Dear God, What the Hell?!

... But you have made it - a den of theives!~ (if you understand that reference let us know. Christina will be very happy.) Hey everyone, and welcome to the season finale of Dear God, What the Hell?! Season 2 has been a bit of a bumpy one, but we thank you all for continued support and love! Today your hosts are discussing a very important event in the bible - Jesus cleansing the temple -dun dun dun-. Jesus basically stormed through a temple because it had become corrupt and was taking advantage of the very people it was meant to serve. The hosts go through the usual topics - when did you hear about it first, what did you think about it? Christina felt a sense of hypocracy within her church when it came to the story, while both hosts look at the events through a modern day lens - comparing it to protests today. Thanks as always for listening. You can find us on Twitter/Instagram @deargodwth. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow on Spotify, and click that button wherever else you're listening! Amanda recommends: this weird tweet from Phil Vischer, one creative mind behind Veggietales - Link . She also recommends this "cannibalistically dark photo" from the same man - Photo Christina recommends: One of her favorite musicals of all time - Jesus Christ Superstar! (1970 film or NBC Live with John Legend) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

What's up, cool cats and kittens? This week we're diving into the totally bonkers books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy and reading some of our (least) favorite laws from within them. Prepare yourselves for a lot of misogyny, because that seems to be the running theme of the laws we picked to share. Thank you for listening! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow on Spotify, and click that button wherever else you're listening. If you want to get a hold of us, you can reach us on Twitter or Instagram at @deargodwth. This week, Amanda recommends "It Didn't Start with You" by Mark Wolynn for some science on epigenetics and intergenerational trauma, and Christina recommends watching The Mitchells vs. The Machines on Netflix! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

Hey there guys, gals, and non-binary pals! Welcome to the (delayed) Passover episode! Here your lovely hosts talk about Passover, why it's celebrated, and how to honor it rather than appropriating it. Amanda talks about the passovers she's been a part of, while Christina talks about how her mom swiped wine from Elijah's cup. As always, thank you so much for listening! You can find us on Twitter and Instagram at @deargodwth. Please take a moment to subscribe to our podcast, and if you've already done that, give us a review on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts from! This week, both hosts recommend reading the article that Christina mostly read to you! Check it out for yourself at the link below! :) Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg's 5 Myths About Passover Twitter Thread/WP Article --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

Howdy, partners! Welcome to Episode 11 of Dear God, What the Hell?! Today we realize we know far less about world religion than we thought we did, starting with Islam! Please join us, learn along with us, and read along with us as we dive into Father Abraham (fka Abram) and his wife Sarah (fka Sarai). The sources Amanda planned on summarizing before her computer so rudely crashed are linked below: Sources that Christina so kindly read on behalf of Amanda: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Abraham http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/themes/religion/index.html https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+15-20&version=NRSV As always, thank you so much for listening! You can find us on Twitter and Instagram at @deargodwth. Please take a moment to subscribe to our podcast, and if you've already done that, give us a review on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts from! This week, Amanda recommends "Prayer in the Night" by Tish Harrison Warren and Christina recommends you watch Soul on Disney +. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

Hey there Guys, Gals, and Nonbinary Pals! I bet with the title, you can already guess what this episode is about. That's right, the Creation Myth/Story! Amanda and Christina quickly recap the story and then get into the nitty gritty of it all. How does it hold up in comparision to Jewish beliefs? How were you supposed to believe the story? And you know we look at it through our always wonderful feminist lens - AHEM looking at you ADAM.  As always, thank you for listening and sharing us with your friends! You can find us on Instagram and Twitter at @deargodwth and you can rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or wherever podcasts are found! This week Amanda recommends: a heady theological blog post from BIOLA about taking a literal vs a figurative interpretation of Genesis 1-3. Christina recommends: Stardew Valley --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

Welcome to this RIVETING episode on Proverbs 31, the chapter that is guaranteed to have given you a great case of religious trauma disorder if it was taught in a hyper-evangelical realm. (But of course, before Amanda and Christina talk about that--they dive deep into navel piercings and other hot topics.) Buckle up for this wild episode in which Amanda firmly asserts her belief that the "Proverbs 31 Woman" is, in fact, a total badass who has her wits about her, her own bank account, and her own fulfilling enterprises WHICH DO NOT INVOLVE REARING CHILDREN OR SITTING IN HER HUSBAND'S SHADOW AS A QUIET, SUBMISSIVE BRIDE. Thanks for coming to our TED Talk. This week, Amanda recommends following Beth Moore on Twitter (she's not perfect. She's not LGBTQ affirming (yet,) but she did depart from the SBC and DOES actively call churchy men out on their bullshit. She also apologizes and changes her beliefs when she comes to truth, which matters a lot.) Christina recommends Schitt$ Creek on Netflix! And so does Amanda. She just finished season one. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

