The guest on the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s TV show this week is a survivor of Christian fundamentalism who counsels those needing help in dealing with religious trauma.
Janice Selbie is a registered professional counselor in British Columbia and a religious trauma coach. She’s the founder of the Divorcing Religion workshop and the host of the “Divorcing Religion” podcast. Selbie’s new book, “Divorcing Religion: A Memoir and Survival Handbook,” was released a few months ago. It tells her personal story of, well, divorcing religion.
“Our youngest daughter unfortunately received a lifelong, life-threatening diagnosis,” Selbie explains to “Freethought Matters” co-hosts Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor how her divorce from religion started. “She was only about 10 at the time. And this was after I had spent so many decades trying to live out the bible and be the best Christian I could be. You know, comforting people, opening our home, being charitable, merciful, and then I saw my daughter was stricken with this — and I just figured something is wrong here.”
“Freethought Matters” airs the weekend 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 shows include interviews with journalist and chronicler of Christian nationalism Katherine Stewart about her newly released book and Mubarak Bala, who was recently released after serving five years for the “crime” of blasphemy in Nigeria. You can catch interviews from earlier this season 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. 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!
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.
