Unbelief

Dr Estevez's Book Become Part of the Not Church Community Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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thequollective.com patreon.com/skepticpastor  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

thequollective.com patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this Drinks and Deconstruction episode, I’m joined by River Polsgrove, a fiction writer and human trafficking survivor, for a conversation that somehow includes Catholic chanting, the “drink the blood” confusion of childhood, and why church people love turning shame into a personality. We talk dissociative amnesia, purity culture’s greatest hits (yes, the donut object lesson makes an appearance), and what it looks like to rebuild a spiritual life when the church was part of the harm. AND how River uses their fiction for the kind of healing and revenge therapy can’t always provide. Content warning up front for trafficking. River's Books: https://amzn.to/4tTGQy7 Patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

patreon.com/skepticpastorskepticpastor.substack.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

patreon.com/skepticpastor  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If prayer has ever felt like a spiritual performance review, this episode is for you. Jeremy talks with Wes Ellis, author of Abide in Amen, about why prayer gets weaponized into guilt, why “spiritual discipline” often turns into self-blame, and how the church trained a lot of us to treat God like a cosmic vending machine. Wes offers a different frame: prayer as God moving toward you, not you climbing toward God. Less control, less shame, more resonance.patron.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Chris Young grew up Roman Catholic, got rushed through the sacraments because doctors didn’t think he’d live long, and still managed to be a skeptic by age six. This episode is a funny, tender, unexpectedly deep conversation about disability, Catholic guilt, “real presence” logic puzzles, and the moment he realized he couldn’t say the creed honestly anymore. Then something surprising happened. A community made room for his doubts, told him to focus on what he could believe, and that cracked open a way back without pretending.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you grew up in rapture culture, you already know the feeling: one missing family member and your brain goes straight to “did I miss the rapture?” This episode is group therapy, but funny. We talk with Stuart Delony (Snarky Faith) about his new book Tribulation Survival Guide, a satire that reads like a real survival manual for surviving evangelical end-times fearmongering. Antichrist spotting tips, false prophet red flags, and why the grifters keep moving the goalposts while somehow still collecting money.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if the new year isn’t about doing more, but about paying attention? In this guided episode, we explore a New Year version of the Ignatian Examen—reflecting on home, work, relationships, media, and time—to help you see where you’ve been, where you’re headed, and where you actually want to go. No resolutions required.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Christians argue fiercely about the literal details of Jesus’ birth—even though the Bible never gives a date and early believers didn’t agree on one. In this episode, we look at how December 25 emerges from theology, symbolism, and later church decisions rather than historical memory, and why our modern obsession with certainty might be the least faithful part of the story.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Turns out the Christmas story you defend like it’s a court transcript doesn’t even work on its own historical terms. In part one, we take apart Nazareth, Bethlehem, and the Roman census Luke uses to move Jesus across the map—spoiler: historians aren’t impressed. In part two, we go underground into caves, kataluma, and the version of Jesus’ birth the early church actually remembered before we swapped risk for rustic décor. This isn’t an attack on Christmas. It’s an attack on the idea that faith only works if the floor plan is literal and the facts are fragile.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Forget the “it’s pagan” nonsense. The Christmas tree’s story is far wilder: a pope’s missionary memo, a bishop with an axe, medieval theater kids hauling evergreens onstage, and Victorian influencers turning it viral. We dig into how this mash-up of pagans, priests, and actors became the most hopeful ritual of winter.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Forget barcodes, microchips, and rapture charts. Revelation isn’t predicting the end of the world—it’s resisting it. We break down the Beast, 666, the four horsemen of the apocalypse and how this apocalyptic fever dream was really underground political poetry written by oppressed people under Roman rule.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ever been told that if you stop believing one thing, Jesus unfriends you? Yeah… same. In this episode, we unmask the “literalist playing field” that we didn't realize we were playing on, talk about why deconstruction isn’t the spiritual apocalypse your youth pastor warned you about, and even discover that Paul's writings are part pagan. We’ll walk through a real method for choosing beliefs that aren’t garbage—and explore rituals, practices, and meditation tools that actually help you grow. Basically: how to lose bad theology without losing your soul.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This one is equal parts history lesson and how-to. We talk about how to respond to homophobic people and have a big announcement about where you can view the movie. The director, Rocky, breaks down the 1946 “homosexual” mistranslation, the grind of getting the film to actual humans, and the spiritual discipline of not feeding the trolls—while still giving them something to think about.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you still think the Tower of Babel explains why Spanish exists, this episode might hurt your feelings. Jeremy and linguist Gabby break down how languages actually evolved, why “proper” English is just colonization in disguise, and how Babel’s real message might be about human pride, not divine punishment. Spoiler: God wasn’t mad at skyscrapers.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you think church has to happen in a building, brace yourself. There's no need to stream a guy in a guitar and a video of people sitting in pews... because that isn't community. In this podcast the tables are flipped and Jeremy is interviewed on the theology of algorithms, how to deal with social media comments and answers the question, "what is community?"patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