Hey there Guys, Gals, and Nonbinary Pals! This week Amanda and Christina are discussing a lovely little acronym that Christina's parents used during one of their many "couples ministries." C.H.A.I.R is the acronym for the ladies, and C.O.U.P.L.E is the acronym for the men. Yeah, it's as bad as it sounds. The feminist lens is strong in this episode. Buckle up, this one is definitely a bumpy ride! As always, thank you for listening and sharing us with your friends! You can find us on Instagram and Twitter at @deargodwth and you can rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or wherever podcasts are found! As for this week's recommendations, Amanda Recommends "Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation" by Kristin Kobes Du Mez and Christina recommends "Talk Me Out of It" Podcast! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

Welcome! This week, Amanda and Christina discuss yet another verse Amanda memorized with hand gestures (and Christina doesn't remember it much at all.) But, at the end of the day, let's be real--how the hell do Christians profess that they love God and Jesus and then behave in a way that is hateful to their neighbor? That's our topic of discussion this week. If you're looking for an active way to start loving your neighbor, turn inward and follow Amanda and Christina's joint recommendation this week--read and journal your way through "Me and White Supremacy" by Layla F. Saad. We also highly recommend doing this with a buddy who will keep you accountable (Purity accountability buddies? Overrated. Anti-racism accountability buddies? So, SO worth it.)  As always, you can find us at @deargodwth on Instagram and Twitter! Please rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or wherever you find your podcasts. One final note--this is the last week we'll be looking at specific passages and memory verses, so buckle up for the next wild ride! Next week we'll start discussing and dissecting passages and verses by theme. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

Howdy, listeners! This week Amanda and Christina are discussing Romans 12:2--yet another verse from Paul's letter to the church in Rome. Amanda is very familiar with this verse and remembers memorizing it (with hand motions, OF COURSE!) and both she and Christina have an excellent discussion about what "testing and approving" really means (hint: it doesn't mean blindly following church leadership!) As always, thank you for listening and sharing us with your friends! You can find us on Instagram and Twitter at @deargodwth and you can rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or wherever podcasts are found! As for this week's recommendations, Amanda Recommends "All That's Good: Recovering the Lost Art of Discernment" by Hannah Anderson and Christina recommends any menstruating folks to check out The Pill Club, especially if your insurance sucks. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

The hosts battle the big one in this episode - Matthew 28:19 - spreading the gospel. We've all grown up with it. Spread the good news! Save your friends! Anyone who doesn't accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior is going to Hell! But... do we have to spread the 'good news'? Or should we try to be better people? Tune in to see how we rip this one to shreds. If you're not interested in that, the hosts also shit on Dave Ramsey for a solid 15 minutes or so. Basically what I'm trying to say, this is a good one. If you like what you hear, please rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts from--and share us with a friend! We can be found on Instagram and Twitter at the handle @deargodwth. As always, thanks for listening! Amanda Recommends - Follow No White Saviors on Instagram Christina Recommends - These Acne Patches! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

Don't you love being told that you're a dirty sinner and fall short of the Glory of God? No? Us either. In this episode, Amanda and Christina talk extensively about how much they don't like the "Romans Road to Salvation." Amanda specifically talks about the Sinners Prayer too, something Christina was never really taught. And then they talk about what a cop out it is. Oh you sinned? Here's a get outta jail free card and that's all you have to do to repent! Ugh... this episode is definitely filled with quite a few exhausted sighs. If you like what you hear, please rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts from--and share us with a friend! We can be found on Instagram and Twitter at the handle @deargodwth. As always, thanks for listening! Amanda Recommends - Reddit's Forbidden Snacks Christina Recommends - Meet the Robinsons (Youtube Trailer) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

Have you ever recited Psalm 23 to a dying relative? No? Just me? I'll see myself out... But really--this week Amanda and Christina discuss Psalm 23 and all its peaceful (if dark) imagery. The two spend the episode catching up (as per usual) then discussing their first interactions with Psalm 23, how it made them feel at that time, and how the verse makes them feel now. This is an ultimately uplifting episode you don't want to miss (even though they spend a considerable amount of time talking about death.) If you like what you hear, please rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts from--and share us with a friend! We can be found on Instagram and Twitter at the handle @deargodwth. As always, thanks for listening! Amanda Recommends: The House of God Forever from the sultry voice of Jon Foreman, head man of Switchfoot. Christina Recommends: Decks from Best Self Co. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

