Sacred Tension

In this episode I talk to film-maker Christopher Maloney about his latest documentary, In God We Trump, which explores the confounding relationship between Trump and the evangelical world.Evangelicals — one of the largest voting blocks in the United States — are wedded to Trump, and are largely responsible for getting him into office. Despite their supposed commitment to sexual morality, family values, humility, and truth-telling, they have gotten into bed with one of the most dishonest, immoral, and arrogant con-men the presidency has ever seen.Christopher’s documentary attempts to understand this betrayal — how can a group of Christians so dedicated to personal integrity, family values, and sexual purity cast their lot with a figure so blatantly opposed to all that they hold dear? Maloney explains how this betrayal took place, and the rage and hunger for dominance that lurks beneath the pious veneer of American evangelicalism. Find in God We Trump here.Love this show and want to support it? Please consider becoming a patron, and you will receive a separate patrons-only weekly podcast. Also, please share this show with your friends, and take a moment to give it five stars on iTunes or wherever you listen.Want to connect with me? Find me at stephenbradfordlong.com, on twitter, and on Instagram.Other Rock Candy Shows:Eleventylife This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

This holiday season has been crazy, so I am reposting this fascinating conversation with cult expert Joseph Laycock about New Religious Movements. We will be back on schedule with new shows next week. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

Earlier this year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change dropped a horrifying ultimatum on the world: we have a mere 12 years to to mobilize a World War II level effort to change the effects of climate change to avoid a cataclysmic future.Like many people, I try to be a conscientious and informed citizen. I try to stay abreast of all that is happening in the world, and I try to effect change in my own small way. But this IPCC report completely paralyzed me with terror. How do we even begin to effect change in the face of such a daunting task, with the lives of future generations and entire species at stake?I can’t imagine that I’m the only person who feels this way. Many of us, when confronted with such huge realities, simply shut down, and that’s the very worst thing we can do.To try to help myself and others who might be feeling a similar paralysis, I invited my friend Peterson Toscano onto the show to talk me and my audience down from the ledge.Peterson Toscano is a climate activist, LGBT activist, biblical scholar, and actor. This conversation is what my soul needed, and I found his hope contagious. He offered some new perspectives that I’d never considered before, and while I still struggle with climate fear, my conversation with Peterson has greatly encouraged me.As Peterson reminds us in this conversation, there is such a thing Climate change denial, but there is also such a thing as climate hope denial. More than anything right now, we need hope that can inspire us to act, to create a more compassionate, connected, and enlightened humanity.Find Peterson's Citizens Climate Radio here: https://soundcloud.com/citizensclimateradio This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

I'm joined by former priest David Yocis to discuss the Catholic sex abuse scandal and the recent Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report. Find the Grand Jury Report here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/apps/g/page/local/report-on-pennsylvania-church-sex-abuse/2319/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Sacred Tension I sit down with socialist professor and author Rob Larson to give some basic definitions for oft-misrepresented terms, primarily Marxism and Socialism. We also discuss the existential threat of capitalism as it relates to climate change, why figures like Jordan Peterson are so popular, and much more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

(Repost) I talk to YouTuber Say Goodnight Kevin about why Christian movies are so horrible. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

Logic, science, and reason are coming for your children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

Danielle and I conclude our conversation on social justice and the gospel. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

Danielle and I sit down to discuss the recent statement on social justice and the gospel from various evangelical leaders. In the process, we talk about priviledge, race, science, and much more. For more resources on this subject: Minoirty Korner PodcastThe New Jim Crow White RageContraPoints This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I talk to Exvangelical Podcast host Blake Chastain about recovering from evangelicalism, the importance of ritual, the harms of purity culture, and much more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

David Hayward, AKA the Naked Pastor, is a retired minister who now helps guide people through the challenges of theological deconstruction. He leads the Lasting Supper online community, and is the cartoonist behind the Naked Pastor comics. In this conversation we discuss his journey out of traditional Christianity, his deconstruction, and the road to healthy spirituality.Love my show and want to support it? Please take a moment to give this show five stars on itunes. You can also financially support my work at www.patreon.com/stephenbradfordlong, where you will receive a second, patrons-only weekly podcast. Find me on twitter @stephenblong, instagram @stephenbradfordlong, and read my dozens of articles at sbradfordlong.comAs always, thanks for listening. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

