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FreedHearts — Religion & Spirituality
FreedHearts

Freeing hearts to love and be loved! Love. Inclusion. Affirmation. Susan Cottrell is the Mom of two LGBTQ+ children; the founder of FreedHearts; an international speaker with a viral TEDx talk; a pastor and theologian; an acclaimed author; and a fierce advocate and ally. In her unique tender, relatable style, Susan is a prominent voice of unconditional love and lavish inclusion. Powerful, authentic, and relevant in today’s society, Susan has a lot to say. The Advocate calls her their “Favorite Affirming Matriarch.” OutSmart magazine calls her “The Mother of all MamaBears!” Reverend Ashley Harness from Auburn Seminary says, “Susan has this fierce, loving, don’t mess with me, Mom vibe.” If you have been excluded, or if someone close to you has been excluded because of who they are or who they love – or maybe you have been the one doing the excluding – the FreedHearts podcast is for you. Join Susan, along with her husband Rob, on the journey. You are not alone. Welcome home!

Copyright: ℗ & © 2020 FreedHearts

Latest Episodes:

Are We Afraid of a Pretend God? Jul 26, 2023

Show notes

Fear! It’s such a powerful, destructive force.
We talk a lot about how so much of what we see out there – and what we face in our own hearts – is all about fear. And are we afraid of a PRETEND God??
Beloved, we don’t need to be afraid – but what do we do?
So, we talk today about how we might quiet those fears, and we share two lovely pieces from the amazing writer and poet Jacqueline Woodson, from her memoir in poetry, Brown Girl Dreaming.

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10 Sneaky Things Christians Say About LGBTQ+ (and What They Really Mean!) Jul 19, 2023

Show notes

A lot of non-affirming Christians and churches are trying to fool you. But we are not going to let them.
They are trying to change their tactics, their tone. The marketing and phrases seem to be welcoming to those in our community who are LGBTQ+. But they are not welcoming at all!
To guard our hearts, we need to be able to hear and recognize these tricks, these lies.
So, we want to let you know some ‘sneaky’ things you might hear from churches, people on social media, or even Christian friends and family.
What they say, and what they really mean!

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The Truth That REALLY Sets Us Free! Jul 12, 2023

Show notes

We are going to talk about truth. I know that’s kind of a trigger word – as what is truth, whose truth is it. It’s easy to get confused.
Is there something we can default to? A core we can stand on?
Especially when comes to Christianity, when that word alone can be triggering because of so much false teaching, harm, hate and hypocrisy -- unlike the Jesus they claim to follow.
So, today we’re talking about the truth that really sets you free, and about if Jesus is still relevant after we have deconstructed our faith.

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Answers to 4 Scary Questions That Non-Affirming Christians Ask Jul 05, 2023

Show notes

Many of you know how to respond to the accusations and arrows coming your way. We know the truth in our hearts, but we sometimes struggle on how to respond with the confidence and peace we have.
And for some of us, these questions can be a real stumbling block, especially to those new on the journey of deconstructing or of living their authentic lives.
We want to address 4 questions that non-affirming Christians commonly ask that can be scary – that can cause us to pause. They shouldn’t, and they don’t need to, but they do.
So, let’s deal with them, so our hearts can be even more free to love and be loved!

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Are We Just Taking the Easy Way Out? Jun 28, 2023

Show notes

Multiple times a day, we get attacked and accused - as parents & allies. And it does not even compare to what we hear from our gay and trans kids about what they go through. :-(
One of the things we all hear a lot is that our ears are just being tickled, that we are cherry-picking verses, that we are rewriting the truth so that we can justify sin – that we are taking the EASY way out. They say that unconditional love is the easy way out!
So, we're talking about this – because we know many of you hear and deal with the same things.

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Getting the Harmful Religious Crap Out of Our Heads Jun 21, 2023

Show notes

Every day, we hear from people who grew up in a church that teaches a conditional God who’ll drop you into hell – and if you end up there it’s your fault anyway. It’s like, you’re barely acceptable to God as it is, you lowly worm, but if you’re gay or trans or bisexual, you are basically sh*t out of luck!
That’s what many people are taught, and it’s surprisingly stuck in our heads. We know better by now, we’ve been taught better by now, but dang, the fear just keeps popping up!
We want to help get all that hurtful false teaching about God – and about you - out of your head. A powerful, intimate episode.

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Yeah, I'm All Good... Save Your Own Heart! Jun 07, 2023

Show notes

Anyone out there who has people who are trying to change them? Yeah.
Some with good intentions, I guess. And some, let’s be honest, with bad intentions based on fear.
So, how do we respond when someone reaches out to us to help us get "back on the path", "get back in God’s will", "get back on the straight (ha!) and narrow"??
Especially if it is someone we are close to.

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Just How Sick Has Toxic Religion Made Us? May 31, 2023

Show notes

When we were in the non-affirming evangelical church, we did not realize how toxic it was or how sick it was making us.
When we opened the box we had God in, when we began to deconstruct those false teachings, we begin to see all the symptoms – our views, attitudes, lack of compassion, judgment.
We came to understand how sick toxic religion had made us.

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Did the Devil Really Make Me Do It?? May 24, 2023

Show notes

The false teachings about hell and the devil do serious damage to our hearts – especially those who have been rejected by the church for who they are, or for what they stand for.
It IS the number one fear for people who are LGBTQ+ and come from Christianity. It IS the number one fear for people who are deconstructing their faith.
"Oh crap, is the devil making me do all of this? What if I am wrong, could I end up in hell?"

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A Parent's Desire to Change Their Children May 17, 2023

Show notes

I think we all know parents who want their child to change.
Maybe you are that parent. A Mom or Dad of an LGBTQ+ child and you feel alone, and don’t know what to do.
Thank you for loving your child enough to listen to this episode.
You’re not alone, and perhaps this is the answer you’ve been praying for.

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