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So the election happened...
And not too long after it, we saw the wave of social media posts deify Donald Trump as God's chosen savior of our country along with any number of messages filled with mean-spirited language about people who voted for Kamala Harris.
If you're like us, that's left you feeling some sort of way.
In this bonus episode recorded two days after the election, we talk through a framework of how we can process what we're feeling and move forward in the tensions between how we believe we should apply our faith to the culture around us and the way a large portion of the evangelical church has decided to apply theirs.
PS - the whole episode can be summed up in the final 30-seconds. We think the entire thing is good, but fast forward there if you just want the cliff notes.
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Our definitions of cultural Christianity:
Spiritually immature Christians who have been discipled more by evangelical culture than the actual Bible.
and/or
Christians who are more concerned with applying their Christian preferences to the culture than they are in achieving unity in Christ with those who may have different preferences.
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Tension was called Unlearning Youth Group for the first six seasons.
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We’ve tried to stay fairly reserved all season, but this week some emotions came out that have been boiling under the surface.
In this episode you’ll see two completely different views of how the rise of Donald Trump has impacted us when it comes to our Christian faith. Whether it’s the deification of the man, the hijacking of prophetic gifts, or how we view things overall, this episode shows how the current conservative political movement has hit both of us individually.
You won’t agree with everything - and some of it might even be a turn-off for you - but this is our raw response to where we are in today’s climate.
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Tension was called Unlearning Youth Group for the first six seasons.
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Did you know 1/3 of all adults who grew up in church but have since left said pastoral sex scandals played a significant role in their decision to leave?
Over the past 15 years, we've seen cover up after cover up within the American church. And it's all for the same reason: churches were scared of losing their cultural influence if they fired the pastor who abused his position.
This week we talk about how this has impacted evangelical culture, what a healthier approach would be, and what actual restoration looks like.
Content warning: we do go into some details on a few of the scandals. If that's not content you would like to hear, we suggest you skip 8:52 - 12:57.
8:52 - discussion of scandals starts
12:57 - details are done, you can come back
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Tension was called Unlearning Youth Group for the first six seasons.
AI notice - our theme song is AI generated using Suno.
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When it comes to cultural Christianity, so much of it comes down to an actual lack of trust in Jesus.
If/when we trust Jesus, we believe he'll do what he says he will do and aren't so dang scared of everything.
But when we don't trust him, we feel like it's up to us to protect everything and to fight for things he never told us to fight for.
This week we talk about how that idea plays out in real life while somehow mentioning Wendy Peffercorn while also relating Jesus to David Hasselhoff on Baywatch.
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Tension was called Unlearning Youth Group for the first six seasons.
AI notice: our intro/outro music was created by AI.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Gen Z is the least religious generation in American history. As of 2022, 44% of Gen Z claimed to have no relationship with religion at all.
In the 5th episode of our season looking at how Cultural Christianity is killing the American church, we make the case that an incomplete gospel combined with bad end times theology is the leading thing driving Gen Z to be uninterested in church.
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Tension was called Unlearning Youth Group for the first six seasons.
AI notice: the intro and outdo music is AI generated.
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Resources referenced in the show:
https://religioninpublic.blog/2023/04/03/gen-z-and-religion-in-2022/
https://sojo.net/articles/sponsored/1-million-leaving-church-every-year-gen-z-faithless-generation
https://relevantmagazine.com/magazine/how-gen-z-will-shape-the-church/
https://unitedwaynca.org/blog/gen-z-activism-survey/
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/12/08/about-four-in-ten-u-s-adults-believe-humanity-is-living-in-the-end-times/
https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2022/11/17/how-religion-intersects-with-americans-views-on-the-environment/
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/politics-and-religion/article/religious-ideology-race-and-health-care-policy-attitudes/C7882B114833DA3B437FEE106A14FD47
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The issue we discuss this week is a subtle, nuanced one you don't notice until a light is shined on it. What started with good intentions - telling people how Jesus has helped us - has evolved into a culture where we (unintentionally?) give off the impression we are more concerned with converting people than actually caring for them.
In this episode we look at how we got to where we are today, fully acknowledge the good intentions that led to bad results, and introduce an idea for a more complete application of the gospel.
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Tension was called Unlearning Youth Group for the first six seasons.
Our intro/outro music has been AI generated.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Did you know only 7% of people who had an abortion felt comfortable talking to *anyone* at church before making their decision? If that's not bad enough, only 3 in 10 believe the Church is a safe place to discuss pregnancy options (including parenting, abortion, and adoption).
Why don't people who have had an abortion feel comfortable in the American Church? What is it about us that makes them feel unsafe?
This week we continue our look at how Cultural Christianity is killing the American Church by discussing how the way we talk about abortion within the Church is hurting those who have been impacted by it the most.
Articles we reference:
https://www.focusonthefamily.com/pro-life/abortion/survey-women-go-silently-from-church-to-abortion-clinic/
https://deeperstill.org/roe-triggers/
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Tension was called Unlearning Youth Group for the first six seasons.
AI notice: the song at the beginning and end of the episode is AI generated.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Here's a stat for you: since 2008, moderates have left the Southern Baptist Convention at a 40% higher rate than the overall decline of the SBC.
This season we're looking at how cultural Christianity is killing the American Church. In this week's episode, we dive into how moderates - both politically and theologically - have been pushed out of the American Evangelical church.
Articles we reference:
https://www.prri.org/research/religious-change-in-america/
https://www.graphsaboutreligion.com/p/the-state-of-the-southern-baptist
https://www.graphsaboutreligion.com/p/southern-baptists-are-more-conservative
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Tension was called Unlearning Youth Group for the first six seasons.
