The more I studied the Bible, the more cognitive dissonance set in - Jennifer Graham

[@MarshaLowenthal]

Jennifer is such an inspiration. I loved, loved , loved her story! What a strong lady!

[@sharongood8257]

Me too! Thank you thank you. I’m shaking my head thinking this is my story. What’s really amazing is how long I believed and it truly was a waste of time and resources. My biggest regret in life is believing in Christianity . No do overs so I’ll make the best out of the rest of the time I have left.

[@Matira269]

This is a treasury. Good story telling and conversational skills from Jennifer, and Tim. Very insightful and relatable. Jennifer really took us on a journey, and she did introduce her resources that helped her along the way. Thanks Jennifer, for being so open and courageous, and for letting us look into your fascinating life, that presented some challenges, but also joy and adventure and growth. Thank you both. This is really something to share, and I will be sharing it.

[@Mariagrigorieva]

Hi,Tim!Love your interviews ❤ My name is Maria,25,I’m from Moscow,Russia. I found your channel about a year ago around this time and watched almost every interview since that. Maybe someday I can share my story with you.😁 (I understand 95% information without subtitles ,but I don’t have speaking practise so ..) Thank you so much for your work🙏🏻because it gave me courage to leave my church ,and be a whole different person I thought I would never become 😅😅 I honestly think I would never leave this awful abusive relationship with the church,people and “god” if it wasn’t for your channel. I would never have the right information and the most important: courage to admit that no more,I don’t believe in this fairy tale anymore . And finally after 24 years of this I’m on my way to better life ,leaving church behind. On Russian KZbin there is nothing like this about deconstruction and furthermore,I think I will surprise you when I say,that majority of people know absolutely nothing! about charismatic churches. Because orthodox christianity is so popular,that people even are not aware that protestant churches exist 😅😅😅 So thank you again for all your hardwork!I hope for you and your kids and your channel only the best! Looking forward to seeing your next interviews 🤗 (I hope I didn’t make many grammar mistakes 😅)

[@HarmonicAtheist]

I'd definitely consider it! Feel free to add me on FB and reach out there on Messenger: facebook.com/harmonictim

[@mburns3919]

Jennifer spoke of her work with Stonecroft ministries. When I was four or five and my father was a pastor with Village Missions, I believe my family visited Stonecroft headquarters. Village Missions was founded and/or directed by Walter Duff, Jr., brother of Stonecroft Ministries founder Helen Duff Baugh. When we were teenagers in Kansas, my brother Dennis and I were part of a trio that sang at a Stonecroft sponsered woman's luncheon or supper. At least I got a free meal out of the deal. :)

[@HarmonicAtheist]

Interesting!

[@sharongood8257]

So trust God with the easy manageable bouts of depression but let the doctors handle the more serious mental issues, being in church trying to heal was like trying to breath under water.

[@jenngraham1812]

Good way of putting it, Sharon. 💕

[@Sological]

What an amazing interview! It gave me a small glimpse of a different part of the world and religious ideology!

[@rodbuchanan7631]

Thanks

[@altavanderwesthuizen1472]

BEAUTIFUL, WARM, STUNNING SOUTH-AFRICANS ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@jenngraham1812]

Aw, thank you, Honey 🤗💕

[@harmonychilden5326]

I absolutely loved this interview!!! Thank you so much!❤

[@KeithBottrell-m6i]

Jennifer Graham-you are a delightful lady. So glad that you found your way out of the oppressive religions.

[@uncleanunicorn4571]

A Hitchslap ending in classic Carl Sagan. Thanks for sharing a portrait into a society most Americans aren't familiar with.

[@SufiKitty]

Loved meeting this beautiful person who was challenged throughout her life, persevered, continued to learn, and then completely freed herself. A true triumph! 🥰💞🥰💞 Thank you both. 🎉

[@HarmonicAtheist]

Thank you so much!!

[@letahamilton]

I always appreciate when you bring on international guests. 😊

[@annemariededekind6271]

Thank you Jennifer and Tim. I am from South Africa also. Love your story.

[@marlenemeyer9841]

Thank you for sharing your story! 😊

[@altavanderwesthuizen1472]

I JJST LOVE YOUR STORY! CAN 100% RELATE. THAK YOU!!!!!❤

[@rosrocks3]

Great show! Thanks Tim & Jennifer I love arts & crafts too I am making a junk journal too they are so cute ☺️

[@jenngraham1812]

Yay! Another junk journaler! You are my people! 💕

[@subcitizen2012]

What a gentle and beautiful person. It's not always evident, but you can hear the trauma in there. I felt like there were gaps in her story, where there were a lot of middle years, but that's only the impression I got. Depression and anxiety. My goodness. I don't know if the results are in as far as nature vs nurture and both, but it really feels like Christianity is set up to exacerbate those if you have them at least, of not potentially even induce them. I wish I could come on the show Tim but I'm not a camera or speaking person, and I'd probably get manic and have a panic haha. But listening to these it always brings so much to mind, and how profound it is that we have this shared identity theft points to how profound it is that the world is like this. She's speaking of South Africa in the 50s and 60s, not terribly long ago at all with regard to history; but how much history was like that, and how lich the world is still like this, almost snagged in the dark ages like a bramble. Maybe someday the world can be more free from that and humanity will have more of a chance to be itself without these burdens of the past, both in history and in our own lives.

[@Plethorality]

Oh, calvinism demands depression and anxiety. All fear and guilt. No love.

