Recovering From Religion

Latest Episodes:

E166: (Failed) Psychic Predictions w/ Rob Palmer Jan 21, 2023

Show notes

This week on RfRx, Rob Palmer will be joining us to discuss psychic predictions. In 2021, The Skeptic Zone producer and CSI Fellow Richard Saunders completed his 12-year project dubbed the Great Australian Psychic Prediction Project (GAPPP) – an analysis of almost 4,000 published paranormal predictions made by over 200 people claiming paranormal powers in Australia. The scoring of the predictions was performed by an international team of volunteers of which Rob was a member. In this presentation, an expanded version of the talk to be given at CSICon 2022 in a few weeks, Rob will share details and the results of this unique investigation into the precision (or lack thereof) of the published predictions of prominent, public, paranormal practitioners.

Rob Palmer has had a diverse career in engineering, having worked as a spacecraft designer, computer programmer, and software systems engineer. He began writing for Skeptical Inquirer in 2018, and to date has had 60 articles published by Skeptical Inquirer and other skeptic media (on three continents!). Rob writes about contemporary skeptical issues, and for his column he has interviewed individuals as diverse as astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, Penn Jillette (of Penn & Teller), John de Lancie (Star Trek’s Q!), Thomas Westbrook (Holy Koolaid), Drew McCoy (The Genetically Modified Skeptic), and Seth Andrews. Rob is also a public speaker and has given talks for various skeptic and humanist groups, (including RfR). He has been a speaker at Dragon Con, and twice (so far) at CSICon, the annual conference of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. He has also been interviewed about his work on various podcasts and YouTube shows, including The Skeptic Zone, Big Picture Science, Banachek’s Brain, and The Thinking Atheist.

For RfRx comments, inquiries & topical questions, email us at RfRx@recoveringfromreligion.org.

Any time you are struggling with religious doubts or fears you can connect with a trained RfR Helpline agent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To chat online go to http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org.

To talk over the phone, dial:

(844) 368-2848 in the US & Canada

If you are in need of professional help, we can offer the Secular Therapy Project to provide options to connect with a professional therapist. All therapists have been thoroughly vetted by our organization and offer only evidence-based and non-religious treatment. Connect with them at http://www.seculartherapy.org.

Volunteer: http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/volunteer

Donate: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/donate

E165: Filled with the Spirit: Demonic Possession and Spirit Belief w/ Dr. Kara Griffin Jan 21, 2023

Show notes

This week on RfRx we are getting into the spirit of the fall season by taking a social scientific look at belief in some of the spookier aspects of the supernatural: spirits and demons. Anthropologist Kara Griffin will share their experiences growing up steeped in these beliefs in fundamentalist evangelical churches, discuss the basis of belief in spirits and demons across cultures, and consider some of their uses in contemporary society. Bring your spooky questions and stories! We will save plenty of time for discussion and Q&A.

Kara Griffin was born in Texas and raised in Southern Baptist, evangelical, and non-denominational mega-churches and private schools. After leaving the faith in the mid-2000s, Kara was able to pursue their passion for learning, traveling, and experiencing diverse cultures and perspectives. They holds undergraduate degrees in Psychology, International Relations, and Criminal Justice, a Master’s Degree in Dispute Resolution & Conflict Management, and a PhD in Anthropology.

Kara enjoys working with secular community services that support other people who may have experienced judgment, repression, or other struggles related to involvement with religious groups.

At RfR, Kara volunteers as the Online Programming Director and hosts the weekly RfRx Talks sessions. In their free time, Kara can be found volunteering, teaching and lecturing at universities and conferences, reading all kinds of books (especially sci-fi), and spending time with their dog, Snow.

For RfRx comments, inquiries & topical questions, email us at RfRx@recoveringfromreligion.org.

Any time you are struggling with religious doubts or fears you can connect with a trained RfR Helpline agent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To chat online go to http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org.

To talk over the phone, dial:

(844) 368-2848 in the US & Canada

Volunteer: http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/volunteer

Donate: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/donate

E164: The Illusion of God’s Presence w/ Dr. John Wathey Jan 21, 2023

Show notes

This week on RfRx, Jack Wathey will discuss the Illusion of God’s Presence. Science has only begun to make sense of religion’s powerful grip on the human mind. Why do seven percent of members of the National Academy of Sciences believe in a personal god who answers prayer? The question is important because it probes the most irresistible essence of the appeal of religious and spiritual thinking. Using evidence from visual illusions, behavioral biology, and neuroscience, I offer an explanation for this and other puzzles of religion in terms of a cognitively impenetrable illusion, one that science has largely overlooked.