Timothy and I conclude our 4-part response to the Revoice conference with our reaction to Wesley Hill's talk. We discuss shame, homosexuality, the supposed immutability of God's law, and why God's law is wrong anyway. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

Timothy and I continue our response to the Revoice conference. In this episode, we respond to a testimony by Becca, who says that, while she is still attracted to women, she has found freedom in Christ, and that the gay "lifestyle" will ultimate disappoint. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

Timothy and I continue our response to the Revoice conference, and in this episode we respond to talks by Nate Collins and Ray Low on the topic of homosexuality and lament. We explore where we agree and disagree, and while we affirm the grief expressed in these talks over the mistreatment of LGBT people, we worry about the consequences of the theology Revoice espouses.Love my work and want to support it? Please go to www.patreon.com/stephenbradfordlong to financially support my work, and you will get a seperate, patrons only podcast every week. I can't do any of this work without my patrons, and I would be proud to have you counted among their number.Anyone interested in reaching out to me can find me at: www.sbradfordlong.com On twitter @stephenblongOn Instagram at StephenbradfordlongThis podcast is a production of Rock Candy Media. For more information about Rock Candy, go to https://www.rockcandyrecordings.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Sacred Tension, Timothy Wilds and I sit down to discuss the recent Revoice Conference. Revoice is a conference for LGBT people who affirm the traditional ethic on homosexuality. Timothy and I unpack the first keynote address, parsing out what we think is positive and negative. Love this show and want to support it? Go it www.patreon.com/stephenbradfordlong and for five dollars a month you will get a seperate, patrons-only weekly podcast. Reach out to me on twitter @stephenblong and at www.sbradfordlong.com As always, thanks for listening. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

Donald and I continue our mad tour of delusional, abusive, and paranoid pastors. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

I'm joined by Pentecostal minister Donald Guffey to go throughg a rundown of misbehaving pastors. In the process we discuss the nature of their corruption, whether they actually believe what they preach, and why the Evangelical church is drawn to charlatans. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I talk to pastor, author, and artist Steve Daugherty. We talk about honesty within faith, living in the spectrum between belief and agnosticism, his journey out of fundamentalism, and much more. Find Steve Daugherty's work here: http://www.stevedaugherty.netCheck out Eleventylife here: http://eleventylife.libsyn.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I talk to Jay Bakker, pastor of Revolution Church, an LGBT ally, and son of the notorious televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. We discuss what it was like growing up in the Bakker family, why he came out in support of LGBT people, his agnostic christianity, his struggles with alcoholism and depression, and much more.Enjoy this show? Please go support my work at www.patreon.com/stephenbradfordlong This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I sit down with quaker, actor, activist and Biblical scholar Peterson Toscano to discuss his time in the ex-gay movement. Peterson discusses what he went through in the Love in Action program, and his long, hard road of recovery.You can find Peterson’s work at https://petersontoscano.com. Please go support his work and follow him on social media.Love my work and want to support it? Please share this episode with your friends and family, and take a moment to give this podcast 5 stars on iTunes. If you have financial resources, you can support my work at https://patreon.com/stephenbradfordlong. You can find me on twitter @stephenblong, and you can contact me and read my work at https://sbradfordlong.com. Please drop me an email or tweet to let me know your thoughts on this episode. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I'm joined by podcaster Caleb Rowe for a demonstration of the life-changing power of Tarot. Through the reading we cover many topics, including: millenial anxiety, deconstructing Christian faith, the struggles of being an LGBT minority, developing our own rites and systems, and much more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

