The Unlearning Curve

77 - When Churches Handle Crimes Like SinSexual assault is a crime. Somehow, inside many churches, it gets turned into a discipleship issue.
On this episode of The Unlearning Curve, Stuart, Karl, and Jordan dig into how churches—particularly high-control evangelical environments—have handled allegations of sexual abuse, and why the process so often protects institutions and people with power rather than victims.
The conversation looks at the biblical and cultural assumptions underneath those systems: confronting your offender, taking the matter to male church leadership, pressure to forgive, fear of damaging the church’s reputation, and the tendency to treat criminal behavior as “sexual sin” that can be handled internally.
They also examine the deeper problem: when scripture, authority, and institutional self-preservation all occupy the same room, accountability can disappear remarkably fast.
Sexual assault does not become less criminal because it happened inside a church. And forgiveness is not an investigative procedure.
Content note: This episode includes discussion of sexual assault, rape, and abuse within religious communities.
The Unlearning Curve Podcast
Copyright 2025 - Stuart Delony & Karl Forehand
theunlearningcurvepodcast@gmail.com
While many of us yearn for truth and understanding, the systems we participate in often prevent us from attaining genuine freedom in our everyday lives. As we move away from organized religion, we begin to recognize patterns. We believe that addressing many of these challenges requires us to examine all aspects of our lives, including:
* Toxic Leaders
* Toxic/Dangerous Organizations
* Our Mental Well-Being
* The Things We Learn on the Journey
Regardless of your belief system, we encourage you to unlearn anything that doesn’t benefit you. This will lead to healing and uncover a new way forward!
JD Forehand is the son of a preacher and an overseas educator. Stuart Delony is a former pastor, podcaster, and blogger for the Snarky Faith community. Karl Forehand is a former pastor who runs The Desert Sanctuary, a home for spiritual nomads, with his wife, Laura.
Disclaimer: We view ourselves as practitioners on a journey of discovery rather than as experts. While we strive to share our experiences and the lessons we’re unlearning transparently, we will also refer you to professionals when necessary. Trusted guides will arrive when you need them.
Feel free to convey your thoughts, concerns, and necessary corrections to Karl (karl4hand@gmail.com) or Stuart (stuartdelony@gmail.com). You can also visit our Facebook page, The Unlearning Curve.
 
 
 

76 - Caleb Mayfield - What Outlasts the ChurchSome friendships survive distance, changing beliefs, adulthood, and all the strange machinery of life. Sometimes loss reminds us they’re still there.
On this episode of The Unlearning Curve, Caleb Mayfield joins the conversation to talk about old friendships, sudden loss, and what pushed him to start reconnecting with people he’d let drift away. Along the way, the conversation wanders back through childhood, youth group, and the realization that sometimes what mattered most about church wasn’t the theology — it was having somewhere to go and people who knew your name.
It’s a conversation about grief, connection, growing up, and the relationships that can outlast the systems where we first found them.
The Unlearning Curve Podcast
Copyright 2025 - Stuart Delony & Karl Forehand
theunlearningcurvepodcast@gmail.com
While many of us yearn for truth and understanding, the systems we participate in often prevent us from attaining genuine freedom in our everyday lives. As we move away from organized religion, we begin to recognize patterns. We believe that addressing many of these challenges requires us to examine all aspects of our lives, including:
* Toxic Leaders
* Toxic/Dangerous Organizations
* Our Mental Well-Being
* The Things We Learn on the Journey
Regardless of your belief system, we encourage you to unlearn anything that doesn’t benefit you. This will lead to healing and uncover a new way forward!
JD Forehand is the son of a preacher and an overseas educator. Stuart Delony is a former pastor, podcaster, and blogger for the Snarky Faith community. Karl Forehand is a former pastor who runs The Desert Sanctuary, a home for spiritual nomads, with his wife, Laura.
Disclaimer: We view ourselves as practitioners on a journey of discovery rather than as experts. While we strive to share our experiences and the lessons we’re unlearning transparently, we will also refer you to professionals when necessary. Trusted guides will arrive when you need them.
Feel free to convey your thoughts, concerns, and necessary corrections to Karl (karl4hand@gmail.com) or Stuart (stuartdelony@gmail.com). Additionally, visit our Facebook page, The Unlearning Curve.
 
