This week, we’re joined by musician and vocalist, Dawson Scholtz! The Ongoing Concept is one of the most interesting bands on Solid State Records, and a personal favorite of Sam’s. In this episode, Dawson talks life in a family gospel band, writing music and touring with his brothers in TOC while they were still very young, and some of the weird things about being perceived as a Christian band. The Ongoing Concept is currently working on a new album, and they’re gearing up for a west coast tour in November! For more information, follow them on Instagram and TikTok (@theongoingconcept).

This week, we are once again joined by our good friend, Dr. Luke Wilson (that’s right, he’s a freakin’ doctor, now)! This time, Luke was kind enough to tell us a little bit about his two fields of focus - Holocaust studies and Critical Evangelicalism. Spoiler alert: there’s some overlap… Historically, the Christian community has played a large role in the persecution of their Jewish neighbors, and like so many other examples of persecution by a religious group, their spiritual beliefs are bent, stretched, and all together ignored in order to justify their actions. Was it the only factor? Not by a long shot. Were some of those instigators overstating their commitment to the church? Absolutely. Are Christians the only religious community to use their doctrine to justify atrocities? Not even close. However, Luke does a great job at giving us some context for Christian influence in the years leading up to the events of World War II, as well as some deep topics to think about. If you enjoy this discussion half as much as we love talking to Luke, you’re in for a real treat! Follow the good Dr. Wilson on Instagram (@lukeslamdunkwilson) and Twitter (@wilson_fw), and if you haven't already, check out his article in The Advocate about his conversion therapy experience at Liberty University, you can find it here.

This week, we’re debating one of the more controversial and frequently mentioned ideas in ex-Christendom: should churches be tax exempt? Many former church kids shout a sudden and emphatic “NO!!!,” but I’m not so sure… Join us as we discuss a number of obstacles that must be factored in, as well as the safeguards protecting our political system that are currently under attack. Let us know what you think! You can jump in on the conversation by joining our Discord server: https://discord.gg/2rq2hk5M

Here are a few resources we found informative/interesting:

The Johnson Amendment - Wikipedia

President Trump's Shifting Claim That "We Got Rid of the Johnson Amendment" - Washington Post

What if We Taxed Churches? - Tax Foundation

Why Churches Might Start Looking More Like Businesses - VICE

Why "Taxing the Church" Isn't the Answer - Hemant Mehta

This week, we’re joined by artist, educator, and furry, Jonathan Vair Duncan! Over the past few weeks, there have been several articles about the plight of Christian in the furry fandom – which we now know is a rich, diverse subculture of people interested in anthropomorphic characters. Some of the Christians referenced in these articles expressed concerns about being “persecuted” for their faith if others within the furry community, which is largely composed of queer and trans people, found out about their homophobic and transphobic beliefs. Jonathan joins us to discuss how he went from growing up as an Evangelical with similar beliefs, to an agender, polysexual, leftist that still holds to some of those core Christian principles. Along the way, we learn some fascinating things about the furry community, including anthropomorphic porn, the alt-right and Nazi contingents, and why it has become such a popular community for queer and trans people. It’s quite a ride, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did! You can follow Jonathan on Instagram, Twitter, Twitch and Patreon (@jonathanvair), and learn more about his artwork, speaking engagements, and upcoming appearances at www.jonathanvair.com!

Be sure to check out a fun new show hosted by our friend, Walker Glenn, called the Idiotalk Podcast! It’s a lighthearted examination of Radiohead for new listeners and diehard fans, alike. You can follow Idiotalk on Instagram (@idiotalk.podcast), and stream the first the first three episodes wherever you listen to podcasts!

This week, we have the pleasure of speaking with a true prayer warrior who is tirelessly fighting for the souls of America’s youth: the esteemed director of Christians Against Skaters Ministries! He outlines his upbringing in the Evangelical church, his brush with doom as a young man interested in skateboarding, and how, through the grace of God, he triumphed over the wiles of Skatan. We had a fantastic time talking with him, and highly encourage you to support the ministry by following them on Instagram (@christians_against_skaters_)!

But first, we got a chance to catch up with comedian Walker Glenn, who joined us on Ep. 65 – “Censored Breasts, Secret Nu Metal, & the Meth-to-Jesus Pipeline.” Walker hosts a new show called the Idiotalk Podcast, which is a lighthearted examination of Radiohead. You can follow Idiotalk on Instagram (@idiotalk.podcast), and stream the first the first three episodes wherever you listen to podcasts!

