The Divorcing Religion Podcast

HEMANT MEHTA
Divorced: Jainism

Hemant Mehta is the founder and editor of FriendlyAtheist.com, a YouTube creator, and podcast co-host. He is a former National Board Certified math teacher in the suburbs of Chicago and continues to coach a competitive public speaking team. He has appeared on CNN and FOX News and served on the board of directors for Foundation Beyond Belief and the Secular Student Alliance. He has written multiple books, including I Sold My Soul on eBay and The Young Atheist's Survival Guide. He also edited the book Queer Disbelief. Today, Hemant shares candidly about what it was like to be part of a lesser known religious group and then reject religion altogether.

Contact Hemant:
https://onlysky.media/hemant-mehta/
IG: @friendly.atheist
T: @hemantmehta

Support this podcast on Patreon and get access to bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/janiceselbie
SPECIAL THANKS to our newest Patrons: Paul, Sheila, Anne, and Sacha!

Subscribe to the audio-only version here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/religious-trauma-podcast

Get your free consultation with Janice, book 1:1 sessions, or sign up for the Divorcing Religion Workshop here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/

Get your recordings from the Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture conference here: https://www.shamelesssexuality.org/

Follow Janice and the Conference on Religious Trauma on Social Media: 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/divorcereligion
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wise_counsellor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ComeToCORT
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The Divorcing Religion Podcast is for entertainment purposes only. If you need help with your mental health, please consult a qualified, secular, mental health clinician.

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Today’s guest is my friend in real life, Courtney Heard. We met when I was preparing the first Conference on Religious Trauma and she offered me her marketing expertise. As two atheists, we clicked immediately. Through the years we have co-hosted a podcast together (Godless Moms Podcast) and now, with her husband John, Courtney has launched a new podcast that is extremely timely: The Q-Dropped Podcast. Survivors of Religious Trauma Syndrome will recognize the angst her guests share around how the Q conspiracy has alienated them from loved ones swept up in the cult.

FIND COURTNEY:
https://www.godlessmom.com/

Listen to the Q-Dropped Podcast:
https://www.porthosmedia.net/qdropped

Support the Divorcing Religion podcast on Patreon and get access to bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/janiceselbie
Special thanks to Patrons Paul and Sacha!

Subscribe to the audio-only version here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/religious-trauma-podcast

Get your free consultation with Janice, book 1:1 sessions, or sign up for the Divorcing Religion Workshop here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/

Get your recordings from the Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture conference here: https://www.shamelesssexuality.org/

Follow Janice and the Conference on Religious Trauma on Social Media: 
Mastodon: [email protected]
Twitter: https://twitter.com/divorcereligion
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wise_counsellor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ComeToCORT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janice.selbie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DivorcingReligion
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConferenceOnReligiousTrauma
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@janiceselbie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisecounsellor/

The Divorcing Religion Podcast is for entertainment purposes only. If you need help with your mental health, please consult a qualified, secular, mental health clinician.

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Erin Louis: Wife, Mother, Author and Stripper
Divorced: Catholicism

Erin Louis was raised a soft Catholic and is a former stripper and author. She has written 3 nonfiction books about stripping:

Dirty Money: Memoirs of a Stripper https://amzn.to/3UdTAfR (her memoir)

Think you want to be a Stripper? (an insider's look at the industry), https://amzn.to/3EJxsEf and

Expose Yourself (a book about atheism, humanism, and critical thinking).   https://amzn.to/3ilSAZE

Erin has most recently published a book of short erotic stories and co-authored a crime novel called Stripper Noir, to be released soon. She also has a column for Only Sky Media. In this episode, Erin shares candidly about her choice to become a stripper and why it’s still an important part of her life.
 
