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Cass Midgley and Dr. Bob Pondillo interview an anonymous guest that we\u2019ll call Joan. Joan was physically and psychologically abused by her Christian missionary father. She survived a gunshot wound to abdomen. She\u2019s a marathon runner and a professional therapist.\xa0

This talk with Joan was a good one and there\u2019s a few interjections here that I want to explain. At one point Joan describes a close friendship with a Christian and how that\u2019s possible because they both appeal to higher love, which I couldn\u2019t resist throwing in some Steve Winwood and a little nod to Hitchens who had expressed his love for that song. Then, Joan references something I said in a prior podcast, episode 131 w/ Amber Cantorna, the rejected lesbian Focus on the Family daughter, so I insert a bit of it in there. And lastly, Joan recommends a song at the end with which we close out her interview; but I was so confused by the song that I called Joan back up to have her unpack it and we talked another 40 minutes at the end. So this is a long one, but as usual you can turn it off anytime you want; we\u2019re free-thinking agents and stewards of our own happiness, after all. Or as we like to say, you do you.

I\u2019ve pointed out many times how Christianity flips morality on its head\u2014calling good evil, and evil good. I was chatting with a former guest this week who\u2019s atheism has caused a painful rift in his marriage and family, especially the inlaws. I thought about how they wish he was still a \u201cman of god\u201d leading his family in the ways of the Lord. And I saw yet another example of how they esteem something destructive and resent something healthy and honest. How is it that we live in a society that esteems people who claim to talk to and hear from their invisible friend? How is that rape, incest, murder, hatred, fear, debasing of what it means to be human, denying of facts, distrust of science, discrimination of out-groups, and an overall judgment and disdain for this world is virtuous? These are the ways of the Lord, after all. This week a conservative, Christian congressman in the Oklahoma state house was forced to admit that God must support rape because it happens and he could not relinquish God\u2019s sovereign control over all the events on earth.\xa0 Why can\u2019t we celebrate a person\u2019s conclusion that there is no interventionary God watching over our lives? Why can\u2019t we celebrate a person getting honest with the facts and embracing reality? Why can\u2019t we celebrate the elevation of morals and ethics apart from religious texts? Because to these people, the fear of God is the source of wisdom. That serfdom is the highest form of living. And foolishness and ignorance is preferable to education and knowledge. This is another way that Christianity has turned morality upside down.

We taped these conversations on March 5th,\xa02017. We interview people you don\u2019t know, about a subject no one wants to talk about. We hope to encourage people in the process of deconstructing their faith and help curb the loneliness that accompanies it. We think the world is a better place when more people live by sight, not by faith. Please subscribe to our podcast, and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. Our show is available on most podcast platforms.\xa0 Also, you can support us monetarily in two easy ways: you can pledge one dollar per episode through Patreon; that\u2019s www.patreon.com/eapodcast, or leave a lump-sum donation through PayPal at our website, www.everyonesagnostic.com. The smallest contribution is greatly appreciated.

Credits:\xa0"Towering Mountain of Ignorance" intro by Hank Green https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3v3S82TuxU
Intro bumper "Never Know" by Jack Johnson
The segue music is on this episode was created by the Barry Orchestra found at barryorchestra.bandcamp.com

The song at the end is by the band \u201cBrand New\u201d a song called \u201cThe Archers Bows have Broken.\u201d

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

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