What happens when you walk away from the institution but not your spirituality? In this raw and powerful episode, Meredyth sits down with Rev Karla, an ordained interfaith and interspiritual minister with nearly 1 million followers across platforms. Known for her radical honesty and compassionate rebellion, Rev Karla opens up about religious trauma, deconstruction, reclaiming spiritual autonomy, and how leaving the church became the beginning of her real spiritual path.
Together, they dig into:
-
The difference between being spiritual vs. doing spirituality
-
Why deconstructing isn't the same as walking away
-
The parallels between church trauma and toxic relationships
-
Racism, patriarchy, and why white women must confront both
-
How Christianity became weaponized for control
-
Why the feminine voice is rising now more than ever
If you've ever felt like you didn't belong in the religion you were raised in or you're seeking a deeper, freer relationship with the divine, this episode will meet you right where you are.
00:00 - Meet Rev Karla, her journey to almost a million followers, and the power of raw authenticity
02:45 - How her grandson pushed her to try TikTok and what happened when she told the truth
05:10 - Spiritual breadcrumbs and why so many of us silenced our intuition as kids
09:00 - Breaking down deconstruction, leaving church vs. healing from indoctrination
12:30 - The loss of spiritual autonomy and how to reclaim it
17:05 - From Baptist abuse to Catholic exclusion, how church creates hierarchy and control
21:00 - The dangerous myth of "church is good if it does good"
23:50 - Spiritual wilderness, solitude, and what Jesus in the desert teaches us
27:30 - "Jesus is what is possible" — mystical vs. mythical understanding of Christ
30:00 - Releasing God from rules and reclaiming a personal connection to the sacred
36:00 - Why curiosity is essential for spiritual expansion and healing
39:50 - Spirituality is political — and so is deconstructing racism, whiteness, and patriarchy
44:20 - Matriarchy vs. patriarchy and the true purpose of collective power
50:00 - Raising anti-racist, spiritually conscious children
55:00 - Religion as a tool for control, spiritual bypassing, and the power of sitting in discomfort
01:00:00 - "You are not a good person because of church. You are good because you woke up worthy"
01:04:00 - Rev Karla's book and final reflections on the divine feminine, war, and what's next
🔗 Connect with Rev Karla
✨ TikTok: @revkarla
✨ Instagram: @revkarla
✨ Facebook:
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com