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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:

Unleash Your Inner Champion Sep 18, 2024

Show notes

What is happening in your life? Are people telling you to go out there and hustle in an economic system that doesn’t work except for the elite?
Are people saying it’s okay to be gay, but you can’t act on it – that you can only have this kind of partner or else you have to be alone?
Do people tell you to believe what they believe or you’ll go to hell?

That’s real life for many of you – that’s the race you are being asked to run.
The summer has brought us some great sporting events with amazing champions, and I don’t mean just the people who came in first place. I mean those who showed courage, were bold, dedicated to something they loved, lived true to the calling in the hearts.
Huh… sounds a lot like you. This is YOUR life, YOUR race – So let’s talk today about how you can unleash your inner champion.

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You Don't Owe Non-Supportive People Anything! Sep 11, 2024

Show notes

You don’t owe non-supportive people answers when they can’t just let you be who you are.

You don’t owe them your time, you don’t owe them your peace, you don’t owe them your soul.

But that can be a challenge, for sure, because you don’t want to end the relationship.

Or, you may have the thought that if you back off, things could still mend somehow in the future.

Beloved, this can be toxic for you. And you don’t deserve that.

Let’s talk about this today and how the most powerful thing you can do for you, for those around you, is to just Be You!

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Strike a Pose and Light Your Inner Spark! Sep 04, 2024

Show notes

After diving in – no pun intended – to the recent Olympics, we really want to entice you to look at the spark in yourself, that may have been there from the very beginning. And to let it resurface.

You may have been taught or encouraged to hide it – but we hope you are in a safer place to listen to and follow your heart, and not feel crushed that certain things may not be for you.

That spark of desire can be easily overlooked. Yes, we’re reasoned out of it—by parents, church, kids in school—who tell us that it will never be.

But there’s something inside us from when we’re small, like a guiding star. It is part of what it means to just be you.

Today we help light your inner spark, and let it shine.

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Healing with the Arts! Aug 28, 2024

Show notes

With all this talk about the teaching of contempt and religion, we thought it was time for a little relief: a little ART relief!
When I had cancer five years ago, part of the available treatment was a studio program where we created art. They kept saying, “It’s about the process, not the product.”
I can hardly even express the joy this has opened up in me.
I was amazed to learn that people who participate in the arts – art, music, dance, whatever it is for you – lower their chance of dying early by 31%! Remarkable.
Alice Walker said, “If art doesn’t make us better, what on earth is it for?”
Today, on a very special FreedHearts Podcast episode, we talk about healing with the arts.
Love, Susan

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30 Freeing Things We Did After We Deconstructed! Aug 21, 2024

Show notes

When we talk so much about all the hate and contempt coming from the non-affirming, rules-based church; the hypocrisy, the division out there; it can leave us feeling pretty down.
When we go so deep in our journey coming out of religion, we can miss the beauty along the way.
Today, we want to remind us all of the joy we have found on our journey of deconstruction, and talk about 30 freeing things we have done!
Beloved, your heart really deserves this!

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So, What Do We Do with the Bible?? Part II Aug 14, 2024

Show notes

Today, we continue with Part II of our series asking the question: "What do we do with the Bible?"
People take it literally – ignoring it’s history, as well as all the additions, edits and translations that have been done.
People claim its authority – despite not really knowing who it was written by and why.
And Christians use it to justify great harm to so many groups of people: LGBTQ, people of color, the poor, women. Yet, those same Christians just ignore and set aside the life of teachings of Jesus.
For those of you who are coming out of religion, in particular the rules-based, non-affirming church, it is critical that we deconstruct this to free ourselves from all the baggage that comes from living under this kind of false hypocritical teaching.
Let’s wrap up this series today.
Beloved, it’s time for our hearts to be free.

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So, What Do We Do with the Bible?? Part I Aug 07, 2024

Show notes

This is part one of an important two-part series where we ask the question: “What do we do with the Bible?”
We need to deconstruct it because it is abused and used as a weapon. And then they accuse you of heresy when you even slightly question it. It is used to justify great harm to people - racism, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny etc.
I know you have heard it: “The church doesn't get to choose what the Bible teaches!”
Our response? “Well, the church literally selected, edited, and compiled what’s known as the Bible.”
Beloved, it’s time to deconstruct it, disarm it and put it in the proper place in life.

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What Do We Do With All This Hate? Jul 31, 2024

Show notes

We have talked about how the church actually teaches us to hate ourselves, to hate God and the natural next step... to hate others.
Of course, they don’t say that it is hate… they even go so far as to call it love, or tough love. It's all part of their gaslighting! But to those on the receiving end, it IS indeed hate.
When there is such a deep foundation of contempt, this underlying hate, what kind of vibe does this give us? How strong is our foundation? It makes us full of fear and easy to manipulate. And the church is very effective at doing that.
They make it easy to justify rejection, condemnation, oppression, and marginalization.
So, what do we do? What do we do with all this contempt and hate??

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Does the Church Actually Teach us to Hate God?? Jul 24, 2024

Show notes

Today, we talk about the Teaching of Contempt for God – and how the church actually teaches us to hate God!!
We may not realize that, amidst the singing of praises, and saying, “Oh God is so good!” but all of it is over a trapdoor of seething contempt for a God who we are taught is capable of some horrible stuff.
That’s our understanding from religion, and it's by design! Why??
So, they can keep you in the pews and add the conditions that if we just do the right things, believe the right things, we will be okay. We will avoid this horrible God.
It’s absolute false teaching! Beloved, you deserve to be free from all of it.

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Does the Church Actually Teach us to Hate Ourselves? Jul 17, 2024

Show notes

You only can define God or even think about God in relation to us and the relationship with us.
So, it’s important to know who are we.
Today, we talk about the church’s teaching of contempt for YOU. How the church actually teaches us to hate ourselves!
We talk about who we are, and how God, the Universe, Spirit, really truly feels about us.
In the midst of all the hate and attack out there, wow – we really need this.
We need to find that peace, the kingdom of heaven Jesus said is right now, that childlike wonder and joy!
Let’s find it, reclaim it, and enjoy it!

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