The Kayse Melone Show

Christianity has primed millions of Americans to not just accept the rise of fascism in this country, but to openly embrace it - whether they realize it or not.The Christian Nationalist movement grows in power every single day. What might have started out as a more fringe belief system is now a full-blown attempt at an authoritarian theocracy. But this isn’t about religion or faith at all. It’s about power in the hands of a few people at the top. Who honestly might not even believe in the Christian mythology - but, they do know how to wield this religious institution in their favor.Let’s talk about the Christian Nationalism to Fascism pipeline.Want to watch the video on YouTube instead? Here’s the link.Chapters.00:00 Intro: The Christian Nationalism to Fascism Pipeline02:03 What Is Christian Nationalism?09:45 Why Christian Nationalism Is So Successful13:32 The Roots of the Christian Nationalist Movement in the United States18:59 What It Means to Be a “Moral Christian American”29:11 The Authoritarian Personality33:59 The Real Dangers of Christian NationalismStay informed.Never miss The Kayse Melone Show.Join the Kayse & Friends Discord!Tune in to the live broadcast every Sunday - Wednesday at 7am CT on YouTube or Twitch.Follow Kayse on TikTok, Instagram, Bluesky, and X.Catch the full episodes on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, and Overcast. Get full access to The Kayse Melone Show at www.thekaysemeloneshow.com/subscribe

We’ve been sold a lie: that “Western Civilization” is the pinnacle of human progress, reason, and morality. But that’s propaganda talking.I spent the first 21 years of my life fully indoctrinated in Christian Conservatism, which I now realize is the cultural foundation for the empire that is the United States. Deconstructing Christianity and colonization is a never-ending journey, but we all have to start somewhere because we all have a part to play in building a better, more equitable future.And that’s gonna have to start with debunking the idea that we were ever the supreme civilization in the first place.Want to watch the video on YouTube instead? Here’s the link.Chapters.00:00 Intro00:48 What We’re Told About Western Civilization03:19 Global History Western Society Doesn’t Want You to Know10:53 Christianity & Western Society Are NOT the Sole Contributors to Science26:08 How Christianity Is the Tool of EmpireStay informed.Never miss The Kayse Melone Show.Join the Kayse & Friends Discord!Tune in to the live broadcast every Sunday - Wednesday at 7am CT on YouTube or Twitch.Follow Kayse on TikTok, Instagram, Bluesky, and X.Catch the full episodes on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, and Overcast. Get full access to The Kayse Melone Show at www.thekaysemeloneshow.com/subscribe

We often hear that Western Civilization was built upon Christian morality, but is that actually a good thing? In fact, is that actually a real thing?I would argue that no, Christian morality is not as set-in-stone as the religious leaders in power would like their everyday congregation members to believe. To go further, I think the idea of Christian morality is used by the leaders in this country to falsely justify discrimination, violence, and now, involvement in yet another destabilizing war in the Middle East. Let’s talk about it.Want to watch the video on YouTube instead? Here’s the link.Chapters.00:00 Intro01:29 The Basics of the Myth Behind “Christian Morality”05:04 The Evolution & Mutability of Christian Morality10:26 Why I Don’t Focus on Islamic Religious Fundamentalism15:29 Christianity, Colonialism, Calvinism, Capitalism24:31 Roe v. Wade, Racial Segregation, and the Rise of the Religious Right32:26 The Role the Media Plays in Moral Outrage38:03 Where to Go From HereStay informed.Never miss The Kayse Melone Show.Join the Kayse & Friends Discord!Tune in to the live broadcast every Sunday - Wednesday at 7am CT on YouTube or Twitch.Follow Kayse on TikTok, Instagram, Bluesky, and X.Catch the full episodes on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, and Overcast. Get full access to The Kayse Melone Show at www.thekaysemeloneshow.com/subscribe

I grew up indoctrinated in the Evangelical Christian church, but 12 years ago, I walked away. The journey since then has been both challenging and rewarding. In this episode of The Kayse Melone Show, I talk about the best and worst parts of that journey leaving the Christian faith.Want to watch the video on YouTube instead? Here’s the link.Chapters.00:21 Intro01:00 Growing Up in the Evangelical Christian Church04:37 Believing in the Second Coming of Jesus06:34 Realizing I Was Taught History Wrong11:33 Christian Zionism: The Worst Part of Evangelical Christianity17:51 Loss of the Christian Community20:12 Old Friends Deconstructing Christianity26:16 Freedom Outside of Evangelical ChristianityStay informed.Never miss The Kayse Melone Show.Join the Kayse & Friends Discord!Tune in to the (mostly) daily live show at 7am CT on YouTube or Twitch.Follow Kayse on TikTok, Instagram, Bluesky, and X.Catch the full episodes on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, and Overcast. Get full access to The Kayse Melone Show at www.thekaysemeloneshow.com/subscribe

