This week on RfRx, Rob Palmer returns to discuss mass psychogenic illness. Have U.S. government employees in Havana and all around the world – even behind the White House gates – been attacked and injured over the past seven years by secret energy-weapons wielded by undiscovered assailants for political reasons? Have thousands of girls in their schools across Iran been poisoned this past year by their Islamic government as retribution for the mass anti-hijab protests? Did a 4-ft tall...

This week on RfRx, Evan Clark joins us to talk about Atheist Street Pirates, local activists who track and remove illegal religious signage littering highways, streets, and neighborhoods with unwelcome and illegal street propaganda across the United States. Evan will share ideas for building and maintaining secular communities using innovative techniques rather than replicating outdated religious models. This episode of (ARR)RfRx is sponsored by the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Evan Clark is...

This week on RfRx, John Gleason (Godless Engineer) joins us to talk about his deconversion from religion, dealing with shame and loss of close relationships as a result, and using his background in computer and software engineering to build an online community. John argues that “godless” is a term that signifies religion is a part of our past, a fact of which we shouldn't be ashamed. Godless Engineer is an ex-Christian who has worked to build an online community of secular skeptics that...

Losing faith for a person born into the LDS church (aka the Mormons) has been compared to a death by a thousand cuts. This week on RfRx, Stephanie shares her experience leaving the LDS church. Stephanie comes from a family with roots in the early years of the church, and is one of the few members of her family who has officially removed her name from church records. Her journey from a "True Believing Mormon" to full atheist spans 35 years of small cuts and cracks to her former faith. She's...

After leaving religion, many people report experiencing lingering feelings of fear of hell and demonic forces from their former religious traditions. Others have found more creative ways to reinterpret the myth of Satan. For this week’s RfRx Foundation Spotlight episode, we chat with Lucien Greaves, co-founder of the Satanic Temple, about non-theistic religious expression, what religious liberty really looks like, and the Satanic Temple’s efforts to encourage benevolence and empathy, reject...

This week on RfRx, David Teachout returns to talk about trauma. Religious fundamentalism often wants us to define ourselves through trials and victimization to declare ourselves martyrs to a cause. Let’s discuss getting out of this mindset and into one that celebrates humanistic pride within adversity. David Teachout is a mental health therapist and photographer, focused on and teaching how creativity intersects with mental flexibility. David grew up as a Christian fundamentalist, attending...

This week on RfRx, we are joined by attorney Geoffrey T. Blackwell to discuss the separation of religion and government. We will have a general discussion about the concept of separation of church and state, the current state of the law in the United States, and some recent relevant Supreme Court cases and victories on behalf of non-religious folks. Bring your questions for Geoffrey and join us for this week’s interactive discussion. Geoffrey T. Blackwell joined American Atheists in...

This week on RfRx, Anthony Dominello joins us to discuss how autism affects deconstruction and deconversion from religion. Anthony will discuss what autism is, describe the diversity of autistic people both in their personal identities and presentations and share his experiences of deconstruction and deconversion as it relates to people with autism. Please join us for this educational presentation and bring your questions for Anthony! Anthony is an ambassador and support group leader for...

This week on RfRx, Andrew Pledger comes on the show to share his experiences of his upbringing in a fundamentalist Christian cult and the level of control and mental abuse he experienced as a student at Bob Jones University as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Andrew will further discuss his experiences with fundamentalism and the intersection of religious trauma and queerness. Andrew Pledger is a content creator, activist, and writer who uses social media to share his story and inspire...

This week on RfRx, Jason Racheotes returns for the continuation of his presentation on Politics and Civic Engagement After Religion. We will be discussing how our views on politics and civic engagement may evolve and change after deconverting or coming out of religion. We will learn about some different political concepts that are often ignored and get more clarity on tangible actions we can take as individuals to improve our involvement in the political process. Jason Racheotes was raised...

How can philosophy improve our understanding of secularism and critical thinking? This week on RfRx, join us for a conversation about secularism and philosophy with philosopher, author, and speaker Nicholas Soutter. We will discuss the field of philosophy and its applications to secularism, dogma, controversial social issues, and science fiction. Bring your questions for Nick and join us for this interactive episode! Nicholas Soutter graduated from Clark University with Bachelors' Degrees in...

How do you know if your thinking and decision-making are biased? We encounter so much information on a daily basis that all of us are susceptible to cognitive bias, which is often the result of our brains’ attempts to simplify information processing. This week on RfRx, Richard Gilliver will discuss what cognitive biases are, how to avoid bias in skeptical thinking, and how to make sure we are not unwittingly making these errors when our brains try to take mental shortcuts while doing research...

