You Choose with Billy Garton Jr.
You Choose with Billy Garton Jr.

#021 - Elliot Bewick - 21 Year Old Atheist: "There is a Rise in Performative Christianity"

September 8, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The Atheist Who Sees Through Performative Faith

Elliot Bewick is 21 years old, an atheist-agnostic, and one of the most unlikely chroniclers of the Christian influencer boom. He has interviewed Bryce Crawford, the Kineckleys, and Savannah Stone—some of the biggest names in the online Christian world—and his conversation with Crawford alone pulled over 400,000 YouTube views. But Bewick is not a believer. He is, by his own description, someone who has "more faith than many people would think" but cannot yet call himself a Christian. And he has a sharp diagnosis for what he calls the rise of "performative Christianity": a lowering of the bar for entry that he thinks is doing more harm than good.

The Crisis of Meaning Behind the Christian Turn

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

Listen to Audio Summary Open in App

What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:05) **Opening: Atheism vs. Certainty** - Elliot Bewick (21, atheist/agnostic) defines his stance: certainty about God's existence (or non-existence) is an illusion and a search for comfort.
  • 2 (04:17) **The Remedy for Meaning** - Elliot offers a framework for building a meaningful life outside of organized religion.
  • 3 (06:51) **The Problem with Atheism & Performative Christianity** - Elliot critiques the modern atheist mindset and introduces the concept of "performative Christianity."
  • 4 (11:56) **The Marketing of Belief** - Billy and Elliot discuss the incentives behind publicly declaring a faith.
  • 5 (21:28) **Faith vs. Certainty** - Elliot clarifies the role of faith and the impossibility of knowing God's existence.
  • 6 (24:32) **A Relationship Without God: The Antidepressant Story** - Elliot tells the story of meeting his girlfriend, Lauren, which begins with her struggle with antidepressants.
  • 7 (32:24) **The Documentary & A Life-Changing DM** - Elliot recounts Lauren's detailed message about her devastating experience with SSRIs, including Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD).

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Does God exist? Are all these Christian people genuine? Is Christianity the way? Are SSRIs and antidepressants harmful? What even is depression? Can I out-will the algorithm? How can I retrain myself to focus?


If any of these sound like questions you are asking, give the next 97 minutes your full attention.


Elliot Bewick is a 21 year old atheist and the host of The Next Generation, a podcast for...you guessed it.


I hope you enjoy, and if you do, let me know by liking, commenting, and subscribing to the show.


I am committed out of my mind to bringing you conversations that alter the direction of your life, leading you to a deeper sense of belonging in the context of the world.


The views expressed are those of the guest, and this conversation is intended for general informational purposes only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice. Never stop or change prescribed medication without speaking to your doctor.


Follow Elliot - https://www.instagram.com/elliotbewick


Follow the show - https://www.instagram.com/youchoosepodcast/


Follow Billy - https://www.instagram.com/billygartonjr


CHAPTERS:

0:00 Why He Hid the Bible

1:28 Why Gen Z Is Flocking to the Pews

2:34 We Have No Blueprint Anymore

4:17 The Two Questions That Give Life Meaning

8:33 What If There Is No Meaning?

10:29 What Happens When You Kill God

11:58 Is Being an Atheist Good for Marketing?

13:15 Christianity Would Be Better for Marketing

14:46 The Rise of the Performative Christian

16:58 "Try Harder. You Don't Love Jesus."

20:27 Nobody Ever Knows That God Is Real

21:14 Faith Is the Whole Point

22:15 Ram Dass and the Insane Asylum

24:31 What Is Love Without God?

24:50 How Many Women Are on Antidepressants

25:42 Nobody Knows What Depression Is

26:19 The Chemical Imbalance Was Invented

29:23 His Friend, the Meds and the Breakup

32:24 19 Yr Old Girl DM's Elliot About Zoloft

33:18 She Couldn't Feel Anything

34:09 Where Most Sexual Dysfunction Comes From

36:55 We Live in a Culture of Too Many Labels

41:02 The Day at the White House

42:40 Who the Girl in the DM Actually Is

45:01 What Filled the Last Gap in His Faith

46:52 Love Is a Choice, Not a Feeling

51:37 The Information Age Promised You a Recipe

52:55 Just Do

53:39 "I'm Confused as F*ck Right Now"

55:26 Gen Z are the Victims

56:39 The Blame Game Has No Solutions

1:00:52 The Girl Who Sued Meta and Won

1:02:00 Your Problem Isn't Doom Scrolling

1:05:00 Compartmentalise Your Scrolling

1:05:31 The Science of Getting into Flow State

1:08:18 Breaking a Social Media Addiction

1:09:38

You Choose with Billy Garton Jr.

More from this podcast

You Choose with Billy Garton Jr. →