Can you be religious and an atheist? Can you disbelieve in spirits while also defending your religious freedom? We live in a culture that has hard boundaries between these territories, and they are enforced by all sides, atheists and religious alike. The assumption that religion = theism is deeply imbedded in our culture, but it might be blocking progress to a more rational, reasonable, and humane religion.Greg Stevens of the Satanic Temple joins me to discuss non-theistic religion, the activism of The Satanic Temple, the importance of religion for atheists, and to answer questions from my listeners about The Satanic Temple. Among the questions asked are:- Why Satan? Why, of all the deities to worship, do you choose Satan?- Why degrade Christian symbols that so many Christians deem holy? Isn’t that counter-productive?- How has the election of Donald Trump effected the Temple?- Is Satanism purely reactionary to Christianity? What would Satanism look like in other cultures? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this Episode of Sacred Tension, Danielle and I chat about what would make us lose faith in Christianity, what still scars us from our evangelical pasts, our favorite Catholic saints, why we eventually came to affirm gay relationships, and much more.Love this episode and want to support it? Please take a few seconds to give this podcast 5 stars on itunes.Patreon: patreon.com/stephenbradfordlongTwitter: @stephenblongRead my dozens or article at sbradfordlong.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

Matt and I wrap up our conversation with Timothy by discussing, among many other things, Theosis: the spiritual concept that ultimately led Timothy out of the closet. Theosis is the belief that God is working to unite all things to Himself, and what this taught Timothy about his own sexual orientation is profound. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

Matt and I continue our conversation with Timothy, unpacking his journey of coming out. Timothy discusses the gradual theological transformation that led to his liberation and fundamental shift of worldview. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Sacred Tension, Matt and I are honored to share our conversation with Timothy, an old friend in the process of coming out of the closet. He shares what life was like as a conservative Christian, the importance of authenticity, the health consequences of the closet, the Gay evangelical ghetto, and much more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I have a fascinating conversation with cult expert Joseph Laycock. He answers questions from me and my audience about new religious movements, and sheds enormous clarity on our culture in the process. We talk about why we differentiate between cults and religions, the history of the cult wars, new religions that have emerged in the past five years, whether or not cult brain washing is real, whether cults are an American phenomenon, and much more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I continue my conversation with Satanic Temple spokesperson Greg Stevens about the core seven tenets of the Satanic Temple. Along the way, we talk about freedom of speech, bodily autonomy, the significance of how we treat our neighbor, the importance of science in shaping belief, and much more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I talk to Greg Stevens, a leader and spokesman of the Satanic Temple. In part one of this interview we discuss nontheistic religion, worship, atheism, the 7th tenent of the Satanic Temple, and much more. You can find Greg at Gregstevens.com. You can find the Satanic Temple at thesatanictemple.com. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I talk to the hilarious and insightful youtuber Kevin McCreary of Say Goodnight Kevin fame. We discuss his childhood as a Christian homeschooler, his firing from Focus on the Family, and why Christian movies are so gag-inducingly terrible. Kevin makes a living critiquing terrible Christian movies on youtube. Find his channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/saygoodnightkevin This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

Donald, Danielle and I continue our breakdown of the Danvers Statement. In the process we discuss women in leadership, privilege, the American Evangelical persecution complex, and much more.Love this show and want to support it? Please take the time to write a kind review of this podcast on itunes. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Sacred Tension, Danielle, Donald, and I discuss the Danvers Statement. The Danvers Statement is a statement from the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood on gender roles in the church, home, and culture. Danielle leads the charge with a complete breakdown on why the statement falls apart at the seams.While the Danvers Statement seems dusty, arcane, and out of touch, it is still important. It still shapes the way many people understand family, gender, and culture. Underlying the Danvers Statement is an infallible reading of scripture which, like a house of cards, collapses under its own weight. Scripture is far too huge, ancient, and complex to be held to the standards that the CBMW try to hold it to.The result is an impoverished and potentially abusive view of scripture, culture, and, ultimately, women.Love this podcast and want to support it? Please take a moment to write a kind review on Apple Podcasts. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

