Graceful Atheist Podcast
A secular humanist podcast about Secular Grace after deconstruction and deconversion. Member of the Atheists United Studios podcast network. The podcast takes an honest look at stories of faith transition from a life-altering faith, to doubt and deconstruction, to deconversion, and finally, to a thriving graceful life post-deconversion. My name is David, and I am trying to be the Graceful Atheist. Join me and be graceful human beings. https://gracefulatheist.com/ Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/gracefulatheist
Episodes
December 30, 2023 • 68 mins
Mathew Taylor, co-host of Still Unbelievable!, returns to the podcast to discuss why we podcast.Links
Matthew on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/vteclimey
Confessions of a YEC blog:
https://confessionsofayec.wordpress.com/
"God takes the good people early” post:
https://confessionsofayec.wordpress.com/2012/03/08/god-takes-the-good-people-early/
Reason Press:
https://reasonpress.net/
"Still Unbelievable!” the book:
https://reasonpress.net/SU1EPo...
Matthew on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/vteclimey
Confessions of a YEC blog:
https://confessionsofayec.wordpress.com/
"God takes the good people early” post:
https://confessionsofayec.wordpress.com/2012/03/08/god-takes-the-good-people-early/
Reason Press:
https://reasonpress.net/
"Still Unbelievable!” the book:
https://reasonpress.net/SU1EPo...
Mark as Played
December 17, 2023 • 61 mins
This week’s guest is Sara. Sara grew up in a Canadian Mennonite community and embraced it wholeheartedly. She was surrounded by evangelical Christianity and she thrived.
As a young adult, she married and followed her husband into ministry. While he led, she helped as was expected of her. It didn’t occur to her until years later how little her own leadership skills had to be set aside.
Sara’s husband started deconstructing his beliefs...
As a young adult, she married and followed her husband into ministry. While he led, she helped as was expected of her. It didn’t occur to her until years later how little her own leadership skills had to be set aside.
Sara’s husband started deconstructing his beliefs...
Mark as Played
December 10, 2023 • 50 mins
This week’s guest is Beth. Beth grew up in a fundamentalist Christian home that revered James Dobson, Jerry Falwell and all those who created the “Moral Majority.” Her father was a pastor whose sermons centered on the End Times and protecting their families from the “shifting culture,” (read: all the movements happening in the 60’s and 70’s).
As a teen, she lived a double life, keeping plenty of secrets from her parents. However, as...
As a teen, she lived a double life, keeping plenty of secrets from her parents. However, as...
Mark as Played
December 3, 2023 • 54 mins
Arline interviews this week’s guest, Andrew. Andrew is a self-named atheist “paleo-nerd.” He grew up home-schooled in a fundamentalist church in southern California. His whole schooling was religious and that included Young Earth Creationism.
In high school, Andrew struggled with his shy nature and some depressive episodes. The church didn’t seem to have room for people like him. As a young adult, finally making his own decisions an...
In high school, Andrew struggled with his shy nature and some depressive episodes. The church didn’t seem to have room for people like him. As a young adult, finally making his own decisions an...
Mark as Played
November 26, 2023 • 68 mins
Arline interviews this week’s guest, Racquelle. Racquelle grew up in Canada in the Seventh Day Adventist church. Conspiracy theories were common in her household. Some of them she bought into.
Throughout her life she went through periods of doubt but something kept bringing her back to Church. A sense of obligation and expectation never left her.
Eventually, Racquelle deconverted from her faith and deconstructed the conspiracy theori...
Throughout her life she went through periods of doubt but something kept bringing her back to Church. A sense of obligation and expectation never left her.
Eventually, Racquelle deconverted from her faith and deconstructed the conspiracy theori...
Mark as Played
November 19, 2023 • 65 mins
Arline interviews this week's guest, Andy Neal of Andy Films And Hikes fame. He is self described as a "plus size hiking influencer."
Andy tells his story of deconstruction, acceptance of his body and his joy in nature. He is an inspiration to all to get outdoors and experience nature.
Links
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes/
Link Tree
https://linktr.ee/AndyNeal
Interact
For quotes, recommendations, transcripts and mor...
Andy tells his story of deconstruction, acceptance of his body and his joy in nature. He is an inspiration to all to get outdoors and experience nature.
Links
https://www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes/
Link Tree
https://linktr.ee/AndyNeal
Interact
For quotes, recommendations, transcripts and mor...
Mark as Played
November 12, 2023 • 63 mins
Natalie from New Zealand tells Arlene here story. She grew up Pentecostal participating in church. In her young adulthood she converted to Mormonism.
