Reclaiming Reality

The Parallel Polis

• Andrew Torba • Season 2 • Episode 4

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Andrew Torba explores the concept of the "parallel polis" as a solution for Christians navigating the challenges of modernity and artificial intelligence. He shares insights from his new book "Reclaiming Reality: Restoring Humanity in the Age of AI," which has sold thousands of copies in its first weeks despite the challenging publishing landscape.

• Original concept from Christian dissidents in communist Czechoslovakia who built alternative institutions outside state control
• Christians today face similar challenges from hostile mainstream institutions
• Key areas for building parallel structures include education, economic independence, and media
• The strategy involves protecting children's minds while engaging with and fighting against modern culture
• Demographic advantage: traditional Christians are having children while secular progressives largely aren't
• Christians must develop better support networks and patronage systems for each other
• Building parallel institutions is both a refuge and a beachhead for long-term cultural renewal

Check out the full book at reclaimingreality.com, available on Amazon and the Gab Shop. Remember, speak freely, Christ is King.


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Speaker 1:

what's going on everybody, andrew torba here, ceo of gab ai inc. Today we're continuing our progress through my new book reclaiminglaiming Reality Restoring Humanity in the Age of AI. The book is doing quite well, so thank you. For those of you who purchased the book Very pleasantly surprised to see that we've sold thousands of copies in the first couple of weeks here, and it's interesting. You know, I read a stat one time that said about 98% of books that are published every year don't sell more than 100 copies. So to have ours sell thousands in the first couple of weeks is really humbling and we're very appreciative of your support.

Speaker 1:

I read another article this week, something about the Hunter Biden situation and apparently in a court filing he said that his book now he's the president's son, his book only sold, I think, 1100 copies over the course of like a year, which is crazy, but that's how difficult the book publishing industry is. I think he said he sold something like 2000,000 when it first came out and then over the course of the next year six months to a year, something like that it only sold like 1,100 copies and of course his name is everywhere and has been for a number of years, especially with the scandals and controversies and the fact that his father was the president. It shows you how difficult the publishing industry is. I'm not doing this for book sales. I'm not doing this, certainly not for the revenue from it. There's certainly not a lot of money to be made in the book publishing industry, let's put it that way but I think it's important to get these ideas out there and to start these conversations. So that's mainly why I do what I do in terms of publishing the books and this is actually our third best-selling book under Gab Publishing, and the first one was a wild success that even we didn't anticipate with our Christian nationalism book, the book that I co-wrote with Pastor Andrew Isker that sold tens of thousands of copies, which is still to this day, our bestseller. And then we also did a book with Pastor Andrew Isker, his own solo book called the Boniface Option, and that sold well over 6,000 or 7,000 copies. Know, the publishing stuff is going really well and you know, to God be the glory, hopefully we're making an impact for God's kingdom and, you know, starting important conversations about, you know, the state of our world, the state of the culture, the state of the country and some solutions to how to fix those things. So we're working our way through here.

Speaker 1:

Today's chapter is called the Parallel Polis, and so so far we've been sort of diagnosing. In the first couple of chapters I sort of diagnose a lot of what's wrong with modernity, a lot of what's wrong with our culture and with the state of our nation, and I talk about the rise of artificial intelligence and the rapid acceleration of technological development. Outside of AI there's a lot of other things. There's humanoid robots that, of course, are going to be powered by AI. There's sort of biotech and bioengineering stuff like Neuralink and you know these brain chip implants and a lot of crazy stuff, right. And then there's, you know, biohacking in general, where people are, you know, eating certain foods and taking certain supplements and trying to sort of engineer their biology and live longer. You know longevity experts and things of this nature.

Speaker 1:

So you know, what do we do as Christians in? You know, in the face of this changing world, this world that is changing so quickly, how do we ground ourselves in Christ and in God's Word and point people back to Christ and to God's Word in an era really of just tremendous uncertainty? You know, as I spoke about in some earlier episodes, I see this as a tremendous gospel opportunity, and I think people look to politics as the be-all, end-all solution. I can get up off my butt every four years, cast a vote on a Tuesday night and we'll get our guy in and everything will be fine and dandy, and then I don't have to do anything. Well, you know, the reality of of the decay of our modern world is that it's it's not. It's not that simple, and we have to go sort of above and beyond and treat this as a long-term play for the future. And I think the future is inevitably going to be in our hands for the simple reason that we're the only ones that are actually having children.

