Bethany: Deconversion Anonymous

This week’s Deconversion Anonymous guest is Bethany. Bethany grew up in the Pacific Northwest, attending an Assemblies of God church. It was an insular experience of their brand of Christianity against the world. The older Bethany got, the scarier the church doctrines—eternal torment, losing one’s salvation, the Apocalypse, faith healing that doesn’t always work and even demons under her bed. Bethany was a conscientious and sensitive teen. She ardently believed what she was taught and would believe even if it led to martyrdom. In college, Bethany got exposed to reformed theology and progressive Christianity. She began to think, “There is no, ‘God says,’ or ‘Scripture says.’ These are all interpretations.” After college, Bethany moved to California. She immediately joined a church, but it wasn’t the same. She was no longer tied to it the way she had been; she finally had space to think for herself. In California, Bethany’s been able to think, hike, read and realize who she is without outside influence, but it hasn’t been easy. She’s been afraid and uncertain, still haunted by some of her old beliefs. But she is free and life is full even while she is still “in process.” Book Recommendations #PaidAmazonLinks Untamed by Glennon Doylehttps://amzn.to/3IHW945 Educated by Tara Westoverhttps://amzn.to/3tHRif2 Wayward by Alice Greczynhttps://amzn.to/3JHKFi5 Interact Join the Deconversion Anonymous Facebook grouphttps://www.facebook.com/groups/deconversion My interviews with Alice Greczynhttps://gracefulatheist.com/2021/01/31/alice-greczyn-wayward/https://gracefulatheist.com/2019/07/25/alice-greczyn-dare-to-doubt/ Full episode show noteshttps://gracefulatheist.com/2022/03/27/bethany-deconversion-anonymous/Secular Gracehttps://gracefulatheist.com/2016/10/21/secular-grace/Deconversionhttps://gracefulatheist.com/2017/12/03/deconversion-how-to/Deconstructionhttps://gracefulatheist.com/2017/12/03/deconversion-how-to/#deconstruction/ Attribution "Waves" track written and produced by Makaih Beatshttps://makaihbeats.net/ Picture of Mt. Rainier by Bethany