I was a Teenage Fundamentalist. An Exvangelical podcast.

114 - Some Standing Here Shall Not Taste Death - The Failed Return of Jesus Nov 22, 2024

Did Jesus predict his own return in the lifetime of his disciples and first century Christians and get it wrong? Was he simply one of many failed first-century Jewish apocalyptic preachers? Did Paul and other writers of the New Testament share Jesus' view and get it wrong too? In this episode, Troy and Brian unpack some of the reasons why many scholars, progressive Christians, Exvangelicals and Atheists give a resounding, 'Yes!' to these questions.

Links

'The Lowdown on God's Showdown' by Edward Babinski The article serves as the foundation for this episode and is the same one that Troy read, which persuaded him that Jesus would not return.
Episode 113 - Armageddon Isn't Coming with Bart Ehrman Bart gives his scholarly perspectives on the Book of Revelation and the early Church's beliefs about the imminent return of Jesus.
Episode 3 - It's the End of the World as We Know it In one of our earliest episodes, we talked about how we were peddled the end-time message from the very start of our time as fundamentalists.
Episode 35 - F**cked Over at Country Town AOG Troy has his 'fridge revelation' that Jesus may not be coming so soon after all.

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Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

113 - Armageddon Isn’t Coming with Bart Ehrman (repeat) Nov 08, 2024

In preparation for our upcoming episode on the failed second coming of Jesus, we decided to replay this interview with one of our Exvangelical heroes, Bart Ehrman. If you haven't yet heard this interview then you're in for a treat, and if you have heard it before, we know you'll love it all over again.

Dr Bart D. Ehrman is the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. An expert on the New Testament and the history of Early Christianity, he has written or edited thirty books, numerous scholarly articles, and dozens of book reviews. Six of his books have been on the New York Times Bestseller list. Brian and Troy talk to Bart about his own teenage fundamentalism and his upcoming book, Armageddon: What the Bible really says about the end. In this conversation, Bart delves into the most misunderstood—and possibly the most dangerous—book of the Bible, Revelation.

You can connect with Bart via his blog: The Bart Ehrman Blog, his website: Bart D. Ehrman, and his podcast: Misquoting Jesus.

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Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

Neurodivergence In and Out of Church with D.L. & Krispin Mayfield Part 2 Oct 25, 2024

Following on from Part 1, we continue our chat about neurodivergence with podcast faves Danielle (D.L.) & Krispin Mayfield.

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Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

Neurodivergence In and Out of Church with D.L. & Krispin Mayfield Part 1 Oct 18, 2024

On the back of Troy's recent ADHD diagnosis, we talk about neurodivergence with podcast faves Danielle (D.L.) & Krispin Mayfield. Danielle's tells of their own Autism diagnosis and Troy opens up about how ADHD impacted him in the Church and now that he's deconstructed. The Mayfield's also talk about their latest project, Strongwilled.

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Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

110 - You can take the girl outta fundamentalism...with Dr Laura Anderson Oct 04, 2024

Dr. Laura Anderson is a licensed psychotherapist, trauma resolution coach, religious trauma consultant, speaker, author, and educator. We talk with her about how when we leave fundamentalism, fundamentalism doesn't necessarily leave us, and its toxicity seems to manifest in other ways.

Laura's links:

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Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

109 - F*ck the Patriarchy! with Cait West Sep 20, 2024

Cait West is a survivor of the Christian patriarchy movement and advocate for survivors of spiritual abuse. In this episode, we talk about her experiences and her book, Rift: A memoir of breaking away from the Christian Patriarchy. She shares her story of hope for those who want to break free from high control environments.

Links

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108 - Let's Go Back to Great Big AOG Part 2 Sep 06, 2024

Following on from Part 1, we continue our recount of a recent Sunday service at Great Big AOG. We dive into the sermon and challenge the f*ck out of his claims and assertions and ask just how reliable are the supposed miracle stories that the pastor told. Judging by the amount of laughter, this two-parter is easily up there with our most fun episodes so far.

