Humanize Me

Human centered design (HCD), and its closely-related sibling, impact design, is about understanding challenges facing people or society, and working with others to design solutions to those challenges. Design thinking is an interdisciplinary thing, a collaborative process and a highly skilled area. Kate Hanisian and Ramsey Ford are the co-founders of Cincinnati-based 'Design Impact', leading a team of people working on a range of things like social inequality, community and social change. This conversation they had with Bart Campolo is recorded a little differently than most episodes of Humanize Me, and is more like listening in on a chat in a coffee shop! Check out Kate and Ramsey's website at D-Impact.org. -- Enjoy the podcast? Support it at Patreon.com/HumanizeMe, which is a unique feed from Bart that is exclusive to subscribing patrons. (You'll also get extra episodes and content not available anywhere else!) Review us on iTunes (it really helps). And join over 600 other listeners on the show's 

On this week’s Q&A episode, Bart answers a question from a listener called Matt (who called our new ‘Q Line’ to leave his question for Bart directly). Matt’s question concerned his 5 year-old son, who was given an abrupt theology lesson from his 6 year-old cousin recently:“My son mentioned that he did not think that God was real, to which his cousin responded by saying that, since he did not believe God is real and that he did not go to church, he would be sent to Hell by God if he died. And he describes Hell, of course, as a terrible place with fire and darkness where you don’t want to go, and my son kind of angrily responded that he didn’t think that was true and did not want to go to such a place.”This led to an assertion from the boys’ grandfather, who confronted Matt’s wife and told her that they were leading the child astray by not teaching him about these matters.Bart Campolo had some thoughts about both how to talk to children about things – like Hell – that they may hear from other children or ad

Glenda Jordan makes money by being sexy, and dancing on stages in a form of adult entertainment. But that doesn't mean that she is merely a sex object, or that she gives up her humanity to do it. So what's the difference between objectification and empowerment?In this conversation with Bart Campolo, Glenda talks about how the female body is seen by males from the early stages of a woman's life, the attention women get whether they want it or not, physical safety as a woman, and social conditioning in men.But at the very center of the conversation is a simple message: sexuality is about context, and there are both appropriate and inappropriate contexts in which to look at, enjoy and - yes - sexualize the female form. Glenda sees her work as an example of one such appropriate context, where she is in control, where she's getting paid for it, where she is empowered to perform and works hard at it, and where she has chosen to express herself in a sexualized way.Where are the lines? How should men behave around wo

Suicide is on the minds of the many after some prominent ones in the past week or two. So today, we get to a question close to the hearts of the rest of us: "How should we think about high profile suicides like those of fashion designer Kate Spade and TV personality chef Anthony Bourdain? These people seemingly had everything they could want, and yet they found themselves apparently without hope. What does this teach the rest of us, how should we think about suicide in general and how can we begin to prevent it from happening?" Bart attempts to answer the question, which is difficult by its very nature. Takeaways: We don't really know celebrities like we think we do; we should remember that people will often not reach out when they're anxious or depressed and need frequent check-ins from people they love; investments in the science of happiness are worthwhile. Bonus question: What books does Bart recommend for people coming out of faith? Links: Paulogia's YouTube review of Leaving My Father's Faith: htt

Like Bart Campolo, Kent Dobson had a prominent Christian father, and, like Bart, Kent finds himself a post-evangelical. But, although their journeys share some similarities, these two have not ended up in the same place. Kent thinks differently.In this wide-ranging conversation between them, Kent talks about his current work with a values-based community that includes believers and non-believers, being part of (and pastor of) the Michigan megachurch founded by Rob Bell, the ‘faith unraveling’ since, the state of Israel, the work of Carl Jung, trying on different theological ‘hats’, and the (not so easy to answer) question of whether there’s a personal force in the universe.Kent Dobson’s website can be found at kentdobson.com. The C3 community can be found at c3westmichigan.org.—Enjoy the podcast? Support it at Patreon.com/HumanizeMe, which is going to have exclusive content soon! Review us on iTunes (it really helps). And join over 600 other listeners on the show’s Facebook Group.Humanize Me is hosted by Bart

