Advertise on podcast: Intrinsically Ordered

In this episode, I sit down with Catholic feminist, lay theologian, and spiritual director-in-training Salina Bear to talk about her unlikely journey from Reformed Protestantism, through deconstruction, and ultimately into the Catholic Church. Salina shares how growing up with Calvinist ideas about God led her to question Christianity from an early age, why she eventually stepped away from organized religion, and how an existential crisis during COVID unexpectedly brought faith back into her life. She also tells the story of attending Eucharistic adoration for the first time convinced she needed to become Catholic. We also get into some of the questions that have made Selena's online work controversial: Can you be a Catholic feminist? What does the Church actually teach about primacy of conscience? Can faithful Catholics disagree with Church teaching? Is contraception an infallible teaching? And why does online Catholicism often look so different from the Catholicism people actually encounter in their parishes? Finally, we talk about her marriage to an Orthodox Christian, spiritual trauma, deconstruction and reconstruction, online traditionalism, and why Salina is training to become a spiritual director for people who want to heal from harmful experiences with Christianity without necessarily abandoning their faith. 00:00 Meet Salina Bear 02:49 Growing Up Reformed 03:53 Calvinism and God Image 07:29 Teen Faith and Doubts 09:02 Church Leadership Disillusionment 13:43 Stepping Away to Deconstruct 15:01 COVID Panic and Return to Prayer 20:41 First Mass and Liturgy Surprise 22:33 Adoration Changed Everything 26:47 Catholic and Orthodox Marriage 35:53 Two Traditions Marriage 39:51 Conscience and Autonomy 41:40 Online Trad Toxicity 44:24 Birth Control & Forming Conscience 56:46 Reading Church Authority 01:03:13 Becoming Spiritual Director To join our discord community for $1 or to support my work/get early access to content, check out my patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/gayextrad To be a guest on the episode, visit my YT channel and send me an email.

In this episode of Apostate’s Imprimatur, Colin and I react to Jesusandwhatnot’s video titled "How the Communist Manifesto Proves God's Existence," explanation of Aquinas’s famous Five Ways: the arguments from motion, efficient causality, contingency, degrees of perfection, and final causality. We dig into act and potency, infinite regress, first causes, divine simplicity, Aristotle, physics vs. metaphysics, and the assumptions hiding underneath these arguments. Even if we grant some version of a “first cause” or “unmoved mover,” how do we get from there to an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-loving personal God, much less the God of Christianity? Along the way, we ask whether Aquinas’s arguments describe reality, whether confusing someone with technical philosophical language actually proves anything, and why arguments that have been debated for centuries are still sometimes presented as obvious and uncontested proofs of God. Noah's original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUOZcbNeKIE 00:00 Who Is Jesusandwhatnot 09:33 Aquinas Five Ways Intro 10:26 Motion Proof Explained 13:47 Potency and Ontology Debate 26:10 Causation Chain and Regress 31:50 Physics Pushback and Forces 34:03 Nothing Truly Begins 36:32 From Prime Mover to God 39:46 Special Pleading and Language 41:02 Perfection Smuggled In 52:29 Efficient Cause Argument 54:23 Physics vs Metaphysics Definitions 01:01:59 Infinite Regress and Cosmology 01:06:18 Contingency and Nothingness 01:08:09 Third Way Rehash 01:12:58 Logic Above God 01:16:07 Blendered Proofs Critique 01:17:22 Degrees of Perfection Setup 01:20:49 Fire Causes Heat Debunked 01:23:13 Nominalism and Genus Problems 01:25:26 Goodness Category Errors 01:34:00 Begging the Maximum Cause 01:35:44 Fifth Way Explained 01:36:59 Teleology Meets Evolution 01:39:10 Ends Are Human Uses 01:45:38 Special Pleading Intelligence 01:49:36 Modern Physics Pushback 01:54:33 Summa Ethics Detour 01:57:52 Thomism As Party Trick To join our discord community for $1 or to support my work/get early access to content, check out my patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/gayextrad To be a guest on the episode, visit my YT channel and send me an email.

