In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Jim Barrows is joined by Johnny P. Angel!Our first topic is coming from the car of Gohan in TX. The caller wants to ask us if Thanos’s snap is considered moral using a secular moral system. I’m not going to answer that question in this description, but my secular morality deems calling the show while driving as immoral.Next up is Donna from NC who believes that the Bible has evidence for God in it. The Bible is the thing making the claims. It can’t also be the proof for those claims, that’s circular.Up next is Malcolm from IL who claims that a mad scientist created white people by grafting the genes of early humans. How does the caller back this claim up? They don’t.Derick from GA implies that plants are conscious because they react to environmental stimuli, and that therefore it is possible for a non-physical consciousness to exist.Up next is Otangelo from Brazil who once again has a long, winding script to present us that apparently gets us to God.Our next caller is Dave from TX who claims that Atheists are hurting Pagan culture because we allow Christians to get away with their “past crimes” against Paganism.Next is Printer Repair from NEw England who agrees with the Bible’s flat-earth claims. I would be annoyed by the subject matter, but I’m more perturbed that your name took up 26 characters of my title.Our final caller is Jesus from CA who says that Atheists don’t really understand the Bible. The caller then quickly moves past this inconvenient claim when confronted, and opts to bring up the Big Bang Model and The Theory of Evolution and how they are wrong.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jenna Belk!Our first caller this afternoon is Riyaz from the UK. The caller proposes a scenario where there exists a place where snakes don’t bite and scorpions don’t sting and claims that this example would indicate the presence of a supernatural force.Next up is Paul from TX who claims that without a belief in God and that their existence in the universe is purposeful, society is diminishing.Next is Kevin from GA who wants to talk about how a God’s morality is irrelevant to whether it exists or not. Blindly worshipping a God whether you approve of its moral code or not because you believe that they are above you, without justification of its existence, is both irrational and degrading to yourself.Next up is Lisa from CO is wondering why they feel guilty or fearful whenever they see an image depicting Jesus. You are feeling guilty because you were indoctrinated to feel guilty by your religion, not because God is actively making you feel guilty.Up next is Orin from OR who knows with 100% certainty that they have communicated with God via a mysterious sentient cloud. Honestly, I’ve got nothing at this point...absolutely nothing.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Dr. Darrel Ray!The first caller is Aaron from TX who wants to accuse Matt of being a bully. If you are going to accuse somebody of something, please have clear examples ready to go.Up next is Clifford from VA who has recently escaped from religion through applying skepticism, but is concerned about his mother’s religious religious beliefs and the impact they may have on the caller’s son. Here is the article like that Dr. Ray mentioned during the show: http://tiny.cc/rfrrecoveryUp next is Anthony from IL who wants to know how Atheists have disproven all gods as well as claims that they have scientific and personal evidence to support the existence of the Christian God.Next is Alvin from NC who claims that a Pew Research study shows that Christians live seven years longer than Atheists. Assuming the finding in the study is true, the actual results do not necessarily explain the reasons why this is the case.Next is Lexi from OK who recently became an Ex-JW, and has questions about how they should identify themselves given that they no longer accept the claims by the organization, but are still struggling to detach themselves from the indoctrination.Up next is Marquis from NC who wants to talk about their motivations behind their decision to leave their religion. Thanks for calling Marquis!Next is George from AZ who believes that they have evidence of Jesus being crucified. The caller’s understanding of biblical history and the Christian tradition are lacking and is very confused about the definition of the word “anonymous.”Next is Brandon from AZ claims that Atheists look at science using rose colored glasses when it comes to evidence for Jesus. “Hey Ya’ll, Watch This” is not evidence for the truth of biblical claims.Next is Oliver from Brazil who is looking for advice on how to break free of indoctrination, specifically with regards to human mortality. As Dr. Ray says, exposing yourself to other ideologies is a great way of teaching your brain that you don’t have to be bound to one belief system.Our final caller is Honey from NC who wants to talk about their fear of leaving religion. Religion connects directly to our baser emotions and thrives on those. This is why religious belief doesn’t necessarily correlate to intellect or analytical abilities. It’s going to take time to break free, but there are resources out there to make the journey easier.