Recovering From Religion

Latest Episodes:

E16: Leaving Mormonism…with a Song Jun 13, 2019

Show notes

Angela Soffe grew up in the Mormon faith, while living abroad in Southeast Asia. When she came back to America for college, it was culture shock on several levels, even though it was a Mormon school. There she began to discover her love and aptitude for singing. It was music that got her through the painful transition out of her Mormon faith.

She's a songwriter and lead singer of the Angela Soffe Band. Her music has elements of folk, pop, and bluegrass. There's a darkness-to-light message in her music, and her voice is amazing. Her song, “Rocks” won the Great American Songwriting Contest for 2018, and the "Second Wind" album has been nominated for the Independent Music Awards (2018)

In this episode she talks with us about leaving Mormonism and, throughout this episode, we include some of her music.

Angela’s Website: www.angelasoffe.com
YouTube channel: https://bre.is/ai0Hw0d3Z

More about Recovering from Religion

Did you know Recovering from Religion has local support groups?
https://bre.is/sndPcEW6E

Looking for a therapist who will respect your views?
https://www.seculartherapy.org/

Interested in meeting other people who have made the journey to recovery?

RfR is hosting a fall outing in Mars Hill, NC.
https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/fall-excursion-2019

We want to hear your story.
Use the RfR Podcast hotline: 209-294-0681
Or fill out the form at the bottom of the RfR podcast page: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/podcast

E15: The Power of Cults May 16, 2019

Show notes

Cults come in a variety of expressions, though they have commonalities. Our guest for this episode is an expert on this subject, as well as a former cult member herself.
Dr. Janja Lalich is a researcher, author, and educator specializing in cults and extremist groups with a particular focus on charismatic relationships, political and other social movements, ideology, and social control. She was a Fulbright scholar and is Professor Emerita of Sociology at California State University, Chico, and the founder and former director of the Center for Research on Influence and Control. Her books are considered essential to understand the attraction of these groups. She presents four ways to not only explain the power of cults, but also the control they have over their followers. Her latest book is one of the most extensive examinations of those who’ve left cults.
Janja consults with education, mental health, business and legal professionals, and is a regular spokesperson for the media.

Tim and Bill also discuss the ongoing NXIVM trial, and how Janja's research helps to understand this kind of group.
Janja’s Website: http://cultresearch.org/
Janja’s Books: https://goo.gl/vGMML6

More about Recovering from Religion:

Did you know Recovering from Religion has local support groups?
https://bre.is/sndPcEW6E

Looking for a therapist who will respect your views?
https://www.seculartherapy.org/

Interested in meeting other people who have made the journey to recovery?
RfR is hosting a fall outing in Mars Hill, NC.
September 20-22, 2019
https://bre.is/cIC5j8dih

We want to hear your story.
Use the RfR Podcast hotline: 209-294-0681
Or fill out the form at the bottom of the RfR podcast page: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/podcast

E14: Beneath the Hare Krishna Message of Peace and Higher Consciousness Apr 26, 2019

Show notes

Nitai Joseph was born into a Hare Krishna family. After becoming very devout as a teenager, he joined an offshoot sect, and moved to a small, off-grid monastery in Northern California.

For almost seven years, Nitai was assistant to the leader, experiencing intense psychological and financial abuse, manipulation, and deprivation.

These days, Nitai is working for education and recovery resources for survivors of cults, cultic environments and interpersonal abuse more broadly. He currently serves on the Advisory Council of the International Cultic Studies Association, and is working toward a Master’s degree in the Psychology of Coercive Control.

Nitai’s Website: http://arecoveringmonk.com/

We want to hear your story.
Use the RfR Podcast hotline: 209-294-0681
Or fill out the form at the bottom of the RfR podcast page: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/podcast

More about Recovering from Religion

Did you know Recovering from Religion has local support groups?
https://bre.is/sndPcEW6E

Looking for a therapist who will respect your views?
https://www.seculartherapy.org/

Interested in meeting other people who have made the journey to recovery?
RfR is hosting a fall outing in Mars Hill, NC.
https://bre.is/cIC5j8dih

E13: Religious Abuse Mar 29, 2019

Show notes

Debbie Glander is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, cofounder of Authenticity Workshops, and a Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator, utilizing methodology based on the research of Dr. Brené Brown. Debbie works with clients individually in her private practice and facilitates a “Healing from Religious and Spiritual Trauma” process group. She has her own story of being raised Jehovah Witness.
Kari Groff is a former Adventist missionary to Micronesia, but is now passionate about building communities with those who’ve also experienced the trauma of a strict, dogmatic religious culture.
Join us as we talk with these women about the power and control of shame, as well as recognizing religious abuse.
Debbie’s Website: www.debbieglander.com

UPDATE: We recently put out an appeal for a Producer for the Recovering from Religion podcast. We're pleased to announce that we’ve found one, and we’ll be introducing our new Producer in an upcoming episode. Thank you!