FIND ERIN:
https://www.erinlouis.com/
Only Sky: https://onlysky.media/erin-louis/
Social Media: @erinlouis666 on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Erin-Louis/e/B00QSHHOW6
Audible https://www.audible.com/author/Erin-Louis/B00QSHHOW6
 
Support this podcast on Patreon and get access to bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/janiceselbie
Subscribe to the audio-only version here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/religious-trauma-podcast
Get your free consultation with Janice, book 1:1 sessions, or sign up for the Divorcing Religion Workshop here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/
 
Get your recordings from the Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture conference here: https://www.shamelesssexuality.org/
Follow Janice and the Conference on Religious Trauma on Social Media: 

Mastodon: @[email protected] 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/divorcereligion
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wise_counsellor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ComeToCORT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janice.selbie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DivorcingReligion
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConferenceOnReligiousTrauma
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@janiceselbie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisecounsellor/
 
The Divorcing Religion Podcast is for entertainment purposes only. If you need help with your mental health, please consult a qualified, secular, mental health clinician.

Support the show

Today's guest is New York City native Mandisa L. Thomas, who is the founder and president of Black Nonbelievers, Inc. While Mandisa escaped religious indoctrination, today she shares candidly about overcoming other harmful forms of indoctrination and why she started Black Nonbelievers.

Contact Mandisa:
http://www.blacknonbelievers.org
IG: @mandisa0904
T:  @mandy0904

Support this podcast on Patreon and get access to bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/janiceselbie
SPECIAL THANKS to our newest patrons: Sacha, Anne, Paul, and Sheila!

Subscribe to the audio-only version here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/religious-trauma-podcast

Get your free consultation with Janice, book 1:1 sessions, or sign up for the Divorcing Religion Workshop here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/

Get your recordings from the Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture conference here: https://www.shamelesssexuality.org/

Follow Janice and the Conference on Religious Trauma on Social Media: 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/divorcereligion
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wise_counsellor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ComeToCORT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janice.selbie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DivorcingReligion
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConferenceOnReligiousTrauma
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@janiceselbie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisecounsellor/

The Divorcing Religion Podcast is for entertainment purposes only. If you need help with your mental health, please consult a qualified, secular, mental health clinician.

Support the show

Bradley Onishi grew up in a nonreligious home in California before his extreme conversion to evangelicalism at age 14. By age 20 he was married and leading a 200-student youth group. After 7 years in ministry, he decided to pursue his Masters in Theology at Oxford University - where he ended up deconstructing his faith.
 
Today, Dr. Onishi is a social commentator, scholar, writer, teacher, coach, and co-host of the Straight White American Jesus (SWAJ) podcast, a religion and politics podcast that focuses on Christian Nationalism in the United States.His writing has been published in the New York Times, LA Review of Books,and Religion & Politics, among other outlets. 
 
In this episode of the Divorcing Religion podcast, Brad shares intimately about his own conversion and deconstruction, as well as his current work highlighting Christian Nationalism in the USA.
 
Dr. Onishi's most recent book, to be released in 2023, is PREPARING FOR WAR: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism - and What Comes Next.
https://bookshop.org/p/books/preparing-for-war-the-extremist-history-of-white-christian-nationalism-and-what-comes-next-bradley-onishi/18548061?ean=9781506482163
 
FIND Dr. BRAD ONISHI:
https://www.bradonishi.com/
https://straightwhiteamericanjesus.com/
https://twitter.com/BradleyOnishi
https://www.facebook.com/straightwhitejc
https://www.instagram.com/bbonishi/
https://www.patreon.com/straightwhiteamericanjesus

Support this podcast on Patreon and get access to bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/janiceselbie
SPECIAL THANKS to our newest patrons: Sacha, Anne, Paul, and Sheila!

