Voices Of Deconversion

Marty grew up the oldest of 9 boys in a very devout Catholic family. Marty became agnostic in 1996 and as of 2011 considers himself an atheist. He is one of the friendliest, most helpful people you'll meet. I often notice him encouraging other atheists & agnostics on social media (some of them newly deconverted). Marty offers fascinating specifics about his Catholic upbringing. Just like so many deconverts, Marty took his faith very seriously. Trusting God to provide following a significant injury was a major turning point. He married at 19 years old and has been married 29 years now! His wife is a graphic designer, he is an IT developer. He likes hiking, the Seattle Seahawks, plays a little guitar and is a science enthusiast. He is also a board member with Sunday Assembly in Olympia, Washington. His daughter graduated from college in 2016 and his son is a Junior in college.   Marty's Blog:  https://nohell4u.wordpress.com martymcdonald@outlook.com   Richard Rubenstein https://www.amazon.com/When-Jesu

Wendy was raised in a fundamentalist evangelical home in Canada. She married and raised her children in Brazil while working as a missionary. Her marriage of 20 years ended and during that time Wendy was becoming an atheist. Wendy has become so much happier outside the church and has even reconnected with her high school sweetheart! They have a blended family of 5 children. Wendy hosts the Women Beyond Belief Podcast-a podcast aimed at giving women who've left religion a voice and a place to tell their story.   Women Beyond Belief http://womenbeyondbelief.com @WBBPodcast https://www.facebook.com/WomenBeyondBelief/ https://www.instagram.com/womenbeyondbelief/ https://www.pinterest.com/wbbpodcast/women-beyond-belief-podcast/   The God Virus by Darrel Ray http://www.thegodvirus.net   Seth Andrews http://www.thethinkingatheist.com   Christopher Hitchens  https://www.amazon.com/God-Not-Great-Religion-Everything/dp/0446697966   Richard Dawkins https://richarddawkins.net    

Luciano's doubts came to a turning point in college. He attended Winter Jam (a Christian concert tour) and heard the Newsboys promoting the movie God's Not Dead. Luciano and his girlfriend went to see it. The movie had an impact on Luciano, which he describes in this episode.   Luciano is a Puerto Rican atheist raised in Panama, Colombia, Honduras, Georgia and North Carolina. His blog is Sin/God at Patheos.com. He is a Board Member for HAFREE (Hispanic American Freethinkers). He also is an administrator at the Secular Latino Alliance. You can find him on Twitter or on his Facebook Page as The Hispanic Atheist. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/singod/   https://www.facebook.com/groups/secularlatinoalliance/ http://de-avanzada.blogspot.com/   https://thelatinone.com/ https://www.facebook.com/Hispanic-American-Freethinkers-HAFree-217446074987918/ http://www.skepticink.com  David Osorio @Daosorios Luciano and Juhem's Podcast, The Benito Juarez Experience: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/th

Audrey was born into a very strict Jehovah's Witness family. Meetings were held at her church 7 days a week! A week in the life of a Jehovah's Witness consisted of continual preparations for church meetings/activities. This only left time for church.  Audrey eventually left the church at age 21, but this came at a significant cost for her closest relationships. Sam Harris https://www.youtube.com/user/samharrisorg Richard Dawkins https://www.youtube.com/user/richarddawkinsdotnet Dale McGowan https://www.amazon.com/Dale-McGowan/e/B001JS5YU8 audreymoreland911@msn.comaudreymoreland911@gmail.com  

This enjoyable conversation was quick, humorous and sometimes serious with one of my best friends from childhood. Gary is an awesome guy and a great friend. He was raised with belief in God, but now considers himself agnostic. His belief system changed significantly when his mom, a very dear friend of my family and one of my very favorite people (also my mother's best friend) was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Gary does have a belief in something, but it differs from the norm. In addition, he definitely believes in the Seattle Mariners and his son believes in the Detroit Tigers. The Book of Mormon http://bookofmormonbroadway.com/tickets South Park http://southpark.cc.com The Simpsons http://www.fox.com/the-simpsons/full-episodes Humor in General :)

Dr. Pinn had some very encouraging words for deconverts. He also shared some really unique insights into the problem with theism and Christianity in particular.  Our interview was shortened due to some scheduling issues, but I'm so grateful for the opportunity to meet and interview Dr. Pinn. He is such an intelligent and just all around great person. Although the episode is a bit shorter than usual, it is jam packed with some wonderful conversation. Enjoy...and remember, "we are legion"! Show Notes: Susan Jacoby http://www.susanjacoby.co Dr. Anthony Pinn http://www.anthonypinn.com @anthony_pinn    

