Podcast · Devotional & Spiritual

Graceful Atheist Podcast

by David Ames · English · Devotional & Spiritual

A secular humanist podcast about Secular Grace after deconstruction and deconversion. The podcast takes an honest look at stories of faith transition from a life-altering faith, to doubt and deconstruction, to deconversion, and finally, to a thriving graceful life post-deconversion. My name is Dav

Typical length: 1 hr 3 min
Language: English

Latest episode

1 hr 16 min

Matt Sanderson on Spirituality Without the Supernatural, Wonder, and Meaning After Faith

Matt Sanderson is the author of I Wonder: Notes on Spirituality without the Supernatural . My conversation with Matt is poignant and vulnerable touching on his loss of faith, the loss of his mother and his search for meaning without dogma and the supernatural. Matt tells us his faith journey from an atheist upbringing into evangelical/charismatic Christianity, drawn by community and an intense prayer experience, then later unraveling beliefs after being challenged, doubling down, and gradually deconverting through wider reading (philosophy, neuroscience) without a dramatic exit. Matt…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

S2 · E210 · 1 hr 11 min
Stella McCormick: Surviving a Single Family Cult
Author Stella McCormick has written a powerful memoir, Deliver Us From Mother: Faith, Fear, and the Family Cult That Broke Me . The story she tells in the book and shares with us on the podcast is one of surviving a single family cult, purity culture, sexual assault and desconstruction. Stella is more than a survivor. She has thrived. Today she is a sexual assault advocate for the Army where she helps other victims of sexual assault process their experience. Links Stella on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@stella_mccormick Amazon Paid Links As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying…
S2 · E209 · 38 min
Clearly Written By Boys
Karis Burkowski and David Fitzgerald have written an amazing book called Clearly Written by Boys: A Woman’s Guide to the Bible . The book takes this question seriously: What if women mattered, really mattered, to the authors that wrote our Bible? Not just the queens and concubines, harlots and handmaidens, and barren women in need of a son’s miraculous birth; not just the unnamed mothers, wives and daughters; but all women? Clearly Written for Boys is a book about the Bible, and Christianity, and the problematic relationship both have had with women throughout their histories. Karis and…
S2 · E208 · 1 hr 12 min
Steve Ghikadis: Humanism From the Heart
Steve Ghikadis is the author of Humanism From the Heart: Building Bridges Beyond Belief . Steve Ghikadis is a Humanist Officiant, who conducts secular marriages, memorials, and many more meaningful life-affirming celebrations. Raised as a freethinker, Steve has been married to a Christian for over a decade. He and his wife, Cindy, believe in the importance of bridging the gap between believers and non-believers. Their two young children are being raised in an interfaith household and are free to choose their own path. He serves as an Ambassador for Humanist Canada, Recovering from Religion,…
S2 · E207 · 52 min
Julia: Deconstructing JWs and Suburbia
Julia tells her story of deconstructing the Jehovah's Witnesses and the expected life of suburbia. Julia was torn between two grandmothers: an evangelical and a Jehovah's Witness. She became a Jehovah's Witness and was all in. She got married and had kids and supported her husband who was an elder. That is when the boredom set it. She wanted more, she wanted to travel and be a need-greater. Before they were to leave to Ecuador, her husband tragically died of cancer refusing blood transfusions along the way. Julia's life became messy as she started a long process of deconstruction. This…
S2 · E206 · 48 min
Humanism and AI
The Consciousness Delusion In this solo episode I discuss Artificial Intelligence. Should we agree with Richard Dawkins that Claude is conscious? Probably not, for several reasons. I talk about how LLMs work, why I don't think they are conscious and how a humanist should respond. Topics: (Semi) Technical description of how Large Language Models work LLMs are trained on the sum total of human hopes and fears Why all the intelligence in AI systems is from human sources Why I do not believe LLMs can be conscious in principle The Hype problem The Humanistic response to AI Links Show notes…
S2 · E205 · 59 min
Liam: A friend and a Friend
Liam is a friend and a colleague of many years. He is a member of the Religious Society of Friends often called Quakers. Liam and I have shared deep conversations before and after my deconversion. I respect the way Liam holds and lives out his beliefs. You might be surprised. The British Liberal Quakerism Liam lives out on a daily basis is very close to my version of Humanism, Secular Grace. He is a great example of a religious humanist who cares about people over dogma. Links Quakers in Britain: https://www.quaker.org.uk/ Quaker Faith: https://www.quaker.org.uk/faith/read-about-quaker-faith…
