Why are some religious people so obnoxious? I hear this question often. It’s no wonder religion gets at times a bad rap. And it does seem strange, doesn’t it? If faith is meant to elevate us, shouldn’t it make us more refined, sensitive, kind, and gentle?

Yet time and again, we see people—sometimes in the very name of religion—acting in ways that are anything but inspiring. Of course, no one is perfect. But this is a serious issue we can’t ignore.

Religion has shaped civilization for millennia and still plays a central role in countless lives. Yet religion and faith, like all beautiful and powerful experiences, can be abused and distorted by flawed human beings, which in turn has caused so many to have a deep distrust of religion—and of religious people. Some even carry profound wounds—what we now call religious trauma. What we need to learn is how not to throw out the baby with the bathwater.

Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson for an honest, vital conversation to understand why religion, which should bring light, so often casts a shadow. And more importantly—how we can move past the pain, discard our toxic experiences and reclaim our spiritual integrity and rebuild a healthy faith that heals instead of harms.