Make Life Less Difficult Dave Warnock: Dying Out Loud
My guest today is Dave Warnock.
Dave lived the bulk of his life as a Charismatic Evangelical, serving as a pastor on three different church staffs. But, following several years of internal struggle, Dave came to the conclusion in 2011 that he no longer believed in a personal God.
In 2019 he was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), a progressive neurodegenerative disease with an average 3-5 year life expectancy.
Dave is spending the days he has left speaking out about the dangers and harm of fundamental religions. He also seeks to provide a safe haven to those questioning their faith, recovering from religious trauma or navigating life's tribulations as he shares his own perspective as a former evangelical, but now an atheist, facing a terminal diagnosis.
Dave has recently published a memoir called “Childish Things.” I highly recommend his book. I listened to the audio version which Dave himself reads and it’s not only fantastically written, it’ll make you feel like you are privileged to hear firsthand the events shaping this man’s life. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll feel grateful for the opportunity to connect to Dave through this book.
And I feel honored to connect to Dave through this conversation. We talk a fair amount about death and dying, subjects that are considered “dark and heavy” to many. Having experienced the death of my first husband when I was 28, I find that talking about death and dying keeps me living my life well. It helps me prioritize the most important things and keep coming back to them when I forget, as I’m all-too-easily prone to do.
I hope you find joy and inspiration in this conversation. If, however, for any reason you aren’t in a space to step into this topic, please take care of yourself, first and foremost, even if that means you choose not to listen in on this conversation.
Dave, thank you for sharing your stories, your reflections, your wisdom… not just here on this podcast but through your book and your YouTube channel, the many podcasts you’ve been on, and through your other speaking engagements. You are, indeed, an inspiration to many!
Connect with Dave:
- Website
- YouTube Channel
- Dave's published memoir: Childish Things (I highly recommend this and the audio version is read by Dave, so that's extremely special!)
Make Life Less Difficult
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