Speaker 1:

I saw a crazy stat floating around on social media the other day that said only like 17% of people over the age of 30 are married with children. A staggering 30% are married without children. So this concept of dinks, dual income, no kids which has caught on strangely. I mean, this is just how far things have fallen. You know, of course there's folks who get married and have fertility problems. I think you know we're certainly not speaking about those folks, but to the people who are getting married and then not having children, it's just like what's the point? Are you doing this as a tax write-off, unless you're older or something? Of course there's certain exceptions to the rule with those type of situations. I'm certainly not harping on anybody that's in a particular situation that maybe is struggling with fertility, or you know, we're not talking about those folks. We're talking about the folks that are younger, you know, in their late 20s, early 30s, and are explicitly making the conscious decision to not have children in favor of hedonism and self-pleasure and travel and all of these vapid things that you know, when you're on your deathbed will not matter in the least. And so we have.

Speaker 1:

Really, this is a spiritual sickness, a spiritual sickness in our society, and, you know, the future belongs to those of us who are procreating, who are getting married, who are having children and lots of children. You know many of my friends have, you know, four or five, six kids. I've been speaking with a couple of people that have even more, which is really impressive. I have three myself currently, lord willing. We're not done.

Speaker 1:

And it's tough. Any parent will tell you that juggling multiple kids under the age of five is very, very difficult, but it's also very, very rewarding and it's a long-term play, and this is what the concept of the parallel polis is all about is we are not conforming to the standards of modernity. You know, there's the, the, the people that are dual income, no kids, married and are purposely not having kids. They, um have doubled the numbers of those of us who are married with children, and then, of course, there's another 30% that are just single. Um, in the long term, you know, those of us who are having kids are going to inherit the future by default, isolating ourselves, right, but engaging and fighting back against the modern culture and the modern ways of doing things, but at the same time, you know, purposefully, you know pointing our kids towards Christ and in the right direction. And that's the biggest thing that we have to do, because, you know, the left and the globalists and these people, the atheists, the technocrats like these people, are, by and large, not having children, and so the only way for them to quote, unquote, procreate and pass on their horrible ideas is by subverting the minds of our children. And so that is the most important thing that we have to do, as we're sort of building out this parallel polis, is to protect the minds and the souls of our children. So I'm going to dive into a little bit of an excerpt here from this chapter and I'm not going to read the whole thing. That's a pretty long chapter and of course I only want to give you guys just a little glimpse of what's in the book. If you want to check out the full book, you can get it at reclaimingrealitycom. So with that, let's dive in.

Speaker 1:

Empires rise and fall, but those who build in truth outlast them all. For centuries, christians have found themselves at odds with the dominant culture and political powers of their time, whether under the Roman Empire, the totalitarian regimes of the 20th century or the rising globalist technocracies of today. The church has often been forced to choose between submission to a corrupt order or the creation of an independent parallel society that operates according to God's law rather than man's dictates. The parallel polis model is the most viable path forward for Christians in the age of artificial intelligence, mass surveillance and algorithmic control. The term parallel polis originates from the resistance movement in communist Czechoslovakia, where Christian dissidents, intellectuals, recognized the impossibility of reforming an oppressive regime from within, instead focused on building their own independent cultural, economic and social institutions. They printed their own literature, created underground education networks and developed parallel markets that operated outside of state control.

