Absurdity with Ryan Becker

WE GOT BIG CHANGES, but is that really a surprise at this point? Henry Johnson, no stranger to Absurdity, now joins Ryan as our new cohost! This week we are talking the post-pandemic church and what we believe churches and Christians should be doing now to prepare for a new normal.

In this episode, Ryan dives into some of what drives people to join movements with dangerous and damaging ideologies. With the right understanding of someone's core motivations, we can transform our arguments into constructive conversations that can correct misconceptions and help people see the truth.

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With Trump having just signed the new COVID relief bill (which I didn't know yet at the time of recording this), I decided to talk about the value of accepting government aid, why it's important, and why government sometimes doesn't work for us the way it should.

Tony and I recorded this back in August, but thanks to my health, I honestly had completely forgotten I had the episode waiting to be edited. So we are getting this out to you now! While the scandal is relatively old news, the lessons to learn from it aren't. We hope you enjoy!

Our apologies everyone! Because of some health issues, Ryan was forced to put a halt to all completely nonessential content creation he was involved in for the last couple months. While things aren't perfect, we believe we have figured out a way forward. This week, Ryan will be sharing more on what happened over the last two months, where things are now, and then he will tell you about the new direction the show is heading in. We think you'll like the changes that are coming!

Both Tony and Ryan have both felt the impact of drug addiction and overdoses in their lives through friends they have lost, so one this episode, as it is International Overdose Awareness Day, join them both for a conversation that will dispel many of the myths behind addictions and show you how you can become a better support for loved ones struggling with addictions.

Tony and Ryan explore the entire idea of Discipline within the Seventh-day Adventist Church. What is the proper approach to discipline, has the current model been effective, and how do we make improvements if we need any?

With recent events in the gaming community, the Adventist community, and the entertainment industry highlighting the need for responsible accountability. Tony and Ryan give some recent examples of accountability and talk about what makes effective accountability and how we can use it in our relationships as well as in the public sphere.

(NOTE: This episode was recorded prior to the incident of a retired SAU professor posting a problematic, racist, and conspiracy-driven post on his social media and Southern's response to that. The next episode will address that more directly.

The passing of Ravi Zacharias, a celebrated Christian apologist, speaker, and author, has raised an important question about how Christians are often willing to excuse bad behavior because of likability. Tony and Ryan Jump into this discussion head first, not wanting to disrespect Ravi unnecessarily, in order to address some very real concerns about how we treat celebrities in Christianity.