Podcasts about church abuse

Let's talk about God! Our favorite subject… Or is it?? It would be—or could be—if we hadn't been lied to about God. Well, our job at FreedHearts is to make you feel better about God — or have no feelings about God, that's fine. But what we DON'T want is for you to have bad feelings about God because they're usually connected to bad feelings about yourself – and none of that is true! Today we tell you a story as a contrast to God—about Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock is known as the Master of Suspense. Just in time for Halloween!This is going to be fun!Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

In this powerful episode of Holy Disruption, Pastor Les Cody interviews Heather and Landon Schott as they continue discussing their personal testimonies of church abuse. They reflect on the signs of an unhealthy church environment, how to handle spiritual abuse, and what real accountability looks like. The Schotts share heartfelt advice on forgiving those who have wronged you, the importance of submission to God, and how to find genuine healing and restoration. They stress the significance of remaining in the presence of God and the essential role of spiritual accountability. Whether you've experienced church hurt or are seeking to understand the dynamics of spiritual leadership, this episode offers invaluable insights and encouragement.

Jesus' message was clear: the kingdom of God is here and now. His anger burned toward those in power who oppressed the vulnerable. His focus was justice, compassion, and service — NOT personal salvation formulas.Yet so much of today's theology on LGBTQ issues, sin, salvation, and authority doesn't come from Jesus at all — it comes from Paul.So we ask: are Christians really following Paul instead of Jesus?Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

Communities and cultures can become unhealthy if they don't play by God's rules. How do we prevent church hurt and abuse and heal from it?

Today's episode is a heartfelt message to non-affirming Christians — or one you can share with them.It's a message of hope and courage: you do NOT need to be afraid to support LGBTQ+ people and same-sex relationships.Yes, the climate feels hostile. Yes, fear is loud. But truth is louder. Prejudice is crumbling. Walls are falling. Pastors are rethinking long-held beliefs. Parents are choosing their child over false doctrine.This is what faith is meant to be. Not about fear. Not about control. But about love — radical, unstoppable love.Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