 
 

75 - Naming the ChaosThanks for joining us again on the Unlearning Curve podcast. Today, we dive deep into the complexities of understanding chaos and how our perceptions shape our reality. With me are Carl the Great and Jordan, and together, we explore the intricate relationship between naming concepts and our ability to understand them. This conversation is particularly vital given the current climate of misinformation and the oversimplification of complex issues in society.
Understanding Chaos: Is Naming It Helpful or Hindering?
In this session, we tackle the age-old question: does naming something help us understand it, or does it limit our comprehension? The discussion begins with an acknowledgment of the chaos in the universe and our innate desire to impose order through language. As Stuart Delony points out, using the term "God" to explain chaos can warp our understanding of both God and the chaos itself. When we label everything as divine, we risk losing sight of reality and the nuances of our experiences.
The Human Need for Patterns
As humans, we are hardwired to create patterns and stories. This need stems from our evolutionary past where recognizing patterns could mean the difference between life and death. However, when we start imposing rigid definitions and narratives, we may find ourselves trapped in a box that limits our understanding. Jordan shares insights on how the internet creates a dangerous landscape where people seek definitive answers without context, leading to misunderstandings and mislabeling.
The Comfort of Certainty vs. The Challenge of Chaos
Carl the Great emphasizes the comfort that comes with certainty, especially in faith and politics. He illustrates how people cling to narratives that fit their worldview, often ignoring contradictions that might challenge their beliefs. This tendency can create a false sense of security, as he explains, leading to oversimplified views of complex issues.
Embracing Complexity in Relationships
In discussing personal relationships, Carl reflects on his 38-year marriage, highlighting that while growth is apparent, chaos and confusion often linger. He argues that it’s essential to embrace this chaos rather than seek to explain it away. Accepting that life is not always logical can lead to deeper connections and understanding, both with ourselves and others.
The Spiritual Dimension: Finding Meaning in Chaos
Stuart shares a personal anecdote from his time as a river guide, where he learned to embrace the unpredictable nature of the water. This metaphor highlights the spiritual journey we all undertake, facing chaos without the need to control it. Recognizing our smallness in the vastness of the universe can be both humbling and liberating.
The Dangers of Oversimplification
The conversation shifts to the dangers of oversimplifying complex issues, particularly in the context of significant events like 9/11. Stuart argues that searching for divine meaning in tragedies can prevent us from confronting uncomfortable truths about ourselves and our societies. Instead of seeking scapegoats or easy explanations, we must engage with the complexities of reality to foster genuine understanding and growth.
Conclusion: The Path Forward
As we wrap up this thought-provoking discussion, it becomes clear that embracing chaos, rather than fearing it, is crucial for personal and collective growth. By allowing ourselves to experience uncertainty and engage with complex realities, we open the door to deeper understanding and connection.
The Unlearning Curve Podcast
Copyright 2025 - Stuart Delony & Karl Forehand
theunlearningcurvepodcast@gmail.com
While many of us yearn for truth and understanding, the systems we participate in often prevent us from attaining genuine freedom in our everyday lives. As we move away from organized religion, we begin to recognize patterns. We believe that addressing many of these challenges requires us to examine all aspects of our lives, including:
* Toxic Leaders
* Toxic/Dangerous Organizations
* Our Mental Well-Being
* The Things We Learn on the Journey
Regardless of your belief system, we encourage you to unlearn anything that doesn’t benefit you. This will lead to healing and uncover a new way forward!
JD Forehand is the son of a preacher and an overseas educator. Stuart Delony is a former pastor, podcaster, and blogger for the Snarky Faith community. Karl Forehand is a former pastor who runs The Desert Sanctuary, a home for spiritual nomads, with his wife, Laura.
Disclaimer: We view ourselves as practitioners on a journey of discovery rather than as experts. While we strive to share our experiences and the lessons we’re unlearning transparently, we will also refer you to professionals when necessary. Trusted guides will arrive when you need them.
Feel free to convey your thoughts, concerns, and necessary corrections to Karl (karl4hand@gmail.com) or Stuart (stuartdelony@gmail.com). Additionally, visit our Facebook page, The Unlearning Curve.
 
