Podcast Summary: Breakpoint
Episode: The Short Shelf Life of ‘Inevitable’ Movements
Host: John Stonestreet (Colson Center)
Date: March 26, 2025
Episode Overview
In this episode of Breakpoint, John Stonestreet examines the phenomenon of supposedly “inevitable” cultural and political movements that rise rapidly, claim the mantle of historical inevitability, and then quickly fade. He discusses this pattern through contemporary examples such as the New Atheist movement of the 2000s and today’s transgender activism, critiquing the idea that being on “the right side of history” is anything more than temporary rhetoric. Stonestreet encourages Christians to take a long-term, Christ-centered view of history and cultural engagement.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Rhetoric of Cultural Inevitability
- Stonestreet critiques the confidence with which supporters of progressive movements claim their victory is certain, equating it to being on the “right side of history.”
- Quote [01:19]: “Supporters of progressive cultural and political movements will often declare their ideas inevitable and themselves as on the right side of history. The last few years, however, have demonstrated the need to take such claims with quite a grain of salt.”
2. Debating the Moral Basis of Law
- Stonestreet recounts a viral debate on the Jubilee Media YouTube series Surrounded, where left-wing podcaster Sam Sater is challenged by young conservative debaters.
- Sater asserts laws should pursue a “humanist vision” of minimizing suffering, decided democratically.
- His opponent points out the flaw: if the majority shifts, so can the “morality” imposed by law, even if it's religiously grounded.
- Quote [02:28]: “If laws are based only on majority vote, then they have no foundation other than the majority’s preference, which could be wrong or even dangerous.”
- Memorable moment: The debater asks if a religious majority couldn't simply impose their own morality, exposing a major weakness in Sater's position.
3. The Arc and Decline of the New Atheist Movement
- Stonestreet discusses how the once “inevitable” New Atheist movement (Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris) spiked rapidly between 2005–2020 and then faded without significant societal conversion.
- Quote [03:26]: “A new graph by sociologist Christian Smith now shows that that 'New Atheism' was essentially a 15 year flash in the pan... their numbers nationwide never broke the low single digits percentage wise.”
- The movement’s remnants are found mostly in “old YouTube videos and used book bins.”
4. The Waning Transgender Movement
- Stonestreet draws a parallel to the speed of ascendancy and backlash in the transgender movement.
- Five years ago, there was immense cultural and corporate pressure for conformity.
- Now, notable figures (e.g., J.K. Rowling), research (Cass Report), and policy reversals signal the peak is passing.
- Quote [04:37]: “Five years ago, gender activists were effectively holding universities, corporations and governments hostage... And now that sanity also seems to be returning to corporate America...the future of this supposedly inevitable movement is, to say the least, in doubt.”
5. The Lesson for Christians: Eternity Over Fads
- Stonestreet emphasizes that fads burn out quickly, and Christians should anchor themselves in Christ, not chase relevance to each cultural wave.
- “The right side of history line is just rhetoric… in the long term [history] belongs only to Christ, the One who is sovereign over human history.” [05:35]
- Christians must “keep our defense of the faith sharp and nimble... rather than constantly being committed to being relevant to every new fad that claims our future.” [06:03]
- The enduring quality of Christianity, compared to short-lived cultural trends, is highlighted.
- Quote [06:20]: “Christianity has already outlived quite a lot of opponents, many of whom were far more formidable than denying observable biology.”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On “the right side of history” rhetoric (John Stonestreet, 05:35):
“The right side of history line is just rhetoric, something that in the short term no one knows, and in the long term belongs only to Christ, the One who is sovereign over human history.” -
On temporary cultural fads (John Stonestreet, 06:37):
“Cultural fads often have a short shelf life, and those who most loudly declare their fad the wave of the future are most in danger of being left in the past.” -
On enduring Christian hope (John Stonestreet, 07:20):
“It’s the meek, not pride, that will inherit the earth and human history. Which is why so many who are proud enough to proclaim their trendy ideas inevitable tend to look, in just a few years time, like mere flashes in the pan.”
Key Timestamps
- [01:19] – Introduction to the episode's theme: cultural fads and “inevitable” movements
- [02:10] – Description of the Jubilee Media debate and critique of “humanist vision” in law
- [03:26] – The meteoric rise and decline of the New Atheist movement
- [04:37] – Transgender movement’s apparent peak and cultural backlash
- [05:35] – Challenge to “right side of history” rhetoric: ultimate authority belongs to Christ
- [06:20] – The endurance of Christianity against cultural trends
- [07:20] – Final reflection on meekness and the fleeting nature of cultural pride
Conclusion
John Stonestreet’s episode provides a succinct, insightful critique of how cultural movements often claim inevitability and moral high ground, only to be quickly replaced in the societal memory. He urges Christians to look past temporary trends and root their cultural engagement in the enduring reality of Christ’s reign, warning that pride in cultural fads quickly fades—while Christ’s truth endures.