In this special bonus episode, former Scientologist Chris Shelton and I take a deep dive into a controversial new development in Trumpworld: Project Esther.

This story originally broke a few weeks ago in The New York Times, and has now been picked up in other media outlets. The brainchild of The Heritage Foundation, authors of Project 2025 and major policy advisors to Trump, Project Esther is a policy paper ostensibly designed to crack down on antisemitism in the United States.

Timed to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, Project Esther is in reality a bait-and-switch operation designed to eliminate basic rights such as free speech, freedom of assembly, due process for foreign students targeted for deportation, and more. We're also seeing the potential of cutting off federal funds to universities like Harvard for their "handling of antisemitism" as well as their tolerance of pro-Palestine demonstrations on campus.

The truly frightening aspect of this draconian crackdown is that it's already in the works--approximately half of its policy recommendations have been enacted by Trump.

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This week's episode features an insightful conversation with Regina Cates, author of the book The Real Conversation Jesus Wants Us To Have: A Call To Bravery, Peace, and Love.

At first, when I heard the title of the book, I was understandably sceptical. I figured Regina was just another progressive Christian trying to rehabilitate the church, the gospels, and the "true" message of Jesus. But that's not what her book is about, and neither is that what this conversation is about.

Regina is an amazing woman with a powerful story to tell of her own Christian upbringing, deconstructing at an early age, and questioning everything she was taught by the church. That led to inevitable conflict from both parents and church authorities...and now, here she is, decades later, with a powerful message to proclaim.

Find a copy of Regina's book here on Amazon!

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Christian nationalism, by its very nature, is anti-democratic.

I have come to believe that not only is this true, but it poses a serious threat to democracy not just in America, but indeed the world. With Donald Trump back in power--aided and abetted by another overwhelming majority of evangelicals--we are seeing the guardrails blown through and democracy gutted.

Behind a lot of it is the notion that "Christians should take dominion over the world"--and in particular, the so-called "7 mountains of culture." Driven by agendas such as The Heritage Foundation's "Project 2025" and the America First Policy Institute, these Christian nationalist think tanks are providing Trump with much of the agendas, policies, and Executive Orders we've already seen that are driving his administration forward.

Dr Matthew Boedy--himself a Christian--is an expert on this subject, having researched it extensively in preparation for writing his upcoming book, The Seven Mountains Mandate: Exposing the Dangerous Plan to Christianize America and Destroy Democracy.

It comes out in September, but you can pre-order it here on Amazon on this link.

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It's finally arrived!

This week's long-overdue discussion is here, featuring a super informative and helpful conversation with Tim Mills, host of "The Harmonic Atheist" podcast and YouTube channel.

As a faithful Christian virtually all of his life, Tim has an unbelievable testimony--and this is not just about how dedicated he was both to God and the church. It also includes his tale of what led to his deconstruction, leaving the faith and becoming an atheist, and now as one who speaks out against the damage Christianity can often do.

But beyond merely dismantling aspects of the Christian faith, Tim also offers up incredibly helpful insights to help you recover from the harmful effects of religion and begin to recover your authentic self.

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This episodes features a wide-ranging and super helpful discussion with Austra Putnina, host of the "Chase The Impossible" podcast.

Originally from Latvia, Austra now lives in Estonia--and has an amazing backstory. Ever struggle with the impostor syndrome? Ever struggle with those "tapes" that seem to play all the time in your mind? The ones that hold you back, the insidious messages that constantly tell us we're not good enough, that we don't measure up to some standard?

It turns out that Austra has battled not only these issues, but more...and when she shares her journey, not only will you be inspired, hopefully you'll pick up some great coping strategies to help you navigate life along the way.

Connect with Austra on Udemy!

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I'm excited to be sharing the next two chapters from my book that came out last September. It's called Not So Shiny Not So Happy People: How Bill Gothard, Church, and Family Taught Me Christianity Doesn't Work, and was edited by my good friend Tim Sledge.

If you haven't picked up a copy of the book yet, hopefully hearing these two chapters will make the decision much easier. The book tells my story of growing up in a fundamentalist Christian home that, although looking great on the outside, wasn't so shiny and happy.

Enjoy these two chapters and please let me know what your thoughts are about the content!

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This episode features an insightful conversation with former Southern Baptist Convention pastor--and now exvangelicala life coach and guide--Rob Connelly.

After spending 37 years as a dedicated evangelical Christian, serving as a worship leader and pastor, Rob finally deconstructed his faith and walked away from it all. He's now sharing not only his reflective music with the world, he helps individuals surviving religious abuse and religious trauma syndrome.

Listen in at the end of the show for Rob's original song, "Good Friday" and see if you resonate with its heartfelt message.

Connect with Rob on his website!

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In this episode I'm joined once again by my very good friend, Chris Shelton, to revisit the issue of Trump's Project 2025 agenda.

How concerned should you be, going forward?

Last summer I started alerting listeners about the dangers posed by Project 2025's Mandate for Leadership, all designed as part of The Heritage Foundation's "presidential transition project" should Trump win the presidency.

Now that he has been sworn in, and signed a blizzard of Executive Orders, many of these follow closely the Project 2025 policy agendas. Chris and I break down not only what some of these are, and who is behind them, but unpack also some of the wider dangers posed to American democracy over the next four years.

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Welcome to the first episode of The Dismantling Doctrine Podcast for 2025!

This inaugural episode features a catch-up conversation with two old friends, Flo Conway and Jim Siegelman. They are the authors of the classic 1978 work on cults and mind control entitled Snapping: America's Epidemic of Sudden Personality Change.

Their research into cult psychology and tactics led them, in the late 1970s and early 80s, to investigate what was then the nascent Christian Right's involvement in American politics. They also noticed how much evangelicalism and fundamentalist Christianity had in common with the world of the cults.

Currently they've released an update to their original 1982 book Holy Terror: The Fundamentalist War on America's Freedoms in Religion, Politics, and Our Private Lives. The "classic edition," which is now available, gives the reader new perspectives on the evangelical involvement in the Trump era.

Find the new version of Holy Terror now available on Amazon!

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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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