BIO:The Reverend Dr. Starlette Thomas is a poet, practical theologian, and itinerant prophet for a coming undivided “kin-dom.” She is the director of The Raceless Gospel Initiative, named for her work and witness and an associate editor at Good Faith Media. Starlette regularly writes on the sociopolitical construct of race and its longstanding membership in the North American church. Her writings have been featured in Sojourners, Red Letter Christians, Free Black Thought, Word & Way, Plough, Baptist News Global and Nurturing Faith Journal among others. She is a frequent guest on podcasts and has her own. The Raceless Gospel podcast takes her listeners to a virtual church service where she and her guests tackle that taboo trinity— race, religion, and politics. Starlette is also an activist who bears witness against police brutality and most recently the cultural erasure of the Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, D.C. It was erected in memory of the 2020 protests that brought the world together through this shared declaration of somebodiness after the gruesome murder of George Perry Floyd, Jr. Her act of resistance caught the attention of the Associated Press. An image of her reclaiming the rubble went viral and in May, she was featured in a CNN article.Starlette has spoken before the World Council of Churches North America and the United Methodist Church's Council of Bishops on the color- coded caste system of race and its abolition. She has also authored and presented papers to the members of the Baptist World Alliance in Zurich, Switzerland and Nassau, Bahamas to this end. She has cast a vision for the future of religion at the National Museum of African American History and Culture's “Forward Conference: Religions Envisioning Change.” Her paper was titled “Press Forward: A Raceless Gospel for Ex- Colored People Who Have Lost Faith in White Supremacy.” She has lectured at The Queen's Foundation in Birmingham, U.K. on a baptismal pedagogy for antiracist theological education, leadership and ministries. Starlette's research interests have been supported by the Louisville Institute and the Lilly Foundation. Examining the work of the Reverend Dr. Clarence Jordan, whose farm turned “demonstration plot” in Americus, Georgia refused to agree to the social arrangements of segregation because of his Christian convictions, Starlette now takes this dirt to the church. Her thesis is titled, “Afraid of Koinonia: How life on this farm reveals the fear of Christian community.” A full circle moment, she was recently invited to write the introduction to Jordan's newest collection of writings, The Inconvenient Gospel: A Southern Prophet Tackles War, Wealth, Race and Religion.Starlette is a member of the Christian Community Development Association, the Peace & Justice Studies Association, and the Koinonia Advisory Council. A womanist in ministry, she has served as a pastor as well as a denominational leader. An unrepentant academician and bibliophile, Starlette holds degrees from Buffalo State College, Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School and Wesley Theological Seminary. Last year, she was awarded an honorary doctorate in Sacred Theology for her work and witness as a public theologian from Wayland Baptist Theological Seminary. She is the author of "Take Me to the Water": The Raceless Gospel as Baptismal Pedagogy for a Desegregated Church and a contributing author of the book Faith Forward: A Dialogue on Children, Youth & a New Kind of Christianity.  JennyI was just saying that I've been thinking a lot about the distinction between Christianity and Christian supremacy and Christian nationalism, and I have been researching Christian nationalism for probably about five or six years now. And one of my introductions to the concept of it was a book that's based on a documentary that's based on a book called Constantine Sword. And it talked about how prior to Constantine, Christians had the image of fish and life and fertility, and that is what they lived by. And then Constantine supposedly had this vision of a cross and it said, with this sign, you shall reign. And he married the church and the state. And ever since then, there's been this snowball effect of Christian empire through the Crusades, through manifest destiny, through all of these things that we're seeing play out in the United States now that aren't new. But I think there's something new about how it's playing out right now.Danielle (02:15):I was thinking about the doctrine of discovery and how that was the creation of that legal framework and ideology to justify the seizure of indigenous lands and the subjugation of indigenous peoples. And just how part of that doctrine you have to necessarily make the quote, humans that exist there, you have to make them vacant. Or even though they're a body, you have to see them as internally maybe empty or lacking or less. And that really becomes this frame. Well, a repeated frame.Jenny (03:08):Yep. Yeah. Yeah. And it feels like that's so much source to that when that dehumanization is ordained by God. If God is saying these people who we're not even going to look at as people, we're going to look at as objects, how do we get out of that?Danielle (03:39):I don't know. Well, definitely still in it. You can hear folks like Charlie Kirk talk about it and unabashedly, unashamedly turning point USA talk about doctrine of discovery brings me currently to these fishing boats that have been jetting around Venezuela. And regardless of what they're doing, the idea that you could just kill them regardless of international law, regardless of the United States law, which supposedly we have the right to a process, the right to due process, the right to show up in a court and we're presumed innocent. But this doctrine applies to people manifest destiny, this doctrine of discovery. It applies to others that we don't see as human and therefore can snuff out life. And I think now they're saying on that first boat, I think they've blown up four boats total. And on the first boat, one of the ladies is speaking out, saying they were out fishing and the size of the boat. I think that's where you get into reality. The size of the boat doesn't indicate a large drug seizure anyway. It's outside reality. And again, what do you do if they're smuggling humans? Did you just destroy all that human life? Or maybe they're just fishing. So I guess that doctrine and that destiny, it covers all of these immoral acts, it kind of washes them clean. And I guess that talking about Constantine, it feels like the empire needed a way to do that, to absolve themselves.Danielle (05:40):I know it gives me both comfort and makes me feel depressed when I think about people in 300 ad being, they're freaking throwing people into the lion's den again and people are cheering. And I have to believe that there were humans at that time that saw the barbarism for what it was. And that gives me hope that there have always been a few people in a system of tyranny and oppression that are like, what the heck is going on? And it makes me feel like, ugh. When does that get to be more than just the few people in a society kind of society? Or what does a society need to not need such violence? Because I think it's so baked in now to these white and Christian supremacy, and I don't know, in my mind, I don't think I can separate white supremacy from Christian supremacy because even before White was used as a legal term to own people and be able to vote, the legal term was Christian. And then when enslaved folks started converting to Christianity, they pivoted and said, well, no, not all Christians. It has to be white Christians. And so I think white supremacy was birthed out of a long history of Christian supremacy.Danielle (07:21):Yeah, it's weird. I remember growing up, and maybe you had this experience too, I remember when Schindler's List hit the theaters and you were probably too young, but Schindler's listed the theaters, and I remember sitting in a living room and having to convince my parents of why I wanted to see it. And I think I was 16, I don't remember. I was young and it was rated R and of course that was against our values to see rated R movies. But I really wanted to see this movie. And I talked and talked and talked and got to see this movie if anybody's watched Schindler's List, it's a story of a man who is out to make money, sees this opportunity to get free labor basically as part of the Nazi regime. And so he starts making trades to access free labor, meanwhile, still has women, enjoys a fine life, goes to church, has a pseudo faith, and as time goes along, I'm shortening the story, but he gets this accountant who he discovers he loves because his accountant makes him rich. He makes him rich off the labor. But the accountant is thinking, how do I save more lives and get them into this business with Schindler? Well, eventually they get captured, they get found out. All these things happen, right, that we know. And it becomes clear to Schindler that they're exterminating, they're wiping out an entire population.(09:01):I guess I come to that and just think about, as a young child, I remember watching that thinking, there's no way this would ever happen again because there's film, there's documentation. At the time, there were people alive from the Great war, the greatest generation like my grandfather who fought in World War ii. There were other people, we had the live stories. But now just a decade, 12, 13 years removed, it hasn't actually been that long. And the memory of watching a movie like Schindler's List, the impact of seeing what it costs a soul to take the life of other souls like that, that feels so far removed now. And that's what the malaise of the doctrine of Discovery and manifest destiny, I think have been doing since Constantine and Christianity. They've been able to wipe the memory, the historical memory of the evil done with their blessing.(10:06):And I feel like even this huge thing like the Holocaust, the memories being wiped, you can almost feel it. And in fact, people are saying, I don't know if they actually did that. I don't know if they killed all these Jewish peoples. Now you hear more denial even of the Holocaust now that those storytellers aren't passed on to the next life. So I think we are watching in real time how Christianity and Constantine were able to just wipe use empire to wipe the memory of the people so they can continue to gain riches or continue to commit atrocities without impunity just at any level. I guess that's what comes to mind.Jenny (10:55):Yeah, it makes me think of, I saw this video yesterday and I can't remember what representative it was in a hearing and she had written down a long speech or something that she was going to give, and then she heard during the trial the case what was happening was someone shared that there have been children whose parents have been abducted and disappeared because the children were asked at school, are your parents undocumented? And she said, I can't share what I had prepared because I'm caught with that because my grandfather was killed in the Holocaust because his children were asked at school, are your parents Jewish?(11:53):And my aunt took that guilt with her to her grave. And the amount of intergenerational transgenerational trauma that is happening right now, that never again is now what we are doing to families, what we are doing to people, what we are doing to children, the atrocities that are taking place in our country. Yeah, it's here. And I think it's that malaise has come over not only the past, but even current. I think people don't even know how to sit with the reality of the horror of what's happening. And so they just dissociate and they just check out and they don't engage the substance of what's happening.Danielle (13:08):Yeah. I tell a friend sometimes when I talk to her, I just say, I need you to tap in. Can you just tap in? Can you just carry the conversation or can you just understand? And I don't mean understand, believe a story. I mean feel the story. It's one thing to say the words, but it's another thing to feel them. And I think Constantine is a brilliant guy. He took a peaceful religion. He took a peaceful faith practice, people that literally the prior guy was throwing to the lions for sport. He took a people that had been mocked, a religious group that had been mocked, and he elevated them and then reunified them with that sword that you're talking about. And so what did those Christians have to give up then to marry themselves to empire? I don't know, but it seems like they kind of effed us over for eternity, right?Jenny (14:12):Yeah. Well, and I think that that's part of it. I think part of the malaise is the infatuation with eternity and with heaven. And I know for myself, when I was a missionary for many years, I didn't care about my body because this body, this light and momentary suffering paled in comparison to what was awaiting me. And so no matter what happened, it was a means to an end to spend eternity with Jesus. And so I think of empathy as us being able to feel something of ourselves in someone else. If I don't have grief and joy and sorrow and value for this body, I'm certainly not going to have it for other bodies. And I think the disembodiment of white Christian supremacy is what enables bodies to just tolerate and not consider the brutality of what we're seeing in the United States. What we're seeing in Congo, what we're seeing in Palestine, what we're seeing everywhere is still this sense of, oh, the ends are going to justify the means we're all going to, at least I'll be in heaven and everyone else can kind of figure out what they're going to do.I don't know, man. Yeah, maybe. I guess when you think about Christian nationalism versus maybe a more authentic faith, what separates them for youAbiding by the example that Jesus gave or not. I mean, Jesus was killed by the state because he had some very unpopular things to say about the state and the way in which he lived was very much like, how do I see those who are most oppressed and align myself with them? Whereas Christian nationalism is how do I see those who have the most power and align myselves with them?(16:48):And I think it is a question of alignment and orientation. And at the end of the day, who am I going to stand with even knowing and probably knowing that that may be to the detriment of my own body, but I do that not out of a sense of martyrdom, but out of a sense of integrity. I refuse. I think I really believe Jesus' words when he said, what good is it for a man to gain the world and lose his soul? And at the end of the day, what I'm fighting for is my own soul, and I don't want to give that up.Danielle (17:31):Hey, starlet, we're on to not giving up our souls to power.The Reverend Dr.Rev. Dr. Starlette (17:47):I'm sorry I'm jumping from one call to the next. I do apologize for my tardiness now, where were we?Danielle (17:53):We got on the subject of Constantine and how he married the sword with Christianity when it had been fish and fertile ground and et cetera, et cetera. Yeah, that's where we started. Yeah, that's where we started.Starlette (18:12):I'm going to get in where I fit in. Y'all keep going.Danielle (18:14):You get in. Yeah, you get in. I guess Jenny, for me and for you, starlet, the deep erasure of any sort of resemblance of I have to look back and I have to be willing to interrogate, I think, which is what a lot of people don't want to do. I grew up in a really conservative evangelical family and a household, and I have to interrogate, well, one, why did my mom get into that? Because Mexican, and number two, I watched so slowly as there was a celebration. I think it was after Bill Clinton had this Monica Lewinsky thing and all of this stuff happened. My Latino relatives were like, wait a minute, we don't like that. We don't like that. That doesn't match our values. And I remember this celebration of maybe now they're going to become Christians. I remember thinking that as a child, because for them to be a Democrat in my household and for them to hold different values around social issues meant that they weren't necessarily saved in my house and my way because they hadn't fully bought into empire in the way I know Jenny muted herself.