Never Again Is Already Fiction

Never Again Is Already Fiction

Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This time the conversation veers into politics, faith and culture, but still hits themes that anyone rebuilding their life will recognise: fear, courage, family and belief.

Ben Stein and co‑host Judah Friedman sit down with regular guest Mandy Gunasekara to talk about what they see as a “new level of anti‑semitism” in Europe and America, and their frustration with officials who, in their view, apologise for terrorists rather than stand firmly with Israel.

Judah sums up his anger with a raw admission: he prayed recent victims in Jerusalem weren’t his relatives, then caught himself and realised, “it’s somebody’s family.” Race and violence in America get a blunt treatment as they argue the Tyre Nichols killing is about failed hiring standards and a broken local system, not colour. From there, the chat moves into the long‑running tension between personal responsibility and government dependency, especially in black communities.

Ben presses a big question: how can African‑American children reach the same academic standards as white children without blaming genetics, and what role does the nuclear family play?

Mandy links much of today’s anger to what she calls a drift away from church and a rise in “super narcissistic, all about me, consumerism society”, even joking that climate ideology is the religion “for those who think they’re too smart for God.” She also lays out her practical plans for Mississippi’s energy grid and rural internet, pushing “China‑free power” and better connectivity as basic modern necessities. Threaded through is a repeated call to courage and faith.

Ben says he and his wife often remind themselves, “we are not afraid,” and closes by singing “How Great Thou Art.” If you’re asking where strength, values and community fit into recovery or any hard season, this conversation might get you thinking about what – and who – you lean on when life feels darkest.