This is such a remarkable story...

He's only been out from behind the pulpit for 6 months! He served as a minister for 26 years. This story has so many twists and turns, ups and downs.  

I can't begin to tell you all the fascinating moments L.A. shares with me today. He's joined by his wife T. They decided to use their nicknames for today's interview.

From a radio contract that seemed promising, to a tearful proclamation that he's been called to be a pastor.

Later in life L.A. and T experience a terrible loss, but their faith is strong. They encounter the fraudulent leaders of Evangelical America, but their faith persists. L.A. is even named a top 300 minister in America.

A chance trip to India changes everything! 

You can reach LA or T at: [email protected] or check out LA's blog www.freshla.me

LA and T were also interviewed by Vice News on HBO December 20, 2018. 

https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/qvq5a7/what-happens-to-religious-professionals-when-they-stop-believing-in-god

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zwcwHbSaGQ

Heather is co-host of the upcoming podcast, Forsaking Faith.

She does a wonderful job describing what life was like growing up in a non-denominational church. From being on the church dance team to being taught that her relationship with Christ should be intimate, like a romantic relationship. These things make a big impression on her growing up and make deconversion that much harder down the road.

A succession of events in her life build up. Her final straw is a seemingly average conversation with a woman at her church over lunch. That conversation has an immense impact on Heather. I loved hearing this story because to me, it makes the contrast between Heather's two potential futures so clear. You can sense the power that moment had for Heather, as she shares this story.

She  also shares her feelings on difficult topics, such as death, the concept of a just world and what happened (or didn't) when she stopped praying. 

Feel free to connect with Heather or her co-host Christine:

Twitter:

@ForsakingFaith

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/forsakingfaith/

Email:

[email protected]

Mandisa Thomas, a native of New York, is founder and President of Black Nonbelievers, Inc., which is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Although never formally raised Christian, she was definitely impacted by the Christianity around her. Her parents were both Black Nationalists, which had a significant impact on her growing up. Mandisa has a unique and fascinating upbringing.

We also get to hear what motivated Mandisa to start Blacknonbelievers and how it became the organization it is today. She shares some thought-provoking statistics about the increasing religiousness amongst black Americans. Finally, she has some wonderful advice for the atheist community at the end of our discussion.

It's Our 1 Year Anniversary!!!

To celebrate the first year of the Voices of Deconversion podcast, I decided to do something different. I wanted to do something that reflected on our first year.

If you listen to the podcast you'll know that I love quotes (I start each episode with one). I combined that with the podcast's goal of encouraging atheist & agnostic ex-Christians. The result is a compilation of quotes from my guests.

One of my favorite questions to ask is: When you think about a person who's just deconverted, what encouragement or piece of guidance would you give them?

I took each of my guests' answers to that question and compiled them together for this episode. Although there are a few themes, each guest gave a unique response. I really enjoyed listening back through to them.

Thank you VOD listeners! It has been so much fun this past year. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you tuning into the podcast. It's been wonderful getting to know so many of you.

I love hearing from listeners, even just a quick hello. I'm most active on Twitter @vodpodcast, but you can always email me [email protected]

Thanks for a great year!

My guest today is Ari.

Her father was a preacher, her step-father a pastor and her aunt had her own church. Raised in a strong evangelical family, she begins to experience some real difficulties in adolescence. 

Her Christian upbringing leads to a desire to become "less" for God and family. She develops an eating disorder. In the next year or two she comes out to her mother and also becomes an atheist. Her mother forces her to move from the States back to Puerto Rico with her father. This is traumatic for Ari, as she leaves behind her friends and the life she knows. 

I was inspired by her story and you will be too!

Resources:

Jesus Camp (movie) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0486358/

Tumblr: ExChristian https://www.tumblr.com/search/exchristian

Secular Student Alliance https://secularstudents.org

My guest today is Benny (Benibo) Ajumogobia.

He was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. His mom was a deaconess, and dad an Elder. The charismatic church he was raised in had some BIG differences compared to American charismatic churches. The emphasis on witchcraft is one example. At 16 Benny responds to an alter call at a revival meeting in the U.K. His faith takes a serious turn. He decides to cut off all friendships for the sake of his faith. He also takes a vow of celibacy. The events of 9/11 and attending Howard University have an influence on him, but he remained a committed conservative Christian. Years later, a show on CSPAN would have an enormous impact on his faith. He's now an agnostic-atheist.

[email protected]

earlychristianwritings.com

Ex-Christians on Reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/exchristian/

Treigg shares an array of experiences and touches on some fascinating topics. He grew up a Baptist preacher's kid and took the Bible VERY seriously. He later helped with the youth ministry in his mom's church and even had his own church TV show!  Seeds of doubt are planted throughout his life. One begins when he notices his friends parents listening to secular music. This was a major moment for Treigg. His parents only played gospel music. Another seed of doubt is when Treigg begins discussing God's allowance of slavery with an agnostic friend. Treigg has to share his new views with his parents as he realizes how much of his world was wrapped up in religion. His search for community leads to Skeptics of Color in Cincinnati, which evolved into Black Non-Believers of Cincinnati.

https://www.facebook.com/treigg

https://blacknonbelievers.wordpress.com https://www.anthonypinn.com

http://www.haydenplanetarium.org/tyson/

The God Delusion, by Richard Dawkins: https://www.amazon.com/The-God-Delusion/dp/B000LP5E8M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520402735&sr=8-1&keywords=richard+dawkins+books

The second half of my conversation with Ian is wonderful! 

We start with him resigning membership at his church, then discuss atheist spirituality. He shares observations about how church doesn't seem to make people any better.

Ian tells me how he prepared to tell his wife he couldn't go to church anymore. Her reaction was amazing! Finally, Ian ends on such an inspirational note. He shares a quote from the movie, The Life of Pi and also a quote from Dr. Who. As you probably know, I love quotes! These two in particular were very moving to me.

Thanks for listening!

[email protected]

It was so much fun to meet and speak with Ian!

I loved hearing of his experience as a charismatic Christian in England. Definitely there are similarities to those of us in the U.S., but important differences too.

Ian has so many factors that played a role in shaping his faith. From seeing Billy Graham speak in person, to seeking out a Dental practice that was part of the Christian Dental Fellowship and his experience with the Toronto Blessing. As a young family, Ian and his wife received difficult news about her health and that of their first-born son.  

God calls Ian to lead. Ian gets some practice preaching. Seeing the influence of Answers in Genesis at his church is a significant turning point. Subsequent observations and questions prove to be the start of a big life change!

This is a mini-episode without an interview, but I have some important things to talk about related to the podcast. I discuss diversity, your feedback, connecting and what's new for Voices of Deconversion!

Thanks for listening, I appreciate you!

Say hello on Twitter: @vodpodcast, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vodpodcast/ or email: [email protected]