Is It Because of Jesus?
Are you a Christian experiencing doubt, deconstruction, or losing your faith? If so, this podcast is for you.
My name is Pedro R. García. I am a former atheist, now a follower of Jesus.
Have you ever wondered what really goes on in the mind of someone questioning everything? We start this journey by walking through my novel, "For Those Who Doubt: Is It Because of Jesus," analyzing the 'why' behind every character's decision. But that’s just the foundation.
From Episode 16 onward, we’re getting personal. We’re talking about the weight of doubt—how it affects your Sunday dinners, your oldest friendships, and your view of the world. We aren’t afraid to lean into the difficult questions of philosophy and theology. My mission is to help you (and those you love) navigate these waters, while clarifying one vital point: more often than not, the pain of the 'exit' has very little to do with Jesus himself.
Episodes
27 episodes
I think most Christians would be atheists if they were born somewhere else
The Geography of Faith: Are You Only a Christian Because of Where You Were Born?"I think most Christians would be atheists if they were born somewhere else."It is an objection that haunts college dorm rooms and dinner table debate...
Faith always seems to start where evidence stops.
Does Faith Start Where Evidence Stops?"Faith always seems to start where evidence stops."If you or someone you love is losing faith because it feels like intellect, science, and modern observations lea...
All Christians are hypocrites!
Have you ever heard—or felt—the stinging accusation that "All Christians are hypocrites"? In this episode, Pedro Garcia explores one of the most common and piercing objections to the Christian faith. It hurts precisely because it carries undeni...
Is Faith Just an Excuse for a Lack of Evidence?
Nobody wants to be the gullible one holding onto an imaginary friend while the rest of the world has grown up. In this episode, Pedro tackles one of the most common cultural assumptions of our time: the idea that faith and facts are mortal enem...
The Atheist, the Serial Killer, and the Scandal of Grace
A good atheist goes to hell while a serial killer goes to heaven because of a last-second prayer? That's not justice. It's a joke."We are kicking off a brand-new format! Moving forward, Pedro is taking real, hard-hitting comments from sk...
Unconditional Positive Regard
Have you ever felt a relationship shift the moment a loved one says, "I don't believe the same things you do anymore"?In this episode, Pedro tackles "Unconditional Positive Regard." We explore the hard work of separating a person's ident...
The Safe Friend
Have you ever had a friend drop a tiny hint that they are doubting their faith, and you immediately felt the urge to panic and preach?In this episode, Pedro tackles becoming the "Safe Friend." Instead of throwing Christian clichés at a d...
The Fear of Relational Rupture
Have you ever sat in your small group, nodding along to something you disagree with because you're terrified of losing your friends?In this episode, Pedro tackles the "Fear of Relational Rupture." Instead of blaming the church for our si...
The Crisis of Borrowed Faith
The Crisis of Borrowed FaithAre you navigating your life with someone else's map? In this episode, Pedro Garcia explores one of the most terrifying milestones in a person's spiritual journey: the moment you realize your fai...
The Great Cloud of Doubters
The Great Cloud of DoubtersAre you the only one faking it? In this episode, Pedro tackles the "Imposter Phenomenon" within faith. If you’ve ever looked around a worship service and felt like the only person with questions, ...
The Shame of Questioning.
Why does asking "Why?" about our faith feel like a betrayal of the people who raised us?In this episode of Is It Because of Jesus?, host Pedro García tackles the "dirty secret" of doubt. Before we can even begin to look f...
Chapter 15: Thank You
Description: The surgeon delivers the words that shatter everything: "Sorry, Peter didn't make it."In this devastating final chapter, we witness the raw reality of grief. We watch Thomas flee the hospital in a...
Chapter 14: The Day Before
Description: The day before Peter's surgery, his hospital room is filled with an unlikely mix: believers, atheists, skeptics, and family. It is a testament to a life lived with radical inclusivity.In this pivotal episo...
Chapter 13: THE Conversation
Description: "Christianity is too much, but the world offers too little. One is outrageous, and the other one is too empty."In this heartbreaking episode, Thomas and Sofía finally confront the chasm between them. It be...
Chapter 12: Peace in Uncertainty
Description: Thomas drops a heavy critique: “It sounds like you don’t have an actual relationship with Jesus. You are just following an ideal.”In this deeply personal episode, we face the possibility that our ...
Chapter 11: No More
Description: The roles are finally reversed. Peter, the steadfast guide, is helpless and unable to move. Thomas, the doubter, must become the caregiver.In this pivotal episode, the intellectual debate stops and real li...
Chapter 10: Nothing
Description: Thomas finally sends the text message that changes everything: "I don't believe anymore."In this heartbreaking episode, we sit in the empty space left behind when a friend walks away from the fait...
Chapter 9: A Prison of My Own
Description: Karl doesn't offer comfort; he offers a diagnosis. When he accuses Thomas of "suppressing the truth," the gloves come off. But is Karl fighting for God, or is he fighting for himself?In this intense episod...
Chapter 8: Soul's Carving Party
Description: Edward was a genius who taught himself Greek and Hebrew, yet he was one of the loneliest men alive. Why? Because he became a "Slave to Knowledge."In this deep dive, we explore the danger of using intellect...
Chapter 7: Proud of My Weaknesses
Description: "Do you think prayer works?" When Thomas finally asks this, Peter’s answer destroys the idea of God as a cosmic vending machine. But the hardest lesson comes from Lourdes, who confronts the two with a loving fury...
Chapter 6: Justice for All
Description: Jim was a pastor until, in his view, the hypocrisy of the church regarding his sexuality drove him away. His pain is real, but is his logic sound?In this episode, we analyze the story of Jim to understand ...
Chapter 5: For the Bible Tells Me So
Description: Thomas finally asks the question he's been dreading: What are the pills for? The answer changes everything. Peter confesses that his tumor is back, shattering the myth of the "fearless believer" and reve...
Chapter 4: Truth is a Journey
Description: Thomas wants to debate the age of the universe. Peter wants to talk about real life. But why is Thomas so eager to jump into an intellectual argument immediately after hearing a heartbreaking story about death?