Religion impacts our brains and nervous systems. The evidence is easy to see and is experienced by many people. Dr. Ray will show how emotions like fear and disgust are used by religion. He will also demonstrate how religion interferes with our normal attachment systems and how religion distorts normal development from childhood to adulthood among many other things. If you have experienced trauma, can't get over fear of hell, feel disgust at things that seem normal to other people, you will...

This week on RfRx, join us for a conversation with former Shia Muslim, author, and public speaker, Armin Navabi. Armin will discuss his faith and his journey to becoming a secular activist, as well as his book “Why There Is No God”, in which he deconstructs common arguments for the existence of a god. Bring your questions for the live Q&A with Armin! Armin Navabi is an atheist activist, known for his extensive efforts in promoting secularism, atheism, and liberalism among different...

This week on RfRx, we are joined by Matt Dillahunty, a well-known activist and lecturer on topics including skepticism, humanism, atheism, and critical thinking. Matt will be talking with us about his experiences examining his own beliefs, explaining how to critically evaluate claims, and answering your questions about religion, faith, and the supernatural. Bring your questions for Matt in this interactive show! Matt was a fundamentalist, evangelical Christian for 25 years and planned on...

This week on RfRx, we are joined by Ethan Siegel Ph.D., astrophysicist and author of "Starts with a Bang!" He is a science communicator who has taught physics and astronomy at various colleges and written numerous books. He will share fascinating information about the universe, and discuss the importance of science education and science communication. Bring your questions for Ethan and let’s get nerdy! Ethan Siegel is a Ph.D. astrophysicist and author of "Starts with a Bang!" He is a science...

We are kicking off Pride Month with an intimate conversation with adult content creator Arden Hart. We’ll talk about gender diversity, sex positivity and adult entertainment. We’ll also learn about common arguments used to advance anti-trans laws and where those arguments are flawed in reasoning and evidentiary backing. Bring your questions for Arden and join us for a celebration of queer identities! For RfRx comments, inquiries & topical questions, email us at...

This week on RfRx, Rob Palmer is returning to host Part II of the interactive logical fallacies trivia challenge. Bring your A-game and play trivia with us, or just come watch the show and hone your critical thinking skills. Why? Because recognizing these bad arguments can help you do two things: avoid being deceived by false claims made by others, and also stop using them yourself to justify questionable beliefs of your own. Rob will give a refresher on logical fallacies and then we’ll play...

This week on RfRx, we are putting in a call to Jimmy Snow, sometimes known as Mr. Atheist. Jimmy will be joining us to discuss his experiences growing up Mormon, ranging from numerous unsuccessful attempts at getting excommunicated to the complex interplay between systems of faith, family, and oppression. We will also be announcing an exciting collaboration between Recovering from Religion and The Line! Jimmy Snow is the executive producer of the call-in show The Line in order to pay for his...

With the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers in the news, as well as male lone-shooters almost daily, we might ask: “What is going on with men and boys?” Or maybe you've heard the term "incel" and wondered where that is coming from? This week on RfRx, Dr. Ray will discuss a wide range of issues, trends and statistics that may surprise you - from dating site trends, to college attendance, marriage, and a host of other things affecting men and boys. Dr Darrel Ray is the Founder & President of...

This week on RfRx, join us for a discussion of healthy activism with secular and progressive activist ObjectivelyDan. Dan will talk about what healthy activism is all about, sustainable ways to be an activist, and avoiding activism fatigue while still working on causes that matter. ObjectivelyDan is a content creator most known as the creator and primary host of Truth Wanted, a weekly call-in show that talks about what people believe and why. He is an advocate for Street Epistemology, a...

This week on RfRx, Dr. Kara Griffin will discuss techniques for navigating difficult conversations related to religion and non-belief with important people in your life. We will go over deciding whether and how to start a conversation, setting yourself up for more productive interactions, knowing when to take a break, and avoiding common pitfalls. Bring your questions and join us for the interactive conversation! Dr. Griffin was raised an evangelical Christian but left the faith in college...

Looking for help but wary of being proselytized to? This week on RfRx, David Teachout will discuss mental health care. Let’s explore why the Secular Therapy Project is a good idea, and what to be aware of when looking for a therapist professional. For RfRx comments, inquiries & topical questions, email us at [email protected]. Any time you are struggling with religious doubts or fears you can connect with a trained RfR Helpline agent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To...

This week on RfRx, we are putting all of those critical thinking skills we’ve been developing to good use. Phil Ferguson joins us to discuss the applications of skeptical thinking in major life decisions including evaluating one’s faith-based beliefs, making sound investment decisions, and helping kids work through religious ideas. Phil Ferguson has been an investment advisor representative since 1996 and is the president of Polaris Financial Planning LLC. Phil is also a long time activist...