Subscribe to the audio-only version here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/religious-trauma-podcast

Get your free consultation with Janice, book 1:1 sessions, or sign up for the Divorcing Religion Workshop here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/

Get your recordings from the Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture conference here: https://www.shamelesssexuality.org/

Follow Janice and the Conference on Religious Trauma on Social Media: 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/divorcereligion
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wise_counsellor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ComeToCORT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janice.selbie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DivorcingReligion
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConferenceOnReligiousTrauma
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@janiceselbie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisecounsellor/

The Divorcing Religion Podcast is for entertainment purposes only. If you need help with your mental health, please consult a qualified, secular, mental health clinician.

Support the show

Divorced: Christianity

Dr. Marlene Winell is a psychologist and author of Leaving the Fold: A Guide for Former Fundamentalists and Others Leaving Their Religion. She is a pioneer in the field of religious trauma, having worked in religious recovery for over 30 years, and she originated the term “Religious Trauma Syndrome.” 

After I read her book and attended one of her retreats, Dr. Winell became my friend and mentor. She has spoken at each of my Conferences on Religious Trauma, as well as made a guest appearance at the Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture conference in October of 2022.

In this episode, we discuss the dangers of Christian Nationalism, the fear of Coming Out to religious family members, what happens at her retreats, and more.

FIND DR. WINELL:

https://www.journeyfree.org/

https://twitter.com/marlenewinell

https://www.instagram.com/marlenewinell/

Support this podcast on Patreon and get access to bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/janiceselbie

Subscribe to the audio-only version here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/religious-trauma-podcast

Get your free consultation with Janice, book 1:1 sessions, or sign up for the Divorcing
Religion Workshop here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/

Get your recordings from the Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture conference here: https://www.shamelesssexuality.org/

Follow Janice and the Conference on Religious Trauma on Social Media:  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/divorcereligion

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wise_counsellor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ComeToCORT

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janice.selbie

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DivorcingReligion

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConferenceOnReligiousTrauma

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@janiceselbie

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisecounsellor/

The Divorcing Religion Podcast is for entertainment purposes only. If you need help with your mental health, please consult a qualified, secular, mental health clinician.

Support the show

Shirley Fessel is a religious domestic abuse survivor advocate with Masters in both Counseling and Education from Wichita State University. Raised Catholic, Shirley married a Baptist minister who suffered from mental illness and abused Shirley and their children. Shirley was eventually able to flee with her children and begin building a safe life for herself with no help or support from her religious community. Putting her counseling and communication expertise to work, Shirley developed the Redemption from Biblical Battering workbook, a self-help workbook for abused women of faith which provides a faith-based path to freedom from spiritual and domestic abuse.

CONTACT SHIRLEY:
https://shirleyfessel.com/
Twitter: @fessup2 and @redemptionbb

To contribute to Shirley’s RBB Thriver financial grant (helping women rebuild their lives after DV), her Venmo is @Shirley-Fessel. Mark donation “Redemption from Biblical Battering.”

Resources mentioned in this episode:
Redemption from Biblical Battering Workbook
https://www.faithtrustinstitute.org/ (Marie Fortune)

If you are suffering from Domestic Violence in the United States, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text “START” to 88788

Support this podcast on Patreon and get access to bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/janiceselbie
SPECIAL THANKS to our latest patrons: Sheila, Paul, Anne, and Sacha!

Subscribe to the audio-only version here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/re...

Get your free consultation with Janice or sign up for the Divorcing Religion Workshop here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/

Get your tickets to the Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture conference here: https://www.shamelesssexuality.org/
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Trigger Warning: Suicidality

Alice Greczyn is an actress, writer, and the founder of Dare to Doubt. Midwest-raised and L.A.-based, the Eurasian performer is best known for her role as Mads Rybak on Freeform’s The Lying Game, and occasionally someone recognizes her from the Twitch-streamed all-girls Dungeons & Dragons group Girls, Guts, Glory. Alice is fascinated by the subjective experience of life which she explores through acting and storytelling. Her own story includes a painful but rewarding transition out of evangelical Christianity, a journey that inspired her to found DaretoDoubt.org, a resource site for people detaching from belief systems they come to find harmful. Encouraging people to trust themselves and live courageously in their own truth is what gives Alice a sense of purpose. She loves hiking, traveling, and pondering answerless questions.

