In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Jim Barrows and Secular Rarity take on calls about divorce, single parents, trans women, and technology before Armin Navabi flies in to help.Andrea in FL calls to claim that atheism leads to higher divorce rates and that Christians have more satisfactory sex lives than atheists. How do you explain the Pew Research Center studies that contradict this claim? Is it more important to stay married and be miserable for the children or is it better to teach them about happiness? What is it specifically about being married and not getting a divorce that makes people better?Otari in the nation of Georgia proposes that children of single parent households are more likely to be delinquent. What studies do we have that single parent households are radically problematic? Could the problem be linked to only one income for the household and poverty? Other than income, how are two parents raising a child better than one? Is the real problem divorce, or is it socioeconomic status? Would abortion cut down on single parent households?Nate in CA asks if trans people competing in sports would have a physical advantage, and what the difference is between sex and gender. Some cis women can have naturally higher levels of testosterone than other cis women. In sports, why are we testing women for testosterone levels but not men? People can be born intersexed, and also be born with different gendered brains. We would rather be on the side of inclusivity to give everyone a chance to participate. Corey in TX asks how technology changing our environment affects our evolution, and is it causing it to speed up. We may be able to evolve to handle higher levels of pollution, but how rapidly do the pollution levels change? There can be a new species of hominids that evolves alongside homo sapiens. Theist in the USA claims that theists have better lives than atheists. There is nothing about community building that is better with religion, and there is no link of intelligence to either atheism or religion. There is no data to demonstrate that atheists are more likely to go down a bad path. If an action increases the overall happiness, then it is good. The evangelical stance on LGBTQA increases the number of suicides in that community, and that is a bad thing. Do NOT Google dolphins having sex with blow holes. Mr. Porter from IL asks what the worst evidence for god is. Jim mentions to look at the trees and Armin says it is the argument for chicken. Kathy in IL calls as an atheist attending the Unitarian Universalist Church, and explains how their model is not conversion, but cooperation. Compared to other religions, this may be good, but secular humanism is a better instrument. When a church seems loving and tolerant, but accepts bad ideas, we must oppose that. Thank you for tuning in this week! Question of the week is: What should the Norse have had a god of, but didn’t? Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, our hostesses with the mostess are Forrest Valki & Armin Navabi.Let’s welcome our first caller is Alan from Wisconsin, who as an atheist, is dealing with the all too common issue of a theist’s view that bad things happen to people due to their lack of faith. He discusses wanting to have that frustrating conversation with as much respect and tact as he can. Our hosts share what has worked for them and how this is a common misperception.Second caller up to the proverbial bat is Dave from Connecticut. Now Dave gives his explanation of why faith is the only access we can have with God and “smart” people know this where those of “less” intelligence cannot understand what faith is and needing it to access God. Does this sound a little bit egotistical? A mental gymnastic game? You are right! Let’s listen to Armin and Forrest break this down and how silly that is.Caller number three gives a ring, his name is the Monkey King, and he doesn’t know anything.Ohhh boy! Michael is the fourth caller and he tries to give God a pass on biblical slavery. Do you need any more detail than that? Yeah, I didn’t think so. Oh! And some antisemitism to boot!Moving to a more productive topic, Carlos in Puerto Rico calls in dealing with the title of being an anti-theist. Forrest explains his hostility against religious teachings, the harm it does, and how he identifies as an anti-theist. Armin adds on explaining why we as activists, care for religious people as they are the victims of theism and pushing against the bad ideas that actively hurts our fellow human beings.Caller number 6 comes from John living with our friendly neighbors of the north, Canada. Now John brings up Pascal’s Wager which is easy to refute, but then takes a hard right turn to God creating the USA, as the greatest nation? Dear reader, if you belong to another country, I do apologize for this idiotic opinion. Oh! And a touch of trans-phobia. This call goes a little all over the place.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Today’s Atheist Experience is live in the studio with Forest Valkai, JMike, and Johnny P. Angel! They operate as a triple host power team to help us work through pubic angles, Biblical interpretations, more pubic angles, bad design, and casting off religious weights.Evan in VA knows Jesus is true because the Bible says so, and asks the hosts how they know if something they believe is true. Simplicity works for philosophy and evidence works for science. If there is not a good reason to know something, we either stop believing, or look for evidence to see what we should believe. Functionality works if we are not trying to shoehorn something into our beliefs. The perceived reality that we live in has facts that are true and can be tested. Which version of the Bible is true? How do you know that the red lettering are the words of Jesus? Amanuel in TX says that the teachings of the Old and New Testaments are consistent with each other. In Judaism, was the Messiah a concept of a dying and rising god? How do you know what parts to believe and what to not believe? Was there a talking donkey? Other than the book, what raises the probability that this is true? Do you understand the difference between something being evidence based and something being book based? What use is a mental model that will allow you to believe absolutely anything?An audience member asks how we change our brain space to recognize our own power and ability to cast off religious weights. The biggest deconversion manual is the Bible. Exploring and analyzing your faith with a critical eye is a start.Otari, in the nation of Georgia, asks how evolution accounts for bad design in humans like the way the fall of man does and why homosexuality does not lead to extinction. Recent evolution in humans explains this because we can make testable predictions. According to the Bible, god told the very first lie in history to explain bad design. The reason why homosexuality does not lead to extinction is because they are not 100% of the population. This has been observed in over 1,500 species and something that is this ubiquitous, clearly has some sort of benefit.Jimmie in TX feels there is no contradiction in scripture, Forrest’s interpretation is outrageous, and we should listen to Joseph Campbell when interpreting the endemic myth. Do you have access to god’s intentions and know what he wants you to interpret? How do you know that god did not want us to interpret the Bible literally, or a different way? When you criticize another’s view, you have to beg the question.Thank you for tuning in this week! Question of the week is: What is the best comeback for when someone says, “A fool says in his heart, there is no god.”Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Johnny P. Angel and Hemant Mehta work through calls of free will, the supernatural, and morality. Art in PA says god is believable because people have seeked thousands of gods over thousands of years and you still have to believe in god to give up the Bible. Just because people were looking for something does not mean they were on the right track for what they are seeking. Wanting something to exist does not make it true. Why would an appeal to popularity make something true? If you care about truth, what is the best thing to do? David in Ireland asks how to deconstruct supernatural beliefs when using things such as Tarot cards or crystals. Going through a ritualistic process can put yourself in a different mental state of focus, but does not mean the items used in the ritual have any special powers. How do you know these items are helping more than any other practice? If all these tools you use disappear, would you end up in the same place? The power is within you and you do not need magical items. Tyler in NC does not believe god exists, but is not sure about free will. The idea of free will or not free will is a false dichotomy. How can a circumscribed universe of limited choices be considered free will?Sam in NY says that if people don’t pray, they are incomplete. Are people who believe in a different god from you incomplete? What is the feeling of the power of prayer? How did you become complete? Is god’s power limited to that of sight? Why do you believe the Bible is true? What if something is in the Quran but not the Bible? Are people who pray that use other books than the Bible or Quran? Shinobi Sheran in the USA believes a woman should have the right to choose all around. Who should make medical decisions on people’s behalf? Once a politician starts making these decisions, it can be a slippery slope. Jon in FL does not believe religion is needed for morality. Why do you believe this? Countries that have the smallest belief in religion are arguably the most moral. How do you define morality? If you Google Phil Zuckerman you will find some interesting information on this. It will be hard to find anything that shows religious people are more moral when the playing field is even. The differences between secular morality and religious morality reside in the goals of each. Dave in India asks if god is the government’s way of controlling people and part of the military industrial complex. What version of these beliefs would get people to think a certain way? The belief in a higher power has been around before nations had militaries and leaders may sprinkle the fairy dust of religion on their mission. This does not mean it is part of a conspiracy. When politicians use religion as a weapon, it backfires. Thank you for tuning in today! The question of the week is: What is the weirdest Bible story?