Graceful Atheist Podcast

What [popular apologists] do is bad for you. And it is because it is a complete inversion of what people of integrity and what good science inquiry should be.

Instead of starting with questions and data and going and looking for explanations that satisfy your questions, they start with a set of conclusions and go mining the evidence looking for that.

Links

https://soundcloud.com/user-829560134

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR8SeIgZf4x0-wUMWVvWchw

https://duke.academia.edu/IanMills

https://twitter.com/IanNelsonMills

Interact

https://gracefulatheist.wordpress.com/2017/06/04/review-hell-is-the-absence-of-god/

https://gracefulatheist.wordpress.com/critique-of-apologetics/

https://gracefulatheist.wordpress.com/2020/11/01/ian-mills-new-testament-review/

Attribution

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Makaih_Beats 

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/

---

Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/gracefulatheist/message

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gracefulatheist/support

My guest this week is Suandria Hall. Suandria is a trauma informed counselor specializing in faith transitions. Her practice, My Choice My Power, is online and she offers mental health counseling to residents in Colorado and life coaching sessions online, by phone, and email for anyone. Suandria tells her story of being groomed for ministry in a very Charismatic community with rigorous honesty. In her early adulthood she began to question and eventually deconverted. She had a positive experience with a therapist who "held space" for her shifting faith positions. She then went on to become a secular counselor to help others through the same process. We talk about the power of parents to influence children. And the damage that can occur when parents pass that responsibility on to an invisible god. Her approach to counseling is trauma informed and acknowledges Adverse Religious Experiences and religious trauma. She helps people going through the process of deconstruction and deconversion while being open to all faith positions. Links Suandria's Counseling Site
https://www.mychoicemypower.com/ Twitter
https://twitter.com/mychoicemypower Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mychoicemypowercounseling/ Interact Adverse Religious Experiences series
https://gracefulatheist.wordpress.com/category/adverse-religious-experiences/Steps of Deconversion
https://gracefulatheist.wordpress.com/2017/12/03/deconversion-how-to/ Full show notes
https://gracefulatheist.wordpress.com/2020/10/18/suandria-hall-my-choice-my-power/ Attribution "Waves" track written and produced by Makaih Beats
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Makaih_Beats  Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

My guest this week is Randal Rauser. Randal is, in his own words, "a systematic and analytic theologian of evangelical persuasion." He is a professor of systematic theology, apologetics, and worldview at Taylor Seminary. Randal has written a number of books on apologetics and atheism. I first became aware of Randal's work around 2017 when I read "Is The Atheist My Neighbor." At least in the circles, I am a part of, Randal is considered to be a fair and honest apologist and is widely regarded for "steel-manning" atheist arguments before giving his arguments against them. This week we discuss his new book, "Conversations With My Inner Atheist." In this book, Randal personifies his doubts as an interlocutor named Mia, My Inner Atheist, who presents the atheist, humanist and naturalistic arguments against his faith. Randal shows real vulnerability in several of these dialogues and often leaves the matter without a satisfactory conclusion by either party (believing Randal or non-believing, Mia). As you might imagine, I have some thoughts on these matters most of which I express in the Final Thoughts section of the podcast. We also discuss a recent back and forth between Randal and Ian Mills of the New Testament Review Podcast fame on the topic of methodological naturalism. Links Blog
https://randalrauser.com/ Twitter
https://twitter.com/RandalRauser YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/user/RDRauser Books Conversations With My Inner Atheist
https://www.amazon.com/Conversations-Inner-Atheist-Christian-Apologist-ebook/dp/B08G4ZWLY7/ Is The Atheist My Neighbor
https://www.amazon.com/Atheist-Neighbor-Rethinking-Christian-Attitudes-ebook/dp/B0118FX8E0/ Interact My Critique of Apologetics
https://gracefulatheist.wordpress.com/critique-of-apologetics/ Full Show Notes including links to the Randal and Ian methodological naturalism discussions
https://gracefulatheist.wordpress.com/?p=5839 Attribution "Waves" track written and produced by Makaih Beats
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Makaih_Beats Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This week's show is a Deconversion Anonymous episode. My guest this week is Jimmy. As early as the beginning of 2020 Jimmy was still in the closet trying to determine how he would come out as an atheist and humanist. By mid February he had told his family and was bracing for his church to find out. Jimmy was a serious and dedicated Christian drawn to Calvinism by family and the intellectual rigor. As the years went by and his attempts at self-betterment were not realized he began to be drawn by the pragmatism of Stoicism. He eventually realized that counseling would be beneficial, though this had so far been off the table. Through these active measures he began to see some success at self-betterment. Jimmy's chief concern was not damaging the relationships with his believing friends and family. He was very careful to show them he loved them and had no contempt for their faith. "It is one of these things where I think, this has got to be a band-aide I am ripping off and not a cancer I am injecting into my family. And I am going to do my darnedest to make sure that this works and that they know I love them." For the full show notes including Jimmy's book recommendations and quotes from jimmy:
https://gracefulatheist.wordpress.com/2020/09/20/jimmy-deconversion-anonymous/ Interact Deconversion How To
https://gracefulatheist.wordpress.com/2017/12/03/deconversion-how-to/ Image Attribution "memento Mori, 'To This Favour' by William Michael Harnett" by Bob Ramsak is licensed with CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/ Audio Attribution "Waves" track written and produced by Makaih Beats
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Makaih_Beats  Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This week's show is a Deconversion Anonymous episode. My guest this week is Ray Gilford. Ray grew up more of a cultural Christian. His family believed but did not push him. In college, without community and looking for friendship predatory evangelism took advantage of him. Ray worked hard at being a Christian but wanted something deeper. He learned Hebrew and Greek in an effort to find "True Christianity." He remained a Christian for 32 years. Eventually, he deconverted realizing that Christianity did not live up to its promise. Ray now says he practices Pagan, metaphysics and spiritualism. Though this is a different path than most of my guests what is interesting about Ray's metaphysics is that id does not preclude miracles and yet Ray still found Christianity wanting. Interact Deconversion Anonymous
https://gracefulatheist.wordpress.com/category/podcast/deconversion-anonymous/Deconversion
https://gracefulatheist.wordpress.com/deconversion/Deconversion How To
https://gracefulatheist.wordpress.com/2017/12/03/deconversion-how-to/ Attribution "Waves" track written and produced by Makaih Beats
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Makaih_Beats  Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