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Phil Ferguson. Welcome back Phil!Our first caller today is Alexander from Chile who asserts that the Kalam Cosmological Argument proves god. The caller also claims that our feelings of awe towards spectacular moments in nature is proof of the supernatural.Next is David from CA who takes issue with “Atheist’s” demand for physical evidence. David, you do not listen. Rather than build a strawman on what evidence you think Atheists want, maybe ask them.Up next is Levi from FL who asks if our hosts accept the fine tuned universe argument as evidence of something before the big bang. You first have to show that the universe didn’t unfold the way it has through chance and that fine-tuning is even possible.Next is Juan from Ecuador who is wondering how we can dismiss proposed supernatural explanations for detected, but unexplained events.Up next is Fallon from Canada who believes that Matt gives Atheists a bad name by getting frustrated with callers and not answering their questions.Next is Paulo from DC who is calling to prove God using the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Constitutional rights are not gifts from God while also being evidence for the existence of that same God. That is circular.Up next is Hank from TX who has a question regarding Matt’s position on Life being preferable to Death. This is a very general position and there are always exceptions to that rule, and there are always personal justifications that one can make on an individual level, not always altruistic, for either choosing to live or to die.Our final caller is Paul from the UK who wants to talk about the concept of belief in belief. Belief in belief is problematic because it's based on the fear of being cast out of a social group (i.e religion), and more importantly, it capitalizes on the fear that once you are out or are not part of religion you are socially dead.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Seth Andrews. Let’s do this thing!First up is Pratyush from Japan who can’t seem to get their story on the show to align with what they told the call screeners. See ya later dude!Next up is John from TX who asks how Atheists have ruled out a supernatural cause of the universe. The caller attempts to cite the laws of thermodynamics as the mechanism that caused the universe while claiming that the laws of the universe do not apply to their God.Up next is Lynn from PA who says that God should be love, but is unable to provide any other properties of this God. Love is great, but the definition of this God doesn’t go anywhere, kind of like this conversation.Next is Jackson from VA who attempts to box all Christians into a box with an improper understanding of what the Bible actually says.Next is Narock from Barbados who believes to know that Jesus actually wrote laws in the Bible because of his background. The reason the hosts are asking questions is because they want you to provide a justification of your beliefs before they accept your claims to be true.Next is Paolo from DC who wants to know why we think God created the universe. Before we can consider God’s purpose, we have to first determine whether belief in a God is warranted. Just because something seems obvious to one person, doesn’t make that person’s assessment true without further investigation and demonstration.Our final caller is Drew from CA who claims that Matt has made false claims about Christianity. The caller then cherry picks irrelevant verses that do not in any way rebut Matt’s previous claims.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jmike. Let’s get this show rolling!Our first caller is Minh from CA who has a question regarding the usefulness of the burden of proof and if it also can be used as a tool for persuasion. Anyone making a claim has adopted a burden of proof that requires justification. Whether the reasons you provide satisfactory to justify the truth of the claim is a separate issue.Up next is Joel from AL who believes that we become aware in the womb, but that our consciousness also carries forward into future reincarnations once we’re annihilated. Side note, “I looked on the internet” isn’t evidence.Our next caller is Sain from TX who wants to know if Atheists, and more specifically our hosts, hate religion. While there isn’t a blanket sentiment held by the Atheist community towards religion in general, there may be specific statements, beliefs, or agendas that individual atheists may hate and find repugnant.Next is Anthony from FL who is a recent deconvert and is struggling with becoming an out atheist, and the feeling of betrayal rooted in the caller’s lack of acceptance and understanding by their family.Up next is Daniel from NJ who claims that God emanates the reality that creates the present. I have no idea how you’d demonstrate this, but the argument presented in this call certainly isn’t it.Next is Chris from LA who has evidence for God and also believes that Matt is angry with God. The demon he claimed to experience caused his friend to make a loud noise while he was sleeping. Was the demon Belphegor?Our next caller is Said from Morocco who wants to ask our hosts for advice on how to not be an angry atheist. Please don’t lie to the call screeners.Up next on a similar topic is Billy from CA who recognizes that since their deconversion they have become more anti-theistic. Theists are not dumb or smart based solely on their religious beliefs. There are smart theists and dumb atheists, and vice versa.Up next is Guy from GA who claims to have an argument for eternal life. Scientific discoveries happen all the time, but the fact that science discovers new things isn’t an argument for any old claim being true.Our final caller of the evening is Otangelo from Brazil who believes that human language is analogous to genetics and biology. It’s not.