FreedHearts

In this episode, we are going to get a little crazy and talk about cults!   :-) Big word. Scary word. But maybe a little closer to our lives, a little closer to home than we think. So, what makes something a cult? We give you 25 attributes of a cult. You may be surprised, and some may be a little too familiar. Let’s talk.  Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd l...

So, how are you doing?  Any family issues?? We have some... we have family holding events, celebrating and we were not invited.  We have celebrations with part of our chosen family. When family is at odds over core beliefs and major heart issues, it can certainly get tricky.   So, we thought it might be an ideal time to ask… What in the world IS family anymore.  And… Is this even still my family??...

“What if you’re wrong?”  People ask us this all the time, and then usually follow up with “Aren’t you afraid of leading people astray?”   This seems to be the underlying fear for so many Christians. We have addressed this on an individual level but, today, we want to talk to the church! It has so consumed the Church, with this fear being spoonfed to people for decades, it hardly thinks to turn the...

Ahhh, the joys of Christian guilt. (sigh) In this episode we talk about how this guilt deeply impacts those in the LGBTQ+ community.  Specifically how false teachings and manipulation have been systemically used to cause people to hate who they are. Let’s talk about Christian guilt below the belt .  Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Su...

In their ongoing pursuit of "religious freedom," people step over the bodies of LGBTQ+ youth literally stranded on the street! They turn a blind eye to horrible injustice all around them. Why?? In order to maintain their ideal of pretending they are fighting 'sin.' And pretending that they live a righteous life. We're calling BS on this being about religious liberty. Reall...

Gaslighting is an insidious form of manipulation and psychological control, where victims are deliberately and systematically fed false information that leads them to question what they know to be true, often about themselves. They may end up doubting their memory, their perception, and even their sanity!  So, how does this show up towards those in the LGBTQ+ community? An important episode. Send...

In this episode, we pay another visit to the FreedHearts Podcast Inbox! We answer questions from our listeners like…  “How can someone be transgender when God doesn’t make mistakes?”   “Why do you say the LGBTQ issue is a dealbreaker in church?”  “If I deconstruct my faith, can I still keep some things I believe in?”  “Can I love and follow Jesus and not be a Christian?”   and “Why do you have to...

“A Love Letter to My Non-Affirming Christian Friend” This is a very special episode. It is specifically meant to be shared with anyone who is not fully accepting and affirming their lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender child or loved one. It is an honest, but loving letter from our heart to yours. <3  Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer....

Homophobia in the church is so overt, so common, that if you say, "I’m a Christian." – you have to quickly add “But I affirm LGBTQ!” because it’s just assumed you’re homophobic!  What happened?? How do people still in the nonaffirming church not see it?   How did the Christian church become so unlike Christ, and why is Jesus the biggest threat to Christianity? Send us a private message....

When you look at non-affirming Christians, and you look at Jesus, they often seem as far apart as they could get.  There are so many things that many Christians are doing and believing that are so unlike the Jesus they claim to follow. But they slap Jesus’ name on it like a stamp of approval.  Honestly, Jesus has to be shaking his head saying, "Oh my gosh! Please—stop!"  So what are thos...

“What if you're wrong about LGBTQ+?” I've been asked many times. And in this episode I will give you my answer.   I am also asked, “How do you know for sure if you are right or wrong?”  If you are out there and you are wondering… We have an easy test for you. Non-affirming people trample over others in a quest to be right. But, if you’re going to say you follow Jesus, you’d better be cha...

Have you heard this? “Okay, okay, you’re gay, but you just can’t act on it.” This is a common thing out there: “What about gays just not having sex?” Let’s be honest, this is a copout to make non-affirming Christians feel better – but it only adds to an LGBTQ person’s mental health load because it conveys a message that something is wrong, something is broken, less than ideal. It is cruel, unkind...

