Sacred Tension

What Kind of Community Do We Want? | Lucien Greaves

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I’m joined by The Satanic Temple co-founder Lucien Greaves to discuss the recent controversy in our religious community. He was recently photographed with an alleged sexual harasser and transphobe, and we reflect on the kind of culture we want to see in The Satanic Temple and why Lucien has responded the way he has to this controversy.

In early June 2023, Lucien Greaves took a photograph with David Silverman, a controversial figure in the online atheist space. Silverman posted the photo to Twitter and it was met with outrage both within and outside of the TST community. Lucien has received calls for clarifying statements, and even his resignation.

We discuss the principles motivating Lucien’s refusal to issue statements, and why he won’t publicly denounce Silverman. We address three main concerns about his leadership:

1. The photograph might signify a friendly relationship between Silverman and Lucien. If so, what does that say about our community?

2. The photograph itself wasn’t the problem, but Lucien’s response on Twitter came off as defensive and unhelpful.

3. Lucien has seemed conspicuously silent on trans issues, so when he is photographed with an alleged transphobe, the LGBT+ community is unsure of where he stands in regard to their rights.

This was a challenging conversation to record, and I’m posting it trusting in the goodwill of our religious community. Please note that this episode was originally recorded on the 16th of June and we don’t comment on some events that have taken place since then.

Lucien Greaves has also written an article addressing this situation, which you can read here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/angry-mob-84882770

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Confronting Injustice | Ally Henny

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I'm joined by Black author, minister, and internet personality Ally Henny to discuss her new book I Won't Shut Up. We discuss the nuances of intersectionality, her insights into injustice, and what her childhood taught her about being Black in America.

Ally Henny is the author of I Won’t Shut Up: Finding Your Voice When the World Tries to Silence You. She is a writer, speaker, advocate-minister, and vice president of The Witness: A Black Christian Collective–an organization committed to encouraging, engaging, and empowering Black Christians toward liberation from racism. Ally completed her Master of Divinity from Fuller Seminary with an emphasis in race, cultural identity, and reconciliation, and she hopes to lead a church someday. Since 2014, Ally has been leading conversations about race on her blog, The Armchair Commentary, and on social media where her posts reach millions each month. She is a proud Chicago Southsider.

Find Ally Henny here: https://allyhenny.com/

By her book here: https://allyhenny.com/books/

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(Preview) The Illusion of the Self

Timothy and I talk about meditation, why it's a helpful skill, and how it can reveal the fundamental illusoriness of the self. 

Listen to the full episode by subscribing to my Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/house-of-of-self-83792787?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

 

How to Be a Border-Stalker | Jon Ward

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I'm joined by Jon Ward to discuss his new book Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement that Failed a Generation. We discuss his role as a border-stalker between cultural and religious boundaries, why the Evangelical movement struggles with understanding minority experience, his own religious journey after leaving evangelicalism, and much more. 

Jon Ward is senior political correspondent for Yahoo News, author of Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement that Failed a Generation (Brazos Press, 2023) and Camelot's End: Kennedy v Carter and the Fight that Broke the Democratic Party (Twelve Books, 2019), and host of “The Long Game” podcast. His Substack newsletter is called "Border Stalkers." Jon has covered American politics and culture for two decades, as a city desk reporter in Washington D.C., as a White House correspondent who traveled aboard Air Force One to Africa, Europe and the Middle East, and as a national affairs correspondent who has traveled the country to write about two presidential campaigns and the ideas and people animating our times. He has been published in The Washington Post, The New Republic, Politico Magazine, Vanity Fair, The Huffington Post, and The Washington Times.

Find Jon Ward's book here: https://a.co/d/19RSlkV

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Armageddon | Bart Ehrman

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I'm joined by renowned New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman to talk about his new book Armageddon: What the Bible Really Says About the End. We discuss what led him out of the Christian faith, why it's important to understand the Bible, and the consequences of a fundamentalist reading of Revelation. 

Get his book here: https://a.co/d/4rT9I8B

Read his blog here: https://ehrmanblog.org/

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(Preview) Troll Epistemology

Timothy and I discuss the controversy over my latest podcast episodes and the way online trolls have distorted how we think.

This is a preview of my Patreon show House of Heretics. Become a patron and listen to the full show here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/house-of-troll-82285113 

Satan and AI | Lucien Greaves

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I'm joined by The Satanic Temple cofounder Lucien Greaves to discuss AI and the threat it might pose to religious minorities. 

Find Lucien's article about AI here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/search-engines-81054969

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(Preview) Ex-gays and Pronouns

Timothy and I react to a former ex-gay leader coming out as trans, the current cultural meltdown over pronouns, and much more. 

This is a preview of my Patreon show House of Heretics. Become a patron and listen to the full episode here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/house-of-ex-gays-81660584?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

 

In Defense of The Satanic Temple | Murphy Fawkes

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I'm joined by fellow Satanic Temple member Murphy Fawkes to discuss our recent article defending The Satanic Temple. We give a thorough response to many of the falsehoods and conspiracies about TST. 

JD Swords' article: https://secularhumanism.org/2023/02/needs-must-when-the-devil-drives-should-secularists-support-the-satanic-temple/

Our response: https://secularhumanism.org/exclusive/secularists-imperfect-allies-a-response-from-the-satanic-temple/

Stanford Law School Letter on Free Speech: https://www.thefire.org/research-learn/letter-stanford-law-school-dean-jenny-martinez-campus-community-march-22-2023

TST Health: https://www.tsthealth.org/

Lucien Greaves on Mary Doe: https://luciengreaves.com/the-savage-saga-of-mary-doe/

Murphy Fawkes' article on TST's finances: https://medium.com/@viceovervirtue666/that-which-can-be-destroyed-by-the-truth-should-never-be-spared-its-demise-308a92a8b358

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(Preview) Mutual Contamination

This is a preview of my Patreon podcast House of Heretics. Become a patron and listen to the full episode here

Or follow the link below: 


https://www.patreon.com/posts/house-of-mutual-80928621?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link