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Secular Rarity(a.k.a. "Schmike") and Jmike get philosophically fun as callers discuss deconstruction and free will.Devon in CA calls to discuss how worshiping in two religions at one time does not make sense. Some religions have beliefs that are mutually exclusive, but there are also some that are not. How often do you run into people who have dual beliefs? When you see this, analyze the two and compare the contradictions. What is the criteria used to pick these two different beliefs? It is important to have consistency to help not hold two contradictory beliefs. Austin from TX informs us that Alex Grey is building a Chapel of Sacred Mirrors in NY, and this work of art encompasses all the theist ways of being. How do you arrive at this being what your religion is about? What are they doing to demonstrate their truth claim of there being a god? How do you determine what is true from religions to incorporate into your world view? How would this be independently verified?Alan in TX believes we have choices with consequences so therefore we all have free will. Do you believe that if you were given the ability to rewind life, that you would not make the same decision you did five minutes prior? If you chose A over B, is there something that explains why? Are there agents in your brain that can break the causal chain? Where does the free will sneak in? How do you demonstrate that free will exists without referring to things that are predetermined? Do you think your thoughts before you think your thoughts?Jason, a former megachurch pastor in CA, asks how to latch on to something larger than the self to find new purpose when in the state of post deconstruction. Secular Rarity explains there is nothing that is needed if one already knows how to connect with other people. There is no space to be filled because all you have is the beauty of the world around you, and no longer have the need for added magic. There are lots of systems out there that are incredibly worthwhile in terms of understanding the world and giving us a framework of what we should be doing next. When you step away from the supernatural, you get to discuss the big questions in life. The Clergy Project and Recovering from Religion are two great resources for people that are deconstructing. Love and grace from some religious communities might be conditional. Dustin in WI believes we have free will because language informs decisions. Free will is not defended by being defeated. How do you demonstrate that something does not work out the same way if we go back in time? Just stating that you can move your arm, does not tell us that the movement was your own free will. Where does the free will come from if it exists?Thank you for tuning in! You are pre-determined to consider the question of the week: What would be a red flag on a religious dating app? We will see you next week because you don’t have a choice in the matter.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Today’s Atheist Experience has Objectively Dan and Christy Powell in the studio take audience questions in between wrestling with concepts from callers.God’s Sign in CA calls to say that Christianity is not immoral because it teaches one to be selfless. Why does this need to be Christianity and not the Boy Scouts or some other organization? Many people have a moral problem with the scriptures, including the words of Paul from the New Testament. If Jesus was god, was the crucifixion really a sacrifice? How do you feel about the extortion threat of hell?Gene in TX brings up Matthew 10 where Jesus tells the disciples to not preach his message to anyone but the people of Israel, and that some of them will still be living when he returns. There are weird differences in each of the gospels. Gene also tells us about Southern Baptist groups called the Royal Ambassadors(RAs) and Girls Auxiliary(GAs) that seem to be somewhat of a mystery. Lee from the audience asks why it takes some people longer to figure things out with their beliefs. It is not the individual brain power; it is about how you grew up. Being smart and believing in god are not mutually exclusive ideas. PG in TX wants to know why it seems like atheists switch from the supernatural god to the god state because they leave religion and become authoritarian. People are leaving Christianity often because of political issues. There are a lot of atheists who lean left, but why do so many people on the right have a god belief?Omar from the audience asks if there are Bible verses or ideas that contradict the possibility of aliens. This world was supposed to be for people made in his image and if it is only 6,000 years old, aliens don’t factor into that.Jay in IL claims that god is life and life created everything. Is cancer in children and war from god too? Why should we believe the Bible is true without using the Bible as a reference? If we all have “common sense”, why do we need the Bible? Would you have the same notion of god if you have been born in Japan where less than 2% of people believe in god?Figgy in NY brings up that sometimes callers are questioning their beliefs. If your belief system can’t hold up to scrutiny, that is something you need to be questioning.Jose in Honduras asks the hosts what caused them to lose their faith. Christy explains the reasons as logical errors in the bible and how LGBTQIA people would be rejected by Christ. Dan realized there were man made parts in the Bible and god has never contacted him.Robert in TX has a dilemma because science can’t really explain the origin of things. There is a human desire to fill in any question we don't have an answer for with something else. Have Christians proved the origin?Thank you for tuning in! The question of the Week: Where did the Catholic Church really get all their money? (Wrong answers only).Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome to The Atheist Experience! Our hosts Secular Rarity and David Warnock are looking for proof of God. Or Allah. Or Jesus. Or even Thor. Will they get it? Probably not, but you will be entertained!Peter from MA wants to talk about blasphemy, having humility, and where does that come from. Our hosts discuss how human beings need to be “checked”. That science shows us where we are wrong and to learn from being wrong. We all have limits in our knowledge, and that’s a good thing. We are all human after all.Mason from Florida is asking why we care for animals, children, each other, etc? Unless some God or other outside entity gives us that love? Does this sound like circular reasoning? Yes reader, you are correct, it is.Lisa from CO is on the journey! YAY! And like many, has had these thoughts, moments, feelings that feels “outside” their own thinking/experience/perspective. So, how do we differentiate between what is our own minds and something “outside” of our minds? The hosts walk through the philosophy and the psychology of how we process information, how we learn, and how it manifests into our consciousness. Our brains are amazing! (though very flawed)Yoel from NY tells our hosts what he believes. Now, can God be the creator of everything and be everything? Confusing isn’t it? Listen in folks, this is gonna be good!Ultimated Judeo Christian from Australia calls. He is saying words about his belief in his God and wants our hosts to convert. How does he do this? This show notes’ writer is not sure, as he sounds like a random word generator. The hosts tried to get UJC to make sense. They tried.