9/11 Never Forget | Part 1

This week, Ashley and Bailee begin a two-part conversation about 9/11 and the American evangelical response to one of the most defining events of their generation. But before getting into what happened after September 11th, they take a step back to look at the political, historical, and social climate that led up to the attacks. Together, they unpack the history of U.S. involvement in the Middle East, the legacy of the Cold War, the rise of Islamic extremism, American foreign policy, and the complicated relationship between the United States and the Middle East. They also dig into Osama bin Laden’s origin story and radicalization, and the events and ideologies that shaped his path toward becoming the leader of al-Qaeda. They talk about what Americans understood about Islam and terrorism before 9/11, the cultural narratives that were already taking shape, and how all of this context shaped the way Americans would eventually understand the attacks. References: Anti-Defamation League. (2023, February 21). The significance of the Oklahoma City bombing. https://www.adl.org/resources/news/significance-oklahoma-city-bombing Avalon Project, Yale Law School. (n.d.). Military-industrial complex speech, Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961. https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/eisenhower001.asp Bar-Lev, A., & Chermayeff, M. (Directors). (2021). Turning Point: 9/11 and the war on terror [TV series]. Netflix. Bill of Rights Institute. (n.d.). Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City bombing. https://billofrightsinstitute.org/essays/timothy-mcveigh-and-the-oklahoma-city-bombing/ Britannica. (2026a, June 24). Military-industrial complex. https://www.britannica.com/topic/military-industrial-complex Britannica. (2026b, July 17). Pat Buchanan. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Patrick-J-Buchanan Common Dreams. (2025, November 19). "Trillion dollar war machine": Understanding US militarism and how to dismantle it. https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/trillion-dollar-us-war-machine Council on Foreign Relations. (2021, August 31). How 9/11 reshaped foreign policy. https://www.cfr.org/articles/how-911-reshaped-foreign-policy EBSCO Research Starters. (n.d.). Patrick "Pat" Joseph Buchanan. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/patrick-pat-joseph-buchanan Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2022, May 10). Oklahoma City bombing. https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/oklahoma-city-bombing Foreign Policy in Focus. (2013, May 8). Defense conversion. https://fpif.org/defense_conversion/ González, R. J. (2010). Militarizing culture: Essays on the warfare state. Left Coast Press. In These Times. (2020, August 17). How pro sports became part of the U.S. military's war machine. https://inthesetimes.com/article/sports-military-patriotism-corporate-war-baseball-football-hockey Miller Center. (2025, May 28). Oklahoma City bombing. https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/educational-resources/oklahoma-city-bombing National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. (2004). The 9/11 Commission report: Final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. https://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf Pew Research Center. (2023, November 8). The changing face of America's veteran population. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/11/08/the-changing-face-of-americas-veteran-population/ Political Research Associates. (1999, April 1). Clinton, conspiracism, and the continuing culture war: What is past is prologue. https://politicalresearch.org/1999/04/01/clinton-conspiracism-and-the-continuing-culture U.S. Department of State Archive. (n.d.). 1989–2000: The post-Cold War era. https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/pcw/index.htm Support the show Connect with Us: 📸 Instagram: @praisebetopod 🎵 TikTok: @praisebetopod ▶️ YouTube: @praisebetopod 💻 Web: www.praisebetopod.com 💸 Patreon: patreon.com/praisebetopod