eX-skeptic

What happens when suffering shapes your picture of God? For Paul Snyder, the God he rejected as a young boy seemed harsh, distant, and impossible to please. Growing up amid fear, family brokenness, rejection, and disappointment, he concluded that if God existed at all, He certainly wasn't good. By the age of twelve, Paul had reached a point of despair. Filled with anger and skepticism, he did something many people secretly feel but rarely admit. He challenged God directly.What happened next changed everything. Paul shares how an unexpected encounter with the love of Christ transformed his understanding of God and set him on a lifelong journey of faith and service.  🎙️ Love the show? Support the mission and explore eX-skeptic merch here: https://ex-skeptic-shop.fourthwall.com/ Guest Bio: Paul Snyder is the president of Global Bridges, an international ministry serving persecuted believers, vulnerable children, and marginalized communities in some of the world's most restricted nations. Continuing a legacy of gospel ministry that spans generations, Paul is passionate about demonstrating the love of Christ through practical compassion and humanitarian aid. He is also the co-author of Love Shines, a book highlighting the importance of Scripture and the extraordinary story behind the ministry's work among persecuted Christians around the world. Once an atheist shaped by suffering and disappointment, Paul now dedicates his life to helping others encounter the hope and love he found in Jesus.  Resources Mentioned: eX-skeptic Guides: https://exskeptic.org/bookstore/ Book: Love Shines: From Smuggling Bibles to Training a Million Disciples; https://globalbridgesrelief.org/loveshines/ Global Bridges – International ministry serving persecuted believers and vulnerable communities: https://globalbridgesrelief.org/ Open Doors (founded by Brother Andrew) Ethnos360 (formerly New Tribes Mission) YWAM (Youth With A Mission) Chapters   00:00 Paul’s “Liquid Love” Encounter 00:54 If God Is Good, Why Do We Suffer? 02:00 Serving the Persecuted with Global Bridges 04:48 A Family Legacy of Faith 09:25 From Smuggling Bibles to Smuggling Drugs 11:41 How His Father Shaped His View of God 15:33 “God Was Like Santa Claus” 16:49 Paul Reaches a Point of Despair 19:21 He Challenges God to Prove He’s Real 19:47 “Liquid Love” Poured Over Him 20:23 God Says, “I Love You” 21:36 Jesus Is More Than a Philosophy 23:01 Discovering God Through the Bible 26:05 Why Scripture Matters 27:18 If God Is Good, Why Is There Suffering? 30:18 Escaping Performance-Based Christianity 34:44 Is God Supposed to Stop All Suffering? 36:02 Do You Need a Dramatic Encounter with God? 39:01 Where Should a Skeptic Start? 41:00 How Christians Should Engage with Skeptics  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: [email protected]