After seeing Catholic apologist Noah ( @Jesus.andwhatnot )  argue that pornography may cause homosexual desires, I decided to dig into the actual research. In this video, I work through more than two dozen academic sources covering sexual orientation, sexual identity formation, pornography use, childhood abuse, correlation vs. causation, sexual fluidity, and sexual orientation change efforts. I also explain some of the basic research concepts that can help us distinguish a provocative correlation from evidence that one thing actually causes another. As a gay former traditional Catholic apologist myself, I also want to talk about why these claims matter beyond an academic debate. Ideas about sexual orientation being caused or changed by particular behaviors can quickly overlap with claims underlying conversion therapy and sexual orientation change efforts. My sources: https://gayextrad.substack.com/p/debunking-with-actual-studies-does Noah's original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXtY2xa9lFQ 00:00 Does Porn Make You Gay? 01:17 It's Not a Study 01:34 Survey Not Study 01:58 Orientation Is Complex 03:44 Identity Attraction Behavior 05:54 Porn Survey Problems 12:32 Correlation Not Causation 14:43 How To Test It 17:17 Puberty And Timing 18:34 What The Data Show 21:54 Abuse Claim Reversed 28:04 Hypothetheory Critique 29:44 Disordered Language Harm 31:28 Conversion Therapy Harms 32:38 Causality And Methods 35:55 Expert Consensus Matters 41:12 Motte Bailey To join our discord community for $1 or to support my work/get early access to content, check out my patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/gayextrad To be a guest on the episode, visit my YT channel and send me an email.

Is the resurrection of Jesus actually a historical fact or does the argument only work if you begin with Christian assumptions? In part two of our deep dive into the historical case for the Resurrection, Colin and I examine some of the most popular arguments used by Christian apologists: the claim that the apostles wouldn’t die for a lie, the supposed eyewitness accounts of the risen Jesus, the 500 witnesses mentioned by Paul, the early creed in 1 Corinthians 15, and attempts to use probability and Bayes’ theorem to argue that the Resurrection is historically likely. We look at what we actually know about the deaths of the apostles, how the resurrection narratives developed across the Gospels, what Paul does—and doesn’t—claim to have witnessed, and whether early belief in the Resurrection is the same thing as evidence that it actually happened. 00:00 Recap Minimal Facts 02:20 Escaping Apologetics Maze 03:55 Apostles Die for Lie 11:11 Roman Guards Doubts 24:10 500 Witnesses Problem 26:49 Women at the Tomb Motif 29:08 Doubting Thomas and Belief 31:32 Memory and Legend Growth 35:46 Mythic Tropes and Other Gospels 39:57 Paul and the 500 Witnesses 50:25 Visions and Bereavement Experiences 54:48 Skepticism About 500 56:52 Pauline Creed Timeline 01:02:37 Memory And Mythmaking 01:09:44 God Assumption Debate 01:11:20 Additive Evidence Claim 01:13:35 What Resurrection Means To join our discord community for $1 or to support my work/get early access to content, check out my patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/gayextrad To be a guest on the episode, visit my YT channel and send me an email.

In this episode of Intrinsically Ordered, I sit down with  @SigurdAuthentic , founder of Gay Unmasked, to hear his coming out story and explore what it actually takes to accept that you're gay. https://www.skool.com/gay-unmasked-4697/about Sigurd opens up about recognizing his attraction to men as a teenager, falling for his male best friend, wrestling with stereotypes about gay men, and eventually reframing what being gay meant to him. We talk about masculinity, strength, CBT, shame, self-acceptance, dating, coming out to family and friends, and why building a life around purpose became so important after coming out. We also dig into the philosophy behind Gay Unmasked, Sigurd's growing community for gay men, and his argument that coming out shouldn't be about asking other people for permission to be yourself. 00:00 Coming Out Is Ongoing 02:15 Early Signs and Denial 04:19 Growing Up Around Masculinity 11:16 Accepting It at 18 13:25 Mac and First Real Feelings 18:16 Reframing Gay Identity 21:51 CBT and Strength Mindset 25:44 First Confession to a Friend 30:01 Coming Out to Dad and Friends 31:46 Tinder Screenshot Plot Twist 36:01 Strength as Shield 36:29 Gym as Emotional Outlet 38:40 Life Moves On Mindset 40:39 Unmasking and Alan Watts 47:06 After Coming Out Purpose 49:21 Redirecting the Fight 55:56 Dating Men and Identity 01:05:44 Community and CBT Coaching 01:11:33 Success Stories and Farewell To join our discord community for $1 or to support my work/get early access to content, check out my patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/gayextrad To be a guest on the episode, visit my YT channel and send me an email.

