DEC 2023 TOPIC: OFF THE PATH-- RELIGIOUS STRUGGLES (by ZOOM)
詳細
The last month of the year is full of big holidays including Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, which bring families together to celebrate their faith and culture
This is why we are discussing religious struggles, decisions to leave religion, the process of making these decisions and what comes next
-- Do you know people who have changed their religious beliefs/practices from what they were raised with ? Can you share what you know of their stories— at what age did they change and how quickly or gradually was the change made?
-- What triggered the doubts/change?
-- How difficult was it for them to change?
-- How did it affect them as they contemplated leaving and once they entered a new religious circle or no religious circle at all?
-- How did their birth family/ the friends they grew up with respond? How did the relationships they had with people from their former religious world (family/friends) change? Were they shunned?
Listen to the 3 podcasts below before we meet by zoom for a lively, non-judgmental discussion about the challenges and the choices we make regarding religion
- Speaking of Psychology
Are you Angry at God? How Spirituality and Spiritual Struggles Affect Us. (35 min)
Religion and spirituality can be a source of comfort and strength but can also cause stress and conflict in people’s lives, when for example they wonder why God has allowed something terrible to happen or feel rejected by their religious community. Julie Exline, PhD, of Case Western Reserve University, talks about how spirituality and spiritual struggle affect mental health and well-being; what spiritual struggle looks like for religious believers, atheists and agnostics; how should psychologists and other mental health professionals can address spirituality and religion with their patients; and the causes and consequences of people’s belief in messages from God, after-death communication, and other supernatural attributions
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speaking-of-psychology/id705934263?i=1000618605935 - Heretic in the House
Episode 2. Shunning. (42 min)
There’s a widespread notion that people who leave Orthodox communities are typically shunned, completely cut off from their families. Even those who leave Orthodox communities believe this. The truth is that it’s not true—but what really happens may not be any less painful.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heretic-in-the-house/id1653818756?i=1000587853190 - Leaving Religion
Hard Truths About Leaving Religion. (35 min)
Leaving religion is not an easy thing to do. In fact it's quite difficult as you now get to unwind all the beliefs you have carried AND you move into a place where you are judging yourself, questioning your beliefs, wondering if you made a mistake and so much more.
What do you do? Will it ever get better? - Join me as we dive into some of the hard truths about leaving religion. I share some tools that will help you along the way
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hard-truths-about-leaving-religion/id1571998288?i=1000581647799
ADDING 1 MORE OPTIONAL PODCAST RELEASED THIS WEEK THAT I LIKED AND I THINK ADDS TO THIS TOPIC
CLEAR AND VIVID
Kate Cohen asks: If you need god to be good (~45min)
It took her years to admit to family and friends that she was a non-believer. But she found that pretending to believe wasn’t working. Her book is “We of Little Faith: Why I Stopped Pretending to Believe, And Maybe You Should Too"
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/clear-vivid-with-alan-alda/id1400082430?i=1000638264877