Religious Rejects Podcast
by Religious Rejects
We’re a community of curious minds with a shared mission: to create a space where voices that have been traditionally marginalized in religious spaces can be heard. Though Alycia Erickson and Christine Mendoza come from different backgrounds and experiences, they share a common goal: to explore religion beyond rejection.
Episodes
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The FBI Watched Dorothy Day. Now She Could Be a Saint? | Ep. 29
The FBI considered her dangerous. The Catholic Church is considering her for sainthood. Dorothy Day spent her life making powerful institutions uncomfortable, all while insisting that faith meant more than words. Journalist, activist, pacifist, and co-founder of the Catholic Worker movement, Day...
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The Second Coming of Jesus… Was a Woman? | Ep. 28
It starts with an illiterate English woman who said no to sex, no to marriage, yes to unrestrained shaking, and became the center of a movement where people believed the Second Coming of Jesus had shown up as a woman. In Episode 28 of Religious Rejects, Alycia and Christine get into Mother Anne...
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The Witch Trials Weren’t Really About Witches | Ep. 27
Did you know...? If enough people were scared, angry, or interested in your property, “witch” could become a legal strategy. In Episode 27 of Religious Rejects, Alycia and Christine dig into the history behind the witch trials, from impossible “tests” of innocence to the religious and political...
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Joan of Arc: Burned as a Heretic, Made a Saint | Ep. 26
At 19, Joan of Arc was condemned by the Church and burned at the stake. Years later, she was declared innocent and eventually made a saint. Alycia and Christine explore the teenage warrior who challenged kings, defied expectations, and became one of history’s most famous religious rejects.
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Jesus, The OG Reject | Ep. 25
Was Jesus accepted by religion... or rejected by it? In the Season 2 premiere of Religious Rejects, Alycia and Julie revisit one of the most familiar figures in history through a different lens. Long before he became the center of a global religion, Jesus was rejected by his hometown…
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Sacred Courage: Rev. Jakob Hero-Shaw on Coming Out Twice | TDOV Special
“People can’t change.” We’ve heard that before. Then we talked with Rev. Jakob Hero-Shaw. Transgender Day of Visibility is today, a reminder that behind every headline is a real person, living a real story. To our transgender and gender nonconforming listeners: we see you. We honor your stories....
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Ruth Did WHAT?! The Bible’s Strangest Love Story Explained | Ep. 23
Did Ruth sleep with Boaz? In four chapters you get famine, immigration, two widows trying to survive, a suspiciously nice farmer named Boaz, and a midnight scene where Ruth sneaks onto a threshing floor and uncovers his feet. Starring “Ruth the Moabite" and how this foreign widow ends up becoming...
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Biblical Immigration | Ep. 22
The Pope Said One Thing. Mike Johnson Said the Opposite. Both Used the Bible. So who’s right? Immigration has become more than a political debate. It is now a theological collision. Pope Leo XIV and U.S. Catholic bishops warned against mass deportation. Speaker Mike Johnson pointed to Romans 13…
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Biblical Divorce | Ep. 21
“God hates divorce." Cool... But does He? This week on Religious Rejects, we crack open the Bible and look at what it actually says about divorce. Spoiler: it involves property, honor, certificates, and a lot of men making decisions about women’s lives. Christine unpacks what divorce meant in her...
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Biblical Marriage | Ep. 20
Alycia and Christine crash into 2026 with “Biblical Marriage” and it is not what your youth pastor warned you about. Property trades. “Taking” wives. Being a spinster at age 24. You are not ready for biblical marriage. Or are you?
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Religious Rejects Advent Special: The Full Four-Part Journey
Join us as we bring together all four parts of our Advent series, The Birth According To…?, The Gospels According To…?, Jesus Of…?, and What About Us?, into one seamless, extended episode. Experience the full Advent journey as we explore the story of Jesus and the meaning of Christmas in a fresh,...
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What About Us? | Ep. 19 • Part 4
Sleeping in. Lutefisk. Family traditions that stuck — and the ones that didn’t. In Advent Part 4, the hosts share Christmas memories, questionable food choices, and why sometimes the best tradition is staying in bed.
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Jesus of...? | Ep. 19 • Part 3
Silent Night Was Not Silent. A lot of people think Jesus was born in Bethlehem because that’s where the story says it happened. But actually there was Roman violence near Nazareth at the time, which was very loud and very upsetting, so later they moved the story to Bethlehem because prophecy is...
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Arionna Goffinet: The Art Behind the Artist | Ep. 18
Artist Arionna Goffinet crashes the studio to talk power, religion, queerness, astrology, grandmas-as-theology, and why femme-fatale paintings heal better than therapy. Raised between Jehovah’s Witnesses and Catholics, she turned it all into art, rebellion, and boss-lady energy. We get into...
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The Birth According To? | Ep 19 • Part 2
Discover the wildest birth stories NOT found in your Bible! Joseph selected like he’s on an ancient dating show? A midwife burns her hand on what?? Toddler Jesus makes the news casually smiting kids and resurrecting them before snack time??? And don’t forget the dragons! Welcome to Christian Fan...
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The Gospel According To? | Ep. 19 • Part 1
Christmas as a group project: Mark didn’t help, John changed genres, Matthew overachieved, and Luke brought props. Support our work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ReligiousRejects
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Uninvited Guests | Ep. 17
The real story. The uninvited guests. The part we never learned. Also starring: Christine vs. the Lions and Alycia pretending we’re still on topic. Happy(?) Thanksgiving!