E12: From Make-Up Tips to Faith Deconstruction Mar 12, 2019

Show notes

Sarah Rocksdale created her YouTube channel in 2011 to share her passion for topics such as beauty, fashion, fitness, and lifestyle. She won the Rimmel London Look contest and was a NYX Cosmetics Face Awards finalist two years in a row, and garnered a huge following.
She realized her unique position to speak to an audience that might not otherwise be exposed to difficult subjects, so she chose to expand her content, talking about her own break with her Pentecostal faith, her sexual abuse, and she “came out” as an atheist.
Sarah’s YouTube channel (https://goo.gl/PrZV66) has more than 88,000 subscribers.

E11: Scientology and Critical Thinking Feb 26, 2019

Show notes

Chris Shelton grew up in Scientology, and was a Sea Org member for more than 17 years. Since his exit, he’s been a passionate, outspoken critic, to the point of being labeled a “suppressive person” by the Church. He was featured on Leah Remini’s "Scientology and the Aftermath" on A&E.
Chris is now a writer, consultant and advocate for critical thinking. His YouTube channel has more than 17,000 subscribers, and he’s the host of "Sensibly Speaking," a podcast that educates about critical thinking as well as the dangers of cults.
He's the author of "Scientology: A to Xenu – An Insider’s Guide to What Scientology is Really All About," a critical analysis of Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard.
Website: https://mncriticalthinking.com/
YouTube: https://youtu.be/22BmQnCjRTM
Podcast: http://sensiblyspeaking.com/
Book: https://goo.gl/VPcE29

E10: Sarah and Becca – Facing Changes as a Couple Feb 13, 2019

Show notes

We were excited for our first interview with a married couple!

Sarah Austin, a transgender woman, grew up in a small town as a “vanilla Christian” working in conservative talk radio. Her wife Becca grew up as a Jehovah’s Witness. Sarah and Becca married before Sarah’s transition. Together, they host the SarahTalk Podcast where they discuss “all the things you shouldn’t talk about at work.”

Sarah and Becca share their story of facing faith and gender identity issues as a couple in love.

Before the interview, Bill and Tim discuss the recent news stories about televangelist Ernest Angley, and Bill relates a personal anecdote about Angley's church.

SarahTalk Podcast: http://www.sarahtalk.com/

E9: Atheist Pastor Luke King Jan 23, 2019

Show notes

Tim and Bill discuss the many ways people re-examine, and often abandoned, their faith, as well as the many emotions that go with it.

Then they’re joined by Luke King, a former Four-Square, Pentecostal Pastor and now host of the “Your Atheist Pastor" podcast that provides a place for those who’ve left their faith.

Luke is also a speaker, a blogger and a yoga instructor.
In this engaging episode Luke tells his story, why he still sees himself as a pastor, and how yoga helped transform his self-image.
(And wait until you hear about his Instagram account!)

Luke’s podcast: youratheistpastor.org

E8: Lloyd Evans talks Jehovah's Witnesses Jan 11, 2019

Show notes

Lloyd Evans is a much sought-after expert on Jehovah's Witnesses, the religion of his upbringing. He’s the founder of JWsurvey.org, and author of “The Reluctant Apostate” which is both a memoir and a reference guide. He points to JW’s as just one example of the harm that can be inflicted when religious authority goes unchecked. Since 2011, Lloyd has been a passionate advocate against cults and religious fundamentalism. Lloyd's YouTube channel (under the name John Cedars) has 12,000+ subscribers and has attracted more than 2.5 million views.

Website: https://jwsurvey.org/welcome

YouTube channel: https://goo.gl/Rly2CP

E7: A New Year with Recovering from Religion Jan 03, 2019

Show notes

To start off 2019, our guests are Dr. Darrel Ray, the psychologist and author who founded Recovering from Religion and currently serves as president, and Gayle Jordan, an attorney who works as our executive director.
These two tireless leaders tell their own story, and we also get insights into what led to the formation of RfR, the services offered, and how people can get involved. Before the end of the interview, we ask each of them about their hopes for the new year.
Website: RecoveringfromReligion.org
RfR Resources: https://goo.gl/4koWwx

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