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This week on the podcast I speak with Marissa Alexa McCool and Bethany Futrell, the co-hosts of Inciting Incident podcast. Marissa is a podcaster, author, performer, speaker, and an LGBT rights and atheist activist. She is a trans woman, married, partnered, and a parent. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with her family. Marissa graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2017 with degrees in English, Cinema and Media Studies, and Anthropology, while also studying theatre, Shakespeare, and communication theory. She is a sought after speaker within the atheist and humanist community.She is he author of 8 book, including, most recently, a collection of queer poetry entitled, Lesbian Purple Space Rainbow Mermaid Queen.In February 2016, before she came out, she started the Inciting Incident Podcast which now includes co-host, Bethany Futrell. Marissa is also the co-host, with Ari Stillman, of The Cis Are Getting Out of Hand, a trans-specific show using humor and skits to talk about issues that the trans community faces specifically for a trans audience.Bethany is a podcaster and atheist activist with Chicago Atheists. She is the host of She Talks Atheism, and co-host of Inciting Incident where she has been for two years.Inciting Incident podcast on Facebook | www.facebook.com/IncitingIncidentPodcast/The Cis Are Getting Out of Hand podcast on Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/CisplaniologyMarissa's books | https://tinyurl.com/marissasbooksShe Talks Atheism podcast | https://directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/shetalksatheismFollow Bethany on Twitter | https://twitter.com/BethanyLFutrellFollow and support Life After God at www.patreon.com/lifeaftergodVisit our website | www.lifeaftergod.org

Welcome to a special edition of the Life After God podcast. I'm excited to share conversations with you from a growing number of professionals who specialize in religious trauma, deconversion, and post-religious mental health. My goal with these conversations is to offer you a diverse range of perspectives, share practical insights you can use in your daily life, and introduce you to some amazing humans who are committed to helping others thrive after leaving religion.My name is Brian Peck, and I'm a licensed clinical social worker in Boise Idaho specializing in religious trauma and mental health challenges related to the deconversion process.Today I'm excited to introduce you to Suandria Hall who is a licensed mental health professional in the Denver area who also specializes in religious trauma and helping people navigate life transitions including support for leaving high-demand religious groups.I met Suandria online through her Instagram account, My Choice My Power, which is also the name of her private practice in the Denver area. I was struck by her thoughtful reflections on mental health and her keen insight into the process of exiting religion. It's been a real honor to learn from her experience and hope you find this conversation as meaningful as I did.My goal for these episodes is to expand the conversation about post-religious mental health that includes a range of clinical voices, therapy modalities, and practices you can incorporate into your healing process.You may be surprised to learn that there's a growing number of mental health professionals out there already doing this work. As therapists, we often work with the individual, and what's said in the room stays in the room. These episodes are an opportunity to share what we're learning and to provide some psychoeducational content to support your journey.Note, these conversations are intended to be educational in nature and are in no way a substitute for working with your own licensed mental health professional or healthcare provider. As with any conversation that may reactivate past trauma, please put your needs first. This particular conversation is not graphic, but the topic and content may still be challenging for some nervous systems. Healing trauma is a dynamic process, and it's perfectly okay to step back and reengage once you have more resources available to you.**SPECIAL OFFER**Join the Life After God community as a Member between now and June 21, 2019, and receive a limited edition magnet. Visit www.patreon.com/lifeaftergod and join today!Be a part of the next LIVE panel discussion, "Facing Grief & Loss After God," on Friday, June 28 at 6:00 pm Pacific Time. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1219812888177918/Follow Suandria Hall on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mychoicemypowercounseling/ On the web - http://www.mychoicemypower.com/Connect with Brian Peck on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/RoomToThrive/On the web - https://www.roomtothrive.com/Learn more about Life After God at our website - www.lifeaftergod.org

