The Life After Leaving Podcast: An Ex-Christadelphian Podcast

Today we’re chatting with Craig! In today’s episode, Craig shares his memories of his time in Christadelphia over forty years ago. Craig joined his local ecclesia as an adolescent and enjoyed the community, the studious environment, and spending time with Christadelphian families. He quickly became baptized, started preaching at his ecclesia, and traveling to other ecclesias in Australia. But over time, he noticed more and more issues that didn’t sit right with him. Things escalated when a “Brother” Craig had confided in after a difficult Bible class betrayed his confidence and gossiped about his private feelings with his Christadelphian family. After this betrayal, Craig made the difficult decision to submit his resignation and finally start to think clearly for himself now that he took some space from the Christadelphian community. Craig shares a lot of fascinating stories and tidbits of Christadelphian history in this episode and touches on the Christadelphian’s opposition to the LGBTQ+ community in Australia, doctrinal debates causing splits, and even plagiarism in the Christadelphian community. Please join us for yet another episode of fellowship among the heathens!  

Listener discretion advised.

 

If you’re interested in coming on the podcast or have comments or questions, you can contact Zinnia at lifeafterleavingpodcast@gmail.com

 

Follow us on Instagram⁠ or ⁠Facebook⁠!

 

Want to join our community? Find ex-Christadelphians on Facebook here

 

References:

 

Titanic (1997 Movie)

 

The Poseidon Adventure (1972 Movie)

 

The Temple of Ezekiel's Prophecy by Henry Sulley (Full Book)

 

Harry Whittaker

 

Iridology

 

Racism in the Christadelphians and “The Black Pope” Theory

 

Ellicot’s Commentary on Revelation

 

The Protestors by Alan Eyre

 

The Good Life with Felicity Kendal

 

Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses by Barbara Grizzuti Harrison

 

Leaving the Fold by Marlene Winell

 

When Religion Hurts You by Laura Anderson

 

Please note, there are some concerns about Laura Anderson’s behavior which you can read more about here: Licensing Agency find Religious Trauma Coach in Violation of Code of Ethics

Or listen to this podcast

 

Podcasts Bart Ehrman and Dan McClellan

 

Ex-christadelphians.com

 

Gospel of John a Commentary by Craig Fairweather

Olton History

 

Current Value of 21 St Bernards Rd in Olton

 

21 St Bernards Road, Solihull, West Midlands, B92 7BB

In today’s episode, Keturah and Bec return to the podcast for Part TWO of our GAYEST episode yet to discuss and challenge how Christadelphians justify bigotry against LGBTQ people. In part two, we focus on the cultural issues that the rampant homophobia causes in the Christadelphian community, the reality of LGBTQ members' lived experiences, and discuss the data that was gathered in 2023 in an LGBTQ Survey of Christadelphians & ex-Christadelphians. In this episode, we highlight the documented maltreatment of LGBTQ members which includes celibacy requirements, slurs and bullying, hushed disfellowshipping of queer members, and multiple suicides being swept under the rug while shaming the victims- even after their deaths! We reflect on whether these behaviors reflect the character of Christ or if they are simply another way that the Christadelphians display the cult-like characteristic of demanding conformity and controlling the sexual behavior of their members. This episode is a bit more sobering than most as we also ask, can the Christadelphian community truly change to be inclusive of LGBTQ members? Will their system- which is built on a gender hierarchy, is obsessed with sex, and refuses to change or evolve- resist change even when it could save their member’s lives and keep them in the community? 

 

Please join us for another conversation on LGBTQ issues in Christadelphia by queer ex-Christadelphians!

 

TW: This episode mentions suicidal ideation and suicide 

Listener discretion advised.

 

If you’re interested in coming on the podcast or have comments or questions, you can contact Zinnia at lifeafterleavingpodcast@gmail.com

 

Follow us on Instagram⁠ or ⁠Facebook⁠!

