Best Unarmed Podcasts (2025)

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The Historical Jesus: The Missing Pieces 37:36

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3d ago37:36

37:36

The “historical Jesus” isn’t the same as the Sunday school Jesus. Dr. Mark Goodacre shows us why there’s so little hard evidence, how scholarship challenges evangelical readings, and why most pastors never share this from the pulpit. Plus: Jesus as an apocalyptic prophet and the one book you need to make sense of the gospels. patreon.com/skepticpas…

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Pharisees Are Good Guys and Jesus Gender Bending 29:14

10d ago29:14

29:14

If you grew up thinking Pharisees were hypocrites and Jesus was all about purity culture, buckle up. Dr. Amy Jill-Levine joins us to dismantle the myths: Pharisees were good people, the Bible doesn’t record “what happened,” and the New Testament has space for asexuality, transgender identity, and radical body positivity. patreon.com/skepticpastor N…

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Why People Are Leaving the Church and How to Stay Engaged in Spirituality After Leaving 48:27

14d ago48:27

48:27

People aren’t leaving the church because they “hate God.” They’re leaving because the church keeps begging for cash, propping up patriarchy, justifying abusive marriages, and trashing LGBTQ people. In this episode, we talk about the real reasons people walk away and how to stay rooted in spirituality through safe, inclusive community that actually …

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Virginity Rocks: Deconstructing Purity Culture 35:45

28d ago35:45

35:45

Virginity isn't real. We unpack how purity culture weaponized the concept of virginity to control women, why the biology doesn’t back it up, and how the shame attached to sex has wrecked entire generations. Bonus: we share some memes that are funnier than your youth pastor’s abstinence sermon. patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsW…

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Ruth: The Art of Seduction 37:23

1M ago37:23

37:23

This isn’t your Sunday school Ruth. Naomi sends her in to seduce Boaz and secure a future for them both. It’s raw, risky, and very much not the evangelical “wait until marriage” narrative. We talk about how this story reframes grief, highlights the resources we already have, and smashes the purity-culture lie that sex is the enemy of holiness. patr…

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A PhD in Religious Trauma!? 36:32

1M ago36:32

36:32

What happens when theology is weaponized? We talk with someone actually getting a PhD in religious trauma—yes, that’s a thing—and leading a support group for people recovering from it. We unpack how this kind of abuse isn’t “just church hurt” but complex trauma, rooted in communities where doctrine gets twisted into control. And of course, it would…

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Ruth: The Mystery Revealed 36:38

1M ago36:38

36:38

Boaz feeds Ruth like she actually belongs—because she does. That’s the point. His generosity breaks the scarcity mindset and shows what it means to embody God’s social safety net. We’ll unpack how Ruth’s full basket challenges us to look at our own hospitality: who gets left out of our tables, and how can we change that? By the end, Naomi finally s…

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Jesus Unarmed aka Make Jerusalem Great Again 37:04

1M ago37:04

37:04

When Jesus said “turn the other cheek,” He wasn’t telling us to be doormats—He was giving oppressed people a blueprint for resistance. From civil rights history to modern data, we’ll show why non-violence works and why the church needs to stop worshiping at the altar of the sword. patreon.com/skepticpastor thequollective.com Code: UnBelief Hosted b…

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Ruth: The Holiness of Social Welfare and Hard Work 32:41

1M ago32:41

32:41

Forget the “God helps those who help themselves” nonsense. Ruth’s story proves God built a social welfare system and stamped it holy. In Ruth 2, she walks into a stranger’s field, risks her safety, and outworks every man there—because God’s law said the rich were required to share. Your favorite “hard work” preacher would hate this chapter. patreon…

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Q&A: Buddhist Christians, Inclusive Reading of the Bible, Hell Isn’t in There, and the True Translation of the Bible 46:44

2M ago46:44

46:44

You asked, we answered: How do you make sense of the Bible after learning how it was written? Can someone follow Jesus and also find truth in Buddhism? Is hell biblical—or just a scare tactic? And what’s the most trustworthy Bible translation? It’s all in here. Patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com …