I took an atheist and a Mormon on a road trip to St. Mary’s, Kansas to experience the SSPX firsthand. We attended a traditional Latin Mass, toured the massive Immaculata, talked with members of the community, and tried to understand what draws people to this intensely traditional form of Catholicism. Coming from three very different religious backgrounds (ex-traditional Catholic / current atheist, former Pentecostal / current atheist, and practicing Latter-day Saint), we each walked away with very different reactions. We talk about the beauty (and boredom) of the Latin Mass, Catholic tradition, relics, hell, Vatican II, the SSPX’s conflict with Rome, how outsiders are treated, and whether this community actually succeeds at its stated mission of saving souls. 00:00 Heliocentric & All Those In Favor 01:41 What Is the SSPX 03:24 Expectations Going In 05:03 Road Trip to St Marys 06:43 First Sight of the Church 08:22 Drone Shots and Suspicious Locals 10:12 Medieval Dinner and Hotel 11:34 Mass Morning and Naming the Building 13:35 Inside the Immaculata First Impressions 16:48 Silence Sunlight and Getting Shushed 18:41 Latin Mass Reactions 22:11 Relics and Ranking Spirituality 30:27 SSPX Identity and Excommunication Denial 33:28 Latin Mass Confusion 34:10 Sermon Advice: Read Books 39:24 Hellfire Afterlife 41:21 Communion Rail Awkwardness 45:59 Tour Guides And Lunch 52:55 Trad Culture And Politics 54:27 Human Stories And Mary 59:17 Seeker Friendly Critique 01:05:08 Final Takeaways Next Steps To join our discord community for $1 or to support my work/get early access to content, check out my patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/gayextrad To be a guest on the episode, visit my YT channel and send me an email.

Can history actually establish that Jesus rose from the dead? In this episode of Atheist Imprimatur, Colin and I take on one of the central arguments in Christian apologetics: that the Resurrection isn't merely something Christians believe by faith, but something we have good historical reasons to accept as fact. We examine the “minimal facts” approach associated with Gary Habermas, claims about the empty tomb, eyewitness testimony, early Christian belief, and the role our assumptions about God and miracles play in evaluating the evidence. More importantly, we ask a basic question that often gets lost in apologetics: What can historians actually establish—and where does historical evidence end and faith begin? This is Part 1 of our very long attempt to answer that question. 00:00 Why This Resurrection Video 07:28 Apologetics as Reassurance 11:13 Faith Versus Evidence 13:06 Appeal to Authority Problems 23:22 God Exists Then Miracles 27:42 Supernatural Explanations Spiral 32:23 Is God Really 50/50? 34:11 Historians and Resurrection Claims 42:16 Easter Meditation Not Proof 44:38 Habermas and Minimal Facts 52:38 Three Es and Empty Tomb 56:46 Sherlock Holmes Historiography 01:00:57 Empty Tomb Sources and Context 01:04:17 Empty Tomb Objections 01:08:42 Why Not Produce the Body 01:10:53 Acts and Early Movement 01:13:35 Roman Religious Tolerance 01:16:17 Three Explanations Critique 01:21:35 Tomb Worship Skepticism 01:25:19 They Wouldnt Die for a Lie To join our discord community for $1 or to support my work/get early access to content, check out my patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/gayextrad To be a guest on the episode, visit my YT channel and send me an email.

