The guest on this week’s episode of the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s television show provides a first-hand account of her traumatic evangelical marriage — and offers some larger lessons.
Tia Levings is the author of the bestselling memoir, “A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy.” After her harrowing getaway from a controlling religious marriage, Levings is using her experience to shine a light on the abuses of fundamentalism and help others who have endured religious trauma. She also talks about how Christian nationalists want to run the country the same way they run their families.
“The idea of being a virgin bride was so essential that you needed to have a very short engagement,” Levings tells “Freethought Matters” co-hosts Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor. “Our pastors had two-week engagements and talked about this frequently in sermons.”
“Freethought Matters” now airs in:
- Chicago, WPWR-CW (Ch. 50), Sundays at 9 a.m.
- Los Angeles, KCOP-MY (Ch. 13), Sundays at 8:30 a.m.
- Madison, Wis., WISC-TV (Ch. 3), Sundays at 11 p.m.
- New York City, WPIX-IND (Ch. 11), Sundays at 10 a.m.
- San Francisco, KTVU/KICU-IND (on broadcast Ch. 36 and Cable 6), Sundays at 10 a.m.
- Washington, D.C., WDCW-CW (Ch. 50 or Ch. 23 or Ch. 3), Sundays at 8 a.m.
If you don’t live in any of the marquee towns where the show broadcasts on Sunday, you can already catch the interview on FFRF’s YouTube channel. New shows go up every Thursday.
Upcoming guests include former U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold and Oklahoma state Rep. Mickey Dollens. You can catch interviews from earlier this fall, including with Rep. Jared Huffman, and from previous seasons here, including with Gloria Steinem, Ron Reagan, author John Irving, actor John “Q” de Lancie and award-winning columnist Katha Pollitt.
Please tune in to “Freethought Matters” . . . because freethought matters.
P.S. Please tune in or record according to the times given above regardless of what is listed in your TV guide (it may be listed simply as “paid programming” or even be misidentified). To set up an automatic weekly recording, try taping manually by time or channel. And spread the word to freethinking friends, family or colleagues about a TV show, finally, that is dedicated to providing programming for freethinkers — your antidote to religion on Sunday morning!
