A secular humanist podcast about Secular Grace after deconstruction and deconversion. The podcast takes an honest look at stories of faith transition from a life-altering faith, to doubt and deconstruction, to deconversion, and finally, to a thriving graceful life post-deconversion. My name is David, and I am trying to be the Graceful Atheist. Join me and be graceful human beings. https://gracefulatheist.com/ Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/gracefulatheist
Latest episodes
Showing 20 · updated from the feed
Stella McCormick: Surviving a Single Family Cult
Author Stella McCormick has written a powerful memoir, Deliver Us From Mother: Faith, Fear, and the Family Cult That Broke Me. The story she tells in the book and shares
Sep 14 1 h 11 min
Clearly Written By Boys
Karis Burkowski and David Fitzgerald have written an amazing book called Clearly Written by Boys: A Woman’s Guide to the Bible. The book takes this question seriously:
Aug 10 38 min
Steve Ghikadis: Humanism From the Heart
Steve Ghikadis is the author of Humanism From the Heart: Building Bridges Beyond Belief.
Steve Ghikadis is a Humanist Officiant, who conducts secular marriages, memorial
Jul 20 1 h 11 min
Julia: Deconstructing JWs and Suburbia
Julia tells her story of deconstructing the Jehovah's Witnesses and the expected life of suburbia.
Julia was torn between two grandmothers: an evangelical and a Jehovah'
Jun 29 51 min
Humanism and AI
The Consciousness DelusionIn this solo episode I discuss Artificial Intelligence. Should we agree with Richard Dawkins that Claude is conscious? Probably not, for several
Jun 7 48 min
Liam: A friend and a Friend
Liam is a friend and a colleague of many years. He is a member of the Religious Society of Friends often called Quakers. Liam and I have shared deep conversations before
May 24 58 min
Doubt is Antimemetic
I recently read Antimemetics: Why Some Ideas Resist Spreading by Nadia Asparouhova and it blew my mind. Just reading the intro I knew I needed to do an episode on the sub
May 4 36 min
Friends and Family: Mark Anthony Diaz
Mark Anthony Diaz is the author of Reedkeeper's Journey and one of my best friends. Mark and I grew up together. We had the same sarcastic friend group in high school. We
Apr 20 50 min
Colin Ryan: Epic Tiny Victories
Welcome back Colin Ryan, author, storyteller, comedian and survivor of Bipolar 2, OCD and ADHD. Colin has written Epic Tiny Victories: A hopeful story about depression an
Mar 30 1 h 08 min
10 Year Deconversion Anniversary
Reflections on ten years of deconversion. I re-tell my deconversion story and reflect on what has changed and what has stayed the same.
Links
Apostate: Stories of Dec
Mar 9 57 min
Matthew Taylor: Why We Podcast
Mathew Taylor, co-host of Still Unbelievable!, returns to the podcast to discuss why we podcast.Links
Matthew on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/vteclimey
Confessions
Dec 30 2023 1 h 08 min
Sara: Christian Humanism
This week's guest is Sara. Sara grew up in a Canadian Mennonite community and embraced it wholeheartedly. She was surrounded by evangelical Christianity and she thrived.
Dec 18 2023 1 h 01 min
Beth: Deconstruction from the Moral Majority
This week's guest is Beth. Beth grew up in a fundamentalist Christian home that revered James Dobson, Jerry Falwell and all those who created the "Moral Majority." Her fa
Dec 11 2023 50 min
Andrew: Dino Dad Reviews
Arline interviews this week's guest, Andrew. Andrew is a self-named atheist "paleo-nerd." He grew up home-schooled in a fundamentalist church in southern California. His
Dec 4 2023 54 min
Racquelle: Deconstruction from SDA and Conspiracy Theories
Arline interviews this week's guest, Racquelle. Racquelle grew up in Canada in the Seventh Day Adventist church. Conspiracy theories were common in her household. Some of
Nov 27 2023 1 h 08 min
Andy Neal: Andy Films and Hikes
Arline interviews this week's guest, Andy Neal of Andy Films And Hikes fame. He is self described as a "plus size hiking influencer."
Andy tells his story of deconstru
Nov 20 2023 1 h 05 min
Natalie: Pentecostal to Mormon to Atheist
Natalie from New Zealand tells Arlene here story. She grew up Pentecostal participating in church. In her young adulthood she converted to Mormonism.
She saw that as w
Nov 13 2023 1 h 03 min
Jeff: Deconstruction of a Southern Baptist Minister
Jeff grew up in his words "a very religious household." He attended a large Southern Baptist church.
In college he fell in love with the seriousness of Calvinism after
Nov 6 2023 1 h 13 min
Megan: Catholic to Evangelical to Athiest
This week's guest is Megan. Megan grew up in a fundamentalist Catholic home with an irrationally religious mother and an absent father. As a teen, she was invited to an e
Oct 30 2023 1 h 03 min
Kris: Former Christian Leader to the Least of These
This week's guest is Kris. Kris grew up in a home with much wounding and suffering, an irreligious home that would shape her desire for God as a young adult. She became a
Oct 23 2023 1 h 04 min
Chart trend
Position in the Religion chart (US), last 90 days.
#1#85#169JulAugSep
#23
all-time peak
14
days in the top 50 since Nov 2024
Chart positions
Where Graceful Atheist Podcast ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 28, 2026).
A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.
It was decades ago that I really needed to hear something like this! Daughter and granddaughter of Pentecostal preachers— even my mother was a traveling revival preacher and musician. Church was our whole life. Everyone I knew well was evangelical. Deconstruction ( a new term to me) began in childhood, though I outwardly went through all the motions enthusiastically, and tried really hard to mean it and usually did mean it. College and meeting people outside of my church, realizing they were good and not evil nor ignorant, was what really put me on the path to de conversion, although I would have called it “backsliding” or “leaving the fold”. I discovered the podcast a few weeks ago and am listening to another episode or two every day! So affirming!
Evnomore · Aug 2024
I have been a faithful listener since 2019, I just just moved to a new town, struggling with my beliefs and the devastation (still) over the evangelical support of Trump. I was questioning everything and looking for answers. I somehow stumbled upon this podcast and heard stories of people leaving religion. I was immediately drawn to their stories and David’s gentle encouragement, I could relate to se many of them. This podcast became my lifeline as I moved through my deconstruction and ultimately my realization that I could no longer believe. I am grateful for this podcast and all the participants that do graciously shared their stories! Thank you.
Notita C · Sep 2023
This podcast has been a lifesaver for me. I’m a former missionary, pastor’s kid and committed Christian who built my identity around the church for the last 40 years, and I am now nearing the end of a prolonged and sometimes painful Deconversion. David’s guests reassure me that I am not alone, I am not crazy, and that there is hope on the other end! I especially enjoyed David’s interview with his wife, Michelle, and their poignant honesty about their own relationship. Deconversion in the context of married life and raising older/teenage kids is hard, and I really appreciate David’s wisdom and life experience in those areas. I have found a lack of deconstruction/Deconversion podcasts focused on adults in midlife with older kids, rather than only on people in their 20s, or with babies and toddlers who don’t yet understand spiritual principles! David does a great job bringing in a variety of ages and viewpoints, and pointing listeners to additional resources. Thank you and please keep up the good work!
S.S.Williams · Jun 2023
A great podcast that has helped me to feel less along in this world. The sincerity and earnestness of the host fosters a respectful environment while still acknowledging the crazy and traumatizing experiences many of us have had with religion. I am sure I’ll continue listening for a long time to come.
Chama6 · Nov 2022
We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.
Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of Graceful Atheist Podcast, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.