I sat down with  ⁨@onehandpolitics⁩ and  ⁨@GregFromVideo1⁩   to compare three very different journeys out of Christianity. We talk about growing up Catholic and Evangelical, youth group culture, religious colleges, belonging, political identity, critical thinking, and what life looks like after leaving faith behind. Rather than debating theology, we explore why people believe, why people leave, and what replaces religion once you've built your identity around it. Whether you're religious, deconstructing, or simply curious, I hope this conversation gives you something to think about. 00:00 Mason's Backstory 03:36 Greg Youth Group Spiral 06:46 Cade Catholic Roots 09:21 College Faith Cracks 12:58 Scientology and Critical Thinking 16:23 Mason Deconstruction Breakpoint 22:54 Politics Meets Religion 27:18 Biola Rules and Side B 31:54 Belonging Beyond Religion 38:19 Calvinism And NPC Thinking 44:47 Will Religion Keep Declining? 54:04 Is Atheism A Religion 58:23 BITE Model Control Tactics 01:03:28 In Groups Define Out Groups 01:08:23 Tribalism And Power 01:10:46 Which Atheists Irritate 01:27:54 Science Is Not Ethics 01:34:10 Religion Can Liberate To join our discord community for $1 or to support my work/get early access to content, check out my patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/gayextrad To be a guest on the episode, visit my YT channel and send me an email.

DISCLAIMER: None of today's video should be used as medical advice. I am not a doctor, nor do I have any degrees in psychology/medication/etc. Only take medication under the supervision of a licensed medical provider. After being diagnosed with ADHD and spending the past year on medication, I've started looking very differently at my years in traditional Catholicism, my love of religious debates, and even the way I built this YouTube channel. Matt Walsh recently commented that 'psychiatry has done nothing for us,' and I use that clip as a jumping off point in today's video. In this video, I explore my hypothesis that ideological conflict can sometimes function as stimulation for an ADHD brain. I talk about how Catholic ritual and structure genuinely helped me manage symptoms I didn't yet understand, why I kept gravitating toward increasingly extreme religious positions, and why confrontation became such a powerful source of stimulation for me. I also share, for the first time, my experience taking ADHD medication: the fears I had about medication, masculinity, addiction, and changing my personality—and what actually happened after a year of treatment. 00:00 - 1: Introduction 01:54 - Outline 02:09 - Disclaimers 03:02 - 2: What Does An ADHD Brain Look Like? 08:19 - 3: Why ADHD'ers Self-Medicate With Stimuli 10:29 - 4: My Hypothesis: Extremism As Self Medication 16:09 - 5: How Catholicism 'Helped' My ADHD 21:29 - 6: ADHD As An Atheist YouTuber 22:50 - 7: How I Got on ADHD Medication 32:24 - 8.1: How Meds Have Changed Me 34:45 - 8.2: What Meds Mean for My Channel 36:21 - 9:  Meds Aren't Perfect To join our discord community for $1 or to support my work/get early access to content, check out my patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/gayextrad To be a guest on the episode, visit my YT channel and send me an email.

In this episode, Colin and I react to Brian Holdsworth's video "I'm Not Strong Enough to Be an Atheist." We unpack his portrayal of atheism through John Lennon and Nietzsche, discuss whether morality really requires God, and examine where we think his arguments miss the mark. Along the way we talk about humanism, socialism, religion, objective morality, Catholic apologetics, and what life after faith actually looks like. If you've ever wondered whether atheism inevitably leads to nihilism—or whether that's a false choice—this conversation is for you. 00:00 Back for Another Episode 02:00 Two Kinds of Atheism Setup 08:36 Commons Dilemma and Human Nature 10:42 Socialism and Incentives Pushback 17:55 Nietzsche and Moral Foundations 21:56 Objective Morality Debate 27:45 Master Morality and Power 31:58 Young Men and Nietzsche’s Appeal 34:32 Christianity vs Power Structures 38:06 No True Catholicism 42:34 Atheism Without Heroes 47:24 ADA and Mutual Benefit 48:46 Where Is the Thesis 49:37 Crusades and Contradictions 50:36 Nietzsche Illness as Gotcha 54:49 Capitalism and Collective Care To join our discord community for $1 or to support my work/get early access to content, check out my patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/gayextrad To be a guest on the episode, visit my YT channel and send me an email.