My guest this week is Dr. Anthony Pinn. Dr. Pinn is the Agnes Cullen Arnold Professor of Humanities, the Professor of Religious Studies. the Founding Director of the Center for Engaged Research and Collaborative Learning Rice University, and the Director of Research of the Institute for Humanist Studies. Dr. Pinn has written a number of books on the intersection of humanism and race. In this episode, we discuss his book, When Colorblindness Isn't the Answer. I learned quite a lot from Dr. Pinn. Both about humanism and the experience of black humanists. Ultimately I was challenged to change my behavior, to "do my homework," and to understand that it will take dismantling of white supremacy in humanist communities in order to gain the great benefits that diversity brings. "We can do better." This sort of fundamental change this movement towards diversity and equity means giving up comfort.
You cannot request comfort and say you are interested in change
Throughout his book(s) and in the interview Dr. Pinn calls on our humanist values to be less ignorant, to include black and other historically disparaged voices, and to develop our own vocabulary and ways of experiencing awe without calling on theistic traditions. Links Website
https://www.anthonypinn.com/ Twitter
https://twitter.com/anthony_pinn Books
https://www.anthonypinn.com/books When Colorblindness Isn't The Answer
https://www.amazon.com/When-Colorblindness-Isnt-Answer-Challenge-ebook/dp/B06XXM1MWR/ Interact Critique of Apologetics
https://gracefulatheist.wordpress.com/critique-of-apologetics/Deconversion
https://gracefulatheist.wordpress.com/deconversion/Secular Grace
https://gracefulatheist.wordpress.com/secular-grace/ Attribution "Waves" track written and produced by Makaih Beats
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Makaih_Beats  Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

My guest this week is Joel Furches. Joel is a psychologist researching topics of religion. He has a BA in psychology an MA in education, and he is working on his PhD in Behavioral Analysis. He he has focused on conversions and deconversions and has written a well researched article entitled: Why Do Christians Become Atheists? A Case Study. Joel and I discuss his research and walk through his model of deconversion. We discuss the "Market place of ideas" and "The Christian Bubble." We define the terms disaffiliation, deconstruction and deconversion. Joel's advice for Christians who are seeing more deconversions: [What] I would say to Christians in general is that it is not their responsibility to re-covert [the deconvert].
They have not failed because this person deconverted and they will probably not succeed in re-converting them.
It is to respect the person who has deconverted, respect their experience. Give them the right that any other human being would have which is to defend their views. And interact or engage in those views as important.
Links Joel's Website:
https://joelfurches.com/ Switching Sides
FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/416964269222311
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SidesSwitchingWhy Do Christians Become Atheists? A Case Study
https://hubpages.com/politics/Why-do-Christians-Become-Atheists-A-Case-StudyPerez, S. and Vallières, F., 2019. How Do Religious People Become Atheists? Applying a Grounded Theory Approach to Propose a Model of Deconversion.Secularism and Nonreligion
http://doi.org/10.5334/snr.108 Interact Deconversion How To
https://gracefulatheist.wordpress.com/2017/12/03/deconversion-how-to/ Attribution "Waves" track written and produced by Makaih Beats
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Makaih_Beats  Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