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Let’s welcome our first caller Michael, whose limited understanding of quantum mechanics somehow equals consciousness and that leads to God existing. Now, if this seems like a leap in logic, well because it is. This also has something to do with abiogenesis and life wouldn’t be likely without a God? Well dear audience, this seems a bit confusing & a bit of a gish gallop. Let’s watch our hosts walk Michael through the flaws in his thinking shall we?Hey Arnold from Texas! Our number two caller brings to our hosts the probability of God due to the predisposition of human beings to believe in a God. Emma gives a great response on the flaws in evolution, animals having supernatural beliefs, and how socially we used religion/beliefs to form cultures still doesn’t prove a God/Gods.Jimmy, our third caller from the great state of Texas asks our hosts, does rationality lead to an atheistic perspective? The hosts argue that rationality and intelligence does not mean atheism comes afterwards, nor is it a perfect tool, and in some cases may lead to flawed thinking and logic. Jimmy also explains how a “spiritual” experience informed his beliefs and our hosts question how that proves a God exists.John from Canada calls to argue (terribly) for the “merits” of being anti-choice. Though he agrees the government shouldn’t be involved in making decisions when it comes to his own body, but if you own a uterus? Nah! Hypocritical much? This show notes writer could go into why this is silly, but our hosts do a fantastic job. Listen in!Otari from Georgia wants to have a conversation about how it seems illogical to think the Universe came into being without a creator. Johnny and Emma bring up certain logical fallacies such as the entropy principle and the randomness of the universe as a way to counter that thinking. Nick from New York calls in asking for help and a new perspective on the gospels, specifically that the authors would knowingly lie to say salvation comes through Jesus. Emma and Johnny bring up that the Bible can be used as a historical and mythology book for the people at that time, but still cannot be used to prove divinity or anything supernatural. This moves into a conversation of morality, God’s role to the believer, and the arguments how God, even if he existed, is not needed for morality.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Christy Powell and Jimmy Jr., are live with fun words of encouragement! Darius in CA asks about how to have a conversation with believers at his grandmother’s funeral. This is the time to be with family and get through this rather than discuss beliefs. How upsetting are ideas of the afterlife or lack thereof for you? Be mindful of your own experiences and how painful this can be. Arthur in NY asks how religious extremists and atheists can get to a place where they can harmonize. It takes these conversations to move the needle. There will always be diversity which means conflict, but we are getting better by working together as a species. We can create a more harmonious society in part by having these discussions. JR. in WA asks about private revelations leading to public revelations, and if god is pushing towards the model of prophets. Which god would it be that is pushing this model? How can you tell the difference between a visit from your god or something that was made up? It would be good to understand what your own thoughts sound like and how to figure out how to differentiate between those thoughts and god’s revelation. Frank in NC does not believe in the god that commands violent actions, but the god that is about love and freedom. Who is the god you believe in and how do you know it wants love and freedom for everyone?Christian in MI has changed beliefs and come out to his wife and this is causing problems with the in-laws and asking for advice about raising children. Alongside the magical stories your children are receiving, teach critical thinking. This can be a conflict heavy situation, and there will be sacrifices made, just don’t harm yourself in the process. Christian in GA asks why the hosts think the gospels are unreliable. We can start with the four contradicting each other, and then look at how they tend to progress in a mythical way. Why would something contradict itself if it is inspired by god? How is Christianity consistent with the message we are supposed to receive in the New Testament? How is this stone age poetry that is supposed to be the perfect word of god not perfect? If the four gospels are not the word of god, then what makes them so special? Ellis in Canada asks if there is any value in a person not identifying with social stereotypes and the usage of pronouns. A lot of these ideas are about functionality so we should be descriptive and not proscriptive. If one were to lose a bunch of weight, we don’t like people giving commentary on how we express ourselves. Felix in GA states that human corruption is the problem and not religion, and that religion is a tool to reduce anxiety. How does the crime that is done in the name of religion factor in with this concept?Thank you for tuning in this week. The question of the week is: What is an inappropriate thing to say at the crucifixion?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

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In today’s episode of The Atheist Experience, for the first time ever, Johnny P. Angel and Armin Navabi discuss what makes Johnny face-palm, the hypocrisy of atheists accepting trans experiences but not claims about Muhammad, and the existence of religious characters.James from CA claims that homosexuality is physically harmful and should be banned in the same way that environmentally damaging actions are banned.Xavier from FL claims that the hosts are hypocrites for accepting the experiences of trans people and not the supernatural claims of Paul or Muhammad.Ahmad from OH is shocked that the hosts don’t believe that Paul and Muhammad existed in their religiously claimed form.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

In today’s episode of The Atheist Experience, Jim Barrows wrestles with multiple callers that trigger the best Forest Valkai science rants ever. First caller is Art in PA who says that atheists are quitters because they skip a step. We are at a point where the god explanation is no longer needed. The first attempt to explain the natural world is oftentimes the worst attempt. Atheists have one less assumption than theists do. Mikal in CO asks how to reply to someone that says atheists must have faith for what they believe. Faith and belief are not the same things and we proportion our beliefs to evidence. Not believing someone does not require faith. Atheists do not have the TV on any channel; it is simply off. Elias in TN asks how to respond to people when they claim that sex is binary since gametes production determines sex. What if someone does not have gonads? Does that mean they do not have a sex? This is not new science and is undergraduate level stuff. This has only recently become a hot topic issue that is controversial. The model of sex is useful and helps explain nature, and nature does not care about our explanations. Binary for lack of a better word, is just not good enough. Dan in Canada asks why the Laetoli footprints were huge when Lucy was supposed to be small, and not bipedal. No part of Lucy’s skeleton tells us she was ever a knuckle walker. The size of the foot does not change much about the big picture or disprove evolution. What the footprints tell us is that 3.5 million years ago there was something like us walking in this area. It is recommended you go to https://humanorigins.si.edu/ to learn more. Humans are apes, primates, mammals, and animals! Do you believe any part of the Bible is wrong? Were humans created before or after animals? In the Book of Genesis, is Chapter 1 correct or is it Chapter 2? When you try to justify the many things in the Bible that are not true, it is like carrying around a miltone. Would you use faith based thinking for anything else? Why would you not use faith to start your car?David, an educator in AZ, asks how to respond when students ask about his beliefs. When in a public setting, it would be unethical to talk about religion or politics in any capacity to a captive audience. This would be a misuse of public funds and trust. Answering these questions will change the way the students see you and can take away their objectivity. Thank you for tuning into the show and never stop learning! The question of the week is: What did the caller say to make Johnny P Angel look distraught?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

SHOW NOTESToday’s Atheist Experience is the “show of hair” with Jmike and Secular Rarity. They sort through philosophical naturalism, because morality changes when god creates evil that is spoken through the unfalsifiable Quran and the all inclusive Catholic Church. First caller is Matt from CA who tells us about The Secular Student Alliance Convention. Vist Secularstudents.org to register before it closes on Wednesday.Rogue Show in SC calls to clarify Jmike’s position on philosophical naturalism. Natural sciences exhaust natural reality. The simplest theory is the one with the least amount of axioms, commitments, and predicates. Unjustified assumptions do not hold up to stacks of evidence. Kevin in GA asks why we think we do not get morality from god and if morality changes over time. We see more benefit and less harm when looking at other moral systems compared to god’s system. Do you think that what is good is in virtue with god’s commands? Will the basics of mathematics be the same in the future?Slave of Christ in TX asks about the problem of evil and says that god is all good for only the chosen ones. Does god intend there to be evil? How do you believe in an irrational god that creates evil? Either god permits the impermissible or there is not anything that is impermissible. How do you resolve this contradiction? Why would you take commands from a villain? If a view is contradictory, would you agree that the view is false?Jamal in Ca does not know if the hosts are really atheists, and asks the hosts what proof is needed to believe god exists. How is what the Quran says about embryology true? There is nothing in this book that is novel. We are going to be tortured in hell for eternity under Allah’s view and so will you unless you can provide some evidence to convince us because our sins are yours now. The Quran places other people’s burdens on you. Mary in FL asks about the difference between ought and is and had some general questions about logical fallacies. Ought and “is” are unrelated except for when the premise contains both an “is” statement and a value. Descriptive premises do not follow value statements, and we can’t get prescriptions from descriptions. There must be more work put in to fill in the gap. Search for intro books about logic, inference rules, formal and formal fallacies, and propositional logic. Xavier in FL wants to know what is wrong with the Catholic Church. The church puts aside money that is specifically used for fighting against holding people accountable for abusing children. Enough said. Thank you for tuning in everyone! The question of the week : If it weren’t for ____________, I would still believe in God.