I grew up indoctrinated in an evangelical fundamentalist christian megachurch. So how did I escape?The more I learn about how the evangelical christian church in the United States operates, the more I commend myself and others for getting the hell out of there. But the reality is, it wasn’t easy. It took a lot of courage, curiosity, and most importantly, critical thinking. And not everyone has the mental bandwidth, or even the time, to seriously challenge the belief systems they’ve been taught since birth.It is possible, though, and that’s what I want to talk about in this episode of The Kayse Melone Show.Want to watch the video on YouTube instead? Here’s the link.Chapters.00:40 Intro02:42 Evangelical Christianity Shapes Your Entire Personal Identity05:15 Why I Talk About Both Politics & Religion09:51 Leaving Evangelical Christianity: Hard, But Worth It15:41 The Christian Church in the United States Is a Political Machine20:23 Why & How to Leave the Evangelical Christian ChurchStay informed.Never miss The Kayse Melone Show.Tune in to the daily live show at 7am CST on YouTube or Twitch.Follow Kayse on TikTok, Instagram, and Bluesky.Catch the full episodes on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, and Overcast. Get full access to The Kayse Melone Show at www.thekaysemeloneshow.com/subscribe

When I was in grade school, I was taught that liberals were my enemy, God will send these nonbelievers to hell, and how it was up to me to ensure that the Democratic party failed in everything it attempted.Because I wasn’t just raised in a church. I was indoctrinated into Christian Conservatism. And I was one of the fortunate ones who were able to eventually walk away from it.But this isn’t just about my story. We’re gonna talk about how these religious values uphold authoritarianism in plain sight. This is The Kayse Melone Show.Want to watch the video on YouTube instead? Here’s the link.Chapters.00:39 Intro02:38 Christian Conservatives Are Distracted By a Manufactured Culture War08:53 Being Raised as a Christian Conservative12:53 Understanding Religious Indoctrination17:46 A Note on White Evangelical Christianity20:44 The Prosperity Gospel & Christian Capitalism24:23 Critiquing Christianity, Not the Christian27:21 How Organized Religion Is a Tool of AuthoritarianismStay informed.Never miss The Kayse Melone Show.Tune in to the daily live show at 7am CST on YouTube or Twitch.Follow Kayse on TikTok, Instagram, and Bluesky.Catch the full episodes on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, and Overcast.Other Links.* PEW Research Study Get full access to The Kayse Melone Show at www.thekaysemeloneshow.com/subscribe

Not only was I raised in an Evangelical Christian church, I was specifically involved in a megachurch. And that’s what I want to talk about in this episode of The Kayse Melone Show. Want to watch the video on YouTube instead? Here’s the link.Chapters.00:16 Intro03:11 Nondenominational Evangelical Fundamentalist Christian Church07:49 The Production of Praise & Worship14:16 The Corporatization of Christian Megachurches24:14 Youth Group At a Megachurch31:25 The Nature of Evangelism37:38 The Good Parts of My Evangelical Christian Upbringing45:31 My Message to Current Evangelical ChristiansStay informed.Never miss The Kayse Melone Show.Tune in to the daily live show at 7am CST on YouTube or Twitch.Follow Kayse on TikTok, Instagram, and Bluesky.Catch the full episodes on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, and Overcast. Get full access to The Kayse Melone Show at www.thekaysemeloneshow.com/subscribe

Growing up in the Evangelical Christian church meant every Easter was a time to celebrate Jesus Christ and his supposed resurrection. But where did Easter symbolism come from? How has Christianity borrowed from the ancient worship of female fertility goddesses? And what are the consequences therein?Want to watch the video on YouTube instead? Here’s the link.Chapters.00:29 Intro01:03 Growing Up in the Evangelical Christian Church04:09 Happy Easter From an Atheist!08:00 The Roots of the Easter Holiday & the Worship of Fertility Goddesses12:49 How Patriarchy Took Over Religion & Rebranded Spirituality24:52 The Consequences of Erasing Goddess WorshipStay informed.Never miss The Kayse Melone Show.Tune in to the daily live show at 7am CST on YouTube or Twitch. Follow Kayse on TikTok, Instagram, and Bluesky.Catch the full episodes on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, and Overcast.Other links.* How Goddess Worship Was Suppressed To Give Rise to Patriarchy Get full access to The Kayse Melone Show at www.thekaysemeloneshow.com/subscribe