Joe Schmid from  ⁨@MajestyofReason⁩ announced that he has returned to Catholicism. As an agnostic/atheist YouTuber who left catholicism, I’ve been thinking about how people should respond when someone leaves their religious or ideological group. In this video, I lay out my “Ten Commandments” for responding to someone whose beliefs have changed. Drawing from my own experience leaving Catholicism and coming out, I talk about listening before arguing, taking people’s stated reasons seriously, respecting their autonomy, avoiding tribal “wins” and “losses,” and remembering that a person is always more important than the culture war surrounding them. I’ll have plenty to say about Joe’s arguments for Catholicism in future videos. But before we debate his reasons, I think atheists, Catholics, and everyone else should remember how to treat the person making the decision. 00:00 Joe Schmid Converts 01:06 1: Keep the Person First 02:57 2: Accept Change 04:43 3: Listen Twice 06:17 4: Define Words 07:43 5: Trust Reasons 09:03 6: Limited Knowledge 10:33 7:Lead With Empathy 11:22 8: Respect Autonomy 12:43 9: Stay Connected 14:47 10: Process Privately 16:04 My Next Video To join our discord community for $1 or to support my work/get early access to content, check out my patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/gayextrad To be a guest on the episode, visit my YT channel and send me an email.

Coming out is often portrayed as the happy ending—but for many people, it's only the beginning. In this conversation with former Catholic priest and licensed therapist Danny Peterson, we explore why so many LGBTQ people who come out later in life feel like they're reliving adolescence as adults. We discuss religious trauma, dating, therapy, identity, relationships, extended adolescence, ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), and what happens after the excitement of coming out fades into ordinary life. We also talk about why relationships don't magically become easy, why many people search for gurus or simple answers after leaving religion, and how learning to tolerate uncertainty can become one of the healthiest parts of healing. 00:00 From Priest to Therapist 03:55 Extended Adolescence Explained 09:52 Healthy Coming Out Skills 13:13 Values and Red Flags 18:09 Sex vs Relationship First 20:59 Finding Mentors and Community 28:21 The Coming Out Paradox 33:38 ACT and Moving Forward 41:30 Facing Hard Truths 46:42 Ditching Gurus Dogma 53:40 Therapy Expectations Reality 57:41 Allyship Religion Safeguards 01:00:16 Finding A Therapist 01:04:15 Private Practice Wrap Up To join our discord community for $1 or to support my work/get early access to content, check out my patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/gayextrad To be a guest on the episode, visit my YT channel and send me an email.

In this episode, Colin and I react to Brian Holdsworth's video asking whether "gay priests" are even a real thing. What starts as a discussion about labels quickly turns into a much bigger conversation about sexual orientation, Catholic theology, history, identity, and how the Church talks about same-sex attraction. We unpack the arguments, examine where we think the reasoning breaks down, and discuss why language matters when talking about real people. Along the way we dive into Pope Francis' comments on seminaries, the 2005 Vatican instruction on admitting men with same-sex attraction to the priesthood, ancient Greek sexuality, bisexuality, orientation, and why analogies don't always prove what people think they prove. 00:00 Pride Month Banter 01:06 Reacting to Brian Holdsworth 03:09 Pope Francis Quote Fallout 05:13 Ancient Rome Was Gay 08:20 Labels and Orientation Debate 13:54 Appetites and Identity Claim 17:49 Catholic Analogy Time 22:17 Cravings vs Human Love 25:04 Appetites Make You Gayer 31:55 Short Term Hookups Critique 35:46 Dehumanizing the Gay Label 38:15 Labels and Identity Sprawl 38:52 Paradox of Tolerance Rant 39:51 Honorary Gender Studies 40:38 Dodging the Priest Question 41:16 Chastity vs Gay Label 42:29 Church Policy Contradictions 44:29 Food and Gluttony Analogy 46:50 Spectrum and Ancient World 51:31 Frauds and Sacraments 55:10 Title Not Description Confusion 57:00 Trad Conspiracy Briefcase 01:00:02 Sponsor Break Real Estate 01:01:15 Why Labels Help Research 01:07:29 Why So Many Gay Priests 01:10:50 Growing Up Without Language 01:15:47 Landing the Plane Conclusion To join our discord community for $1 or to support my work/get early access to content, check out my patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/gayextrad To be a guest on the episode, visit my YT channel and send me an email.

