Unholier Than Thou

Latest Episodes:

Thanks, but no thanks Nov 20, 2020

Show notes

Our national revisionist-history holiday is upon us, so Phill has a special guest at his Thanksgiving table. Kaitlin Curtice is a citizen of the Potawatomi Nation and also (wait for it) a Christian. She and Phill talk about balancing conflicting identities, decolonizing her faith, and rethinking, reimagining, and relearning our history.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/unholierthanthou.

Giving Grace and Buying Guns Nov 13, 2020

Show notes

Now that the facism is ebbing, should the apologies be flowing? That's what Phill is hoping to glean from Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg. She walks us through the process of repentance and if you're required to forgive the MAGA hat wearers in your life. Next, Pastor Mike McBride joins to dissuade Phill from buying a gun to defend himself in the event of a rocky transition of power. Turns out firearms lead to violence, not safety! Who knew?

Go to Vote Save America for volunteer/donation opportunities in Georgia!

Stay up to date with Rabbi Danya here

To support Pastor Mike's violence prevention work, check out Live Free USA

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/unholierthanthou.

Screw you, Mercury Nov 06, 2020

Show notes

This week, Phill is putting his phone down and looking up to the stars. First, he welcomes ABC News anchor and Ten Percent Happier founder Dan Harris to talk about how to develop mindfulness outside of an oppressive news cycle. After an on-air panic attack, he’s the expert. Next, Chani Nicholas joins to check back in on that finicky Mercury, explain why this week was such a clusterfuck, and if we have anything to look forward to in 2021 (we do).

Show notes:

Check out the Ten Percent Happier podcast and app

Learn more about Chani's work

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/unholierthanthou.

The Pope's Big Gay Surprise Oct 30, 2020

Show notes

This week we’re looking at the church, and more specifically, who’s welcome inside. First, Phill chats with Gerald Posner, a journalist and Vatican expert, about Pope Francis' widely praised but incredibly vague comments surrounding civil unions for gay couples. Then, author and researcher Robert P. Jones joins to talk about Southern Baptists' unholy history with segregationists, and the slow and unsteady march of white Christians towards racial justice.

Follow Gerald Posner's work here

Learn more about Robert P. Jones and the Public Religion Research Institute here

His book is White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/unholierthanthou.

The REAL Hocus Pocus Oct 23, 2020

Show notes

This week, we’re turning off the news and picking up our brooms. Witches are all around us, and always have been, so Phil decides to debunk some of the black magic around them. First, he speaks to Sabina Magliocco, an expert in witchcraft and folklore to dive into history. Next, he talks with Amanda Yeats-Garcia, a witch who gained prominence trying to put a binding spell on our president (Did it work? Find out next week!). And finally, he welcomes La Loba Loca, a queer educator and herbalist who speak on the power of ancestry, the horror of persecutions, and why you should take shrooms instead of ayahuasca.

Show notes:

Learn more about Amanda Yates Garcia, listen to her podcast, and buy her book

Learn more about La Loba Loca

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/unholierthanthou.

Amy Coney Barrett: A Catholic Bigot Oct 16, 2020

Show notes

In this week’s episode, Phill chats with two religious experts about the perversion of Christianity on display during the Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Judge Amy Coney Barrett. First, progressive faith leader Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons explains how the majority of the Christian electorate is *actually* voting come November 3rd, and how Barrett’s positions betray many of the teachings of Christianity. Then, the author and journalist Olga Marina Segura joins to explain how Barrett’s allegiance to the Catholic Church institution makes her a “secret weapon” of their agenda—one that is steeped in a history and legacy of white supremacy.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/unholierthanthou.

So, is this Karma? Oct 09, 2020

Show notes

This week, Phill takes a deep dive into what’s been on all of our minds: Is Donald Trump finally experiencing the karmic retribution he deserves? Former Buddhist monk, author, and meditation teacher Jason Siff explains a little bit about the philosophy of Karma—and what we in the West tend to get wrong about it. Then, the ACLU’s Chase Strangio joins Phill for a follow-up discussion about the Supreme Court, and how “religious freedom” disputes could potentially push the justices to overturn marriage equality in the future.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/unholierthanthou.

Is it a sin to hate Trump? Oct 02, 2020

Show notes

This week, Phill has a question on his mind -- is it okay to hate Trump? In a week in which Trump nominated a conservative judge to the Supreme Court, defended paying only $750 in taxes and gave orders to white supremacists during the Presidential debate, Phill asks Reverend Broderick Greer and Abby Stein, an ordained rabbi, how they process their feelings towards Trump. They talk through their philosophies of forgiveness and the responsibility of standing up against Trump.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/unholierthanthou.

The religious radicalization of the Supreme Court Sep 25, 2020

Show notes

In light of the tragic passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Phill invites Jenny Pizer of Lambda Legal to speak to the power RBG held on the Supreme Court and to discuss how the religious right is attempting to codify powers in the US through Trump's potential nominee. We also hear how faith can guide judges without imposing on their rulings and how Jenny herself handles her relationship to faith.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/unholierthanthou.

How coronavirus has changed the way people die Sep 18, 2020

Show notes

As the death toll from the coronavirus reaches 200,000 in the United States, Phill talks to two chaplains about the difficulty of dying in isolation. Halle Diecidue and Stephanie Ramos have spent the last months helping individuals plan their deaths during a most unusual time—and without the usual coping mechanisms that we’re used to in end-of-life care. Before speaking to the chaplains, Phill talks to political strategist Zara Rahim about the revisionist history of the legacy of Islamophobia post-9/11.

for a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/unholierthanthou.