Originally Published February 18, 2018 under the Just Us Women podcast title.Kari Becken did not fall from faith, she outgrew it. Today, she is recovering from 43 years of fundamental religious dogma and indoctrination. It has been a journey woven in, and among, several sects and persuasions that cost both her career and community but allowed her to find herself.Her ‘rise to reason’ enabled her to embrace her queer identity and become committed to creating useful, relevant content and a safe space to inspire, encourage and support those who also seek to discover their unique, authentic selves.Through the exploration of self-care techniques and the science of intuition, she challenges her audience to develop critical thinking skills, expand their comfort zones and overcome unproductive habit loops, damaging mindsets, limiting beliefs and emotional obstacles such as fear, anxiety and self-doubt.In speaking from the real and raw vulnerable place of her own suppression of self, depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts, she chronicles her journey and shares strategies of hope in her blog Queerious Beckonings with the goal of helping others who are also looking to experience being fully alive – and free.Marcia Wickham grew up in a fundamentalist church. At age 7, her parents divorced. She was sexually abused by her father and was kept quiet by the legalistic rules of the church. After a number of tragic events including her mother’s mental breakdown and having to live with her abusive father, she finally lived with a foster family who were Mennonites. She married at age 17 and started to foster children at age 20.After her father’s death, the secret of the abuse became public and her depression escalated to attempted suicide. While she was in the hospital she started to see a secular therapist who helped her initiate the road to recovery from the nightmares. He also challenged her to start thinking more critically and she started to question her faith. After 23 years of marriage, she divorced her 1st husband. She met her 2nd husband at a Unitarian church and now they have a blended family of 8.Questions discussed in this episode* What did you learn at church and home about sex?* Was the topics of masturbation and orgasms ever discussed growing up?* What was your church/home opinion of premarital sex and teen pregnancy?* Were you influenced by the “purity culture”?* Who were some prominent religious leaders who influenced you related to your early understanding about sex? * What Secular influences did you have around sex? * What was your church/home opinion about the LGBTQ+ community?* What are some recommendations you would have to others who may be listening who are single and still religious?* Do you have any resources that you would recommend?Additional topics discussed were sexual abuse, incest, Christian marriages and expectations of Christian wives, non-consent and obligatory sex.Original Music Composition by Esther NicholsonDisclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the podcast guests do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the podcast host, Wendy Nicholson