John C. Wathey is a retired computational biologist whose interests include evolutionary algorithms, the biology of nervous systems, and electoral reform. He got his PhD in Neurosciences at UC San Diego and has spent most of his career working on computer simulations of protein folding. His first book, The Illusion of God’s Presence, explores the evolution of the emotions and intuitions behind religious belief, emphasizing behavioral and psychological research. His latest book is The Phantom God: What Neuroscience Reveals about the Compulsion to Believe. It relates the motivating forces behind religiousness to the neural circuitry of embodiment, mother-infant attachment, adult sexual pair-bonding, addiction, selective attention, hallucinations, and many other neurological surprises.

For RfRx comments, inquiries & topical questions, email us at RfRx@recoveringfromreligion.org.

Any time you are struggling with religious doubts or fears you can connect with a trained RfR Helpline agent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To chat online go to http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org.

To talk over the phone, dial:

(844) 368-2848 in the US & Canada

Volunteer: http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/volunteer

Donate: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/donate

E163: Life After Purity Culture w/ Registered Professional Counselor Janice Selbie Jan 21, 2023

Show notes

Back by popular demand, returning guest speaker and professional counselor, Janice Selbie, will be joining us this week on RfRx to discuss Life After Purity Culture. We’ll talk about what purity culture is, why it’s important to talk about it, and debunk some really, really bad sex advice. Janice is also going to share some exciting news about her latest work and upcoming events to keep an eye out for.

Janice Selbie spent nearly 4 decades as an Evangelical Christian. After divorcing her husband and her religion, she became a Registered Professional Counsellor and religious recovery consultant. In addition to working 1:1 with clients recovering from religious trauma, Janice developed the Divorcing Religion Workshop and founded the Conference on Religious Trauma – as well as the upcoming Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture online conference, happening in October.

For RfRx comments, inquiries & topical questions, email us at RfRx@recoveringfromreligion.org.

Any time you are struggling with religious doubts or fears you can connect with a trained RfR Helpline agent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To chat online go to http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org.

To talk over the phone, dial:

(844) 368-2848 in the US & Canada

Volunteer: http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/volunteer

Donate: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/donate

E162: Studying Religion Skeptically w/ Richard Gilliver Jan 21, 2023

Show notes

This week on RfRx, Richard Gilliver will be joining us to talk about being a skeptic who studies religion academically and how that produces a different viewpoint when discussing the topic with other people. He will also discuss skepticism and the difficulties for supernatural claims when skepticism is applied.

Richard Gilliver has been having discussions with religious people for thirty years, originally via talking to them in the street, then on internet message boards and more recently on social media. He has studied Buddhist meditation for two decades and took an academic interest in religious scriptures - specifically from Buddhism, Islam and Christianity around a decade ago. He began as a Skeptic educator around two years ago - like many others taking the opportunity during the beginning of the covid pandemic to find a new way of communicating with people. It was around the same time that he began volunteering with the ACA and undertook his degree in religion, philosophy and ethics - a move encouraged by his wife to formalize his lifelong interest. Today he has his own skeptic show on YouTube and is the co-founder and co-host of the weekly Skeptic Hangout Podcast and a Host on the ACA’s non Prophet’s show.

For RfRx comments, inquiries & topical questions, email us at RfRx@recoveringfromreligion.org.

Any time you are struggling with religious doubts or fears you can connect with a trained RfR Helpline agent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To chat online go to http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org.

To talk over the phone, dial:

(844) 368-2848 in the US & Canada

Volunteer: http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/volunteer

Donate: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/donate

E161: Religious Trauma and the Search for Identity w/ Jennifer Manlowe PhD Oct 09, 2022

Show notes

This week on RfRx we will have Jennifer Manlowe on to discuss Religious Trauma and the Search for Identity. She will cover the traumatic effects of religious indoctrination on body, identity, self worth, and body image. How do we find dignity and self esteem post-breakup with religion? And what if we aren’t ready to give up everything about our former religious identity and beliefs?

For RfRx comments, inquiries & topical questions, email us at RfRx@recoveringfromreligion.org.

Any time you are struggling with religious doubts or fears you can connect with a trained RfR Helpline agent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To chat online go to http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org.

To talk over the phone, dial:

(844) 368-2848 in the US & Canada

Volunteer: http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/volunteer

Donate: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/donate

E160: Skeptical Paranormal Investigations w/ Kenny Biddle Oct 09, 2022

Show notes

Do you believe in ghosts, hauntings, or other paranormal phenomena? Wondering how to tell if that unexplained event is really evidence of paranormal activity? This week on RfRx, skeptical paranormal investigator Kenny Biddle will be joining us to take a closer look at some paranormal claims. He will discuss his experiences as a paranormal investigator, how to apply science and critical thinking to purportedly paranormal events, and address questions about belief in ghosts and the afterlife.