In this bonus episode I speak Gretchen Koch on the occasion of the 10-year anniversary of the murder of George Tiller, the famous abortion doctor from Wichita, Kansas, who was shot and killed during the worship service at the Reformation Lutheran Church. Gretchen's parents were members of the same church and in attendance that day. Gretchen herself was visiting her parents but was at home and heard what happened later that day.Check out Gretchen's comic based on her parents' recollection of that day (https://giantif.com/comic/a-reflection-on-the-day-dr-george-tiller-was-assassinated-10-years-later). She also spoke about another comic related to abortion entailed, Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions, which I hope you'll check out (https://giantif.com/comic/snappy-answers-to-stupid-questions).Please check out Gretchen's website, Giant If (https://giantif.com), follow her on Twitter (https://twitter.com/GretchenKoch), and support Gretchen's work on her Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=261718).Please subscribe, rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/life-after-god/id1032909038) or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow Life After God on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ourlifeaftergod), Twitter (https://twitter.com/ourlifeaftergod) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ourlifeaftergod), and support the show on our Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/lifeaftergod).

In this episode I speak with James Croft, a leader at the Ethical Society of St. Louis where he has been for the past five years. James is a humanist educator, activist, and sought after speaker around the world. He earned an MA in Education from University of Cambridge and an Ed.D. from Harvard Graduate School of Education.In this conversation we talk about briefly about the origins of the Ethical Society, his experience at the Ethical Society of St. Louis, his experience of the murder of Michael Brown in St. Louis just months after his arrival, and how humanist values translate into political commitments.**SPECIAL OFFER**Join the Life After God community as a Member between now and June 21, 2019, and receive a limited edition magnet. Visit www.patreon.com/lifeaftergod and join today!Be a part of the next LIVE panel discussion, "Facing Grief & Loss After God," on Friday, June 28 at 6:00 pm Pacific Time. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1219812888177918/Follow James Croft on Twitter (www.twitter.com/CroftSpeaks)Ethical Society of St. Louis - https://ethicalstl.org/Learn more about Life After God at our website - www.lifeaftergod.org

On this episode I speak with Lloyd Evans. Lloyd is the founder and senior editor of JWsurvey.org - a website that promotes freethought among Jehovah's Witnesses. He is also author of "The Reluctant Apostate," a book that chronicles his experiences growing up as a JW and his journey to freedom from Watchtower indoctrination. His "John Cedars" YouTube channel, which has nearly 50,000 subscribers, hosts a range of videos aimed at dissecting the various teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as new developments in the religion.LINKSLloyd's YouTube channel | https://www.youtube.com/user/johncedars1929Lloyd's books | https://www.amazon.com/Lloyd-Evans/e/B01N13QDU4?A Secret Database of Child Abuse (The Atlantic) | https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2019/03/the-secret-jehovahs-witness-database-of-child-molesters/584311/Visit the Life After God website — www.lifeaftergod.orgPlease support the show — www.patreon.com/lifeaftergodFollow us on Twitter — www.twitter.com/ourlifeaftergodFollow us on Facebook — www.facebook.com/ourlifeaftergodFollow us on Instagram — www.instagram.com/ourlifeaftergod

On this episode I speak with Alana Carter, a senior at Nazareth College, about her experience of loss and grief as a post-theist. Then I talk with Garrett Price, a mental health professional working in end-of-life care, about what is happening in grief and how to face it as an atheist.The question I get more than any other is how to face death as an atheist. Whether it is the death of a loved one or ones own death, the prospect of mortality is one of the main things that keeps religion thriving in our world. Likewise, understanding grief and how to face it as an atheist is essential for a vibrant life after God.Become of member of the Life After God community and help make this podcast possible. Join today at www.patreon.com/lifeaftergodVisit our website at www.lifeaftergod.orgFollow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ourlifeaftergod), Twitter (www.twitter.com/ourlifeaftergod), and Instagram (www.instagram.com/ourlifeaftergod).

