Send us a text

🎙 Podcast Description

What happens when faith unravels? In this episode, former pastors and believers reflect on the loneliness of leaving religion, the emotional toll of deconstruction, and the importance of finding community.

You’ll hear stories of loss, resilience, and the shift from magical thinking to evidence-based reality. Whether you’re questioning, deconstructing, or supporting someone who is, this conversation highlights both the struggles and the strength in walking away from belief.

Former pastors and believers share what it feels like to lose faith, face isolation, and rebuild community. This episode tackles deconstruction, loss of belonging, and why reason and compassion matter more than belief. Subscribe for more voices navigating life beyond faith.
📑 Relevant Topics / Chapter Headings
The pain of leaving faith and community
Why deconstruction feels like loss
Magical thinking vs. reality-based living
The role of the internet in finding support
Conversations with believers and speaking past each other
Slavery, morality, and biblical contradictions
📚 Suggested Reading List
Godless by Dan Barker — Personal deconversion stories from a former evangelical preacher who became an atheist. https://amzn.to/3T0toY5
Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon by Daniel Dennett — Examines the psychology of religious experience and how natural processes explain belief. https://amzn.to/45JWYZf
Faith Versus Fact: Why Science and Religion Are Incompatible by Jerry A. Coyne — Sharp analysis of why religion and science clash on life’s biggest questions. https://amzn.to/3IUdXib

Visit us at www.Atheistville.com for more content from Mike Smithgall and the Atheistville team
📺 Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@atheistville
💬 Want to be a guest or submit a question? Drop us a note at CONTACT
Check us out at: https://atheistville.buzzsprout.com
🔥 New episodes weekly from Atheistville — Mike Drop with Mike Smithgall, Ask an Atheist, and The Unholy Roundtable

© 2025 Atheistville Media