This week, we’re face-to-face for the first time in like 6 years! Sam came down to Kansas for a visit, and we had lots of fun! So, we spend the first part of the episode talking about our many adventures, including giant spider safaris, skeetin’ all over my back yard (with shotguns, that is), and dining on Rocky Mountain oysters in my local MAGA meth den honkey-tonk straight out of The Hills Have Eyes. Then, we get into a very insightful piece of Sunday School programming, entitled “Children Demand a Verdict: Answering Questions About What We Believe and Why We Believe It” by Josh McDowell. According to the back cover, “The foundations of the Christian faith have been undermined in the lives of our churched teenagers, but by grounding your children early in what you believe and why, you will protect them from these distorted beliefs and establish a firm foundation for their spiritual future.” I mean, who can argue that point? It worked out well for all of you lovely people….

This week, we’re joined by our new friend Paul, who runs one of our absolute favorite meme pages, @xripped_girl_jeansx! Like us, many of you sowed some wild oats in a mosh pit at a church basement show, two-stepping with 14 other people in a rented out American Legion, or just loitering around a Hot Topic talking about the band tee you were saving up for because your mom wanted you to buy school clothes at Aeropostale like the normal kids. If you spent time around “the scene” in any of its many forms, you know that there is a very unique culture to it, and in our opinion, few things express that culture better than @xripped_girl_jeansx on Instagram! Paul grew up a church kid, and really threw himself into the metal and hardcore music scene. We talk about the good old days of youth group shows, the fun idiosyncrasies of that world, and where his faith took him as he grew up. It’s a fun episode, and if you’re not following Paul already, you’ve never had a better “breeeee-son” to check out @xripped_girl_jeansx on Instagram!

This week, we’re joined by an absolutely fantastic comedian, Amy Miller! Amy basically lived at her Free Will Baptist Church in California from an early age. However, things were less picturesque than they appeared (see title above^). We discuss her slow drift away from the faith, her pastors’ worries about attending a “secular” university, and some of the things that led her to pursue a career in entertainment. We can’t recommend Amy’s comedy enough! She has a Comedy Central special called “Ham Mouth” that you can watch in full on YouTube, a brand new album called “California King” streaming pretty much everywhere, and you can follow her on Instagram (@amymillercomedy) and Twitter (@amymiller)!

The interview with Amy begins at 45:30, but first, we’re trying something a little different. We’ve found that despite feeling like we knew the Bible inside and out as kids, these days we’re having a hard time recalling some of the stories. We’re going to periodically take a look at those classic Bible stories, and see what we as older humans resembling adults think of them. First up: the story of Balaam and his talking Donkey! It’s, uh… strange.

This week, we’re happy to welcome back our good friend, Amber Viola! Amber is the Human Resources Director and mayoral cabinet member for the city of Scranton, and she’s the first black director in the city’s history. She’s also a Navy veteran, social worker, and the first black commander of the Gouldsboro American Legion. We spent the vast majority of our first episode with Amber discussing her upbringing in conservative Christianity, and here eventual break with the church. However, we wanted to hear more about her social and political work in Pennsylvania. Amber’s a go-getter, and she’s spent the last few years campaigning for local and national candidates, heading up a laptop drive for underprivileged kids who were left behind during the Covid-19 online school push, and doing a number of different things to bring awareness to the needs of her fellow veterans, as well as build community for those coming home from service. We can’t help but think that Amber will be running this country, someday (my god, let’s hope so…), and we always have a great time talking with her! You should follow Amber on Instagram (@amber__viola), find her on Facebook (Amber Viola), and keep an eye on her website www.amberviola.com for more info on her current projects!

We also want to let you know about a really cool project involving our friend Phil Wilmont from Ep. 49 – From Awana to Uganda: Seeking Warmer Weather & a Tussle With Tyranny.” He is part of a group of activist film makers working on “The Woman Who Poked The Leopard,” which is a documentary about Uganda's provocative feminist and academic Stella Nyanzi on her journey from Prison to Parliament, and what it means to be a single mother at the front lines of the liberation struggle in Uganda. This documentary is important, and you can help! Consider contributing to their fundraising campaign at www.indiegogo.com/projects/fund-this-film-the-woman-who-poked-the-leopard and follow them on Twitter @DrPoke !

Our guest this week is comedian, podcaster, and writer, Spencer McRay Bland! Spencer is the cohost of Bop or Flop, a music-comedy podcast that revisits the Billboard Top Ten songs from a specific date in history, and determines whether they bop or flop. Spencer was steeped in Christianity, as a young man, but circumstances (including working for a very strange Evangelical organization) eventually led him to rethink his faith. Spencer is a great comedian with some fantastic stories, and we really enjoyed meeting him! Follow him on Instagram (@spencerspicy), check out his upcoming comedy dates at www.iambadatcomedy.com, and find Bop or Flop on Instagram (@boporfloppod) and across all podcast platforms!