[@marycollis6900]

Thank you for this. This has been the most helpful talk for me on seeing how to get out of my church. I’ve read all the same books and come to the same theological conclusions, but seeing how to frame those Anglican prayers which also grate on me- as ‘not good for me’ has given me words to use in making my final Sunday very soon. Thank you for this long but valuable interview. So many things have resonated with me.

[@paulgaunt9481]

Good luck!

[@DarqueSyde66]

SNL’s Church Lady ALWAYS cracked me up!!!! 😂😂😂

[@herbevans2727]

Another great story...thanks Jennifer and Tim!

[@heatherclark8668]

I grew up with a belief that my family was better than other families because we were very respectable Protestant Christians who went to church and Sunday school and who didn't drink or smoke or swear or gamble. It took me a long time to realise how wrong I was. I had Christian friends and non-Christian friends. The non-Christian friends were much more fun not because we were running off and sinning! We weren't. They were just more fun. They weren't all uptight like full on Christians. Most of them were cultural, nominal, Catholic or Orthodox Greeks and Italians. Wonderful warm hospitable people.

[@ManokJanik]

Great stuff! I was an Anglican too but it leaned more Evangelical while still keeping the liturgy. As I got older and moved, I attended a more traditional church that did choral Eucharist (hymns as opposed to modern music). It was a lot calmer and I enjoyed it better. They also supported refugees, which I liked. What I appreciated about Anglicans is that they maintain the integrity of the gospel, even in liturgy. But of course, in the end of the day, it still had no power to change lives.

[@trilithon108]

She freed herself🎉

[@cindiballard900]

Great interview! Jennifer is amazing. I really liked the Carl Sagan quote. And The Truman Show is one of my favorite movies. Love the symbolism. Thanks, Jennifer and Tim!

[@fredherzberger4677]

After listen to her I had the following thought. If truth is a virtue, then faith can not be. Which choice can bring a better world?

[@petmur2451]

What a great lady

[@geofffergusson7438]

Lovely woman great story

[@stevenbolin7688]

Great show, she's a real sweet woman. This story has hit me very hard. It's triggered some of my problems and it's depressing yeah but it was very eye opening

[@johnmonk3381]

@2:19 Wow. How did she make herself partially disappear like that 😂

[@jenngraham1812]

I have magical powers!😉

[@quakers200]

Religious and fascist plus racist. What political science calls the trifecta.

[@jenngraham1812]

@venusbabe66 Re “Enquiring mind” comment, I forgot to mention that during my bouts of depression, I consulted a “prayer coach” 🙄 (nice side hustle!) who charged me $75 only to tell me I THINK too much! Of course those in “authority” positions don’t want you to think critically because you’ll see through their bullshit and they’ll no longer be able to control your mind.

[@ShoNuffSoulBro1]

GOD is LOVE 😇 but don’t piss him off 😱😡💥😵 or he’ll damn you for all eternity …

[@ronjohnson4566]

when you read the bible and it said, a mother was a virgin and gave birth to a child with magical powers, did you have any problem with that? when you read the bible and it said, this magic guy fed the 5,000 with 3 fishes and some bread, did you have any problem with that? when you read the bible and it said, god took Adam's rib and created woman from that rib, did you have any problem with that? when you read the bible and it said, noah built an ark in the desert and took two of every animal then god flooded the entire earth for 40 days and nights, did you have any problem with that? I'm a stupid guy, when I was in the 7th grade and in I think my first science class, the teacher said, evolutionists have a theory that says, through time animals change and evolve. horses were once very small dog-like animals, and the first animals left the ocean and used their flippers to crawl from one puddle to another. and over time they began to live on land. then she said, "but it's only a theory". I thought to myself, that evolution stuff makes sense.

[@jenngraham1812]

@quakers200 thanks for that information. I had heard that term before 👍🏽

[@jenngraham1812]

I don’t know why I said tele-evangelists. I know it’s televangelist. ☺️

[@someonesomeone25]

Yup.

[@jimgillert20]

👍❤️🚴‍♂️

[@exvangelicarol5336]

🥰💖

[@brainfate3856]

I would like to hear the question,... Do you feel your life is a better life now that you have deconstructed? and if yes or no, why? ....at the end of each video.

[@jenngraham1812]

Much, much better! Lower anxiety - feeling a lot happier and more confident in myself, now that I don’t need to fear an imaginary Sky Daddy.

[@kxjx]

There must be some way to edit these videos to get more views and grow quicker

[@celebs007]

Oral and written Roberts

[@totonow6955]

and Job Bones

[@uncleanunicorn4571]

lol

[@Plethorality]

Heheheh.. .

[@jenngraham1812]

These evangelist sure have odd names! Oral, Creflo Dollar 💵🙄

[@IkarusKommt]

That's why the Bible should not be read by laymen.

[@Plethorality]

Its why laymen need education.

[@jon6815]

@@Plethorality Essential that laymen are given the tools to enable them to see through the scam of religion. It's not by chance that an arch-scammer Pope put out a death fatwa on the first Christian to print the bible.

[@jenngraham1812]

@@Plethorality 💯!

[@Matira269]

I don't know if you are saying that tongue -in- cheek, in order to say proceed with caution, but for discussion sake I will say that they used to say the same thing in the past, and got people to go on killing crusades by offering them a 'plenary indulgence', so if laymen don't read and instead listen to the clergy they are still in trouble! Nowadays, if the laymen reads while listening to the clergy, many of them will end up primed for adopting fascism without even being aware.