Our guest Leif Christian has experienced the world of two fringe religions, Church Universal and Triumphant, and an offshoot organization, the Hearts Center. We discuss psychological impacts of church exposure, what "decrees" were, guilt and judgement, the impact of being "special", personal responsibility, some reasons why members lean right wing, political obsession in the Hearts Center, the "Golden Age" implications, and how people can decide a way forward in their lives.

Our guest is Violet Corpron, a young woman with a Masters Degree in Community Health who has experienced the worlds of two fringe religions, Church Universal and Triumphant, and an offshoot group called The Hearts Center, both of which are headquartered in southwest Montana.  In this episode we’ll dive into how health matters are a big theme for people raised in the church (vaccines, medicine, science skepticism, avoidance of care, and more).

Our guests Sean Prophet and Christophe Difo of the Radical Secular discuss the process of leaving cults and harmful religions. We dive into their personal stories of leaving Church Universal and Triumphant and how they came to terms with embracing a more healthy worldview.

In part 2 of our interview with Annie, we chat about food choices within Church Universal and Triumphant, boundary issues with parents, why it's hard and painful to leave a cult or religion, why people get sucked in QAnon, narcissistic parents, and how talking about our traumas can help foster healing and community.

In part 1 of this interview we’re going to cover childhood education, higher education, isolation in rural Montana, facing political ideologies of devout CUT members, how Annie's experience parallels that of the author Tara Westover who wrote the book Educated, and mistrust of the medical world.

Co-host Justice Bartlett and I both grew up in Church Universal and Triumphant (CUT), the largest fringe religion to ever establish a presence in Montana.  Episode topics include: We discuss the bomb shelter experience, identity after leaving a religion, coping mechanisms, cognitive dissonance, the adoration for Trump inside the CUT membership, and why people bond to Trump as a leader.