What happens when your search for truth leads beyond philosophy and into the unexpected? Mark Schneider is a former skeptic whose life was marked by profound questions about meaning, purpose, and reality itself. Though raised in a nominal Catholic home, faith became irrelevant to Mark early in life. As a young man, he embraced a materialistic worldview and searched desperately for answers through philosophy, psychology, and human wisdom. But after years of wrestling with despair and searching for what he called "the one truth," Mark encountered something he never expected - not merely an idea or a system of thought, but the person of Jesus Christ. 🎙️ Love the show? Support the mission and explore eX-skeptic merch here: https://ex-skeptic-shop.fourthwall.com/ Want to support this channel? Tax-deductible donations available here: https://givebutter.com/CB6WoH Guest Bio: Mark Schneider is a former Silicon Valley executive and patent litigator who explores the intersection of law, technology, and Christian thought. He is the author of Ransomed: One Man’s Journey out of Darkness into the Light of Truth. With degrees in electrical engineering from California Polytechnic University and law from Trinity Law School, he brings a sharp analytical lens to questions of truth and belief. Mark also founded a Salt & Light ministry at his church and continues to engage cultural and moral issues with clarity and conviction.  Resources Mentioned: eX-skeptic Guides: https://exskeptic.org/bookstore/ Mark’s Resources: •        Mark R. Schneider, Esq. Website: https://markrschneider.com/ •        YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@protectourkids2393 Book: Ransomed: One Man's Journey Out of Darkness into the Light of Truth — Mark Schneider Ministry 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: [email protected] eX-skeptic Transcript Ep. 152 August 28, 2026 Mark Schneider Chapters 00:00:00—Intro 00:02:12 — Meet Mark 00:04:48 — From Nominal Faith to No Belief 00:08:12 — When Faith Seemed Unnecessary 00:10:09 — Uprooted and Angry 00:14:18 — The Sudden Descent into Darkness 00:17:04 — Searching for an Anchor 00:21:48 — When Philosophy Offered No Answers 00:26:59 — An Encounter with the Spiritual Unknown 00:28:56 — Returning to Fresno, Finding Temporary Relief 00:32:15 — When the Darkness Returned 00:36:47 — The Search for “The One Truth” 00:39:28 — A Failed Search for Peace 00:42:59 — “Smile, Jesus Loves You” 00:46:41 — Discovering That Truth Is a Person 00:52:34 — The Peace That Remained 00:53:41 — Grounding Faith in Objective Truth 00:55:15 — What Should a Seeker Do? 00:59:58 — Where to Start Reading the Bible 01:02:36 — Who Do You Say That I Am? 01:04:21 — Closing Intro MARK SCHNEIDER: I felt just incredible love and I didn't hear it with audible ears but with spiritual ears. I heard this voice said, “I am the truth that you've been searching for.”   Jesus, the source of all that ever existed, had suddenly entered into me and it was powerful I can't even describe it how powerful it was. JANA HARMON: Hello and welcome to eX-skeptic, where we explore unlikely stories of belief. We feature former atheists and skeptics who came to question their assumptions and consider the truth of Christianity. I'm your host, Janna Harmon, and I'm so glad you're here. Whether you're someone who's curious, questioning, or deeply exploring what you believe and why. Thank you for joining us. What if the truth you've been searching for can't be reduced to an argument, a philosophy, or a system of thought. What if truth is more than a principle to discover? What if truth is personal? My guest today is Mark Schneider, a former skeptic who spent years wrestling with darkness, meaning in the deep question of whether life had any objective grounding at all. He went searching for what he calls the one truth, something solid enough to explain reality and strong enough to hold the weight of his life. But what he found was much more unexpected than a new idea, a worldview. In this conversation, Marc shares how his search for truth led him beyond materialism, beyond abstract answers, and ultimately to the person of Jesus Christ. And if you're someone who has questions about God, meaning, or whether Christianity is actually true, you'll find curated playlists on our YouTube channels around big questions like, “Is there more to life than this?” And “Is it rational to believe in God?” And if you'd like to talk personally with a former guest about your own questions or doubts. Reach out to us at [email protected] Here's my conversation with Mark Schneider Meet Mark JANA HARMON: Welcome to eX-skeptic. Mark, it's great to have you with me today. MARK SCHNEIDER: Well, Jana, I'm so delighted to be here with you. Thank you for giving me this opportunity. JANA HARMON: Wonderful. I'd love the listeners to know a bit about your background, the things that you love to do, that you have your hands in a little bit about your work. Can you tell us about all of that? MARK SCHNEIDER: My professional background, I'm an engineer. Electrical engineer by  training. I started my career in Silicon Valley for a large technology company that I was with for quite some years. In the middle of my career, I decided to go to law school. And so after that, I joined the legal department of Hewlett-Packard company, who I was with for a long time. And after that, I went into private practice as a patent litigator for a number of years. But my real, um, passion is for, uh, ministry. And, um, there was a series of laws that had passed in California that were affecting children in our public school system. Um, it was really laws designed to indoctrinate them into a worldview that is completely foreign to the one most Americans grew up with and came to love. And as a result of that, um, me and some colleagues started a ministry called Protect Our Kids. And that was in April of 2019. So, protect our kids as a ministry to help parents become better advocates for their children in the public school system and actually try to reform public education in California and beyond. So currently, Jana, that POK is taking most of my time these days. JANA HARMON: Hmm. Well, if anyone is interested in hearing more about that, especially if they live in California, we'll put that link in the show notes, so they'll be able to find out more about your work there. Now, I met you about a month ago, and you were so generous to give me a pre-publication release of your new book called Ransomed. The subtitle, One Man's Journey Out of Darkness into the Light of Truth. I can tell you. For again those who are listening. This is a wonderful book. It's a really, really wonderful book. Not only does it tell your story, but it really gives an excellent substantive grounding for the Christian worldview and for the biblical text. From Nominal Faith to No Belief Let's talk about your journey and starting with your childhood. What did that look like in terms of a faith background. MARK SCHNEIDER: Well, it was very nominal in terms of faith. I was born in Oakland in the sort of the poorest post-World War Two boom years, and as a child my dad worked in local government, and that meant frequent moves. So, we were moving all the time in different homes, and I attended a bunch of different schools. And finally, we ended up in Fresno, of all places. And, um, as an adolescent, I really came to love it. It was just an incredible place to, uh, to be a young man. Uh, growing up until the wonders of adulthood, um, uh, the Sierra Nevada mountains were, uh, our backyard. So, we spent our winter skiing and our summers backpacking through the mountains. But in terms of faith, um, both my parents were nominal Catholics. Catholicism was really sort of handed down to them by both sets of grandparents, who followed the church pretty carefully. But I think for my parents it was more of a tradition than a heartfelt, um, a belief in Catholicism. I did, however, spend time in parochial schools, actually a couple of them when finances could afford it. So, I would say Jana that Catholicism gave me sort of a conceptual idea about God. Um, but it certainly wasn't deep in any way, and it certainly wasn't personal. And when my grandmother Marie died, um, she was sort of the foundation and pretense of my family's faith. And very shortly after that, I noticed that we stopped going to mass and altogether. So, I was 13 years old at the time, and one day I asked my dad about it. I said, dad, you know, why aren't we going to mass anymore? And he said, very candidly, he said, well, Mark, your mother and I talked about it, and we realized we just didn't believe it. So, we stopped going and that was it. Jana, I didn't give it much thought because I was nominal myself. And after that, I very quickly forgot all about anything having to do with the spiritual realm, with God. I really knew I'd never read the Bible at all. I had really no interest in spiritual things whatsoever. So certainly, by the time I entered adolescence, spiritual things were a thing of the past for me. JANA HARMON: So, would you have agreed with your father's statement that you just didn't believe that anymore? Or are you just. MARK SCHNEIDER: Absolutely. JANA HARMON: Right? MARK SCHNEIDER: Yes, I would say so. Certainly, by that time in the public school system. Um, the teaching of evolution and Darwinism was becoming more prominent. And as most people raised in the school system, you go along with what you're taught. And I was part and parcel of that teaching, so I accepted it pretty much at face value. When Faith Seemed Unnecessary JAN

