To EL and Back

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

Episode 74 - Elizabeth Fry and James Henley Thornwell 04/28/2024

Episode 74 - Elizabeth Fry and James Henley Thornwell It's time for unsung heroes/villians week. We take a deep dive on two people that you've likely never heard of, but probably should have. One person lived the words of Christ to an extreme fashion. The other was an extreme dickhead. Join us to learn about both! /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/30863618

Episode 73 - Kenneth Copeland and Elizabeth Ann Seton 04/21/2024

Episode 73 - Kenneth Copeland and Elizabeth Ann Seton The Saints & Sinners season rolls on as the guys take a look at two polar opposites. Our sinner is a greedy jerk who has blood on his hands and hate in his hearts. Our Saint is a hometown hero with a legacy that will endure indefinitely. Join Bael and Riff for a look at these two fascinating people. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/30863583

Episode 72 - Martin de Porres & Hanns Kerrl 04/14/2024

Episode 72 - Martin de Porres & Hanns Kerrl As we get deeper into our Saints & Sinners season we continue our efforts at diversity. So naturally we take a look at the time the Catholic church tried that. We also look at one of the worst humans in history. Fun times! /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/30811038

Episode 71 - Fred Phelps and John Brown 04/07/2024

Episode 71 - Fred Phelps and John Brown Complicated would be very mild way to describe today's subjects. They're both did big things in Kansas, but that's about where the similarities stop. Join Bael and Riff for a look at two men who took standing on your convictions to the extreme. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/30550893

Episode 70 - Easter 03/31/2024

Episode 70 - Easter He is risen? Maybe, who knows? What Bael and Riff do know is that you wanted an Easter episode so you're getting an Easter episode. The guys take a look at the different narratives of Christianity's most essential story as well as some of the fun practices that have evolved around this holiday. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/30550708

Episode 69 - St. Christopher and Jerry Falwell 03/24/2024

Episode 69 - St. Christopher and Jerry Falwell The Saints and Sinner train keeps on rolling with two unique entries, one a mythical saint who has inspired the names of countless Catholic young men, the other a giant prick who changed the political landscape of the United States in the some of the worst ways possible. You do not want to miss this episode!!! /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/30443348

Episode 68 - Oliver Cromwell and St. Patrick 03/17/2024

Episode 68 - Oliver Cromwell and St. Patrick This week the boys are going green. Bael and Riff head over to the emerald isle to celebrate all things Irish. We've got an Irish Saint and one of the worst sinners we've ever featured. Grab a pint and join us for our luckiest episode ever. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/30237343

Episode 67 - Mary Tudor and Joan of Arc 03/10/2024

Episode 67 - Mary Tudor and Joan of Arc Diversity is not just an old wooden ship, but an ideal. We serve that ideal this week with by welcoming the fairer sex to our court. These two complicated characters give us a lot to think about. While neither met a particularly glorious end, they changed the world. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/30183508

Episode 66 - St. Stephen & Pope Benedict IX 03/03/2024

Episode 66 - St. Stephen & Pope Benedict IX We really jammed a lot into this episode. A Saint so famous the Grateful Dead mentioned him and our first Pope of the season. This episode has it all! /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/29991058

Episode 65 - Shoko Asahara & Chuine Siguhara 02/25/2024

Episode 65 - Shoko Asahara & Chuine Siguhara This week's episode heads to the land of the rising sun. The guys take a look at two Japanese men who reallly couldn't be further apart on the humanity scale. Join us as we look at a forgotten saint and an infamous sinner. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/29991008

Episode 64 - Saint Arnold and Anthony Comstock 02/18/2024

Episode 64 - Saint Arnold and Anthony Comstock This week the guys take on two lesser known but certainly interesting entrants into the Saint or Sinner gauntlet. Join them as they take a look at these interesting figures and their outsized impact on the world around them. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/29703498

Episode 63 - Benny Hinn & Saint Valentine 02/11/2024

Episode 63 - Benny Hinn & Saint Valentine Love is in the air, as well as some other less savory smells. Bael & Riff explain why Saint Valentine is a big deal, and why Benny Hinn is total dick. Join the guys as they take look into these two and give us their Saint and Sinner verdict. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/29703423

Episode 62 - Saint Anthony & Jim Jones 02/04/2024

Episode 62 - Saint Anthony & Jim Jones Season 6 is upon us! This season Bael & Riff take a look at some famous figures from the religious community and try to sort out whether they were Saints or Sinners. Our first episode goes from super fun to super dark in a hurry, so brace yourselves and thank you for listening! /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/29702858

Pyreside Chat - Vatican Blessing of Same Sex Couples 12/20/2023

Pyreside Chat - Vatican Blessing of Same Sex Couples Surprise! That's right, we've got an early Xmas present for you all. A little bonus minisode of Bael & Riff giving their two cents on the Fiducia Supplicans issued by the Vatican. Let's just say that the fellas are not fooled. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/29161073

Episode 61 - Hannakah 12/03/2023

Episode 61 - Hannakah Grab your dreidel and let's spin into the holiday season! Our season 5 finale takes us out of the Bible and into the book of Maccabees. We take a look at where the traditions came from and get the inside dirt on this classic Jewish tale. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/28897648