She saw that as woman her role was limited and was finding it difficult to accept the church's perspective on LGBQT issues.
Eventually Natalie deconverted. She is thankful for her kids' sake who later came out as queer. Natalie now finds time in nature and the forest life giving.
Intera...
She saw that as woman her role was limited and was finding it difficult to accept the church's perspective on LGBQT issues.
Eventually Natalie deconverted. She is thankful for her kids' sake who later came out as queer. Natalie now finds time in nature and the forest life giving.
Intera...
Mark as Played
November 5, 2023 • 73 mins
Jeff grew up in his words “a very religious household.” He attended a large Southern Baptist church.
In college he fell in love with the seriousness of Calvinism after reading John Piper’s Desiring God. He left seminary early to become a minster because he felt time pressure to be “on mission” for God.
After three pastors he knew committed suicide in one year, Jeff began to deconstruct.
Today he is agnostic and finds therapy and mindf...
In college he fell in love with the seriousness of Calvinism after reading John Piper’s Desiring God. He left seminary early to become a minster because he felt time pressure to be “on mission” for God.
After three pastors he knew committed suicide in one year, Jeff began to deconstruct.
Today he is agnostic and finds therapy and mindf...
Mark as Played
October 29, 2023 • 63 mins
This week’s guest is Megan. Megan grew up in a fundamentalist Catholic home with an irrationally religious mother and an absent father. As a teen, she was invited to an evangelical bible study after school and after some serious “love bombing” by the youth group, she was a part of a community.
“You get ‘loved bombed’ when you walk into a new church or into a new youth group, and they make you feel like you are the most welcome you ...
“You get ‘loved bombed’ when you walk into a new church or into a new youth group, and they make you feel like you are the most welcome you ...
Mark as Played
October 22, 2023 • 64 mins
This week’s guest is Kris. Kris grew up in a home with much wounding and suffering, an irreligious home that would shape her desire for God as a young adult. She became a christian when she was 22—a “poor, broken young mom.”
For years, Christianity worked well for her. She found community, built a family, made friends. Church gave her a place to use her abilities and passions, but there was always a glass ceiling.
In 2017, she and a...
For years, Christianity worked well for her. She found community, built a family, made friends. Church gave her a place to use her abilities and passions, but there was always a glass ceiling.
In 2017, she and a...
Mark as Played
October 15, 2023 • 57 mins
This week’s guest is Jeremy Schumacher. Jeremy’s story begins in the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod and it was as culty as it sounds. He started questioning the beliefs when he was ten, but it took twenty more years before he was able to leave.
“Two things really kept me in [Christianity] longer than I needed to stay or wanted to stay: fear of hell…and everyone I knew and interacted with was Lutheran, just not having any sense...
“Two things really kept me in [Christianity] longer than I needed to stay or wanted to stay: fear of hell…and everyone I knew and interacted with was Lutheran, just not having any sense...
Mark as Played
October 8, 2023 • 14 mins
This week is a solo episode with David talking about the state of the podcast.
Interact
For quotes, recommendations, transcripts and more see the full episode show notes
https://gracefulatheist.com/2023/10/08/graceful-atheist-solo-october-2023/
Join the Deconversion Anonymous Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/deconversion
Graceful Atheist Podcast Merch!
https://www.teepublic.com/user/gracefulatheistpodcast
Support the podcast ...
Interact
For quotes, recommendations, transcripts and more see the full episode show notes
https://gracefulatheist.com/2023/10/08/graceful-atheist-solo-october-2023/
Join the Deconversion Anonymous Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/deconversion
Graceful Atheist Podcast Merch!
https://www.teepublic.com/user/gracefulatheistpodcast
Support the podcast ...
Mark as Played
October 1, 2023 • 71 mins
This week’s guest is Mandi. Mandi grew up in a mixed Jewish and Christian home, attending a Messianic temple. She loved every minute of it as a kid and cherishes her memories.
In high school and as a young adult, though, she began to ask questions, and as we’ve seen in religion time and time again, her questions were dismissed.
After incredible and full years of life—moving to Israel, returning to Georgia, joining an Orthodox Jewis...
In high school and as a young adult, though, she began to ask questions, and as we’ve seen in religion time and time again, her questions were dismissed.
After incredible and full years of life—moving to Israel, returning to Georgia, joining an Orthodox Jewis...
Mark as Played
September 24, 2023 • 58 mins
This week’s guest is Jordon. Jordon comes from a long family line of Mennonites but Jordon was bookish and musical and never quite fit in.