Speaker 1:

The key insight of the parallel polis is simple but profound when the mainstream system becomes hostile to truth and virtue, the answer is not to fight for scraps from within it, but to build an alternative. Today, christians face a similar moment of decision. We live in a world where institutions that once served as pillars of civilization from the media, academia, finance and, sadly, even many churches they are now openly hostile to biblical Christianity churches. They are now openly hostile to biblical Christianity. The censorship and deplatforming of Christian voices, the erosion of religious liberties and the encroachment of AI-driven social engineering all point to a future where believers will be increasingly shut out from the mainstream institutions unless they conform to the prevailing secular ideology. In this environment, the church has two options it can either submit to the demands of the new digital tyranny or it can take action by creating a parallel polis suited for the modern world.

Speaker 1:

A successful parallel polis must address key areas of Christian life, ensuring that believers are not economically, intellectually or socially dependent on hostile institutions. First and foremost, the parallel polis must reclaim education. Public schooling systems have become indoctrination centers for secular, progressive ideology, making it essential that Christian families withdraw from them and invest in independent schools, homeschooling networks and classical academies that provide a Christ-centered education. If we fail to do this, the next generation will be lost, raised not by the parents and churches, but by algorithms, government bureaucrats and corporate propaganda. Economic independence is another crucial pillar of the parallel polis. The global financial system, increasingly controlled by centralized banking institutions and digital payment networks, is rapidly moving toward a world in which dissidents can be financially blacklisted. Social credit systems, already in place in China and expanding elsewhere, demonstrate that financial control is a key tool of political oppression. Christians must therefore build alternative economies based on local production, independent commerce and decentralized financial networks, such as Bitcoin, which offers a means of economic exchange beyond the reach of centralized control. Christian businesses must support one another, creating supply chains that prioritize faith over corporate compliance with anti-Christian agendas.

Speaker 1:

Media and information control is perhaps the most dangerous tool of our time. We live in an age where truth is no longer determined by what is objectively real, but by what is permitted by algorithmic curation. Ai systems decide which voices are heard and which are sil channels. They will be reduced, and indeed are reduced to digital serfs unable to speak freely or access uncensored information. This is why platforms that resist regime control, such as Gab and other independent alternatives must be subordinated and expanded. The church itself must become more than a place of worship. It must be the central institution of the Parallelpolis.

Speaker 1:

In the early church, believers did not see their faith as something confined to Sunday services, but as the organizing principle of their entire community. Churches must once again take on this role, becoming centers of learning, economic cooperation and social resilience. This means preparing for a future where Christians may need to rely on one another for healthcare, food supply chains and mutual assistance in times of persecution. In a world where AI-driven bureaucracy can deny access to basic services, christian communities must be prepared to provide for their own. It is important to recognize that building a parallel polis is not about isolationism. Christians are not called to retreat into enclaves and ignore the world. Rather, they are called to build an alternative that stands as a testament to what a society rooted in truth, beauty and righteousness looks like. The goal is not to abandon the world, but to offer it something better. This has been the pattern throughout history in the world. But to offer it something better. This has been the pattern throughout history.

Speaker 1:

When Rome collapsed, it was the Christian monastic communities that preserved knowledge, order and culture when state churches became corrupted, faithful believers built new congregations that revived true worship. When hostile ideologies took over the mainstream, christians created parallel institutions that carried the faith forward. The question is not whether a parallel polis will be necessary. It already forward. The question is not whether a parallel polis will be necessary. It already is. The question is whether Christians will act now to build it, before they find themselves entirely dependent on a system that hates them. The time to start is today. By reclaiming education, securing economic independence, developing free media and strengthening local church communities, christians can create a parallel society that does not merely survive the coming challenges, but thrives in the midst of them. History vindicates this strategy. The early church itself functioned as a parallel polis within the Roman Empire, creating a shadow society with its own ethics, economy and eschatology. Monasteries preserved Western civilization during the Dark Ages by becoming arcs of liturgy and learning the Walden scenes, defying medieval ecclesiastical corruption. Forged clandestine networks of Bible-literate communities in the Alpine valleys, preserving scripture and sacraments outside of the Vatican's grip. These models prove that parallel structures, when anchored in uncompromising truth, can outlast and outmaneuver decaying empires.