Kenny Biddle is a science enthusiast who investigates claims of paranormal experiences, equipment, photos, and video. He promotes science, critical thinking, and skepticism through his column “A Closer Look” and video series “Ghosts in the Machine,” from Skeptical Inquirer magazine. He frequently hosts workshops on how to deconstruct paranormal photography and solve mysteries. He is a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI).

For RfRx comments, inquiries & topical questions, email us at RfRx@recoveringfromreligion.org.

Any time you are struggling with religious doubts or fears you can connect with a trained RfR Helpline agent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To chat online go to http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org.

To talk over the phone, dial:

(844) 368-2848 in the US & Canada

Volunteer: http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/volunteer

Donate: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/donate

E159: The Psychology of Abortion: Nothing is Simple w/ David Teachout LMHC Sep 09, 2022

Show notes

For this week’s RfRx, David Teachout will be returning to discuss more about reproductive health issues. We’ll explore the psychology behind sexuality and autonomy, the effects on individuals when those are challenged, and what we can do to help navigate the emotional landscape that results.

David Teachout is a mental health therapist and photographer, focused on and teaching how creativity intersects with mental flexibility in working through the inevitable difficulties in life. David grew up as a Christian fundamentalist, attending a bible college and receiving a bachelor’s in theology and psychology. During his studies there, David deconverted and has been on a journey of more deeply appreciating the many nuances of humanity ever since. David has a master’s in both forensic psychology and counseling psychology, and is currently at work on a doctorate in clinical psychology. David has been actively working within the field of psychology as therapist, social worker, advocate, and subject-matter-expert, for over fifteen years.

For RfRx comments, inquiries & topical questions, email us at RfRx@recoveringfromreligion.org.

Any time you are struggling with religious doubts or fears you can connect with a trained RfR Helpline agent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To chat online go to http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org.

To talk over the phone, dial:

(844) 368-2848 in the US & Canada

Volunteer: http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/volunteer

Donate: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/donate

E158: Not So Intelligent Design w/ Dr. Nathan Lents Sep 08, 2022

Show notes

This week at RfRx, Professor of Biology Dr. Nathan Lents will be joining us to discuss the history of the modern Intelligent Design movement. He will cover the major tenets and efforts of Intelligent Design and how they get the science wrong. He will review some recent attempts to promote the movement as a scientific one, and discuss how the claims have been debunked.

Nathan H. Lents, Ph.D. is Professor of Biology and Director of the Cell and Molecular Biology program at John Jay College of the City University of New York. He is also a visiting professor of Forensic Science at the University of Lincoln in the UK, and an elected fellow for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Dr. Lents’s research explores the evolution of the human genome and the genetics of human uniqueness. He has published over 40 research articles and book chapters and his work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, The National Science Foundation, and the US Department of Education. Professor Lents is also a very busy science writer. He blogs for Psychology Today and maintains The Human Evolution Blog, and his musings on human origins have appeared in Science, The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, The Guardian, The Observer, Skeptic Magazine, Skeptical Inquirer, and others. He is also the author of two popular science books: Not So Different: Finding Human Nature in Animals and Human Errors: A Panorama of our Glitches, from Pointless Bones to Broken Genes.

For RfRx comments, inquiries & topical questions, email us at RfRx@recoveringfromreligion.org.

Any time you are struggling with religious doubts or fears you can connect with a trained RfR Helpline agent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To chat online go to http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org.

To talk over the phone, dial:

(844) 368-2848 in the US & Canada

Volunteer: http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/volunteer

Donate: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/donate

E157: A Reproductive Rights Round Table Discussion Sep 07, 2022

Show notes

This week’s RfRx will be a special round table discussion about the state of reproductive rights in the United States. After the recent Supreme Court decision overturning the landmark Roe v Wade decision, many people have been left wondering what happens next. Dr. Darrel Ray, Gayle Jordan, Helen Greene and David Teachout will join us for a discussion about the connections between religion and reproductive rights in the US, how to find support if you are struggling, and outline some of the ways that Recovering From Religion is responding.

For RfRx comments, inquiries & topical questions, email us at RfRx@recoveringfromreligion.org.

Any time you are struggling with religious doubts or fears you can connect with a trained RfR Helpline agent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To chat online go to http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org.

To talk over the phone, dial:

(844) 368-2848 in the US & Canada

Volunteer: http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/volunteer

Donate: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/donate

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