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Jmike and Doctor Ben die for Jesus so immorality won’t cause riots from atheists with meaningless worldviews after disconnecting emotionally from religion. Davis in CO wants to know why people would die for Jesus if it was not true. What does the psychological state of your reasoning have to do with whether it is true or not? When death is the gateway to getting to a better existence, and people honestly believe it, they will embrace it. Huge amounts of people believing in something does not have any bearing on its truth. People are willing to risk their existence for smaller things than a reason for eternity. Patrick in AR experienced his wife having a vision after dying in his arms. After she was revived, he was told her recovery was miraculous. The treatment used at the facility such as epinephrine and CPR increase the chances of survival. We don’t know medically why someone survives in this state for so long, but we also don’t have a reason to believe it is supernatural. Statistically, the outlier events are going to occur, and there will always be someone who asks why that happens to them. Hug the people around you and love them. Trevor in MI has some questions about Biblical interpretations when having conversations with his dad. If you want to be correct about something, then you need to have a principle and intention of what was said. How do you validate anyone’s interpretation? You could follow a weird train of interpretation to the original which turns out to be a different denomination entirely. God is seemingly the author of confusion. Jon in Canada says that god is necessary for morality, and immorality is what causes riots. How do you explain wrong things that occur in god’s world? Can people do good things for bad reasons? What evidence do you have that supports the claim that people being immoral are the cause of riots? Icon in Canada presents a thought experiment where we attach reasonableness to time, where a belief is reduced by a percentage slowly over time. What metric would we use to assign the percentages? Adam in Saudi Arabia finds it unattractive to accept life being meaningless as part of atheism. If an intrinsic value is not forced on something, does that make it any less valuable? If everything has a purpose, then can we agree there is a reason for all events, good and bad? When babies die suddenly, are we going to say they need to die as some sort of a sacrifice for whatever a deity needs to prove? It makes no sense to simultaneously have evil and good if evil is the thing that leads to the good.Shi in the USA asks how to disconnect from religion emotionally after already disconnecting intellectually. What does emotional disconnecting mean to you? You may not need to entirely disconnect in that way.Thank you for tuning in this week! The question of the week is: What do you think is the weirdest prayer god has ever heard?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Jim Barrows and Christy Powell are live in the studio! They will discover different economic systems through absolute morality before performing a thought experiment with god as the arbiter of morality. This god is responsible for the high level grammar of the Quran and the fine tuning of the universe. We know this because we can’t replicate abiogenesis and the messianic prophecy is all we need for proof of Jesus. Julia in Florida would like to hear input on other gods that we have in our society such as different systems. Economic systems can be one of these things. Look at what you are willing to do to support what you believe. Audience Question- Kathy wants to know about absolute morality. Morality is a judgment of behavior. How do you prove that an animal is acting out of forethought and no instinct? Michael in GA presents a thought experiment. If there was a god, then that god must be the arbiter of all morality. The god of the Bible is not only imaginary but also sounds like a narcist. Omar in CA presents the Quran as the highest level of grammar and is a sign of the original being preserved. What does the highest level of grammar mean? How is the Quran different from any other book? Before voice recordings, how do you prove the voice vocalizations are the same? Why is the Quran superior? Frank in NC asks what the hosts would accept as proof for god. We don’t know what that evidence would be exactly. It is frustrating to see people indulging in antidotes that don’t work in place of real life solutions. What is the evidence for the god you believe in? If we talk about probability, there is a problem with sample size and inherent sampling error. The problem with fine tuning is we only have one universe to draw samples from. If you don’t know what something is, how do you know that it is fine tuned? Mike in WA asks if we have ever been able to replicate abiogenesis. Just because we can’t replicate this, does not mean that it did not happen. Not knowing the answer to something does not prove that something else exists. Over the last 3,000 years, we have no new evidence for the existence of god, and no phenomena has been proven to be supernatural. Are you trying to make the watchmaker argument from design? This will not work for people who think critically. Anthony in MA brings up the Messianic Prophecy argument. If there are a number of books in a series, and the first book is true, how does that make the other books true? There are a number of stories in the Bible that we know did not happen as written. The people who wrote the gospels knew of the prophecies and they were more interested in theology than they were history. Thank you for being here everybody! Question of the week is: If god is so powerful, then why hasn’t she___________?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

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SHOW NOTESIn today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Johnny P. Angel and JMike discover that earth is god that communicates to transgender people through prophets with intuition.First caller is Eric in AR who has concluded that earth is god because the earth created us. What is your definition of god? Is the earth conscious with thoughts, goals and intelligence? We can use this same logic to say that our parents are god. Rather than thinking the earth is god, ry thinking that the earth is home. Kevin in GA would like to know why supporting the trans community is important. What do you think the members of the LGBTQ+ community are trying to do? How do you know that someone is not transgender? What is the difference between sex and gender? Expression of gender is not the same as genitalia. Once you speak to a human in the community, you will realize they want the same things you want. When you start making friends and talking with people, you also start seeing life through their eyes. Jamar in PA knows that transgenderism has always been around but has insights that there is a greater emphasis on terms. It is not for us to say that an experience of another is real or not. When somebody tells you something about their own experience, you may argue the source, but not deny the reality of the experience. Rodney in MI declares that atheists are not smart because when we die, there will be a problem with god. Which god? What if it is the wrong god? What if there is a god who set up all these religions to test people of their critical thinking abilities? Look into the arguments against Pascal’s Wager and you will find that there is a joke in there. What do you use to raise the probability that the Christian god exists? Historians do not appeal to supernatural events to verify facts. How is the resurrection the most likely thing to have happened when it is the most improbable event? Do you care about whether or not the text that you read is true?Ronan in Saudi Arabia was born a Muslim started applying philosophical arguments and is now asking why god communicates through prophets. We don’t know what the sure fire way is for a deity to communicate to all of humanity. A shared ghostly experience with many people might be a good method. How can you apply a tool set to your imagination to show that it reflects reality? Andrew in SC disagrees with the hosts when they say that the Christian religion is morally bankrupt and does not believe that all someone has to do is accept Christ. How do you know who is right and wrong and what methodology do you use to prove this? What method do you use to separate opinion from the truth? Would you believe it if your intuition tells you the earth is flat?Thank you for tuning in this week! The question of the week is: It was a real jerk move when god created_______.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