Speaker 1:

In our digital age, the battlefield expands. Decentralized cryptocurrencies can bypass central banks, mesh networks can evade censorship and peer-to-peer education can subvert woke indoctrination. The tools exist. What's lacking is the Spartan resolve to wield them. Yet this neopolis demands more than infrastructure. It requires a metaphysical revolution. The ancient Greeks understood that a polis survives only when its gods are feared and its tradition is revered. Our Christian parallel polis must likewise exalt the Trinity as the ultimate authority, rejecting the pantheon of modernity's idols, gender fluidity, technocratic surveillance and the cult of the sovereign self. Citizenship in this Neopolis is earned through asceticism, not consumption, through martyrdom not compromise. Its warriors are not soldiers but saints, men like the Waldestine preachers who smuggled scripture through mountain passes, and women like the early church matrons who turned Roman households into cells of resistance. The globalist regime will retaliate. It always does. We must respond accordingly. We must fight not for marble temples but for the new Jerusalem. Let the algorithms flag our proclamations, let the banks freeze our assets. The agora of Christ's kingdom cannot be unplugged for its power flows. The parallel polis rises not in retreat but in holy rebellion.

Speaker 1:

In the blank twilight of the 20th century, as communist regimes tightened their stranglehold on Eastern Europe, two Czech visionaries, valkov Benda and Valkov Havo, emerged as defiant architects of hope. Their homeland, czechoslovakia, languished under the boot of Marxist-Leninist dogma, where dissent was crushed, truth was criminalized and the human spirit was suffocated by ideological conformity. Yet in this spiritual desert, benda, a Catholic philosopher, and Havel, a playwright steeped in existential humanism, kindled a revolutionary flame the Parallelpolis, a subterranean society operating beyond the reach of the party's omniscient gaze. This was not mere resistance. It was a metaphysical insurgency, a reclaiming of human dignity and transcendent truth in a world enslaved to materialist lies. Benda, drawing from his deep Christian convictions, framed the Parallelpolis as a conventional counter-reality, a network of shadow institutions where faith, family and freedom could flourish. Charter 77, the dissonant manifesto he helped draft, became its beating heart, uniting theologians, artists, scientists and laborers under a common creed loyalty to conscience over ideology.

Speaker 1:

Meanwhile, havel's civic form weaponized culture against tyranny, staging plays that unmasked the regime's absurdities and publishing samizdat. Literature that circulated like sacraments among the oppressed Underground. Theaters became the cathedrals of truth. Clandestine seminars functioned as seminaries for the mind. Theirs was a rebellion as spiritual as it was political, rejecting the regime's claim to claim to power by asserting their irreducible sovereignty of the human soul. The risks were mortal. Informants lurked in every apartment block, secret police files bulged with the names of subversives. Benda faced interrogation and imprisonment, his children harassed for his quote-unquote crimes. Havel, whose essays dissected the moral bankruptcy of totalitarianism, cycled in and out of prison cells.

Speaker 1:

Yet their movement thrived precisely because it operated in the cracks of the system Decentralized, adaptable and rooted in non-negotiable truths that the regime could not eradicate the authority of natural law and the promise that lies, no matter how institutionalized, inevitably crumble before reality. The parallel polis was not a retreat but a conquest. Catholic priests celebrated mass in living rooms reviving a church. The state had tried to erase Homeschooling networks, preserved history and philosophy from Marxist revisionism. Printers hidden in basements produced Bibles and texts armed with the mind against propaganda. This was nation-building in miniature, a testament to the irrepressible power of communities grounded in truth. When the Velvet Revolution toppled the regime in 1989, it was not through violent revolt but through the quiet collapse of a system whose legitimacy had long been hauled out by the parallel polis' relentless witness.

Speaker 1:

As the West succumbs to the global homo regime, a new totalitarianism draped in rainbow flags and digital surveillance, benda and Havel's blueprint, demands revival. The tools have evolved Encrypted messaging apps replace samizdat, homeschooling co-ops, leverage online curricula to bypass woke indoctrination. Yet the strategic imperative remains unchanged Construct parallel institutions that operate by kingdom ethics, not state decrees. Imagine decentralized cryptocurrencies freeing commerce from ESG power, or mesh networks hosting uncensored sermons and scholastic debates, picture homeschooling collectives raising a generation fluent in scripture and natural law, or underground media empires producing films that glorify Christendom's heroes rather than deconstruct them.