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Ruth: The Relationship We Are All Looking For 35:53

2M ago35:53

35:53

Sometimes God feels absent. Bitter, even. Naomi gets that. But Ruth shows us that when everything collapses, the right person by your side can be sacred. This episode is about that kind of love—the loyal, no-matter-what kind—and what it teaches us about faith and friendship. patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pc…

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Old Maid at 22 Comes Out a Decade Later 58:30

2M ago58:30

58:30

She was told her worth was tied to being a wife and mother—and that at 22 was practically a geriatric bride. So she got married, made sure “obey” was in the vows, and followed the evangelical script. Years (and one major deconstruction) later, she’s out as bi, still married, and thriving. Spoiler: the husband stayed. The evangelical friends? Not so…

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Ruth: an Anti-patriarch Bible Book about Inclusion and Political Protest 34:40

2M ago34:40

34:40

Ruth isn’t your typical Bible heroine. She’s a Moabite, a woman, and the star of a book that basically tells Ezra and Nehemiah to sit down. This episode explores how Ruth smashes purity codes, upends patriarchy, and makes a case for radical inclusion—without ever preaching a sermon. patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company…

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Deconstructing Purity Culture: Masturbation Addiction 43:06

2M ago43:06

43:06

They said if you masturbate, you're broken. They lied. We dive into the toxic shame of purity culture’s “masturbation addiction” claims, clear up what Onan was really doing, and open a thoughtful (not preachy) conversation about porn and ethics. patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information …

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Deconstructing Purity Culture: Damaged Goods 41:14

2M ago41:14

41:14

If you ever felt guilty for making out, this one’s for you. We tear into abstinence-only education, the purity ring industrial complex, and the horror show that is the “born-again virgin.” Plus, we clap back at the toxic theology that says you’re not worthy of heaven if you love your own life too much. Yes, really. patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted …

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Parable of the ten bridesmaids and being open 28:58

2M ago28:58

28:58

Turns out the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids isn’t a warning about heaven’s velvet rope. It’s a call to be ready for the unexpected. We unpack the cultural backdrop, the spiritual arrogance of the “prepared,” and how first-century people missed Jesus because they weren’t open—and how we still do the same thing today. patreon.com/skepticpastor Hoste…

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Deconstructing Purity Culture: Cohabitation and Living in Sin 53:09

3M ago53:09

53:09

Purity culture wants you to believe marriage solves everything—except it doesn’t. We dig into stories of people rejected for cohabitation, the dangerous lie that consent disappears once you’re married, and why reducing life to two bad choices is just bad theology wrapped in shame. patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. …

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The Parable of the Weeds and Why People Aren't who You Think They Are 27:07

3M ago27:07

27:07

The Parable of the Weeds isn’t about judging people’s souls—it’s about waiting before you yank people out of your life. We break down the cultural background, the dangers of playing spiritual police, and why people might not be who you think they are. Spoiler: sometimes the wheat and the weeds look exactly the same. patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted…

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Purity Culture Damage from Being "Unequally Yoked’" 42:28

3M ago42:28

42:28

Let’s talk about that time purity culture told you dating a non-Christian would ruin your soul. We dig into the myth of being “unequally yoked,” how that verse isn’t even about marriage, and why courting culture stunts your growth like a purity ring with a chokehold. patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswiz…

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When Jesus Threw Wine in the Pharisee’s Face 43:39

3M ago43:39

43:39

Jesus didn’t just forgive the woman—they had a whole theological mic drop right in the middle of dinner. We unpack the ancient hospitality customs the Pharisee ignored, how Jesus publicly re-centered the one everyone tried to erase, and what it means to be both messy and full of faith. patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz comp…

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What is Religious Trauma? 42:32

3M ago42:32

42:32

Religious trauma isn’t just in your head—it lives in your body. In this episode, we talk to a religious trauma therapist about what it is, how it shows up, and how healing actually works. From EMDR to somatic therapy to finding a therapist who gets it, this is your intro guide to unlearning spiritual harm. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. …

