In this episode, we join forces with Meg and Sarai from Holy Ghosting to discuss building community as podcast creators without competition. We dive into how we navigate life after religious upbringing, share personal experiences of unraveling faith, and discuss how to challenge what it looks like for each of us to live authentically. Discussing polyamory, queer identity, marriage, motherhood, and separate bedrooms, this conversation celebrates connection, curiosity, and the ways we support each other in reimagining our beliefs and creative spaces.

Connect with Holy Ghosting:
📸 Instagram: @holyghostingclub
🎵 Tiktok: @holyghosting
▶️ YouTube: @holyghosting
💻 Web: holyghosting.com

Connect with Praise Be to Pod:
📸 Instagram: @praisebetopod
🎵 Tiktok: @praisebetopod
▶️ YouTube: @praisebetopod
💻 Web: www.praisebetopod.com

Ashley and Bailee ring in the New Year by sharing what in 2026 they’re looking forward to and what they’re relieved to leave behind from 2025. Joined by their producer Jacob, they talk about the lessons, habits, and narratives that no longer serve them, as well as the things they’re genuinely excited to nurture in the year ahead—both personally and with Praise Be to Pod.

From complicated feelings about New Year’s resolutions to the quiet relief of letting go of old expectations, they unpack what it means to set intentions without falling back into shame, perfectionism, or spiritualized self-improvement.

Connect with Us:
 📸 Instagram: @praisebetopod
 💻 Web: www.praisebetopod.com

Ashley and Bailee close out 2025 by reflecting on the year behind them—both personally and through the lens of Praise Be to Pod. Joined by their producer Jacob, they revisit the conversations, themes, and moments that shaped the podcast, from unpacking evangelical doctrine to sharing stories that once felt too tender to say out loud.

From lessons learned while creating the show to the ways this past year challenged their beliefs, creativity, and sense of self, they explore what it’s been like to build something honest in public while still actively healing. Together, they reflect on how the podcast has evolved, how their perspectives have shifted, and how deeply meaningful this experience has been thus far.

Connect with Us:
 📸 Instagram: @praisebetopod
💻 Web: www.praisebetopod.com

Ashley and Bailee dive into the rise of Christian homeschooling in America. They unpack how homeschooling grew from a fringe alternative into a core strategy of the evangelical movement, shaped by fear of secularism, control, and political influence.

From the history of the movement to its impact on kids, they explore how homeschooling can shape social development, limit exposure to different viewpoints, and reinforce rigid belief systems. Together, they ask what these environments teach beyond academics—and how they can affect identity and autonomy long after childhood.

Sources:

• Bernstein, M., Beall, A., & Beall, C. (2023). Christian indoctrination in homeschooling [Audio podcast episode]. In A Bit Fruity with Matt Bernstein. <https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/christian-indoctrination-in-homeschooling/id1693739175?i=1000633981264>
• Green, E. (2022, March 24). The rise of the parental rights movement. The New York Times Magazine.
• Cooper, C. (2021). The changing face of homeschooling in America. Phi Delta Kappan, 102(7), 48–52.
• Kunzman, R., & Gaither, M. (2020). Homeschooling: An updated comprehensive survey of the research.

Connect with Us:
 📸 Instagram: @praisebetopod
 💻 Web: www.praisebetopod.com

Content Advisory: This episode includes conversation on eating disorders. Listener discretion is advised.

Ashley and Bailee dive into Ashley’s personal journey with body image and eating disorder recovery, shaped by her experience in the evangelical church. They unpack how small bodies were celebrated, larger ones exiled, and how church teachings fed shame, perfectionism, and severe restriction.
From subtle comments about appearance to the pressure to shrink oneself to fit a spiritual ideal, they explore the long-lasting impact of these messages — and why reclaiming self-worth and body acceptance is a radical act.

Connect with Us:
📸 Instagram: @praisebetopod
💻 Web: www.praisebetopod.com

Ashley and Bailee dig into the idea of toxic forgiveness — the way churches twist forgiveness into a tool for silencing people, protecting abusers, and keeping vulnerable members in line. They unpack how the language of grace, mercy, and “moving on” gets weaponized to avoid accountability and pressure people into reconciling before they’re ready.

