The Divorcing Religion Podcast

Malkie Schwartz - From Fundy to Freedom Fighter Divorced: Ultra-orthodox Judaism In her early 20s, Malkie Schwartz chose to leave her ultra-orthodox Jewish community. Within 3 years, she founded Footsteps, the first organization in North America to help people who wish to leave the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community and live in mainstream society. Footsteps gained notoriety in 2017, with the release...

Strong Women in Secular Spaces: Carol Merchasin - Suing Predatory Spiritual Leaders   Carol Merchasin is an attorney who leads a practice group litigating sexual misconduct in religious, faith-based and spiritual communities at McAllister Olivarius. She is an experienced investigator who has conducted dozens of workplace investigations, including those involving sensitive allegations made against...

Strong Women in Secular Spaces: Mandisa Thomas - WTF, USA?!  My guest today is activist and speaker Mandisa Thomas.  Although never formally indoctrinated into belief, Mandisa was heavily exposed to Christianity, Black Nationalism, and Islam.  In 2011, Mandisa founded Black Nonbelievers, Inc., as a non-profit, secular organization.  Its goals include eliminating stigma, increasing visibility, and...

Lonnie Mann - Gaytheist Divorced: Orthodox Judaism Lonnie Mann grew up Orthodox Jewish in New York. It's a strict, difficult lifestyle for anyone; but Lonnie found additional challenges growing up as he realized he was gay, and struggled to reconcile his faith and sexuality. Ultimately, Lonnie managed to leave the community. Eventually, he wrote a graphic novel about his experiences, with his...

Strong Women in Secular Spaces: Dr. Marlene Winell - Christianity Run Amok DIVORCED: Christianity Dr. Marlene Winell is a licensed psychologist, educator, and writer. Her background includes 30 years of experience in human services, in both community and academic settings. She holds a doctorate in Human Development and Family Studies from Pennsylvania State University and is the author of Leaving...

Strong Women in Secular Spaces: Yasmine Mohammed - Fighting Religious Tyranny  DIVORCED: Islam CW: Violence and SA briefly mentioned I am honored today to speak today with human rights activist Yasmine Mohammed, who is founder and president of Free Hearts Free Minds, and the author of the book Unveiled: How the West Empowers Radical Muslims.  From elevating the voices of marginalized freethinkers...

Strong Women in Secular Spaces: Alice Greczyn WELCOME to Strong Women in Secular Spaces , a special Divorcing Religion podcast series highlighting women's courage, creativity, resilience, and strength.  Alice Greczyn is an actress, author, and activist. Raised in a fundamentalist Christian home, Alice's book Wayward: A Memoir of Spiritual Warfare and Sexual Purity resonates especially wi...

Ashlen Hilliard, MSc - Cult Intervention Specialist DIVORCED: Church of Christ TW: Cults, trafficking, and one mention of SA Ashlen Hilliard (she/her), MSc, is a Cult Intervention Specialist and the founder of People Leave Cults. She has been featured on NewsNation, HuffPost, BET+ , and more. As a Cult Intervention Specialist, Ashlen collaborates with a team of experts to offer guidance and suppor...

Jason Pollick - Confessions of a Former Priest Divorced: Christianity Jason was an atheist as a teenager, so he was as surprised as anyone when he had a spiritual experience that told him to become a priest. He tried to avoid this call, but eventually became an Anglican priest, a vocation he lived for 12 years.  After being diagnosed with PTSD in 2019 because of his experiences in the church, he s...

David Fitzgerald - Jesus Isn’t Real Divorced: Southern Baptist Christianity Author David Fitzgerald is an award-winning writer, historical researcher, and atheist activist who lectures internationally at universities and secular events, and is a frequent guest on many podcasts.  David has been a passionate advocate for atheism, civil rights, counter-apologetics, and secular humanism his entire adu...

Eric Skwarczynski - Preacher Boys: Exposing the IFB DIVORCED: Independent Fundamental Baptist, Christianity CW: Child abuse Eric Skwarczynski is an ex-fundamentalist on a mission to shed light on the darker sides of high-control religious environments. As the host of the Preacher Boys podcast, he interviews survivors, experts, and authors on topics such as trauma recovery, mental health, power dyn...

Richard A. Kiers - Christian Cult Survivor Divorced: Fundamentalist Christianity CW: Brief mention of CSA and suicidality My guest today is author and cult survivor Richard A. Kiers. Richard was born in Canada to Dutch parents. When he was 10, Richard’s parents joined a Group called "The Move" and relocated their family to a commune in British Columbia in 1972.  It turned out that The Mo...

