Tension

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.__________________Follow us on social:http://instagram.com/jonathan_caronehttp://instagram.com/ericw712https://www.threads.net/@jonathan_caronehttps://www.threads.net/@ericw712__________________Tension was called Unlearning Youth Group for the first six seasons.AI Notice - we use AI for our intro/outro music.

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 starts12:57 - details are done, you can come back__________________Follow us on social:http://instagram.com/jonathan_caronehttp://instagram.com/ericw712https://www.threads.net/@jonathan_caronehttps://www.threads.net/@ericw712__________________Tension was called Unlearning Youth Group for the first six seasons.AI notice - our theme song is AI generated using Suno.

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.__________________Follow us on social:http://instagram.com/jonathan_caronehttp://instagram.com/ericw712https://www.threads.net/@jonathan_caronehttps://www.threads.net/@ericw712__________________Tension was called Unlearning Youth Group for the first six seasons.AI notice: our intro/outro music was created by AI.

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.__________________Follow us on social:http://instagram.com/jonathan_caronehttp://instagram.com/ericw712https://www.threads.net/@jonathan_caronehttps://www.threads.net/@ericw712__________________Tension was called Unlearning Youth Group for the first six seasons.AI notice: the intro and outdo music is AI generated.__________________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-generationhttps://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

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.__________________Follow us on social:http://instagram.com/jonathan_caronehttp://instagram.com/ericw712https://www.threads.net/@jonathan_caronehttps://www.threads.net/@ericw712__________________Tension was called Unlearning Youth Group for the first six seasons.Our intro/outro music has been AI generated.

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/ __________________Follow us on social:http://instagram.com/jonathan_caronehttp://instagram.com/ericw712https://www.threads.net/@jonathan_caronehttps://www.threads.net/@ericw712__________________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.

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-baptisthttps://www.graphsaboutreligion.com/p/southern-baptists-are-more-conservative__________________Follow us on social:http://instagram.com/jonathan_caronehttp://instagram.com/ericw712https://www.threads.net/@jonathan_caronehttps://www.threads.net/@ericw712__________________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.

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-churchhttps://www.prri.org/research/religious-change-in-america/__________________Follow us on social:http://instagram.com/jonathan_caronehttp://instagram.com/ericw712https://www.threads.net/@jonathan_caronehttps://www.threads.net/@ericw712__________________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.

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. __________________Timestamps:9:04 - We all negotiate our faith10:48 - Step 1: Determine what the role of government is from a biblical perspective.14:49 - Democracy and forms of government in the Bible18:14 - It is not your religious duty to vote31:55 - 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 government43:47 - Eric’s answer to what most accomplishes the role of government51:51 - 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__________________Andy Stanley sermon Eric references:https://youtu.be/vga6t63XGcQ?si=ph0X-HLuOOLWRmmD__________________Follow us on social:http://instagram.com/jonathan_caronehttp://instagram.com/ericw712Email us:Hello@TensionPodcast.com__________________Tension was called Unlearning Youth Group for the first six seasons.__________________The music in this episode was AI generated using Suno.com.