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The Rapture isn’t Real: a Verse-by-Verse Guide 25:07

3M ago25:07

25:07

You’ve heard the Left Behind version—but what if the Bible never promised a cosmic vacuum sucking up all the good Christians? We walk through every so-called “rapture” verse, dismantling the theology one line at a time. Spoiler: Jesus wasn’t talking about disappearing in your khakis. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for…

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Ancient Jewish Secret for Reading the Bible 35:45

3M ago35:45

35:45

Turns out, the rabbis were way ahead of their time. In this episode, we take a deep dive into PaRDeS. This multi-layered way to read scripture embraces metaphor, meaning, and mystery—perfect for those of us who’ve been burned by fundamentalism but still find the Bible intriguing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com…

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The Only Gay Kid in Town: A Story of Communally Inflicted Trauma 1:02:30

4M ago1:02:30

1:02:30

What happens when the Baptist pastor in your town preaches an entire sermon about you, because you’re the only openly gay kid? Our guest tells the story of being publicly shamed and slowly rebuilding his spiritual life. From Baptist trauma to a surprising homecoming in Judaism, this episode explores what communal harm looks like—and what healing ca…

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The Parable of the Mustard Seed: Read It However You Want—That’s the Point 31:03

4M ago31:03

31:03

Universal salvation, anti-authoritarianism, and maybe a warning about neat little spiritual clichés—all from one tiny seed. In this episode, we dig into the parable of the mustard seed and why reading and looking for the truth that presents itself might be the most faithful move you can make. patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWi…

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How to Have Relationships with Unaffirming Friends and Family (and when to let them go) Interview with Sharon Roggio Director of 1946 the Movie 59:06

4M ago59:06

59:06

What happens when your evangelical dad reads your diary and finds out you’re a lesbian—and he’s also your pastor? Sharon Roggio, director of 1946: The Movie, tells her story of heartbreak, leaving home, and somehow finding a way back into relationship. We also talk about how “homosexual” ended up in the Bible—and why that mistranslation still haunt…

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To Stay or to Go? The Latin American Dilemma (¿Quedarse o Partir? El Dilema Latinoamericano) 33:13

4M ago33:13

33:13

Life in Latin America can be stressful or it can be the most comfortable existence you'll ever have - it all depends on how you look at it. In today's DUAL NARRATOR episode and Season 4 finale, we fly over to warm, sunny Cali to join Daniel (a Colombian looking to move to Spain) and Sofia (a Spaniard looking to move to Colombia) as they spend a few…

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Jesus Told a Story About Classism, and We Made It About Hell... It's Not 37:48

4M ago37:48

37:48

We’re not here to scare you with hellfire—we’re here to tell you this parable is about injustice, privilege, and how hard it is to see your own biases. The Rich Man never figured it out. Maybe this episode will help the rest of us do better. patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information abou…

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Deconstructing the LGBTQ ‘Clobber Verses’—and Our Own Deconstruction 51:54

4M ago51:54

51:54

It’s the conversation every deconstructing queer (or ally) eventually has: what does the Bible actually say about LGBTQ people? We bring receipts, cultural context, and a healthy amount of side-eye to the verses used to exclude—and flip the script completely. patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com fo…

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The Worst Kind of Impunity, The Atrocious Case of Linda Loaiza (La Peor Impunidad, El Atroz Caso de Linda Loaiza) 31:38

4M ago31:38

31:38

One of the saddest things about crime in Latin America is that even the worst criminals can benefit from impunity. In the case of Linda Loaiza, this was demonstrated in the most brazen and shameless way possible. Linda was a young woman from the west of Venezuela who moved to the capital, Caracas, to study and become a veterinarian. But one day, sh…

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Excuses, Entitlement, and Why You Might Get Uninvited 39:32

4M ago39:32

39:32

In the parable of the great banquet, Jesus roasts the self-important by showing what happens when entitled people flake on an invitation: God gives their seats to the outsiders. We dig into the honor/shame culture behind the story, why those excuses were actually public insults, and how the host turns his anger into radical inclusion. This hits har…