Hey guys, gals, and nonbinary pals! Welcome to season two! This season we are SO excited to bring you refreshing conversations about some of the most common verses and themes in the Bible--all while viewing them through a cultural, literary, and feminist lens. Sometimes we lean more toward one lens or the other (like today) and other times we'll incorporate all three! On today's episode, A + C talk about Philipians 4:13. Is it a verse of comfort, or is it a verse that is used out of context to allow individuals to do whatever they want ‘in the name of God'? This episode also has a lot of side-tracked rants… What can we say? We do what we want. Want to get in touch? Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @deargodwth! As always, please rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or wherever it is you listen. Christina recommends nothing because she didn't say anything LOL Amanda recommends “Brene Brown on Empathy” Also here's that mug about taking verses out of context: MUG LINK  As always thanks for listening and supporting us! Love y'all! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

Hey guys, gals, and nonbinary pals! Welcome to season two! This season we are SO excited to bring you refreshing conversations about some of the most common verses and themes in the Bible--all while viewing them through a cultural, literary, and feminist lens. Sometimes we lean more toward one lens or the other (like today) and other times we'll incorporate all three! On today's episode, A + C talk about theeeee most popular verse from our upbringing (and no, it's not "Jesus wept," which was by far the easiest to memorize.) Buckle up, tune in, and follow along! Want to get in touch? Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @deargodwth! As always, please rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or wherever it is you listen. Christina recommends “Outlander” by Diana Gabaldon; Amanda recommends “The New Queer Conscience” by Adam Eli. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

Check out the trailer for season 2! And always feel free to reach out to us on Twitter and Instagram at @DearGodWTH! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

Merry Holidays everyone! Welcome to the season finale of Dear God, What The Hell?! Today is all about superiority within the Christian church. The hosts dive into their personal experiences with savior complexes and which religions were considered to be "the ones to save." Amanda speaks on her interactions with anti-Catholicism and Christina speaks on what she's seen in the world of anti-Semitism. Thank you all for joining us this season. We love all of you very much! While you're waiting for new content to come out, don't forget you can still get your fix of us on Twitter and Instagram at @DearGodWTH! Amanda Recommends: The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd Christina Recommends: Educating yourself on other religions as well as watching (or listening to cast recordings for) Book of Mormon and Jesus Christ Superstar! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

Happy Friday! May today be your payday because we're talking about

Okay, Karen, how about you take your toxic positivity and drivelous platitudes back to Hobby Lobby and stop misinterpreting Jeremiah 29:11? Thanks. This week, Amanda and Christina have a special guest from inside the house--Brandon, Amanda's husband! The squad discusses the unintentionally harmful messages they received as children and teens (and young adults) in the church regarding life's "purpose" and the "plan" that God "has for your life." If you're a seminary drop out, former Christian Studies major, or former youth-pastor-wannabe, this is definitely the episode for you. Listen as the hosts unpack what it means to lead a purposeful life and find your calling (if such a thing even exists.) As always, thank you for listening! Please rate, review and subscribe to Dear God, What the Hell?! wherever podcasts are found (but especially Apple Podcasts.) All we want for Chrismukkah is you...r subscription and for you to share us with your friends. You can also follow and chat with us on Instagram and Twitter. This week, Amanda recommends you learn more about yourself by reading "The Road Back To You" by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile, and remembering none of us knows what is truly good or truly bad in life while watching Aaron Weiss's "Horse Story." Meanwhile, Christina recommends you order a boxed set of A Game for Good Christians (for holidays, we love mixing the AGFGC deck with our Cards Against Humanity deck!) and Brandon recommends you recognize the calling of the church by reading the book of Acts from the New Testament, and then get your life together by reading "Designing your Life" by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, and "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life" by Mark Manson. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