 

What is Love? (Baby, don’t hurt me)
In today's fast-paced world, finding genuine love seems harder than ever. With the rise of dating apps and a culture of instant gratification, many struggle to forge deep, lasting connections. In this blog post, we'll explore insights from a discussion among hosts Stuart Delony, Karl the Great, and Jordan as they delve into the complexities of love, based on Eric Fromm's classic book, "The Art of Loving." We'll unpack the meaning of love as an art form, its various definitions, and how to navigate relationships in a society that often treats love as a commodity.
Understanding Love as an Art
Love is often discussed in abstract terms, but what does it mean to treat love as an art? Stuart Delony opens the conversation by suggesting that love is not merely a feeling, but a commitment involving vulnerability and consistency. He emphasizes that real love requires effort and dedication, moving beyond fleeting emotions to build a solid relationship. This perspective aligns with the idea that love involves nurturing and growth, similar to mastering a craft.
The Consumer Mindset and Love
Jordan introduces the critical notion that modern society's consumer mentality affects our understanding of love. In a world where everything is available at the click of a button, relationships often suffer from superficiality. Fromm critiques this capitalist view, suggesting that love should not be transactional. Instead, it should be about genuine connection and mutual respect. As the hosts reflect on their experiences, they highlight how this mindset can lead to unrealistic expectations and disappointment in relationships.
Navigating Different Definitions of Love
The discussion also touches on the various definitions of love, particularly within religious contexts. Karl the Great points out the confusion often found in church teachings about love. He notes that the term "love" can mean different things depending on the context—ranging from romantic love to brotherly love. This ambiguity can lead to misunderstandings about how to express love in our lives. The hosts encourage readers to define love for themselves, recognizing that it can encompass commitment, respect, kindness, and patience.
The Challenges of Love in Relationships
As the conversation progresses, the hosts tackle the hard realities of love, including the challenges and discomforts that arise in relationships. They discuss the importance of addressing difficult issues openly and honestly. Karl emphasizes that love involves commitment but also requires addressing systemic issues in relationships. This commitment to honesty and authenticity can be challenging but is crucial for fostering a healthy partnership.
Key Takeaways
Love as a Commitment: Real love is more than a feeling; it requires a commitment to showing up for one another.
Rejecting the Consumer Mentality: Avoid treating love as a commodity; focus on genuine connections.
Defining Love: Understand and define what love means to you, considering its various forms.
Navigating Challenges: Embrace honesty and vulnerability in relationships, addressing difficult topics as they arise.
Conclusion
Understanding love as an art form invites us to approach relationships with intention and depth. By rejecting superficial definitions and embracing the complexities of love, we can cultivate meaningful connections in our lives. As you reflect on your relationships, consider how you can apply these insights to nurture authentic love.
The Unlearning Curve Podcast
Copyright 2026 - Stuart Delony & Karl Forehand
theunlearningcurvepodcast@gmail.com
While many of us yearn for truth and understanding, the systems we participate in often prevent us from attaining genuine freedom in our everyday lives. As we move away from organized religion, we begin to recognize patterns. We believe that addressing many of these challenges requires us to examine all aspects of our lives, including:
* Toxic Leaders
* Toxic/Dangerous Organizations
* Our Mental Well-Being
* The Things We Learn on the Journey
Regardless of your belief system, we encourage you to unlearn anything that doesn’t benefit you. This will lead to healing and uncover a new way forward!
JD Forehand is the son of a preacher and an overseas educator. Stuart Delony is a former pastor, podcaster, and blogger for the Snarky Faith community. Karl Forehand is a former pastor who runs The Desert Sanctuary, a home for spiritual nomads, with his wife, Laura.
Disclaimer: We view ourselves as practitioners on a journey of discovery rather than as experts. While we strive to share our experiences and the lessons we’re unlearning transparently, we will also refer you to professionals when necessary. Trusted guides will arrive when you need them.
Feel free to convey your thoughts, concerns, and necessary corrections to Karl (karl4hand@gmail.com) or Stuart (stuartdelony@gmail.com). Additionally, visit our Facebook page, The Unlearning Curve.