If you’ve spent any amount of time on the Internet lately, you’ve probably heard of Jordan Peterson: a charismatic professor of psychology turned guru dad to the discontented young men of the western world. His meteoric rise has been swift, prompted by his refusal to use non binary pronouns, and he is now a figurehead of the anti-pc, anti-social-justice-warrior movement. The New York Times has described him as the most influential public intellectual of the western world.Peterson is a complicated figure, and I’m not interested in reducing him to heroic, or villainous caricatures. His most recent book, 12 Rules For Life: An Antidote to Chaos (which is also the most read book on Amazon right now) is, in places, genuinely helpful. 2 or 3 pieces of the advice he offers have been truly helpful to me, and I think his self authoring course has merits. Go an inch beneath his often obvious advice, though, and you run into some problems.I normally don’t have an entire show dedicated to the critique of a public figure, but I think Jordan Peterson and his wild success need to be understood. I’ve been searching for some cogent criticism of Peterson, and Douglas Lain has offered some of the best critiques I’ve found on the web. In this episode of Sacred Tension Douglas and I discuss his offer to debate Peterson, Peterson’s flaws as a public intellectual, why Douglas describes himself as a “wannabe Marxist,” and much more.Douglas Lain is the publisher of http://www.zero-books.net, a novelist, a podcaster, and most recently a youtuber.His most recent novel, entitled BASH BASH Revolution (https://www.amazon.com/Bash-Revolution-Douglas-Lain/dp/1597809160), received a starred review in Booklist, and his previous novel After the Saucers Landed http://www.amazon.com/After-Saucers-Landed-Douglas-Lain/dp/1597808237) was nominated for the Philip K Dick Award.Douglas Lain is also the host of the Zero Books podcast. His first podcast, entitled Diet Soap, ran for over five years.If you want to learn more about Douglas Lain, listen to his podcast, or watch his youtube channel, go to www.douglaslain.net This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

Content warning: this episode features some discussions of physical, medical, psychological and sexual abuse that some listeners may find difficult.Grey Faction is a campaign of the Satanic Temple dedicated to overcoming the causes and consequences of the Satanic Panic which swept through the United States in the 80’s and 90’s. While the Satanic Panic is no longer mainstream, it lives on in the mental health field and corners of the Evangelical movement. In this episode of Sacred Tension, I talk to two badass Satanic ladies from Grey Faction about the work they do to expose the quack science in the mental health field that continues to perpetuate abuse and Satanic Panic delusion. They explain how this is a human rights and feminist issue. If you want to learn more about Grey Faction, go to www.greyfaction.org This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I talk to gay Christian activist and blogger Donald Scherschligt about his recent HIV diagnosis, and how he is integrating his HIV positive status into his life and faith. Donald speaks vulnerably and beautifully about the first moment he found out he is positive, the politics of HIV, the cognitive shift that takes place when one receives a positive diagnosis, and much, much more. You can find Donald at www.donaldlawrence.me, and on twitter @donnysurelegit. He is also the editor in chief of SKEW, a Level Ground magazine, which you can find at http://www.onlevelground.orgDo you or someone you know need help or resources on HIV? Donald has provided me with resources for anyone who might need care or want to learn more:Everything you could ever want to know and more about HIV: http://www.thebody.com/To find an HIV testing center in your local area: https://locator.aids.gov/To find PrEP providers, I recommend a couple places: First, https://preplocator.org/Second, If you live in a "healthcare desert" (a location where access to PrEP is unavailable due to legal or geographical limitations), learn about Nurx and get their app. They're an amazing telemedicine start-up that is making access to this pill incredibly easy: https://www.nurx.com/prep/If you need help affording PrEP: https://www.truvada.com/how-to-get-truvada-for-prep/truvada-costTo learn more about the history of the AIDS crisis: "How To Survive A Plague" is an infuriating, moving, powerful, amazing film and a must-watch for anyone who wants to learn about ACT UP and AIDS. It's totally worth the $3 for a rental on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nrr0eA34CSM This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