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Altar Calls, Emotional Manipulation, and the Psychology of ‘Come Forward’ 42:14

4M ago42:14

42:14

Altar calls aren’t always about salvation—sometimes they’re about control. In this episode, we break down the psychological tactics behind the ‘come forward’ moment, tell our own trauma stories, and ask whether the so-called demon manifestations are actually something else entirely. Spoiler: religious psychosis is real, and so is spiritual abuse. p…

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Rigoberta Menchú, Courage in the Form of a Woman (Rigoberta Menchú, El Coraje Hecho Mujer) 31:11

4M ago31:11

31:11

Guatemala has a Nobel prize winner who you've probably never heard of, but she's one of the most incredible cases of a small voice being powerful enough to topple giants: Rigoberta Menchú. A poor indigenous woman in a nation where belonging to any of those three conditions reduces you to background noise, Rigoberta lost multiple family members in t…

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Why Matthew Probably Didn’t Write Matthew: unlocking the Four Soils and the Mystery of the Kingdom, 55:57

4M ago55:57

55:57

The parable of the four soils isn’t about locking you into ‘good’ or ‘bad’ forever—it’s about staying open to transformation. In this episode, we break down why Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John didn’t actually write those gospels, how the texts share sources but shape different messages, and why wealth and power often show up as the biggest obstacles …

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The Faith Healing Was Fake—But the Damage Was Real 48:58

4M ago48:58

48:58

This episode gets personal. We share two raw, painful stories of being hurt by faith healers and talk about the long-term spiritual damage that comes from fake supernatural claims. Healing shouldn’t be a performance. And at the end, we drag a few viral Christian TikToks that made us scream into the void—including one truly cringe campus preacher. p…

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The Revolution of “Rock en Español” (La Revolución del Rock en Español) 30:33

4M ago30:33

30:33

Rock music is no longer as popular in the world as it once was (and what a loss THAT has been, am I right?) - but rock "in español" has a very important place in world history. Not only was it super difficult to produce and promote (thanks to the fact that Latin American dictatorships would read the lyrics with magnifying glasses to ensure it wasn'…

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The Petty Soap Opera of Herod and Cleopatra — The Parable of the Talents 36:48

5M ago36:48

36:48

Spoiler: The parable of the talents isn’t about investment advice or religious performance—it’s about empire. We follow the messy political history behind the nobleman (ahem, Herod) and explore how Jesus used storytelling to expose and challenge systems of injustice. It’s not a sermon on success—it’s a call to resist. patreon.com/skepticpastor Host…

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Burning CDs for Jesus—And Other Regrets 53:43

5M ago53:43

53:43

Christian music good. Secular music bad. That’s what we were told. But it turns out, that binary cuts us off from art, from emotion, and from understanding who we are. We talk about music, Moana, Black Panther, burning CDs (oops), and how it’s all connected to the evangelical fear of trusting your own heart. Albums that will lead you astray playlis…

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El Mozote, The Massacre the U.S. Knew About and Kept Quiet (El Mozote, La Masacre que Estados Unidos Conocía y Calló) 30:24

5M ago30:24

30:24

The US has done incredible things in its history, but it has also been involved in some of the most tragic events, too. The El Mozote Massacre that occurred on December 11, 1981, is among the worst of these US-sponsored tragedies. With communist guerrilla movements spreading across El Salvador, both the American and Salvadoran governments knew that…

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The Parable of the Two Hot Mess Brothers 59:33

5M ago59:33

59:33

We’ve been reading the Prodigal Son all wrong. It’s not just about a ‘bad’ kid and a ‘good’ kid—it’s about two lost sons: one outwardly reckless, one inwardly rotten. We break down greedy older brothers, younger brothers desperate enough to work with pigs, and a God who refuses to leave anyone out of the party, no matter how messed up they are. pat…

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Hell Houses, Fistfights, and Breaking the Cycle for Our Kids 48:59