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jim Barrows. Let’s get it started!Our first caller is Mercy from China who believes that the Holy Spirit is real based after they experienced passing out when a priest put their hand on the caller’s forehead.Next up is Enoch from PA who recently became an Atheist and wanted to call back to thank the hosts for helping him through his deconversion.Up next is Calvin from CA who is wondering why God didn’t do more to prove his own existence to the more adamant doubters if his goal was to save them. Thank you for calling Calvin, you're more than welcome to call back anytime.Next is Jan from DE who states that the only explanation for a god’s powers is that the entity in question is utilizing advanced technology. The issue is that there could have been plenty of other explanations for the claimed powers found in stories, specifically plot devices. Claiming that you know the “only explanation” is adopting a burden of proof that you have yet to, and probably won’t satisfy.Up next is Robert from TX who is wondering what led Matt to begin to question his beliefs and start searching for evidence. The caller also claims that God won’t provide evidence for his existence because people don’t really want to believe in him.Next is Eric from CA who confronted his parents about his relatively recent deconversion after being a lifelong theist, and was then told that he “must not have ever been a true believer.” Thank you for your call today Eric. Best of luck!Up next is David from OR who proposes that the resurrection was just a group of people playing along with the crowd, similarly to how we all vaguely remember stories from our past that may not have happened the way we recall them.Next is Zeres from IL who believes the universe is demonstrably finite, but refuses to provide the premises that lead to that conclusion. Premises are not presented using questions.Up next is Sohaib from Canada who claims that there is extra biblical evidence supporting the plagues God imposed on Egypt. The caller then makes the mistake of claiming that there is no other explanation for similar occurrences other than an act of God.Our last caller today is Sam from CA who is wondering what the issues with the deist belief structure is if it doesn’t prevent a person from being a good person or accepting science. The issue is that a deist god is unknowable because it does not interact with the world, so no one could possibly justify it. Critical thinking and teaching a person to be good without the threat of some being watching their every move are much more important than trying to find some hole to stick a god in.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Dave Warnock is joined by Jenna Belk!Our first caller this afternoon is Chris from ID. They believe that the outcome events, like the creation of the universe, have a predetermined purpose behind it.Next is Hank from TX who is struggling to take the last step towards atheism. They can’t reconcile how our consciousness is possible due to its seemingly non-physical characteristics.Next is Jan from DE who claims that it is impossible to choose a god or philosophy. They also claim that we all believe the same things, and that we only have conflicts over beliefs because people aren’t defining their terms properly.Up next is Chris from CA who claims to be a pure agnostic, but isn’t able to explain how their position on God differs from that of atheism.Next up is once again David from CA who wants to talk about how God has stopped rapes while our hosts have not. You are not welcome back here David.Up next is Eric from GA who shares their experience with AA and the program's claim that you can’t get sober without God. Thank you for calling!Up next is Thomas from OH who claims that because humans carry the image of God, therefore we are gods. Beliefs are not interchangeable with knowledge, they are different terms with different levels of justification required before being used as a label.Our final caller is Robert from TX who claims to have a convincing anecdote that proves God. The caller already held the belief that a god existed prior to the experience, so they credited it to the God despite not having a justifiable reason to believe that one exists.