Voices of Deconversion

At 4 years old Misty gets Selective Mutism. She spent many days playing by herself and being, "in her head". As early as 11 years old she notices depression. Her years with Selective Mutism pave the way to be a nun, taking a vow of silence. Misty's mom thinks she should be a writer. Tragically, her mother is later diagnosed with cancer and passes away. Misty wonders if God wanted her mother to die, since her mother didn't think Misty should be a nun. Misty learns to grieve without God's help.

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A truly inspiring story! Christianity was everything for Timoree. It helped her w/sobriety, mental illness & was a source of comfort. When her faith fractures, it's very scary. The most important things in her life were at stake. Somehow, she found the courage to face this challenge head on. She tells her husband and children that she is not a Christian. Her son is a youth pastor! The beautiful thing about her story is the emphasis on relationships. The value of having good people in our life is priceless

Janice brings amazing insight regarding how we see faith through the lens of our personality. As Christians, there was always the danger of fundamentalism becoming our identity. Now an Agnostic-Atheist, Janice's focus is helping others. Janice was an all-or-nothing Christian. Her life took a turn when her husband went to school to be a pastor. She submitted by wearing a head covering and not wearing jewelry or make-up. Later her daughter becomes ill, marriage gets difficult and a family member is jailed.

Today I speak w/Cheryl Abram, author of Firing God. Check it out on cherylabram.com. Her Louisiana family is full of deacons & ministers. She attended church 6-days/week! Things get tough & she gives God one last go. Her pastor gives her a book-she tells God to F*** off. On a lighter note, she cracked me up w/her story of watching Hitchens debates secretly in her room. So awesome & so hilarious! She elaborates on the meaning of Firing God. I loved her explanation so much. It was such an empowering idea.

Joy was 3 when separated from her family w/o warning. She was raised by a fundamentalist Christian family in Idaho. As a child her feet get run over by a lawnmower. She later goes in front of the church to be healed. As an adult she becomes a missionary in Taiwan & raises 6 kids in the church. Her daughter's views change! Joy questions her own beliefs-her daughter's excited to hear it! Joy tells all her kids her new views. Her message: unconditional love and support, no matter what they choose to believe

Today I had the privilege to meet Cass Midgley! His podcast (Everyone's Agnostic) was the first one I found that shared deconversion stories. It's been so encouraging to me through the years! He's an open book & a straight shooter. The longer you listen, the more you'll discover an incredibly insightful, compassionate and generous human being. Cass earned a Masters in Theological Studies from Vanderbilt University in 2013…as an atheist. His pursuit of love took him to Christianity and took him past it.

I want to update all of you on what's been happening since the last episode. This is a brief update on some personal stuff and also some podcast stuff.  I'm currently editing my episode with Cass Midgley of Everyone's Agnostic podcast. That will be out in the coming days. Thanks for being such awesome listeners! I appreciate you all.

April talks of her parents immigration from Korea, the origin of their Christianity, Korean superstitions & being raised Presbyterian. She's forced to speak in tongues as a child, later goes to Seminary & becomes a youth pastor. She feels stress, sickness and depression as a Christian. Church history opens her eyes. When she stops going to church, her sickness stops & her liberation begins! She taught in Georgia Public Schools 24 years, loves travel & spends time getting new immigrants registered to vote.

Austrian Graf & Steve Birss of Lethbridge, Alberta discuss their song "Heathen" and share their diverse journeys out of Christianity. Each raised by a single mom, but their mothers influenced them in unique ways. We talk about the Jesus movement, leg lengthening, calvinism & Christian tattoos. We hear about the impact of drug dealing & jail, overcoming an eating disorder & healing from trauma. One of the best takeaways: we have the power within ourselves to overcome life's difficulties. No god required.

Dauv Evans talks with me about his book "Emancipation of a Black Atheist". In 2012, he got married, had a child & moved out-of-state. He also began questioning why he believed in God.  When Dauv tells his mom he's not a Christian, she initially responds predictably. Later he discovers her feelings were much more complicated. Dauv's wife becomes an ex-Christian. They also tell her family. The two families have various & intriguing responses. This story will resonate with anyone who has come-out ex-Christia

Raised fundamentalist, Leah is intensely aware of the threat of hell & the rapture as a little girl. In high school she asks unwelcome questions & makes controversial statements in church. This leads to atheism. Although her theology becomes progressive, she finds herself sucked back into fundamentalism. Mental health struggles become dangerous. *Trigger warning re: abuse (emotional, physical, sexual) and suicide. Leah eventually turned a corner. Hearing about her experience was powerful and inspiring!

Studying for a doctorate in clinical psychology, Andrew is an atheist. Former Pentecostal minister (MDiv-Princeton) with a certain calling to missions in India. The Bible was causing psychological distress, so he realized he must address mental health. He experiences psychedelics and attends Burning Man. His dream is to help people heal from religion and dogmatic ideologies, as he has. He offers private coaching, speaks at events, facilitates workshops and blogs at http://lifeafterdogma.org

Gary was born in Utah and raised a Mormon. He even dreamt of Joseph Smith at 4 years old! Gary had a strict upbringing. He also moved around the country a lot growing up. Just after High School he ends up married and has a son. Soon Gary finds himself homeless, then in jail and later he endures a heart wrenching tragedy.   Gary's story is truly inspirational! He has endured some incredibly difficult circumstances in life. He is now an atheist ex-Mormon and doing great!

Richard describes his deconversion as more of a realization. We discuss the Satanic Panic of the 1980's & harm done when kids are indoctrinated. Richard has always loved music. He talks about how his favorite music clashed with his mother's views. We talk about travel, teaching special education and mental health too.  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiqHic5KZlTZHLxnySukujQ @ChurchTales https://twitter.com/ChurchTales talesfromthechurch@gmail.com