S2 · E204 · 37 min
Doubt is Antimemetic
I recently read Antimemetics: Why Some Ideas Resist Spreading by Nadia Asparouhova and it blew my mind. Just reading the intro I knew I needed to do an episode on the subject. Almost everything about deconstruction and deconversion is antimememetic. It is a significant idea that resists spreading. Listen to the episode to find out how. All of the following are antimemetic: Doubt Deconstruction Deconversion Atheism Humanism Secular Grace Links https://gracefulatheist.com/2026/05/03/doubt-is-antimemetic/ SNL Skit: Mom Confession https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wQhY5CMMl4 Amazon Paid Links As…
S2 · E203 · 51 min
Friends and Family: Mark Anthony Diaz
Mark Anthony Diaz is the author of Reedkeeper's Journey and one of my best friends. Mark and I grew up together. We had the same sarcastic friend group in high school. We did ministry together. Crucially, Mark stuck with me after my deconversion. Mark is a person of deep conviction, and while he's a talented EMT, author, and podcaster, it's his personal journey that truly resonates. Growing up with severe asthma made for a challenging childhood, but Mark's story is one of overcoming. Mark is very much a believer and I respect Mark's faith. Mark lives up to the honesty contest ethos of the…
S2 · E202 · 1 hr 8 min
Colin Ryan: Epic Tiny Victories
Welcome back Colin Ryan, author, storyteller, comedian and survivor of Bipolar 2, OCD and ADHD. Colin has written Epic Tiny Victories: A hopeful story about depression anxiety and reframing your life . It is hilarious, honest and poignant. Colin describes in the book growing up Evangelical, purity culture and his deconstruction process. Join us as we catch up on where Colin's deconstruction journey is at. We discuss his mental health journey. Colin tells stories from the book. Get Epic Tiny Victories today. Links http://www.epictinyvictories.com/ https://www.colinryanspeaks.com/ 2020…
S2 · E201 · 57 min
10 Year Deconversion Anniversary
Reflections on ten years of deconversion. I re-tell my deconversion story and reflect on what has changed and what has stayed the same. Links Apostate: Stories of Deconversion https://amzn.to/4rj7TA6 Interact For quotes, recommendations, transcripts and more see the full episode show notes https://gracefulatheist.com/2026/03/08/10-year-deconversion-anniversary/ Join the Deconversion Anonymous Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/deconversion Support the podcast on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/gracefulatheist Secular Grace https://gracefulatheist.com/2016/10/21/secular-grace/…
E200 · 1 hr 8 min
Matthew Taylor: Why We Podcast
Mathew Taylor, co-host of Still Unbelievable!, returns to the podcast to discuss why we podcast.Links Matthew on Twitter: https://twitter.com/vteclimey Confessions of a YEC blog: https://confessionsofayec.wordpress.com/ "God takes the good people early" post: https://confessionsofayec.wordpress.com/2012/03/08/god-takes-the-good-people-early/ Reason Press: https://reasonpress.net/ "Still Unbelievable!" the book: https://reasonpress.net/SU1E Podcasts: Still Unbelievable! https://anchor.fm/still-unbelievable Ask An Atheist Anything https://anchor.fm/reasonpress Previous episode…
E199 · 1 hr 2 min
Sara: Christian Humanism
This week's guest is Sara. Sara grew up in a Canadian Mennonite community and embraced it wholeheartedly. She was surrounded by evangelical Christianity and she thrived. As a young adult, she married and followed her husband into ministry. While he led, she helped as was expected of her. It didn't occur to her until years later how little her own leadership skills had to be set aside. Sara's husband started deconstructing his beliefs before she did, but as he was learning, she was also learning. Years later, she knew he'd become an atheist before he did. It wasn't easy, but they made space…
E198 · 50 min
Beth: Deconstruction from the Moral Majority
This week's guest is Beth. Beth grew up in a fundamentalist Christian home that revered James Dobson, Jerry Falwell and all those who created the "Moral Majority." Her father was a pastor whose sermons centered on the End Times and protecting their families from the "shifting culture," (read: all the movements happening in the 60's and 70's). As a teen, she lived a double life, keeping plenty of secrets from her parents. However, as a young adult, followed all the rules with the expectation that the "umbrella of God's protection" would take care of her. It didn't. It took decades of trying…
E197 · 55 min
Andrew: Dino Dad Reviews
Arline interviews this week's guest, Andrew. Andrew is a self-named atheist "paleo-nerd." He grew up home-schooled in a fundamentalist church in southern California. His whole schooling was religious and that included Young Earth Creationism. In high school, Andrew struggled with his shy nature and some depressive episodes. The church didn't seem to have room for people like him. As a young adult, finally making his own decisions and living a life without fundamentalism everywhere, Andrew saw how much he could accomplish on his own. He had had the resources inside him but hadn't known it.…
