Claim OwnershipPraise Be To Pod
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Ashley and Bailee are reclaiming their spirituality after leaving the evangelical church behind. Join them for candid conversations about the twists and turns of deconstruction, spirituality, pop culture, mental health, astrology, self-care, and all the things that make life interesting after the altar call. Together, we’ll laugh, reflect, and discover what we still believe in.
30 Episodes
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Bailee and Ashley take a historical detour—unpacking how the Puritans didn’t just influence early America, but laid the ideological groundwork for today’s alt-right evangelical movement. They trace the through-line from 1600s moral rigidity to modern Christian nationalism, purity culture, and the political power structures we still feel today. From the myth-making around the “First Thanksgiving” to the Puritans’ obsession with control, conformity, and divine exceptionalism, they break down h...
For part 2 of their Thanksgiving series, Ashley and Bailee move from tension to tactics — breaking down how to actually survive conversations with alt-right and evangelical family members. They share strategies for staying grounded, setting boundaries, and keeping your sanity when the table talk turns political. From choosing when to engage to knowing when to pass the gravy and change the subject, they explore how to protect your peace without losing your compassion. Sources: Driver’s Licen...
For part 1 of their Thanksgiving series, Ashley and Bailee dig into the tension of coming home to politically divided families. They explore how finding common ground has become harder as the right grows more radicalized — and what that means for conversations around the table with evangelical parents and conspiracy-loving uncles. It’s a look at the emotional landscape of family, politics, and faith in 2025 — when love and ideology feel harder than ever to hold in the same room. Connect with ...
For part 2 of the conversation on Mormonism, Ashley and Bailee turn their focus to modern Mormon culture — from baptisms for the dead and sacred undergarments to baby blessings and the Utah plastic surgery boom. They also look at how BIPOC members navigate faith within a church still reckoning with its history on race. It’s a deep dive into the beliefs, rituals, and modern ideals shaping Mormon life today — polished on the outside, complex underneath. Connect with Us: 📸 Instagram: @prai...
For their Season 1 finale, Ashley and Bailee dive into the foundations of Mormonism — the religious movement that started with Joseph Smith’s visions and a mysterious golden book. From the early 19th-century American landscape to the founding of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they explore how faith, controversy, and community shaped a movement that would captivate millions. They also trace the early practices, bold claims, and conflicts that defined Mormonism’s first decades...
Bailee and Ashley unpack the evangelical fear of Halloween — the one night a year said to “open doors to the demonic.” From banned costumes and “Harvest Festivals” to sermons about the devil’s birthday, they explore how a night of make-believe became a moral minefield. They also revisit the infamous Guts Church’s Nightmare, the evangelical “scared straight” haunted house in Tulsa, OK that did not shy away from the grotesque — turning sin, guilt, and hellfire into a full-blown theatrical prod...
Bailee and Ashley dig into the evangelical fixation on demonic activity — from the fear of Ouija boards and Harry Potter to the late-night youth group sermons about “opening spiritual doors.” They explore how a fixation on evil, possession, and “spiritual warfare” created a culture where fear was framed as discernment and curiosity was cast as danger. They also reflect on how growing up in that environment shaped their understanding of morality, control, and imagination — and what it means t...
Bailee and Ashley explore the idea of “divine timing” — how evangelical culture framed waiting as holy, delays as God’s will, and patience as proof of faith. From purity culture’s insistence on waiting for marriage, to the promise that every unanswered prayer had a higher purpose, they unpack how these teachings shaped their understanding of time, desire, and control. They also reflect on what it means to release the pressure of perfect timing today — learning to trust their own rhythms, embr...
Bailee and Ashley dig into the idea of “guilty pleasures” and how evangelical culture shaped their relationship to fun, rest, and indulgence. From the suspicion of secular music and movies, to the shame around food, fashion, and even hobbies, they reflect on how pleasure was often framed as dangerous or sinful. They also share how they’re learning to reclaim joy without guilt — embracing simple delights, rethinking what it means to rest, and finding freedom in pleasures that don’t need justif...
Bailee and Ashley dive into how evangelical culture taught them to view joy and suffering — from the pressure to “choose joy” in every circumstance to the idea that enduring hardship was proof of true faith. They reflect on how these teachings minimized real emotions, fueled toxic positivity, and made space for shame when life didn’t feel joyful enough. They also share what it’s looked like to unlearn those patterns and embrace a healthier perspective on both grief and joy — one that makes r...
