. Fly away with us. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/36471595

Episode 111 - House of David 05/11/2025

Episode 111 - House of David Bael & Riff continue their media studies with Amazon Prime's House of David. The fellas discuss the historical and biblical accuracy of this new series, and ask a whole lot of questions along the way. Join us. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/36471515

Episode 110 - The KJV 05/04/2025

Episode 110 - The KJV The King James Version was the dominant translation of the Bible for over 3 centuries. It shaped how a multitiude of Christians view the scriptures. It also had a tremendous impact on the English language and how it is written. The real question is, why? Does it still have relevance today? Thee and Thous may have been replaced in the modern vernacular but is it still Sola Scriptura? Bael and Riff investigate. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/36262410

Episode 109 - Prosperity Gospel 04/27/2025

Episode 109 - Prosperity Gospel The Prosperity Gospel is about as far from Christ's teachings as one can get. However, Christians all over the world flock to preachers who espouse it. Bael and Riff dig into the back story of this false doctrine in service of their mantra, Sola Scriptura Baby!!! /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/36262350

Episode 108 - Fundamentalists 04/20/2025

Episode 108 - Fundamentalists Fundamentalists are not fun but they are a bit mental. Join Bael and Riff as they break down exactly who, what, why these extremely zealous believers have become the go to for Christian boogeymen. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/36234860

Episode 107 - Passover 04/13/2025

Episode 107 - Passover Passover is an incredibly important holiday for our Jewish friends. The story behind it plays a vital role in the both the Christian and Jewish religions. But how much do you actually know about it? Never fear, for Bael and Riff are here to shed some light on this fascinating and wholesome (in a morbid sort of way) holiday. Grab your matzah and buckle up! /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/35874840

Episode 106 - The Passion of the Christ 04/06/2025

Episode 106 - The Passion of the Christ We're keeping our Easter season rolling along with Mel Gibson's ode to Antisemetism and violence. The guys try and make sense of exactly what Mel was trying to say and what the hell that weird baby was. Join them. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/36023875

Episode 105 - Easter Traditions 03/30/2025

Episode 105 - Easter Traditions Eggs, rabbits, and pastel colors means it must be Easter. But why? Join Bael and Riff as they hunt for clues about why we do what we do each spring! /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/35874740

Episode 104 - The Inquisition 03/23/2025

Episode 104 - The Inquisition While we already know that nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition, it's probably also fair to say that few people actually understand the Inquistions, Spanish or otherwise. Join Bael & Riff as they look at the who, what, where, when, and why of the Inquisition. They uncover some rather surprising details that color what they thought they knew about this long running and often depicted part of history. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/35465455

Episode 103 - Relics 03/16/2025

Episode 103 - Relics The Shroud of Turin. The Holy Grail. The Spear of Destiny. The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch. All of these are relics that many christians find bring them closer to God. What's the deal? From grave robbing, multiple foreskins, and more knock offs than a chinatown Louis Vuitton store, the world of relics is a very weird place. That makes it perfect for Bael and Riff to explore. Join them! /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/35465350

Episode 102 - Media Studies "Conclave" 03/09/2025

Episode 102 - Media Studies "Conclave" *SPOILERS* In keeping with the new format the boys take on their first media study. The 2024 film, Conclave, is the study for this week. A film that got a lot of Oscar buzz and actually picked up a win in the Best Adapted Screenplay category. Join Bael and Riff as they dig into this film and give the blow by blow on this big screen battle without bullets. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/35548830

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