Addiction & Deconversion - a conversation with Caleb Perri and Derek Lambert

C/W - drug addiction Today guest host Derek Lambert and I spoke with Caleb Perri, who grew up exposed to evangelical Christianity, but eventually deconverted while at the same time working to overcome a drug addiction. As we went through Caleb's story, we touched on many topics, including: • How our striving for approval from other Christians can lead to a double life as we try to be ourselves and yet look good for the church community. • The positive and negative aspects of the idea that you need a higher power or outside source when you are struggling with an issue. • How we tend to see arbitrary patterns and connections in life, and attribute them to god, in our effort to find meaning in life. • How understanding science and archeology's contradictions of the Bible's details and worldview can help start the deconversion process. • How our perspectives change when we realize that there is no deity planning our lives. • How curiosity and amazement about the universe and science heightens after deconversion. • The ways we empathize with people who are still religious. • How Christianity is an addiction, as we feel good when we gain the both the judicial/salvific approval of the Yahweh and Jesus characters, as well as the daily sense of intimate connection with those characters, and then experience intense pain as we begin to deconstruct the mythology and break free from our connection to it. • How the Bible's texts being open to endless interpretations can help us to see through the claims of Christianity. • How the Christian worldview often tries to punish people for just being human. • Thinking through the process of reclaiming our identity after deconversion. • The importance of skepticism as we assess religious claims. Many thanks to Derek for being my gracious co-host today, and to Caleb for sharing his story. ______________________________________ Don't forget to subscribe to Derek Lambert's YT channels! MythVision: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWVCimOe67LOfyi9PjUeGgA Rewired Addiction: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHUVjCwBJIRmV_8cFlx0qQ ______________________________________ Your support for my channel, Harmonic Atheist, is very appreciated. https://www.patreon.com/harmonicatheist The more support I receive, the sooner I can do this full time. Thanks! --Tim