This week’s guest is Keke. Keke’s family was in church, “running the show,” anytime the doors were open. Life at home was difficult for Keke, however, so the church provided a safe haven. But over time, domestic violence, mental health problems and other family secrets were too great a burden for her to carry.

After high school, Keke joined the military, got married and even led her husband to Jesus. Then in 2017, as she was reading a most peculiar bible story to her daughter, she started on a deconstruction journey she never saw coming.  

Keke now is learning everything she can about ancient mythologies, African American history and many other cultures. She’s raising her children to be open to the world and its vast ways of living. She knows that human connection is truly what we need—whether with our ancestors through stories or with those around us today. 

Recommendations

Contradiction: A Question of Faith on Prime Video
https://www.amazon.com/Contradiction-Question-Faith-Jeremiah-Camara/dp/B0716M7TFB/

Quotes

“My dad was always beloved…but when [we] got home, I felt like my dad didn’t have that love for me.”

“Reading my daughter a Bible story…I remember, I paused and thought, What am I reading??” 

“Before going to church [one day], I prayed, God, if you’re real, please give me a sign.”

“I feel free! I feel like…there’s no one up there judging you, watching you, waiting for you to fail.”

“Black people hate everything about slavery except Christianity.”

“[Christianity] was not our religion.”

“You see the preachers: They’re livin’ it up.”

“Yeah, there are some great passages [in the Bible,] but there are still communities that are suffering.”

“I love the idea of being a humanist, you just love people, and people come first.”

“We all need to be accepted and loved and no one should tell you who you should love.”

“I feel free.
There is no one up there judging you and watching you or waiting for you to fail.
It is empowering to me.”

Interact

Join the Deconversion Anonymous Facebook group!

Deconversion
https://gracefulatheist.com/2017/12/03/deconversion-how-to/

Secular Grace
https://gracefulatheist.com/2016/10/21/secular-grace/

Support the podcast
Patreon https://www.patreon.com/gracefulatheist
Paypal: paypal.me/gracefulatheist

Attribution

“Waves” track written and produced by Makaih Beats