On this special NEWS BRIEF edition of the Life After God podcast, host Ryan Bell speaks with Gretchen Meader about Jean Vanier who died today at the age of 90.Jean Vanier was a Catholic philosopher, theologian, and humanitarian who in 1968 founded L'Arche, a community where people with disabilities live with those who care for them.LINKSJean Vanier, Savior of People on the Margins, Dies at 90 (New York Times) | https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/07/obituaries/jean-vanier-dead.htmlBecoming Human, by Jean Vanier | https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Human-10th-Anniversary-Vanier/dp/0809145871L'Arche | https://www.larche.orgJean Vanier on OnBeing with Krista Tippett | https://onbeing.org/programs/jean-vanier-the-wisdom-of-tenderness/

On this episode, Ryan speaks with Dave Warnock. Dave is the father of two daughters and a son, a former evangelical pastor in the Foursquare Church, now an atheist, and a lover of life.About six weeks ago Dave was diagnosed with ALS—Lou Gehrigs Disease—for which there is no treatment and life expectancy is between three and five years. As a result of this heavy news, Dave has chosen to live the remainder of his life very deliberately; to die out loud, as he says.We talk about his conversion to Christianity, his ministry in the Foursquare Church, his departure from the church and his eventual atheism and its effect on his relationships. In the second half we talk about his ALS diagnosis, what the prospect of death means to him and what he is already learning on this journey.Special thanks to Cass Midgley for his production and post-production assistance, and to Marie D'Elephant for helping me schedule Dave and for all her support along the way.Our executive producer is Jeff Straka.LINKSDave's website | http://www.everyonesagnostic.com/dave.htmlDave's Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dwwarnock

In this episode of the podcast, Ryan speaks with Aaron Rabinowitz about ethics and the current context and conditions of moral and ethical formation today. It is a wide ranging conversation, at the end of which Ryan experiences a surprising conversion!LINKSVideo of Aaron's presentation to Triangle Freethought Society | https://youtu.be/m2zw3ZSSnN4Embrace the Void podcast | https://voidpod.com/podcastsPhilosophers in Space podcast | https://0gphilosophy.libsyn.com/What is moral realism? (according to the IEP) | https://www.iep.utm.edu/moralrea/Life After God website | http://www.lifeaftergod.orgSupport this podcast by becoming a member | http://www.patreon.com/lifeaftergodFollow Life After God on Twitter | http://www.twitter.com/ourlifeaftergodFollow Ryan Bell on Twitter | http://www.twitter.com/ryanjbell

In this episode I speak with Eiynah about the challenges of speaking about Islam and Muslims in our current political climate. We recorded this conversation on Wednesday evening, March 20, just five days after the horrific terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, that claimed the lives of 50 people.How can we talk about Islam and Muslims without being a bigot? On the one hand, individuals absolutely have the right to challenge and criticize and type of ideology or belief, including Islam, especially in open, democratic societies. On the other hand, we cannot separate our criticism of religion from the social and political context in which we make those critiques. Timing and tone do matter. While all critiques may be permitted, not all comments are advisable at every moment if we care about the lives of those who are most effected.Ideology has consequences, as we have seen with acts of terror that run the ideological spectrum from Nazism, to white nationalism and identitarianism (such as the ideology that animated the Christchurch, New Zealand terrorist), to Islamism and more. Islam is not a single thing or a unified way of seeing the world any more than Christianity is. Eiynah is an ex-Muslim of Pakistani background who was raised in Saudi Arabia and now lives in Toronto, Canada. She is a prolific podcaster, blogger, and commentator at the intersection religion, politics, and human rights.LINKSNice Mangos website | http://nicemangos.blogspot.com/Polite Conversations podcast | https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/polite-conversations/id1086199663?mt=2Follow Eiynah on Twitter | http://www.twitter.com/nicemangosLife After God website | http://www.lifeaftergod.orgSupport this podcast by becoming a member | http://www.patreon.com/lifeaftergodFollow Life After God on Twitter | http://www.twitter.com/ourlifeaftergodFollow Ryan Bell on Twitter | http://www.twitter.com/ryanjbell