73 - How Dumbasses Rise to Power
In today's world, we often find ourselves questioning the intelligence and competence of those in leadership positions. Whether in politics or religion, the rise of figures that seem to lack depth and critical thinking is alarming. In this post, we'll explore the concept of the "dumbass" in leadership, particularly within the context of mega churches and political figures. We'll delve into why these individuals often rise to power, the role of their supporters, and what this means for society as a whole.
Understanding the "Dumbass" Phenomenon
The term "dumbass" isn't meant to insult those with learning disabilities; rather, it refers to individuals in positions of power who seem to lack the critical thinking skills necessary for effective leadership. During our discussion, Karl the Great shared his experience of engaging with a former seminary friend, who, despite leading a successful church, displayed a concerning lack of depth in conversation. This raises the question: how do such individuals manage to maintain their positions of authority?
The Role of Education in Leadership
A significant factor contributing to the "dumbass" phenomenon is the education system that often promotes individuals based primarily on their charisma rather than their ability to think critically. Karl pointed out that many pastors and leaders, despite their positions, often lack the ability to engage in thoughtful discussions about complex issues. They may be skilled in public speaking, but that does not equate to wisdom or intelligence.
Key Insight: Many leaders are not promoted for their critical thinking skills but rather for their ability to attract followers. This leads to the Peter Principle, where individuals rise to their level of incompetence.
The Support System Behind Leadership
Leadership is rarely a solo endeavor. It often relies on a network of supporters who help maintain the facade of competence. During the podcast, we discussed how figures like Donald Trump require significant support to function effectively. This support system enables them to continue in positions of power, even when their actions may not warrant it.
Key Insight: Supporters play a crucial role in propping up incompetent leaders. This creates an environment where critical feedback is often stifled, allowing these leaders to operate without accountability.
The Impact of Charisma on Leadership
Charisma is a powerful tool that can sometimes overshadow the need for substance in leadership. Many megachurch pastors and politicians are charismatic, which attracts followers eager for guidance. However, as Karl noted, charisma without depth can lead to a dangerous scenario where followers are misled by superficial appeals rather than informed discourse.
Key Insight: Charismatic leaders often thrive in environments where followers are unwilling to question their authority. This can perpetuate a cycle of incompetence, as these leaders may never face the scrutiny necessary for improvement.
Conclusion: Rethinking Leadership in Our Society
The discussions around the "dumbass" phenomenon highlight the need for a critical reevaluation of how we approach leadership in society. We must encourage leaders to engage in deeper discussions, challenge their thinking, and be held accountable for their actions. As we move forward, it's essential to support leaders who demonstrate both charisma and the capacity for critical thought.
The Unlearning Curve Podcast
Copyright 2026 - Stuart Delony & Karl Forehand
theunlearningcurvepodcast@gmail.com
While many of us yearn for truth and understanding, the systems we participate in often prevent us from attaining genuine freedom in our everyday lives. As we move away from organized religion, we begin to recognize patterns. We believe that addressing many of these challenges requires us to examine all aspects of our lives, including:
* Toxic Leaders
* Toxic/Dangerous Organizations
* Our Mental Well-Being
* The Things We Learn on the Journey
Regardless of your belief system, we encourage you to unlearn anything that doesn’t benefit you. This will lead to healing and uncover a new way forward!
JD Forehand is the son of a preacher and an overseas educator. Stuart Delony is a former pastor, podcaster, and blogger for the Snarky Faith community. Karl Forehand is a former pastor who runs The Desert Sanctuary, a home for spiritual nomads, with his wife, Laura.
Disclaimer: We view ourselves as practitioners on a journey of discovery rather than as experts. While we strive to share our experiences and the lessons we’re unlearning transparently, we will also refer you to professionals when necessary. Trusted guides will arrive when you need them.
Feel free to convey your thoughts, concerns, and necessary corrections to Karl (karl4hand@gmail.com) or Stuart (stuartdelony@gmail.com). Additionally, visit our Facebook page, The Unlearning Curve.

