May 16, 2015
Cass and Bob interview Eli, a YouTuber that goes by the name Purple Fox. Eli got saved at a Young Life camp as a teenager but by the time he was 20 was convinced it was all untrue and yet still found himself in ministry. His journey is described in detail in a YouTube series called Deconversion parts 1 thru 6. This episode hits the bullseye of what this podcast is all about.
The deconversion process can be very traumatic. Christianity is an identity-forming idea and Eli conveys just how devastating it can be to emerge as a young adult and realize your identity is not real. In the mid-2000s, Eli couldn’t understand why more people weren’t talking about this, so he made the videos. 10 years later, the web is packed with ex-Christian material and as the recent Pew research shows: Christianity is shrinking and those leaving their religious affiliation is booming.
The first hour is our talk with Eli, followed by Bob and Cass' commentary.
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Notes:
J. L. Schellenberg and Divine Hiddenness
Book: “Mistakes Were Made, but Not By Me” by Carol Tavris & Elliot Aronson
Book: Jonathan Haidt - "The Righteous Mind"
The New True Charlie Woo movie by Bob Pondillo
Credits:
"Towering Mountain of Ignorance" intro by Hank Green https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3v3S82TuxU
Intro bumper "Never Know" by Jack Johnson
All other music by Cass Midgley