29. Part 2. Reproductive Rights - Rev. jessica young chang (UCC): Faith, Freedom, and Who Gets to Decide

38. Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez (Non-Denominational Megachurch Culture) - Conversion Therapy Dropout

38. Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez (Non-Denominational Megachurch Culture) - Conversion Therapy Dropout What if the choice between being gay and being Christian was never a choice at all? Alexis sits down with Timothy Schrader Rodriguez, author of Conversion Therapy Dropout, for a deeply personal conversation about surviving eight years of conversion therapy, working behind the scenes at some of the most influential evangelical megachurches in America, and discovering that faith and queerness do not have to be enemies. Tim shares his journey from growing up in evangelical megachurch culture to entering conversion therapy in pursuit of what he believed God required of him. Together, Alexis and Tim explore the devastating impact of spiritual abuse, the false binary many LGBTQ+ Christians are taught, and the healing that becomes possible when people are fully seen, loved, and affirmed. They discuss the rise of Christian nationalism, the continued attacks on LGBTQ+ rights, and why visibility, honesty, and relationships remain some of the most powerful tools for change. Tim also shares the story behind Church Clarity, the organization he helped launch to help people find churches that are honest about where they stand on LGBTQ+ inclusion and women in leadership. The conversation closes with a powerful benediction for anyone who has ever wondered whether they belong, whether God could love them as they are, or whether faith is still possible after spiritual harm. This conversation is for anyone exploring: progressive Christianity, LGBTQ+ Christianity, queer theology, deconstruction, church hurt, conversion therapy, Christian nationalism, faith after evangelicalism, and healing from spiritual abuse. 💡 Key Takeaways • Conversion therapy is harmful and does not work • Being gay and Christian is not a contradiction • Many LGBTQ+ people leave faith because of rejection, not because they stop seeking God • Relationships and stories change hearts more effectively than arguments • Churches should be clear about where they stand on LGBTQ+ inclusion and women in leadership • Healing is not becoming someone else - it's returning to who you've always been About Our Guest Timothy Schrader Rodriguez (@timothy.s.rodriguez [https://www.instagram.com/timothy.s.rodriguez/#]) is an author, speaker, church communications strategist, LGBTQ+ advocate, and one of the founders of Church Clarity. His memoir, Conversion Therapy Dropout, chronicles his experience surviving eight years of conversion therapy and finding a path toward healing, authenticity, and faith. 📚 Resources & Voices Mentioned • Jonathan Van Ness @jvn • Getting Better with JVN: @gettingbetterwithJVN • NBC News interview featuring Timothy Schrader Rodriguez: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYDZuzrsZ8L/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== • Church Clarity @churchclarity • Q Christian Fellowship @qchristianorg [https://www.instagram.com/qchristianorg/#] https://www.qchristian.org/ • Rev. Brandan Robertson @brandanrobertson • Matthew Vines @matthewvines • Justin Telthorst @emptycharishome • Rev. Dr. Ginny Brown Daniel https://ginnybrowndaniel.substack.com/ • Brené Brown @brenebrown 🏳️‍🌈 Looking for a church? Visit ChurchClarity.org Is there a church near you that is clear about how they welcome and affirm LGBTQ+ people? Are queer people allowed in leadership? Will the church perform same-sex weddings? Do they affirm women in leadership? Enter your ZIP code and see what's around you. As Tim channels @BrenéBrown in this episode: "Clarity is kindness. Ambiguity can be harmful." Grab Conversion Therapy Dropout (I love Tim reading the audiobook!) Grab a copy https://bookshop.org/shop/thesacredslope If this episode resonates with you, consider sharing it with someone navigating questions around faith, sexuality, belonging, or healing from church hurt. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2471756/support] About The Sacred Slope Where the slippery slope becomes sacred ground. For the spiritually tender—raised in or rooted in Christianity. Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion. 🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify      LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere      FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky) 🔗 Connect 🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope [https://linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope?utm_source=chatgpt.com] 🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice 🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence 📬 Nominate a guest: alexis@thesacredslope.com 🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿 Fruit of the Spirit:  ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control

37. Bishop Guðrún (Church of Iceland) – A Nation Led by Women, and a Bishop Who Says Queer People Should Be Safe in Christianity (Pride Month Reissue)