72 - Why Do Aliens Hate Christianity? 
In today's episode of the Unlearning Curve podcast, we tackle a provocative question: Why do aliens seem to reject Christianity? This intriguing topic stems from an article by Joseph Jordan, who has researched over 600 abduction cases. In this blog post, we explore the intersection of faith, extraterrestrial beliefs, and cultural narratives, providing insights that challenge conventional thinking.
Understanding the Alien Perspective
The Claim of Alien Abductions
Jordan posits that abduction experiences are not physical events but rather spiritual visions aimed at diverting individuals from Christianity. The argument here is that those involved in New Age practices are more susceptible to these experiences, suggesting a connection between belief systems and extraterrestrial encounters. But what does this mean for the average believer?
The notion that aliens might "hate" Christianity is rooted in the fear that these experiences undermine faith. Jordan suggests that calling upon Jesus is the only way to repel these experiences, which raises the question: Are aliens truly targeting Christians, or is this a reflection of broader fears about belief and control?
The Control of Narratives
One reason Christianity struggles with the concept of aliens is the desire to maintain control over narratives. The church has historically sought to define reality for its followers, and the existence of extraterrestrial beings poses a significant challenge to that authority. How can believers reconcile their faith with the possibility of other intelligent life forms?
The Historical Context of Alien Narratives
Satanic Panic and Cultural Reaction
The discussion of aliens often intertwines with historical events like the Satanic Panic, where fear of the unknown led to widespread cultural hysteria. In this context, the rejection of alien narratives aligns with the church's long history of combatting perceived threats to its teachings. The fear of the unknown, whether it be aliens or occult practices, often leads to scapegoating and the preservation of traditional narratives.
The Role of Evangelicals
As our conversation unfolds, we reflect on how evangelicals respond to the idea of aliens. This community has historically been skeptical of anything that challenges the literal interpretations of scripture. By examining how evangelicals react to discussions about aliens, we can better understand the broader implications of faith and science for personal beliefs.
Implications for Believers
Navigating New Realities
For many Christians, the notion of alien life can evoke anxiety and confusion. This apprehension often stems from a misunderstanding of both scientific inquiry and faith. The narrative that aliens are hostile towards Christianity is not just a reflection of belief but also a commentary on the fear of change within religious communities.
The Importance of Open Dialogue
It's crucial for believers to engage in open discussions about faith, science, and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. By fostering a culture of inquiry rather than fear, churches can create environments where questions about aliens and faith can coexist without conflict. This dialogue is essential for spiritual growth and understanding in an increasingly complex world.
Conclusion
In summary, the question of why aliens seem to "hate" Christianity reveals deeper issues within religious communities regarding control, understanding, and the fear of the unknown. As we continue to explore these topics, it's essential to approach them with an open mind and a willingness to engage with new ideas. 
The Unlearning Curve Podcast
Copyright 2026 - Stuart Delony & Karl Forehand
theunlearningcurvepodcast@gmail.com
While many of us yearn for truth and understanding, the systems we participate in often prevent us from attaining genuine freedom in our everyday lives. As we move away from organized religion, we begin to recognize patterns. We believe that addressing many of these challenges requires us to examine all aspects of our lives, including:
* Toxic Leaders
* Toxic/Dangerous Organizations
* Our Mental Well-Being
* The Things We Learn on the Journey
Regardless of your belief system, we encourage you to unlearn anything that doesn’t benefit you. This will lead to healing and uncover a new way forward!
JD Forehand is the son of a preacher and an overseas educator. Stuart Delony is a former pastor, podcaster, and blogger for the Snarky Faith community. Karl Forehand is a former pastor who runs The Desert Sanctuary, a home for spiritual nomads, with his wife, Laura.
Disclaimer: We view ourselves as practitioners on a journey of discovery rather than as experts. While we strive to share our experiences and the lessons we’re unlearning transparently, we will also refer you to professionals when necessary. Trusted guides will arrive when you need them.
Feel free to convey your thoughts, concerns, and necessary corrections to Karl (karl4hand@gmail.com) or Stuart (stuartdelony@gmail.com). Additionally, visit our Facebook page, The Unlearning Curve.
 