I was raised to be a Christian Zionist, believing that the statehood of Israel was worth any cost. And for people who weren’t raised in the Evangelical Christian church, the depth of this belief system might be hard to understand.Have you ever heard of the rapture or the biblical Armageddon? Further, why are so many Christians obsessed with their theology’s Armageddon, to the point they’d do anything to bring it about? And what does all of this have to do with the Middle East?That’s what we’ll be covering in this episode of The Kayse Melone Show.Want to watch the YouTube video instead? Here’s the link.Chapters.00:37 Intro 04:25 The Book of Revelations & Christianity’s Obsessions With Armageddon12:48 Failed Predictions of the Rapture17:52 Why Evangelical Christianity Wants Armageddon & the Results Thereof23:30 How All of This Leads to Christian Zionism34:42 The Active Genocide of Palestinians41:18 How Christianity in the United States Is Used to Fuel a GenocideStay informed.Never miss The Kayse Melone Show.Follow on TikTok, Instagram, and Bluesky.Subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, and Overcast.Other links.* PEW Research* Wikipedia Page of Apocalypse Predictions* Balfour Declaration* 33% of Population Given 55% of Land* 1948 in Palestine* Illegality of Israel’s West Bank Settlements* 90% of 2.3 Million Palestinians* Operation Protective Edge* The United States Military Assistance to Israel Get full access to The Kayse Melone Show at www.thekaysemeloneshow.com/subscribe

I was raised deep in the belly of the Evangelical Fundamentalist Christian Church. Which, from top to bottom, also held to an unavoidably conservative political ideology. According to the level of indoctrination I received, statistically, I should’ve stayed in that cult-like environment forever. So... how did I get out?With Donald Trump in the Oval Office AGAIN, many left-leaning progressives throughout the country are wondering: how on earth did this happen?How are so many people fooled by the false claims of the Christian Nationalists in control of our government? How can we move toward a pluralist, humanist, secular society where everyone has a seat at the table? And more importantly, what can we do to encourage the everyday Christian Conservatives to be more skeptical about the claims of this current United States administration - and about the reality we actually live in?That’s what we’ll be talking about in this episode of The Kayse Melone Show.Edit: I have no idea why I said Obama represented Delaware. He was from Illinois. Want to watch the YouTube video instead? Here’s the link.Chapters.00:59 Intro02:27 Growing Up in the Christian Church15:45 Dealing With Everyday Christian Conservatives21:14 How Politics and Religion Were Inseparable in My Christian Upbringing29:28 When My Skepticism Brought Me Out of the Christian Cult35:35 Why Religion & Social Conservatism Go Hand-in-Hand38:49 Christianity & Capitalism44:16 My Radicalization As an Atheist LeftistStay informed.Never miss The Kayse Melone Show.Follow on TikTok, Instagram, and Bluesky.Subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, and Overcast. Get full access to The Kayse Melone Show at www.thekaysemeloneshow.com/subscribe

Can you really live the “good life” if you don’t believe in God? Can you be a good person if you’re an atheist? And what does it mean to believe in a better society when you also believe that morality is relative?Humankind is thousands of years old. In that time we’ve invented the wheel, steam engines, social media, the IRS, and of course, religion. But with statistics showing that so many people are walking away from the faith-based communities they were raised in, what’s next for the unbelievers? How can we participate in a society that doesn’t revolve around a belief in the supernatural?That’s what we’ll be covering in this episode of The Kayse Melone Show.Want to watch the YouTube video instead? Here’s the link.Chapters.01:07 Intro03:29 What is Christian Nationalism?07:16 The Modern Meaning Crisis15:11 Late-Stage Capitalism & Consumerism23:12 How Men vs. Women Approach the Meaning Crisis33:39 When Politics Becomes Religious in Nature45:31 The Role of Fear in Christian Nationalism51:21 Christian Nationalism Harms Christians, TooStay informed.Never miss The Kayse Melone Show.Follow on TikTok, Instagram, and Bluesky.Subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, and Overcast. Get full access to The Kayse Melone Show at www.thekaysemeloneshow.com/subscribe

