Bell (born September 26, 1971[1]) is an American former Seventh-day Adventist pastor[2] who became an atheist after spending a "year without God" as an experiment.

"[5] He currently serves as the National Organizing Manager for the Secular Student Alliance and as the Humanist Chaplain at the University of Southern California.

[6] Bell was born in Parma, Ohio, and spent his childhood in Loma Linda, a California suburb[7] largely populated by Seventh-day Adventists.

After finishing at Weimar, Bell went to work for the Pennsylvania Conference where he realized that "my harsh ideology was bumping up against real life.

"[8] When Bell started his career as a pastor, he learned that his congregation did not follow the Adventist religious laws to the letter.

[8] During his time as pastor, his church took part in many different social initiatives and charities, such as One Mile Mission, in which church members took responsibility for the well-being of every person within a one-mile radius; LA Voice, a faith-based organization which seeks to improve local communities through social change; and Imagine LA, which helps congregations mentor families coming out of homelessness.

[8] In March 2013, Bell was forced to resign from his position as a pastor,[9] after he had argued in favor of ordination of women and the rights of homosexuals.

According to Bell, the gap between him and his fellow clergymen had also widened due to his efforts for peace, justice, and interfaith dialogue, which were constantly met with resistance.

Christianity Today published an article, in which they criticized Bell's idea: "this notion that he can turn his faith off for one calendar year, then flip the switch back should he so desire strikes me as strange," wrote Laura Turner.

The podcast is part of the broader project Life After God, which serves to provide a "safe, hospitable space for people to explore their doubts, recalibrate their ‘moral compass’, and create new friendships.