71 - Compliance, Control, and Culture Wars
This episode of The Unlearning Curve moves from faith and deconstruction into community, politics, power, and the strange religious machinery that keeps rewarding the wrong people.
The conversation starts with a critique of big systems and the way institutions often treat mature faith as a threat. Real growth asks questions. Institutions prefer slogans. Real community requires honesty. Institutions prefer scale, branding, and people who know when to sit down and clap on cue.
From there, the group talks about how churches confuse compliance with maturity, turning spiritual life into memorization, performance, and identity management. They push back on church cultures that reward sameness, punish doubt, and use fear, clichés, and culture-war markers to preserve control.
The second half shifts into politics, including the backlash against James Talarico, Southern Baptist hypocrisy, performative masculinity, women in ministry, Pride, rainbow panic, MAGA religion, and the endless parade of people who want power without accountability.
It is a mixed-bag episode, but the thread is clear: systems built on control do not reform themselves. Sometimes repentance is real. Sometimes it is branding. And sometimes the people in charge need to be removed before anything honest can grow.
Topics include:
Why mature faith threatens institutions
Community without performance
Compliance versus spiritual maturity
Southern Baptist hypocrisy
James Talarico and religious backlash
MAGA Christianity and culture-war politics
Masculinity policing, women in ministry, and Pride panic
Fake repentance and performative power
The Unlearning Curve Podcast
Copyright 2025 - Stuart Delony & Karl Forehand
theunlearningcurvepodcast@gmail.com
While many of us yearn for truth and understanding, the systems we participate in often prevent us from attaining genuine freedom in our everyday lives. As we move away from organized religion, we begin to recognize patterns. We believe that addressing many of these challenges requires us to examine all aspects of our lives, including:
* Toxic Leaders
* Toxic/Dangerous Organizations
* Our Mental Well-Being
* The Things We Learn on the Journey
Regardless of your belief system, we encourage you to unlearn anything that doesn’t benefit you. This will lead to healing and uncover a new way forward!
JD Forehand is the son of a preacher and an overseas educator. Stuart Delony is a former pastor, podcaster, and blogger for the Snarky Faith community. Karl Forehand is a former pastor who runs The Desert Sanctuary, a home for spiritual nomads, with his wife, Laura.
Disclaimer: We view ourselves as practitioners on a journey of discovery rather than as experts. While we strive to share our experiences and the lessons we’re unlearning transparently, we will also refer you to professionals when necessary. Trusted guides will arrive when you need them.
Feel free to convey your thoughts, concerns, and necessary corrections to Karl (karl4hand@gmail.com) or Stuart (stuartdelony@gmail.com). Additionally, visit our Facebook page, The Unlearning Curve.
 

70 — Copied Faith
Faith was never supposed to be a copy machine.
In this episode of The Unlearning Curve, Stuart, JD, and Karl use the idea of cloning to talk about inherited beliefs, religious conformity, and what happens when people keep reproducing systems they never seriously questioned.
The conversation moves from science to church culture, examining how copies of copies can become weaker, stranger, and less connected to the original. The same can happen with faith. Traditions get repeated. Slogans get memorized. Certainty gets inherited. And eventually, people are defending beliefs that may not even belong to them.
The group digs into how churches often reward conformity over honesty, size over substance, and control over actual growth. They also talk about the people most often harmed by these systems, including women, LGBTQ+ people, and others pushed to the margins by communities more interested in preserving power than practicing love.
This episode is about moving beyond cloned belief and asking harder, better questions: What do I actually believe? What was handed to me? What needs to die? And what, if anything, is still alive?
Topics include:
Cloning as a metaphor for inherited faith
Copy-paste spirituality and church dysfunction
Why simple formulas fail complex people
Conformity, control, and religious performance
Marginalized voices in faith communities
Small, honest community over big religious machinery
The Unlearning Curve Podcast
Copyright 2025 - Stuart Delony & Karl Forehand
theunlearningcurvepodcast@gmail.com
While many of us yearn for truth and understanding, the systems we participate in often prevent us from attaining genuine freedom in our everyday lives. As we move away from organized religion, we begin to recognize patterns. We believe that addressing many of these challenges requires us to examine all aspects of our lives, including:
* Toxic Leaders
* Toxic/Dangerous Organizations
* Our Mental Well-Being
* The Things We Learn on the Journey
Regardless of your belief system, we encourage you to unlearn anything that doesn’t benefit you. This will lead to healing and uncover a new way forward!
JD Forehand is the son of a preacher and an overseas educator. Stuart Delony is a former pastor, podcaster, and blogger for the Snarky Faith community. Karl Forehand is a former pastor who runs The Desert Sanctuary, a home for spiritual nomads, with his wife, Laura.
Disclaimer: We view ourselves as practitioners on a journey of discovery rather than as experts. While we strive to share our experiences and the lessons we’re unlearning transparently, we will also refer you to professionals when necessary. Trusted guides will arrive when you need them.
Feel free to convey your thoughts, concerns, and necessary corrections to Karl (karl4hand@gmail.com) or Stuart (stuartdelony@gmail.com). Additionally, visit our Facebook page, The Unlearning Curve.