He grew up in the church, but with two older brothers already having left the church, by 21 he was also out. He’d never had a television, gone to public school, or really knew anything beyond the small bubble he was in. University changed all of that.
“The sense of community I was getting from the...
He grew up in the church, but with two older brothers already having left the church, by 21 he was also out. He’d never had a television, gone to public school, or really knew anything beyond the small bubble he was in. University changed all of that.
“The sense of community I was getting from the...
Mark as Played
September 17, 2023 • 67 mins
This week’s guest is Nora. Nora grew up in Argentina, the granddaughter of Italian immigrants, and Argentina still has her heart.
When Nora was in middle school, her father believed God wanted him to become a missionary to the US. The family’s move to California was all loss, culture shock, and homesickness for Nora.
Between church doctrine on divorce, enduring an abusive marriage, Christian Nationalism, and questions that kept comin...
When Nora was in middle school, her father believed God wanted him to become a missionary to the US. The family’s move to California was all loss, culture shock, and homesickness for Nora.
Between church doctrine on divorce, enduring an abusive marriage, Christian Nationalism, and questions that kept comin...
Mark as Played
September 10, 2023 • 84 mins
This week’s guest is Tracey. Tracey spent her childhood in a white American Christian home where Focus on the Family reigned and “Obey right away” was the expectation.
She was a believer as an adolescent but began asking hard questions in high school. As a young adult, she saw how prideful the leaders were and how easily Christians were pulled in.
“That’s a theme through my whole experience of Christianity…Christians are actually att...
She was a believer as an adolescent but began asking hard questions in high school. As a young adult, she saw how prideful the leaders were and how easily Christians were pulled in.
“That’s a theme through my whole experience of Christianity…Christians are actually att...
Mark as Played
September 3, 2023 • 59 mins
This week’s guest is Mary Justice, the heart behind the delightful Instagram account, @maryfairyboberry.
Mary is an international adoptee who grew up in an emotionally and verbally abusive Seventh-Day Adventist home. Between home and church, there were rules that dictated her entire life.
“It’s just so much fanaticism.”
As an adult, she has a family she cares for without the abuse or micro-managing from high-control religion.
She’s bee...
Mary is an international adoptee who grew up in an emotionally and verbally abusive Seventh-Day Adventist home. Between home and church, there were rules that dictated her entire life.
“It’s just so much fanaticism.”
As an adult, she has a family she cares for without the abuse or micro-managing from high-control religion.
She’s bee...
Mark as Played
August 27, 2023 • 75 mins
This week’s guest is Amanda. Amanda comes from a rather surprising brand of Christianity she refers to as the “Serpent Seed Pentecostal Cult.” She goes into detail, and it’s quite a ride.
Various things happened throughout her adolescence that made her wonder if Christianity was true, but her mother would violently put a quick stop to those doubts. By 17, Amanda left home to live with a friend, but that couldn’t last long.
Amanda spe...
Various things happened throughout her adolescence that made her wonder if Christianity was true, but her mother would violently put a quick stop to those doubts. By 17, Amanda left home to live with a friend, but that couldn’t last long.
Amanda spe...
Mark as Played
August 20, 2023 • 71 mins
This week’s guest is MJ, the heart and mind behind the Instagram account, @dissident_daughters
MJ grew up in a conservative evangelical home where Focus on the Family reigned and her whole world consisted of family, church friends, and a few Christian homeschooling families. She believed wholeheartedly, feeling all the existential pressure as a child to “save” everyone around her.
As a young woman, MJ was surrounded by social workers...
MJ grew up in a conservative evangelical home where Focus on the Family reigned and her whole world consisted of family, church friends, and a few Christian homeschooling families. She believed wholeheartedly, feeling all the existential pressure as a child to “save” everyone around her.
As a young woman, MJ was surrounded by social workers...
Mark as Played
August 6, 2023 • 79 mins
Dr. Darrel Ray is the founder and President of the Board of Directors of Recovering from Religion and the founder and project leader of the Secular Therapy Project. See his full bio here.
Dr. Ray grew up in a Christian home but was already skeptical of certain claims at the age of twelve. He stayed in church—singing and teaching—but was relieved to finally leave the church as an adult.
He has decades of experience in psychology and h...
Dr. Ray grew up in a Christian home but was already skeptical of certain claims at the age of twelve. He stayed in church—singing and teaching—but was relieved to finally leave the church as an adult.
He has decades of experience in psychology and h...
Mark as Played
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