 

Want to join our community? Find ex-Christadelphians on Facebook here

 

References:

2023 LGBTQ Survey Website

 

Full Survey Report (70 pages)

 

Bible verses quoted in the report: Luke 15:1-2, Matthew 18:6,Galatians 6:2, Galatians 3:26 -29, Luke 6:27-36, Proverbs 18:13, 2 Timothy 2: 23-26, James 1:19, 1 Peter 3:8

 

Gay Christadelphians website

 

Gay Christadelphians on the “Anti-LGBTQ’ bible verses

 

Press On Journal: Gay Christadelphians (Transcript) 

 

Press On Journal: Love without Fine Print 

 

Christadelphian View on Homosexuality “God's Word Condemns Homosexuality” (Youtube) 

And Part Two

 

Trevor Project Statistics on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health

 

ABC News on LGBTQ Youth

 

The Tidings stance on LGBTQ Issues as just a form of dangerous “change”

 

The Tidings: Book Review: Same Sex Attraction and the Church: The Surprising Plausibility of the Celibate Life

 

What Does the Bible Say About Homosexuality?

 

Warning about LGBTQ Issues 

 

The Life of John Thomas (1985) pg.19

“The Doctor belongs to the public and was not much of a woman’s man.” -Ellen Thomas

 

The Trevor Project: Religiosity and Suicidality Among LGBTQ Youth

 

Medium: Dear Church, Are All Your Kids Safe?

 

HARMONY, DISSONANCE, OR HARM? THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SPIRITUAL PROMISES AND PERILS OF GAY CHRISTIAN CELIBACY 

 

The Seven Genders in the Talmud

 

Lesbianism in Jewish History

In today’s episode, Keturah and Bec return to the podcast for our GAYEST episode yet to discuss and challenge how Christadelphians justify bigotry against LGBTQ people. As queer ex-Christadelphians ourselves, we share our stories and re-examine the bible verses that featured prominently during our lives in lectures given by the “Brothers” who claimed that they knew that God hates gay people. One by one, we revisit the problematic verses they used, offer outside perspectives to the standard Christadelphian views, and challenge Christadelphians to preach the true meaning of the “clobber verses” instead of using them to attack queer people. We also offer rebuttals to a particular brother who is spreading his message of hate internationally online with the support of the Christadelphian community. But it may surprise him to discover the kind of person that God considers a “Sodomite”... In this episode, we (literally) pull out a Bible and amplify the voices of queer people raised and harmed by the Christadelphian community’s rampant bigotry against queer people. So please join us for some laughs as queer women tell you the side of the story that Christadelphian “Brothers” never wanted you to know about…

 

*Please note, I sought to be as inclusive as possible for this episode. Unfortunately the gay man who agreed to join us was unable to record with us and no transgender ex-CDs offered to join us for this episode. 

 

TW: This episode mentions suicidal ideation and suicide 

 

Listener discretion advised.

If you’re interested in coming on the podcast or have comments or questions, you can contact Zinnia at lifeafterleavingpodcast@gmail.com

 

Follow us on Instagram⁠ or ⁠Facebook⁠!

 

Want to join our community? Find ex-Christadelphians on Facebook here

 

References:

 

The Life After Leaving Podcast: Biblical Studies 101 (Episode 31)

 

Gay Christadelphians website

 

Gay Christadelphians on the “Anti-LGBTQ’ bible verses

 

Press On Journal: Gay Christadelphians (Transcript) 

 

Press On Journal: Love without Fine Print 

 

Christadelphian View on Homosexuality “God's Word Condemns Homosexuality” (Youtube) 

And Part Two

 

"1946: The Mistranslation that Shifted Culture." Movie Website

 

1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture (Wiki)

 

The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships

 

LGBTQ-Affirming Scripture

 

Christadelphian FB Post

 

Romans and Sexuality Video

 

Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist’s Wife by Irene Spencer

 

Comfort Women

 

Mattiemaemotl 

 

Jbrix_art  

Jbrix on Deuteronomy 22

Jbrix on Romans 1

Jbrix on 1 Corinthians 6:9

Jbrix on 1 Corinthians 6:9 (2)

Jbrix on 1 Corinthians 6:9 (3)

 

Gay Animals

 

Gay Animals Facts

 

Gay Birds

 

Clobber Verses:

Genesis 19

Leviticus 18 and 20

1 Corinthians 6:9-10

1 Timothy 1:10

Romans 1

In today’s episode, Chloe joins me as we examine the Christadelphian doctrine of the Kingdom of God on Earth! We start by reviewing the different phases of this apocalyptic doctrine and discussing what it was like to be raised as children to believe that we were in the “end times” where our parents might be taken away by angels at any moment. We also explore what makes the “kingdom” doctrine so unique, what it would be like to visit Ezekiel’s Temple, and what kind of people are going to be in “The Millennium” after the first Judgment day. We also discuss the negative aspects or gaps in logic, and even things we never thought about but one Christadelphian author certainly did! 