37. Bishop Guðrún Karls Helgudóttir (Church of Iceland) – A Nation Led by Women, and a Bishop Who Says Queer People Should Be Safe in Christianity When a nation is led by women at the highest levels - the President, the Prime Minister, the Mayor of Reykjavík, the National Police Commissioner, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Bishop of Iceland - something becomes visible: women in power isn’t an exception, it’s normal. Into that context steps Bishop Guðrún - the second woman ever to serve as Bishop of Iceland - who tells LGBTQ+ people that God’s creation is good — and that we are holy creations of God. Together, Alexis & Bishop Guðrún dive into: • Iceland’s 1975 Women’s Strike & gender equality milestones • From harm to repair - why churches MUST affirm LGBTQ+ people • The Bishop’s civic role - national funerals, ceremonies, moral voice • Mental health, suicide, and walking with people in suffering • A prayer in Icelandic for listeners who left church but not God 💡 Key Takeaways 🌈 Safety, dignity, and belonging for queer people is Christian discipleship - not deviation.  👩‍⚖️ When women lead at every level of national life, equality becomes ordinary - not symbolic.  🧭 The Bishop’s role is not partisan power - it is moral presence and public courage.  🕊️ True pastoral leadership walks with people in suffering, not above them. ⛪ About Our Guest Bishop Guðrún Karls Helgudóttir (@gudrun.biskup_) is the Bishop of Iceland - the spiritual head of the Church of Iceland (@kirkjan.is), a national Lutheran church interwoven into Icelandic cultural life, history, and state ceremonies. The Bishop’s office carries both sacred and civic weight: accompanying presidents and prime ministers at moments of national significance, offering moral clarity in public crises, and serving as a pastoral presence when the country gathers in grief, remembrance, or celebration. Bishop Guðrún is the second woman ever to serve as Bishop of Iceland. Her pathway includes parish leadership in Sweden and Iceland, and theological formation at the University of Iceland and the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago. Known internationally for her clear advocacy for LGBTQ+ inclusion, Bishop Guðrún represents a model of Christian leadership rooted not in fear or exclusion, but in dignity, equality, and the conviction that God’s creation is good. 📚 Resources Mentioned Iceland Church Pride clip:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNBnMnFMtN8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNBnMnFMtN8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link] Bishop Guðrún Trans rights clip:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFvNaZ8tKeN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFvNaZ8tKeN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link] Suicide-awareness clip:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPCd44njMXo/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPCd44njMXo/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link] Women’s Strike (BBC): https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/cy0ky4e4kzwo Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2471756/support] About The Sacred Slope Where the slippery slope becomes sacred ground. For the spiritually tender—raised in or rooted in Christianity. Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion. 🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify      LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere      FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky) 🔗 Connect 🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope [https://linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope?utm_source=chatgpt.com] 🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice 🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence 📬 Nominate a guest: alexis@thesacredslope.com 🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿 Fruit of the Spirit:  ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control

36. Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines (Disciples of Christ/UCC) - The Progressive, Open & Affirming Pastor Evangelicals Warned You About

Pride Month Series- 🌈 Happy Pride! 36. Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines (Disciples of Christ/UCC) - The Progressive, Open & Affirming Pastor Evangelicals Warned You About What does a conversation with a progressive, open and affirming pastor actually sound like? For many people raised in evangelical spaces, progressive pastors were often presented as people who had compromised biblical faith or wandered too far from Christianity. But what happens when you actually listen and decide for yourself? Alexis sits down with Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines, pastor, author, scholar, Co-Executive Director of the Center for Progressive Christianity, and one of the most visible progressive Christian voices online, for a wide-ranging conversation about faith, deconstruction, LGBTQ+ inclusion, Christian nationalism, biblical interpretation, raising children with a healthy faith, and why so many people are reimagining Christianity today. Caleb serves an open and affirming church in San Diego. Open and Affirming (ONA) churches fully welcome LGBTQ+ people into the life and leadership of the church. In many ONA churches, this includes marriage, ordination, leadership, and participation at every level. Together, Alexis and Caleb explore whether progressive Christianity is really as scary as many people were taught, why faith doesn't have to be rooted in certainty, and how Christianity can be a force for justice, compassion, curiosity, and human flourishing. 💬 In This Episode • What progressive Christianity actually is • What "Open and Affirming" means • Growing up progressive in the Bible Belt • Deconstruction, reconstruction, and resilient faith • Raising children who can ask hard questions • Christian nationalism and the politics of fear • LGBTQ+ inclusion in the church • How to find a safe, affirming church • Why people are leaving harmful religious spaces • Why some people are reclaiming Christianity instead of abandoning it • Interfaith relationships and finding common ground • Faith, doubt, mystery, and living without certainty 👥 People & Resources Mentioned • Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines: @revcalebjlines • The Center for Progressive Christianity: @progressivechristianity • Church Clarity: @churchclarity | churchclarity.org • GayChurch.org • Rev. Dr. Mark Sandlin: @marksandlin • Marcus Borg • Barbara Brown Taylor: @barbarabrowntaylor • Holy Envy • Phyllis Tickle • Jerome Berryman / Godly Play • Imam Taha Hassane • Petra Costa: @petracostal • Apocalypse in the Tropics (Netflix) • The Moonshine Jesus Show: @moonshinejesusshow 📚 Books by Caleb • Awakened: A Path to Courageous Faith in an Uncertain World • The Great Digital Commission: Embracing Social Media for Church Growth and Transformation Website: calebjlines.com #ProgressiveChristianity #OpenAndAffirming #PrideMonth #Christianity #Deconstruction #Reconstruction #LGBTQChristianity #ChristianNationalism #Faith #ProgressiveFaith #ChurchHurt #InclusiveChurch #TheSacredSlope #CalebJLines #Pride 🌈 Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2471756/support] About The Sacred Slope Where the slippery slope becomes sacred ground. For the spiritually tender—raised in or rooted in Christianity. Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion. 🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify      LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere      FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky) 🔗 Connect 🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope [https://linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope?utm_source=chatgpt.com] 🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice 🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence 📬 Nominate a guest: alexis@thesacredslope.com 🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿 Fruit of the Spirit:  ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control