This week on the podcast I speak with Emily Joy about her experience leaving evangelicalism under a cloud of sexual abuse. Years later she and a friend started the #ChurchToo hashtag which has become a national phenomenon.BIOEmily is a spoken word poet, yoga teacher and activist living and working in Nashville, Tennessee. Her advocacy takes place at the intersection of faith, sexuality and healing, and her work has been featured in Time, Cosmopolitan, Jezebel, Mother Jones, The Huffington Post and more. Emily is the co-creator of the #ChurchToo hashtag, a #MeToo spinoff exposing sexual violence in Christian churches and other faith communities. She is also a sexuality education writer for the website Scarleteen and in her spare time, works at a church. More about Emily and her work can be found at emilyjoypoetry.com. You can find Emily online on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at the username, @EmilyJoyPoetry (links below).LINKS Emily Joy's website | http://www.emilyjoypoetry.comAs a Teen, Emily Joy Was Abused by a Church Youth Leader. Now She’s Leading a Movement to Change Evangelical America | https://www.motherjones.com/crime-justice/2018/05/evangelical-church-metoo-movement-abuse/The #ChurchToo Movement Isn’t Just About Gender | https://jezebel.com/the-churchtoo-movement-isn-t-just-about-gender-1826431915Inside the Scam of the "Purity" Movement | https://www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/a26026217/sexual-abstinence-joshua-harris-purity-movement-scam/Sexual Abuse Happens In #ChurchToo — We’re Living Proof | https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sexual-abuse-churchtoo_us_5a205b30e4b03350e0b53131Abuse of Faith | https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/investigations/article/Southern-Baptist-sexual-abuse-spreads-as-leaders-13588038.phpLIFE AFTER GODWebsite | http://www.lifeaftergod.orgFacebook | http://www.facebook.com/ourlifeaftergodTwitter | http://www.twitter.com/ourlifeaftergodInstagram | http://www.instagram.com/ourlifeaftergodSupport the production of this podcast and the work of Life After God by becoming a Patronhttp://www.patreon.com/lifeaftergod

This week on the podcast I speak with author and sociologist, Christian Smith.Christian Smith is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society at the University of Notre Dame. Smith is well known for his research focused on religion, adolescents and emerging adults, and social theory. Smith received his MA and PhD from Harvard University in 1990 and his BA from Gordon College in 1983. He was a Professor of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for 12 years before his move to Notre Dame. Christian is the author of at least 17 books including the extremely influential, "Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America," published in 2000. His new book is entitled, "Atheist Overreach: What Atheism Can’t Deliver."You might want to pair this conversation with episode 63: Seven Types of Atheism with John GrayHave a thought about this episode that you'd like to share? Write to me at ryan@lifeaftergod.org and join the conversation at the Life After God Facebook Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifeaftergodmembers)LINKSBuy "Atheist Overreach | https://goo.gl/KftdPsChristian Smith's website | https://christiansmith.nd.edu/Life After God website | http://www.lifeaftergod.orgCheck out our friends at Embrace the Void | https://voidpod.com/podcastsBecome a member of the Life After God community and join the conversation on the Facebook page | www.patreon.com/lifeaftergod

