Recovering From Religion

This week on RfRx, Dr. Steven Hassan, the developer of the BITE model of authoritarian control (Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotion), will join us to discuss cults, the problems they cause, and techniques for recovery from their mind control. Dr. Hassan will begin his talk close to the start of the hour, so don’t be late! https://linktr.ee/RecoveringFromReligion https://www.facebook.com/Re...

This week on RfRx, the Satanic Skeptic Autumn Sword, will join us to discuss the moral panic of the 1980's and 90's known as the "Satanic Panic." She will discuss the factors contributing to the belief that Satanic cults were kidnapping, abusing, and ritually sacrificing children and babies. She will also explore why decades later, the conspiracy theories of Satanic cults still p...

This week on RfRx,  Jon Lovell, known for making atheism and skepticism more accessible to a wider audience on his YouTube channel The SkepTick, joins us to talk about being an outsider in more ways than one. We'll discuss navigating discussions about belief (or non-belief) while simultaneously dealing with cultural differences. Bring your questions for Jon and stick around for the hangout after t...

This week on RfRx, Shana Rubio discusses growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness and experiencing shaming around sex, sexuality, and her body. Although she was very devout for the first 28 years, she was disfellowshipped (ex-communicated) in 2000 for not following the strict rules regarding sex. However, she continued to believe it was the one true religion and it was just a matter of time before she wo...

This week on RfRx, Rob Palmer questions the uniqueness of humanity. The Abrahamic religions teach that humans are special; we are God’s special creation. Seemingly proving this, of all the billions of species to arise on Earth, only humans are intelligent enough to have created a civilization.  So, in that way at least, our species is VERY special. On this planet, anyway. On the other hand, space...

This week on RfRx, join us to hear Mary Byler’s account of survival and escape from an Amish community. What if we could be our own rescuers and heroes and saviors? What if trauma survivors were empowered by language to build their own support network of trusted folks and be celebrated and accepted? Now an author and coach specializing in working with survivors of cults and conservative sectarian...

This week on RfR, we will continue the conversation around community building. Former pastor and author Darante’ LaMar Martin joins us to share his inspirational experience of questioning faith, leaving the fold, and ultimately rebuilding community. He will discuss why secular communities don’t need a blueprint and why they have a responsibility to impact the world around them. Bring your question...

This week on RfRx, humanist author Rebecca Vitsmun joins us to discuss invisible disabilities in the humanist community. Rebecca will discuss invisible disabilities and how to spot them, and describe the prevalence of some of these unique traits in the humanist, atheist, or “none" community. She will also explore the prevalence of underdiagnosis of some of these conditions and share ideas for maki...

Sometimes the most challenging part of leaving one’s faith is not leaving the beliefs behind but losing the community. This week on RfRx, Secular Rarity joins us to discuss the importance of community and how to find or build yours. Bring your burning questions for SR and stick around for the hangout after the show https://linktr.ee/RecoveringFromReligion https://www.facebook.com/RecoveringfromRel...

Join us this week on RfRx as we continue to celebrate Pride Month! Back by popular demand, we will continue the conversation with a group of LGBTQ+ panelists discussing how they recovered and reclaimed their pride despite harmful messaging about sexuality and gender identity. We’ll talk about building community, overcoming guilt and shame, positive sexuality, resources for people who are strugglin...

This week on RfRx, Richard Gilliver returns to provide practical application of skeptical thinking to religious claims. Richard will tackle the accounts of the resurrection of Jesus. How can we determine whether these accounts are accurate and reliable? What should we expect from claims about historical events? Join the conversation. Bring your questions for the interactive Q&A with Richard! h...

Join us this week on RfRx as we celebrate Pride Month with a panel of Recovering from Religion volunteers, plus special guests, sharing their experiences as members of the LGBTQ+ community navigating life in and out of religion. They'll discuss coming out, deconstruction, how to be an ally, LGBTQ+ resources, and - as always - they will answer your burning questions. https://linktr.ee/Recoverin...

Religion is not just a system of belief, but a way of organizing the decisions concerning life and death. This week on RfRx, let’s reflect on principles of humanism as we look at the practical decisions to make for the end of life. We’ll consider the nature of rituals, funeral decisions, and what is left behind. https://linktr.ee/RecoveringFromReligion https://www.facebook.com/RecoveringfromReligi...