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Hemant Mehta.Our first caller today is Marlon from the Philippines who believes that a local baptist pastor has received divine powers from God because the pastor appeared to spontaneously set his hands on fire with a snap. The “miracles” described by the caller sound a lot like the result of store-bought magic tricks rather than powers derived from a God.Our next caller is Pete from TX who asks if our hosts believe that The Atheist Experience and other online atheist programming provides a measurable benefit to society. Let’s have a strawman party!Up next is David from CA who claims that God cannot be proven through science, but through history and anecdotes. Please answer the questions!Next is Danny from FL who believes he triggered the depression in his girlfriend by converting her to Atheism. It was the conversion to Atheism that caused the depression. It was the realization of the lie that her religion told to her throughout her life. The best thing to do is to show her support, and encourage her to interact with other non-believers so that she knows that she isn’t alone.Next up is Richard from CA who believes that water has a collective consciousness. The caller claims that water molecules react to certain words being placed nearby. Whataboutisming other known pseudosciences is seriously not helping your case, trust me.Next is Mark from CA who claims that anyone who isn’t saved, by having faith in God, is going to hell. How is it possible to demonstrate to another person that you are saved?Next is Sharon from IL who asks why atheists believe that consciousness is merely the product of a material brain. Until such time that it is shown that something other than the material is necessary for consciousness, it is not reasonable to conclude that the immaterial is involved at all.Up next is Leo from WI who believes that it is possible to sell your soul to the devil. How do we know whether someone has actually sold their soul to the devil versus someone who is merely claiming to.Next is Sohaib from Canada who asks our hosts what they think about the Islamic version of hell. If you found out that God didn’t exist, what would you do?Next up is Tanner from UT. They are a former mormon whose father admits that he doesn’t care whether his beliefs are true or not.Our next caller is Brian from NZ who has a question about freewill and God as a puppeteer. There is a difference between having the freedom to make certain choices, and the freedom of choice.Our final caller is William from OH who is asking for advice on how to raise their child while being surrounded by believers. The best thing to do is to encourage your daughter to ask questions about their beliefs and ask her probing questions.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 sincerely apologizing Canadian Shannon Q is joined by Jim Barrows!Our first caller tonight is Patrick from FL is a pantheist who believes in a God defined as the universe. The issue here is that the attributes given to this God are so generic that we have no way of even beginning to investigate whether it actually exists or not. The character traits of the God being presented are essentially being used to assert a God into existence.Next is Rafael from PA who lives in an area where many psychologists, psychiatrists, and neurologists are also practicing scientologists. The caller is concerned about how tied their living situation is to the indoctrinated beliefs and practices of those around them, including medical positions.Up next is Jelmer from the Netherlands who claims that God is paradoxical so therefore God claims aren’t only true or false, but can also be both or neither at the same time.Next up is David from CA who believes they can show that the Big Bang Theory demonstrates pantheism. A kindergarten understanding of physics, the beginning of the universe, and pantheism is just not going to produce a convincing argument.Our final chapter of today’s journey is Kenny from OK. They state that everything that does exist must have an opposite. What is the opposite of sunglasses? What is the opposite of Panda? How does this lead to demonstrating the existence of a god?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Today we have a special roast of Matt Dillahunty for his 500th episode! We are joined by Viced Rhino who deals with young earth creationism and apologetics on his various platforms.Ulrich from Germany is our first caller who argues that disproving god is better than stating there is a lack of evidence. Claiming god does not exist will carry the burden of proof. There are countless gods to disprove, and nobody has the time for that. Some particular gods may not be disproven. You can’t appeal to a modern English definition to explain how the universe began when responding. Claiming to falsify something that is not falsifiable is a mistake.Mohammad in CA believes in god as a default position. The god claim is not the kind of thing we can just accept as a default. Which god is supposed to be the real god as a default? For any given claim, the default position should be to accept it only when there is sufficient reason. It must first be proven there is a god before assuming a prophet of that god has true prophecies. Believing in things you don’t understand leads to suffering.Jeremiah in AZ agrees that religion screwed up the world after visiting various churches but has also read the bible and as a result, believes god is love. The epiphany you had when reading the bible is flawed. The logical fallacy is when you conclude that your understanding is a correct understanding from god. You can not use an abstract concept such as honesty to define a god into existence. Do you have evidence that proves the existence of your god?Mike in MI tried to prove god by asserting the impossibility of the contrary with a ton of word salad. He has still failed to demonstrate the