The Unlearning Curve
Copyright 2025 - Stuart Deloney & Karl Forehand 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 Deloney is a former pastor who is currently a podcaster and blogger at 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 transparently share our experiences and the lessons we’re unlearning, 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.
Episodes
Jim Bakker
Jim Bakker remains one of the OG's of televangelist grifters.
From the PTL ministry's collapse to his many criminal convictions, he has failed himself through his relentless need to grift and make money from well-meaning people. As he nears the end of his life, he continues to beg other people for money instead of doing something more noble. What a huge, embarrassing failure! But we shouldn’t feel sorry for him. We need ...
Mutual Aid
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 a...
Exposure Therapy and Safe Spaces
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 requir...
The Shincheonji Church of Jesus - South Korea
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 chal...
Franklin Graham - Peacemaker, following in dad's footsteps, or just one of the worst ever power hungry, grifter/enablers of toxic theology and right-wing politics?
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. ...
16 - Navigating Love & Fascism
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 re...
15 - Fallout from the Prosperity Gospel
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...
14 – Prosperity Gospel
The dysfunction and harm caused by the Prosperity Gospel
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 believ...
13 – Paula Whiote-Cain
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 e...
12 – Advocating for Women in Marginalized Spaces
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 c...
22 – Tim Whitaker & TNE – How We Enable Abusers
This Episode will be released on both The Unlearning Curve and the Desert Sanctuary podcasts. It dives deeper into how we have operated in the past and how people enable the abuser to behave badly (led by Megan South Benninger).
History
During the 2023 incident with platforming an accused abuser at the Theo bros beer ...
21 – Tim Whitaker & TNE – Still Not Getting It
This Episode will be released on both The Unlearning Curve and the Desert Sanctuary podcasts. This episode is an introduction to the situation, and the second episode dives deeper into how we have operated in the past and how people enable the abuser to behave badly (led by Megan South Benninger).
History
During the 2023 incident with platforming an...
# – Title of Episode
Summary
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 requ...
10 - Nominees for Worst Cult-like Organizations
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 c...
9 - Nominees for Worst Evangelical Leaders
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 cha...
8 – Good Questions for Deconstruction
Karl and Laura have been discussing good questions for deconstruction on The Desert Sanctuary blog and podcast. For this podcast, we decided to grab a few of these, discuss them, and help you start asking good questions and thinking about some of the most common ones we hear in deconstruction.
Link to the blogs. https://wordpress.com/posts/thedesertsanctuary.org
Link to podcasts on YouTube htt...
7 – Understanding the Brain
In this episode, we attempt to broaden our knowledge with a basic understanding of the brain. When we understand more of how the brain responds to circumstances in our life and what is really going on behind the scenes, we may be able to address our mental health and understand the way we are a little better.
Resources Mentioned
Mike McHargue – Science Mike – “Your Brain is a Burrito, and Why it Matters...
6 – Barbie Gets Revenge on Greg Locke
After some reflection, I want to suggest that it wasn’t God who destroyed the makeshift home of Global Vision or even the County he resides in that continually has to battle the hate preacher because of noise and parking issues. Even though the insurance company (if there is one) would probably attribute the collapse to an “act of God,” I have another suspect in mind.
Most people will remember...
5 – Alpha Male Grifters
I was greatly influenced by men like John Eldridge, Jerry Falwell, James Dobson, and the Duck Dynasty characters. I now realize these men are grifters who realize men have something primal in them left over from their evolution. The men who followed these guys are vulnerable and have a root-brain inclination to be alpha males.
The trouble with this line of thinking is that most other animals also feel this n...
theunlearningcurvepodcast@gmail.com
Copyright 2025 - Stuart Delony & Karl Forehand
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 aspe...
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