No, we don’t have Jesus’ mugshot from a Roman archive. Also no, that’s not how ancient history works. We track the real markers: Paul’s letters, Gospel tradition layers, two grumpy non-Christians (Josephus and Tacitus) who mention him, and archaeology that matches the story’s stage. Then we run the historian playbook—embarrassment, dissimilarity, coherence, context—and the scorecard lights up. Historians across the spectrum agree, but what do they conclude?patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

From youth-group exorcisms to YouTube deliverance rabbit holes, we trace how demon talk replaces science—and why that harms real people. We do a text-level audit (Job’s ha-satan, Isaiah’s “morning star,” and the God-of-the-gaps habit), contrast Catholic exorcism rules with charismatic chaos, and ask whether “the devil made me do it” just dodges responsibility. Then we reclaim Halloween with a grab bag of “things we weren’t allowed to watch” that won’t send you to hell: Lucifer, The Craft, Scream, and a certain bespectacled wizard.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if the real scandal isn’t doubting hell—it’s discovering Jesus didn’t preach it? We push back on evangelical proof texts, tour the Bible’s vocabulary (Sheol = all the dead, Gehenna = a real valley, Hades = Greek myth), and read John 14:6 without pretending Jesus defined “through me” as “agree to our statement of faith.” Then we talk adult faith: you can love God without pretending Genesis is a lab manual. Less fear, more honesty, and a community that won’t shame your questions.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if youth group wasn’t about dodgeball, purity rings, and trauma bonding over mission trips? In this episode, we talk with Dr. Andrew Zirschky about Progressive Youth Ministry—what it looks like to raise teenagers in a faith that’s inclusive, justice-oriented, and actually reflects Jesus. We unpack the damage done by purity culture, gender roles, and shame-based theology, and talk about how to spot a youth pastor red flag from a mile away. This is the guide every parent, pastor, and ex-youth-group kid wishes they had.patreon.com/skepticpastorhttp://pym.events/2025 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode is a checklist of why young adults bounce. We tell the story of a would-be missionary crushed by the hell doctrine, trace early Christian views that weren’t eternal-torment, and drag the hypocrisy of flag-waving “martyr” talk. Finally, we map out how to rebuild—open-handed spirituality, evidence-honoring skepticism, and a supportive digital community that doesn’t pass the plate or police your beliefs.patreon.com/skepticpastor  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If the Bible were a Netflix show, this episode would come with a “viewer discretion advised” warning. Ruth takes the lead, flips gender roles, and all under the cover of darkness. Turns out the Bible’s big sex scene is also one of its most feminist. It’s possibly the sexiest, most subversive story in Scripture—and it pushes back hard against purity culture’s shame game. This is an episode you don't want to miss.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if you stripped faith down to its essence—no megachurch stage lights, no fear-based sermons, no evangelical gatekeeping? That’s what Brian McLaren does in his new novel set on Mars. We talk about how families fight over religion, why the fight doesn’t have to mean dehumanizing, and how spirituality survives once the institutional scaffolding is gone.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The gospels aren’t journalism—they’re theology. Dr. Helen Bond helps us dig into what the stories of Jesus’ final hours really meant to the earliest Christians. Along the way, we uncover the often-overlooked women who followed Jesus, the strange ending of Mark’s gospel, and what ancient burial customs can tell us about Good Friday.patreon.com/skeptic pastor New Insights to the New Testament Online Conference Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The “historical Jesus” isn’t the same as the Sunday school Jesus. Dr. Mark Goodacre shows us why there’s so little hard evidence, how scholarship challenges evangelical readings, and why most pastors never share this from the pulpit. Plus: Jesus as an apocalyptic prophet and the one book you need to make sense of the gospels.patreon.com/skepticpastorNew Insights on the New Testament Conferencepatreon.com/skepticpastorNew Insights on the New Testament Conference Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you grew up thinking Pharisees were hypocrites and Jesus was all about purity culture, buckle up. Dr. Amy Jill-Levine joins us to dismantle the myths: Pharisees were good people, the Bible doesn’t record “what happened,” and the New Testament has space for asexuality, transgender identity, and radical body positivity.patreon.com/skepticpastorNew Insights into the New Testament Conference Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