From the subtle emotional manipulation to the outright spiritual coercion, they explore what happens when forgiveness is treated as a demand instead of a choice. They talk about the guilt, the gaslighting, and how the pressure to “forgive quickly” often keeps the same harmful cycles running — and why genuine forgiveness, offered freely and safely, is something entirely different.

Connect with Us:
📸 Instagram: @praisebetopod
💻 Web: www.praisebetopod.com

Bailee and Ashley take a historical detour—unpacking how the Puritans didn’t just influence early America, but laid the ideological groundwork for today’s alt-right evangelical movement. They trace the through-line from 1600s moral rigidity to modern Christian nationalism, purity culture, and the political power structures we still feel today.

From the myth-making around the “First Thanksgiving” to the Puritans’ obsession with control, conformity, and divine exceptionalism, they break down how these roots continue to shape American evangelical identity.

Sources:

•  Bradford, W. (1856). Of Plymouth Plantation, 1620–1647. Houghton, Mifflin and Company.
• Cave, A. A. (1996). The Pequot War. University of Massachusetts Press.
•  Karr, R. D. (1998). The violence of the Pequot War. The New England Quarterly, 71(1), 26–49.
• Lincoln, A. (1863). Proclamation 103—Day of Thanksgiving, Praise, and Prayer. The American Presidency Project. Retrieved from https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/proclamation-103-day-thanksgiving-praise-and-prayer-august-6-1863
• Morison, S. E. (Ed.). (1967). Of Plymouth Plantation, 1620–1647. Houghton Mifflin.
• Winthrop, J. (1630). A Modell of Christian Charity. Retrieved from https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/a-model-of-christian-charity-2/

Connect with Us:
📸 Instagram: @praisebetopod
💻 Web: www.praisebetopod.com

For part 2 of their Thanksgiving series, Ashley and Bailee move from tension to tactics — breaking down how to actually survive conversations with alt-right and evangelical family members. They share strategies for staying grounded, setting boundaries, and keeping your sanity when the table talk turns political.
From choosing when to engage to knowing when to pass the gravy and change the subject, they explore how to protect your peace without losing your compassion.

Sources:
Driver’s Licenses for All: https://mn.gov/governor/newsroom/press-releases/?id=1055-568209

Connect with Us:
📸 Instagram: @praisebetopod
💻 Web: www.praisebetopod.com

For part 1 of their Thanksgiving series, Ashley and Bailee dig into the tension of coming home to politically divided families. They explore how finding common ground has become harder as the right grows more radicalized — and what that means for conversations around the table with evangelical parents and conspiracy-loving uncles.

It’s a look at the emotional landscape of family, politics, and faith in 2025 — when love and ideology feel harder than ever to hold in the same room.

Connect with Us:
 📸 Instagram: @praisebetopod
 💻 Web: www.praisebetopod.com

For part 2 of the conversation on Mormonism, Ashley and Bailee turn their focus to modern Mormon culture — from baptisms for the dead and sacred undergarments to baby blessings and the Utah plastic surgery boom. They also look at how BIPOC members navigate faith within a church still reckoning with its history on race.

It’s a deep dive into the beliefs, rituals, and modern ideals shaping Mormon life today — polished on the outside, complex underneath.

Connect with Us:
 📸 Instagram: @praisebetopod
 💻 Web: www.praisebetopod.com

Sources:

• Adler, M. (2017). Selling faith: Multi-level marketing in Mormon communities. Journal of Cultural Economics, 41(3), 325–342. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10824-017-9306-4
• Bowman, M. (2012). The Mormon people: The making of an American faith. Random House.
• Hennigan, W. J. (2006, May 13). Polygamist leader Warren Jeffs is wanted in two states. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-may-13-na-prophet13-story.html
• Prince, G. (2011). David O. McKay and the rise of modern Mormonism. University of Utah Press.
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (n.d.-a). Purposes and functions of the temple endowment. Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University. https://rsc.byu.edu
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (n.d.-b). Sealing: Marriage sealing is the joining together of families for eternity. Newsroom. https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/sealing
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (n.d.-c). The temple garment and its sacred significance. Newsroom. https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/temple-garments
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (2024, August 15). LDS church endowment ceremony shortened. The Salt Lake Tribune. https://www.sltrib.com