25AR30-34

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AR 30:34 - Mormonism's social-media reckoning gains momentum

In this issue:

AMERICAN CHRISTIANITY - why the New Atheism couldn't last

BIBLICAL RELIABILITY - a great new "fact sheet" source

MORMONISM - "prominent influencers" are being pressured to "stop producing" LDS-critical content as the church faces "a broader membership crisis"

Apologia Report 30:34 (1,723)
September 20, 2025

AMERICAN CHRISTIANITY

"How the Elite Changed Its Mind on Christianity: Bush-era New Atheism couldn't last forever" by Emma Camp (Reason, Aug 6 '25) -- "Depending on who you ask, America's young people are experiencing a religious revival. Gen Zers are now more likely to attend church weekly than millennials, with young men in particular leading the return to religious services. While Gen Zers are still more likely to identify as religiously unaffiliated than previous groups, there's evidence that certain kinds of religious devotion are also growing in popularity - earlier this year, Roman Catholic dioceses around the Western world reported spikes in adult conversions. 

   "As the decline in religious attendance has slowed, the past few years have also seen a clear rise in the status of religion. It's becoming more and more socially acceptable to be religious in elite intellectual spaces - something that could have a real impact on how religion is perceived by everyone else.

   "This is a big change from the past few decades, in which internet 'New Atheism' effectively framed religion, Christianity in particular, as fundamentally anti-intellectual and subtly low-class. Christians were cast as uneducated rednecks - creationists, climate-change deniers, and pearl-clutching censors. This framing of the religious was obviously influenced by the backlash to George W. Bush-era conservatism. Movies like Jesus Camp and shows like 19 Kids and Counting, which portrayed evangelical 'fundies' at their most mockable, only reinforced the impression that religion is a small-minded, bigoted, and jingoistic endeavor. ...

   "Gone, for now at least, are the days when religion exists in pop culture purely as an anti-intellectual, lower-class phenomenon. In fact, many in the intellectual class are mourning the recent decline in religious observance, and even self-described atheists are extolling the social value of religious community. ...

   "If you want an idea of how much things have changed in the cultural arena, take Wes Anderson's latest film, The Phoenician Scheme. The movie follows Zsa-zsa Korda, an ultra-wealthy unscrupulous businessman who, upon realizing that the continual assassination attempts against him will work sooner or later, contacts his estranged daughter, Leisl, a novice nun. Zsa-zsa takes her on a trip across the Middle East in an attempt to swindle last-minute financial support from the investors of an ambitious infrastructure project. All the while, Zsa-zsa is plagued by dreams of his final judgement - God, of course, is played by Bill Murray in robed, white-bearded glory.

   "In the world of the film, not only does God exist, but it is a very literal biblical God who rules the universe. If there's any ambiguity about whether the characters ought to take this God seriously, at the end of the movie, Zsa-zsa gets baptized and becomes a Catholic. When a skeptical Liesl warns him that the baptism 'doesn't work if you're lying,' he replies, 'I'm not lying. I'm capable of and willing to genuinely believe in the opposite of my personal convictions.' ...

   "I think The Phoenician Scheme reflects a cultural moment in which religion is having a distinctly aesthetic upgrade - something a scrupulously visual filmmaker like Anderson would be likely to capitalize upon. Religion is, in short, becoming cool again among the cultural elite. 

   "Much of this comes down to the way Catholicism, in particular, is becoming fashionable again, with many young adults citing an attraction to the aesthetics of 'smells and bells' high church worship. '[I] always liked the aesthetic elements of Catholicism,' one young convert told Free Press writer Madeleine Kearns, adding that she 'loved the architecture and the stained glass' of many Catholic churches, 'and how much detail and symbolism was there.' Even as the 'tradcath' resurgence remains a right-coded phenomenon, it is at the very least a fixation of the intellectual right." <www.tinyurl.com/xsexet>

 ---

BIBLICAL RELIABILITY

"Is the Bible Reliable?" by Doug Anson (Apologetics on Mission, Aug 18 '25) -- we've noticed that a simple "fact-sheet" on a topic that young Christians commonly have questions about is often the doorway to apologetics for many people. We look for fact sheets that are designed for easy comprehension and provide further information in related specific areas.