This episode of Sacred Tension is a bit different, in that it isn't actually a Sacred Tension episode. Matt Langston has graciously agreed to let me share the audio from an interview I did for his show Eleventylife on what it was like to survive a shooting when I was 19 years old.Because this is a story I rarely tell publicly, and becuase I don't see myself sharing it again anytime soon, I wanted to offer my listeners the opportunity to hear it. In the process, Matt, Davey and I discuss mental health, social media, religious child abuse, and Matt recalls that one time when demons were cast out of him.And please take the time to subscribe to Matt's show. You can find Eleventyseven's music and podcast here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Sacred Tension, Matt and I follow up our Axioms of Faith series by "answering" some questions from listerners on social media. We discuss whether or not Christianity passes the cult test, whether the serpent in the garden was a benevolent figure, why people of faith do bad things, and much, much more. Do you get value out of this show? Please take a moment to write a kind review on Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen. Find Jonathan Merritt's article on Elevation Church here. Find Matt's new album here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In part two of our series on doubt, Matt Langston and I continue our discussion of Science Mike's Axioms. In the process, we talk about hell, salvation from a scientific perspective, how we relate to the Bible, and how nontheism might be the way of the future. Find Matt's new album here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Sacred Tension, Matt Langston of Eleventyseven and I sit down to discuss our on-going struggles with doubt and faith. We discuss Science Mike's axioms of faith, and why we are still, against all odds, in the Christian community. Love my work and want to support it? Take a moment to write a kind review of Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. Find Matt's new album here This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

After growing up in Northern Ireland, storyteller Gareth Higgins understands better than most how stories shape society, conflict, and change. In this episode of Sacred Tension, Gareth shares his wisdom with my listeners about how to tell better stories in a world that seems overrun with fundamentalism, violence, and totalitarianism. Love my work and want to support my show? Please take a moment to write a kind review on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

Donald, Danielle, and I continue our conversation about gender complementarianism and the mission statement of the Council For Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. In the process we discuss power structures, the importance of doubt, and how organizations like the Council For Biblical Manhood and Womanhood might exist to maintain certainty and control. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Sacred Tension, Danielle, Donald, and I discuss the mission and vision statements of the Council For Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. We rant about Biblical interpretation, the social consequences of complementarianism, and more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I speak with religious scholar Joseph Laycock about the Satanic Panic of the 80's and 90's, and why the Evangelical world was so terrified of role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons. We discuss his book Dangerous Games: What the Moral Panic Over Role Playing Games Says About Religion, Play, and Imagined Worlds. His book serves as an important cautionary tale in our age of hyper-connectivity, fake news, and conspiracy theories. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode I sit down with environmental scientist Melissa Wilson to talk about her journey out of Evangelicalism, her grieving process for her old faith community, her journey towards embracing LGBT people, and the struggle of being a questioner in Christian community. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I introduce Tarot-virgin Justin to the beautiful art of reading Tarot. While reading his cards, I share my (extremely basic) knowledge of the Tarot, and my theories about why it works. Is Tarot primarily about psychology, or is it about seeing the future? Listen to find out. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Sacred Tension, Scientology survivor Chris Shelton comes back onto the show to help me figure out if Youth With a Mission (YWAM) is a destructive cult. Youth With a Mission is one of the largest Christian mission organizations in the world, and I was a member for two painful years. In the process we talk about the marks of a destructive cult, trance states, the ubiquity of destructive ideas, and gay conversion therepy. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

Merry Christmas! In this episode of Sacred Tension, we give you company during this miserable holiday by discussing Catholicism, the child sex abuse scandal, pentecostalism, and equality for LGBT people and women in the church. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In part two of my conversation with drag queen Ida Carolina, we discuss what it was like being queer in Christian college. We explore the difficulties of navigating sexual orientation in a hostile environment, the survival skills we developed, and respectability politics. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I sit down with lifelong friend and fabulous drag queen Ida Carolina AKA Nathan Adams about growing up queer in Christian school. We share what it was like being queer in evangelical culture, what lessons we internalized about ourselves, and how we survived the experience. If you enjoy this show, please take a moment to give it a positive review on iTunes or wherever you listen. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I discuss the harms of mandatory gay celibacy with blogger Patrick Gothman. Patrick shares what it was like growing up gay in the Catholic church, how he came to believe God requires him to be celibate for the rest of his life, and how and why he eventually walked away from that conviction. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe