Recovering From Religion

In this episode, cultural anthropologist Kara Griffin will discuss religion as a social institution. Why is religious belief so common, even considered by some to be a universal human experience? Is it possible to have a functional society without religious belief? Why do some people reject the dominant beliefs of the community they grew up in while others seemingly never question it? We will exam...

Secular Rarity will be joining us this week to talk about engaging in discussions about big ideas from religion, science, and philosophy in online settings without losing sight of our common humanity. He will share his experiences and tips for communicating compassionately and staying friendly through tough conversations so as to avoid the “angry atheist” stereotype. This will be an interactive di...

What happens when one partner doesn’t believe? What happens when the foundation of your relationship is no longer the foundation? Sherrie D’Souza will share her experiences and insights gained from navigating different faiths in a marriage relationship. And - spoiler alert! - returning co-host Sacha D’Souza will be joining the conversation to share his perspective, as well. Sherrie D'Souza was bor...

Lately some of us may be dealing with a series of controversial headlines and contentious social issues that can lead to unpleasant interpersonal interactions. The wrong approach to difficult conversations can cause significant damage in both personal and professional relationships and can ultimately escalate conflict. In this RfRx, Dr. Betty Iglesias Snyder will be joining us to discuss technique...

Rob Palmer will be joining us to discuss the application of skepticism and critical thinking to paranormal beliefs. He will examine the evidence for several common paranormal beliefs frequently entertained by religious and non-religious folks, including ghosts, haunted houses, near death experiences, reincarnation, and demonic possession. Rob is a skeptical activist who writes for Skeptical Inquir...

Platitudes and pithy statements are so enthralling, even when supposedly dedicated to reason and rationality. “Just follow the science,” “the truth will set you free,” “trust your intuition” are just a few examples of simple, and seemingly deep, platitudes. In this RfRx, David Teachout will join us once again to explore why platitudes are so enthralling, even when supposedly dedicated to reason an...

Dr Darrel Ray joins us to discuss the striking similarities between how belief systems spread and how microorganisms spread. Dr Darrel Ray is the Founder & President of Recovering from Religion. He has been a psychologist for over thirty years and is the author of four books: including "The God Virus-How Religion Infects Our Lives and Culture" and "Sex and God-How Religion Distorts Sexuality"....

Nancy Pinto will be joining us to share how her lifelong faith fell apart after the way religious people behaved when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. She’ll cover her religious upbringing, some key events that happened after diagnosis, as well as words of encouragement and advice for those facing similar circumstances. Nancy is a survivor of breast cancer and Roman Catholicism. She wrote and n...

The old tech Recovering from Religion is using isn't able to handle the growth RfR has experienced these last few years. We sit down with Gwen Blodgett, the RfR 3.0 Project Director, to see what her program is doing about it.  Hosted by Eric Wells For RfRx comments, inquiries & topical questions, email us at RfRx@recoveringfromreligion.org. Any time you are struggling with religious doubt...

The idea of sex addiction is a religious notion at its root. Since 1983 religions have used the idea of sex addiction as a tool of Purity Culture. In this discussion, Dr Darrel Ray joins us once again to talk about the roots of the concept of sex addiction and how it affects you and our entire culture. This does not mean people don't have concerns and problems with their sexual behavior, but we ne...

Conspiracy theories and the conspiracy theory mindset is very attractive to folks coming out of religion as a way to help make sense of the world we find ourselves in. No one is immune from ridiculous beliefs, no one. Stephanie Kemmerer joins us to share her story of how she fell into the rabbit hole, how she escaped, and the lessons she learned along the way. Doubt is the way out. Stephanie Kemme...

How have the dominant species of religions evolved over human history? And why? Archeology suggests that some religious practices go back tens of thousands of years or more. However these ancient religious practices among hunter-gatherers bear little resemblance to organized religion today. Religions centered around morality emerged in early farming societies; a leading hypothesis is that such mor...

David G. McAfee joins us to cover an important topic and a key element of his new book, “Hi, I’m an Atheist! What That Means and How to Talk About it with Others”: interacting with the general public as an atheist. Being open about atheism is different for every single one of us. Some of us might have grown up as believers, and then had issues with our family when we left religion. Others might ha...

