Sunday School Dropouts

So glad I found you. Left organized religion years ago. But am drawn to your experiences as survivors of fundamentalism and cultish influence. Looking forward to season 2. Keep up the good work. Laura, please consider tamping down your use of “yeah” when acknowledging what your co-host and guests are saying. Hearing it repeatedly is distracting. Thanks for all you do!

I initially found Sunday School Dropouts with Dr. Laura Anderson helpful in the early stages of my deconstruction journey. The podcast tackles critical topics, and Dr. Anderson does provide some insightful critiques of evangelicalism. However, as time went on, I noticed significant flaws in the rhetoric that completely undermined its credibility. Her approach to conservative ideologies is alarmingly biased, often leaning on misrepresentations, out-of-context claims, and sweeping generalizations. This “us versus them” mentality feels all too familiar—like the fundamentalism she critiques, just repackaged in progressive branding. The lack of nuance in these discussions perpetuates division rather than fostering understanding, which should be the cornerstone of any deconstruction dialogue. When I privately offered constructive feedback, hoping for a thoughtful exchange, I was met with deflection, defensiveness, and gaslighting. For a therapist, this is a major red flag. Accountability and self-awareness are essential, and their absence here is glaring. I’d highly recommend everyone involved with this podcast take a deep dive into The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt. It’s a masterclass on understanding moral perspectives without succumbing to tribalism or moral superiority—a lesson the podcast desperately needs. Extremism is unappealing no matter the ideology, and this show often falls into the same traps it claims to critique.

Love this podcast. As someone healing from religious trauma from evangelical fundamentalism . This podcast offers me so much comfort hearing stories of others reminds me I am not alone in how I responded to high control religion and that there is a help and resources and community out there.

I really appreciate the topics that are covered in the podcast. I’m listening to vacation bible school episodes now and find that the gossip section and the snacks section were not my jam. I would love timestamps in the notes so I can fast forward to the episode topic. I also find there’s a bit of an awkwardness just in the topics and gossip Laura is pushing for. Additionally the intro section is super long. Timestamps would be a huge help. Rooting for the success of this podcast. Thank you!