People aren’t leaving the church because they “hate God.” They’re leaving because the church keeps begging for cash, propping up patriarchy, justifying abusive marriages, and trashing LGBTQ people. In this episode, we talk about the real reasons people walk away and how to stay rooted in spirituality through safe, inclusive community that actually exists.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Virginity isn't real. We unpack how purity culture weaponized the concept of virginity to control women, why the biology doesn’t back it up, and how the shame attached to sex has wrecked entire generations. Bonus: we share some memes that are funnier than your youth pastor’s abstinence sermon.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This isn’t your Sunday school Ruth. Naomi sends her in to seduce Boaz and secure a future for them both. It’s raw, risky, and very much not the evangelical “wait until marriage” narrative. We talk about how this story reframes grief, highlights the resources we already have, and smashes the purity-culture lie that sex is the enemy of holiness.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happens when theology is weaponized? We talk with someone actually getting a PhD in religious trauma—yes, that’s a thing—and leading a support group for people recovering from it. We unpack how this kind of abuse isn’t “just church hurt” but complex trauma, rooted in communities where doctrine gets twisted into control. And of course, it wouldn’t be evangelical trauma without someone dropping the “synagogue of Satan” line.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Boaz feeds Ruth like she actually belongs—because she does. That’s the point. His generosity breaks the scarcity mindset and shows what it means to embody God’s social safety net. We’ll unpack how Ruth’s full basket challenges us to look at our own hospitality: who gets left out of our tables, and how can we change that? By the end, Naomi finally sees the big reveal—Boaz might be the Kinsman Redeemer.Patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When Jesus said “turn the other cheek,” He wasn’t telling us to be doormats—He was giving oppressed people a blueprint for resistance. From civil rights history to modern data, we’ll show why non-violence works and why the church needs to stop worshiping at the altar of the sword.patreon.com/skepticpastorthequollective.comCode: UnBelief Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Forget the “God helps those who help themselves” nonsense. Ruth’s story proves God built a social welfare system and stamped it holy. In Ruth 2, she walks into a stranger’s field, risks her safety, and outworks every man there—because God’s law said the rich were required to share. Your favorite “hard work” preacher would hate this chapter.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You asked, we answered: How do you make sense of the Bible after learning how it was written? Can someone follow Jesus and also find truth in Buddhism? Is hell biblical—or just a scare tactic? And what’s the most trustworthy Bible translation? It’s all in here.Patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sometimes God feels absent. Bitter, even. Naomi gets that. But Ruth shows us that when everything collapses, the right person by your side can be sacred. This episode is about that kind of love—the loyal, no-matter-what kind—and what it teaches us about faith and friendship.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

She was told her worth was tied to being a wife and mother—and that at 22 was practically a geriatric bride. So she got married, made sure “obey” was in the vows, and followed the evangelical script. Years (and one major deconstruction) later, she’s out as bi, still married, and thriving. Spoiler: the husband stayed. The evangelical friends? Not so much.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ruth isn’t your typical Bible heroine. She’s a Moabite, a woman, and the star of a book that basically tells Ezra and Nehemiah to sit down. This episode explores how Ruth smashes purity codes, upends patriarchy, and makes a case for radical inclusion—without ever preaching a sermon.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

They said if you masturbate, you're broken. They lied. We dive into the toxic shame of purity culture’s “masturbation addiction” claims, clear up what Onan was really doing, and open a thoughtful (not preachy) conversation about porn and ethics.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you ever felt guilty for making out, this one’s for you. We tear into abstinence-only education, the purity ring industrial complex, and the horror show that is the “born-again virgin.” Plus, we clap back at the toxic theology that says you’re not worthy of heaven if you love your own life too much. Yes, really.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Turns out the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids isn’t a warning about heaven’s velvet rope. It’s a call to be ready for the unexpected. We unpack the cultural backdrop, the spiritual arrogance of the “prepared,” and how first-century people missed Jesus because they weren’t open—and how we still do the same thing today.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Purity culture wants you to believe marriage solves everything—except it doesn’t. We dig into stories of people rejected for cohabitation, the dangerous lie that consent disappears once you’re married, and why reducing life to two bad choices is just bad theology wrapped in shame.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Parable of the Weeds isn’t about judging people’s souls—it’s about waiting before you yank people out of your life. We break down the cultural background, the dangers of playing spiritual police, and why people might not be who you think they are. Spoiler: sometimes the wheat and the weeds look exactly the same.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Let’s talk about that time purity culture told you dating a non-Christian would ruin your soul. We dig into the myth of being “unequally yoked,” how that verse isn’t even about marriage, and why courting culture stunts your growth like a purity ring with a chokehold.patreon.com/skepticpastor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.