(19:31):They hadn't fully bought into empire. And I slowly watched those family members in California kind of give way to conservatism the things that beckoned it. And honestly, a lot of it was married to religion and to what is going on today and not standing up for justice, not standing up for civil rights. I watched the movement go over, and it feels like at the expense of the memory of my grandfather and my great-grandfather who despised religion in some ways, my grandfather did not like going to church because he thought people were fake. He didn't believe them, and he didn't see what church had to do with being saved anyway. And so I think about him a lot and I think, oh, I got to hold onto that a little bit in the face of empire. But yeah, my mind just went off on that rabbit trail.Starlette (20:38):Oh, it's quite all right. My grandfather had similar convictions. My grandmother took the children to church with her and he stayed back. And after a while, the children were to decide that they didn't want to go anymore. And I remember him saying, that's enough. That's enough. You've done enough. They've heard enough. Don't make them go. But I think he drew some of the same conclusions, and I hold those as well, but I didn't grow up in a household where politics was even discussed. Folks were rapture ready, as they say, because they were kingdom minded is what they say now. And so there was no discussion of what was going on on the ground. They were really out of touch with, I'm sending right now. They were out of touch with reality. I have on pants, I have on full makeup, I have on earrings. I'm not dressed modestly in any way, shape, fashion or form.(21:23):It was a very externalized, visible, able to be observed kind of spirituality. And so I enter the spaces back at home and it's like going into a different world. I had to step back a bit and oftentimes I just don't say anything. I just let the room have it because you can't, in my experience, you can't talk 'em out of it. They have this future orientation where they live with their feet off the ground because Jesus is just around the corner. He's right in that next cloud. He's coming, and so none of this matters. And so that affected their political participation and discussion. There was certainly very minor activism, so I wasn't prepared by family members to show up in the streets like I do now. I feel sincerely called. I feel like it's a work of the spirit that I know where to put my feet at all, but I certainly resonate with what you would call a rant that led you down to a rabbit hole because it led me to a story about my grandfather, so I thank you for that. They were both right by the way,Danielle (22:23):I think so he had it right. He would sit in the very back of church sometimes to please my grandmother and to please my family, and he didn't have a cell phone, but he would sit there and go to sleep. He would take a nap. And I have to think of that now as resistance. And as a kid I was like, why does he do that? But his body didn't want to take it in.Starlette (22:47):That's rest as resistance from the Nat Bishop, Trisha Hersey, rest as act of defiance, rest as reparations and taking back my time that you're stealing from me by having me sit in the service. I see that.Danielle (23:02):I mean, Jenny, it seems like Constantine, he knew what to do. He gets Christians on his side, they knew how to gather organically. He then gets this mass megaphone for whatever he wants, right?Jenny (23:21):Yeah. I think about Adrian Marie Brown talks a lot about fractals and how what happens on a smaller scale is going to be replicated on larger scales. And so even though there's some sense of disjoint with denominations, I think generally in the United States, there is some common threads of that manifest destiny that have still found its way into these places of congregating. And so you're having these training wheels really even within to break it down into the nuclear family that James Dobson wanted everyone to focus on was a very, very narrow white, patriarchal Christian family. And so if you rehearse this on these smaller scales, then you can rehearse it in your community, then you can rehearse it, and it just bubbles and bubbles and balloons out into what we're seeing happen, I think.Yeah, the nuclear family and then the youth movements, let us, give us your youth, give us your kids. Send us your kids and your youth to our camps.Jenny (24:46):Great. I grew up in Colorado and I was probably 10 or 11 when the Columbine shooting happened, and I remember that very viscerally. And the immediate conversation was not how do we protect kids in school? It was glorifying this one girl that maybe or maybe did not say yes when the shooters asked, do you still believe in God? And within a year her mom published a book about it. And that was the thing was let's use this to glorify martyrdom. And I think it is different. These were victims in school and I think any victim of the shooting is horrifying. And I think we're seeing a similar level of that martyrdom frenzy with Charlie Kirk right now. And what we're not talking about is how do we create a safer society? What we're talking about, I'm saying, but I dunno. What I'm hearing of the white Christian communities is how are we glorifying Charlie Kirk as a martyr and what power that wields when we have someone that we can call a martyr?Starlette (26:27):No, I just got triggered as soon as you said his name.(26:31):Just now. I think grieving a white supremacist is terrifying. Normalizing racist rhetoric is horrifying. And so I look online in disbelief. I unfollowed and blocked hundreds of people on social media based on their comments about what I didn't agree with. Everything he said, got a lot of that. I'm just not interested. I think they needed a martyr for the race war that they're amping for, and I would like to be delivered from the delusion that is white body supremacy. It is all exhausting. I don't want to be a part of the racial imagination that he represents. It is not a new narrative. We are not better for it. And he's not a better person because he's died. The great Biggie Smalls has a song that says you're nobody until somebody kills you. And I think it's appropriate. Most people did not know who he was. He was a podcaster. I'm also looking kind of cross-eyed at his wife because that's not, I served as a pastor for more than a decade. This is not an expression of grief. There's nothing like anything I've seen for someone who was assassinated, which I disagree with.(28:00):I've just not seen widows take the helm of organizations and given passion speeches and make veil threats to audiences days before the, as we would say in my community, before the body has cooled before there is a funeral that you'll go down and take pictures. That could be arguably photo ops. It's all very disturbing to me. This is a different measure of grief. I wrote about it. I don't know what, I've never heard of a sixth stage of grief that includes fighting. We're not fighting over anybody's dead body. We're not even supposed to do it with Jesus. And so I just find it all strange that before the man is buried, you've already concocted a story wherein opposing forces are at each other's throats. And it's all this intergalactic battle between good and bad and wrong, up and down, white and black. It's too much.(28:51):I think white body supremacy has gotten out of hand and it's incredibly theatrical. And for persons who have pulled back from who've decent whiteness, who've de racialize themselves, it's foolishness. Just nobody wants to be involved in this. It's a waste of time. White body supremacy and racism are wastes of time. Trying to prove that I'm a human being or you're looking right at is a waste of time. And people just want to do other things, which is why African-Americans have decided to go to sleep, to take a break. We're not getting ready to spin our wheels again, to defend our humanity, to march for rights that are innate, to demand a dignity that comes with being human. It's just asinine.(29:40):I think you would be giving more credence to the statements themselves by responding. And so I'd rather save my breath and do my makeup instead because trying to defend the fact that I'm a glorious human being made in the image of God is a waste of time. Look at me. My face is beat. It testifies for me. Who are you? Just tell me that I don't look good and that God didn't touch me. I'm with the finger of love as the people say, do you see this beat? Let me fall back. So you done got me started and I blame you. It's your fault for the question. So no, that's my response to things like that. African-American people have to insulate themselves with their senses of ness because he didn't have a kind word to say about African-American people, whether a African-American pilot who is racialized as black or an African-American woman calling us ignorance saying, we're incompetence. If there's no way we could have had these positions, when African-American women are the most agreed, we're the most educated, how dare you? And you think, I'm going to prove that I'm going to point to degrees. No, I'll just keep talking. It will make itself obvious and evident.(30:45):Is there a question in that? Just let's get out of that. It triggers me so bad. Like, oh, that he gets a holiday and it took, how many years did it take for Martin Luther King Junior to get a holiday? Oh, okay. So that's what I mean. The absurdity of it all. You're naming streets after him hasn't been dead a year. You have children coloring in sheets, doing reports on him. Hasn't been a few months yet. We couldn't do that for Martin Luther King. We couldn't do that for Rosa Parks. We couldn't do that for any other leader, this one in particular, and right now, find that to beI just think it just takes a whole lot of delusion and pride to keep puffing yourself up and saying, you're better than other people. Shut up, pipe down. Or to assume that everybody wants to look like you or wants to be racialized as white. No, I'm very cool in who I'm, I don't want to change as the people say in every lifetime, and they use these racialized terms, and so I'll use them and every lifetime I want to come back as black. I don't apologize for my existence. I love it here. I don't want to be racialized as white. I'm cool. That's the delusion for me that you think everyone wants to look like. You think I would trade.(32:13):You think I would trade for that, and it looks great on you. I love what it's doing for you. But as for me in my house, we believe in melanin and we keep it real cute over here. I just don't have time. I think African-Americans minoritized and otherwise, communities should invest their time in each other and in ourselves as opposed to wasting our breath, debating people. We can't debate white supremacists. Anyway, I think I've talked about that the arguments are not rooted in reason. It's rooted in your dehumanization and equating you with three fifths of a human being who's in charge of measurements, the demonizing of whiteness. It's deeply problematic for me because it puts them in a space of creator. How can you say how much of a human being that's someone? This stuff is absurd. And so I've refuse to waste my breath, waste my life arguing with somebody who doesn't have the power, the authority.(33:05):You don't have the eyesight to tell me if I'm human or not. This is stupid. We're going to do our work and part of our work is going to sleep. We're taking naps, we're taking breaks, we're putting our feet up. I'm going to take a nap after this conversation. We're giving ourselves a break. We're hitting the snooze button while staying woke. There's a play there. But I think it's important that people who are attacked by white body supremacy, not give it their energy. Don't feed into the madness. Don't feed into the machine because it'll eat you alive. And I didn't get dressed for that. I didn't get on this call. Look at how I look for that. So that's what that brings up. Okay. It brings up the violence of white body supremacy, the absurdity of supremacy at all. The delusion of the racial imagination, reading a 17th century creation onto a 21st century. It's just all absurd to me that anyone would continue to walk around and say, I'm better than you. I'm better than you. And I'll prove it by killing you, lynching you, raping your people, stealing your people, enslaving your people. Oh, aren't you great? That's pretty great,Jenny (34:30):I think. Yeah, I think it is. I had a therapist once tell me, it's like you've had the opposite of a psychotic break because when that is your world and that's all, it's so easy to justify and it makes sense. And then as soon as you step out of it, you're like, what the what? And then it makes it that much harder to understand. And this is my own, we talked about this last week, but processing what is my own path in this of liberation and how do I engage people who are still in that world, who are still related to me, who are, and in a way that isn't exhausting for I'm okay being exhausted if it's going to actually bear something, if it's just me spinning my wheels, I don't actually see value in that. And for me, what began to put cracks in that was people challenging my sense of superiority and my sense of knowing what they should do with their bodies. Because essentially, I think a lot of how I grew up was similar maybe and different from how you were sharing Danielle, where it was like always vote Republican because they're going to be against abortion and they're going to be against gay marriage. And those were the two in my world that were the things that I was supposed to vote for no matter what. And now just seeing how far that no matter what is willing to go is really terrifying.Danielle (36:25):Yeah, I agree. Jenny. I mean, again, I keep talking about him, but he's so important to me. The idea that my great grandfather to escape religious oppression would literally walk 1,950 miles and would leave an oppressive system just in an attempt to get away. That walk has to mean something to me today. You can't forget. All of my family has to remember that he did a walk like that. How many of us have walked that far? I mean, I haven't ever walked that far in just one instance to escape something. And he was poor because he couldn't even pay for his mom's burial at the Catholic church. So he said, let me get out of this. And then of course he landed with the Methodist and he was back in the fire again. But I come back to him, and that's what people will do to get out of religious oppression. They will give it an effort and when they can. And so I think it's important to remember those stories. I'm off on my tangent again now because it feels so important. It's a good one.Starlette (37:42):I think it's important to highlight the walking away from, to putting one foot in front of the other, praying with your feet(37:51):That it's its own. You answer your own prayer by getting away from it. It is to say that he was done with it, and if no one else was going to move, he was going to move himself that he didn't wait for the change in the institution. Let's just change directions and get away from it. And I hate to even imagine what he was faced with and that he had to make that decision. And what propelled him to walk that long with that kind of energy to keep momentum and to create that amount of distance. So for me, it's very telling. I ran away at 12. I had had it, so I get it. This is the last time you're going to hit me.Not going to beat me out of my sleep. I knew that at 12. This is no