Meet the Godless Guide

I’m known online as The Godless Guide. With an audience of more than 300,000 followers, I examine Christianity and religious belief through evidence, reason, and lived experience.

My work didn’t begin on social media—it began in the pulpit. I spent years as a pastor, teaching and defending doctrines I was trained to trust. Over time, the contradictions became impossible to ignore. When the evidence no longer supported the claims I was expected to uphold, I chose honesty over certainty and stepped away from the church.

That decision reshaped how I understand belief, authority, and identity. Today, The Godless Guide exists to help people think clearly about religion—especially those who have already left, or are in the process of leaving, Christianity.

Through videos, writing, and structured content, I focus on:

Examining biblical claims and commonly misused passages
Understanding the psychological impact of religious belief
Making sense of life after faith without replacing one system with another

This work is not about debate, reconversion, or belief repair. It is about clarity, autonomy, and intellectual integrity after religion.

Outside of this work, my background is less conventional. Before launching The Godless Guide, I spent over a decade as a stand-up comedian, a season as a rodeo clown, and I remain a lifelong professional wrestling fan. I live in Washington with my wife, two step-kids, and our English bulldog, Teddy.

The Godless Guide exists because leaving religion often creates confusion, isolation, and unanswered questions. My goal is not to tell people what to believe—but to help them understand what they’ve already experienced, and to move forward without fear or dogma.

My Story

My journey into grief counseling didn’t begin in a classroom—it began in the quiet, sacred spaces of pediatric hospitals. I started my work in grief by supporting families facing unimaginable pain in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). In those early years, I specialized in pediatric grief and trauma, often walking with parents as they said goodbye to their newborns or held vigil at a child’s bedside, praying for more time.

Those moments changed me.

I witnessed the rawest forms of love and loss—the kind that doesn’t have easy words or clean endings. I learned that grief doesn’t follow a script, and it certainly doesn’t have a timeline. What families needed in those moments wasn’t a solution. They needed presence. They needed someone to witness their pain, hold space for their heartbreak, and help them find meaning in the chaos.

As I continued my work in chaplaincy and healthcare, I found myself returning again and again to grief support. Over time, I realized that grief wasn’t just part of my job—it was my calling. I felt drawn to the stories people carried, especially in the days and weeks after the crisis passed, when the world moved on but their pain remained.

I believe grief is not a problem to solve—it’s a process to honor. Whether you’re grieving the loss of a loved one, a relationship, a version of yourself, or a future that didn’t happen, your grief matters.

In my practice, I use evidence-based frameworks like Worden’s Tasks of Mourning and Kohut’s Self-Psychology, but more than anything, I offer presence. My work is informed by years at the bedside, my own journey of personal loss, and the belief that healing comes through connection, not correction.

Grief counseling isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about offering the right presence—and walking with people toward meaning, resilience, and renewal.

That’s the work I’m honored to do.

Contact

👋 Hey there! If you’re navigating grief, burnout, or big life changes—you’re not alone. At Praxis Pathways Northwest, we create space for healing, growth, and real connection. Whether you’re here to process loss, rediscover your purpose, or just figure out the next right step—I’d be honored to walk with you. Let’s connect. 💬

Email Me: john@praxispathways.org