UPC You Later

Seeing inconsistencies from an early age seems to put a target on your back within the organization. From wondering why other Christian’s do not look the same, to wondering why girls are sexualized with men not held accountable. We discuss it all with our brand new guest this week.

Overcoming shame, and essentially starting over. Those things are daunting and can seem almost impossible, but there is hope and there is life to still live after leaving organizations such as the UPCI.

This week we discuss how disclosing a “struggle” can lead to repercussions and shame within the UPCI. How can you truly be who you are when the church tells you it goes against everything they believe?

This week our guest takes us through what it was like when the world he knew and was confident in becomes unraveled little by little. We discuss trying to make sense of the things the UPCI teaches (and doesn’t teach) and how their stance on certain topics can make you try and change who you are.

So you decide to leave the organization, what happens now? What’s waiting on the other side? And how do you begin to cope? This week we talk about therapy, getting healthy, and why some of us actually leave.

It seems that the higher up you are in the organization, the better idea you have of what really goes on. Our guest Keaton saw first hand the control, racism, and lack of accountability during his time working with different churches. When you’ve exhausted all options and done all you can do, what is the true breaking point?

“It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his income depends on his not understanding it.”

—H.L. Mencken

With so many questions, you would think bible college would be the place to find the answers. What happens when the questions you have only lead to more questions? What happens when the answers provided by leadership don’t seem to make sense? Keaton gives us a look into what his experience was attending Bible college and some insight on the history of Pentecostalism (and what the UPC leaves out of that history). https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83025121/1901-05-31/ed-1/seq-8/ https://digitalshowcase.oru.edu/newspaper/12/. https://digitalshowcase.oru.edu/newspaper/4/

Our newest guest Keaton gives us a look into what childhood was like for him while growing up in the UPC. We talk about how world events effect the church, the desire to make everyone happy, and how it all takes a toll when you are so young.

This week my husband joins me to talk about his upbringing in church. We also discuss a few encounters he had meeting people from the UPC and how it effected his outlook on the organization.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062049658?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_2EZ8FEH9Y1GX62V15RVP https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-deconstructionists/id1080170463