place for me. So I admire people who get up in the dead of night, get up without a warning, make it up in their mind and said, that's the last time, or This is not what I'm going to do. This is not the way that I want to be, and I'm leaving. I admire him. Sounds like a hero. I think we should have a holiday.Danielle (38:44):And then imagine telling that. Then you're going to tell me that people like my grandfather are just in it. This is where it leaves reality for me and leaves Christianity that he's just in it to steal someone's job. This man worked the lemon fields and then as a side job in his retired years, moved up to Sacramento, took in people off death row at Folsom Prison, took 'em to his home and nursed them until they passed. So this is the kind a person that will walk 1,950 miles. They'll do a lot of good in the world, and we're telling people that they can't come here. That's the kind of people that are walking here. That's the kind of people that are coming here. They're coming here to do whatever they can. And then they're nurturing families. They're actually living out in their families what supposed Christians are saying they want to be. Because people in these two parent households and these white families, they're actually raising the kind of people that will shoot Charlie Kirk. It's not people like my grandfather that walked almost 2000 miles to form a better life and take care of people out of prisons. Those aren't the people forming children that are, you'reStarlette (40:02):Going to email for that. The deacons will you in the parking lot for that one. You you're going to get a nasty tweet for that one. Somebody's going to jump off in the comments and straighten you out at,Danielle (40:17):I can't help it. It's true. That's the reality. Someone that will put their feet and their faith to that kind of practice is not traveling just so they can assault someone or rob someone. I mean, yes, there are people that have done that, but there's so much intentionality about moving so far. It does not carry the weight of, can you imagine? Let me walk 2000 miles to Rob my neighbor. That doesn't make any sense.Starlette (40:46):Sounds like it's own kind of pilgrimage.Jenny (40:59):I have so many thoughts, but I think whiteness has just done such a number on people. And I'm hearing each of you and I'm thinking, I don't know that I could tell one story from any of my grandparents. I think that that is part of whiteness. And it's not that I didn't know them, but it's that the ways in which Transgenerational family lines are passed down are executed for people in considered white bodies where it's like my grandmother, I guess I can't tell some stories, but she went to Polish school and in the States and was part of a Polish community. And then very quickly on polls were grafted into whiteness so that they could partake in the GI Bill. And so that Polish heritage was then lost. And that was not that long ago, but it was a severing that happened. And some of my ancestors from England, that severing happened a long time ago where it's like, we are not going to tell the stories of our ancestors because that would actually reveal that this whole white thing is made up. And we actually have so much more to us than that. And so I feel like the social privilege that has come from that, but also the visceral grief of how I would want to know those stories of my ancestors that aren't there. Because in part of the way that whiteness operates,Starlette (42:59):I'm glad you told that story. Diane de Prima, she tells about that, about her parents giving up their Italian ness, giving up their heritage and being Italian at home and being white in public. So not changing their name, shortening their name, losing their accent, or dropping the accent. I'm glad that you said that. I think that's important. But like you said though, if you tell those stories and it shakes up the power dynamic for whiteness, it's like, oh, but there are books how the Irish became White, the Making of Whiteness working for Whiteness, read all the books by David Broer on Whiteness Studies. But I'm glad that you told us. I think it's important, and I love that you named it as a severing. Why did you choose that word in particular?Jenny (43:55):I had the privilege a few years ago of going to Poland and doing an ancestry trip. And weeks before I went, an extended cousin in the States had gotten connected with our fifth cousin in Poland. We share the fifth grandparents. And this cousin of mine took us around to the church where my fifth great grandparents got married and these just very visceral places. And I had never felt the land that my ancestors know in my body. And there was something really, really powerful of that. And so I think of severing as I have been cut off from that lineage and that heritage because of whiteness. And I feel very, very grateful for the ways in which that is beginning to heal and beginning to mend. And we can tell truer stories of our ancestry and where we come from and the practices of our people. And I think it is important to acknowledge the cost and the privilege that has come from that severing in order to get a job that was not reserved for people that weren't white. My family decided, okay, well we'll just play the part. We will take on that role of whiteness because that will then give us that class privilege and that socioeconomic privilege that reveals how much of a construct whitenessStarlette (45:50):A racial contract is what Charles W. Mills calls it, that there's a deal made in a back room somewhere that you'll trade your sense of self for another. And so that it doesn't, it just unravels all the ways in which white supremacy, white body supremacy, pos itself, oh, that we're better. I think people don't say anything because it unravels those lies, those tongue twisters that persons have spun over the centuries, that it's really just an agreement that we've decided that we'll make ourselves the majority so that we can bully everybody else. And nobody wants to be called that. Nobody wants to be labeled greedy. I'm just trying to provide for my family, but at what expense? At who else's expense. But I like to live in this neighborhood and I don't want to be stopped by police. But you're willing to sacrifice other people. And I think that's why it becomes problematic and troublesome because persons have to look at themselves.(46:41):White body supremacy doesn't offer that reflection. If it did, persons would see how monstrous it is that under the belly of the beast, seeing the underside of that would be my community. We know what it costs for other people to feel really, really important because that's what whiteness demands. In order to look down your nose on somebody, you got to stand on somebody's back. Meanwhile, our communities are teaching each other to stand. We stand on the shoulders of giants. It's very communal. It's a shared identity and way of being. Whereas whiteness demands allegiance by way of violence, violent taking and grabbing it is quite the undoing. We have a lot of work to do. But I am proud of you for telling that story.Danielle (47:30):I wanted to read this quote by Gloria, I don't know if you know her. Do you know her? She writes, the struggle is inner Chicano, Indio, American Indian, Molo, Mexicano, immigrant, Latino, Anglo and power working class Anglo black, Asian. Our psyches resemble the border towns and are populated by the same people. The struggle has always been inner and has played out in outer terrains. Awareness of our situation must come before interchanges and which in turn come before changes in society. Nothing happens in the real world unless it first happens in the images in our heads.(48:16):So Jenny, when you're talking, you had some image in your head before you went to Poland, before it became reality. You had some, it didn't start with just knowing your cousin or whatever it happened before that. Or for me being confronted and having to confront things with my husband about ways we've been complicit or engaged in almost like the word comes gerrymandering our own future. That's kind of how it felt sometimes Luis and I and how to become aware of that and take away those scales off our own eyes and then just sit in the reality, oh no, we're really here and this is where we're really at. And so where are we going to go from here? And starlet, you've talked from your own position. That's just what comes to mind. It's something that happens inside. I mean, she talks about head, I think more in feelings in my chest. That's where it happens for me. But yeah, that's what comes to mind.Starlette (49:48):With. I feel like crying because of what we've done to our bodies and the bodies of other people. And we still can't see ourselves not as fully belonging to each other, not as beloved, not as holy.It's deeply saddening that for all the time that we have here together for all the time that we'll share with each other, we'll spend much of it not seeing each other at all.Danielle (50:57):My mind's going back to, I think I might've shared this right before you joined Starla, where it was like, I really believe the words of Jesus that says, what good is it for someone to gain the world and lose their soul? And that's what I hear. And what I feel is this soul loss. And I don't know how to convince other people. And I don't know if that's the point that their soul is worth it, but I think I've, not that I do it perfectly, but I think I've gotten to the place where I'm like, I believe my interiority is worth more than what it would be traded in for.(51:45):And I think that will be a lifelong journey of trying to figure out how to wrestle with a system. I will always be implicated in because I am talking to you on a device that was made from cobalt, from Congo and wearing clothes that were made in other countries. And there's no way I can make any decision other than to just off myself immediately. And I'm not saying I'm doing that, but I'm saying the part of the wrestle is that this is, everything is unresolved. And how do I, like what you said, Danielle, what did you say? Can you tune into this conversation?Jenny (52:45):Yeah. And how do I keep tapping in even when it means engaging my own implication in this violence? It's easier to be like, oh, those people over there that are doing those things. And it's like, wait, now how do I stay situated and how I'm continually perpetuating it as well, and how do I try to figure out how to untangle myself in that? And I think that will be always I,Danielle (53:29):He says, the US Mexican border as like an open wound where the third world grates against the first and bleeds. And before a scab forms it hemorrhages again, the lifeblood of two worlds. Two worlds merging to form a third country, a border culture. Borders are set up to define the places that are safe and unsafe to distinguish us from them. A border is a dividing line, a narrow strip along a steep edge. A borderland is a vague and undetermined place created by the emotional residue of an unnatural boundary is it is in a constant state of transition. They're prohibited and forbidden arts inhabitants. And I think that as a Latina that really describes and mixed with who my father is and that side that I feel like I live like the border in me, it feels like it grates against me. So I hear you, Jenny, and I feel very like all the resonance, and I hear you star led, and I feel a lot of resonance there too. But to deny either thing would make me less human because I am human with both of those parts of me.(54:45):But also to engage them brings a lot of grief for both parts of me. And how does that mix together? It does feel like it's in a constant state of transition. And that's partly why Latinos, I think particularly Latino men bought into this lie of power and played along. And now they're getting shown that no, that part of you that's European, that part never counted at all. And so there is no way to buy into that racialized system. There's no way to put a down payment in and come out on the other side as human. As soon as we buy into it, we're less human. Yeah. Oh, Jenny has to go in a minute. Me too. But starlet, you're welcome to join us any Thursday. Okay.Speaker 1 (55:51):Afternoon. Bye. Thank you. Bye bye.Kitsap County & Washington State Crisis and Mental Health ResourcesIf you or someone else is in immediate danger, please call 911.This resource list provides crisis and mental health contacts for Kitsap County and across Washington State.Kitsap County / Local ResourcesResourceContact InfoWhat They OfferSalish Regional Crisis Line / Kitsap Mental Health 24/7 Crisis Call LinePhone: 1‑888‑910‑0416Website: https://www.kitsapmentalhealth.org/crisis-24-7-services/24/7 emotional support for suicide or mental health crises; mobile crisis outreach; connection to services.KMHS Youth Mobile Crisis Outreach TeamEmergencies via Salish Crisis Line: 1‑888‑910‑0416Website: https://sync.salishbehavioralhealth.org/youth-mobile-crisis-outreach-team/Crisis outreach for minors and youth experiencing behavioral health emergencies.Kitsap Mental Health Services (KMHS)Main: 360‑373‑5031; Toll‑free: 888‑816‑0488; TDD: 360‑478‑2715Website: https://www.kitsapmentalhealth.org/crisis-24-7-services/Outpatient, inpatient, crisis triage, substance use treatment, stabilization, behavioral health services.Kitsap County Suicide Prevention / “Need Help Now”Call the Salish Regional Crisis Line at 1‑888‑910‑0416Website: https://www.kitsap.gov/hs/Pages/Suicide-Prevention-Website.aspx24/7/365 emotional support; connects people to resources; suicide prevention assistance.Crisis Clinic of the PeninsulasPhone: 360‑479‑3033 or 1‑800‑843‑4793Website: https://www.bainbridgewa.gov/607/Mental-Health-ResourcesLocal crisis intervention services, referrals, and emotional support.NAMI Kitsap CountyWebsite: https://namikitsap.org/Peer support groups, education, and resources for individuals and families affected by mental illness.Statewide & National Crisis ResourcesResourceContact InfoWhat They Offer988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (WA‑988)Call or text 988; Website: https://wa988.org/Free, 24/7 support for suicidal thoughts, emotional distress, relationship problems, and substance concerns.Washington Recovery Help Line1‑866‑789‑1511Website: https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/injury-and-violence-prevention/suicide-prevention/hotline-text-and-chat-resourcesHelp for mental health, substance use, and problem gambling; 24/7 statewide support.WA Warm Line877‑500‑9276Website: https://www.crisisconnections.org/wa-warm-line/Peer-support line for emotional or mental health distress; support outside of crisis moments.Native & Strong Crisis LifelineDial 988 then press 4Website: https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/injury-and-violence-prevention/suicide-prevention/hotline-text-and-chat-resourcesCulturally relevant crisis counseling by Indigenous counselors.Additional Helpful Tools & Tips• Behavioral Health Services Access: Request assessments and access to outpatient, residential, or inpatient care through the Salish Behavioral Health Organization. Website: https://www.kitsap.gov/hs/Pages/SBHO-Get-Behaviroal-Health-Services.aspx• Deaf / Hard of Hearing: Use your preferred relay service (for example dial 711 then the appropriate number) to access crisis services.• Warning Signs & Risk Factors: If someone is talking about harming themselves, giving away possessions, expressing hopelessness, or showing extreme behavior changes, contact crisis resources immediately.Well, first I guess I would have to believe that there was or is an actual political dialogue taking place that I could potentially be a part of. And honestly, I'm not sure that I believe that. Well, first I guess I would have to believe that there was or is an actual political dialogue taking place that I could potentially be a part of. And honestly, I'm not sure that I believe that.

