Stories by Valerie Tarico

Valerie Tarico is a psychologist and writer in Seattle, Washington and the founder of Wisdom Commons. She is the author of "Trusting Doubt: A Former Evangelical Looks at Old Beliefs in a New Light" and "Deas and Other Imaginings." Her articles can be found at Awaypoint.Wordpress.com. subscribe to Valerie Tarico's feed

4 Things Kinky Sex and Christianity Have in Common

Posted on: May 6, 2013, Source: AlterNet

While the Abrahamic religions have tried to control sexuality, these traditions make use of the very urges they seek to suppress.

Why a Safe, Tiny Little Pill Scares the Hell out of Prude Christian Conservatives

Posted on: May 6, 2013, Source: AlterNet

By opposing Plan B, conservatives show they are willing to sacrifice women, teens and pre-teens on the altar of patriarchy and religion.

Mother Theresa's Masochism: Does Religion Demand Suffering to Keep People Passive?

Posted on: Apr 28, 2013, Source: AlterNet

Passive acceptance or even glorification of suffering can be adaptive when people have no choice. But why does so much religion -- particularly Catholicism -- fetishize pain?

Religious Trauma Syndrome: How Some Organized Religion Leads to Mental Health Problems

Posted on: Mar 25, 2013, Source: AlterNet

Groups that demand obedience and conformity produce fear, not love and growth.

I Was Raped: But the Usual Anti-Rape Approach May Not Help My Daughters

Posted on: Mar 19, 2013, Source: AlterNet

The frenzied public rhetoric about rape and rape culture is woefully inadequate.

Busting the Myth That Christians Are More Generous Than Non-Believers

Posted on: Feb 5, 2013, Source: AlterNet

Many religious people believe giving to the church is the be-all and end all of generosity.

The Real Truth About Weight Gain and Contraception

Posted on: Jan 21, 2013, Source: AlterNet

Here's the down-low on how different methods of contraception impact weight gain.

Does the Internet Spell Doom For Organized Religion?

Posted on: Jan 12, 2013, Source: AlterNet

Here's one theory why religion is in decline in many places around the world.

9 Ways to Beat the Patriarchal Christian Right on Abortion

Posted on: Jan 4, 2013, Source: AlterNet

Abortion is a moral, sacred choice, but the religious right has twisted the truth in an effort to maintain their patriarchal power. Here's how to win the conversation back.

Does the Bible Make Americans More Violent?

Posted on: Dec 21, 2012, Source: AlterNet

Americans can be notoriously prudish about sex, yet our entertainments are stuffed with violent acts. Could this go all the way back to the Bible?

12 Cool Holiday Traditions That Aren't About God or Shopping

Posted on: Dec 17, 2012, Source: AlterNet

Finding it a little tough to feel warm and chirpy about the birth of the baby Jesus?

West Point Military Cadet's Unsettling Story of How Christianity Dominates the Academy and Drove Him to Quit

Posted on: Dec 5, 2012, Source: AlterNet

A Q&A with Blake Page on religious discrimination at the US's most prestigious military academy.

How to Never Have Your Period Again

Posted on: Nov 24, 2012, Source: AlterNet

Many women don't realize how much they can control their monthly cycle.

What If Religious Fanaticism Killed Someone You Love?

Posted on: Nov 21, 2012, Source: AlterNet

The family of a woman who died after being denied an abortion are fighting so others don't suffer the same loss.

When Right-Wing Christians Stopped Thinking of Women as People

Posted on: Nov 15, 2012, Source: AlterNet

You'd be surprised at Christian denominations' positions on abortion in the 1970s.

What the Bible Says About Rape

Posted on: Nov 1, 2012, Source: AlterNet

Christians of many stripes are scrambling to distance themselves and their religion from Republican comments about rape. But a literal interpretation of the Bible is quite disturbing.

Will the Christian Right Hang Itself With Its Own Homophobia?

Posted on: Oct 23, 2012, Source: AlterNet

When teenagers, even many Christian teenagers, look at the Christian right's homophobia these days, it makes no sense to them. It just looks ugly.

The 20 Weirdest Religious Beliefs

Posted on: Oct 15, 2012, Source: AlterNet

Test your knowledge of which strange belief belongs to which religion.

Obamacare Simulation's Dramatic Effect on Teen Pregnancy Really a Technology Tipping Point

Posted on: Oct 12, 2012, Source: AlterNet

What got triggered when 9,000 women were offered free birth control in a recent study was a technology shift in a microcosm.

