For this final podcast of 2024, I recently connected with Lauryn Axelrod--she's an interfaith/interspiritual minister, chaplain, spiritual director, and teacher out of Vermont.

This is an especially poignant interview, as I've talked to several people this year about concepts of spirituality. Lauryn's suggestion that incorporating "Ten Words" into your life, as guiding principles or values, can indeed make the world a better place. This is all the more relevant now that America is so deeply divided and polarized, both politically and religiously.

The question is: what can all the major religious worldviews and traditions teach us about spirituality? Dogma and doctrines aside, are there commonalities behind them all from which we can gain insights and understanding? And above all--is it indeed possible to make the world a better place by embracing interspirituality?

Find out more about Lauryn on her site https://www.laurynaxelrod.com/

Get a copy of Lauryn's Book Ten Words on Amazon!

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I recently caught up with returning guest Cait West, who has just come out with a great book entitled Rift: A Memoir of Breaking Away From Christian Patriarchy.

Cait grew up in what is called the "stay-at-home-daughters" movement, which is a version of Christian patriarchy that, while seemingly extreme, is gaining traction in a lot of Christian homes.

Driven by the teachings of men like Doug Wilson, Joel Webbon, and other leading evangelical figures, Christian or biblical patriarchy teaches that women should be in submission to their fathers and husbands--exactly what they believe the Bible teaches clearly.

What is more concerning is that now, with Donald Trump in office for the next 4 years, Christian nationalists now have even more influence over laws and policies that affect Americans. That they want to run the government the same ways in which they run their churches, denominations, and families should be of major concern to everyone going forward.

Find out more information about Cait's book here: https://www.caitwest.com/book

Check out the "For Our Daughters" documentary here on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkES4X_qb6c

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This week's guest features author Karen Unrue, whose book Blue Jellyfish Syndrome: How To Break Free From Stigma and Maintain Hope While Living With a Mental Illness is a great resource for those who have left either controlling religion or abusive relationships behind.

But simply escaping is far from the end of the story. We can still be triggered by intrusive thoughts from our past that are debilitating and can blindside us. Unpicking the layers of conditioning is also extremely difficult, especially for those of us raised in controlling religious environments.

And it's also the impact of the various traumas we've experienced that oftentimes linger with us for decades, long after the event that caused it is years in the past. Karen offers practical advice, helpful insights, and valuable resources to help us move forward and rebuild our authentic selves.

Get a copy of Karen's book on Amazon!

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In this special election special bonus episode, I reached out to returning guest Matthew D Taylor, who has just come out with a brand-new book called The Violent Take it by Force: The Christian Movement that is Threatening Our Democracy. 

For those who are still undecided about their vote in the upcoming election, this is a must-listen. Given the fact that so much of the Trump MAGA support is generated by not just Christian nationalists, but extremists who are part of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), this is a major concern going forward.

Matthew puts all the pieces together in this hugely informative discussion, telling the story of exactly how these so-called "apostles and prophets" coalesced together and found themselves part of Trump's inner circle of spiritual advisers during his presidency. Now, they are mobilizing tens of thousands of angry evangelicals not only to vote for Trump, but to engage in political violence should he lose the election. The threat to American democracy is clear, and these people have had four years to prepare themselves for whatever happens following this hugely important election.

Find The Violent Take it by Force here on Amazon!

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This week's episode takes an in-depth look at the tragic murder/suicide that took place in Jonestown, Guyana, in 1978. Cult leader Jim Jones was responsible for not only controlling and manipulating his numerous dedicated followers, in the end, he forced nearly 1000 of them to commit suicide or be murdered.

In the wake of this tragedy that occurred decades ago, Annie Dawid's book--a work of historical fiction--takes a fresh look at the lives of the followers of Jones. Not much is said about them, yet they were the backbone of the movement that on certain levels did accomplish many good things for a number of people.

Beyond discussing her book, we also take a look at Jones's story, tracing the early start of The People's Temple in Indiana, looking at its moves to California and ultimately Guyana. That it ended in such a shocking way still has enduring lessons for us today, especially in the explosion of cults and cult leaders since the tragedy at Jonestown all those years ago.

Find Annie's book on Amazon here:

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If you've been following the storyline of what's happening to Project 2025, The Heritage Foundation, and Trump's presidential campaign, then you'll be familiar with some of what Chris Shelton and I discuss in this episode.

There have been a number of important developments in this ongoing narrative, as Project 2025 began to be increasingly exposed by shows just like this one as well as on the mainstream media. Since then, not only has Trump attempted to deny and distance himself from it--as well as The Heritage Foundation--some other players have quietly stepped into the breach with a newly-proposed "presidential transition project."

Not only do we discuss this new twist, we delve into the cult psychology and tactics used by such shadowy groups, but also of Trump himself, as he controls, manipulates, and influences his ultra-loyal MAGA cult base.

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How many of us have left religious beliefs behind, but have not entertained the idea that we might be able to find an aspect of spirituality that is truly meaningful?

For those of us who've left controlling religions, it can be incredibly difficult even to entertain the notion that there might even be any aspect of spirituality that is appealing to us. But we might be closing ourselves off to deeper meaning and exploration if we refuse to acknowledge that there just might be something out there.

Author Larry Jordan was a successful businessman who turned his back on the American dream, embracing service to others and in the process read over 1,000 books researching and exploring philosophy, religion, mysticism, and more. In the process he discovered something that truly changed his life--find out more in this fascinating interview!

Find Larry's book The Way: Meaningful Spirituality for a Modern World here on Amazon.

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For the first time ever, my show has been hijacked!

My very good friend Tim Sledge, who is the editor and publisher of my new book, Not So Shiny Not So Happy People: How Bill Gothard, Church, and Family Taught Me Christianity Doesn't Work interviewed me recently about my book.

Aside from me, there is nobody else on Earth who knows more about my book, as we have been working closely on it for about a year now. Tim is not only intimately connected with the book, as a former evangelical pastor and ex-Christian himself, Tim resonates a great deal with my story.

I hope you enjoy this interview--and please, if you do buy a copy of my book on Amazon, do me a huge favor and leave a review! That helps greatly with the Amazon rankings.

Link to Not So Shiny Not So Happy People on Amazon

If the link doesn't work, on Amazon type in "Not So Shiny Not So Happy People Clint Heacock" and it will quickly locate the book.

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I'm excited to announce that my new book, Not So Shiny Not So Happy People: How Bill Gothard, Church, and Family Taught Me Christianity Doesn't Work is now available as of today!!

The book is available as a paperback, Kindle EBook, and Audible Virtual Voice versions now.

In this special episode, I'm reading the Preface chapter to the book, which is called "The Terror of an Empty House." I hope that not only do you enjoy this chapter, but that it prompts you to go out and buy the book.

After you've read it, please leave a review on Amazon, which greatly helps with the book's rankings--and share the book with anyone who you think will resonate with its message.

Here's the link on Amazon to Not So Shiny Not So Happy People.

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For those of us who came out of fundamentalist Christianity, what happens when things go badly wrong in our lives? Do you have the temptation to pray, read the Bible, seek out a wise Christian counselor to discover answers for why this is happening to you?

Within evangelicalism, the problem of suffering is a huge issue. There always has to be "an answer" as to why God allows--or even causes--bad things to happen to us. There must be a reason!

My good friend Dean Krosecz and I break down this very topic after Dean shares about the traumatic experiences he's gone through in the last few years. Where was "God" in all of it? And can you create peace in the midst of suffering, alone without a supposedly benevolent being to lean on for support?

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