Leaving Church vs. Healing

In this episode, Stuart sits down with journalist and author Becky Garrison to discuss her book Gaslighting for God (https://amzn.to/4tVpXTs), a satirical but deeply serious exploration of spiritual narcissism and religious manipulation.

Together they examine a pattern many people recognize but struggle to name: the use of faith language to override conscience, silence dissent, and shift blame onto the very people being harmed. From “God told me” leadership to communities that protect authority over honesty, the conversation explores how gaslighting functions inside religious environments — and why it is so difficult to see while you’re inside it.

They also talk about why leaving church doesn’t automatically mean healing, how similar dynamics can show up in progressive spaces and wellness culture, and why survivors often end up questioning their own memories instead of the system itself. At its core, this episode isn’t a theology debate. It’s a conversation about power, psychological safety, and learning to trust your own perception again.

If you’ve ever walked away from a religious community wondering whether the problem was you, this discussion puts language to that experience and offers a way forward that doesn’t require abandoning meaning, conscience, or yourself.

Big thanks to these outlets that make the Christian Crazy possible:
• Right Wing Watch
• Christian Nightmares
• Friendly Atheist

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Check out other fantastic Quoircast partners:
The Heretic Happy Hour Podcast • Wild Olive • Jonathan Foster • The Church Needs Therapy • Honoring the Journey Podcast • Spiritual Brewpub • Bros Bibles & Beer • Liminal Living • The Social Jesus Project • I Was a Teenage Fundamentalist • The God Squad Pod • Radical Love Live • Second Cup with Keith • Unbelief Podcast • High Minds Collective • Evangelicalish • Beyond the Torch with Todd & Leslie

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