#111 John Fugelsang: How Religion Was Hijacked

On this episode of the Acid For Squares podcast, hosts Tanya Dahl and Cody Blue sit down with comedian, broadcaster, and New York Times bestselling author John Fugelsang, whose acclaimed book, Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds, takes an irreverent but deeply informed look at religion, fundamentalism, and the people who weaponize faith for power.

John shares the personal journey that led him to write Separation of Church and Hate, exploring his own relationship with religion and the experiences that pushed him to examine the growing divide between the higher ideals found within spiritual traditions and the hatred sometimes carried out in their name. Together, John, Cody, and Tanya unpack how religious teachings have been distorted throughout history by extremist fundamentalists and political movements, turning belief systems centered on compassion, mercy, and service into tools for division, discrimination, control, and fear.

John breaks down the warning signs of religious fundamentalism, why certainty and extremism can become so dangerous, and how sacred texts can be manipulated to justify ideas that may directly contradict the values they claim to represent. The conversation also explores Christian nationalism, hypocrisy within religious institutions, the relationship between faith and political power, and how ordinary people can challenge extremism without abandoning spirituality altogether. Most importantly, John offers a path toward reclaiming the compassion, love, humility, and humanity at the heart of religion while rejecting those who attempt to use faith as a weapon.

This is a provocative, funny, deeply thoughtful conversation about faith, power, hypocrisy, compassion, and what happens when religion becomes less about loving your neighbor and more about controlling them.

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