Losing Our Religion

This episode, we begin by talking about Star Wars as a Religion, and we end by talking about Out of Body experiences and seeing an Angel! Silas and I met through Facebook. He and I both drive for Uber/Lyft on the side to make some extra cash and a local Facebook group for "drivers" introduced us. When asked what we all do for a living I mentioned the podcast, and Silas jumped at the opportunity to introduce himself and ask about being on the show, stating that we could talk about "Star Wars Religion." The Silas story goes much deeper than that, and I am happy to introduce you to such a funny guy, with some amazing life stories. Silas Lindenstein – Comedian, Actor, and Ethnic Utility Player MUSIC FROM THIS EPISODE Music in this episode is from Silas' Album, Frozen In Carbonite.  All the songs from Frozen the Musical, but about Star Wars! iTunes | Soundcloud | Stitcher | Google Play JOIN US Join the CounterCulture Society:  http://eepurl.com/bwqMWT Become a Producer:  https://www.patreon.com/losingourreligio

In this episode, we spend a significant amount of time discussing the depravity of humanity and how together, if we have the guts, we can stand up, stand out, and make a difference. But, dealing with corporations is another story altogether. You remember Bella from the previous episode... I met Bella through my friend Eddie. Eddie was hanging out in the CounterCulture Society Mad Lab one day and mentioned, "You know who you need to have on the podcast? BELLA BIAGIO!" I immediately acted like I knew who she was because clearly, she was famous and I was just out of the loop. I gave Eddie some LOR stickers and asked him to give them to her, then immediately Facebook messaged her and introduced myself. Name dropping Eddie of course. Months later we finally got together to have drinks in the Lab, and now I'm in love with my new friend. Bella is Italian, like MOB Italian. Don't fuck with her! She is a petite, but strong, woman, who came out at the age of 18, which was very early back then! She has amazing life stor

What happens when you get three ex-pastors together for a night of comedy and conversation?  Fill the room with a bunch of amazing people?  Well, you're about to find out... RAW & UNCUT RECORDING OF THE WEST HOLLYWOOD LIVE SHOW In March of 2016, we set out to have a fun little live podcast recording in West Hollywood, Los Angeles California.  We had no idea what the response would be, but we sold out tickets and embarked on a full Open Space Theater and it was wonderful. Thanks everyone for coming and joining us on our first live event.  Thanks, Jonathan and Taylor for helping us laugh and lose religion and ideologies that divide us from loving each other. Stand Up Comedy with Jonathan Bowles - The Slingshot Show Stand Up Comedy and Illusions with Taylor Hughes - Taylor Hughes Magic   Give us a Rating & Review

LISTEN ON iTunes | Soundcloud | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn | iHeart This episode is about being human. Being human with other humans and learning to pull our heads out of our asses and away from our phones. I met Bella through my friend Eddie. Eddie was hanging out in the CounterCulture Society Mad Lab one day and mentioned, "You know who you need to have on the podcast? BELLA BIAGIO!" I immediately acted like I knew who she was because clearly, she was famous and I was just out of the loop. I gave Eddie some LOR stickers and asked him to give them to her, then immediately Facebook messaged her and introduced myself. Name dropping Eddie of course. Months later we finally got together to have drinks in the Lab, and now I'm in love with my new friend. Bella is Italian, like MOB Italian. Don't fuck with her! She is a petite, but strong, woman, who came out at the age of 18, which was very early back then! She grew up all over the world and has amazing life stories. Little did I know when Eddie suggested I

LISTEN ON iTunes | Soundcloud | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn | iHeart I'm A Loser, happens every month, at the end of the month. You send us stuff, and we discuss it. In America, we are in the midsts of another insane election season. One where our nation seems to be in the middle of internal turmoil, killing each other, and armchair politics running wild. Let this Thomas Paine quote be a reminder to look past ourselves. Seek to live peaceably with one another, and to drop ideologies, politics, and religion that aim to divide us not strengthen us. We can love each other globally IF you, and I will do it locally. The Losers bring a great song, articles, conversation, and gratitude to this episode!   RECOMMENDED LOSER READING: http://amzn.to/2a9MdQr   Give us a Rating & Review