SIn today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Johnny Angel and Christy Powell will work both sincere calls and trolls.First caller is Emmanuel from GA who asks how to come out as an atheist to his parents. It is about setting healthy boundaries. Do you feel like you have to do this? Are the interactions filled with tension? Sharing this part of yourself could make the tensions worse, however, some transparency can be an important step. Make sure your parents know it is about your own beliefs, and not them. Wesley in WV thinks that the hosts witches because they do not believe in angels and are sluggish with the holy spirit. We hope that you get the care that you need and are surrounded by loved ones that will help you work out your thoughts on this subject. Mr. Warlight in AK has proof in the form of stories that leprechauns exist that wear green suits and hide gold. Where are you getting this folklore from? Is there any evidence beyond the story? Where are they documented to show up and why can’t we see them today? If you aspire to be a troll, bring a better game than this. Do some research. Carpe Diem in CO wants to know the distinction between obligation and virtue. If you can do better, then you must do better. If every virtue is imperative then we would wear ourselves out by spending all our time performing virtuous acts. Is there good and evil in the world, or can we step away from these words and look through the eyes of preference?Rick in Canada states that atheists are slowing scientific progress. How do you think scientists do their job? Do you think that a scientist sits at their desk and disproves a theory? Did you examine all the evolution? Examine your sources on some of your data points and recognize there are many tiny contributions to this thing we call science. Chuck in HI believes science is just another religion that says there is no god. Science is the opposite of religion. Science starts with observation; religion starts with the conclusion and works backward. Science is evolving and religion is holding people back. Science delivers the goods and religion causes us to kill each other. Sam in NY has evidence of Jesus performing miracles and resurrecting. Who are the witnesses? There are statements such as the writings of Paul that are not allowed into evidence because they do not meet the hearsay exceptions. Why do we drop the standard of evidence for how we spend eternity? Just because we don’t know something, does not mean there was a supernatural cause. You don’t solve a mystery with a greater mystery. Is there anything you could not believe based on faith? Thank you everyone for tuning in folks! The question of the week is: What is a life hack that god does not want you to know about?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

show notes upon recieptBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome to this week's episode of The Atheist Experience. Host Jim Barrows is joined by Talk Heathen regular Secular Rarity. It's going to be a great show, so let's get onto the calls.Unbeliever discusses the difficulties and the benefits of coming out as an atheist in a Muslim family. How do we navigate these conversations and in the long run, is it worth having?What does an open or closed universal system show there is a God? Our hosts and John debate the flaws in this concept, that solipsism cannot be proven or disproven, and adding assumptions where we don’t have answers doesn’t solve anything.Caller Roland asks if having faith in a God the more reasonable explanation for everything vs. the skepticism atheists have. Does existence have a purpose?Romeo is curious, have our hosts heard any “good” arguments for God? Romeo,Jim, & Secular Rarity discuss what is convincing evidence for a God and how does one move from being an atheist into a believer? Are those reasons valid? Ehh, probably not. Also, an evolution argument..again! Science Time! Eli calls in and asks “where does energy and mass come from?” Jim patiently explains the science and how to avoid the argument from ignorance fallacy. Eli admits to having some doubts as well while our hosts how we become more skeptical. Ni and the hosts explore what absolute truth is, the standard for it, scientific proof, and what standard of evidence would be sufficient to prove God is real. Slave of Christ explains what sin is and how it is a “good” standard of immoral acts. Our hosts pushed back against this argument followed with a discussion of ethics, morality, and the areas of gray the bible does not provide answers for. Also biblical slavery defended again—ugh!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Johnny P. Angel is joined by Shannon Q!Josh from FL asks how Atheists get around the first mover argument. There are a number of flaws with that argument, which one would you like to hear first?Frank from USA asks if the existence of God is plausible and cites how beautiful the world is as evidence to support their view that it is.Jon from Canada is back and claims they have the ultimate generic proof of god. Just think about maaan. It makes sense if you open your heart to the universe maaaan.Bubblegum Gun from CA asks if we never found transitory fossils, what evidence do you have to support evolution?Aaron from MO claims to have eight steps to prove the existence of a soul. What’s the over-under that step one is actually a stable stepping stone to get to step two?Amanual from TX claims they are able to prove God and the truth of the bible using the very bulletproof chapter of Genesis 1.Fritz from FL is an agnostic who doesn’t want to rule out the possibility of God. Thermodynamics and such.Clarence from OH wants to discuss the dilemma of trying to teach critical thinking and skepticism to children and young people. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Forrest Valkai is joined by Jmike!Frank from the USA claims that if you don’t believe in God, your life is meaningless. The first premise of this fallacious “argument” is the existence of objective morality. Here’s my advice, slow down and think this through.Chris from SC wants clarification on the difference between sex and gender. Cliff from Canada wants to ask, eventually, why we ought to worship God assuming it is real. Mr. Warlight is calling in with an argument for the supernatural that our hosts just CAN’T HANDLE. Abhishek from India wants to know why it’s so important to question religious beliefs and focus on its problems when it does have benefits. Andrew from Canada’s argument for God is the same processes science textbooks go through when they are updated. Why revamp the bible? If it’s outdated in terms of its conclusions about reality, why would it be useful to go back and rewrite it with our current scientifical findings integrated when the bible has nothing to do with modern science? Instead of having a story with inaccurate claims about reality, you now have a story with some inaccurate carry-overs, because they have to be there for the bible to still be the bible, with some modern scientific understandings sprinkled in. Chuck from HI believes that matter, space, stars, and Earth are all eternal. Oxygen is as eternal as everyone’s excitement about Marvel’s Eternals. I would add more, but anything I say would detract from whatever just happened.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Johnny P. Angel is joined by Seth Andrews!First up is Mr. Warlight from AK who believes that the hosts whom they’ve previously debated on the show have been closed-minded to their arguments.Mike from WA claims that naturalist claims about the origins of life are irrational. Where have I heard this argument before?Daniel from WI asks the hosts how serious they are about actually finding the truth. The proof for the truth of a global flood is wherever Daniel is.Felix from FL claims that exorcisms are evidence of the existence of hell. There are quite a few sub-claims that need to be justified before we can get to that conclusion.Clark from CA believes that there is a separation between the mind and brain. The claim is that the mind is immaterial and doesn’t need to be connected to a physical form and that this somehow points to the existence of God.David from NY is calling to discuss the book, “The Late Great Planet Earth,” which the caller claims predicts many recent events.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to the show! Please welcome today’s hosts of the Atheist Experience, Johnny P. Angel and ObjectivelyDan!Dave from WI wants to know if our hosts believe that there is any validity of prophecy. The caller seems to think so.Jon from Canada claims Atheism is a religion because they are woke and believe in things that are based on their own ideas. So is being woke at all relevant? So does that mean that Christian fundamentalist denominations are not actually religions?Frank from NC asks what our hosts think of the idea that God is actually source-energy that jumpstarted the big bang.Michael from UT has faith that aliens exist but in a super unexciting way. We have an example of a planet that can sustain life, therefore it is possible that another planet somewhere in the universe might have life of some variety on it.John from IA had a mystical (hallucination) experience that lead them to agnostic atheism.Pablo from Spain asks why finding the truth is important. Why hunt for the truth when the search for it might negatively impact humanity in the process or disrupt the status quo?Jonah from TN wants to know if reforming the church is an attainable goal. It's one of those things that as an institution will always be lagging behind, but I’d rather work to reform it and get half of its followers to fight for progressive issues than not and have all of them work to maintain injustice.Kennedy from CA asks if became possible for us to scientifically investigate the possibility of life after death, would that sway people away from religion?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to the show! Please welcome today’s hosts of the Atheist Experience, Kenneth and Jmike!Mr. Warlight from Ak claims he can prove the spiritual form of Jesus Christ and even better can do so on the show! No, he can’t.Clark from CA has a transcendental argument for God and asks if moral statements are propositional.Kevin from GA claims that traditional Christian values produce the most moral society. Why are we in such a rush to toss those society-shaping rules aside?Amunuel from TX wants to discuss Kenneth’s position of free will when it comes to the proposition that God created people. Apparently, god created some people to be saved and others to be sent to hell and punished. What an immoral thug that God is.Jon from Canada is back, again. Today he asks what evidence would convince our hosts. Listen to Kenneth’s fantastic reframing of this question.Zach from D.C. asks if Atheists have an argument against Islam. Apparently, Atheism is just doubt and arrogance. If it is arrogant to admit you don’t know something, then I’ll take arrogance any day. “Beware this boy.” - Dickens.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Johnny P. Angel and Phoebe Rose!Scott from (PL) has a justification for biblical slavery and genocide because morality is subjective. Kill or be killed, I guess?Tommy from AL is calling to explain how the Fibonacci number sequence is evidence of intelligent design. How would conclude that this sequence is evidence of an intelligent creator and not just a coincidence in nature?Gary from MD asks why so many people are convinced that they will continue on in an afterlife when they die given that we don’t have any experience with non-existence.Tim from D.C. asks why atheists bust on God and Jesus instead of just accepting God and freeing themselves. Loving God is the only thing that matters. How exactly is that freedom if there is only one acceptable action you can partake in and it's based on the demands of an unsubstantiated god?Mike from WA asks if the formation and combination of 300 amino acids in the “correct” order to form life were caused by random chance.Mack from CA is an atheist who has a Mormon friend who is being abused by their religion and church and doesn’t know what to do to help them.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Forrest Valkai and Johnny P. Angel!Frank from the USA is calling to teach us atheists that God is real and how we are leading ourselves away from salvation. Turns out the evidence is the spirits we met along the way.Mark from NY wants to talk about the great ostracization of Intelligent Design “theorists” by the scientific consensus and mainstream, accredited scientific journals. ID isn’t a theory. It's creationism with a gilded scientific paint job that started peeling off on day one because ID isn’t the same base layer as properly conducted science.Mike from FL is calling to prove the existence of God and ask why our hosts would still refuse to believe in the Christian God even if they became convinced he was real.Emery from CA is non-binary and is wondering if science can explain why a person might identify as non-binary.Chris from NY wants to know if Forrest has any sources that can give help them explain the steps from the Big Bang to life as we know it now. Forrest recommends Astrobiology Primer by Nasa.Amanuel from TX claims that everything written in scripture is ethical. That’s it, I have nothing else. What could you possibly add to that?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, JMike is joined by Jim Barrows & Student Doctor Ben!First up is Chris from NY who cites a project at Princeton that allegedly has found a link between the pattern of random numbers and major global events.Jon from Canada is calling to talk about Christian oppression, citing Kirk Cameron not being able to get his book in a library or something. Jon adds that LGBTQ+ individuals are getting unfair preferential treatment over Christians. Amazing self-own incoming, see if you can spot it.Mark from NY wants to discuss the God of the gaps and how theists might be able to reframe God so that its definition isn’t just a puddle that fits its environment.Dave from the Netherlands asks if it is God who sends people to hell.AJ from TX claims to have a personal relationship with The Flying Spaghetti Monster. How does that even work given the nature of why the FSM was devised?Xavier from FL claims that morality doesn’t apply to God and has biblical evidence to back it up!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, JMike is joined by MD Aware!Nicol from Armenia is wondering how atheists organize their marriages compared to that of biblical Christians.Joe from KA is calling to express frustration with atheists’ answer to Christians with regards to God creating a world where humans can perform evil. Why would God create a world where evil can take place?Hay Z from LA is calling in to discuss evolution. The caller is having a hard time understanding how the world can be so orderly and a perfect fit for us if God didn’t create everything.Kevin from WI wants to discuss science and the assumptions that scientists make prior to doing the work. Can you trust the findings if said findings are based on unjustified assumptions?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Forrest Valkai is joined by Dave Warnock!Our first caller of 2023 is Greg from TX who is wondering why it would be useful to prove the existence of God? What is the purpose of the “why” question that is always asked by host’s on this show? Carlos from Argentine is calling to discuss the rise of Christianity in the Argentinian government and how the caller was persecuted for their activision the separation of religion and government. Rick from Canada believes that the theory of evolution is full of many holes including that Forrest can’t disprove talking donkeys, horses, and snakes. Interesting hole you’ve found. The evidence indicates that it is of the rabbit variety. Bill from IL recently deconverted from their religion and is looking for advice about how they are going to tell their wife? Sir Delicioso from Canada has an argument for why the God of the Bible is good. Get ready for this tapdancing defense at justifying genocide.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

The Midshow Promo clips. You like them! You love them! You want more of them! Well, consider your prayers answered, because we present some of the best moments from our past season. The video elves have been working overtime to bring you this collection of some of the funniest, most intense, and overall best segments.We’ll be back to live production in the new year, but for now the hosts, crew and volunteers of The Atheist Experience and The Atheist Community of Austin wish you all the best for this holiday season and in the new year to come. We’ll see you next year!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

As we wind down 2022, we wanted to take a look back at all the best moments of the current season, and we've chosen the Top 5 calls, as determined by your viewing. Relive some of the most memorable and favorite moments from this past year of The Atheist Experience.We are also compiling this collection so that we could give you something interesting to watch over the holidays, but also give our hard-working hosts and crew some time off to spend with their family and friends.The ACA wishes you all the best for 2023, and make sure to join us in this coming year for more of the stuff you love!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Jim Barrows is joined Student Doctor Ben at the Freethought Library!Kevin from GA disputes the reliability and double standards of social constructs. From a social perspective, the caller asks why it isn’t acceptable to kick down someone’s door to steal food from others if we are hungry? If humans are animals and other animals will take drastic action in the name of self-preservation, why is this any less acceptable? Jon from Canada has ultimate proof of God. It's the force. Jon, are you 100% sure that it isn’t the Schwartz? Paul from Canada is calling to ask about what the terms: gnostic, agnostic, theist, and atheist mean, and how and when to use them. Seth from ID believes that atheists get the meaning of separation of church and state wrong. The caller claims that the statement was to prevent a specific sect of Christianity from becoming the dominant faith in the United States, not that religion and government should be separate. Oh boy... Olivia from IL has some beef and feedback for the show. Gotta shut down the theists at the name of their God. Audience Question One asks how certain anti-choice individuals who also believe in free will get around it when it comes to situations involving for example, rape, something that clearly violates the mother’s free will. Brittany from GA is a questioning Christian who despite discovering holes in the faith they were indoctrinated to believe, is still struggling to cope with the fear of a Christian hell. Hank from TX argues that slavery is a part of what makes humans special compared to other species. Why do humans only take moral issue with humans enslaving humans and not humans enslaving animals?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, JMike is joined by Dave Warnock!Davis from CO is calling to ask about what God or what kind of God atheists are rejecting. The caller states that they do not have enough faith to ascribe to “the atheist worldview” whatever that is.Julian from FL has a question about Job 38:16 and how it predicted the recently discovered geysers in the sea. How did we get to that out of this vague verse?Bear from WA claims that God’s glory is indirectly derived from permitting a world, he created, where there is both good and evil. If he is either capable of creating a world where there is no evil or stepping in when evil is being committed for the sake of his own necessary glory, why should anyone think of this God as a self-centered, pacifistic thug? And unfortunately for you, without evidence to support the existence of this God that would otherwise act as your ideology’s meat shield, your beliefs Bear, are abhorrent and disgusting on their own merit.Johan from FL presents a two-pronged argument that people should just support the broad concept of well-being, regardless of religious or non-religious belief. There needs to be a specific definition in order to actually assess the concept because well-being as a term is far too vague to make any judgment call. Well being for whom and based on what?James from AZ asks if science or atheism requires faith. Science is based upon evidence and testing and therefore doesn’t fall into the same category as faith as its used when theists talk about God. Previous determinations of science do not become pseudoscience because they are proven to be false. They just are no longer the current determinations for a particular scientific field. Pseudoscience differs in that is not falsifiable (i.e. psychics).Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Forrest Valkai is joined by JMike!Muhammad from CA wants to discuss their views that naturalism takes away the characteristics that make humans unique. But a lack of uniqueness and predetermined purpose doesn’t necessarily correlate with value or worthiness?Sheep of God, because why not, from TX is calling to defend the claim that secularism is a form of faith. The more atheist shows SoG watched, the more they learned about their doctrine and the more their faith strengthened.Brian from Canada asks that given many atheist’s don’t believe there is substantial evidence for God, what kinds of evidence are our host’s looking for?Mark from NY believes that evidence exists that leads to the conclusion that god is more probable. What is this evidence you might ask? It’s that atheism failed to provide answers to some of the caller’s questions. Just because something claims to have answers in no way means that those answers are true, and atheism’s lack of explanation to said questions doesn’t equal evidence against atheism.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Student Doctor Ben is joined Adam Elmasri!Jon from Canada is calling to ask what is one’s purpose in life if the person doesn’t believe in God or if there isn’t a god? And also education about trans people is apparently the equivalent of genocide, and no they won’t defend that.Jaime from TX wants to know how to criticize Islam without coming off as Islamophobic especially with the history of that in the U.K. Make it general about the core foundation of theism, and engage specifically only if the conversation shifts to a specific religion. Even then, don’t attack the religion or its culture but instead, focus on getting them to defend the claims made in the book.Rick from Canada is just calling to tell us that if we don’t agree with God’s genocide of the Canaanites and Amalekites or else were the evil ones? Because inbreeding? Whaaaaaaaat, why? Lot of genocide talk so far today.David from Romania is calling to talk about how their mother claims to have seen God and offers the follow up question of how our hosts would react if they found themselves in her position.Michael from GA wants to ask if God was determined to be real, does their existence correlate to the validity of their moral pronouncements? Is what the God says objective, or is it just another slew of subjective moral judgments but this time being made by someone who is potentially smite happy.Henry from Estonia is calling to present an argument that pulling people away from religion is causing harm. Specifically, the caller saw read some articles and watched a video saying the religious people live longer than atheists, but didn’t read the actual studies.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Forrest Valkai is joined by Christy Powell!First up is Damien from WA who wants advice on how to explain to their family that they don’t enjoy the religious inquiries and love, and that their non-belief is not an attack on them.Jay from IA asks why Atheists feel the need to talk about their non-belief and tell others God doesn’t exist all the time. The answer varies from atheist to atheist based on their own experiences. But don’t worry, the call doesn’t stop there so be sure to keep watching and listening?Next is Bear from WA who is presenting personal testimony about how they experienced problems with their life, but that these problems resolved themselves after seeking out God.Eric from WI is calling to tell Atheists that God doesn’t send them to hell, but that we send ourselves. Theists have had 12 years to make the choice to revise and rehabilitate this argument before calling in again, but they haven’t.Next is Nicole from Armenia who is wondering if the Bible is a good guide for having successful relationships & marriage?Teo from Croatia wants to talk about how its ridiculous that people judge people who have not read the bible or believe in a God in ways they wouldn’t judge others.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Forrest Valkai is joined by Dave Barrows!First up is Victoria from Chile is wondering if religion or religious practices, given their predominance across modern cultures, may have first formed prior to the emergence of homo sapiens.Next is King from AK is calling to present evidence, that at least to their friend, that Atheists converting to Christianity such as C.S. Lewis and Anthony Flew is evidence for god. The evidence would be based on their reason for the conversion, not merely that they became Christian.Joshua from NC believes that gender and sex are the same for biological reasons. Forrest can explain this far better than I can even if I had an unlimited character count so listen to him. Jim’s Recommended Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.3988 Frisco from AZ is working hard to figure out the mind-state of Atheists, but not too hard because we’re weird and the worst of human beings. Yes. We are laughing.Amanual from TX is calling to address the constant atheist question, “why won’t God reveal himself to us?” Why would anyone worship and follow the rules attributed to something whose existence is not at all demonstrable?James from OH is calling to present the biblical prophecies as physical evidence for God. Even if the prophecies appeared to have come true, that doesn’t evidence that these said events were caused by a religious reason, a God.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Kenneth is joined by the one and only Dave Warnock!Michael from CA is calling to claim the prophecies in the Bible are in fact accurate because the Euphrates River is drying up, waters in China are turning blood red (not actually turning to human blood.) and that there are wars and rumors of wars.Jay from NY presents the double slit experiment and the observer effect in order to demonstrate that conscious observation actively affects the particles of our universe.Drew from CA claims to have biblical evidence that the Bible is true, specifically that the New Testament and Old Testament stories align and fit with each other.John from CA comes fully loaded with threats about our going to hell and a claim that the bible is smarter than you about deciding who is saved or not. Lots of preaching with this one.Diana from CA wants to point out the correlation from the psychological tactic of love bombing to some of the methods used by religions to gain and maintain the interest of children through tactics such as gift giving.Jaime from TX is calling to ask if there is ever a situation where any books should be bad. Books, even if dangerous, should be allowed to exist with the hope that the “bad” books should be critically analyzed with the intent of education and learning on why the bad ideas presented are in fact detrimental. But banning is a slippery slope based entirely on the dominant ideology in power.Amanual from TX claims the New Testament apostles were credible...because they died brutally? Doom Guy brutally rips and tears through the demonic armies of hell. Does the gruesomeness of their deaths portrayed in DOOM in any way prove this demon army exists?