This episode deviates from our typical weekly interview, so I'm posting it on the weekend as special bonus episode!  Professor Nagle identifies with the catholic tradition. The first half of our discussion is his religious journey away from catholicism to agnosticism and back again.  It's important to note that Professor Nagle uses the term deconversion in a broader sense than I do. For this podcast I define deconversion in the sense of a person leaving Christianity altogether and becoming atheist or agnostic. Professor Nagle uses the term deconversion to define various religious transitions in life. The second half of the interview he discusses current research on deconversion and the focus of his particular research, including how religious teaching changes in response to our cultural climate?  He is currently working on his doctorate at Fordham University in New York.   Show Notes: Versions of Deconversion: Autobiography and the Loss of Faith by John Barber https://www.amazon.com/Versions-Deconversion-

Maria is a writer and podcaster from rural New Jersey from an ultra-catholic family. Maria wanted to be a nun and was obsessed about going to hell. By chance she read Joseph Campbell in high school and he flung open the doors to how humans create story and belief. Maria was a stand-up comic in New York. She has a Master's degree in creative writing from the University of Iowa, where she also studied religion. Her passion is the new cosmology-the science based story of how we and our universe have evolved and its potential to supplant religion. Her e-book: Songs That Are to Come, tells of her own discovery of this story from catholic nuns. She now lives in northern Vermont where she blogs and podcasts at meetyourmyth.com.   The Big Chew Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-big-chew and Soundcloud Songs That Are to Come: An ex-Catholic, A Sacred Earth and the Nuns Who Reunited Them. Find the e-book at: http://meetyourmyth.com Joseph Campbell books:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos

Robert W. Parham, M.A. is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, National Certified Counselor, and Certified Sex Offender Treatment Provider.  He holds two Masters Degrees, one in Counseling that he earned in 1996 from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and one in Clinical Psychology that he earned in 2006 from the Washington School of Professional Psychology.  Robert has been helping people in the mental health field for over 18 years, working in psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment programs, and private practice.  Parham Counseling, Inc. is a professional counseling office committed to helping individuals, couples, groups, and families live happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives. The Clergy Project http://clergyproject.org Recovering From Religion http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org The Secular Therapist Project https://seculartherapy.org  

Writer, activist, social critic and commentator, Alix's activism has garnered national attention on matters of race, religion and politics. Alix was the first atheist featured in Ebony magazine. He's a founding member of the largest freethought organization in North Texas and organizer for Black Non-Believers of Dallas. He advises for the American Humanist Association and the Center for Inquiry. His writing can be found on various venues such as Secular Nation, Free Inquiry, American Atheist magazine and Time magazine. Check out his self titled blog The Graffiti Wall at Patheos or on The Orbit and as a regular on air personality at Dogma Debate. Hispanic American Freethinkers http://hafree.org/en/ The Clergy Project http://clergyproject.org The Black Humanist Alliance http://blackhumanists.org American Humanist Association https://americanhumanist.org Center for Inquiry http://www.centerforinquiry.net African Americans for Humanism http://www.aahumanism.net Secular Nation http://atheistallianceameri

Researcher, teacher and counselor Candace Gorham shares her story of deconversion from Christianity.  The Ebony Exodus Project: https://www.amazon.com/Ebony-Exodus-Project-Walking-Religion/dp/1939578027 Black women are the single most religious demographic in the United States, yet they are among the poorest, least educated, and least healthy groups in the nation. Drawing on the author's own past experience as an evangelical minister and her present work as a secular counselor and researcher, The Ebony Exodus Project makes a direct connection between the church and the plight of black women. Through interviews with African American women who have left the church, the author reveals the shame and suffering often caused by the church—and the resulting happiness, freedom, and sense of purpose these women have felt upon walking away from it. This book calls on other black women to honestly reflect on their relationship with religion and challenges them to consider that perhaps the answers to their problems rest

Dan Barker and his wife Annie Laurie Gaylor are co-presidents of the Freedom From Religion Foundation and co-hosts of Freethought Radio. Dan is a former minister and evangelist, Dan became a freethinker in 1983. His books, Just Pretend: A Freethought Book for Children and Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher To Atheist (1992) are published by FFRF. Other books include Godless (Ulysses Press, 2008), The Good Atheist: Living a Purpose-Filled Life Without God (Pitchstone Publishing, 2011), Life Driven Purpose: How an Atheist Finds Meaning, Pitchstone Press (2015) and GOD: The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction (Sterling Publications, 2016). A graduate of Azusa Pacific University with a degree in religion, Dan now puts his knowledge of Christianity to effective freethought use. A professional pianist and composer, Dan performs freethought concerts and is featured in FFRF’s musical CDs, "Friendly Neighborhood Atheist," "Beware of Dogma,” and “Adrift on a Star." He joined FFRF's staff in 1987, serving as pub

In this introduction episode I let you know what to expect from the podcast. I also give a brief summary of my story of deconversion from Christianity. Finally, I share with you the reason I decided to create the Voices of Deconversion podcast. I'm excited to share these fascinating and uplifting stories with you.  Thanks for subscribing to the podcast!