Author, editor, speaker, musician and spoken word artist Christian Piatt and I sit down to diagnose how big of an asshole I am. "Let he who admits he's an asshole cast the first stone." - JESUS Ok, Jesus didn't say that. But he did understand that change began at the acknowledgment of the problem. If Christian's are assholes, the only hope of that changing is the admittance of our own ass-holiness. One of the reasons that I, Zac, have renounced my Christianity is because it made me into a person that I didn't like. The more authority I was given in the church, the more of a douche I found myself becoming. The more biblical knowledge I had, the more I had to correct others that didn't have it. The deeper I understood theology, the more arrogant I became, and the more distanced I felt from my humanity and experiencing the gritty, real, and beautiful humanity of others. Christianity lead me to see myself as set apart, special, and different from others. It put me at odds with those that were different from me, a

The Dan's Take Over the Show. Maybe it was the Alcohol, Perhaps it was the Vibe, for Sure it was the People, the Comedy. Daniel Timothy Desrosiers & Daniel O'Connell This comedy duo is the perfect mix of narcissism and comedic hilarity. These episodes run through the hilarious gambit of their witty minds, through many topics, landing on a conversation about working in the service industry, dealing with people, thoughts about religion, and Baby Dan's conversation with his mom regarding the "Christian" Religion.   MUSIC FROM THIS EPISODE Daniel Timothy Desrosiers - HIS MANY COLORED FRUIT.  The songs featured on this episode are not out yet but you can find them soon at the links given here. Song 1 - Amazon Suicide Net | Song 2 - A Debt That Can Only Be Paid With Regret   CONTACT THE DAN'S FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/townhallshow    ON THIS EPISODE Baby Dan is highly aware of his man parts. Deep passion for sandwiches. Delicious Sandwiches have delicious bread (Scratch Deli & Salumi). Daniel Timo

Daniel Timothy Desrosiers & Daniel O'Connell This comedy duo is the perfect mix of narcissism and comedic hilarity. These episodes run through the hilarious gambit of their witty minds, through many topics, landing on a conversation about working for the mega-corporate machines and our various experiences, desires, and reasons why they work for some us, while repulsing others.   ON THIS EPISODE We Talk About Our Dicks Spanish Mexican Cunnilingus. UBER cab issues. Working in a delicious sandwich shop. (Scratch Deli) Public transit fau pauxs. Bus rage. Man spreading. Seattle's passive-aggressive culture. Telescoping Penii. Jon Hamm's Penis. Corporate Culture and big business work life. Is working for a big tech company selling your soul? Can you live off of your art? The fear of success. Not liking ourselves in leadership roles.   JOIN US Join the CounterCulture Society:  http://eepurl.com/bwqMWT Become a Producer:  https://www.patreon.com/losingourreligion Find Out More:  http://www.losingourreligion.or

Lori Fazzino M.A. is a Ph.D. Candidate & Graduate Instructor with the Department of Sociology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her studies and research are fascinating. In this episode she puts them to use and shares a lot more of her findings, stories of deconverted folks finding freedom, lets me know what stage of the process I am in and helps me through my fear of atheism. Lori is leaning agnostic but lives as an atheist humanist. She's always been a brilliant, feisty, strong person. Coming to the faith as a young woman, she paid for Christian College by dancing in Alaska. After leaving the church, she found herself going back there until a severe car accident interrupted the trip. Her story of being kicked out the church is fascinating, as Mary Magdeline would have rebuked her Pastor and been right at home kicking with Lori. Her now a present and future as a college professor and soon to be Ph.D. in Evangelical Deconversion is a help to many people. She currently teaches Sociology of Religion a

I'm A Loser, Happens every month, at the end of the month. You send us stuff, and we discuss it. How do you send stuff in? Losers Annonymous Hotline: (206) 395-5608 Facebook.com/LOSINGOURRELIGION Twitter & Instagram: @LosingRReligion ON THIS EPISODE LOSER BOARD: You guys send me stuff, and I address it!  Notes from Losers. LOSER LINE: Loser Keith calls in and starts a conversation on what a "healthy leader" might look like. ALSO! You can stop sending me Jim Jefferies gun rants; I'm featuring it NOW! A clip from Australian comedian Jim Jefferies' routine on gun control found initially on his Netflix special, Bare, has now gone viral following the most recent mass shootings in the United States, which has sparked a debate on whether or not the country should impose stronger gun control laws. In the bit, Jefferies cleverly pokes fun at gun lovers while claiming that they only have one argument to make their case. Then you get to hear me rant on the only thing that I think matters to this American gun discu

