eX-skeptic

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Growing up in a deeply Christian home, Shayla Perez assumed that faith was simply part of her family tradition. But as she entered her teenage years, skepticism began to grow. Questions about suffering and whether Christianity was actually true led her into online atheist communities and eventually to reject the faith she grew up around.

What began as rebellion soon became a sincere search for truth. As Shayla wrestled with the claims of atheism and the intellectual foundations of Christianity, she discovered something she had never expected.

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Guest Bio:

Shayla Perez is a Christian speaker and content creator passionate about helping the next generation discover the truth of Christianity. After a season of skepticism and involvement in online atheist communities as a teenager, she returned to faith through apologetics, philosophy, and a personal encounter with Christ. Today, she reaches Gen Z and Gen Alpha through social media, youth events, and churches, engaging honest questions about faith and culture.

Resources Mentioned:

eX-skeptic Guides: https://exskeptic.org/bookstore/

Shayla’s Recommended Resources:

William Lane Craig, Reasonable Faith https://www.reasonablefaith.org

Frank Turek, Cross-Examined, https://crossexamined.org

Cliff Knechtle, Give me an Answer: https://www.youtube.com/@givemeananswer

Got Questions: https://www.gotquestions.org

Total Truth and Finding Truth, Nancy Pearcey:https://a.co/d/066TnGwI

Shayla’s Social Resources:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shayla_j_perez/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Shayla_Perez

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shayla_j_perez

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Website: https://exskeptic.org/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exskeptic

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/exskeptic

Twitter: http://x.com/exskeptic

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@exskeptic

Email info: info@exskeptic.org

For decades, Charles Murray assumed what many educated people quietly assume - that religion belonged to an earlier age and that science had rendered belief in God unnecessary. He wasn't hostile to faith. He simply left it behind.

But over time, questions he had never fully examined began pressing in. Why is there something rather than nothing? Why does the universe appear so finely tuned for life? Can consciousness really be reduced to the brain? And what should we make of the historical claims surrounding Jesus?

In this conversation, author and social scientist Charles Murray shares the long, intellectual journey that led him to reconsider the reality of God and the claims of Christianity.

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Guest Bio:

Charles Murray is a social scientist, author, and public intellectual known for his work on culture, social policy, and human flourishing. A longtime scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, he has written widely discussed books including Coming Apart, The Bell Curve, and Losing Ground. His recent book, Taking Religion Seriously, reflects on his intellectual journey from secular indifference toward a growing openness to belief in God and the significance of religion in human life.

Resources Mentioned:

eX-skeptic Guides: https://exskeptic.org/bookstore/

Charles’ Resources:

Book: Taking Religion Seriously: https://a.co/d/07zebfp4

Charles Recommended Resources:

Just Six Numbers by Martin Rees: https://a.co/d/09w1XE5g

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis: https://a.co/d/0ejEDb7P

Jesus and the Eye Witnesses by Richard Bauckham: https://a.co/d/0gg8Uplk

Connect with eX-skeptic:

Website: https://exskeptic.org/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exskeptic

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/exskeptic

Twitter: http://x.com/exskeptic

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@exskeptic

Email info: info@exskeptic.org

Is Christianity true because it works, or does it work because it's true?

For years, Ellie Long was convinced that Christianity was nothing more than a story people used to cope with life. Raised in a secular environment and embracing atheism at a young age, she wrestled with despair, depression, and the belief that life ultimately had no purpose beyond birth and death.

But when she began encountering Christians whose lives were marked by joy, authenticity, forgiveness, and hope, a question emerged that she could no longer ignore:

Was Christianity merely helpful, or was it actually true?

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Guest Bio:

Ellie Long is a young missionary from Allentown, Pennsylvania. She grew up in a post-Christian culture and did not have experiences with Christians in her everyday life. She unexpectedly encountered God halfway through her time at the University of Alabama, and after a period of hesitancy and questioning, believed and began working in a local church and pursuing the mission field after her graduation in 2024. She recently spent time in Southeast Asia, working with an unreached people group in a Muslim culture, and is now considering where she is going to bring the gospel to next.

Resources Mentioned:

eX-skeptic Guides: https://exskeptic.org/bookstore/

Ellie’s Recommended Resources:

• Wes Huff (www.wesleyhuff.com) on Joe Rogan’s podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwyAX69xG1Q

• Gavin Ortlund, Truth Unites (https://truthunites.org)

• Book: Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, Nabeel Quereshi

Connect with eX-skeptic:

Website: https://exskeptic.org/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exskeptic

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/exskeptic

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@exskeptic

Email info: info@exskeptic.org

What happens when anger, disappointment, and painful family experiences shape your understanding of God?

For Rich Robison, faith wasn't something he was searching for. Raised in a fractured home and moving 26 times before graduating high school, Rich eventually rejected God altogether. His anger toward his earthly father became anger toward any heavenly Father, and atheism seemed like the obvious conclusion.

But an unexpected encounter during a concert changed everything.

What followed was a journey through different world religions, hard intellectual questions, and a growing fascination with the person of Jesus. Along the way, Rich discovered that Christianity's message was unlike anything else he encountered, not a story of striving to reach God, but the story of God coming to us.

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Guest Bio:

Rich Robison blends engineering leadership, entrepreneurship, and faith. For the past two decades, he’s been navigating the software industry through tech companies big and small. A serial cofounder, Rich has helped launch multiple companies with successful exits. He sees his work as a mission field in itself. Based in Northern Colorado, Rich has been married for 22 years, and he’s the proud dad of two daughters, Abby and Chloe, and the owner of three dogs, Porter, Stout, and Hefeweizen. 2026 year marks his 30th spiritual birthday!

Resources Mentioned:

Rich’s Resources:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richrobison/

• Email: rich@richrobison.com

Connect with eX-skeptic:

Website: https://exskeptic.org/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exskeptic

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/exskeptic

Twitter: http://x.com/exskeptic

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@exskeptic

Email info: info@exskeptic.org

What would cause someone with both emotional and intellectual reasons to reject God to reconsider?

Mark Haville grew up in the UK in an abusive home with no religious foundation and little reason to believe God was real. Science, suffering, and life experience all seemed to point him away from faith. But an unexpected encounter with a persistent Christian neighbor, a strange answer to prayer, and a growing hunger for truth opened the door to a life he never expected.

In this episode, Mark shares his journey from a painful childhood and practical atheism to faith in Christ. He and Jana talk about suffering, forgiveness, science, evolution, apologetics, and why belief is not just a matter of evidence, but of the whole person - mind, will, and emotion.

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Guest Bio:

Mark Haville has worked in Christian media for more than thirty years as a producer, writer, and filmmaker. A graduate of Hampstead Bible School in London, he also holds two work-equivalency degrees in Directing and Film Studies from Montana State University. He is an award-winning producer and author of Life’s Story, a wildlife documentary presenting a creation perspective, and has engaged in public debates on questions of origins of life. Now based in Nashville, Mark continues developing feature film projects exploring faith and the deeper questions of life.

Resources Mentioned:

Mark’s Resources:

• Timeless Life Ministries: mark@timelesslife.org

• Film: Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed - https://www.amazon.com/Expelled-Intelligence-Allowed-Ben-Stein/dp/B003LMSSVC

Connect with eX-skeptic:

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