Links:

Let's go back to Great Big AOG Part 1
Listen to the actual recording of the sermon we sat through and recount for you - Ps Dave Harvey |Originally recorded on Sunday, 21st July 2024 | 11:30AM
Heaven Bent Podcast Season 2 is about Bethel Church

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107 - Let's Go Back to Great Big AOG Part 1 Aug 29, 2024

It's been nearly 30 years since our last visit to Great Big AOG, and in this episode, we go back for a Sunday service. Join us as we recount the weird and bizarre antics and carry-on of these modern Pentecostals. We also introduce you to Brian's significant other, Michelle, as she joined us on our expedition back into the world of church. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll sing in tongues and raise your hands.

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106 - Navigating 'the Gray' with Sharon and Tracey from the Feet of Clay Podcast Aug 16, 2024

In this episode, we are joined by Tracey and Sharon from the podcast, Feet of Clay—Confessions of the Cult Sisters. We talk about the black and white thinking of fundamentalism and how to leave it behind and embrace 'the grays' and nuances that pervade most of what life throws our way.

Links:

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105 - Leaving Christian Friends and Family Behind (Our Stories Part 34) Aug 02, 2024

When you leave church and/or the faith, what do you do about those who choose to stay? How do you navigate, maintain or even grieve those you leave behind? Troy and Brian share their own stories and give some advice on this very tricky part of deconstructing.

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104 - Troy Loses His Faith (Our Stories Part 33) Jul 19, 2024

Troy chronicles the events immediately leading up to and after he lost his faith in Jesus. He describes the factors that influenced his decision and how it felt to be finally free of the mental gymnastics he needed to apply to remain a Christian.

Links:

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103 - Death with Zenith Virago Jul 05, 2024

We talk with Zenith Virago, a highly respected celebrant, educator, public speaker and author and self-proclaimed Deathwalker. She is the founder of the Natural Death Care Centre and was named Byron Bay's Citizen of the Year in 2021 in recognition of her important work.

Links:

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Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

102 - Community After Leaving Church with Bart Campolo & John Wright Jun 21, 2024

We talk with the hosts and producers of the Humanize Me podcast, Bart Campolo and John Wright, about leaving fundamentalist communities behind and whether it is possible to find new communities afterwards. Bart Campolo is an American humanist speaker, writer, former pastor, and son of Tony Campolo, the well-known Christian pastor and speaker. John Wright is a documentary filmmaker, freelance cinematographer, and media content producer whose work includes documentaries on various subjects, including the story of Bart's departure from the Christian faith.

Links:

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Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

101 - God of the Mind with Rob Haskell Jun 07, 2024

Rob Haskell was born to missionary parents, spending his childhood in Argentina. He later attended Bible College and seminary before reevaluating his beliefs and embracing critical thinking over religious orthodoxy in 2015. We speak with Rob about his new book, God of the Mind: an eXvangelical Journey, a personal exploration of the intellectual incoherencies of evangelical Christianity, the psychological pressures that keep the faithful in the fold, and the price that honest seekers must pay in order to maintain its tenets.

Links:

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Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

100 - Life After Church with Brian & Troy (Our Stories Part 32) May 24, 2024

Here it is! The 100th episode! Brian and Troy continue with their own deconstruction stories and share what life was like after having left church...and Jesus. Did they completely fall apart? Did they return to their sin like a dog to its vomit? Tune in and find out.

Links:

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Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

099 - What about Secular Buddhism? with Ted Meissner May 10, 2024

If there's one religious sounding label that Troy is willing to wear, it's 'Buddhist'. In this episode we speak with Ted Meissner, the Executive Director of the Secular Buddhist Association, and the host of The Secular Buddhist Podcast. Ted explains Secular Buddhism and how it contrasts with the more traditional forms of Buddhism.

Ted's links:

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Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

098 - What About Progressive Judaism? with Michel Laloum Apr 26, 2024

In this episode, we explore Progressive/Reformed Judaism with Michel Laloum, Cantor at Temple Beth Israel Synagogue in Melbourne, Australia. He was ordained as a Cantor at the Progressive Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion and completed Rabbinic studies at the Academy for Jewish Religion, Jewish Theological Seminary and New York University.

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Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

097 - What about Progressive Christianity? with Tim Costello Apr 12, 2024

Tim Costello is an Australian social justice advocate, community leader, and a prominent figure in the Christian faith, albeit a progressive form. He is known in Australia for his public commentary on political and ethical matters, often offering a perspective informed by his Christian faith and commitment to social justice. In this episode we talk to Tim about his commitment to his faith, and what that looks like now, having left fundamentalism decades ago.

