There were tons of decent people "in the ministry," as my church used to say, but there were always a few that made me raise an eyebrow. Once in a while, we would get a missionary, traveling singer, evangelist, etc. that would show up out of nowhere, give a presentation or performance, and pass the plate. Sometimes they were likable and seemed genuine, but sometimes you just knew that something about them didn't add up. At the crossroads of peoples heartstrings and pocketbooks, there's always someone waiting with their thumb out, looking to hitch a ride. Seldom did they leave empty-handed.

Our guest, Jenna, grew up in a devout Christian family that was constantly on the move. Her father spoke often about their vast wealth and home overseas, but for years, they bounced from town to town (and church to church) trying to make ends meet. At an early age, Jenna started to suspect that good ol' dad's stories didn't quite add up...

Not many of you knew 22-year-old me, but trust me when I tell you that that guy was an idiot... albeit a loveable idiot. I'm sure we all look back on former versions of ourselves and wince, a little. Fortunately, not many of us had a platform to promote those beliefs, but imagine if you did. How well would those ideas age? Think you'd regret some of the messages you preached with absolute conviction? I have a feeling that some of these TikTok kids are in for a crippling dose of self-loathing in the near future! 

This week, we're joined by author, former pastor, and one of the most controversial voices in purity culture, Joshua Harris. When Josh was a newly married young man in his early 20's, he managed to collect many of the popular evangelical ideas about relationships, marriage, and sexual purity, and put them to paper in a the now-infamous book, "I Kissed Dating Goodbye." His work acted as a lightning rod in the church/youth group scene of the 90's and 00's, and had a huge influence on the culture that we grew up in. Josh quickly rose to prominence in the Christian church, resulting in speaking tours, other books, and a chance to train as a pastor in a massive church with a very charismatic leader. However, that's where things started to go south, eventually leading to his departure from Christianity. He has since recanted his beliefs about dating and sexual purity, unpublished his book, and spoken openly about his change of heart. You may be familiar with some of Josh's story, but I think you'll be glad that you heard the rest!

Welcome to the inaugural episode of a brand new series called Friday Fellowship! These shows will be a little less focused, and a little more light-hearted, and a chance for you to meet some of our old friends like this week's guest, Jess O'Neil! Jesse is an old friend of Sam's, a former roommate/bandmate of Casey's, and guitarist for melodic hardcore band Servants. We spent an evening talking about prosperity gospel, Acquire the Fire, and feeling like an imposter in church.

Enjoy this extra episode, and may the good Lord grant you health, wealth, and absolute certainty, friend!

Lot of us grew up with Christian rock, but how many people can say they grew up in Christian rock? Well, our guest this week certainly did! Michael Sweet Jr's dad is the lead singer of legendary faith-based hair metal band, Stryper. In the 80's, they were an enigma. They were the first overtly Christian band to gain mainstream acceptance, with one of their albums achieving platinum status, and two others hitting gold. However, hair metal went out with a bang, and it left Michael and his family in dire straights. Michael (Jr) was kind enough to sit down with us to talk about the struggles of growing up in the Christian music industry, the odd and sometimes scary antics of his dad's diehard fans, and how these experiences effected his own faith. He has a one-of-a-kind story, and you can check out his music at www.localage.bandcamp.com and follow him on Instagram at @local_age.

Back in my youth group days, terms like "atheism" and "humanism" were almost as scary as "new age" (I still don't know what that means). My understanding of atheism went back and forth between it being a luciferian coup meant to shatter the scriptural foundations of western society, and just another misguided faith perpetuated by vitriolic curmudgeons of weak moral fiber. Give me a break... I was a fourteen-year-old doofus. 

This week, we're joined by Hemant Mehta, otherwise known as the Friendly Atheist. He is an accomplished author, blogger, podcaster, and activist. He is a content creator for Patheos, and served as a board member for the Secular Student Alliance and Foundation Beyond Belief. To put it lightly, Hemant is brilliant, and he's been a positive force in the ongoing struggle for tolerance and secular governance. It was a real treat to have a conversation with him, and we know you're going to enjoy it!

If you're enjoying the show, we would sure appreciate it if you'd share with a friend, and leave us a review on iTunes. Thanks for listening!

Changing your mind is hard. Changing other people's minds seems impossible, doesn't it? I mean, I've only recently gotten Sam to concede that dinosaurs "probably existed." In a world where we are pulled in so many different directions by so many voices, finding common ground can be a challenge, but it's a critical part of maintaining relationships. How do we encourage those around us to reconsider their beliefs and opinions when we so fundamentally disagree?