Welcome to (lucky) episode 13 of Dear God, What the Hell?! We hope you ate all you wanted/needed to yesterday and are blessed with only the stretchiest of waistbands today. This week Amanda and Christina have a brazen discussion about volunteering (which often felt like volun-told-ing), mission trips (helllllo white supremacy and white savior complex), and underpaid positions within churches (can you say, "Let's unionize church staff?"). We'll give you a hint, social acceptance and avoidance were two of the major reasons Amanda and Christina each volunteered in the children's ministry when they were in high school. Amanda dives into a rant (as usual) about the importance of churches and church-adjacent ministries (looking at you, summer camp) treating their workers with respect and paying their workers fairly rather than manipulating them into overlooking safety by overworking their bodies and minds in the name of "ministry," and Christina talks about her experiences on mission trips as a teenager. This week, Amanda recommends "Do Better Younglife” (again) and the documentary "Jesus Camp." Christina also recommends a documentary series called "The Vow" on HBO. As always, thank you for listening. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and subscribe wherever podcasts are found! You can also follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @deargodwth. Stay tuned for a special guest on next Friday's episode, 5 a.m. EST/2 a.m. PST! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

Welcome back everyone, to episode 12 of Dear God, What the Hell?!  Hi listeners, this is a content warning. Today we're talking about purity culture, and more explicitly rape culture. We will be sharing stories of sexual assault, and we will be putting another content warning ahead of the stories themselves. If you find these topics triggering, please find and talk to a licenced therapist in your area or online. This might not be the episode for you. This week Amanda and Christina share their own personal experiences with purity culture and it's direct ties into rape culture. This can also be considered the sex episode, as they also talk about certain aspects of sex (ie masturbation) and how they were talked about, or rather not talked about, in the church. This episode is a bit darker than our others, as the hosts dive deep into some traumatizing experiences. At 28:26 the hosts start trauma sharing // ends at 47:40.  We hope you find this episode to be encouraging, and if you've ever experienced anything that we've mentioned in today's episode please know you are not alone. We see you, we hear you, and you are loved beyond conprehention.  If you enjoy our podcast, take a moment to subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts. If you really like us, write a review! You can also follow us on Instagram or Twitter at @deargodwth. Amanda Recommends: You Are Your Own: A Reckoning with the Religious Trauma of Evangelical Christianity by Jamie Lee Finch Christina Recommends: BetterHelp Online Therapy --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

Hi listeners, this is a content warning. Today we're talking about homophobia in the church. If you find this topic triggering, please find and talk to a licensed therapist in your area or online. This may not be the episode for you. This week Amanda and Christina share their own personal experiences with homophobia (both external and internal), heteronormativity and coming out. This episode is equal parts joyful celebration that all God's children are made in God's image, and are beautifully, perfectly, and wonderfully made and cringey, sad, despicable stories about the homophobia found in church and church-adjacent spaces. We hope you find this episode to be encouraging, and if you're a member of the LGBTQ+ community, please know we see you, we hear you, we love you, and we hold a place for you at our table. If you enjoy our podcast, take a moment to subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts. If you really like us, write a review! You can also follow us on Instagram or Twitter at @deargodwth. For further reading and watching, Amanda recommends God Believes in Love: Straight Talk about Gay Marriage by Gene Robinson, and Christina recommends Queer Eye Season S5E1: Preaching Out Loud // Queer Eye S3E1: God Bless Gay. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

Thanks for tuning in to this bonus episode of Dear God, What the Hell?! When you click play, be prepared to hear Amanda and Christina talk about their ~*~feelings~*~ after they heard the results of the 2020 election as well as their emotional, ethical, and logical responses to family members who voted for Trump...again. Or for the first time, as we come to find out about one of our family members. The gals also discuss Parler, the tea party movement, and responsibilities moving forward. Trump may have lost, but the fight for justice and equity is far from finished. As always, follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @deargodwth. Please listen, rate and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or wherever your podcasts come from! For this bonus episode, Christina recommends you watch Paranorman to get a grasp of how manipulative fear can be, and Amanda recommends all you white folks read and reflect on your own deeply ingrained prejudice and white supremacy with White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo, How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi, and (perhaps most importantly) Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

Welcome back everyone, to episode 10 of Dear God, What the Hell?! Christina starts off the episode by discussing her car trouble woes. Amanda worked out, but then the hosts talk about food for an additional 5 minutes (surprising no one). Then they talk about getting drunk at Christmas parties, which humanized quite a few people. Once they shoot the shit quite a bit, they finally reveal the topic of today's episode - Dating! Ah romance, all about being “equally yolked,” right? ...Wrong. Take a listen with our hosts as they share their experiences with dating, inside and outside the church, and what they really learned from it all. Thank you all so much for listening! Please remember to Rate, Review, and Subscribe (especially on Apple Podcasts)! Also, give us a follow on Instagram and Twitter @deargodwth !  Amanda Recommends: Tender of Wishes: Prayer Poems for the Here and Now by James Carroll // Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life by Emily Nagoski  Christina Recommends: Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find - and Keep - Love by Amir Levine and Rachel Heller // This Film is Not Yet Rated (IMDB link) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

