April Ajoy is known for her satirical videos on the evangelical church- not because she loathes the church, but because she believes that it can be better. In this episode, she discusses her faith journey and the process of deconstructing her beliefs. She also shares her good and not-so-great childhood memories, (including a traumatic experience related to the rapture which can't be missed). April talks about attending church nowadays and the challenges of finding an affirming community. She encourages holding grace for others and embracing the freedom to be oneself. In this conversation, Kendall and April discuss the importance of radical love and grace in relationships. They explore the challenge of truly loving people with different perspectives and maintaining boundaries. They also touch on the concept of complicating harmful beliefs in a loving way. The episode concludes with April's beautiful letter from Love.
Takeaways
Deconstructing faith involves questioning and challenging harmful beliefs and behaviors in the evangelical church.
Traumatic experiences related to religious teachings can have a lasting impact.
Finding an affirming community can be challenging, but alternative sources of community, such as protests, can provide a sense of belonging.
The process of renegotiating faith can lead to a greater sense of authenticity and self-acceptance.
Holding grace for others and recognizing their humanity is essential in the process of deconstruction. Loving people with different perspectives requires radical love and grace.
Maintaining boundaries while loving others is a delicate balance.
Complicating harmful beliefs can be done in a loving way.
Links
April's tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aprilajoy
April's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprilajoy/
Evangelicalish Podcast: https://evangelicalish.podia.com/
The Non-Binary Marriage Podcast: https://pod.co/thenon-binarymarriage
Loving Those Who Disagree With Us with April Ajoy