This week, we're joined by special guest Dan Koch - creator of the podcasts You Have Permission, Depolarize!, and Reconstruct. In each of his shows, Dan explores issues surrounding faith, deconversion, and politics. Over the years, he has been a unifying voice of knowledge, comfort, and perspective to a lot of people in the Christian and ex-Christian communities, and we were really excited to talk with him! Enjoy the episode, and be sure to subscribe to his shows. You can find more information at https://www.dankochwords.com/. 

I think anyone who grew up Christian probably heard a sermon or two on the nation state of Israel, and its importance to the return of Christ. Maybe your family had an "I stand with Israel" bumper sticker. Maybe you even heard your parents/pastor bungle through an explanation of how the Jews are God's chosen people (because it says so in the Bible and they have to take it literally) but might get a pass out of hell, even though they never accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Ohhh, if only the rest of us could get out of hell on a technicality! 

Our guest, today, is Bethany Slater. Bethany was born into a conservative Christian family, and was raised in a very unique kind of Christian community. While most people who find their way out of evangelical Christianity drift into a more liberal variant or drop out of faith completely, Bethany found herself being pulled toward Judaism after dealing with the problem of Christian supersession. After years of studying and learning about the Jewish faith, she eventually converted. Her story is beautiful and fascinating, and we are very excited for you all to hear it. 

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and jump on in to our discord to keep the conversation rolling with us!

It's tough to talk about religion without discussing politics... For my generation, the two subjects are kind of "joined at the hip." You had Christian church on Wednesdays and Sundays, and republican church every night of the week thanks to good ol' Fox News. In fact, I'll bet I've logged almost as many hours listening to the likes of Shawn Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, and Bill O'Reilly as I have listening to pastors. As a kid, I attended Right to Life demonstrations, handed out yard signs for republican candidates, and there's even a picture of me unknowingly holding a Bush/Cheney sign at a trainside rally in the bustling metropolis of Durand, MI (home of Uncle Buck's Northern Exposure, a strip club with a bare butt beaver on the sign). How's that for a resume builder?

Our guest today is journalist Katherine Stewart, author of the books "The Good News Club: The Christian Right's Stealth Assault on America's Children," and "The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism." Katherine's most recent book is the culmination of over ten years of research, and it catalogs the efforts of powerful evangelical and political leaders to organize and mobilize the Christian community. The Washington Post called it "required reading for anyone who wants to map the continuing erosion of our already fragile wall between church and state." It's a fascinating, albeit troubling read that we can't recommend enough!

Enjoy the episode, and get in on the conversation by joining our Discord server! Find the link on our social media pages.

Hey! Yeah, you. Do you know where you're going to spend eternity? If you should die before you wake, did you pray the lord your soul to take, or did you fall asleep watching The Office for the 7th time through because you can't commit to watching a new show even though people won't stop asking if you've seen "The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel," and now you're just avoiding it out of spite? I feel ya, pal...

This week, we're joined by Mike Ruel, who is the pastor of a Highlands Bible Church in New Jersey, and a frequent listener to the show. Mike reached out to us after hearing several episodes, and expressed a mutual distaste with mainstream evangelical culture. Mike wasn't always a pastor. In his 20's, he strayed from the faith, and focused his attention on more "worldly pursuits." He eventually made his way back to Christianity after living through 9/11 in New York City. We spent some time discussing the pursuit of meaning, the nature of faith, and the what is wrong with the church in America.

Look, I'd be lying if I told you that we found much common ground. In fact, we arrived at a philosophical or spiritual impasse on more than one issue. It was a good conversation, though, and we appreciated Pastor Mike's willingness to discuss sensitive topics, and the patience he showed us throughout the episode. I think all of us would describe each other as good guys that are wrong about almost everything hahaha! If you would like to continue this discussion with Mike, you can reach him by email ([email protected]) or through his website: www.MikeRuel.com. 

Every night, Sam and I kneel on our MyPillows, and pray that the Lord will bless this podcast. Well, friends, He did.  Joining us this week is childhood hero Jesse Leach! You might know him as the lead singer of several great metal bands like Killswitch Engage and Times of Grace, and the host of the brand new podcast "Stoke the Fire," but what you may not know is that Jesse is a pastor's kid that grew up in a very conservative evangelical church and school. He is an outspoken advocate for mental health, and has a lot to say about the state of religion around the world. This episode was so. much. fun. Enjoy, join our Discord (link on our socials), and check out "Stoke the Fire" wherever you listen to podcasts!