Falling from Grace - On Fairness and Order
Forsaking Faith
We are facing interesting times, and because of this, Heather and I thought that some pensive, non-virus dialogue might be good for ourselves and our listeners, so today we are chatting about the idea of fairness and order that comes from growing up in a fundamental Christian church.
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Falling From Grace - On Relationships
Forsaking Faith
Heather and Christine talk about how their Christian upbringing shaped their views of romance and relationships, speaking specifically about what they were supposed to want and offer in a relationship.
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A Recovery from Faith - On Media
Forsaking Faith
Heather and Christine talk about how movies, television, and music was restricted by their church, school, and parents when they were Christians. They both say that while the limitations were frustrating, there were still good things that came from it.
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A Recovery from Faith - On Worldview
Forsaking Faith
Heather and Christine talk about broader ideals they held on the world before and after deconversion.
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A Recovery from Faith- On Recovery from a Technical Delay
Forsaking Faith
Hey, Heather and I are having some issues with our next podcast, we should be back up and running by Thursday. Sorry for the inconvenience. Watch facebook and twitter @forsakingfaith for an announcement! We miss you.
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Late Episode this week :(
Forsaking Faith
Hey all, the Forsaking Faith episode is delayed one whole day this week due to ... life? We'll catch you by the end of Monday, August 20th, though. See you soon. Heather and Christine
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A Recovery from Faith - On Sex and Consent
Forsaking Faith
Both Christine and Heather talk about the ways in which ideas about consent affected their first encounters with sex both as Christians and as Deconverts. They both have a wish that the attention that’s being given to conversations surrounding consent will also permeate through the Christian community.
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A Recovery from Faith - On Dying
Forsaking Faith
In this episode, Heather and Christine express their anxieties about death from before and after deconversion. They both talk about how death affected their day-to-day activities as well as their long term goals.
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A Recovery from Faith - On Family
Forsaking Faith
Heather and Christine discuss how the relationships with their immediate families evolved through their deconversion and what they think the value of family means to them now that they are not Christians.
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A Recovery From Faith - On Values
Forsaking Faith
In this episode, Heather and Christine discuss the challenges of developing a new value system after deconversion. Both of them acknowledge that the process is difficult because strict Christian guidelines provided them with a sense of stability. Both of them also recognize that ironically their fundamental values originate from their experience as Christians.
info_outlineBoth Christine and Heather talk about the ways in which ideas about consent affected their first encounters with sex both as Christians and as Deconverts. They both have a wish that the attention that’s being given to conversations surrounding consent will also permeate through the Christian community.
Heather discusses the way that she had a very strict understanding of sex before she deconverted. She viewed it as something that should happen in the context of marriage and that it was going to be a transcendental experience. She never had any conversations about how to negotiate sex and relationships in a practical way, and in particular, no concept of agency or consent. Unfortunately as a result of her mentality, her first sexual experience was negative because she was taken advantage of by someone who did not ask for her consent. Heather discusses this experience bluntly and then talks about what she learned as a result and how it affected her other relationships. She now recognizes that she has agency over her own body and that consent is crucially important. She discusses how she now has a positive view of sex after recognizing that she is in control over what experiences she chooses to have.
Christine talked about how she felt like a “slut” during her early sexual life because of the contrast between her and her Christian peers, even though the secular world considered her a “good girl.” Her church family treated her like a pariah of sorts, not in an extreme way, as some religions may have, but as though she needed more love and forgiveness than others in the church. Fornication seemed like a worse sin than others, and because of this it set a precedent for the lack of agency in sex that Christine felt she had until she deconverted.
If you are enjoying the podcast, please subscribe, rate, and review! Also, send thoughts, artwork, poetry, or other expressive media that tells a piece of your deconversion story and we will try to feature them in one of our openings or endings. These can be sent to [email protected]. Catch you next Sunday!
Thank you, Courtney, for opening montage
And for the short piece of fiction:
Heather's dear friend, Amy
We also would like to extend a huge thank you to all of you, our listeners. We are truly grateful for your support.