Saturday June 28
9:00am - 9:45am
BIG IDEA SERIES: Swipe Left, Swipe Right: The Future of Mating and Marriage – A Humanist’s Perspective
The way we date, partner, and build families is changing—and fast. Religious norms are fading, technology is reshaping how we connect, and more people than ever are asking big questions about what relationships should look like. In this eye-opening session, psychologist and cultural observer Dr. Darrel Ray invites us to think beyond the outdated rules and imagine a future of relationships rooted in humanist values. What does marriage look like in a world that values autonomy, consent, and equality? How can we respond with empathy to a world where so many are struggling to find connection? Let’s talk about what comes after the swipe—and how humanists can help shape the future of love.
Speaker
Darrel Ray
Darrel Ray, Ed.D. is a psychologist, consultant and lifelong student of religion and sexuality. He holds a BA in sociology/anthropology from Friends University, MA from Scarritt College and Ed.D. in counseling psychology from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University
He has written several books including, The God Virus: How Religion Infects Our Lives and Culture (IPC Press, 2009), and Sex and God: How Religion Distorts Sexuality (IPC Press 2012)
He has spoken throughout the US, the UK, Ireland, Australia, Canada, Capetown, South Africa, Santiago, Chili, and dozens of Universities in North America. Darrel can be heard regularly on such podcasts as The Atheist Experience, The Line, and The Thinking Atheist. He has been on ABC News in the US, as well as ABC News Australia among many other outlets. His research on Sex and Secularism has been referenced hundreds of times in such media outlets as Playboy Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, and The Daily Mail.
In 2009 he founded the international organization, RecoveringfromReligion.org. RfR serves the needs of people dealing with the consequences of leaving any religion. Today it has a presence in many countries with over 500 volunteers covering every time zone on the planet. In 2012 he also founded The Secular Therapy Project. A confidential service designed to help those with mental health needs find well-trained, secular therapists. The STP has therapists in 48 states and 9 countries with 984 registered therapists and over 36,500 registered clients.
In March 2023 Darrel completed a tour of Australia raising awareness of religious trauma. He spoke in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane and in Fall 2025 he will be touring the UK and Ireland to raise awareness of RfR and religious trauma.