Dan Barker was a teenage evangelist and longtime preacher before he stepped away from God for good. He is now the co-President of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (along with his wife Annie Laurie Gaylor), a group dedicated to the principle of separation of state and church.

Barker is also the author of Godless (2008) and Life Driven Purpose (2015).

I spoke with Barker about why he goes on The Daily Show even when the segments aren’t very kind to him, his next project encouraging people to read the Bible, and how all Christian ministers are “slaves traders.” (Yep.)

Notes:

Here are links (one and two) to Barker’s segments on The Daily Show.

Here’s more about Nebraska State Senator Ernie Chambers and his 2007 lawsuit against God.

(Image via Tim Hughes, 2010)

Neil Carter is a blogger at Godless in Dixie, where he writes about being an atheist in the Deep South. He’s a teacher, a personal trainer, and a father.

I spoke with Neil about what it’s like being non-religious in Mississippi, the “evandelism” that followed his coming out, and the importance of having someone to talk to when you have religious doubts.

If you’d like to support Neil’s work, you can donate to his Patreon page right here.

(Full disclosure: Neil’s blog is hosted on Patheos, as is Friendly Atheist.)

Notes:

Here’s a link to the CBS Sunday Morning segment that featured Neil.

If you need someone to talk to about your religious doubts, call the Hotline Project.

John Dehlin just completed his PhD in clinical and counseling psychology. But you may know him best as the founder of the Mormon Stories podcast, one that celebrates the faith and also critiques it when necessary. Because of some of his views supporting same-sex marriage and the ordination of women within Mormonism, Dehlin was excommunicated from the Church earlier this year for apostasy. That story was covered in the New York Times.

We spoke with John about how discovering the truth about Mormon history pushed him away from the Church, why he still has a soft spot for the faith, and why Mormons have strategic reasons for standing firm against LGBT rights.

Notes:

Here’s a link to WhyMormonsQuestion.org, a site we referenced during the show.

Shulem Deen is a former Hasidic Jew. Since leaving that world, he’s founded the website Unpious which is a voice for other ultra-Orthodox Jews who may be rethinking their faith. His new memoir is called All Who Go Do Not Return.

We spoke with Shulem about the hypocrisy of Hasidic Jews regarding modern technology, how that community reacted to an episode of This American Life focusing on them, and how America Online became his gateway to the outside world.

Notes:

Shulem was featured in a recent episode of the podcast Reply All.

He is also on the Board of Directors for an organization called Footsteps, which helps Orthodox Jews leave the fold.

(Image credit: Pearl Gabel)