Stay ConnectedWhat do a Muslim activist and a Catholic monk have in common? It’s not a joke, it’s a podcast.
We are two men with wildly different religious, political, and social convictions seeking mutual understanding. The point is dialogue–with some silliness thrown in.
Copyright: © Umar Lee and Augustine Wetta
The guys are invited back for another discussion with another Ethics class...
Welcome to another episode of “disagreement” with Umar Lee and Father Augustine Wetta. Today I will be interviewing two special forces operatives.
Retired Master Sergeant John Addleman didn't just serve in the Army—he spent 26 years operating in some of the most elite special operations units in the world. A veteran of the legendary 75th Ranger Regiment, he went on to earn the Green Beret and serve in the U.S. Army Special Forces before being selected to serve with Australia's elite Special Air Service Regiment (SASR). He deployed into combat in the Philippines, Iraq, and Afghanistan, mastering everything from military freefall parachuting and underwater combat diving to counterterrorism, hostage rescue, and special operations intelligence. In 1997, he was part of an extraordinary 12-man team of six Green Berets and six Navy SEALs that traveled to Russia to compete against Russian Spetsnaz commandos—the only time an American team ever participated in the competition. In 2007, he led a combat freefall infiltration mission against a terrorist cell operating in a remote region of northern Iraq near the Syrian border. He earned three Bronze Stars, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Military Freefall Jumpmaster Badge with a Combat Jump Star, among numerous other decorations. He also held a Top Secret/SCI security clearance. After more than a quarter-century of military service, he retired as a Master Sergeant—with a résumé that sounds like something out of an action movie.
Retired Command Sergeant Major Mark A. Collazos spent 23 years doing what most people only see in the movies: serving in elite Army units, parachuting from high altitudes, training as a combat diver, and operating behind enemy lines. His career took him through the 75th Ranger Regiment, its elite reconnaissance detachment, and Delta Force, with deployments to Panama, Somalia, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq—including Operation Gothic Serpent, the mission associated with Black Hawk Down. He rose from machine gunner to Command Sergeant Major, ultimately serving as the senior enlisted leader of the 4th Ranger Training Battalion, helping train the next generation of Rangers. His qualifications span military free-fall parachuting, underwater infiltration, advanced navigation, and survival, evasion, resistance, and escape. His decorations include two Bronze Stars and the Legion of Merit, and in 2022, he earned a lasting place among the Army’s most distinguished Rangers: induction into the Ranger Hall of Fame.
In 2025, John entered the Catholic Church, receiving the sacraments of Baptism and
Confirmation, with Mark standing beside him as his godfather.
As a class we have been discussing the parallels between art and ethics (some people say it’s all relative—or based on personal preference or cultural influences—but in the end, there is good and evil behavior). Every year we have someone who worked at the very top of their profession come speak about it (a Formula 1 driver, a comedian; a dancer with the Houston Ballet; a heavy metal guitarist…) I ask them questions like “Is there any such thing as a bad comedian, a better dancer; bad metal…?” It’s a way of discussing relativism in a way that we’ll understand. But we prefer to find topics we know little about. SO…we’ve asked John Addleman and his godfather, Mark Collazos to come talk to the class about the art of war—or, for lack of a better word, “soldiering”...
Father Augustine tries (and fails) to disagree with a Green Beret (John Addleman) and a DELTA force operative (Mark Collazos)!!
Father Augustine tries to argue with Robbie McGehee, race car driver, who competed in the Indy Racing League and won the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award in 1999.
What is Indy Car Racing?
Are some drivers better than others? Can you show us some examples? (YouTube?). Can you describe them?
How can you tell?
Is there any sense in which what you do in the car can be described as art?
Does “taste” or “personal preference” play a roll in driving?
Can you describe for us a moment when you were driving and knew you were “in the zone” or knew you were at the very top of your game?
Can you describe for us a moment when you were driving that you look back upon and cringe?
Has driving at that level made you a better person? Does watching that level of driving do something good for those who watch it? What does it achieve?
And how would you answer these challenges:
“I don’t know much about Formula One, but I can see that it’s just a bunch of guys driving in a circle.”
“It looks easy to me.”
*Does Indy Car racing translate to go-cart racing?
The boys disagree about immigration--then agree about it.
The boys solve the crisis in Iran...and reach the top 5% of podcasts worldwide!
The boys discuss Fish Fries, Yemeni coffee shops, world hunger, and genetic augmentation...
Umar and Augustine meet in front of the Pope's old novitiate in Saint Louis to meet with eminent local historian Christian Naffziger to discuss the neighborhood, gentrification, French people, Duke Ferdinand, flat earthers, confederate monuments, and pretty much anything Fr. Augustine's A.D.D. can sneak in...
While the boys discuss the newly elected pope, a massive tornado rips through Saint Louis!
Umar and Augustine choose the next Pope…in their own special “Papal Enclave.”
Umar visits Father Augustine's Sexual Ethics Class and answers questions:
What is Truth?What is Reality?What is evil?What is sin?Can god change the “rules” of ethics if he wants to?Are human beings basically good or basically bad?What is a human being/What does it mean to be human?Does the world need a code of sexual ethics?What is the role of women in Islam?How does the Koran define chastity and how does a Muslim man approach it?How does Islam approach the topic of artificial contraception?How does Islam advise homosexuals to be chaste?Do you believe that homosexuals should have the option of being legally married?How does Islam/the Koran address the topic of homosexuality?Are there elements of Catholic sexual ethics that you find off-putting or just plane wrong?Why did you convert to Islam?How do most Muslims think of Catholics (in your opinion)?Where (in your opinion) did Catholicism (and/or Christianity) go wrong?Is there anything you admire about the Catholic Church?What should America learn from Islam?Do Muslims believe in Hell? If so, what sort of sins can land you in HellDo you believe that living with your intended spouse before getting married is justifiable?Why do human beings have bodies?
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