Recovering From Religion

This week on RfRx, Satanic Skeptic JD Sword will join us to discuss the history of exorcism in the Catholic Church as well as some of the most famous cases of alleged demonic possession including the case of Annelise Michel (which inspired the movie The Exorcism of Emily Rose), and the case of Ronald Hunkeler (which inspired The Exorcist). So please join us for some devilment this week and bring y...

This week on RfRx, we’ll have a conversation with Ember about how secular communities and transgender communities can support one another, unshackled from the limitations of theology. There is a lot of crossover between secular folk and the transgender community, and it isn't hard to see why. Folks in both groups generally just want to live their lives, and often share the same antagonist for...

This week on RfRx, RfR Support Group Director Rachel (Spinouette) is back by popular demand to discuss her experiences with “The Law of Attraction”. The Law of Attraction is the belief that we attract things into our lives by thinking about them. Rachel was an avid student of the practice for years before coming to the conclusion that it was total bullshit. Visualize yourself joining us for this w...

The poets speak of the mysteries of the heart and many religious traditions speak of the mystery of their god’s love. This week on RfRx, David Teachout joins us in a conversation about love, intimacy, and the very real, behavioral qualities that are at the heart of one of the most powerful of emotional concepts we have as human beings in connection to one another. https://linktr.ee/RecoveringFromR...

This week on RfRx, former Mormon Stephanie (Contraddiction) returns to expand on her journey out of the LDS faith. In her previous talk, Stephanie mentioned her love of LDS young adult fiction. This week, she is back by popular demand to share her experience and discuss the possible impacts of religious fiction on young adult readers. Join us for a deep dive and light-hearted review of one of her...

This week on RfRx, author and former Psychic Friends Network star, mentalist Mark Edward, will discuss his career investigating paranormal claims made by psychics and mediums. Are any of these people for real? Join us and find out! https://linktr.ee/RecoveringFromReligion https://www.facebook.com/RecoveringfromReligion https://instagram.com/rfrorg https://www.tiktok.com/@recoveringfromreligion htt...

This week on RfRx, returning guest Jason Racheotes will attempt to make the positive case against the existence of any gods. He will also discuss lesser covered topics like Anti-theism and Igtheism. He argues that it is sometimes important to put forward arguments from the atheist position, and not get too comfortable merely rejecting gods proposed by others. Jason’s talk will encourage us to thin...

Have you ever tried to change someone’s mind with facts, only to have the conversation descend into an unproductive fight? Maybe a better question is: what have you changed your mind about? Having productive conversations over important topics requires an understanding of how our minds work. This week on RfRx, science and critical thinking educator Melanie Trecek-King will address these questions...

This week on RfRx, we will have two guests on our show. We’ll start off talking with the YouTube pioneer, Brian Keith Dalton, and learn about his experience in - and leaving - Mormonism, and about his many important YouTube series'. Then we will have an RfRx first, an appearance by Mr. Deity Himself! Yes! Our meeting attendees will be able to ask the All-Powerful One questions. And unlike the usua...

This week on RfRx, Dr. Eugenie C. Scott discusses the importance of keeping creationism out of science education. Haven’t the Creationists packed up their tents and gone away? They have been soundly defeated in court case after court case, both the traditional and new-fangled “Intelligent Design” Creationists. They aren’t in the headlines anymore and seem to have given up trying to get their “scie...

This week on RfRx, we are back from winter break with a special bonus episode! Join us this week to get to know a panel of RfR volunteers as they share their deconversion stories and what motivates them to help others recover from religion. We'll have a round table discussion, interactive Q&A, and, of course, a hangout after the show with the guests. https://linktr.ee/RecoveringFromReligion ht...

This week on RfRx, Dr. Rev. Sarah St. Abaddon joins us to talk about the psychology of deconversion and the significance of blasphemy within the Satanic community. Deconversion is often a long journey with the end goal of reaching the reprieve of autonomy and self-efficacy. The process of deconversion is a uniquely individualized experience for each person—especially for those who identify as non-...