Speaker 1:

The parallel polis' genius relies on its duality it is both refuge and beachhead. It preserves the faithful during cultural dark ages while training them to reclaim occupied territory. As Benda argued, such structures are not apolitical but metapolitical, shaping the moral imagination of societies before they even grasp their own enslavement. The early church understood this, turning Roman households into cells of resurrection hope. We must do likewise, building banks, schools and media that answer to Christ alone than answer to Christ alone.

Speaker 1:

So that's an excerpt from the chapter the parallel polis from my book Reclaiming Reality. I hope you enjoyed it. These are important things and you know we want to talk through solutions and really it just comes with the long-term game plan of being faithful to the Lord, raising our children up to fear and love the Lord and protecting their minds and their souls and their hearts from the ways of the Lord. Raising our children up to fear and love the Lord and protecting their minds and their souls and their hearts from the ways of the world, while at the same time engaging with the world and fighting back against the world. So it's both of those things at the same time. It's a beachhead, but it's also sort of our refuge as well, and it's not necessarily a physical place, although it could be. There are certain communities that are popping up across the country, particularly in the Midwest and in well, in a very real and tangible way, but where it really takes form is in our own homes and in our own hearts.

Speaker 1:

We need to get right with the Lord. We need to make sure that we're living for Christ and that we're raising our kids to do the same and play the long game. This isn't something that's going to be solved in one election cycle or two election cycles. We just vote the right guy in and everything will suddenly be fixed. Certainly, some good things can happen during an administration, especially one that's favorable to us, like we have right now, but in the long term, the decay and the rot of modernity is so deep. The decay and the rot of modernity is so deep that it's going to take generations to undo. And the reason that I'm so bullish is because, again, none of our enemies are having children, none of them. So all of their ideologies, all of their horrible ideas are going to die out with them.

Speaker 1:

As long as we can protect the minds and the souls and the hearts of our children from their corruption, so that's our single most important task and that's sort of at Um. As long as we can protect the minds and the souls and the hearts of our children from the, from their corruption, um, so that's that's our single most important task and that's sort of at the heart of building the parallel polis is to raise our children up to fear and love the Lord, um, and to uh, you know, steer our own households towards the kingdom. Those are the most important things that we can do. And and, frankly, check out as much as you can from the system. Don't let the system take control over your mind. The more time that you give to enemy propaganda and enemy media and enemy entertainment, you're corrupting your mind, you're corrupting your soul.

Speaker 1:

We want to be supportive of Christian communities and Christian business owners and Christian families, and that's the one thing that we're frankly lacking very, very much right now is we don't support each other well enough. They give each other resources, they have patronage networks, as Trump and Doge and Elon have recently exposed, that's what USAID was. It was one giant patronage network for all the freaks on the left, and it was our tax dollars doing it. And we need our own patronage networks. Right now, all we have is each other. All we have is each other, and we need to support one another. So that's the biggest missing link right now that we need to fill in the coming years is, you know, building tight-knit communities that support and uplift one another. And you know, these patronage networks which I get into in a later chapter very important, very important.

Speaker 1:

It's impossible to build stuff without capital. It's just impossible. You can get started, you can't scale, you can't maintain without capital. It's just the reality of the situation. And right now, our enemies, they get it when it comes to capital. They get it when it comes to patronage networks and supporting one another, regardless of their disagreements between one another. They don't care If you're on their side. You're a part of the crew and you're going to get lifted up, you're going to get resources, you're going to get help. They're not going to stab each other. We have a lot of backstabbing on the right. We have a lot of egos vying for power and control and we don't support one another well enough. So that's one of the big things that we need to do going forward, especially as Christians. So hope you enjoyed this episode. If you want to check out the book, go to reclaimingrealitycom. You can grab it on Amazon or on the Gab Shop. Thank you for tuning in. Remember speak freely, christ is King.

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Andrew Torba

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