ExcommuniDate: Life & Love After Religion
Dating is messy. Leaving religion makes it messier. If you’re ex-Mormon, exvangelical, ex-Jehovah’s Witness, ex-Catholic, ex-Jewish—or just someone dating after faith—we’re here for you.
Join Jessa (ex-Mormon and reality TV addict) and Austin (former Presbyterian and Utah survivor) as they dive into the hilarious, heartbreaking, and healing journey of dating after religion. From purity culture baggage to mismatched values, they explore what it means to form real connections when belief systems no longer match.
Whether you're newly deconstructed or long-time secular, this is your space for honest conversations, awkward stories, and real talk about love, identity, and freedom.
New episodes every 2 weeks. Connecting Hearts, Not Dogmas.
ExcommuniDate: Life & Love After Religion
17. When the Bible Belt Gets Too Tight: Leaving the Southern Baptist Church
What happens when church rules and family expectations squeeze too tight? You either suffocate—or break free.
In this episode, Austin Schoen (aka the cooler, younger Austin, now with Bluetooth) shares his story of leaving the Southern Baptist church and navigating life after faith. From purity culture shame to cognitive dissonance, family fallout, and therapy breakthroughs, Austin opens up about the challenges of religious guilt and the healing power of unconditional love. With the support of his wife Bianca, he found stability, emotional growth, and a new identity beyond religion.
If you’ve ever wrestled with faith deconstruction, evangelical upbringing, exvangelical identity, or recovering from religion, this episode will hit home.
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