ExcommuniDate: Life & Love After Religion
You left the faith. The baggage stayed.
Ex-Mormon Jessa and former Presbyterian Austin get real about dating after religion: purity culture damage, mismatched values, and building relationships on your own terms. Honest, hilarious, and judgment-free.
For the deconstructed, the questioning, and anyone dating outside the lines they were raised in.
New episodes every two weeks.
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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