John Verner
Atlanta
John Verner (He/Him) is a reporter for The Click and host of The Cult of Christianity podcast. Verner has been a reporter for The Click since 2022, specializing in religious/cult reporting and Atlanta area news. In his spare time, he enjoys hanging with Louis (his cat), wildlife photography, and writing music.
May 13, 2024
A Former ‘Well-Trained Wife’ Describes her Escape from Violent, Christian Patriarchy
In her upcoming memoir, Tia Levings challenges sanitized descriptions of extreme religious beliefs and shows how abusive environments persist under the guise of protecting religious rights.
November 12, 2023
40 Davids Challenge 3 Goliaths in Battle for Queer Rights at Religious Schools
There is a legal battle challenging LGBTQ+ discrimination within religious colleges in the United States. It revolves around the religious exemptions granted by the Department of Education under Title IX, allowing certain religious institutions to receive federal funding while circumventing regulations designed to protect LGBTQ+ students from discrimination. There are also financial interests at stake, involving non-profit organizations such as the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), both of which have intervened in the case.
April 6, 2023
Deconstructing R Scott Okamoto’s Story
R. Scott Okamoto refers to his journey as a process of deconstructing his beliefs. Deconstruction is a literary term that includes exploring and exposing contradictory messaging in prose or poetry. In recent years, former evangelicals, like Okamoto, have been using the term to describe the process of analyzing, and often leaving their faith. But Okamoto’s deconstruction of his Christianity wasn’t primarily about theological fallacies; it was intrinsically intertwined with his Asian identity.
December 22, 2022
Opinion: Addicted to Regurgitation – Churnalists at Large
Everyone’s doing it. And everyone knows that it’s wrong. Churnalism is a big part of our media cycle, and like all things, it’s getting worse. Churnalism is nothing more than an attempt to get clicks by repeating what everyone else says
November 16, 2022
Podcast: Troubling Trends in True Crime
The "true crime" genre continues to trend upwards in terms of production, consumption, and financial gain. But for journalists, is engaging with this genre ethical?