Is Your Christianity Just Patriotism? The Cross & the Flag with Misty Hubbard

Craig and Arkansas friend Misty Hubbard trace their journey from “vote harder” conservatism to No King but Christ. They talk about propaganda, “paid patriotism,” online Christian rage, compassion that crosses borders, and why the solution isn’t a better party but a deeper allegiance to Jesus and His Kingdom.

How Mike Gaddy shattered Misty’s sense of civic religion, with the haunting question “When have you ever voted yourself more free?”, and what happens when your faith starts sounding more like a campaign ad than the Sermon on the Mount. 

In the end, this isn’t a call to find a better party; it’s an invitation to step out of the culture war and into small, local communities where people quietly learn to look, and love, more like Jesus.

What’s Inside this Episode:

• How “vote harder” patriotism discipled them more than Jesus
• The path Misty took that broke her founding myths and civic religion
• Propaganda, “paid patriotism,” and how getting back to Jesus expands compassion
• Online Christian rage vs. everyday kindness at work (and what Jesus has to say about it)
• Why the solution isn’t apathy, but deeper allegiance to Christ’s Kingdom
• Power and importance of small, local groups (like Misty’s in Russellville) as quiet deprogramming from empire

🤝Connect with Misty Hubbard:

• Facebook

📖 For Full Show Notes: thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-149

Key Episode Moments:
(00:25) Meet Misty: Arkansas, restaurant, and kindness over hate
(01:22) The Chris Ann Hall rally and early constitutional days
(12:29) “Good candidates” and the lost cause of electoral politics
(14:24) Owning neocon votes and paid patriotism
(15:31) “Vote harder” and the salsa break
(16:25) The class that wrecked Misty’s civic religion
(18:00) When have you ever voted yourself more free?
(39:29) None of us were born anarchists
(47:40) Compassion that outgrows the flag
(52:16) A daily Jesus lesson at work
(54:06) Spotfund, “No King but Christ,” and Memphis charities
(55:48) “Founded on Christian values?” vs cursing your enemies
(57:04) You’re pushing people away from Christianity
(58:00) Take it offline: Face-to-face hits different
(59:10) The solution: Be more like Jesus
(1:04:12) Misty’s local Russellville group
(1:06:12) How to connect with Misty
(1:08:08) Stepping back from social media and cat memes
(1:10:21) Outro

💕 Support the Project 💕

If this conversation with Misty Hubbard about “vote harder” Christianity, civic religion, and untangling patriotism from following Jesus helped you see your own loyalties differently, please consider supporting The Bad Roman Project at thebadroman.com/donate. Your support keeps stories like Misty’s in the feed, calling out flag-wrapped faith, online Christian rage, and party-first discipleship, and keeps pointing people back to No King but Christ. As always, 100% of donations above production costs go to local Memphis charities.

🌶️ SALSA THE LOVE 🌶️

Donations are awesome, but salsa is hands-on neighbor love. Every jar helps us create episodes that confront flag-first, party-first “faith” and call us back to a Jesus-first, neighbor-first way of living. That's a lot of firsts... so grab your first jar at badromansalsa.com and snack your way into more Kingdom conversations about patriotism, discipleship, and what it really means to say, “No King but Christ.”

FREE: Share the Episode, Start a Conversation with a Fellow Christian
Know a friend whose Christianity might just be patriotism in a Jesus jersey? Send them this episode with Misty Hubbard and ask:

• Are we following Jesus… or just cheering for “our side” with Bible verses attached?
• Do my posts and conversations sound more like Christ, or more like my favorite pundit?
• What would it look like to let Jesus, not America, define what “faithful” means?

Let the questions do the work. Then listen, don’t just lecture.

🔗 Stay Plugged into the Project 🔗

• Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog
• Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links
• Want to get more involved? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!)
• No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com