Sacred Tension

In this episode, I talk to Douglas Lain about his latest novel Bash Bash Revolution: a young adult novel that explores Marxism, revolution, artificial intelligence, and the gamification of human society. We discuss utopia, mental health, the consequences of digitization and gamification on the mind and spirituality, and much more.

Douglas Lain is the publisher of Zero Books, a novelist, a podcaster, and most recently a youtuber.
Lain’s previous novel After the Saucers Landed 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.

He lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife and two boys. 

 

You can find Douglas Lain's work at www.douglaslain.com

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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.

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Want to connect with me? Find me at stephenbradfordlong.com, on twitter, and on Instagram.

Other Rock Candy Shows:
Eleventylife

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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.

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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

 

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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/

 

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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. 

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(Repost) I talk to YouTuber Say Goodnight Kevin about why Christian movies are so horrible.

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Logic, science, and reason are coming for your children.

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Danielle and I conclude our conversation on social justice and the gospel.

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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 Podcast

The New Jim Crow 

White Rage

ContraPoints

 

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