Bart Campolo doesn’t believe in God anymore. But recently, while attempting to ride a new tandem bicycle for the first time, he fell, damaging his wrist, and immediately cried out: “Why? Why me!”It seems to be instinctive behavior for homo sapiens, but how should we think about it? Is it good to ‘lean in’ to these instincts, or should we try to avoid personifying the universe and crying out for help in this way? Some thoughts on the subject in this episode of Humanize Me.Takeaways: We’re evolved creatures, with evolved instincts. But we’re also able to think about our responses and biases, and analyze how our mind works. Bart thinks there are some lessons from meditation. Bart and John talk about how ‘crying out’ manifests within culture, and about safe communities where crying out can be accommodated in a healthy, caring way.—Enjoy the podcast? Support it at Patreon.com/HumanizeMe, which is undergoing its own form of evolution! Review us on iTunes (it really helps). And join over 600 other listeners on the s

Have you ever wanted to get into the outdoors more but been a little intimidated by other groups who do? Or do you find it hard finding groups where everybody is open to new friendships? Women Who Explore is a community dedicated to getting women into the outdoors, and it’s ended up creating hundreds of new friendships in the process, all in the past year. Its co-founder, Lindsay MacNevin, is a Canadian former travel writer who joins Bart Campolo on this episode of Humanize Me to talk about her project. It all started with a trip into the mountains with her sister Jenni, who is the other co-founder, and a bad experience with a group of female hikers. Now, women are meeting each other in scores of weekend and week-long getaways, bonding over their love of beautiful places, connecting over campfires and making legitimate, long-lasting friendships. Also on this episode, Women Who Explore brand ambassador Melissa Wright jumps in to talk about her experience with Lindsay’s group. The website can be found at Wo

When you're asked for money by a homeless person, or pass someone who appears to be homeless standing in a doorway or on a street corner, how should you respond?That's the topic addressed in this, the first of Humanize Me's Q&A episodes. Bart Campolo is joined by the podcast's producer John Wright to attempt to answer the question, which came in from a listener called Mark in Bristol, UK and reads in part:"I know you've got tons of experience helping [the homeless], and seem to have made it a component of your life's work. But what's a good, productive approach for the rest of us who have all-consuming careers (I'm an academic research scientist) and who can spare but a moment and some spare change for the homeless we see on the streets?"Takeaways: Each of us must ask how our life is contributing to making life better for society, if we’re going to feel okay walking past that person on the street. It's a good thing to be altruistic in a mission-focused way. Our energy, emotional bandwidth and finances are

Well, are we? It’s a weird thought that the experience we all share – of making our own decisions, freely choosing our next move – is nothing more than an illusion. But the science leans that way, and Dan Barker has engaged with the subject more than most. Dan is an activist, an author and speaker who serves as the co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. He’s sued the government, talked about atheism with Oprah, debated with Sean Hannity and hung out with Christopher Hitchens. And he agrees with Sam Harris about free will, but has his own thoughts on the implications of that conclusion. Enjoy the podcast? Support it at Patreon.com/HumanizeMe! Review us on iTunes (it really helps). And join over 600 other listeners on the show’s Facebook Group (search Humanize Me). Humanize Me is hosted by Bart Campolo and is produced by JuxMedia.com.

In this episode Bart talks (a lot) with new pal Mike McHargue, aka Science Mike, whose two podcasts, Ask Science Mike and The Liturgists (with Michael Gungor) are HUGE among the still-kinda-Christian-but-with-lots-of-questions crowd.  We don’t normally post anything this long, but so many of Science Mike’s listeners told him this was their favorite episode of all time that we couldn’t resist seeing if our Humanizers would like it too.You can find Science Mike at his website, as well as on Twitter @mikemchargue and @asksciencemike .Leaving My Father's Faith, the film about Bart and his father Tony, is now streaming on Vimeo and Amazon Prime. Check it out here.