This episode will be our most philosophical so far as we ask… will free will exist in the kingdom? If we are going to be changed, then what does it mean to be human? What would life be like as an immortal who is “like the angels”? And can I resurrect my dog to spend eternity with me? Naturally, we discuss other supernatural creatures like werewolves, shapeshifters, and vampires as we try to fathom this supernatural world under Christ’s rule. We also ask the questions we never dared ask aloud at Bible School. Why doesn’t the bible have compelling descriptive chapters or even entire books about the kingdom? Why should we want to be non-human creatures subject to eternal servitude? And is this whole plan of global control by Christ just an authoritarian nightmare? 

 

Please join us for this second episode in a two-part series exploring the Christadelphian belief in the “Kingdom of God” and the end times! 

 

Listener discretion advised.

 

If you’re interested in coming on the podcast or have comments or questions, you can contact Zinnia at lifeafterleavingpodcast@gmail.com

 

Follow us on Instagram⁠ or ⁠Facebook⁠!

 

Want to join our community? Find ex-Christadelphians on Facebook here

References:

 

Chloe’s Substack

 

Heretic Ecclesia Podcast

 

Peter Pan 2: Return to Never Land

 

The Christadelphians (wiki)

 

The Millennial Harbinger 1837

 

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

 

Peter Pettigrew in Harry Potter

 

Maple Syrup Adapting to Climate Change 

 

Apple growing face increasing climate risks

 

Hunger Games 

 

Climate Change and Coffee

 

Climate Change and Bananas

 

We Only Use 10% of Our Brains Myth

 

The Temple of Ezekiel's Prophecy by Henry Sulley (Full Book)

 

The Kingdom of God on Earth by Stephen Hughes (Full Book)

 

Ezekiel's Temple visualized by Christadelphians

 

The Kingdom of God (booklet)

 

Armageddon- should we be afraid? “Real Answers, Real Hope”

 

The Way of Life, Chapter 45 “The Kingdom of God”

 

Heaven is a place for sociopaths (YouTube)

 

Biblically Accurate Angels

 

Biblically Accurate Angels (2)

Today we’re chatting with Steve to explore what the Bible actually says about the future “Kingdom of God”! Join us for heathen “Sunday School” as we explore the evolution of some of the ideas in the Bible that are necessary to believe in an eternal “future kingdom” including- the messiah, the resurrection, and the idea of a kingdom itself. In this episode, we also look to answer whether the Christadelphians assertion that the “kingdom of God” doctrine was present throughout the Bible is true and we examine the places where this doctrine conspicuously seems to be missing. Steves shares cultural and historical context throughout the episode to understand why the monarchy was not re-established in Israel, where some of these beliefs actually originated, and what the evolution of these ideas tells us about what people believed during different time periods. Steve also shares the story behind Christadelphians bizarre obsession with a biblically inaccurate portrayal of Ezekiel’s Temple and explains John Thomas’ Bible Math “rules” which Thomas inconsistently used for interpreting the book of Revelation. We also laugh about Samuel and his nepo babies, sweaty Jesus, and discuss *even more* failed prophecies. 

 

Please join us for this first episode in a two-part series exploring the Christadelphian belief in the “Kingdom of God” and the end times! 

 

TW: There is one reference to a Christadelphian who is excited to act out violence against queer people during “the end times”.

Listener discretion advised.

 

If you’re interested in coming on the podcast or have comments or questions, you can contact Zinnia at lifeafterleavingpodcast@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram⁠ or ⁠Facebook⁠!

Want to join our community? Find ex-Christadelphians on Facebook here

References:

 

Life After Leaving Podcast: Episodes 16, 21, and 31

 

The Temple of Ezekiel's Prophecy by Henry Sulley (Full Book)

 

Eureka by John Thomas (Wiki)

 

Eureka by John Thomas, Vol 1 (Full PDF)

 

Youtube series on Ezekiel's Temple:

An Accurate visual of Ezekiel's Temple Ch 40

 

An Accurate Visual of Ezekiel’s Temple, Ch 41

 

An Accurate Visual of Ezekiel’s Temple, Ch 42 & 43

 

Hymnary.com Who is this come from Edom?

 

The Kingdom of God on Earth by Stephen Hughes (Full Book)