Phil Zuckerman - Exploring Secularism Phil Zuckerman is a sociology and secular studies professor at Pitzer College in Claremont, California.  Phil founded the first Secular Studies department in the United States in 2011. Secular Studies is an interdisciplinary program focusing on manifestations of the secular in societies and cultures, past and present.  Today Phil shares his own experiences wit...

Elayna Love - From Sex Toxic to Sex Positive DIVORCED: Mormonism CW: DV, Sexuality Elayna Love left a sex-toxic environment for a sex positive one. She is an ex-Mormon turned stripper, phone sex operator, and OnlyFans creator. Elayna coaches her clients on releasing religious shame, uncovering their desires, and understanding boundaries and consent.  FIND ELAYNA: Instagram.com/elaynalove Facebook....

Sacha Mardou - Healing after the JWs DIVORCED: Jehovah's Witnesses Sacha Mardou is a British cartoonist and long-form graphic novelist who makes a home in St Louis, Missouri with her husband and teenage daughter. She began making comics after getting her BA in English Literature from the University of Wales in 1998. Working in both fiction and autobiography, Mardou’s comics explore interior e...

Betsy Nuismer - Relationships DIVORCED: Christian fundamentalism BETSY NUISMER - MA, LPC, Certified EFT Therapist, attained her Masters degree in 2014 and became a marriage therapy specialist. She and her husband, Scott, own a private practice called Hope Heals Counseling. They also run a nonprofit called West Michigan Marriage Center. Together, they aim to help those who lack the access or abilit...

Lia Dugal - Calvary Chapel Survivor Divorced: Fundamentalist Christianity CW: Suicidality, abuse. My guest today is actress and entrepreneur Lia Dugal. Lia’s experiences with religious trauma occurred while she attended Calvary Chapel in the USA.  In her continued efforts to help unwind the effects of trauma, she has created a short film called “I Am Fine,” inspired by the suicide of a queer frien...

Mick Larson - WWJD on Election Day Divorced: Christianity CW: Politics, reproductive rights Mick Larson is a documentary film producer and director. His work is focused on social justice, politics, religion & evolutionary psychology.  Today we discuss three of Mick’s documentaries: What Would Jesus Do On Election Day?" The series is currently available at www.wwjd.vote and will soon be av...

Andreya Jones, Ph. D., LCSW, CST - From MK to Sex Therapist Divorced: Fundamentalist Christianity CW: CSA, sexuality, and Purity Culture Andreya grew up in a conservative, evangelical community and was an MK in Papua New Guinea and Senegal, West Africa. Andreya has a doctorate in clinical sexology, is a licensed clinical social worker, and is an AASECT-certified sex therapist who owns a private pr...

Amie Myrick - Media & Self-care Divorced: Organized religion TW: References to sexual abuse by religious and institutional authorities Amie Myrick is a Maryland licensed clinical professional counselor. She graduated with her master’s degree in counseling from Johns Hopkins University. She is the owner of New Phase Counseling and Consulting, LLC, and a lead analyst at National Association for...

Trisha Wilkerson - Religion & Diet Culture DIVORCED: Mars Hill Evangelicalism As a certified Health and Nutrition Coach and published author, Trisha is dedicated to assisting individuals in improving their connections with food, their bodies, and themselves. By fostering compassionate curiosity and advocating an anti-diet philosophy, she creates a safe environment for clients to shift their an...

Teddy Hose - Gun Worship in the Unification Church DIVORCED: Unification Church (the Moonies) Teddy Hose is an artist, writer, and public figure on the topic of cults, after growing up in the Unification Church, or “Moonies,” of the late Sun Myung Moon.  He has appeared on Netflix’s Explained: Cults episode and How to Become a Cult Leader, as well as A&E’s Cults and Extreme Belief, which featu...

Michelle Fischler, a trailblazer in the realm of sex therapy, is renowned for her innovative approach to fostering sexual wellness and education. As a Registered Social Worker/Psychotherapist and ASTO Certified Sex Therapist, she seamlessly blends her expertise with her role as a dynamic therapist, interviewer, and speaker. A highlight of her work is her biweekly podcast, GETSOME. Through her virt...

Korrenne Jensen - Intersection of ADHD and Religious Trauma Korrenne (Kory) Jensen is a Registered Psychotherapist in Ontario. Areas that she works in include religious trauma, ADHD, and grief. She also works with populations that include front of line healthcare workers, first responders, and indigenous individuals.  Kory is the clinical director of Afterglow Psychotherapy and additionally enjoys...

Tia Levings - A Well-Trained Wife Divorced: Christian fundamentalism CW: Brief reference to CSA My guest today is author Tia Levings, who describes herself as “an author exploring anti-fundamentalism after church-sanctioned domestic abuse in high-control religion.” Tia appeared in Shiny Happy People on Amazon Prime, and her memoir, A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy, is comin...