Ashley and Bailee continue the conversation on how evangelical culture shaped their views on marriage— including how the evangelical marriage complex pressures people to marry young, sets them up with unrealistic ideals, and leaves little room for growth or authenticity. So in Part 2, Ashley and Bailee return to the conversation, diving deeper into the ways those teachings shaped our expectations and experiences. We also share more honestly and transparently about where we’re at now, how our...
Ashley and Bailee dig into the evangelical culture of testimonies and the role they played in shaping both faith and identity. We unpack how testimonies became a kind of performance—rewarded when they fit the right narrative and quietly dismissed when they didn’t. From youth group stages to revival tents, we reflect on how we were conditioned to craft stories that proved God’s power, often at the cost of our own authenticity. We share our own experiences of the pressure, the performance, and...
Ashley and Bailee dig into evangelical missions culture and the complicated role it played in shaping their beliefs and experiences. We unpack the inner conflict of whether missions and international aid were truly helpful, how savior complexes were woven into the narrative, and the lasting impact on native communities — where work assumed to be “good” often perpetuated harm and reinforced colonialism. We share our own experiences on missions — from the pressure to see it as a “calling” to t...
Ashley and Bailee take a closer look at how evangelical culture framed marriage as the ultimate marker of spiritual maturity and the “arrival” into adulthood — and the ripple effects that followed. From the rush to the altar to the unease around staying single, we explore how these spoken and unspoken rules shaped our choices, relationships, and sense of self. We also reflect on what lingers after leaving that world behind, and how we’re learning to reimagine love, partnership, belonging, an...
It’s time for another Super Special Wednesday Night Youth Group Episode! Join Ashley and Bailee as they dive into A Walk to Remember — the early-2000s Nicholas Sparks classic that fueled youth group crushes, purity culture romance fantasies, and even put Switchfoot on the map. From Landon’s rebel-turned-soft-boi transformation to Jamie’s Bible-thumper-with-a-secret persona, they unpack what this film meant then… and what it feels like to watch it now as exvangelicals. We only ask one thing of...
In Part 2 of our series on mental health in evangelical culture, Ashley and Bailee dig into the specific teachings that shaped their inner worlds — and their mental health. From the harmful nature of spiritual bypassing, to the pressure of Word of Faith theology, to the shame-based mental loops of purity culture, we trace how these doctrines left lasting marks on how we saw ourselves, our bodies, and the future. We also talk through the ways those messages lingered long after church, and how...
Join Ashley and Bailee as they kick off a two-part series on mental health in evangelical culture — starting with the roots of a theology that frames depression, anxiety, and other struggles as either spiritual warfare or unconfessed sin. In Part 1, we trace where these ideas came from and how they were reinforced in sermons, books, and by influential Christian leaders. We also share our own mental health journeys — from the earliest signs something was wrong, to the church messages we absorb...
Join Ashley and Bailee as they dive into the evangelical idea of being set apart—the belief that Christians are called to be “in the world but not of it.” At its best, it’s a call to live with conviction and integrity. But more often than not, it manifested as a virtue signal and applied rigid pressure to be contrarian, performative, or just plain unpleasant. This week, we take a closer look at how this theology shaped our identities and relationships, and how the obsession with being differe...
This week, Bailee and Ashley explore the idea of backsliding—a term often used in evangelical and fundamentalist spaces to describe someone who has drifted from their faith, questioned doctrine, or changed their behavior in ways seen as spiritually unsafe. We take a closer look at how this culture of “accountability” shaped our understanding of growth, struggle, and doubt. We talk about the fear and shame that came with being seen as “off track,” and how that pressure often made it difficult ...
This week, Bailee and Ashley explore the often-overlooked ways churches rely on—and sometimes exploit—free labor, financial giving, and personal sacrifice from their members. In Unpaid in Full, we take a closer look at the culture of service in many evangelical spaces, where volunteering is framed as a calling, and giving your time, money, and energy is seen as a measure of faithfulness. We talk about how this dynamic shaped our understanding of generosity, self-worth, and spiritual obligatio...
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