In this episode of Beyond Belief: Tales of Religious Exodus, Shalom speaks with Kevin Bolling about growing up Catholic, coming out as gay, and gradually leaving organized religion behind. Kevin reflects on the tension between identity and faith, the role of community in both staying and leaving religion, and how his experiences ultimately led him to lead the Secular Student Alliance.
The conversation explores secular student communities, religious recruitment tactics on college campuses, the emotional realities of deconstruction, and how young people today are building community and activism outside traditional religious structures. Kevin also shares stories of students navigating family rejection, political activism, and the search for belonging after religion.
Resources
https://secularstudents.org/
Chapters
00:00 – Introduction & Kevin’s role at the Secular Student Alliance 02:00 – Growing up Catholic and learning to question religion 05:00 – Coming out as gay and leaving the Church 10:00 – Gradually disentangling from religious community 15:00 – What the Secular Student Alliance does for students 19:00 – Activism, church-state separation, and campus organizing 26:00 – Religious recruitment tactics on college campuses 33:00 – Are young people becoming more or less religious? 38:00 – Secular alternatives for community and service 44:00 – How to build community and avoid coercive groups
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