There’s a lot going on in the world right now - it seems like every day there’s another headline. And on top of that, everyone has their own personal belief system that influences how they perceive everything that’s going on.So, why do I call myself a spiritual atheist? Why does that matter? And why am I having conversations about religion and politics?That’s what I’ll be talking about in this episode of The Kayse Melone Show.Want to watch the YouTube video instead? Here’s the link.Chapters.00:29 Intro03:44 My Background: Deconstructing From Evangelical Fundamentalist Christianity13:42 Finally Calling Myself an Atheist19:24 We Can Build a Better Society26:56 How Atheism Grounds Me in Reality31:07 Why I Still Call Myself Spiritual44:30 What’s Next for Spirituality and Religion?Stay informed.Never miss The Kayse Melone Show.Follow on TikTok, Instagram, and Bluesky.Subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, and Overcast. Get full access to The Kayse Melone Show at www.thekaysemeloneshow.com/subscribe

What happens when patriotism becomes religious in nature?Christian Nationalism is a movement promoting that the United States is a country founded by and for Christians. And in most cases, this means straight white Christians. No pluralism, no diversity.At the same time, though, the country is also in the middle of a modern Meaning Crisis, and we’re struggling. Existentialism and nihilism are on the rise, with mental health issues getting worse every day. As a response, it makes sense that many people have unwittingly turned to the political sphere for a sense of purpose. Now more than ever, political identity has become directly intertwined with personal and religious identity.And the worst part? The ultra-rich who are in power are using the religious devotion of the Christian communities to consolidate money, influence, and power - at the expense of everyone. Including those Christian communities who supported them in the first place.And that’s what we’ll talk more about in this episode of The Kayse Melone Show.Want to watch the YouTube video instead? Here’s the link.Chapters. 01:07 Intro 03:29 What is Christian Nationalism? 07:16 The Modern Meaning Crisis 15:11 Late-Stage Capitalism & Consumerism 23:12 How Men vs. Women Approach the Meaning Crisis 33:39 When Politics Becomes Religious in Nature 45:31 The Role of Fear in Christian Nationalism 51:21 Christian Nationalism Harms Christians, TooStay informed.Never miss The Kayse Melone Show.Follow on TikTok, Instagram, and Bluesky.Subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, and Overcast.Other links.* Declining Christian Affiliation: here & here* Personal Development Industry* Worldwide Work Hours* Self-Identified Christian Nationalists* Americans who believe in a Christian nation Get full access to The Kayse Melone Show at www.thekaysemeloneshow.com/subscribe

Have you ever felt like life was just a video game? What about religion - do you think that it’s just a game reinforcing eternal rewards and punishment to the winners and losers? That’s what we’ll be talking about in this episode of The Kayse Melone Show. We’ll look at how religion uses game mechanics to shape belief and behavior, how purity culture functions like a moral points system, and why Christian Nationalism has been able to take hold in the United States using these same tactics. And of course, we’ll talk about what happens when you stop playing the game altogether. Want to watch the YouTube video instead? Here’s the link.Get your copy of Playing With Reality by Kelly Clancy from an independent bookseller.Stay informed.Never miss The Kayse Melone Show.Follow on TikTok, Instagram, and Bluesky.Subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, and Overcast. Get full access to The Kayse Melone Show at www.thekaysemeloneshow.com/subscribe

Do you believe in God?This is perhaps the most important question a human can ask or answer. It goes hand in hand with other important questions like: If a God does exist, do they care about the daily lives of humans? What does the idea of God even mean? And what happens after we die?These are the major questions that ultimately led me on my deconstruction journey from being a full-fledged Evangelical Fundamentalist Christian all the way to what I would call a Spiritual Agnostic Atheist.And that’s what this episode of The Kayse Melone Show is going to explore.We’ll talk about why suffering exists, why the word “God” is too outdated, and what secular spirituality can mean for the future of humanity.Want to watch the YouTube video instead? Here’s the link.Want to watch the previous episode, “Why I Left Christianity: A Deconstruction Origin Story”? Here’s the link.Stay informed.Never miss The Kayse Melone Show.Follow on TikTok, Instagram, and Bluesky.Subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, and Overcast. Get full access to The Kayse Melone Show at www.thekaysemeloneshow.com/subscribe