E196 · 1 hr 9 min
Racquelle: Deconstruction from SDA and Conspiracy Theories
Arline interviews this week's guest, Racquelle. Racquelle grew up in Canada in the Seventh Day Adventist church. Conspiracy theories were common in her household. Some of them she bought into. Throughout her life she went through periods of doubt but something kept bringing her back to Church. A sense of obligation and expectation never left her. Eventually, Racquelle deconverted from her faith and deconstructed the conspiracy theories. She now has an interesting perspective on the deconstruction process. Links Facebook https://www.facebook.com/racquelle.pilon Instagram…
E195 · 1 hr 6 min
Andy Neal: Andy Films and Hikes
Arline interviews this week's guest, Andy Neal of Andy Films And Hikes fame. He is self described as a "plus size hiking influencer." Andy tells his story of deconstruction, acceptance of his body and his joy in nature. He is an inspiration to all to get outdoors and experience nature. Links Instagram https://www.instagram.com/andyfilmsandhikes/ Link Tree https://linktr.ee/AndyNeal Interact For quotes, recommendations, transcripts and more see the full episode show notes https://gracefulatheist.com/2023/11/19/andy-neal-andy-films-and-hikes/ Join the Deconversion Anonymous Facebook group…
E194 · 1 hr 3 min
Natalie: Pentecostal to Mormon to Atheist
Natalie from New Zealand tells Arlene here story. She grew up Pentecostal participating in church. In her young adulthood she converted to Mormonism. She saw that as woman her role was limited and was finding it difficult to accept the church's perspective on LGBQT issues. Eventually Natalie deconverted. She is thankful for her kids' sake who later came out as queer. Natalie now finds time in nature and the forest life giving. Interact For quotes, recommendations, transcripts and more see the full episode show notes…
E193 · 1 hr 13 min
Jeff: Deconstruction of a Southern Baptist Minister
Jeff grew up in his words "a very religious household." He attended a large Southern Baptist church. In college he fell in love with the seriousness of Calvinism after reading John Piper's Desiring God. He left seminary early to become a minster because he felt time pressure to be "on mission" for God. After three pastors he knew committed suicide in one year, Jeff began to deconstruct. Today he is agnostic and finds therapy and mindfulness helpful in his life. Links Instagram https://www.instagram.com/Backwoodspiper Interact For quotes, recommendations, transcripts and more see the full…
E192 · 1 hr 3 min
Megan: Catholic to Evangelical to Athiest
This week's guest is Megan. Megan grew up in a fundamentalist Catholic home with an irrationally religious mother and an absent father. As a teen, she was invited to an evangelical bible study after school and after some serious "love bombing" by the youth group, she was a part of a community. "You get 'loved bombed' when you walk into a new church or into a new youth group, and they make you feel like you are the most welcome you will ever be and that your community is so indeed of you and your specific experience…" Evangelical Christianity worked well for Megan for years. She had questions…
E191 · 1 hr 4 min
Kris: Former Christian Leader to the Least of These
This week's guest is Kris. Kris grew up in a home with much wounding and suffering, an irreligious home that would shape her desire for God as a young adult. She became a christian when she was 22—a "poor, broken young mom." For years, Christianity worked well for her. She found community, built a family, made friends. Church gave her a place to use her abilities and passions, but there was always a glass ceiling. In 2017, she and a friend went to a "biblical archeology" seminar. For the first time, Kris was learning from professors, not pastors, and the questions started coming. It wasn't…
E190 · 57 min
Jeremy Schumacher: Wellness with Jer
This week's guest is Jeremy Schumacher. Jeremy's story begins in the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod and it was as culty as it sounds. He started questioning the beliefs when he was ten, but it took twenty more years before he was able to leave. "Two things really kept me in [Christianity] longer than I needed to stay or wanted to stay: fear of hell…and everyone I knew and interacted with was Lutheran, just not having any sense of community outside of the church…" Jeremy is currently a "licensed marriage & family therapist with additional specialties in religious trauma and sports…
E189 · 15 min
Graceful Atheist Solo October 2023
This week is a solo episode with David talking about the state of the podcast. Interact For quotes, recommendations, transcripts and more see the full episode show notes https://gracefulatheist.com/2023/10/08/graceful-atheist-solo-october-2023/ Join the Deconversion Anonymous Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/deconversion Graceful Atheist Podcast Merch! https://www.teepublic.com/user/gracefulatheistpodcast Support the podcast on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/gracefulatheist Secular Grace https://gracefulatheist.com/2016/10/21/secular-grace/ Deconversion…