Conversion Therapy / the Ex-Gay Movement – the awful effort to try to get LGBTQ+ people to somehow not be gay anymore! You’ve heard of it, maybe you've experienced it. Today we are going to talk about two things: First… the big lie – the fraud – the scam – the false message of conversation therapy . And second… the dangerous, dirty little secret they don't want you to know about . The se...

“Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin??“ We're Calling Bullsh*t!! "Love the sinner, hate the sin??" Wait, what?? It sure doesn't feel like love to those on the receiving end. You know why? It’s not! It’s homophobia disguised as love. Is it from the Bible or any religious text? Nope. In this episode, we are going to dive into this and set the record straight! Send us a private message....

Can we talk about Olympic Gymnast Simone Biles standing up for her mental health, and how this relates to people in the LGBTQ community?  Let’s talk about self-care, self-advocacy, and being shredded by armchair critics who have lost their humanity. These people do not deserve a voice in your head, or any space in your beautiful heart. Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS i...

Today is a very powerful, important episode. We talk about how to deal with abusive people. How do we love people who are tough to love? Is a toxic relationship worth fighting for? Is it unloving to step away from abusive people? How can we get what we need? And so many of you are not getting what you need from your faith communities and even your families, which is really, really hard.  We need l...

Paul has been pulled from context, and misused to shame, reject, condemn and bring great harm to those in the LGBTQ+ community, and people who support them. In this episode we discuss whether Paul is about legalism, law and bondage? Or is he about love, life and freedom? Or does it all depend? We will take a closer look at the p erils of P aul, and the p articularly p uzzling p lace of P aul as p...

Being the Dad of an LGBTQ Child! This is a very special episode for Dads of LGBTQ kids - or about your Dad, or about the Dad of someone you love. Today, I talk about the core issues unique to being the Father of an LGBTQ child. I’ll give some tools you can use to understand your kids, deepen your relationships, strengthen your faith, and deal with non-affirming friends, family and those at church....

What About Anti-Gay Religious Leaders? The Pope, evangelicals, denominations...  What about anti-gay religious leaders?  With such deeply-held beliefs and traditions, how do we respond? How do we free our hearts from the impact of these religious leaders, who come from flawed oppressive systems, speaking to us about moral issues?  How can we change the influence they have in our lives? Send us a p...

The Deconstruction Journey: What About Sin?  Have you been told you are in sin? Called a sinner? When you question this – you are often immediately labeled a heretic or an apostate or maybe someone who was never really a Christian to begin with.  All of that attack and defensiveness instead of just having an open conversation.  But when you question these – when you open your box, all heaven break...

Love That Feels Like Love! What does it mean to love? We’re told to love, and many people will treat others horribly and claim they are loving.  Many of you have been on the receiving end of terrible treatment and then been told that they are loving you. You know what? That just does not work and today we are going to talk about how to recognize it and what to do.  Send us a private message. *Note...

“Dealing with Dysfunctional Family Rejection” If you are part of the LGBTQ community - or an affirming parent - and you are experiencing rejection from family, we are so sorry.  It has nothing to do with you.  It reveals everything about them and nothing whatsoever about you. And you certainly don’t deserve it. In this episode, we talk about how you can respond to non-affirming, dysfunctional fami...

Continuing our conversation about broken family relationships, today we talk about what it is costing our LGBTQ kids.  What is the cost when parents have broken with them?  What does it cost your child when you withhold love or limit the relationship, simply because you are not okay, for whatever reason, with them being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender?  Mom, Dad… they are paying a price much...

This is a very special episode for parents wanting to improve your relationship with your LGBTQ child. If you are not a parent, this would be a great episode to send TO your parents. :-)  Mom & Dad, maybe you are struggling to understand your child. They may have told you they’re gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or other words that may not make sense to you.   Your faith community is telli...

We are very fortunate to have a unique relationship, and we think we have a lot to offer about on how to have a great relationship.  But, we had to work to get here. We went through some hardships that threatened everything, but we were always committed to wholeness. We always sought love and healing, even when it was hard. Many of you have great relationships too. Many of you don’t. Today we want...