AI notice: the song at the beginning and end of the episode is AI generated.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The American Church is in decline. Since 2013, the percentage of Americans claiming to be religiously unaffiliated has risen by 5%. During that same time, the percentage of Americans who said religion is either most important or among the most important things in their life dropped from 72% to 53%.
So what's causing the decline?
In the newest season of Tension, we make the argument that Cultural Christianity is what's killing the American Church. In this episode, we lay the groundwork for the next seven episodes where we'll discuss an element of Cultural Christianity each week and talk about how it's having negative impacts on the American Church.
Articles we reference:
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2024-04-07/trump-s-brand-of-christian-conservatism-is-driving-people-from-church
https://www.prri.org/research/religious-change-in-america/
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Tension was called Unlearning Youth Group for the first six seasons.
AI notice: the song at the beginning and end of the episode is AI generated.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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You've heard it said by Christian influencers and hyper partisans: you can't be a Christian and vote for a democrat.
We don't agree with that. We believe the Gospel doesn't fit into one American political party and that Bible believing, Jesus loving people can disagree on how we apply our faith to government.
In this episode, we walk through a Biblically focused grid to show how we came to the conclusion that we would be voting for certain democrats this fall. This episode is not to convince you that voting Democrat makes you more of a Christian or that voting Republican makes you less of a Christian. It's simply to show how an honest look at the Bible can result in different applications.
NOTE: this episode was recorded before the assassination attempt of President Trump. That shouldn’t impact any of the content, but we wanted to clarify for anyone who may have wanted that context.
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Timestamps:
9:04 - We all negotiate our faith
10:48 - Step 1: Determine what the role of government is from a biblical perspective.
14:49 - Democracy and forms of government in the Bible
18:14 - It is not your religious duty to vote
31:55 - What does the Bible say about taxes?
40:56 - Step 2: Determine the issues you believe most accomplishes the role of government.
41:59 - Jonathan’s answer to what most accomplishes the role of government
43:47 - Eric’s answer to what most accomplishes the role of government
51:51 - Step 3: Determine which candidates align with your priorities to accomplish the role of government.
1:00:18 - How the Bible says we should approach those with a different political preference
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Andy Stanley sermon Eric references:
https://youtu.be/vga6t63XGcQ?si=ph0X-HLuOOLWRmmD
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Tension was called Unlearning Youth Group for the first six seasons.
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The music in this episode was AI generated using Suno.com.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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For many of us who are trying to live in the tensions of our faith, we have come to places where what we're learning today is different from what we've learned in our past.
In the final episode of season ten, we talk about how it's okay to change your mind on issues as you learn new things and come to new understandings. We also discuss the amount of bravery it takes to approach your faith in a way that asks the hard questions.
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Tension was called Unlearning Youth Group for the first six seasons.
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This one is either going to alienate all our viewers or finally give words to what many of you are feeling.
Building on last week's episode about studying scripture in its original context, this week Jonathan shares his journey of how studying the pro-life scriptures he was taught growing up in their full context led him to becoming pro-choice. It's a nuanced conversation but one that feels culturally relevant for many of us trying to figure out how to apply our faith to the culture around us.
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Let us go ahead and say it up front: this one gyat a little thick on the back end. We may have packed in a little too much junk in the trunk.
All booty puns aside - this week we're sitting down (sorry!) to talk about one of the biggest issues we face today: pulling scripture out of its original context to justify our personal preferences and beliefs.
We use the click bait of the title to pull you in before shifting to a conversation we really think you'll enjoy.
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Tension was called Unlearning Youth Group for the first six seasons.
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There's been a lot of talk recently about the femininity of the American church. In this week's episode of the podcast, we answer an important question a listener sent in:
What the heck does Biblical masculinity look like?
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Tension was called Unlearning Youth Group for the first six seasons.
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Why is it so dang hard for people to love their neighbor? It seems like on of Jesus's easiest commands. But if 'love your neighbor' is so easy, why do we suck at it so often?
This week we look at two ends of the pendulum for why it's hard to love our neighbor and try to find a way to get better at it.
Article referenced in the show
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Tension was called Unlearning Youth Group for the first six seasons.
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Tupac told us only God can judge us.
But does the Bible actually say that?
This week we expand on how we love people like Jesus and look at what the Bible says about "judging" other people.
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Tension was called Unlearning Youth Group for the first six seasons.
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You hear it all the time - we just wanna love people like Jesus.
But what does that actually look like?
This week we look at the tension between speaking truth and loving people and look at how Jesus did both as our example moving forward.
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Tension was called Unlearning Youth Group for the first six seasons.
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It's got cooler clothes and a better marketing plan than the prosperity gospel we grew up around, but it's potentially just as dangerous.
In the opener to Season 10, we talk about how the American church has swung the pendulum from young, restless and reformed all the way to the other side and how we live in the tension between the two.
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Tension was called Unlearning Youth Group for the first six seasons.
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This month we're not tackling anything controversial or hard hitting. Instead, we talk about what it looks like to find contentment in the midst of life's anxieties and how a simple biblical phrase can take on new meaning.
And we give you an update on the future of the show.
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Did you know only 12% of evangelicals cited the Bible as their primary influence when thinking about immigration? Evangelicals turn to the media to form their views on the topic more than they rely on the Bible, their local church, or Christian leaders - combined.
So how should Christians approach the southern border crisis and immigration? This week we talk through three basic ideas straight from the Bible so we all can live in the tension between loving God's people and supporting political policy.
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Email us at [email protected].
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