Happy Halloween, All Hallow's Eve and (almost) All Saint's Day! This week, you--our listeners--get a double length episode! The gals are joined by their first guest contributor and close friend Alli (she/her and they/them--follow on TikTok!). The topics of discussion stay in the lanes of all things spooky, scary, paranormal, witchy and gory. Everyone, once again, talks about how they weren't allowed to read Harry Potter as children, as well as what other forms of media they were and were not allowed to consume (lest they become consumed by demons and whatnot). At the end of the day, all three hosts agree ghosts and spirits have GOT to be real and end the episode with both a scary and a heartwarming ghost story. As always, thank you for listening, rating and subscribing especially on Apple Podcasts! That will help others find us. You can also follow and interact with us on Twitter or Instagram, at @deargodwth! Alli recommends researching Samhain (which we all learned was pronounced saa-wn AFTER recording), All Saint's Day/All Hallow's Day, the solemnity of all saints and tells everyone to “Go souling.” Also on the recommendation block, 2 episodes of a horror podcast called The Wrong Station (episodes 449 and 424), along with The Scaredy Cat's Horror Show. As for books, Alli recommends Ted Dekker, who writes Christian horror. “Skin” is supposedly horrific and “The Bone Collector's Daughter” is less horrific. Amanda recommends And That's Why We Drink for paranormal and true crime junkies (and for anyone who needs new friends--listening to Em and Christine chat feels like being their best friend), Spooked from the makers of Snap Judgement, and the Welcome to Nightvale books. Christina recommends Salem's Lot, Misery, and Carrie by Stephen King as well as Last Podcast on the Left (with the disclaimer/warning that early episodes of LPOTL lean toward the problematic end of the racist ← → antiracist spectrum). --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

Welcome back everyone, to episode 8 of Dear God, What the Hell?! After 12 minutes of story time, we finally dive into the topic of this weeks episode: College! Amanda does most of the talking in this episode, only because Christina didn't really explore much in the way of religion once she was out of her parents place. Unless food was involved. Amanda talks about her experience finding herself and regrounding herself in her faith.  Thanks everyone so much for listening! Amanda Recommends: The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne // The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller Christina Recommends: Saved! Movie Listen, rate, subscribe (especially on Apple Podcasts!) and follow us on Twitter and Instagram; our handle is @deargodwth --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

Join the gals as they talk about their parents' level of activity in the churches where they grew up. Spoiler alert: Christina does most of the talking this episode--her dad was a Deacon and both of her parents were very involved in youth group, children's church, and the like. Amanda mentions her mom's penchant for working for churches and dad's pottery skills and...that's about it. While recording, Amanda wrote down the following quote Christina said because it really stood out: "Any religion other than the basics of Christianity is wrong." Some of y'all will probably read that and say "amen" while singing the 2004 Hillsong hit, "One Way (Jesus)" while others will read all of that and cringe. We love both of you, whoever you are. Again--thank you all for listening. We appreciate you greatly. When you have a moment, please subscribe to our podcast and give us five stars on Apple Podcasts and write us a review. You can also follow us on twitter, @deargodwth. This week, Amanda recommends "The Monkey Wrench Gang" by Edward Abbey (because our environment is going to shit and this punchy yet very misogynistic work of fiction will probably make at least one of you care), and Christina recommends "Ready or Not" for your next socially distanced date night with a horror/thriller vibe. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

Welcome back everyone, we're already on episode 6 for Dear God, What the Hell?! It's only taken Amanda 6 episodes to finally profess her love for the Dances With Wolves Soundtrack. Amanda's dad had an eclectic taste in music. Christina talks about the Christian version of Coachella, while Amanda almost physically runs into Jeremy Camp. The hosts discuss the differences between Christian bands and...Christian bands. Don't worry, it'll all make sense. Help us out, are there any good Father/Daughter dance songs in "Cars," the Disney Pixar film? Christina had an "in" with the band Disciple and Amanda feels dirty about listening to a TobyMac song. In this episode, Christina also ~officially~ comes out on the podcast! Amanda spends enough money at Bath and Body Works to get a free mix CD. Christina shares the first secular album she ever listened to from cover to cover...and that's it for music! Also this week, we made a Playlist for everyone! Go check it out on Spotify! Then comes the sex talk! Christina ruined her purity ring at a hockey game. Amanda's purity ring was ditched for a "promise ring" (you know...the pre-engagement ring). The hosts both make recommendations as to how the church can improve having the sex talk within Youth Groups. Amanda calls Adam an... well just listen and see. Thanks for listening! Remember to Rate, Review, and Subscribe! Please also follow us on twitter; our handle is @deargodwth. Also, here is the study on comprehensive vs. abstinence-only sex education and birth rates Amanda cited. This week, Amanda Recommends "Shameless: A Case for Not Feeling Bad About Feeling Good (About Sex) by Nadia Bolz-Weber" and Christina Recommends "Why Are People Into That?! Podcast." Go forth and listen or read! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