Lori Fazzino M.A. is a Ph.D. Candidate and Graduate Instructor with the Department of Sociology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.   Lori and I have church past together.  Meeting in the megachurch fresh out of high school, in different ways, we pursued the hype within the machine together, and now both find solace outside of religion. Her studies and research are fascinating.  This will be a pair of episodes that will encourage those leaving religion and fascinate those in or outside of it.  Lori is an agnostic but takes the time to explain why she has taken on a more atheist identity.  She feels strongly about being a humanist, in which I too am finding great joy. Lori has an amazing story of being kicked out the church, and now a present and future as a college professor and soon to be Ph.D. in Evangelical Deconversion.  She currently teaches Sociology of Religion at UNLV. WE TALK ABOUT: Our Common experience in the same mega-church and interaction with Casey & Wendy Treat at Christian Faith Cent

If you're like us, you're tired of the tragedies continuing to plague Americans. After every mass shooting over the last five years, Taylor and I have engaged in the debate over gun control and gun laws. I, Zac, have been a gun owner for years. Taylor grew up in a family of gun owners but has a different viewpoint from me altogether. I am trying to learn, but will I get rid of my gun/s? That's to be determined. We engage each others points of view and begin to hear and understand where we each other are coming from. This is a more light-hearted conversation about gun control. We start by hearing Taylor's story, his Lutheran Confirmation, and journey into atheism. We recorded this episode a long time ago. He and I had put this episode on the shelf because we didn't feel like it was as potent as when we would discuss gun control without recording. Sadly, we even agreed, "Let's not post it until the next mass shooting." Almost like we knew it was inevitable that there would be another. Sadly, we are all aware; t

“Ideas of fascism, sexuality, gore, violence, and vomit all erupts into this one package of Raft of Dead Monkeys. This is dream logic, seemingly never second guessing any impulse that they had at this point in their musical careers…” - Nick Toti Raft of Dead Monkeys was a rock band from Seattle, WA, known for their controversy within the Christian punk scene. The band featured LOR show guests Jeff Bettger lead vocal, and Matt Johnson drums. Described as a hypothetical band mocking rock culture, their early stage shows consisted of vulgar lyrics, male strippers, and bloody nurses. In an interview, Jeff Bettger (JSuffering) explained the band's concept with the following: It was art, and we were making some statements about our culture by mirroring it, copying it and throwing it back in people’s faces to say, “Hey, this is what people adhere to and this is it.” We thought it was funny and humorous, and a lot of people didn’t get the joke, and didn’t get that we were characters we created when we performed sort

"I dream of a world in which people speak more openly honestly and express their feelings more accurately. That fascinates me!" - Greg Bennick I am completely in love with Greg and over the course of these episodes have become a fan of his work, music, and spoken word. His song "The Wounds Never Have To Win" with his band Between Earth, and Sky may very well become my life theme song. Greg is so much more than his music, spoken word, philanthropy. He's a humanist, an activist, a champion for those who suffer and clearly heard from these episodes, a great coach, and in my mind a guru like partaker and sharer of wisdom. His lifetime studies through the life and works of Ernest Becker inspired me. Greg is currently working on producing a new film documentary on Ernest Becker, so stay tuned for that. THIS CONVERSATION LEADS US TO DISCUSS: The sexy, sultry embrace of al of the other god's. The Legacy Project - Traveling to Trauma Areas for Study of Culture After Trauma and Their Need for Dictators. Deep talks of

"How much do you have to hate somebody NOT to proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that..." - Penn Jillette The "I'm A Loser" episode happens once a month at the end of the month...You send me stuff, and we discuss it: One of our ANONYMOUS Losers "Kyle" sent this Penn Jillette video to me: Famous magician and infamous atheist Penn Jillette chats about a religious sharing their faith (proselytizing) to him. This video is fascinating to me! I've been searching out the idea of love for a few years now. I used to be a person who aggressively looked forward to sharing with others my way of seeing and doing things, not only through religion but life. I believed it would help them; I defined it as "loving them." I did this arrogantly...believing the way I did things was the best way and that it would help the world if they did it my way too. Wow, What an idiot. I'm not sure I believe this anymore. I ran empty to the point of exhaustion hust