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The Truth About Purity Culture | Ep. 16
Purity culture lied. Your youth pastor lied. Your pledge ring? A lie. The Song of Solomon is basically Bible-era Bridgerton and Ruth is out here uncovering Boaz’s “feet.” In this episode, we go there. Hard. Christine and Alycia talk shame, sex, courtship cults, weaponized modesty and why Joshua...
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Is Halloween Harmless? | Ep. 15
Focus on the Family says Halloween opens portals. Alycia and Christine say it mostly opens candy bags. This episode goes from satanic panic to queer liberation. It's a tour through hell houses, holy fear, and why some Christians still think a costume invites Satan (or why the church trips over a...
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What Christians Love to Hate | Ep. 14
Witches, coffee, and umbrellas, oh my! This week the Rejects dive into the long, strange history of things Christians have feared, banned, or burned through the centuries. From those left-handed “sinister” kids to the devil’s drink and the evils of dancing, Christine and Alycia laugh their way...
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Is Jesus the Only Way? | Ep. 13
If Jesus is the only way, what happened to everyone before he showed up? Did Esther Have to Sit in a Heavenly Waiting Room? What if the hill we’re dying on isn’t even structurally sound? This episode, we stress-test some of Christianity’s plot holes. If God strikes us with lightning, we’re…
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After the Unthinkable | Ep. 12
When a loved one dies by suicide, how does faith help, or hurt? In this special episode of Religious Rejects, we sit down with a mother whose son died by suicide. She doesn’t know why… and she’s not alone. Survivors often carry questions that may never be answered. What happens next? Together, we...
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What is Church? | Ep. 11
This week: The Loud, Messy, Smelly Truth About Church! What even IS church? Was it ever supposed to be a giant building with a mortgage and a fog machine? Or was it just messy living rooms with cows, crying babies, wine, and neighbors calling each other out when they screwed up? We dig into: •...
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Christian Nationalism | Ep. 10
“In God We Trust.” But define “God.” And who’s “we?”In this unfiltered episode of Religious Rejects, we ask what it really means to be a Christian in a country obsessed with its own reflection. From German nationalism to Sesame Street immigrants, the Ten Commandments in kindergarten to Pride…
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The Holy Spirit | Ep. 9
What if the Holy Spirit was never a "he"? Christine and Alycia crack open the long-buried story of Sophia - the feminine spirit of wisdom, the creative force behind everything - hidden for centuries by a patriarchal church desperate to protect its "triune bromance." From ancient Hebrew texts…
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The Rapture | Ep. 8
Something’s missing. Millions believe in it. Churches preach it. Entire foreign policies hinge on it. But… what if it was never there to begin with?It poses as ancient truth - but the ink’s barely dry. Christine and Alycia follow the trail.Evangelical lock-ins. White robes. Sleepover panic. Maps…
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Heaven & Hell | Ep. 7
Two Religious Rejects discuss afterlife zoning laws, divine apathy, and whether Hell even has an HR department. This week, we're unraveling eternity’s most confusing bureaucracy - where the elevators go sideways, paperwork is eternal and no one agrees on the dress code.
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Rejects Explain: TRACTS
Salvation or damnation? There will be prizes... or not. $20 or a tract? What’s going on here?! NO REFUNDS! Ep. 6 is out now!
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What is Salvation? | Ep. 6
Yup, it's another S word! And Alycia and Christine are ready for it. Join them as they discuss what they know, what they don't know about what it means to be saved, how to get saved and if we whether or not we need to be saved.
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What is Sin? | Ep. 5
Christine and Alycia take on the S-word: sin. Where did it come from? Who does it serve? And why is purity culture still messing with our heads? This is not your Sunday School recap.
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Can You Be Gay and Christian? | Ep. 4
In this episode of Religious Rejects, we dive deep into one of the most controversial questions at the intersection of faith and identity—Can you be gay and Christian? 😇🏳️🌈 Get ready for real talk as we unpack scripture, challenge outdated(?) views, and break down the barriers to inclusivity…
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What About the Women? | Ep. 3
In honor of Women's History Month, Christine Mendoza and Alycia Erickson dive into "What About the Women?" - exploring the controversial letters of Paul and the inspiring story of Paul & Thecla. Join the conversation as they share personal insights, historical context, and reflect on the roles…
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Original Sin vs Original Blessing | Ep. 2
In this episode of Religious Rejects, hosts Alycia Erickson and Christine Mendoza explore the contrasting beliefs of Original Sin and Original Blessing, delving into their origins, implications, and impact on contemporary spirituality. They share personal insights and stories, challenging...
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Should the Bible Be Taken Literally? | Ep. 1
Welcome to Religious Rejects! Each episode, we will explore a different topic - like Biblical literalism - and discuss why it means so much to some people, its history and development, and then talk about what we ourselves want to keep, rethink, or reject about that topic.
About this show
We’re a community of curious minds with a shared mission: to create a space where voices that have been traditionally marginalized in religious spaces can be heard. Though Alycia Erickson and Christine Mendoza come from different backgrounds and experiences, they share a common goal: to explore religion beyond rejection.
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Religious Rejects
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