E188 · 1 hr 11 min
Mandi: Deconversion from Messianic Judaism
This week's guest is Mandi. Mandi grew up in a mixed Jewish and Christian home, attending a Messianic temple. She loved every minute of it as a kid and cherishes her memories. In high school and as a young adult, though, she began to ask questions, and as we've seen in religion time and time again, her questions were dismissed. After incredible and full years of life—moving to Israel, returning to Georgia, joining an Orthodox Jewish community, getting married, and having children—she identifies as an agnostic atheist. "It's been so good for my mental health, to not believe, to stop praying."…
E187 · 58 min
Jordon: Mennonite to Philosopher
This week's guest is Jordon. Jordon comes from a long family line of Mennonites but Jordon was bookish and musical and never quite fit in. He grew up in the church, but with two older brothers already having left the church, by 21 he was also out. He'd never had a television, gone to public school, or really knew anything beyond the small bubble he was in. University changed all of that. "The sense of community I was getting from the friendships I was making outside of these church communities…was really kind of gratifying." Over years of therapy and some world-traveling, Jordon has come to…
E186 · 1 hr 8 min
Nora: MK to the USA
This week's guest is Nora. Nora grew up in Argentina, the granddaughter of Italian immigrants, and Argentina still has her heart. When Nora was in middle school, her father believed God wanted him to become a missionary to the US. The family's move to California was all loss, culture shock, and homesickness for Nora. Between church doctrine on divorce, enduring an abusive marriage, Christian Nationalism, and questions that kept coming, Nora stayed in Christianity as long as she could stand it. She truly tried to make it all work. "I did it on my own…I can say, for sure, God was not there for…
E185 · 1 hr 24 min
Tracey: Focus on the Family to None
This week's guest is Tracey. Tracey spent her childhood in a white American Christian home where Focus on the Family reigned and "Obey right away" was the expectation. She was a believer as an adolescent but began asking hard questions in high school. As a young adult, she saw how prideful the leaders were and how easily Christians were pulled in. "That's a theme through my whole experience of Christianity…Christians are actually attracted to narcissists…People are drawn to or encouraged to seek answers from narcissists." As an adult, Tracey became Catholic, only to see the same threads…
E184 · 59 min
Mary Justice: Deconstruction From SDA
This week's guest is Mary Justice, the heart behind the delightful Instagram account, @maryfairyboberry . Mary is an international adoptee who grew up in an emotionally and verbally abusive Seventh-Day Adventist home. Between home and church, there were rules that dictated her entire life. "It's just so much fanaticism." As an adult, she has a family she cares for without the abuse or micro-managing from high-control religion. She's been through a lot, but she's choosing to laugh and enjoy her present life. Check out her Instagram account @maryfairyboberry for her own personal journey, cute…
E183 · 1 hr 16 min
Amanda: Deconversion From An Unnamed Cult
This week's guest is Amanda. Amanda comes from a rather surprising brand of Christianity she refers to as the "Serpent Seed Pentecostal Cult." She goes into detail, and it's quite a ride. Various things happened throughout her adolescence that made her wonder if Christianity was true, but her mother would violently put a quick stop to those doubts. By 17, Amanda left home to live with a friend, but that couldn't last long. Amanda spent a decade trying out every religion under the sun but never found the one that could give real, solid answers. "Everybody thinks that they have the answer but…
E182 · 1 hr 12 min
MJ: Dissident Daughters
This week's guest is MJ, the heart and mind behind the Instagram account, @dissident_daughters MJ grew up in a conservative evangelical home where Focus on the Family reigned and her whole world consisted of family, church friends, and a few Christian homeschooling families. She believed wholeheartedly, feeling all the existential pressure as a child to "save" everyone around her. As a young woman, MJ was surrounded by social workers while in college, and these colleagues were curious. They didn't ask theological questions; they asked political questions, but for MJ it was all connected. She…

About Graceful Atheist Podcast

Graceful Atheist Podcast is a English devotional & spiritual podcast from David Ames. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: David Ames
Language: English
Category: Devotional & Spiritual
Typical length: 1 hr 3 min
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1456800368
Rights: 2026

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