In this raw and revealing episode of Holy Disruption, host Heather Schott and her husband, Landon Schott, share their harrowing journey through church hurt and abuse. For the first time ever, they disclose intimate details of their experiences with toxic leadership, manipulation, and betrayal within various church environments. From grappling with depression and suicidal thoughts to battling the spirit of Jezebel, the Schotts open up about their struggles and the eventual path to healing and restoration. They also discuss the importance of daily encounters with God and maintaining a heart free from bitterness. This episode is a powerful testament to overcoming adversity and holding on to faith amidst trials.

Today's episode is both deeply personal and powerfully relevant to the moment we're living in.We're talking about coming out — as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer — in a time when hostility and attacks are escalating. This isn't just theory — it's raw, real, and urgent.All of this in honor of National Coming Out Day on October 11th! Plus, we're sharing a major announcement about a bold new chapter for FreedHearts — one we can't wait for you to hear.This conversation is about courage, truth, and love in the face of fear. You don't want to miss it.Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

Last week, we talked about healing—the kind that doesn't just change us, but changes the world. The healing that makes us more kind, more loving, more empathetic.But here's the truth: while we're doing this sacred work, there is a battle raging around us. A relentless stream of fear, attacks, and psychological warfare designed to wear us down, to make us give up hope.So how do we stand strong in the middle of all that? How do we keep our hearts from breaking under the weight of it?Today, I have a story for you. It's not just powerful—it's one of the most powerful stories I've ever heard about finding courage, resilience, and unshakable love in the face of fear. You do not want to miss this.Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

How are you doing? Many of us are wondering, with the barrage of news and developments, what do we do? Beloved, our job is really not to save the world because we can't do that, not in the way we think. So, what CAN we do?We can help save the world in a different way. We can do our own work and move ourselves into more spiritual openness and maturity, to grow and do the healing work that's inside of us to do. And that's no small thing! Collectively, that's the best thing we can do to save the world because it helps us be more kind, more empathetic, more loving. Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

It's our 200th episode, and we have something very special for you!We visit with our Asher - the one who started it all for us, the one Susan talked about in her viral TED talk. Now a transgender man, with a transgender wife, and a child... what a journey it has been!We talk about that today, and especially about the fears of this generation. From the financial crisis to the housing crisis to COVID to the current administration to AI... their worldview and their fears have been deeply impacted.What are they afraid of? Where do they find hope - for them and for those who come after? And how we can best understand and help?You don't want to miss this very special episode!Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

Fr. Mike reflects on the story of Susanna's righteousness in the book of Daniel. While celebrating Susanna's virtue, Daniel's wisdom, and God's faithfulness, Fr. Mike also warns us that, like the corrupt elders in the story, we too can allow our hearts to become perverted by the things we fix our eyes on. The readings are Jeremiah 30, Daniel 12-13, and Proverbs 16:17-20. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Have you tried affirmations where you look in the mirror and say the things that you want in your life, or say the things you want to believe about yourself - and maybe gotten mixed results? You probably heard about the power of affirmations but in practice find the results not what you'd hoped. Why?We talk all about that today. If affirmations are real, if they have power, how can we make them work for us?Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