🎙️ Love the show? Support the mission and explore eX-skeptic merch here: https://ex-skeptic-shop.fourthwall.com/ 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. Want to support this channel? Tax-deductible donations available here: https://givebutter.com/CB6WoH  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 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: [email protected] Chapters 00:00 Introduction: "God, If You're Real..." 00:34 Welcome & Introducing Shayla Perez 02:00 Shayla's Ministry & The Digital Mission Field 03:54 Growing Up a Pastor's Kid 06:08 When Skepticism Began 08:00 The Internet & Online Atheist Communities 11:12 Reading The Case for Christ (But Not Believing It) 13:24 What Atheism Couldn't Explain 14:57 Richard Dawkins, Morality & The First Doubts 17:48 Wrestling with the Problem of Evil 20:41 Christian Apologists Changed Everything 23:17 Giving God One Honest Chance 26:21 When Prayer Became Real 27:00 The Moment Shayla Came to Faith 29:52 Faith Isn't Blind 32:35 Can Logic Strengthen Faith? 34:02 How Do You Know Christianity Is True? 36:08 Advice for Parents of Skeptical Teens 42:46 Resources for Those Wrestling with Doubt 46:13 What Christianity Offers Gen Z 49:38 The Power of Personal Testimony 52:40 Why the Internet Is Today's Mission Field 55:50 Final Reflections & Takeaways eX-skeptic transcript Welcome & Introducing Shayla Perez

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. 🎙️ Love the show? Support the mission and explore eX-skeptic merch here: https://ex-skeptic-shop.fourthwall.com/ Want to support this channel? Tax-deductible donations available here: https://givebutter.com/CB6WoH  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: [email protected]

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? 🎙️ Love the show? Support the mission and explore eX-skeptic merch here: https://ex-skeptic-shop.fourthwall.com/ Want to support this channel? Tax-deductible donations available here: https://givebutter.com/CB6WoH   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 Twitter: http://x.com/exskeptic YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@exskeptic Email info: [email protected]