My guest this week is Leighann Lord, comedian, author and podcast host. She has traveled the world doing comedy and has been on VH1, Comedy Central and HBO. She has co-hosted on Neil Degrasse Tyson's Start Talk Radio and on CFI's podcast, Point of Inquiry. She hosts her own podcast, People With Parents. She has written two books: Dict Jokes and Real Women Do It Standing Up. Leighann went to Catholic school growing up and is now a humanist activist. Leighann was awarded the 2019 Humanist Arts Award for her work as the New York City face of the African Americans for Humanism outreach campaign sponsored by the Center for Inquiry. We talk about humanism and what it can add to the conversation about race in America. Leighann handles my naivete with grace and elegance while still pointing out the world is a complicated place and racism is a persistent problem in America. "[This] is humanism.
Human beings trying to be better humans.
Actually doing the work."
Leighann's podcast, People With Parents, deals with the role reversal of taking care of elderly parents. It is also a raw and real look at grieving the death of parent. We discuss secular grief and the need to be more public about grief as non-believers. We geek out about comedy and how it can let truth sneak past our defense mechanisms. Leighann shares her top five comedic influences. She talks about first seeing Marsha Warfield on stage, "I didn't know we did this. Which tells you the power of role models." Leighann's comedy specials which are available on YouTube, Spotify, Pandora and Amazon Prime have much to say about living in 2020 though they were recorded a few years ago. They cover race, religion, sexism, sex, wealth disparity, and the lack of education in the current administration.
Links Website
http://www.VeryFunnyLady.com Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/leighannlord/ Twitter
https://twitter.com/leighannlord People With Parents Podcast
http://www.veryfunnylady.com/people-with-parents-podcast YouTube
http://youtube.com/c/LeighannLordComedy Books
http://tinyurl.com/LeighannsBooks
Interact Secular Grace
https://gracefulatheist.wordpress.com/2016/10/21/secular-grace/
Attribution "Waves" track written and produced by Makaih Beats
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Makaih_Beats Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

My guest this week is Bart Campolo. Bart is the host of the Humanize Me Podcast. He is the author of "Why I Left, Why I Stayed." Along with his famous Evangelical father, Tony Campolo, Bart is the subject of John Wright's documentary: Leaving my Father's Faith. If that is not enough, Bart is also the Humanist Chaplain at the University of Cincinnati. Bart and I discuss graceful ways of talking with people with whom we disagree, having conversations that are difficult that touch on religion, race and politics and changing one's mind. I point out that Bart has been particularly public with some of these conversations, including a book and documentary with his dad, Tony Campolo, a podcast episode with his son, Roman, where they disagree on the hope or lack thereof for our species and a recent podcast episode on race. In short, Bart wears his heart on his sleeve and lives his life out loud with humility, honesty and grace. We discuss humanism and the burden of being hopeful. Bart pushes back on my assertion that everyone needs awe, belonging and community. According to Bart different people need different amounts of each of those things. At the same time, Bart is facilitating a healthy secular community in Cincinnati providing just those things for the lucky few who attend. They put it this way:

• Commitment to loving relationships
• Making things better for other people
• Cultivating gratitude and wonder in life
• Worldview humility

I normally have a few quotes from the episode, but as I was writing them down it became a transcript. Bart is eminently quotable. Listen to the show to find out. I will leave you with just one which you will need to listen to the show to understand: Show your work!
Be sure to listen to the end for a funny story I tell that relates to Bart's father, Tony Campolo, during my time at bible college. Links Website
https://bartcampolo.org/ Podcast
https://bartcampolo.org/humanizeme Documentary
https://campolofilm.com/ Book
https://bartcampolo.org/why-i-left-why-i-stayed Interact Secular Grace
https://gracefulatheist.wordpress.com/secular-grace/Deconversion
https://gracefulatheist.wordpress.com/2017/12/03/deconversion-how-to/ Attribution "Waves" track written and produced by Makaih Beats
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Makaih_Beats  Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

My guest this week is Bryce Harrington. Bryce and I have been colleagues off and on at a couple of different companies over the years. But most importantly he and I had a seminal discussion back in 2012 while killing time in an airport. At the time I was a dedicated Evangelical Christian and Bryce has been a life long atheist. Even though I had an ulterior motive at the time Bryce was kind, gracious and genuinely curious as he wanted to understand how and why I believed. As you will hear, ironically, my former believing self changed Bryce's view of religious people. Fast forward to today, I told Bryce I had deconverted last year. He was shocked and amazed and wanted to understand how I had changed my mind and why I was doing the podcast. This turned out to be a really fun and interesting conversation that I am glad to be able to share with you. We did not pre-plan the questions. What you hear is Bryce's genuine curiosity. He may have a career in podcast interviews. We also get to hear Bryce's story. The isolation and loneliness he felt growing up the only non-believer in his community. That sense of isolation lasted for much of Bryce's life. I think many of you who are life long atheists or who have just recently deconverted will be able to relate. Interact Hell is the Absence of God (thought experiment)
https://gracefulatheist.wordpress.com/2017/06/04/review-hell-is-the-absence-of-god/Secular Grace
https://gracefulatheist.wordpress.com/secular-grace/Deconversion
https://gracefulatheist.wordpress.com/deconversion/ Attribution "Waves" track written and produced by Makaih Beats
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Makaih_Beats  Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy