Episode 50: A Pastor, Atheist and Sex Educator Connect

Three friends: Kara, Rola, and Kirt spend some time talking about how they have deconstructed the ideas they grew up with around God, the body, and sex. Rola is a Presbyterian pastor from Lebanon who talks about what it was like growing up in a culture that cries when a girl is born, and how she has transformed her view on her body and worth. Kirt shares what it was like growing up in an Evangelical church, then becoming a pastor in that denomination and how he experienced a sense of distrust and was unable to recognize his own needs and wants.  Rola Al Ashkar is a pastor, yogi, dancer, community organizer, and nature enthusiast from Lebanon. She is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), a liberal and progressive denomination. Rola is a certified yoga instructor (RYT 200) and the founder and organizer of ἴama yoga, a free yoga community that meets in the courtyard of Westminster Presbyterian Church, in downtown Sacramento, where she also serves as Ministry Assistant. Rola believes that emotional, physical and spiritual health are tied together. Her hope is to make yoga accessible for everyone, and to offer through this practice healing and wholeness, in body, mind and spirit. Learn more at www.iamayoga.com Kirt Lewis is passionate about emotional health, sexuality, environmentalism, and advancing economic equality and human rights for historically oppressed, predominantly minority communities. After leaving the church and ministry in 2017, Kirt has been engaged in conversations and passion projects centered on advancing the cause of recovery from religious trauma. Professionally, he works for International Rescue Committee, a secular humanitarian organization on a special project with the City of Sacramento that provides free professional, personal financial coaching to low to moderate income residents. Most importantly, he is learning to love and grow up into his authentic self along with his two beautiful daughters, girlfriend and warm but moderately crazy cat. Learn more at www.kirtelewis.com  *In this episode Kara uses the word homosexual but understands the proper terminology is gay.