Episode 60 - Eutychus 11/26/2023

Episode 60 - Eutychus Who was Eutychus? Why do we care? How do we pronounce his name? All these questions and more will be answered as Bael & Riff have a special 'All my homies hate Paul' episode! /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/28786573

Episode 59 - Ezekiel 11/19/2023

Episode 59 - Ezekiel The book of Ezekiel reads like a fever dream. Skeleton armies, UFO's, and disgusting bread recipies are just some of the fun in this book. Bael & Riff go behind the scenes to unpack some of the wilder tales as well as gain some insight into where this stuff came from. Hop in your 4 wheeled UFO and let's go! /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/28638628

Episode 58 - Absalom 11/12/2023

Episode 58 - Absalom Maybe you know the name, maybe you don't. Absalom is a fascinating bible figure with a story that reads like a Hollywood screenplay. Palace intrigue, orgies, murder, and amazing hair, this story has something for everyone. Join Bael and Riff as they pull back the curtain of this less well known but yet very relevant story. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/28545299

Episode 57 - Jael 11/05/2023

Episode 57 - Jael It's hammer time. Sort of. Bael & Riff discuss the fascinating story of Jael and try to objectively analyze the details and answer the question, was she a hero or a villain? Join us for the tale that seems ripped straight from Game of Thrones. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/28421396

Episode 56 - Elijah & Elisha 10/29/2023

Episode 56 - Elijah & Elisha Who came first? Who was more powerful? Who used bears to kill people? If you don't know the answers to these exciting questions, then this is the episode for you. Bael & Riff dig into the stories of these two prophets and shed some light on their often intertwined legacies. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/28421375

Episode 55 - Esther 10/22/2023

Episode 55 - Esther The story of Esther is one of the most fascinating stories in the Bible. It's also not nearly as well known as it should be. This tale has it all. Palace intrigue, a beauty pagent, and lots of impalements. What more could you possibly want in a story? /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/28294337

Episode 54 - Jacob the Wizard 10/15/2023

Episode 54 - Jacob the Wizard Most people know the story of Jacob and his amazing technicolor coat, but do you know why he got the coat? Or what happened because of the coat? Or that his dad was a wizard? That his dad battled his father in-law who was also a wizard? Yeah, we didn't think so. Joing us for a rollicking tale of insane proportions. WIZARD FIGHT!!!! /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/28214957

Episode 53 - A Coat of Many Colors 10/08/2023

Episode 53 - A Coat of Many Colors Joseph and the coat of many colors. It's another well worn story. So well worn there's a Rice/Webber musical about it. As usual, the story everyone knows isn't even the interesting part. Join Bael & Riff as they unravel this tale and pull at the strings of thought about what the real story is here. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/28142456

Episode 52 - Joshua, Jericho, & Rahab 10/01/2023

Episode 52 - Joshua, Jericho, & Rahab Joshua fought the batle of Jericho...or did he? Bael and Riff dive into this well worn tale and take a look at the history along with the fascinating tale of Rahab and the scarlet cord. Will the walls come tumbling down? /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/28074186

Episode 51 - Daniel and the Lion's Den 09/24/2023

Episode 51 - Daniel and the Lion's Den The guys tackle another story that's known far beyond religious circles. It's a story most people have heard of but are a little fuzzy on the details. Joing Bael & Riff as they dive into the Lion's Den and try to make sense of this oddball story. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/28049232

Episode 50 - The story of Job 09/17/2023

Episode 50 - The story of Job It's one of the most famous stories in the Bible, the story of Job. Most folks know the basic details, but Bael and Riff are going way past all that. They're gonna dig deep and attempt to find some extra meaning in this tale of woe. EPISODE 50...wow /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/27948825

Episode 49 - The story of Dinah 09/10/2023

Episode 49 - The story of Dinah Season 5 is here!!! Bael & Riff are taking it back to the beginning with some stories you may or may not have heard from the bible. They start off with the story of Dinah. It's a story that's as murky as it is unknown. Why is it in the bible? What moral does it want to convey? Bael & Riff attempt to shed some light on this rather gruesome and certainly unenlightened tale of family dynamics gone wrong. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/27884337

Episode 48 - The FAaFO Episode 08/27/2023

Episode 48 - The FAaFO Episode THE SEASON 4 FINALE!!! We've taken a long look at a variety of topics that the Bible either does or doesn't weigh in on. Now it's time to take a look and see what happens when you FUCK AROUND AND FIND OUT! Thanks so much for listening and Season 5 will be here before you know it. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/27821199

Episode 47 - What does the Bible say about Capital Punishment? 08/20/2023

Episode 47 - What does the Bible say about Capital Punishment? Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. We've all heard the phrase, but what does it actually mean? Bael & Riff take a look at the history of Capital Punishment in the Bible and try to see how that relates to the state of things today. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/27712110

Episode 46 - What does the Bible say about Immigrants/Immigration? 08/13/2023

Episode 46 - What does the Bible say about Immigrants/Immigration? Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door! That's from the Statue of Liberty but what does bible say about immigration? Bael & Riff take a look. /episode/index/show/686a82a3-5188-4872-82c4-3a8a042ee179/id/27712038

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