Suggestion That Jesus Was Married Sends the Christian Right into a Tizzy

Posted on: Oct 5, 2012, Source: AlterNet

When a papyrus mentioning Jesus's wife surfaced, the revelation that he Son of God might be married posed a great challenge to the Church.

Why Do the Craziest Religious People Get the Most Attention?

Posted on: Sep 26, 2012, Source: AlterNet

And how can more moderate voices be heard?

Is Prayer Selfish?

Posted on: Sep 11, 2012, Source: AlterNet

Asking God to stack the odds in our favor is asking him to stack them against someone else.

Does Mitt Romney Think He Is a Son of Abraham and That the Land of Zion Will Be his Inheritance?

Posted on: Aug 2, 2012, Source: AlterNet

Exploring the deeper tenets of Mormon theology.

A Bible-Based Approach to Health Care: Something Ails You? You Might Be Possessed by a Devil

Posted on: Jul 26, 2012, Source: AlterNet

Catholic Bishops have filed lawsuits against Obama's health care reforms -- here's a great reminder why Abrahamic religion should not be dictating national health policy.

Imagine Never Having to Have Your Period Again? The Truth About Menstruation

Posted on: Jul 15, 2012, Source: AlterNet

Many women don't know that they can stop their periods.

Conservative Christianity's Marketing Gimmick to Keep Its Old-Time, Heaven-and-Hell Religion Afloat

Posted on: Jul 9, 2012, Source: AlterNet

The Southern Baptists are staking their institutional future on the idea that patriarchal religion still has a market for some time to come.

Are Mormon Underwear Magic Between the Sheets?

Posted on: Jul 3, 2012, Source: AlterNet

To outsiders there is little more fascinating about the Mormon religion than the secret underwear that Mormon temple initiates are expected to wear day and night.

8 Ugly Sins of the Catholic Church

Posted on: Jun 11, 2012, Source: AlterNet

If pedophile payouts weren’t enough to convince you the Catholic leadership is often anything but moral, take a look at some of their other sins.

America: Where It's Easier to Get a Gun Than Good Mental Health Care

Posted on: Jun 10, 2012, Source: AlterNet

Gun violence is up. Access to good mental healthcare is down. What, exactly, are our priorities?

Child Evangelism Fellowship: The Christian Group Recruiting Kids in Public Schools

Posted on: Jun 6, 2012, Source: AlterNet

A fundamentalist Christian organization views children as a market for religious recruiting.

No Religion? 7 Types of Non-Believers

Posted on: Jun 3, 2012, Source: AlterNet

Religious labels help shore up identity. So what are some of the things non-believers can call themselves?

8 Ways Christian Fundamentalists Make People Convert -- to Agnosticism or Atheism

Posted on: May 27, 2012, Source: AlterNet

Here are some top ways Christians push people out the church door or shove secret skeptics out of the closet.

Should Atheists Slam Religion or Show Respect?

Posted on: May 4, 2012, Source: AlterNet

As the atheist movement expands, we need to consider whether non-belief will gain more traction if prominent atheists are more respectful of religion.

How I Left My Evangelical Christian Faith

Posted on: Apr 25, 2012, Source: AlterNet

Lots of people have successfully left their religious faith behind. Here's what the path out looks like.

Captive Virgins, Polygamy, Sex Slaves: What Marriage Would Look Like if We Actually Followed the Bible

Posted on: Mar 27, 2012, Source: AlterNet

How many so-called Biblical literalists have actually read the whole Bible? Let's see what God really has to say about marriage.

Former Mormon: What Americans Need to Know About Mormonism

Posted on: Mar 26, 2012, Source: AlterNet

How might Mitt Romney’s faith affect his social, economic or diplomatic priorities?

30 Signs You're a Slut

Posted on: Mar 14, 2012, Source: AlterNet

Tens of millions of American women are sluts, according to right-wing patriarchs. Take this easy quiz to find out if you qualify.

15 Ways the Bible Is Used by Christians and the GOP to Control and Malign Women

Posted on: Mar 8, 2012, Source: AlterNet

Fundamentalist religion of all stripes has degradation of women at its core, and fundamentalist Christianity is no exception.

How the Fundamentalist Mind Compels Conservative Christians to Force Their Beliefs on You

Posted on: Mar 7, 2012, Source: AlterNet

Good people are willing to subvert the U.S. Constitution and even violate human decency in their quest for converts.

3 Ways Conservative Christianity's Obsessions Promote Abortions

Posted on: Jan 24, 2012, Source: Away Point

One of the great ironies of American society is that most abortions in the U.S. are caused by conservative Christians.

Pages