   This example from "Doug Anson's Apologetics Notes" is an excellent starting point. It begins: "When skeptics ask why we are Christians, many believers point to the Bible as the foundation of their faith." Then Anson mentions an "answer" that non-believers often find unsatisfying. Other common objections are included. Then Anson gives an example of how these challenges can be addressed by using either of two options.

   To take this further, Anson provides both specific text and video discussion resources. They are outlined as a trio of evidence for biblical reliability (eyewitness testimony, manuscript evidence, and "a historical test used by scholars"). 

   To support his claim that there are many more good solutions to the issue, he adds entire categories that can be individually explored (the Bible's "Uniqueness & Unity," its "Literary Complexity," its "Canonization" history, its supporting ancient "Manuscript" evidence, and the testimony of "Archaeology" evidence that continues to build up over the years). Yes, he promises much more ... and gives us the keys to access it for ourselves.

   What are you waiting for? Visit <www.tinyurl.com/AoM-Notes>

 ---

MORMONISM

"'Exmo' Influencers Mount a TikTok War Against the Mormon Church: The church is facing a 21st-century reckoning, driven by social media - and it is racing to counter the narrative" by Georgia Wells (Wall Street Journal, Sep 2 '25) -- "After watching posts on TikTok and Instagram known as #exmo content, [Madeline Woodward, a frustrated Mormon] realized she wasn't alone. In April, she requested that her records be removed from church member rolls. Woodward, whose intense dedication to her faith previously led classmates to call her 'Mormon Maddie,' had officially severed ties with the church. ...

   "In video after video, an army of #exmo creators emphasize controversial aspects of LDS history, such as 'death oaths' to protect temple secrets or a regulatory fine the church paid in 2023 for hiding the scale of its wealth. They question some of the Book of Mormon's claims, pointing to a lack of archaeological evidence, dissect leaders' efforts to modernize, and share snapshots of the happier lives they find outside the church. ...

   "Mormonism is particularly vulnerable to social-media backlash. Organized in 1830, it's a relatively new religion - with documents detailing the peccadilloes of its early leaders that skeptics scrutinize. Mormon leaders manage their flock with a hierarchical and centralized style, rooted in conservative practices that have repelled some younger members. And former members who leave the church say they face judgment from others in their tightknit communities for their decision. ...

   "The church's fight for relevance on social media comes as it battles a broader membership crisis. After decades of expanding its American base by 4% a year, official church rolls are now growing less than 1% annually in the U.S. Globally, church growth is bolstered by converts abroad, especially in Africa.

   "The portion of people in the U.S. who identify as Mormon has almost halved from the 1.8% they represented in 2012, according to the Cooperative Election Study, a survey of more than 50,000 Americans. Justin Turman, a former member who conducts church attendance surveys, has found that approximately 21% of the 17.5 million official members worldwide are actively involved in the church.

   "'Retention is the easiest way for a religion to stay robust,' said Ryan Burge, a professor of political science at Washington University in St. Louis who studies religion. 'Mormonism has a retention problem,' even more so than many Christian denominations, he added.

   "To counter the #exmo narratives, teams of employees, pastoral officials at its Utah headquarters and even a paid ad agency are organizing a slate of pro-church influencers. They highlight positive perspectives on the Book of Mormon and encourage viewers to meet with missionaries. ...

   "Yet negative videos about the church vastly outnumber positive ones on social media, according to people familiar with the institution's tallies of the content. Recent polling data of nonmembers studied by the church found that 'cult' was the most common word people associated with the church, they said. ...

   "TikTok and Instagram's Reels serve #exmo content to people who never intended to search for it. Those apps' algorithms can inundate viewers in 'rabbit holes' of content when they determine those users are lingering on videos about a particular topic.

   "The flood of videos from #exmo influencers question church rules banning same-sex marriage, previous policies that barred Black men from the priesthood until 1978 and current restrictions on leadership positions for women. ...

   "Lex Ivarsson, who goes by ExmoLex on social media, said she had been posting to YouTube for a year about her decision to leave the church, with videos garnering thousands of views. When she posted on TikTok, her third video received more than a million views. 'TikTok shocked me,' Ivarsson said. ...