69 — The Church is not a Skinner Box
Many systems don’t help people grow. They train people to comply and then call it transformation.
In this episode of The Unlearning Curve, Stuart, Karl, and Jordan discuss behaviorism, Skinner boxes, operant conditioning, and how schools, churches, workplaces, families, and algorithms shape behavior through rewards, punishment, shame, and repetition.
The group looks at how “carrot and stick” methods often miss what is actually happening underneath the surface. Compliance is not the same thing as maturity. Obedience is not the same thing as healing. And getting someone to behave the way you want does not mean you have helped them become whole.
From classroom management to church discipline to social media dopamine loops, this episode asks a better question: are we trying to help people thrive, or just make them easier to manage?
Topics include:
Skinner boxes and operant conditioning
Behaviorism in schools, churches, and parenting
Why compliance is not emotional regulation
Shame, punishment, rewards, and control
Algorithms and modern conditioning
What real growth requires beneath the behavior
The Unlearning Curve Podcast
Copyright 2025 - Stuart Delony & Karl Forehand
theunlearningcurvepodcast@gmail.com
While many of us yearn for truth and understanding, the systems we participate in often prevent us from attaining genuine freedom in our everyday lives. As we move away from organized religion, we begin to recognize patterns. We believe that addressing many of these challenges requires us to examine all aspects of our lives, including:
* Toxic Leaders
* Toxic/Dangerous Organizations
* Our Mental Well-Being
* The Things We Learn on the Journey
Regardless of your belief system, we encourage you to unlearn anything that doesn’t benefit you. This will lead to healing and uncover a new way forward!
JD Forehand is the son of a preacher and an overseas educator. Stuart Delony is a former pastor, podcaster, and blogger for the Snarky Faith community. Karl Forehand is a former pastor who runs The Desert Sanctuary, a home for spiritual nomads, with his wife, Laura.
Disclaimer: We view ourselves as practitioners on a journey of discovery rather than as experts. While we strive to share our experiences and the lessons we’re unlearning transparently, we will also refer you to professionals when necessary. Trusted guides will arrive when you need them.
Feel free to convey your thoughts, concerns, and necessary corrections to Karl (karl4hand@gmail.com) or Stuart (stuartdelony@gmail.com). Additionally, visit our Facebook page, The Unlearning Curve.

68 — Who Taught You That?
Religious certainty often presents itself as humility, but a lot of the time it functions more like control with a Bible verse taped to it.
In this episode of The Unlearning Curve, Stuart, Karl, and Jordan dig into the shaky foundations beneath loud religious confidence: biblical inerrancy, inherited assumptions, groupthink, fear, ego, and the systems that reward people for not asking too many questions.
The conversation moves through the origins of religious authority, the way scripture gets used to create false certainty, and how churches and political movements benefit when people mistake compliance for conviction. Along the way, they unpack how slogans, echo chambers, and spiritual-sounding confidence can keep people anxious, obedient, and easy to manage.
This one is for anyone who has ever wondered why the people most certain about God often seem the least curious about truth.
Topics include:
Biblical inerrancy and inherited certainty
How religious authority protects itself
Groupthink, echo chambers, and fear
Why certainty can become ego disguised as faith
The difference between conviction and control
The Unlearning Curve Podcast
Copyright 2026 - Stuart Delony & Karl Forehand
theunlearningcurvepodcast@gmail.com
While many of us yearn for truth and understanding, the systems we participate in often prevent us from attaining genuine freedom in our everyday lives. As we move away from organized religion, we begin to recognize patterns. We believe that addressing many of these challenges requires us to examine all aspects of our lives, including:
* Toxic Leaders
* Toxic/Dangerous Organizations
* Our Mental Well-Being
* The Things We Learn on the Journey
Regardless of your belief system, we encourage you to unlearn anything that doesn’t benefit you. This will lead to healing and uncover a new way forward!
JD Forehand is the son of a preacher and an overseas educator. Stuart Delony is a former pastor, podcaster, and blogger for the Snarky Faith community. Karl Forehand is a former pastor who runs The Desert Sanctuary, a home for spiritual nomads, with his wife, Laura.
Disclaimer: We view ourselves as practitioners on a journey of discovery rather than as experts. While we strive to share our experiences and the lessons we’re unlearning transparently, we will also refer you to professionals when necessary. Trusted guides will arrive when you need them.
Feel free to convey your thoughts, concerns, and necessary corrections to Karl (karl4hand@gmail.com) or Stuart (stuartdelony@gmail.com). Additionally, visit our Facebook page, The Unlearning Curve.