Actually, it is NOT complicated, or confusing, or nuanced. It is really simple. The Bible IS clear: There is NO condemnation against people who are LGBTQ+ or against same-sex relationships. You are NOT the ones who need to defend your beliefs. The non-affirming church is. They ignore the truth of Scripture, and they ignore the devastating, deadly impact of their false teachings.  In this encore presentation of one of our most popular episodes, we give you a clear, simple explanation of why the Bible does NOT condemnation homosexuality.  Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

What does and does not work when talking to evangelical Christians about LGBTQ issues? It can certainly be tough and frustrating. We are dealing with patriarchal, moral-majority driven false teaching. All taught with God's name attached to it – and grave consequences if you don't just fall in line. But we, like a growing number of people, were surprised when we opened that box we had God in. In this encore presentation, we talk about truly effective ways to change the hearts and minds of non-affirming Christians.Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

Love the sinner, hate the sin?? Wait, what?? It sure doesn't feel like love to those on the receiving end. You know why? It's not! It's homophobia disguised as love. Is it from the Bible or any religious text? Nope. In this encore presentation, we dive into this and set the record straight. Because "love the sinner, hate the sin" is total bullsh*t!Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

An encore presentation of our most popular episode ever, and maybe our most powerful! And wow, it's more needed and timely than ever. We talk about one of the two deadliest teachings in all of humanity. It is at the heart of our division.  It is responsible for some of history's most brutal treatment of ethnic groups, religious groups, women, LGBTQ; and it is rampant right now. What is it and what can we do?Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

Introducing Credible Witness, a new podcast produced by Mark Labberton and the Rethinking Church Initiative. In this episode of Conversing, Mark features the full premiere episode of Credible Witness, and is joined by host Nikki Toyama-Szeto and historian Jemar Tisby. Exploring how Christian witness to the gospel of Christ has become compromised—and what might restore its credibility. Reflecting on five years of candid, challenging conversation among diverse Christian leaders during the wake of George Floyd's murder and rising Christian nationalism, the three discuss the soul-searching, disillusionment, and hope that emerged. Together, they examine the cultural fractures, theological tensions, and moral failures that have pushed many to extremes, elevating strident voices as an increased number of people to leave the church. They articulate the mission and vision of Credible Witness, testify to a persistent hope in Jesus and the power of honest community, face painful truths, and imagine a church that more truly reflects the love, justice, and mercy of God. Key Moments “We absolutely get that… but we're still on board with Jesus. And Jesus has always been with us and hasn't left us.” “This isn't about leaving Jesus. This is about following Jesus.” “We've got a better story to tell.” “It was the church that was putting the church at risk.” “The church has a reputation in the United States… and not a good one by and large.” About the Guests Nikki Toyama-Szeto is the host of Credible Witness, and is executive director of Christians for Social Action, equipping the church to pursue justice and follow Jesus in the tension of our times. Jemar Tisby is the author of The Color of Compromise and How to Fight Racism, and founder of The Witness: A Black Christian Collective. He is the host of Pass the Mic. Show Notes “This isn't about leaving Jesus. This is about following Jesus.” —Jemar Tisby Nikki introduces Credible Witness as a space for honest stories of faith amid moral complexity and social tension Mark recalls the origins of the conversation in summer 2020: COVID-19, George Floyd, church division, and racial injustice Jemar Tisby clarifies the mission for imagining a more credible Christian witness Nikki reflects on trust-building in a space that welcomed “tricky truths” and honesty without pretense The group's five-year journey begins as a short experiment but grows into a lasting community of deep discernment “We weren't trying to replicate any harm.” —Jemar Tisby The group names white Christian nationalism and silence on injustice as threats to the church's credibility Ephesians 2 and the power of “coming together of the unlikes” as a witness to the resurrection “It was the church that was putting the gospel at risk.” —Mark Labberton Nikki explains how church neutrality began to speak volumes: “Choosing silence was actually a loud voice.” Discussion on the failure of integrity: “Too many things in isolation” eroded credibility Jemar highlights story as central to public theology: “We've got a better story to tell.” The group wrestles with algorithmic distortion and toxic digital narratives shaping Christian identity “Not just message, but embodiment”: The church's credibility depends on lived ethics, not just theological claims Mark emphasizes self-examination: “Are we credible?” Dissonance and disagreement as gifts: “What kept people in the room was the gift of dissonance.” —Nikki Toyama-Szeto Jemar recalls moments of tension over how to prioritize justice issues while remaining unified in Christ The group's diversity as a deliberate strategy: different traditions, backgrounds, and responsibilities within the church Nikki names divine timing: the conversation is more urgent now than when it began “We're not all supposed to be the same... That's how everything gets covered.” —Jemar Tisby Mark frames the church's failure as internal implosion—not external threat “Why is the church seemingly so unchanged?” —Mark Labberton Nikki describes how marginalized voices carry wisdom for the way forward Jemar articulates the podcast's goal: a mirror and a window for listeners to see both themselves and the larger church Nikki closes with an invitation to slow down and listen generously: “Pull up a chair...” Production Credits Conversing is produced and distributed in partnership with Comment Magazine and Fuller Seminary.

Do you feel a bit powerless? Overwhelmed? Exhausted? There are lots of ways this disempowerment can show up. It's important to practice finding your power, because the truth is, we STILL have our power. It's beautiful and it's limitless.  Beloved, today, I have three stories for you about taking your power back!It's time!Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

We know you see it. We know you feel it. Social media is being used more and more as a tool for radicalization. Extremists exploit platforms to spew propaganda and recruit followers. Beloved, it is easy for individuals to fall prey to manipulation.Fake news has become a real threat, affecting everything from our health to our relationships to our institutions. The very features that make social media so powerful, are also what can make it so dangerous.Today, we want to talk about how to spot fake news and misinformation, and how to stop sharing it, so we can help stop it from hurting people. Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

In this powerful episode, Christian counselor and author Leslie Vernick joins Elizabeth to unpack the realities of church abuse and destructive relationships. They explore how spiritual manipulation twists Scripture, the difference between godly submission and toxic control, and how to set biblical boundaries without guilt. Leslie offers hope, wisdom, and practical tools for those navigating unhealthy dynamics, reminding listeners that honoring God sometimes means saying no.

I recently had a session of hypnotherapy and I want to share with you because it was so empowering for me and I think it can empower you too. In fact, I asked the Universe, Spirit for a message JUST for you (because I'm always thinking of you!) and you know what?  I got one! You're gonna love this. I'm eager to share it all with you. Let's do this.  Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

We've been through a lot of deconstruction, many of us, and have been finding a lot of freedom. It's so easy to look outside ourselves, and point at what needs to change in the world — and no doubt it does! I would bet that virtually every person listening is wanting to help rebuild the world into better shape than it is right now. But how can we do selfcare in all of this? How can we stay positive? This may look different because the problems may seem so big, insurmountable, but that's even MORE reason to make our own changes, not less.There is a way to shift US that can shift the whole. A way to regain our power to create something more than we thought was possible.Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

In this episode, hosts Larry and Brandon interview Chris Marchand, an Anglican priest and podcaster, to discuss his podcast 'Wall of Silence,' which tackles sexual abuse within the ACNA (Anglican Church of North America). The conversation delves into the origins and purpose of the podcast, abuse in church settings, and the challenges faced by victims and advocates when addressing such issues. The episode also touches on the broader cultural implications and the resistance often encountered when trying to bring these dark truths to light.   00:00 Introduction to Chris Marchand   00:43 The Wall of Silence Podcast   01:03 Five Seconds of Silence   01:40 Background on the ACNA   02:36 Starting the Wall of Silence   04:02 Challenges in Addressing Abuse   09:13 Personal Reflections and Conflicts   13:01 Concluding Remarks and Next Episode Preview   smarticlepodcast@gmail.com   @Smarticleshow  @BDDoble @larryolson threads.net/@smarticleshow @brand.dobes The Smarticle Podcast  https://www.smarticlepodcast.com/ #chrismarchand #thewallofsilencepodcast #thewallofsilence #smarticlepodcast #ACNAToo #ACNA

We hear this question a lot lately: How do we Save America? Whispered in grief and shouted in frustration. From parents afraid for their trans kids, from exhausted teachers, from faith leaders trying to hold shattered communities together. We hear it from the hearts of people who love this country—not so much for what it has been, but for what it could be.Saving America is not about taking it back. It's about bringing it forward. Into love. Into justice. Into healing. Where do we begin?Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

