In January 2012, 22-year-old Tacoma, Wash. resident Jefferson Bethke posted a recorded performance of his poem “Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus” on YouTube. It was an overnight internet sensation, garnering more than 18 million hits and coverage in national publications and broadcast outlets. In this Odyssey Networks interview filmed at his church in Seattle, Bethke explains why he felt compelled to make public his view on modern religion, and defends himself against some of the criticisms lodged against his poem.

Reprinted with permission from Odyssey Networks