A Catholic priest (Fr Philippe Dalleur) and youtuber (Ethan Muse) have argued that shadows in photographs taken at Fatima in 1917 provide scientific evidence for extraordinary sources of light in the sky. So I spent more than 100 hours investigating the claim, since my entire job revolves around working with cameras and lighting as a cinematographer. 00:00 - A "Miraculous" Photo? 01:03 - How the Science Should Work 02:32 - What Was Our Lady of Fatima? 03:34 - Series Overview (Skip This) 05:08 - Lenses Loose a Dimension 08:56 - Reason #1: Can't Really Calculate a Lost Dimension 11:27 - How to Actually Calibrate Lenses 14:14 - Reason #2: Vintage Lenses Make It Even Harder 16:17 - The Third Dimension 18:10 - Reason #3: They Didn't Validate Their Methods 19:13 - Reason #4: Shadows Can't Really Be Measured 22:13 - Example Optics of Similar Scene 22:52 - Preview of Part 2: Lies in Development This is a three part series. Part 1 (this video) covers why lenses make these calculations almost impossible without calibration. Part 2 will cover their terrible development process and post-production deception. And then Part 3 will recreate the lighting effect they're talking about. Source #1: "Fatima Pictures and Testimonials: in-depth Analysis" published on March 8, 2021in Scientia et Fides  (keep in mind, this is not a peer reviewed science journal, they claim it's 'peer reviewed' but the peers are humanities people) Source #2: "Fatima's Miracle Photo D115 - Sun Height Estimation" published on Sep 24, 2021 on the YouTube channel "BioPhilo" (I confirmed with Ethan that this is Dalleur's channel) Source #3: "Sun Elevation Evaluation Technique + HUD" published on Aug 10, 2022 on the YouTube channel "BioPhilo" Source #4: "Our Lady of Fatima" published on Sep 5, 2025 by Ethan Muse on his substack. Source #5: "It Wasn't the Sun!" published on Oct 10, 2025 by Ethan Muse on his substack. Source #6: "Catholic vs. Atheist: Was Fatima Miraculous?" of Ethan Muse and James Fodor on Jul 18, 2026 on the "Capturing Christianity" YouTube channel hosted by Cameron Burtuzzi To join our discord community for $1 or to support my work/get early access to content, check out my patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/gayextrad To be a guest on the episode, visit my YT channel and send me an email.

The recent SSPX excommunications have left a lot of Catholics—and even journalists—trying to understand what actually happened. In this episode, I sit down with Hunter, a former SSPX traditionalist (and also former sedevacantist seminarian), to unpack the history behind the headlines. We explain Vatican II, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, the founding of the SSPX, the 1988 episcopal consecrations, the creation of the FSSP, and why Pope Leo XIV's decision is different from previous popes. We also discuss how traditionalist movements understand authority, conscience, and obedience, and why this controversy has been building for decades rather than weeks. 00:00 SSPX Excommunication News 00:55 Hunter’s Trad Journey 03:31 What Happened In July in Econe, Switzerland 05:34 Nuclear Excommunication Explained 09:02 Vatican II Basics 12:06 Lefebvre and SSPX Origins 16:12 Spirit of Vatican II Debates 21:33 Key Doctrinal Flashpoints 27:28 Subsistit In Controversy 30:28 1974 Declaration and Breakaway 33:50 1983 Split and Sedevacantists 36:04 Obedience Paradox and Fallout 36:57 Bad Commands vs Doctrine 37:42 Sedevacantists Inside SSPX 41:15 1988 Bishops and Split 44:17 Valid vs Licit Sacraments 46:51 Obedience Paradox and Conscience 57:54 July Consecrations Fallout 01:03:24 Will SSPX Radicalize 01:07:09 Future of Trad Groups 01:09:49 Wrap Up and Thanks To join our discord community for $1 or to support my work/get early access to content, check out my patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/gayextrad To be a guest on the episode, visit my YT channel and send me an email.