35. Rocky Roggio (Director, 1946: The Movie): The Year the Word “Homosexual” Entered the Bible (Pride Month Reissue)

HAPPY PRIDE! 🎙️ 35. Rocky Roggio (Director, 1946: The Movie) - 1946: The Year the Word “Homosexual” Entered the Bible (Pride Month Reissue) One mistranslation changed theology, policy, families, and the lives of millions of LGBTQ people. Alexis sits down with Rocky Roggio @rockyroggio, director of the award-winning documentary 1946: The Movie @1946themovie, to explore the year the word “homosexual” first appeared in an English Bible and how that translation decision reshaped theology, culture, and public policy for generations. They unpack the historical research behind the film, including discoveries in the Yale archives surrounding the 1946 Revised Standard Version Bible translation. Rocky explains how one translation decision helped shape decades of church teaching and influence modern debates around LGBTQ Christianity and Bible translation. Rocky also shares the personal story behind the film, including the decision to include her own father, a minister, in the documentary. Their conversations reveal how theology is never abstract - it shows up in families, churches, and real relationships. Alexis and Rocky discuss why the film resonates with audiences across the political and theological spectrum and why understanding Bible translation history, queer theology, progressive Christianity, and Christian nationalism matters right now. This episode is for anyone - Christian or not, queer or not - who cares about truth, history, and how sacred texts are interpreted and sometimes weaponized. 💡 Key Takeaways • The word “homosexual” first appeared in an English Bible in 1946 • Bible translation decisions can shape theology and culture for generations • Scripture can inspire justice or be used to justify harm • Biblical literacy matters in conversations about Christian nationalism and LGBTQ inclusion About Our Guest Rocky Roggio is the director of 1946: The Movie, an award-winning documentary investigating how the word “homosexual” first entered the English Bible and how that translation shaped modern debates around LGBTQ Christianity. 🎬 Watch the film Best way to support the filmmakers (independent streaming platform):  https://watch.eventive.org/1946themovie [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbXdYZmRjTF9mSnRLeWYzM1ZGMm84Z1BsQjUtd3xBQ3Jtc0tuSk90dDZQVlJWUGg4dDhSQ25lRk1ZeWJYNjBLYXdTT1RvNmM0UlFqNDR0NnVLTU1JZjA0ODFjT1RWOUVYckNRc1JHVEFVcFFKdzZ0WGYzZm9kNkNFRXdrQ1JyYVA1SVRINTFsRFlRaDA4NkhzcENqQQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwatch.eventive.org%2F1946themovie&v=tzMuKhEPA8s] 🌍 Projects & Organizations Mentioned The Living Wall of Love - Jarko’s project featured at World Pride Amsterdam https://growingwalloflove.com [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbFNWc1BNZ3NGdlpTWUNXNFI0Vm40OFZfNndMQXxBQ3Jtc0tudXk4TWRwSnN3UjZOYnNLVmZKN1ozS0VTbXExaHBabDd6WWgwTDZ0ZU1URDZwdW5DZTdKM3NkZkhvamRycTdIbFlNSHZUTTYwQjUxSF9LMU5xeDl3bmY5TWFOMEdaTGZ1bFYwdVdQSFFXX0NtblVKVQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fgrowingwalloflove.com%2F&v=tzMuKhEPA8s] Making Things Right (LGBTQ Christian reconciliation resource) https://makingthingsright.org [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbjR0SnhhQy1CU2J4R3RoUFJHSkRYLURNTERQZ3xBQ3Jtc0ttLUYyUk9PVVZzZ0k2aUhaQkluSjZPSnpSNUFYbmhhOG9SUzJTOWgwLXEwN2I3WlRZaXRPdVAzcE15UU4xSWdiWkJtTGFxOWYzd2lSZldKV0FLY21WUHVMOWZHNGl5eENYX2lHN3RSS0VlMDd0VnZ2TQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fmakingthingsright.org%2F&v=tzMuKhEPA8s] #Christianity [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/christianity] #deconstruction [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/deconstruction] #OpenAndAffirming [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/openandaffirming] #1946TheMovie [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/1946themovie] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2471756/support] About The Sacred Slope Where the slippery slope becomes sacred ground. For the spiritually tender—raised in or rooted in Christianity. Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion. 🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify      LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere      FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky) 🔗 Connect 🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope [https://linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope?utm_source=chatgpt.com] 🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice 🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence 📬 Nominate a guest: alexis@thesacredslope.com 🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿 Fruit of the Spirit:  ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control