Just Rob today - in time for Father's Day - with a very special episode talking to Dads. But this is good for all parents, for LGBTQ+ kids, for allies. It helps us better understand and support. So, Dads, your child is gay or bisexual or transgender. Your love for your child seems to somehow conflict with your faith - at least according to what you may hear from Christian friends.Like it or not, you are on this journey. What do you do? What kind of Dad will you be?This is NOT a choice for your child. YOU are the one who has the choice - to unconditionally love, accept and affirm your child, or not.  I am the father of five children, two of whom are part of the LGBTQ+ community. In this encore episode, I share three real responses from other Dads. And I ask you to think about which one is the most like you?Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

June is Pride Month—a time dedicated not just to parades and rainbow flags but to profound affirmation and resistance against discrimination.The skewed Christian view of pride involves a self-centered attitude, placing oneself above others and, most critically, above God. But the LGBTQ+ community is not declaring themselves above anyone else.Pride Month was born from a necessity to stand against oppression and claim a rightful place in society—not out of a desire to dominate but a need to exist openly and safely. It's about love, not arrogance.Today, we share an encore presentation about what Pride really is and how it's a powerful expression of love's triumph over shame. It's a celebration – not a sin!Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

Surviving and Healing from Satanic Ritual Abuse: A Family's JourneyIn this emotionally charged episode of Discovering Truth, Dan is joined by Emily, Amanda and Andrea, three sisters and survivors of Satanic ritual abuse and government projects.They open up about their traumatic pasts involving abuse from their grandfather, who was a Hitler Youth and involved in severe forms of trauma programming, as well as the horrifying use of church facilities for abusive practices.The sisters discuss how they support each other through their healing journeys and the profound spiritual and emotional dynamics of living together despite their shared traumatic history.This episode sheds light on the reality of mind control, the intricacies of their bloodline, and the ongoing healing they are embracing together.Covered in this episode:Surviving Satanic Ritual AbuseLiving Together After TraumaCommunication and Healing StrategiesFamily Bloodline and AncestryGrandfather's Dark LegacyChurch and Government AbuseUnveiling the Baptism AreaSunday Morning Rituals and Family InvolvementSecret Tunnels and Different ProgramsMemories of Abuse and Church InfiltrationFreemason Influence and Church ConstructionGrandfather's Role in Abuse and Advanced TechnologyAlternate Personalities and Their RolesAnd much more

I know you feel it. So much fear. So much worry. We see it everywhere, we see it in our own family.Many are considering whether to stay in their state, or even stay in the country. Or whether it is time to go.We asked several people we respect in this community about the topic and their answers could not be more varied.Beloved, what is the right thing to do for your own safety, for those you love, for the communities you care about?Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

Your child says, “Mom, I'm Gay!”You want to shove those words back in and put the lid on. But you can't. Your child is gay or bisexual or transgender. This goes against everything you've been taught. It was not what you had in mind, and you instantly wonder where you went wrong.When you become a parent, you know to expect the unexpected. But for many Christian parents, nothing can prepare them to hear this from their child. I invite you to sit down, relax, maybe get a cup of tea, and soak in what we talk about today. My hope is to guide you as we walk for a bit through this maze of confusion, to help you find your way to wholeness.Whether you have been on this journey for days or decades, this is a wonderful episode for you. Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

We heard from a Mom who loves her daughter but does not accept her being gay, understanding but not really understanding, embracing but letting her daughter know she does not approve.And this Mom could not understand why that was wrong, and why her heart need to be set free.She represents many on this journey of deconstruction who are in limbo – so overwhelmed by the voices coming from the church, Christian friends, old false teachings, that they cannot hear the still small voice of Spirit. What is this Mom supposed to do? Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

#podcast #church #trauma 20% off plus a FREE rechargeable frother and glass beaker with my exclusive link: https://www.Piquelife.com/INSANE At just 13 years old, Alicia found herself in a relationship with her 34-year-old Sunday school teacher, after enduring years of abuse. When their relationship was exposed, she was ostracized—kicked out of her church and relentlessly bullied at school. Today, Alicia has turned her painful past into a powerful force for healing. As an art therapist and counselor, she now specializes in helping others work through grief and trauma, using her own journey to inspire and guide those who are struggling.Alicia's Links:Book: https://www.amazon.com/Artful-Grieving-Directives-Creatively-Bereavement/dp/1805013696/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=1GKKUCAP28K23&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.aZuo2-dcsP-_RsIsnb9yh5ig1RWsKt_LhxuqzvTmnS81-NI6pIel5t6y46vDQzj6.IjhhJAYglHKZe5TNUQyC6Qf_YzX0NJ7DwEhXOBu4WTA&dib_tag=se&keywords=artful+grieving&qid=1746968413&sprefix=artful+grieving%2Caps%2C136&sr=8-1Website: www.artfulgrieving.comIG: @artfulgrievingTIMESTAMPS00;02;12;28: What's it like being abused by a grandparent?00;03;32;05 Do children draw pictures of abuse?00;10;16;03 How does it feel having to see your abuser?00;12;22;09 What are trauma/abuse flashbacks like?00;16;08;24 Do abusers share explicit material? 00;27;05;29 How does grooming work?00;36;45;16 How do predators behave when they're not afraid?00;39;11;08 Do abusers get confident?00;42;13;17 What happens when people find out someone has been abused?00;46;24;25 What's it like being a victim who doesn't get sympathy?00;47;10;05 What happens when a child goes on the internet too young?00;49;52;22 How do predators make themselves sound when grooming?00;52;52;11 What's it like when your abuser dies?00;53;59;23 Are there child marriages in the United States?01;01;19;18 What's it like when your husband goes to  prison?01;06;05;09 What is a trauma bond?01;07;06;29 What is it like picking your husband up from prison? 01;14;07;06 What's it like when your abuser dies?01;24;15;16 Do hospitals always report abuse?Topics: Grooming, Childhood Trauma, Church Abuse, Religious Trauma, Trauma Therapy

This week, I'm joined by Julie Anne Smith, the voice behind The Spiritual Sounding Board, a blog dedicated to exposing church abuse and shedding light on the harmful effects of patriarchy, particularly for women. Julie Anne shares her personal experience with biblical counseling and how it left her feeling injured. Together, we explore the ways in which the church can perpetuate toxic dynamics and how we can work toward healing and accountability.

Surviving and Healing from Satanic Ritual Abuse: A Family's JourneyIn this emotionally charged episode of Discovering Truth, Dan is joined by Emily, Amanda, and Andrea, three sisters and survivors of Satanic ritual abuse and government projects.They open up about their traumatic pasts involving abuse from their grandfather, who was a Hitler Youth and involved in severe forms of trauma programming, as well as the horrifying use of church facilities for abusive practices.The sisters discuss how they support each other through their healing journeys and the profound spiritual and emotional dynamics of living together despite their shared traumatic history.This episode sheds light on the reality of mind control, the intricacies of their bloodline, and the ongoing healing they are embracing together.Covered in this episode:Surviving Satanic Ritual AbuseLiving Together After TraumaCommunication and Healing StrategiesFamily Bloodline and AncestryGrandfather's Dark LegacyChurch and Government AbuseUnveiling the Baptism AreaSunday Morning Rituals and Family InvolvementSecret Tunnels and Different ProgramsConfrontation and Discovery of PornographyMemories of Abuse and Church InfiltrationFreemason Influence and Church ConstructionGrandfather's Role in Abuse and Advanced TechnologyAlternate Personalities and Their RolesAnd much more

With all that has been going on to attack, condemn, and erase our precious transgender community, we thought it was the perfect time for this. In this very special, intimate episode, we share something that came from a mom of transgender daughter.She wrote it for her pastor, for anyone, who is trying to sort out transgender, gender nonconforming, nonbinary—trying to understand what transgender people and their families go through.This is an incredibly powerful story. It is beautifully written and conveys so well the heart of what it is to parent a transgender child.An encore presentation, perfect for all that is happening today.Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

Today, we continue to focus on the transgender community with an encore broadcast of a very popular FreedHearts Podcast episode from January 2022. Our trans children, family members and friends are beautiful. And beloved. Living their authentic lives.Oh my goodness, that is an amazing truth. Amazing stories. Amazing beauty. False teachings, binary thinking, denial can cause us to miss it all – and cause great harm to those we love.With all that has been going on, it is the perfect time for this episode. “Don't Deny the Beauty of Being Transgender!”Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

