This week’s guest is Doug. Doug became interested in church when he was in junior high, and when Doug is in, he’s all in.

He was a believer throughout high school, college and into the military. But then books and magazines happened. Doug began reading more “skeptical literature,” and the questions began.

Doug’s faith unraveled while he was “an atheist in a foxhole,” but faith in the supernatural was unnecessary. He needed his own strength, and the strength of the people around him.

He has since been an atheist pastor, finding the human connection he and his wife needed, without changing their beliefs or forsaking their values. As Brene Brown says, “We are hardwired to connect with others,” and Christianity has no longer cornered the marked on community and belonging.

Links Unitarian Universalist Church of Tullahoma

https://tullahomauu.org/index.html

Doug’s Short story “The Faith I Left Behind” is in the book, The Sandbox: Dispatches from Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan

https://amzn.to/3RYrHaZ

Interact For quotes, recommendations and more see the full episode show notes

https://gracefulatheist.com/2022/09/11/doug-traversa-atheist-minister/

Join the Deconversion Anonymous Facebook group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/deconversion

Secular Grace

https://gracefulatheist.com/2016/10/21/secular-grace/

Deconversion

https://gracefulatheist.com/2017/12/03/deconversion-how-to/

Deconstruction

https://gracefulatheist.com/2017/12/03/deconversion-how-to/#deconstruction/

Attribution "Waves" track written and produced by Makaih Beats

https://makaihbeats.net/

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