This week on RfRx, join us for a compelling and thought-provoking lecture exploring the intricate ways in which religious thinking can detrimentally affect patient care within the healthcare landscape with Doctor Ben. This session aims to unravel the layers of influence that religious beliefs exert on medical practices, often leading to significant challenges and adverse outcomes for patients. Our...

This week on RfRx, Seth Andrews joins us to explore Purity Culture. How healthy is the idea of “biblical sex,” and how has purity culture distorted sex-ed and damaged lives? Seth tackles the taboos and shares his experience in escaping its negative influence. https://linktr.ee/RecoveringFromReligion https://www.facebook.com/RecoveringfromReligion https://instagram.com/rfrorg https://www.tiktok.com...

This week on RfRx join Ross Blocher, co-host of the “Oh No, Ross and Carrie” podcast, for a virtual walkthrough of the Answers In Genesis’ Ark Encounter attraction in Kentucky. Ross attended a homeschooling conference spearheaded by creationist Ken Ham, and explored every corner of the reconstructed Noah’s Ark itself. He will share photos of the exhibits, highlighting the impressive design work, a...

This week on RfRx, Glenda Jordan joins us to discuss polyamory. What is it? Why is it getting so much attention lately? How could that relationship dynamic possibly work? In this talk, Glenda will share her experiences of what she has learned deconstructing monogamy after leaving religion over a decade ago. While polyamory is not for everyone, there are some foundational skills to learn that benef...

This week on RfRx, join us as we talk about values with secular therapist, Dr. Travis Mckie-Voerste. One of the challenges people may encounter when they reconsider their religious beliefs is clarifying which values are or are not still meaningful for them. In this episode, Travis discusses the importance of understanding what values are influencing us and how to identify the values that are actua...

This week on RfRx, join us as we talk with writer and consultant Chris Shelton about his experiences growing up in and escaping the cult of Scientology, helping others escape their cult, getting a Masters in the Psychology of Coercive Control and educating the public about cultic influence and how our emotional needs drive us in opposite directions to what our critical thinking tells us we should...

This week on RfRx, David Teachout returns for our not so spooky Halloween episode about belief in the magical. Atheists and materialists often chide the religious believer for believing in magical phenomena like souls and spirits, but the reality is the vast majority still hold to some form of dualism, or a place to insert just a little bit of magic. Let’s take a look at a few examples and what we...

This week on RfRx, Rob Palmer returns to discuss mass psychogenic illness. Have U.S. government employees in Havana and all around the world – even behind the White House gates – been attacked and injured over the past seven years by secret energy-weapons wielded by undiscovered assailants for political reasons? Have thousands of girls in their schools across Iran been poisoned this past year by t...

This week on RfRx, Evan Clark joins us to talk about Atheist Street Pirates, local activists who track and remove illegal religious signage littering highways, streets, and neighborhoods with unwelcome and illegal street propaganda across the United States. Evan will share ideas for building and maintaining secular communities using innovative techniques rather than replicating outdated religious...

This week on RfRx, John Gleason (Godless Engineer) joins us to talk about his deconversion from religion, dealing with shame and loss of close relationships as a result, and using his background in computer and software engineering to build an online community. John argues that “godless” is a term that signifies religion is a part of our past, a fact of which we shouldn't be ashamed. Godless E...

Losing faith for a person born into the LDS church (aka the Mormons) has been compared to a death by a thousand cuts. This week on RfRx, Stephanie shares her experience leaving the LDS church. Stephanie comes from a family with roots in the early years of the church, and is one of the few members of her family who has officially removed her name from church records. Her journey from a "True B...

After leaving religion, many people report experiencing lingering feelings of fear of hell and demonic forces from their former religious traditions. Others have found more creative ways to reinterpret the myth of Satan. For this week’s RfRx Foundation Spotlight episode, we chat with Lucien Greaves, co-founder of the Satanic Temple, about non-theistic religious expression, what religious liberty r...

This week on RfRx, David Teachout returns to talk about trauma. Religious fundamentalism often wants us to define ourselves through trials and victimization to declare ourselves martyrs to a cause. Let’s discuss getting out of this mindset and into one that celebrates humanistic pride within adversity. David Teachout is a mental health therapist and photographer, focused on and teaching how creati...