Do you miss those awesome church summer camps, but no longer relate to the religious parts? That's what the Fall Excursion is all about. We sit down with Shanon Nebo, RfR's Treasurer and Excursion Director, to learn all about it.  Hosted by Eric Wells, RfR Support GroupOnline Programming Director. For RfRx comments, inquiries & topical questions, email us at RfRx@recoveringfromreligion.or...

Cathy Harris will present an explanation for how self-esteem, suicidal ideation, self-harm can follow leaving cult membership behind. Why would this happen after gaining our freedom? How can we cope and move beyond self-destructive thoughts and behaviors? Cathy Harris is a Clinical Social Worker with over 20 years' experience in a variety of settings helping people get beyond traumatic experiences...

Throughout millennia people have been treated like objects, and not as the free-willed individuals they were. We are really not too far removed from the days of chattel marriages and slavery, and those outdated ideas of people as objects still show up in our religious belief systems, our language, and our behaviors. In this RfRx discussion, Glenda Jordan will explore the difference between objecti...

In this week’s RfRx, Tahlia Newland will join us to discuss Tibetan Buddhism. Its practices, beliefs, and leadership may be foreign and exotic to Western minds, making it a tempting religion to join. We’ll learn about its belief systems, its leadership, some history, and the struggles adherents experience within and trying to transition out of this religion. Tahlia Newland has published seven nove...

Got a fear of hell? Coming out to your friends and family? Looking for organizations that support ex-Muslims? Well, RfR has those curated just for you. We sit down with Dan Cancro, the director of the Resources program, to learn more about what's available and what's involved in keeping them relevant.  Hosted by Eric Wells, RfR Support Group Director. For RfRx comments, inquiries & topica...

Pagans. The word alone can conjure many images to the mind: witches casting spells over a cauldron in the moonlight, ancient Rome with their debauchery and hedonism, Ancient Aztec human sacrifices to appease their Gods, modern Druids gathered at Stonehenge at the summer solstice. Helen Greene, former pagan high priestess, and current educator will join us to discuss the beliefs and practices of pa...

Conversion Therapy is a crime against our authentic selves. Surviving and undoing its negative effects can take years or even decades, and often survivors come out the other side with PTSD. Dr. Mark Eastwood joins us to share his experience going through conversion therapy himself to discuss how survivors can cope with its effects and how others can support those who have come out the other side o...

Did you know that Recovering from Religion has a blog? It sure does! We sit down with Kristina Callaway, RfR Blog Director, to talk all about it.   Subscribe to the RfR Blog: https://medium.com/excommunications    Hosted by Eric Wells, RfR Support Group Director. For RfRx comments, inquiries & topical questions, email us at RfRx@recoveringfromreligion.org. Any time you are strug...

When transitioning out of religion, we may leave more than just a deity behind. Views on any number of social issues can unexpectedly shift from one side of to another. This shift tends to provide the flexibility of seeing the issues from many different viewpoints, which can be both a blessing and a curse. In this RfRx, Gayle Jordan will share her eye-opening, frustrating, and hilarious story of r...

Transitioning out of religion as a gay person? Are you a new secular individual with kids? Are you recovering from being in a high control religious group, like the LDS church? Then the Online Community may be the place for you. We sit down to talk about the RfR Online Community with the two program directors, Steve Ironside & John Lionheart.  Hosted by Eric Wells, RfR Support Group Direc...

Suicide is an ever present part of our human experience, be it through an acquaintance, friend, or family member taking their own life, or something even more personal, such as suicidal thoughts and attempts. When faced with suicide, whether it’s as close as someone coming to you for help, or as distant as media reports, it can be daunting to know what to do and if you could have done something to...

How do you find a mental health professional who you can trust knows how to deal with religious trauma? We sit down with Travis McKie-Voerste, PhD, the Co-Director of RfR's Secular Therapy Project to learn about just that.  Hosted by Eric Wells, RfR Support Group Director. For RfRx comments, inquiries & topical questions, email us at RfRx@recoveringfromreligion.org. Any time you are strug...