Brian Peck here with a bonus episode of the Life After God podcast. Max Tang and I recently hosted a webinar where we explored how curiosity can help you thrive after religion. I'm excited to share that conversation with you today.Several years after leaving the church I grew up in, I discovered that while the content of my beliefs had changed, I was still viewing the world through old ways of thinking. This realization began a personal and professional quest to find effective antidotes to fundamentalism.Over the years I've discovered evidence-based clinical practices, conducted my own personal experiments, and learned a lot from the collective wisdom of others who have effectively undermined the influence of fundamentalism in their lives.Max Tang has been on a similar journey and is exploring the many ways curiosity can help us thrive after religion through her speaking and writing. You can find more about her work at https://www.maxgetscurious.com/.In the podcast, we reference the work of Todd Kashdan's research lab but didn't have time to fully explore the 5 dimensions of curiosity so I just want to note those here.1. Joyous Exploration - this is the prototype of curiosity – the recognition and desire to seek out new knowledge and information, and the subsequent joy of learning and growing. 2. Deprivation Sensitivity - this dimension has a distinct emotional tone, with anxiety and tension being more prominent than joy – pondering abstract or complex ideas, trying to solve problems, and seeking to reduce gaps in knowledge.3. Stress Tolerance - this dimension is about the willingness to embrace the doubt, confusion, anxiety, and other forms of distress that arise from exploring new, unexpected, complex, mysterious, or obscure events.4. Social Curiosity - wanting to know what other people are thinking and doing by observing, talking, or listening in to conversations.5. Thrill Seeking - the willingness to take physical, social, and financial risks to acquire varied, complex, and intense experiences.Learn more about the five dimensions of curiosity and discover what type of curious person you are here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/curious/201801/what-are-the-five-dimensions-curiosityOne of the fascinating findings in the research is how we can be more intentional and expand our perspectives through social curiosity. Being part of a community that values curiosity and openness can increase your own curiosity in ways you couldn't achieve on your own.The value of social curiosity is not a new idea but now science is making a stronger case for the types of communities we are creating at Life After God. If you would like to cultivate your curiosity with others in a community that values the open and honest exploration of ideas, consider the value of joining the Life After God members group.Links:Visit Max Tang's website | https://www.maxgetscurious.comVisit Brian Peck's website | https://www.roomtothrive.comLearn more about Todd Kashdan's curiosity research | https://www.toddkashdan.com/articles/curiosity-and-creativity/Visit the Life After God website | http://www.lifeaftergod.orgLike and follow our Facebook page | https://www.facebook.com/ourlifeaftergodFollow us on Twitter |

On this episode I speak with Alix Jules about his journey of faith and humanism. We also talk about the state of politics in America as secular humanists who care about marginalized groups. At one point in the conversation Alix said, "we have a crisis of compassion" in this country and what we need to realize is that "we're all in this together."Alix is a writer, activist, and social commentator who typically discusses race, religion, and politics in culture. He’s been featured in Ebony Magazine, Time Magazine Online, and is a contributor to various books and articles on science, tech, and the impact of religion in the African American community. His activism includes building bridges for humans through discourse, and finding literal safe spaces for Nonbelievers, LGBT Youth, and recovery programs for survivors of abuse.He’s an academic nomad whose graduate studies range from Computing and Data interpretation from Columbia University and Northwestern - to challenging the ideas of the mind with studies in Psychology at Harvard. He activism involves him with many different non profit organizations, including Black Non-Believers, Center for Inquiry’s African American for Humanism, and the American Humanists Association’s Black Humanists Alliance.You can find Alix on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/alix331) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/alix.jules).To become a member of Life After God and access to the Life After God Facebook Group, please visit the Patreon page (http://www.patreon.com/lifeaftergod) and subscribe at the Member ($5/mo) level.

On this episode I speak with Jessica Wilbanks, author of the new memoir, When I Spoke In Tongues: A Story of Faith and Its Loss. Jessica received her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of Houston, where she served as nonfiction editor for Gulf Coast. An active member of the literary community in Houston, Jessica frequently teaches writing workshops for Inprint, Writespace, Grackle & Grackle, Writers’ League of Texas, and Boldface, the University of Houston’s annual conference for emerging writers.Visit Jessica's website | https://jessicawilbanks.comBuy her book | https://www.amazon.com/When-Spoke-Tongues-Story-Faith/dp/0807092231Become a member of Life After God today | http://www.patreon.com/lifeaftergodVisit the Life After God website | http://www.lifeaftergod.orgLike and follow our Facebook page | https://www.facebook.com/ourlifeaftergodFollow us on Twitter | http://www.twitter.com/ourlifeaftergod...and Instagram | https://instagram.com/ourlifeaftergodAlso, don't forget to check out the Secular Student Alliance podcast, Secular Student Life.