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Jim Barrows is joined by Johnny P. Angel!First up is Kevin from Canada who claims that there are other dimensions, among many other claims. So. Many. Claims.Next up is Sarah from Belgium who is beginning to question their faith, and asks out hosts if there is any truth to Judaism. Historically speaking regarding the Israelites, definitely. With regards to the religious beliefs and stories, likely less so.Connor, TX from the audience asks our hosts what their opinion is on having nuanced rules for taxing churches based on size (i.e. Megachuches versus small community congregations.) The answer may surprise you.Max from TX was a theist, but after listening to the show they are starting to question whether they are still a Theist.William, TX from the audience continues the conversation started by Connor by asking if the hosts are concerned that gauging the tax status of churches based on how much they benefit their community opens the door to excessive proselytizing?Patrick from FL is an agnostic who disagrees with the definition of agnostic on google and wants the hosts to convince them to be an Atheist.Allen from Jamaica is calling to ask why God decided to hold off on creating a woman, Eve, rather than just create her with Adam. Just another thing to add to the nonsense list of the story I guess.Bill from TX is calling to ask why there aren’t atheist churches, and why doesn’t the ACA create one. Bill sees the growth of the “Nones” as an example of a group of people who need accessible groups that mirror the community-building aspects of religious organizations but are secular. This way these individuals don’t come out of religion into an unfamiliar social void.Jon from Canada is calling to tell us that removing God from the United States is causing the moral decay of society. Which society? All of it presumably.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, JMike is joined by Jim Barrows!First up is Kevin from GA, a theist who disagrees with slavery in the Bible, especially the constant Christian defense. The issue is, the caller also admits that God’s commands are perfectly justified and should be followed, therefore contradicting their own moral judgments.Aman from TX doesn’t find owning another human being as property to be moral but also doesn’t find their god who supports slavery to be immoral.Charlie from FL argues that the tree of knowledge of good and evil is evidence that humans shouldn’t be allowed to follow a moral system that deviates from God’s own. Why is God punishing humans for falling for a trap that he set up?Tyler from IN is calling to recount the time they found themselves indoctrinated into a cult and their path to getting out.Duane from WV is calling to draw a comparison between the tenets of narcissism and the Christian God. Needless to say, a ven diagram between a human narcissist and God would be very large in the middle section.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Shannon Q is joined by Kenneth!First up is Mark from CA who wants to write a letter to their young relatives who have been raised in a fundamentalist environment and would like advice from our hosts on what to open the letter with.Next is Troy from WA who doesn’t necessarily believe in a God, but is convinced that there is a high probability of other life in the universe and that one of these other intelligent organisms created us in their image. Basically, the caller went to the “Alien: Covenant” school of intelligent design.Next is Aaron from WY who is curious as to why the human brain appears to be wired to jump to unfounded conclusions, i.e. spiritual thinking.Dmitry from MA recently read a book that introduces mathematics as the foundational truth of the universe, and that the Bible spirituality is a corruption of this truth.BenDan from WI will return later...Michael from GA has a question on how to go about conversing with theists and helping walk a theist through the problems with their methodology and the derived conclusion.BenDan the “Researchur” from WI is back to tell us that the soul is the part of the mind that moves on after death to be judged. Prepare yourself for warp 10 analogies!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Forrest Valkai is joined by Dave Warnock!Charles from TX is calling to claim that Revelations 17:5 is the reason for all of the evil done in the name of Catholicism.Next is David from Australia who after decades of indoctrination is hit head on with the prospect of the religion not be true, or worse manipulative. The caller is struggling with pushing past their fear of hell from their lifetime of it being used as a tool to keep them in line.Luke from CA has a five premise argument to make God exist in our world. You could use this argument to make any literally any fantasy character exist in our world...doesn’t mean they do.Believer in God (BIG) from WA isn’t convinced that Atheists are actually real and those who claim to be Atheist are actually pretending Theists. They believe this because polygraphs.Diana from KS doesn’t believe that Atheists cannot judge morality because they lack an objective moral standard. Appealing to an authoritarian moral framework can be nice because its easy to judge right from wrong, but it doesn’t necessarily align with what might actually be right and what might be wrong in specific situations, especially if no justification is given or justification in the form of faith based threats of punishment.Ruben from TX doesn’t think it is okay for Atheists to use the Old Testament, specifically verses regarding slavery to argue against modern Christians because apparently slavery was okay back then.Finally, Kyle from OH views the world as a complex puzzle, and if the pieces weren’t placed in the perfect order and location, then life wouldn’t exist. Therefore there must have been a creator because there needs to be an intelligence capable of solving said puzzle, but only here, not Venus.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jim Barrows!Mr. Warlights from AK starts off the show by accusing Matt of secretly believing in spirits because Matt is just a normal human like the rest of us, and regular humans all believe in spirits. You know, as opposed to all of the not regular humans who don’t?Next is Isaiah from Korea who is calling to talk about the parental reaction to deconversion, or not sharing the religion of their parents, and why some parents react so harshly compared to others.Kevin from CA is convinced that a God exists because they encountered portal spirits who showed them a plane of existence that mirrors our own reality.JB from CO calls in to present problems they see with any reliance on naturalism regarding answering questions about our perceived reality.Next up is Jeremy from Fl who asks our hosts if a coincidence would ever be enough to convince our hosts that there is a god or supernatural power controlling the universe.Darius from CA claims to have an argument that will prove that no one really believes that a God exists. Care to explain how you managed to get into every person’s head?Paul from PA doesn’t understand why Atheists get to ask Theists for evidence supporting their beliefs, but Theists can’t do the same for Atheists. Effectively, why don’t Atheists have a burden of proof?Chris from Sweden proposes the Hitchens razor, “what can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence,” and attempts to nullify it with a weird example of Matt questioning his mother about who his father is.Phillip from PA asks how someone would be able to discern the universe of some cosmic being sending you a message, or just something fabricated by your own mind.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Andrew Seidel!Dustin from TX is calling to ask Matt what his stance is on the claim that they “choose to believe” in a God. How can you choose to be convinced? You either are or you aren't.Next is Jaime from the audience who was called something unfortunate after stating they were an agnostic, and are curious if agnosticism really is just sitting on the fence.Thomas from KY is calling to ask how Christianity is attempting to weaponize the religious freedom outlined in the first amendment within US legislation.Pedro from Ireland has an argument for God that requires God to be undeniable and necessary. What a great, absolutely unhelpful definition.Next is Mark from AL who claims to have an answer to the question of divine hiddenness.Next is Seth from TX who asks for the legal standing on the more creative, rebellious signs being donated in response to the “In God We Trust” signage law.Peter from Canada claims to have irrefutable evidence. Apparently evidence = Gish gallop. This call feels as chaotic as the Mt. Saint Helens eruption.Patrick from NY believed in a God because they believe they have experienced answered prayers.Trent from OH is wondering if one of the driving forces behind many religions is death denial, or at least serves as an attempt to add meaning to life when there may not be one.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Shannon Q is joined by Dave Warnock!First up is Philip from Canada who is calling to answer this weeks poll question “Is the Holy Spirit something that is experienced outside the brain?” Why did God reveal himself to you and save you from overdose and abandoned others in your same situation.Next is Michael from KY who claims to have evidence for the existence of God which is apparently hidden in the “Book of Eli” with Denzel Washington, no doubt hidden in the secret number code Michael was transmitting throughout the call. Also Michael is God–the caller, not the Archangel.Next is Steven from AZ who brings up their experience of wanting to return to religion after suffering a near-death experience, and is wondering if the hosts have any experiences of their own or advice for dealing with this pull?Robin from DC is going to overturn our trailer for the show with a transcendental argument for the existence of God. God’s revelation to everyone supports premise one for the argument that God exists. This sounds like an elliptical argument at best.Kelly from CA is calling to present an argument for the existence of God through an appeal to the physical, aka an argument from contingency.Zeleni from Europe continues the conversation of the previous call to pose the question if it is even possible for God to have the trait of pure benevolence. Thank you for calling!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.