Christians mistakenly suggest that if you take the Bible seriously, you must stand against the existence – as well as the health and even humanity of transgender people.Actually, the OPPOSITE is true!In this episode, we talk about how the Bible AFFIRMS transgender and gender non-conforming people. And, how misinterpretations and binary thinking cause people to follow false teachings that are causing so much harm, especially today! A special encore presentation of one of our most popular episodes ever about the transgender community. Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

Today we are talking about the sticky subject of spiritual abuse in the church. To lead us on the journey is Rachael Clinton Chen. Rachael is devoted to addressing the harm of abuse – especially spiritual abuse – at the intersection of trauma, healing, embodiment and spiritual formation. She leads the Story Workshop for Spiritual Abuse & Healing and recently developed the Allender Center's Spiritual Abuse & Healing Online Course, inviting survivors of spiritual abuse to journey together towards healing and reclamation.RESOURCES:Find out more about the Allender Center at the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology with a link to their podcast  HERESpiritual Abuse & Healing Online Course -  This six-lesson course, complete with reflective practices and deep dive panel discussions, helps you engage your body, mind, and spirit as you unpack the harm caused by spiritual abuse.Story Workshop for Spiritual Abuse & Healing - Our mission at The Allender Center is rooted in the belief that our stories are best understood and healed when we share them with others. We're honored to introduce the new Story Workshop for Spiritual Abuse & Healing—an immersive experience designed to guide you through the complex process of healing from religious trauma and spiritual harm and reclaiming your faith. This is a three day virtual workshop held May 16-18, including large group teaching and small group story work with a seasoned facilitator. Free Checklist: How to identify the signs of spiritual abuseContact Cyndi Parker through Narrative of Place.Join Cyndi Parker's  Patreon Team!

These past few months have resulted in some deep wounds – often from people that are, or used to be very close to us. We have been told that we should not hold a grudge, that we should let go of everything. But I think we are missing a bigger truth. Could it be that it's good to hold a grudge?We don't want to walk around with resentment, or unforgiveness, because that only hurts us, as we know. So, how could holding a grudge be a positive thing?Maybe it's about remembering what someone did to you, or did to someone you love—versus pretending nothing happened. For the purpose of protecting yourself in the future. The idea is that you don't just forget harmful things people do. Beloved, there's deep wisdom in that. There is a real balance in all of this and in today's powerful episode, we talk all about it.   Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

Jesus and Christianity and Church.  We link those three together but the truth is that to do so has no basis in history, no basis in theology, certainly no basis in today's non-affirming, rules-based, behavior-focused, hyper-political religion.Jesus is a great mascot. But Beloved, it's a bait and switch!Jesus would be considered unChristian by the Christian church. And the church would be considered unChristlike by Jesus.Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

We get caught up in social media. Doomscrolling, fear scrolling, just scrolling to find a glimmer of hope and good news.  We all know the feeling: you see something infuriating and, before you can stop yourself, you're pounding the keys, firing off a post that will change the world, or at least change someone's mind.  Anyone else do that? But, honestly, here's the thing: posting on social media probably won't change things as much as we hope. So, why doesn't it work, and what can we do instead?Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

On this deconstruction journey, we have unclobbered the Scripture that is falsely taught to condemn LGBTQ+ and same-sex relationships. We have exposed false teachings that are used for religious manipulation. And we recently addressed the big one: the myth and false teaching of hell!It's a lot, and it rattles the core of our theology – but in the most wonderful way. We opened the box we had God in and all heaven broke loose! Beloved, have you ever wondered… Are we sure?? Can we be certain about our beliefs?Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

Has the world gone crazy? Has this country gone crazy? Feels like it for sure. Do you feel like maybe you're crazy busy, stressed and overwhelmed? Yeah, me too. We talked about everything that is happening – the news and developments we are being bombarded with.  Coming at us so fast it's hard to process it all. Which we pointed out is by design.And all the gaslighting when we confront things out and fight back. Maddening.  Let's talk about how to handle so much happening so fast -- how to process it and how to best deal with it as much as possible, so we can be more effective in our resistance and our response, while not losing our hope and joy. Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

Beloved, hear me: You are not imagining things!When you see executive orders, policies, rollbacks, hate-filled rhetoric, & you feel that gut-punch of fear — it's real. When your heart aches because you see rights stripped away, protections dismantled, & lives put at risk — it's not in your head.And yet, when we speak up, we are dismissed, laughed at, and told that we are overreacting. It's a deliberate attempt to make you doubt what you know to be true, to keep you silent, to stop you from resisting. It's gaslighting. Pure and simple. We are recognizing it and naming it – and we will not be discouraged or impacted by it!Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

We wake up to news, breaking stories happen throughout the day, the barrage of executive orders and developments seem never-ending. It can easily be overwhelming. Anybody feel that way?Beloved, that actually may be their goal.Today, we talk about what is happening in our country right now, how it's making us feel, and what we can do about all of this to not lose hope, to care for ourselves and to care for those we love. Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

Move From toxicity to trust, healing, and renewed faith.   Host Curtis Chang and Mike Cosper, creator of "The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill" investigate the unsettling realities of church abuse and the unchecked authority that breeds toxicity within faith communities. Drawing from his latest book, "The Church in Dark Times," Cosper discusses the urgent need for accountability in evangelical settings, using the Mars Hill case as a poignant example. Curtis and Mike explore the intersection of leadership and emotional and spiritual abuse to help us all discover pathways to healing and rebuilding trust in the aftermath of betrayal. Don't miss this insightful conversation on the dynamics of power and the importance of safeguarding church values.   Send written questions or voice memos for “Ask Curtis” episodes to: askcurtis@redeemingbabel.org   Get a 25% discount when you buy The Art of Disagreeing by Gavin Ortland at thegoodbook.com with code: GOODFAITH   Resources from this episode: Mike Cosper's The Church in Dark Times Listen to The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill Paul Petry's Joyful Exiles blog Mike Cosper's Land of My Sojourn Learn more about Hannah Arendt Hannah Arendt on Adolf Eichmann for the New Yorker: part 1 & part 2 Kant's Argument for Radical Evil by Stephen R. Grimm (pdf) Hannah Arendt's The Origins of Totalitarianism Listen to Dr. Timothy Keller: Don't Despair, God Isolates You for a Reason Listen to Dr. Timothy Keller: How to Deal With Dark Times Listen to Dr. Timothy Keller: Counter-Culture for the Common Good More From Mike Cosper: Books by Mike Cosper HERE Listen to Mike on The Bulletin Listen to Devil and the Deep Blue Sea Follow Mike's Instagram Follow Us: Good Faith on Instagram Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter) Good Faith on Facebook   Sign up:  Redeeming Babel Newsletter

We recently came through the holidays. Has anyone ever been uninvited to a family gathering? We have. Well, Spring is coming, maybe you have a wedding on the calendar?So, today, we flip the script and talk about YOUR special events… a birthday celebration, wedding, family reunion, graduation. And we ask the questions: Are there people we HAVE to invite?  How do we handle that and how do we balance it all with selfcare?Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

How much do you have to listen to someone who wants to tell you how to live and what you're doing wrong, and if you'd just follow their advice you'd be good? Not much! Have you heard the phrase “iron sharpens iron” as a justification for someone telling you everything that is wrong with you?Or have you ever been part of a religious “accountability” group? Same thing -- someone who feels that they have the duty to tell you what you should be doing. Social media bickering, trolling, bullying — the freedom strangers feel to reply in all caps to someone they don't know — on an issue they don't know — is all part of this narrative.You deserve the truth. Your heart deserves to be freed from the myth and dangers of "Christian accountability." Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

Beloved, last week we talked about the myth and false teaching of hell and how we have been so terrorized by it. That and other false teachings cause us to think and believe the most awful things about ourselves. Things that are just not true!Today, we tell you some true things… about you. Jesus said for us to love our neighbor AS WE LOVE OURSELVES. The most important freedom is freedom from your own self-judgment – so we can love and accept ourselves unconditionally and fully and lavishly – so we can love our neighbor the same way.Send us a private message. *Note: INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you'd like us to answer. :-) Support the show

Fr. Mike reflects on the story of Susanna's righteousness in the book of Daniel. While celebrating Susanna's virtue, Daniel's wisdom, and God's faithfulness, Fr. Mike also warns us that, like the corrupt elders in the story, we too can allow our hearts to become perverted by the things we fix our eyes on. The readings are Jeremiah 30, Daniel 12-13, and Proverbs 16:17-20. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.