   "Several ex-Mormons said their social-media videos went viral when they started posting them in 2020. That year, creators noticed the hashtag #exmormon had received a total of more than 200 million views on TikTok, and was increasing by about 1 million views a day. TikTok no longer displays the number of views a hashtag has received. ...

   "Part of Grenfell's appeal to many questioning members are her LDS bona fides: She attended Brigham Young University, served a mission and married in a temple at 23. She started questioning her faith in 2016, and decided to leave the church a year later. ...

   "The church has pressured a number of prominent influencers in recent years to stop producing content critical of the church, stripping some of their membership and prompting others to resign before they could be excommunicated." Wells concludes with a discussion of these efforts. <www.archive.is/bmQTo> 

Left unused on the editing block:

BIAS

While a dark moment, many agree that the assassination of Charlie Kirk has already proven to be a major backfire for the forces of evil in America. The first item above, "American Christianity," suggests the fields were ripe for harvest in this way.

   Another shady aspect of what we face recently appeared in "A Dark Money Group Is Secretly Funding High-Profile Democratic Influencers" by Taylor Lorenz (Wired, Aug 27 '25) -- in her User Mag Substack (also dated Aug 27 '25), Lorenz adds "My story reveals who online is taking money (it's probably people you don't expect!), including several journalist content creators. It also reveals the ethically dubious monetization strategies that many content creators engage in.

   "I reveal all the shady terms included in this secretive contract and dig into what this program reveals about the Democrat's digital political efforts. <www.tinyurl.com/23exfsxa>

   The Wired piece begins: "An initiative aimed at boosting Democrats online offers influencers up to $8,000 a month to push the party line. All they have to do is keep it secret - and agree to restrictions on their content. ...

   "In a private group chat in June, dozens of Democratic political influencers discussed whether to take advantage of an enticing opportunity. They were being offered $8,000 per month to take part in a secretive program aimed at bolstering Democratic messaging on the internet.

   "But the contract sent to them from Chorus, the nonprofit arm of a liberal influencer marketing platform, came with some strings. Among other issues, it mandated extensive secrecy about disclosing their payments and had restrictions on what sort of political content the creators could produce."

   Lorenz names "Laurenzo, a nonbinary creator in Columbus, Ohio, with over 884,000 TikTok followers" and "Eliza Orlins, a public defender and reality TV star known for her appearances on Survivor. ... 

   "The influencers in the chat collectively had at least 13 million followers across social platforms. They represented some of the most well-known voices online posting in support of Democrats, and they're key to wherever the party moves next. ...

   "'Reading through this revised Chorus contract like: you win some, you lose some,' a reproductive justice influencer named Pari, who posts under the handle @womeninamerica, responded later in the thread. 'I also think there's at least 4 other things that should change, but the vibe I got from their email was that there would be minimal, if any, changes.' ...

   "'I don't feel strongly about pushing tbh,' Aaron Parnas, a Gen Z news influencer who has been called the Gen Z Walter Cronkite and has been lauded in legacy media outlets, posted to the chat. 'They aren't going to modify it anymore. Seems like a take it or leave it.'" Lorenz continues to fill readers in about the background behind all of this.

   "Democrats hope that the secretive Chorus Creator Incubator Program, funded by a powerful liberal dark money group called The Sixteen Thirty Fund, might tip the scales. The program kicked off last month, and creators involved were told by Chorus that over 90 influencers were set to take part. Creators told WIRED that the contract stipulated they'd be kicked out and essentially cut off financially if they even so much as acknowledged that they were part of the program. Some creators also raised concerns about a slew of restrictive clauses in the contract.

   "Influencers ... include Olivia Julianna, the centrist Gen Z influencer who spoke at the 2024 Democratic National Convention; Loren Piretra, a former Playboy executive turned political influencer who hosts a podcast for Occupy Democrats; Barrett Adair, a content creator who runs an American Girl Doll–themed pro-DNC meme account; Suzanne Lambert, who has called herself a 'Regina George liberal;' Arielle Fodor, an education creator with 1.4 million followers on TikTok; Sander Jennings, a former TLC reality star and older brother of trans influencer Jazz Jennings; David Pakman, who hosts an independent progressive show on YouTube covering news and politics; Leigh McGowan, who goes by the online moniker 'Politics Girl'; and dozens of others. ...

