Ep. 12: Deconstructing Toxic Christianity One Joke at a Time with Kristina Harutoonian (The DTR Blog)

Show Notes

Episode Summary

When our journeys take us to unexpected places, sometimes all we can do is cry…and make jokes about it. For Kristina Harutoonian, the personality behind @thedtrblog, when she started deconstructing her faith because of toxic leaders and theologies, she never anticipated eventually using her sense of humor to speak out against them. But today, because of her incredible journey, she’s embraced the challenge. We chat with her about her transformation and why she’s so passionate about being a hilarious force for good.

Bio

Kristina Harutoonian is a faith-informed writer, speaker, comic, host, and popular online persona. The spirited voice behind The DTR Blog, this Iranian-American woman is unafraid to break barriers and raise tough questions related to topics like trauma, emotional suffering, and the world’s longest season of singleness. Holding a degree in Global Studies, a certification in Biblical Studies, and pursuing a Masters in Social Work, Kristina has an internationally and spiritually informed perspective that is fully attuned to the inner thoughts and struggles of her fellow Millennials. Serving as a women’s treatment counselor, Kristina longs to see others flourish in true mental, emotional, and spiritual freedom. She’s also currently single—if you know anybody.

Follow Kristina on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter and check out her blog!

Quotables

• “When it comes to male-female interpersonal relationships, the Church basically trained us to be incredibly unhealthy.” (tweet this)

• “Why would we tell a child, ‘There’s no wrong question. Ask questions!’ but then as an adult, it’s like, ‘Don’t ask, just follow’?” (tweet this)

• “Just one voice of dissent in a group completely infiltrates the conformity and has a positive effect on the group and the person.” (tweet this)

• “Ostracizing someone is one of the most damaging things that can be done to a person.” (tweet this)

• “Once the voices of dissent become more than the original voice, that’s how you know people are catching on and change will come.” (tweet this)

• “I think being able to talk about terrible things while also laughing instead of always crying can allow the real conversation to break forth.” (tweet this)

• “I believe God loves when we ask questions.” (tweet this)

• “When I look at Jesus, He was such an advocate for people who were oppressed and ostracized. It is such a different experience from what we see coming from the church building.” (tweet this)

• “A human being has a choice in life to either advocate for and help the vulnerable or to condemn.” (tweet this)

Timestamps and References

• [02:25]—Kristina’s journey through faith deconstruction and what led her to start The DTR Blog

• [05:43]—Why she chose DTR for the name

• [07:36]—How Kristina came to see the evangelical church’s teachings on male-female relationships and purity as extremely unhealthy

• [11:50]—Some of the toxic parts of Christianity that Kristina had to deconstruct and now uses her platform to call out and dismantle

• [15:49]—Psychologist Diane Langberg

• [17:38]—Kristina’s observations about why some of the more harmful, black-and-white thinkers are experiencing a resurgence

• [21:55]—What caused Kristina to use her voice to speak out against injustice, manipulation, and toxic Christian leaders

• [24:40]—Kristina’s blog post about Trump and how many Christians reacted to it

• [29:03]—Why dissent matters and how it affects everyone

• [33:10]—How humor can help us heal from trauma and tragedy

• [38:19]—Why Kristina still considers herself a Christian

• [41:00]—What gives Kristina hope for the future of faith

• [44:10]—Rapid Fire questions

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Credits

This episode was produced by The Sophia Society. Music is by Faith in Foxholes, and sound engineering is by Joshua Mudge.