It's here! For all of you who have been waiting patiently to see the documentary film Leaving My Father's Faith – capturing Bart's conversation with his dad Tony Campolo on the subject of his leaving Christianity – the film is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video and Vimeo On Demand. This week's episode is a chat between Bart, Tony via phone and John Wright, the director of the new film. They reflect on the release of the film, what it captures, reactions to it, and how they feel it portrays them and their interactions on this touchy but important subject. Press play here to listen. Stream the film now at CampoloFilm.com.

Daniel Bogard is a Jewish rabbi who’s passionate about building bridges across faith and cultural borders.  He’s also a deep thinking, warm feeling, easy talking person with whom Bart has a terrific conversation about, well…a whole bunch of stuff. You can follow him on Twitter @ravbogard . If you enjoy the Humanize Me podcast and would like to help support it as well as Bart's work, you can donate at Bart's PayPal page or you can become a monthly Patreon patron.

Jennifer Wright-Berryman is a suicidologist in the School of Social Work at the University of Cincinnati and is currently the lead researcher for a peer-to-peer, school-based program called Hope Squad. Jennifer is an assistant professor at the University of Cincinnati and has a PHD in Social Work from the University of Indiana.You can find out more about her and her work by going to her website here. And to check out more info on the National Hope Squad program, go here.Did you know that Bart also does counseling and coaching? For more information, go here.

Ryan Bell is a former pastor who became an atheist after spending a year without God as an experiment. He started and hosts the popular blog and podcast Life After God and is now both the National Organizing Manager for the Secular Student Alliance, as well as the new Humanist Chaplain at the University of Southern California, a position that Bart held before moving back to Cincinnati.Follow Ryan and his work on Twitter at @ryanjbell.The documentary about Bart and his father Tony is now available for screenings! You can find out more information here.

What does a real apology look like? What is the difference between remorse and regret? Between saying sorry and asking for forgiveness? In this episode, Bart talks about how to make an authentic apology and shares some stories from his own life that have shaped his own apologies. You can support Bart, his podcast, and his work by going to his paypal site or by becoming a Patreon patron. Who knows, you might get a mention on the next podcast like the four people in this episode!

Ryan Meeks is the founding pastor of EastLake Community Church outside of Seattle, Washington. A couple of years ago, EastLake became one of the first evangelical megachurches in America to support full inclusion and affirmation of LGBTQ+ people. In the process, Ryan also transitioned out of evangelicalism.  The fallout was huge but still hundreds stayed and Ryan shares his story with Bart.You can find more information about Ryan and his church  here. You can support this podcast and Bart's work by becoming a Patreon supporter here or you can support him through PayPal here.

Sammy Rangel is a transformed man: a former far-right extremist who had a powerful change in his life and is now the Executive Director of Life After Hate, a nonprofit that works with ‘radicalized' individuals in extremist movements and assists them in leaving the movements and reforming their lives (among other things).

How do men take the natural thoughts and urges they have and channel them appropriately? How do men grapple with their nature, while remaining safe and steadfast for the women in their lives?Bart takes a look at the issue in this episode, including:* All men need to grapple with this* Bart talks about a story from college that changed him* Article: The unexamined brutality of the male libido* Christianity makes sins out of someone's thoughts, but secular people should avoid doing so* A scene from Seinfeld* What humanism can offer the world in this momentContact Bart at bartcampolo.org/contact. Join the discussion at the Humanize Me Facebook Group HERE.

Bart tells a story from his days as a Christian evangelist after having been to a storytelling workshop. In this episode he talks about storytelling as one of the most powerful tools that we have, and which binds us together as a tribe.

Bart checks in from Cincinnati, his old neighborhood made new again. Catch up on current happenings, future plans and more.Bart can be contacted HERE. Join the ‘secret' Facebook group HERE. Add your name to the mailing list for the soon-to-be-released-we-promise documentary HERE.