   "Creators also have to loop Chorus in on any independently organized engagements with government officials or political leaders.

   "'If I want to work with another politician, I have to fully collaborate with them,' said one creator who was offered the contract but ultimately declined to take it and asked not to be named. ...

   "The contracts reviewed by WIRED prohibit standard partnership disclosures, declaring that creators will 'not publicize' their relationship with Chorus or tell others that they're members of the program 'without Chorus's prior express consent.' They also forbid creators from 'disclos[ing] the identity of any Funder' and give Chorus the ability to force creators to remove or correct content based solely on the organization's discretion if that content was made at a Chorus-organized event.

   "'There are some real great advantages to … housing this program in a nonprofit,' Graham Wilson, a lawyer working with Chorus, said to creators on a Zoom call reviewed by WIRED. ...

   "The Federal Election Commission declined to comment.

The goal of Chorus, according to a fundraising deck obtained by WIRED, is to 'build new infrastructure to fund independent progressive voices online at scale.' The creators who joined the incubator are expected to attend regular advocacy trainings and daily messaging check-ins. Those messaging check-ins are led by Cohen on 'rapid response days.' The creators also have to attend at least two Chorus 'newsroom' events per month, which are events Chorus plans, often with lawmakers.

   "Elizabeth Dubois, an assistant professor and university research chair in politics, communication, and technology at the University of Ottawa who has researched the ways influencers are reshaping the US political system, says that 'we are seeing influencers being pulled into these dark campaigns or shadow campaigns, where the legal aspect is murky at best.'

   "'Sometimes it is actually clear that influencers are being used to, for example, evade spending limits,' she says. 'I think that we need to remember that for democracy to thrive, we do need transparency around who is paying for political messages.'

   "Don Heider, the chief executive of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, says that the outlined restrictions violate ethical norms. 'If the contract for getting money from a particular interest group says you can't disclose it, then it's pretty simple, you can't take the money,' he says. 'We're living in an era where a lot of powerful people have basically taken the rule book and thrown it out the window.'

   "Keith Edwards, a Democratic content creator who has skyrocketed to fame on YouTube since starting his channel last year, was not invited to be part of the program but believes that the way it was structured seemed 'predatory.' He says that he would never agree to take part in a program that was run in secret or wouldn't allow him to disclose funding. ...

   "The Sixteen Thirty Fund has emerged as a powerful funder in Democratic spaces in recent years. Its website notes that issues supported by the organization include economic equity, affordable health care, climate solutions, racial justice, voter access, and other 'essential social-change goals.' The organization was founded in 2009 as a liberal response to conservative dark money groups and organizations like the Koch network, and under Trump it has soared. ...

   "Chorus, which is described in contracts reviewed by WIRED as a 'project of' The Sixteen Thirty Fund that handles operations for the creator program, launched in November 2024 as a nonprofit arm of Good Influence, a for-profit influencer marketing agency aimed at helping content creators connect with social-good campaigns. Good Influence was founded in October 2020 by Stuart Perelmuter, the former communications director for representative John Yarmuth of Kentucky. Seeing an opportunity after Kamala Harris' loss last November, Perelmuter cofounded Chorus with Democratic influencer Brian Tyler Cohen, who has over 4.6 million subscribers on YouTube and leads messaging check-ins for the creator cohort on 'rapid response days.' According to records reviewed by WIRED, Chorus claims that its initial creator cohort has a collective audience of more than 40 million followers with more than 100 million weekly viewers and that the organization has 'hundreds of creators signed up' and 'ready to amplify' messaging. ...

   "The structure of the [The Sixteen Thirty Fund and Chorus funding initiative] program highlights the vast differences between how Democrats and Republicans attempt to amass online influence."

   Lorenz concludes in part: "The Democrats appear to have no real counter to this system. 'Democrats missed the next generation of media,' says Brendan Gahan, cofounder of influencer marketing agency Creator Authority. 'Historically they owned Hollywood, but this next generation of influence is digital, and they've miscalculated that.'" <www.tinyurl.com/yc65bm98>

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