Support this podcast on Patreon and get access to bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/janiceselbie

Subscribe to the audio-only version here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/religious-trauma-podcast

Get your free consultation with Janice or sign up for the Divorcing Religion Workshop here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/

Get your tickets to the Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture conference here: https://www.shamelesssexuality.org/

Follow Janice and the Conference on Religious Trauma on Social Media: 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/divorcereligion

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wise_counsellor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ComeToCORT

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janice.selbie

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DivorcingReligion

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConferenceOnReligiousTrauma

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@janiceselbie

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisecounsellor/

The Divorcing Religion Podcast is for entertainment purposes only. If you need help with your mental health, please consult a qualified, secular, mental health clinician.

Support the show

Dr. Darrel Ray

Divorced: Christianity

In addition to being a successful psychologist and author, Dr. Darrel Ray is also the beloved founder of  both Recovering from Religion and the Secular Therapy Project. Today, Dr. Ray gets personal about his own reasons for leaving religion and what gives him hope in the midst of our tumultuous times.

Contact Dr. Ray

www.recoveringfromreligion.org

www.seculartherapy.org

@drdray132 

Resources mentioned:

The God Virus: How Religion Infects Our Lives and Culture - https://amzn.to/3x9PAnL

Sex & God: How Religion Distorts Sexuality - https://amzn.to/3Qtl930

Rules for Radicals: A Practical Primer for Realistic Radicals - https://amzn.to/3RqSJI2

Marlene Winell’s Website: www.journeyfree.org

Support this podcast on Patreon and get access to bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/janiceselbie

SPECIAL THANKS to our latest patrons: Sheila, Paul, Anne, and Sacha!

Subscribe to the audio-only version here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/religious-trauma-podcast

Get your free consultation with Janice or sign up for the Divorcing Religion Workshop here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/

Get your tickets to the Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture conference here: https://www.shamelesssexuality.org/

Follow Janice and the Conference on Religious Trauma on Social Media: 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/divorcereligion

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wise_counsellor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ComeToCORT

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janice.selbie

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DivorcingReligion

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConferenceOnReligiousTrauma

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@janiceselbie

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisecounsellor/

The Divorcing Religion Podcast is for entertainment purposes only. If you need help with your mental health, please consult a qualified, secular, mental health clinician.

Podcast produced by Porthos Media: http://www.porthosmedia.net

Support the show

Seth Andrews is a former evangelical and Christian broadcaster who now hosts The Thinking Atheist…one of the most popular online atheist communities in the world. The Thinking Atheist is not a person. It is an icon encouraging all to reject faith and pursue reason and evidence. Since its launch in 2010, The Thinking Atheist podcast has been downloaded over 50 million times.

Seth has authored five books, including his latest offering, “Christianity Made Me Talk Like an Idiot.”

With a mix of humor and heart, Seth Andrews has spoken for audiences large and small in the U.S, Canada, Europe, and Australia about his former faith, the promotion of science and skepticism, the importance of Humanism in this often crazy world, and why we should all pursue a personal relationship with reality.

https://www.sethandrews.com/

Support his podcast on Patreon and get access to bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/janiceselbie

Subscribe to the audio-only version here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/religious-trauma-podcast

Get your free consultation with Janice or sign up for the Divorcing Religion Workshop here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/

Get your tickets to the Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture conference here: https://www.shamelesssexuality.org/

Follow Janice and the Conference on Religious Trauma on Social Media: 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/divorcereligion

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wise_counsellor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ComeToCORT

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janice.selbie

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DivorcingReligion

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConferenceOnReligiousTrauma

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@janiceselbie

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisecounsellor/

The Divorcing Religion Podcast is for entertainment purposes only. If you need help with your mental health, please consult a qualified, secular, mental health clinician.

Support the show