34. Science & Faith Part 2 - Pastor Will Rose (ELCA Lutheran) - The False Choice Between Faith and Science

34. Science & Faith Part 2 - Pastor Will Rose (ELCA Lutheran) - The False Choice Between Faith and Science  Alexis Rice sits down with Pastor Will Rose, ELCA Lutheran pastor in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, co-host of Systematic Geekology, and creator of the faith and science podcast Your Matter Matters, for a deeply compassionate conversation about curiosity, science, deconstruction, and why asking honest questions should never make someone feel spiritually unsafe. Together, Alexis and Will unpack the false binary so many Christians were handed between faith and science - and the shame many people carry after being taught that questioning Genesis, evolution, the Big Bang, healthcare, vaccines, or scientific expertise somehow meant they were “falling away from God.” Will shares how many progressive and mainline Christian spaces approach scripture, theology, and science very differently than fundamentalist environments, and why intellectual humility, wonder, and curiosity can actually deepen faith instead of destroy it. At the center of this conversation is one powerful idea: “If that’s how the universe operates - growing, evolving, shifting - I think our faith can be like that too.” This episode is an invitation for anyone who has ever felt spiritually trapped, intellectually unsafe, or afraid that asking honest questions could cost them belonging. 💬 In This Episode • Why many Christians were taught faith and science cannot coexist • Curiosity vs “doubt culture” in evangelical spaces • Why asking questions should not be treated as rebellion against God • The danger of certainty culture in Christianity • Genesis, evolution, Adam & Eve, and biblical interpretation • “God of the gaps” theology and why it creates fear • Why many pastors feel pressure to have all the answers • The importance of intellectual humility in faith communities • How science and theology ask different kinds of questions • COVID, vaccines, healthcare, and anti-science narratives in churches • Christian nationalism and the weaponization of faith • The erosion of trust in institutions, experts, and scientists • Why progressive pastors and churches need more visibility • Theology Beer Camp and creating safe spaces for spiritual exploration • Why people do not need to abandon science in order to love God • The healing power of realizing “I’m not the only one asking this” 📚 Books & Resources Mentioned • Pastor Will Rose: @willnrose • Your Matter Matters Podcast: @yourmattermatters • Fish with Feet: Human Evolution and the Image of God - Dr. Janet Kellogg Ray @janetkelloggray from @eerdmans • The Sin of Certainty - Pete Enns @thebiblefornormalpeople • The Great Emergence - Phyllis Tickle • Systematic Geekology @systematicgeekology • Theology Beer Camp @theologybeercamp • Homebrewed Christianity with Tripp Fulelr @theologynerd @trippfuller • Dr. Janet Kellogg Ray: @janetkelloggray • Tripp Fuller: @trippfuller • Pete Enns: @thebiblefornormalpeople • Ted Peters • Joshua Noel • Francis Collins • Neil deGrasse Tyson: @neildegrassetyson Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2471756/support] About The Sacred Slope Where the slippery slope becomes sacred ground. For the spiritually tender—raised in or rooted in Christianity. Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion. 🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify      LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere      FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky) 🔗 Connect 🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope [https://linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope?utm_source=chatgpt.com] 🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice 🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence 📬 Nominate a guest: alexis@thesacredslope.com 🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿 Fruit of the Spirit:  ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control