🎙️ Episode 6: How To Make Sense of Scripture After Religion

What do you do with the Bible after you leave the faith you were raised in?

In this honest and wide-ranging episode, James explores six ways people relate to scripture after religion—whether they still read it, reject it, reinterpret it, or wrestle with all of the above.

If the Bible shaped your beliefs, identity, and worldview, it can be hard to know how (or if) it still fits. This episode doesn’t give you one right answer—it gives you permission to be wherever you are.

We’ll talk about:

• Why literal belief can lead to real harm
• The appeal (and limits) of “just give me Jesus”
• How metaphors can heal—but also hide things
• The freedom of saying “I don’t know”
• What it means to walk away without shame
• And why most of us end up with a mix of all six

This is for anyone who’s ever asked: Can I still find meaning in a book that once wounded me?

And maybe more importantly: Do I have to figure that out today?

🌀 You’re still growing. 🌱 You’re still sacred. 🔥 You’re still free.

🎙️ Episode 5: What Comes After—and Why Joy Can’t Wait

What happens when we stop treating this life like a waiting room?

In this episode, James takes on one of the biggest, most tiptoed-around topics: the afterlife. But instead of getting lost in speculation, we explore how our beliefs about what comes after can quietly shape how we live now.

From growing up in fear of hell to realizing the kingdom is already within us, this episode asks: What if joy isn’t something we wait for—but something we’re meant to wake up to?

We’ll talk about:

• Why life was taught as a test (and how that messes with joy)
• What Jesus actually meant when he said “I go to prepare a place”
• The cost of waiting for heaven instead of living fully here
• Why the kingdom isn’t later—it’s now
• What James really believes happens when we die
• And how we begin to remember that we are already divine

If you’ve ever wrestled with fear about eternity or felt like joy had to wait, this conversation is for you.

🌀 Stay curious. 🌱 Stay grounded. 🔥 Stay real.

Episode 4 – What Do You Really Want? with James Kiger | Real Without Religion

What if your deepest desires aren’t selfish—but sacred?

In this episode, James Kiger unpacks the question religion rarely let us ask: What do you really want? Not what sounds holy or humble. Not what your parents hoped for. But the real, soul-level longing inside you.

From old church teachings that labeled desire as dangerous to the truth that wanting more is part of your spiritual wiring, this episode offers a fresh, freeing perspective. You'll explore how to reconnect with your inner compass—without guilt or fear.

Because wanting is human. And it might just be the doorway to everything real.

— Real Without Religion is a podcast for spiritual seekers, deconstructors, and fellow travelers reclaiming their power, purpose, and joy beyond church walls.

Episode 3 — Who Told You You Were Broken?

Subtitle: Unlearning the Shame-Based Faith We Inherited

What if the most damaging thing you ever believed… wasn’t about God, but about yourself?

In this episode of Real Without Religion, James Kiger takes a raw and liberating look at the shame-based programming so many of us grew up with. From altar calls to worm theology (yep, that’s a thing), we explore how our spiritual self-image got hijacked—and how to finally get it back.

You’ll hear:

• Why “you’re broken” became the default setting in modern religion
• How shame became a business model—and who profits from it
• The real message of the Prodigal Son (spoiler: it’s not about guilt)
• Why your life can’t rise higher than your self-image
• What it means to reprogram your mind instead of managing your sin

🌀 Reflection Prompt: Who told you you were broken? And what if they were wrong? What would your life look like if you believed you were already whole?

Episode 2 — Letting Go of Religion, Not of God

Subtitle: How to Heal Your Faith and Manifest a New World

In this very first episode of Real Without Religion, James Kiger opens up about what it’s like to leave the religious system without losing your connection to something deeper. From fear-based faith to the quiet voice of your own intuition, this episode invites you to start asking better questions—and maybe, to finally trust what you’ve always known inside.

We’re talking about:

• What it really means to leave religion (and why it doesn’t mean leaving God)
• How fear shaped our view of God—and how to reimagine something more loving
• Why your thoughts shape your spiritual experience (and your whole life)
• The inner voice you were trained to ignore—and why it might be your way back
• A new way to define faith, connection, and your own worth

You’ll also hear James’ personal story of stepping away from the pulpit, what Albert Einstein had to say about God, and why “Jamie Keirgan” almost became his alias.

📓 Reflection Question: If you could believe in any version of God—what would that God be like?

Subscribe and share if you’re on the path of rebuilding your faith without the baggage. Next episode: “Who Told You You Were Broken?”—reclaiming your spiritual worth.

🎙️ Episode Title: Before We Begin: Why This Podcast Exists

Podcast: Real Without Religion with James Kiger

👣 Episode Summary:

In this opening episode, James Kiger — a former pastor turned spiritual teacher — shares the raw, personal story behind Real Without Religion. From questioning hell and the rapture to rediscovering his own divine spark, James invites listeners into a conversation that’s honest, unpolished, and real. No sermons. No scripts. Just the stuff we’ve all been thinking but were afraid to say out loud.

If you’ve ever asked:

• “Is this really what Jesus meant?”
• “Do I have to throw away everything to be spiritual?”
• “What if the divine has been within me all along?”

…then this podcast might be for you.

This is not about deconstruction for the sake of destruction. It’s about rebuilding something real — a spirituality that feels alive, joyful, and free. You’ll hear about sacred texts as metaphors, universal spiritual laws, and the beauty of reclaiming your inner voice.

So whether you’re burned out on religion or just curious about what lies beyond it, you’re welcome here. No guilt. No dogma. Just wonder, thoughtfulness, and maybe a laugh or two (Anita, we see you).

🔑 In This Episode:

• Why James walked away from the pulpit — but not from spirituality
• How asking honest questions led to a deeper kind of faith
• A reframed look at the Bible, Jesus, and the divine within
• What this podcast is (and isn’t) — and who it’s for

🧭 Key Themes:

• Letting go of fear-based faith
• Reclaiming sacredness without religion
• Embracing curiosity, inner wisdom, and spiritual freedom
• Meeting spiritual mentors like Neville Goddard & Florence Scovel Shinn
• Discovering the divine spark already within you