Greg is a straight edge, teetotaler, so I brought a peace offering of Bundaberg Root Beer. He is also is an award-winning champion speaker who makes people laugh while inviting them to think. He is a bit of a renaissance man to me because he is also the lead singer of the band Trial, Activist, Philanthropist, Entertainer, Keynote Speaker, Film Writer, and Producer. The list could go on because the guy is doing all sorts of amazing shit. The fact that I got to sit down with him and record two episodes was an absolute privilege. We caught Greg right before his annual trips to Rwanda and Uganda. Among all the things he does, he makes time to travel around the world to places of human trauma to see and study how people and culture respond to trauma. Taking others along and asking, "Why do places once ruled by dictators become shining examples of a solid economy?" Taking note, to pay attention to the people's need of a dictator in the aftermath of trauma. Our human need to have people rule over us is a fascinating

"Whenever I see someone, and they're super detached from reality and their solution to their problems are to add to someone else's problems...I see Republican." - Taylor Nelson "The way people view politics is changing. Ideas and what we find most important are fracturing." - Taylor Nelson Warning! Anyone who listens to this will have their IQ drop but their life enhanced. You may thow-up...(But laugh historically). You should probably be drinking with us to enjoy it fully. Seriously! Life happens in moments not plans. Taylor and I love each others company and sit down to more drinks, ridiculous drunk conversation, and random laughter at the stuff of the world. These feel good episodes, full of life, full of booze, full of fun. We try to avoid any depth to the conversation, but in the end, we fail miserably. We Chat with Taylor About: Comedy Roasts: Justin Beiber, William Shatner, and Therapeutic Hilarity. Taylor and Katherine's upcoming trip to India and why they want to go. McDonald's Meat and why we shou

"I have all the defects of other people, yet everything they do seems to me inconceivable." - Emil Cioran, Romanian philosopher, The Trouble With Being Born (1973) This episode is the roots of the Losing Our Religion podcast. It's conversations like this that led to the idea of recording and sharing the beautiful coming together of humans with humans. When Taylor and I first met, we had nothing in common. I had just resigned the pastorate, left everything I had known, and given up on the idea of Christianity as I knew it, and certainly institutional religion as a whole. Taylor did a great job of skeptically welcoming me into his world and life. At first with a handshake, then with a smile, then one night with a philosophical barraging of the denial of God and how stupid I was for believing in it. (He probably doesn't remember this event, or want me sharing about it.) But it happened, and I knew that night, that we'd be long time friends. Taylor About... The night he met Jim Jefferies. His short stint as a st

Part Deux of the post-Live Podcast Recording from West Hollywood, Los Angeles. Jonathan, Taylor, and I spend time transparently talking about how much we loved the experience of the live show while ironically I was shitting bricks the whole time. A wrap-up episode where the guests of the podcast sit down with and talk out our therapeutic process of losing our religion along with audience participating in the conversation. We discuss the experience and play some clips from the live show. We get into some things here that we didn't address in the show. Do we regret our past ministry days? Do we feel it was a total waste of our lives? You'll enjoy listening to this laughter, tears, and transparent honesty of three ex-pastors finding their way in this world after leaving the ministry, going back to childhood dreams, becoming stand up comics, selling underwear, and starting podcasts. Therapeutic Hilarity will be released in its' full, transparent, unedited entirety as a bonus episode directly after this one.   Con

What happens when you get three ex-pastors together for a night of comedy and conversation? Well, you're about to find out. In March of 2016, we set out to have a fun little live podcast recording in West Hollywood, Los Angeles California. We had no idea what the response would be, but we sold out of tickets and embarked on a full Open Space LA Theater came together, and it was wonderful. This is a wrap-up show of the live podcast recording event from West Hollywood California. A sit down with Jonathan Bowles, Taylor Hughes, and myself as we talk out our therapeutic process of losing our religion while playing some clips from the live show. We get into some things here that we didn't address in the show. Do we regret our past ministry days? Do we feel it was a total waste of our lives? You'll enjoy listening to this laughter, tears, and transparent honesty of three ex-pastors finding their way in this world after leaving the ministry, going back to childhood dreams, becoming stand up comics, selling underwear