Welcome to Episode 5! Amanda has had a long day, and Christina finally has internet in her new apartment! Amanda finally gets to talk about Cry Nights©, and Christina shares a similar struggle with Shame Circles© (both phrases copyright by Dear God, What the Hell Podcast LLC). Guys threw a football. Amanda goes on a mini rant that Christina wants made into a sticker. The hosts lightly poke the topic of sex with a stick, and that leads into the discussion about Youth Groups! Amanda reminisces about the good, influential leaders and members of her Youth Group. Christina mentions her ‘alternative' friends again (sorry guys). She also channels her inner ‘Finding Nemo' while trying to pronounce the word anonymity. The hosts talk about camps they went to together, spoiler alert Christina cried at most of them. Christina talks about her cringiest moments in Youth Group, while Amanda laughs at one and groans at the other. Amanda talks about Trash Can Wars. Yes, you read that right, TRASH CAN WARS. Thanks for listening! Remember to Rate, Review, and Subscribe!   Amanda Recommends: Mega Podcast (Mega Church satire)  Christina Recommends: The Alarmist Podcast // @AlarmistThe --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

Hello all, welcome to episode 4! Christina exposes the fact that she still has a Tumblr. Amanda talks about her cat (that we love very much). Both hosts talk about their VBS (Vacation Bible School) showstopping pageants and the fact that it was mostly used as free childcare. Christina talks about her weekly grade school church program - AWANA (Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed). Amanda reads from her "heathen" Bible and talks about her experiences with Missionettes (now called National Girls Ministries). Christina gets baptized to get a toy out of a treasure chest and Amanda talks about church camp and transcendentalism.  Thanks for listening everyone! Follow us on twitter @DearGodWTH! Amanda Recommends: The Universal Christ: How a Forgotten Reality Can Change Everything We See, Hope For, and Believe by Richard Rohr Christina Recommends: Cobra Kai (Karate Kid 30 years Later) on Netflix - This link is to a trailer! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

This week, Amanda and Christina discuss their experience developing friendships within the evangelical Christian church. Amanda recounts some of her earliest memories of church friends and Christina does the same only with slightly less friendly experiences involving the ever infamous (and arguably unavoidable) church cliques. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for listening today. Please do us a favor and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you're listening right now. This week, Amanda Recommends: "Dating Jesus: Purity Culture, Male Savagery and Female Passivity" from Straight White American Jesus. This week, Christina Recommends: "Potterless Podcast: A Grown Man Reads Harry Potter for the First Time." --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

Join Amanda and Christina as they discuss their first and favorite childhood Bible stories, their first Bibles (may the record reflect this was Christina's first Bible, and this was Amanda's), and Jesus as a turnip. The gals also unpack the influence of seeing (or not seeing) women in roles of leadership while growing up, deacons, and the purpose of the Levitical law. This week Amanda recommends "No Other Gods: The Politics of the Ten Commandments" by Ana Levy-Lyons and "A Year of Biblical Womanhood: How a Liberated Woman Found Herself Sitting on Her Roof, Covering Her Head, and Calling Her Husband 'Master'" by Rachel Held Evans. This week Christina recommends "The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible" by A.J. Jacobs. If you are interested, please consider checking out these books from your local library or by purchasing them from a local bookstore in your area! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message

Meet your hosts Amanda and Christina as they awkwardly fumble through audio issues and get to the first base of their story--growing up in the Christian Evangelical church. Amanda recounts the nine churches she has been a part of; Christina tells of her one and only church. Both hosts end the episode with a recap of how they currently feel about the church. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for listening. Please hit the SUBSCRIBE button on whatever platform you are using to listen and keep an eye out for new episodes every Friday at 5 a.m. ET/2 a.m. PT. This week for "Amanda Recommends"

Trailer for our podcast Dear God, What the Hell?! Meet the hosts in episode 1! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deargodwth/message