Some of the most intriguing episodes of the skeptically themed Oh No, Ross and Carrie podcast were those in their series concerning the pair’s undercover investigation of Scientology. Join us on the next RfRx when Ross will be our guest to fill us in on the details of this fascinating (and somewhat perilous) adventure at the church’s Pacific Area Command Base, Big Blue. https://linktr.ee/Recoverin...

This week on RfRx, Aron Ra will be our special guest. Join us for a wide ranging conversation on topics including atheism, humanism, skepticism, critical thinking, anthropology, science education, creationism, evolution… and snakes. We might even ask him about the anti-evolution claims Tucker Carlson made on a recent Joe Rogan Experience episode! https://linktr.ee/RecoveringFromReligion https://ww...

Join us on RfRx this week for what will certainly be a special show! Our guest will be Shelley Segal , and we will be talking about her own recovery from religion, as well as her fascinating musical career. Shelley is a singer/songwriter known for her secular-themed music, who has performed at many atheist/secular events including the Reason Rally and the American Humanist Association conference....

It’s fundraiser week at RfRx and we are once again collaborating with our friends from The Line.  Join us this week for an intimate conversation with Shannon Q, Paulogia, Eve was Framed, and Aron Ra.  Don’t miss this chance to hear perspectives from some of our favorite public activists about their deconversion stories, skepticism, science, and what recovering from religion means to them. Bring yo...

This week on RfRx, join us in an exploration of religious harm in Latin America. Teo El Ateo will discuss his personal experiences and provide information on religious-based harm ranging from political corruption to violent crime, accusations of witchcraft, and exorcisms.  We’ll discuss challenges faced by people who have been harmed by religion in the Hispanic world and services that are availabl...

This week on RfRx, author David Fitzgerald returns to present his recent scholarly findings in the field of global religious history. The presentation will cover the different evolutionary stages all religions appear to have gone through, the surprising twists and turns in the development of monotheism, how all our major religions appear to share the problem of having imaginary founders, and more....

Why do intelligent people fall for science denial, pseudoscience, or conspiracy theories? In today’s talk, Melanie Trecek-King explores how cognitive biases, social influences, and deeply held beliefs can trap us in misinformation. Drawing on her own experience, she explains why facts alone often fail to change minds, and how curiosity, skepticism, and empathy can help us navigate today’s complex...

Why do intelligent people fall for science denial, pseudoscience, or conspiracy theories? In today’s talk, Melanie Trecek-King explores how cognitive biases, social influences, and deeply held beliefs can trap us in misinformation. Drawing on her own experience, she explains why facts alone often fail to change minds, and how curiosity, skepticism, and empathy can help us navigate today’s complex...

Falling in love with the right person is easy, what comes next may not be. For anyone who has ever wondered how relationships can work between the faithful and faithless, join us this week on RfRx for a peek behind the curtain. Steve Ghikadis, a secular humanist, has been married to Cindy, a Christian, for almost a decade and, like most couples, they agree on all the big things. Just not the littl...

This week on RfRx, Dr. Ben is back by popular demand to expand on his discussion of the intersections of healthcare, bias and belief. Dr. Ben will discuss the real world consequences of cognitive bias and examine common lines of reasoning which contribute to healthcare disparities. The presentation will be followed by Q&A with Dr. Ben.  https://linktr.ee/RecoveringFromReligion https://www.face...

Life is hard and finding support shouldn’t be equally difficult, but it often is. This week on RfRx, join us in discussing the potential pitfalls of mental health therapy, how education and licensure is only the start of a search, and questions to ask when starting a professional relationship. https://linktr.ee/RecoveringFromReligion https://www.facebook.com/RecoveringfromReligion https://instagra...

This week on RfRx, we discuss Mythicism, an often misunderstood position with John Gleason, The Godless Engineer. This talk will dive into an alternative explanation for Christian origins that do not involve a Jesus as a real historical figure. Minimal Mythicism takes on the burden of proof to not only provide this alternative explanation and evidence supporting it but also to explain existing evi...