5M ago48:59

48:59

Step one: convince a 10-year-old she’s actually dead and headed for eternal damnation. Step two: act shocked when she punches a racist in church and bails on the whole thing. Amanda shares her wild church trauma story and what it’s like trying to parent through that pain, building a better, gentler spiritual world for her kids. patreon.com/skepticp…

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Dictatorship in Venezuela, The Country without a Future (Dictadura en Venezuela, El País que se Quedó sin Futuro) 34:12

5M ago34:12

34:12

Today's episode is different. And it's different not because it's a true story (because we always feature those on our podcast), but because your narrator, Anthony, went through the events expressed in the tale. This is the reality of how Venezuela collapsed, of what led 7 million people to flee the country and seek a better life elsewhere. It's an…

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The Ten Commandments—You’ve Been Reading Them Wrong 44:33

5M ago44:33

44:33

You think the Ten Commandments are about judging everyone else? Wrong. They’re written to you. In this episode, we break down how the commandments are personal, why ‘taking the Lord’s name in vain’ has nothing to do with cussing, and why Sabbath isn’t just ‘a nice idea’—it’s a full-on rebellion against hustle culture. Oh, and yes, it’s ‘don’t murde…

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What the Hell Is Hell, Anyway? 33:02

5M ago33:02

33:02

If you died tonight, do you know where you’d spend eternity? We open with that classic evangelical guilt-trip and immediately start breaking it down. Gabie and Jeremy deep dive into the biblical non-basis for modern hell, expose how mistranslations (and Dante) created most of what we picture today, and explore how ancient views on punishment were w…

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Blood, Sweat, and Silver, Latin America's Resources (Sangre, Sudor y Plata, Recursos de Latinoamérica) 34:38

5M ago34:38

34:38

The lithium in your phone's battery, maybe the device you're using to read this - it may probably have come from Chile, and the copper in the wires of your charger may have come from Peru... Latin America is and has always been one of the main provider of precious metals in the world. And this didn't begin with the Spanish and Portuguese colonizati…

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Easter’s Pagan (kind of), Words Change, and the KJV Is Horrible 38:47

5M ago38:47

38:47

We’re talking pagan goddesses, changing language, and why the King James Version is definitely not the most accurate Bible translation. Gabie (our favorite linguist) joins to unpack the pagan origins of the word ‘Easter,’ how meanings shift over time, and why ‘thou shalt not’ doesn’t mean what you think it means anymore. Spoiler: English has evolve…

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Romans: The Book That’s Been Misused for Centuries 53:07

5M ago53:07

53:07

Ever felt like Romans was used against you? You're not alone. This episode dives into a conversation with Keith Giles and Matthew DiStefano the authors of Reading Romans Right, revealing how a fresh perspective can transform this misunderstood text into a message of hope and inclusion. Reading Romans Right: https://amzn.to/4j6kNOP patreon.com/skept…

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Legends of Latin America, the Journey of Quetzalcoatl (Leyendas de Latinoamérica, el Viaje de Quetzalcóatl) 33:08

5M ago33:08

33:08

The gods of ancient Latin American belief were very interesting and different from what we have to come to know in Asia, Europe, and North America... they were somewhat more human, said to walk among us when they felt like it, and collaborated closely with animals and nature to make things occur. Quetzalcóatl, the Feathered Serpent, is one such exa…

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Why You Keep Making the Same Mistakes—And Why You Can’t Fix Them Alone 31:50

5M ago31:50

31:50

This episode has it all: people whining in circles, Moses burning out, and a surprise intervention from his father-in-law. We talk about how to spot the toxic patterns in your own life, how community can carry you when you can’t do it alone, and why having someone speak the hard truth isn’t mean—it’s holy. patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simple…

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Deconstruction, Patriarchy, and the Atheist Boyfriend Who Got It 45:15

6M ago45:15

45:15

It started with one book. One idea: maybe the Bible wasn’t written outside of patriarchy. That thread pulled Gabie’s faith wide open. In this episode, she shares her journey through doubt, the atheist boyfriend who got it more than her evangelical friends, and how she found a new spiritual home in Not Church. If you’re deconstructing, she’s got one…