Julia: Deconstructing JWs and Suburbia

More from Graceful Atheist Podcast All episodes →

1. 

   S2 · E211 · 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…

2. 

   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…

3. 

   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…

4. 

   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,…

5. 

   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…

6. 

   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…

7. 

   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…

8. 

   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…

9. 

   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…