Tim's links:

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096 - What About Near-Death Experiences? with Dr Eben Alexander Mar 29, 2024

In this episode, we talk with Dr Eben Alexander, an American neurosurgeon and author. In 2008, he suffered a coma caused by a rare and mysterious bacterial meningo-encephalitis of unknown causes. We talk with him about his own near-death experience and his book, Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife.

Dr Alexander's links:

After our recording, we came upon three articles in particular that make some serious allegations against Dr Alexander. One is from Esquire Magazine and another from writer, Sam Harris. These were both quite hostile. The third is from the Harvard Crimson, and while it is certainly not hostile, it does echo many of the allegations made in the Esquire article.

We contacted Dr Alexander about these articles and the allegations they make, and his assistant replied with the following links:

First, Robert Mays, an NDE researcher and longtime leader of IANDS.org, wrote a thorough article criticizing the journalism of Esquire's author: JNDS_ Winter 2016 2PP.indd (unt.edu)
A peer-reviewed article published in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease (flagship journal for physicians in neurology & psychology), by Bruce Greyson et al. It is about Eben's personal case, from the standpoint of a lifelong NDE researcher and colleagues: nmd50598 744..747 (virginia.edu) and more about the professors in the department, so you know their calibre of work and background: Faculty and Staff - Division of Perceptual Studies (virginia.edu)
A reply from Eben during another interview, re: Sam Harris' allegations: Eben Alexander answers skeptics' criticisms (iands.org)
A valuable set of essays about consciousness, several of which cite Eben's case study in their work: Essay Contest - Bigelow Institute for Consciousness Studies. Start with the winning entry by Jeff Mishlove and then peruse other topics.

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Deconversion Therapy Podcast

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Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

Bonus: Sexvangelicals - The Sex Ed We Wish We Had: Consent, Part 1 of 2, Mar 19, 2024

We recently stumbled upon a podcast we thought you'd love. Sexvangelicals is a sexual health podcast and education platform with the mission to support relationships in reclaiming sexuality following adverse religious experiences. This is one of their episodes, The Sex Ed We Wish We Had: Consent, Part 1 of 2. We hope you enjoy it.

If you want to connect with Sexvangelicals then find them here:

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Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

095 - What About Progressive Islam? with Ani Zonneveld Mar 15, 2024

We talk with Ani Zonneveld about Progressive Islam and the life she lives as a Progressive Muslim. Ani is a writer, singer/songwriter, and founder & President of Muslims for Progressive Values, an international human rights organization that advocates for social justice and equality for all, a strong supporter of freedom of expression and of conscience, women’s rights and as an ally, LGBTQ rights.

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Deconversion Therapy Podcast

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Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

094 - What About Certainty? with Bernard Warnick Mar 01, 2024

In this episode, we talk with writer Bernard Warnick about humanity's obsession with certainty and ask, is certainty attainable? Bernard spent nineteen years as a judge of the trial division and later the Appeal Division of the Family Court of Australia before retiring from the bench in 2010. He developed a deep interest in the reasoning process and researched the works of neurobiologists, cognitive scientists, philosophers, linguists and other thinkers for ten years, culminating in his book, Illusions of Certainty | thoughts about thinking.

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093 -What About Season 5? Feb 17, 2024

We're back for Season 5! In this episode we review the highlights of Season 4, let you know about the changes we've made and where the podcast is heading in 2024.

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Trailer: I was a Teenage Fundamentalist. Season 5 Feb 09, 2024

Brian and Troy used to be loyal Christian megachurch leaders. They’re not anymore. Thispodcast explores life after Fundamentalism.

Shortlisted for the 2022 Australian Podcast Awards.

Find out more at iwasateenagefundamentalist.com/ and https://linktr.ee/iwatf

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092 - Hitchhiking with Drunken Nuns with Emily John Garces Jan 26, 2024

Emily John Garcés is an artist, poet, ex-missionary with YWAM, all-round creative enthusiast, and author of the memoir, Hitchhiking with Drunken Nuns. In this final episode of Season 4, we speak with Emily about her life as a YWAM missionary in Argentina and the Netherlands, and her unique perspective on the world we share. Despite her fundamentalist past, Emily has a positive view of the world and describes her use of art as a way of 'bridging what cannot be seen with the visible world'.

Emily's links:

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