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Bob and Cass interview Rodney and Trish Thompson\u2014a religiously mixed couple. He\u2019s atheist, she\u2019s Catholic and we discuss how they make it work. \xa0In this age when so many fearful people run to their polemic corners, demonize those that are different, and are unable to compromise, listen or learn from their opposites, Rod and Trish Thompson model a real-life example of how it can work and work well. To borrow from 1 Peter 4:8, \u201cLove covers a multitude of faults.\u201d In other words, when we love someone, we\u2019re much more prone to overlook their faults, cut them some slack, and give them the benefit of the doubt. In this context, we\u2019re less likely to take things personal, be easily offended, or retaliate. Love is that cache or freecell that absorbs the human difference instead of keeping it in play, further escalating the blow for blow mania. Love also helps us respect the other person\u2019s right to think differently. It may even help us realize that that person\u2019s different perspective does not necessarily have to be a threat to our perspective, unless it reveals weakness in it and can then serve as a catalyst to amend and strengthen our own. Staying in the room with difference has a way of maturing us and deflating the insecure ego that desperately needs to be right. The Thompson\u2019s give us a window into how this type of harmony might be realized in religiously mixed marriages.

We taped this episode on July 31st, 2016. If you\u2019re liking our show, please subscribe to it, give it 5 stars, and/or leave a review on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.\xa0 Also, you can support us monetarily on a per episode basis through our Patreon page. That\u2019s www.patreon.com/eapodcast. Or leave a donation through PayPal at our website, www.everyonesagnostic.com.

Credits:
"Towering Mountain of Ignorance" intro by Hank Green https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3v3S82TuxU
Intro bumper "Never Know" by Jack Johnson

Thanks for listening and be a yes-sayer to what is.

Rod\u2019s blogsite \u201cDevotion to Reason\u201d

YouTubes featuring Rod & Trish Thompson

Obama funny skit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7QwOFgpIFU

Electric farmer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdjy4HcGhmM

out take https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RaVahpYibI

marriage advice for morons https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4wki5jSeec

Announcements:

Dr. Marlene Winell was our guest back on episode 35. She\u2019s a counselor for those recovering from religious trauma. It\u2019s our most poplular episode to date. She called and asked me to plug a retreat she\u2019s got coming up September 9-12th in Berkeley, California. More info is available on her website, journeyfree.org, I\u2019ll put a link in the show notes. A Journey Free Retreat weekend is a chance to come together in a small group with the shared goal of taking steps to recover from harmful religion. \xa0Led by Dr. Winell, it provides a safe place to process experiences with the support of others who understand. The 3 day program includes presentations, discussions, and guided activities to facilitate both intellectual insight and emotional growth, providing a leap forward in one\u2019s personal development.\xa0 Getting through the fear, grief, anger and stress isn\u2019t easy but you don\u2019t have to do it alone. The cost of the retreat is scaled according to your income, so it\u2019s gonna cost between $500 to $700 and they\u2019ll even work out a payment plan. She just wants you to come.\xa0 So check that out at \xa0http://journeyfree.org/retreats/

I also want to mention that I was the featured guest on The Wayward Atheists podcast recently, episode 12. One of the hosts of that show is David E up in Canada. He was our guest on episode 83. \xa0So check out episode 12 of the Wayward Atheists, available wherever you listen to podcasts. http://waywardatheists.com/category/podcast/

I also want to thank Carol Kuruvilla, Religion Associate Editor for the Huffington Post, for including the Everyone\u2019s Agnostic podcast in her article, \u201c17 Great Podcasts For The Spiritually Curious.\u201d Most of the other podcasts listed there are either specific to a religion or inter-faith. I believe the only atheist podcast on the list are this one and Freethought Radio hosted by former guest of this show, Dan Barker (that\u2019s episode 72), and his wife Annie Laurie Gaylor.\xa0 Huff Post article featuring Everyone\u2019s Agnostic

I would also like to point to Sam Harris\u2019 recent podcast episode 41 on his show called \u201cWaking Up.\u201d The episode is titled Faith in Reason and features guest Eric Weinstein. It\u2019s been 11 years since Harris published his book, \u201cThe End of Faith,\u201d and he has continued to explore the complexities of Faith and Reason and this particular episode really captures these tensions well.\xa0 Sam Harris\u2019 Waking Up podcast

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