existence of your god. He was actually able to get it all in before Matt hung up on him.MJ in NY tries to make a case for Judaism by sending an email to the hosts. Go rewind and find the address we already gave you.Daniel in NY is trying to be a good Christian and believes the gospels have been written much earlier than scholars have stated. Why would you call an atheist show to tell us that you disagree with Christians? What the hell are we supposed to do about it? The dates of which the gospels have been written do not prove any of it to be true.Bill in CO used to be an atheist but has come back to Jesus because of claims that Abraham’s children would become numerous as the sand. His descendants are not as numerous as the sand and going with the majority is not a good reason to believe something. Either you believe or you don’t is not a defense to a claim.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome to The Atheist Experience! Matt is out sick today, Kenneth Leonard and Dave Warnock stepping up. All our thoughts and, no not that, goes out to Matt. We all hope you feel better. First up, Kameron in MD asks advice on finding a purpose in life after leaving her faith. We atheists have to find or make their own purpose. Atheists aren’t a monolith, we are just people despite our beliefs. Live your life, let people realize that atheists can be good people.Joe in VA asks if there is an objective right or wrong? If we make decisions on actions, we can likely arrive at objective morality. Let’s hear a good moral argument from a theist? We disagree that god is needed for anything moral, atheists can be moral without any god. If theists can’t agree on the character of god, how can that be THE moral grounding?Richard in NV argues that life can’t come from non-life and that if evolution is proven wrong, god is proven by default. Evolution is a mechanism from how we got from point A to B, abiogenesis is a separate field of study. You are shoehorning in god, if evolution is false you still have to prove god. Ahmed in Egypt claims that Allah is evident and the atheist position is untenable. The “look at the trees” argument you use to prove Allah is used by christians to prove their god, nature doesn’t prove god. If we can’t prove something, doesn’t mean you get to insert god there. David in CA argues that proof of Jesus is that he seems omniscient in the bible. You can’t use the bible to prove the bible, we need evidence that demonstrates the claim. If Jesus is an omni god, how can he allow rape and murder? We’re more moral than that god. Jeff in CA is upset that atheists don’t help more in social problems of the world? Some atheists do help, we aren’t a monolith. These examples are broad but there are atheists out there working on these issues. Kenny in OK asks how you quantify “extraordinary evidence”. Evidence just needs to meet the threshold of proving the claim, some claims are pretty extraordinary though. The majority of the people in the world are religious, so what? People believing is ordinary, but Jesus’ resurrection, and lots of other religious claims, is an extraordinary claim. You need to provide better proof than arguments from popularity. Lastly, Peter in TX asks what is the goal of our show? What is our ideal outcome? We promote positive atheism and the separation of religion and government. Atheists aren’t making a claim. We try to help people think critically because we’ve seen religious ideas damage people. Bring the evidence, we haven’t found it yet. Check out more from Dave Warnock at https://daveoutloud.com/ Please stay safe, wear masks, social distance, and get vaccinated.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome to The Atheist Experience! Today we have Dave Warnock and Matt Dillahunty teaming up to tackle today’s arguments. First up, Xeno in NC is back to present evidence for a deistic god, primarily using reductio ad absurdum argument. If your deistic god doesn’t interact with reality, that means it's not detectable. If we can’t detect that god, it might be true that it exists, but how can you provide evidence of an undetectable god?Lisa in CO finds it atrocious that the bible barely mentions dealing with slaves that are beaten and more for decorating your tabernacle. We agree, the all-wise creator of the universe seems to care more about curtains than owning/beating people. We are glad you are seeing those red flags as the best way to make an atheist is to have them read the bible. Arnie in WA thinks there are preconceived notions that atheists or theists can't seem to get over. We were believers and approached the issue seriously and skeptically. When you make a claim that god exists and is involved with us, you are going to have to present incredible evidence. Why is there any ambiguity regarding god, couldn’t he clear that up?Sarel from Israel is an atheist and asks our opinion on spirituality and fears of falling back into religion. What does spirituality even mean? If you are finding comfort or pleasure in it, enjoy until you are forced to buy into the pseudoscience or woo. There is real benefit in secular meditation and exercise. Jacob in CT argues that god never encouraged slavery. God could have said to not own humans as property but instead chose to give instructions to buy slaves, etc. Why are you defending the bible’s grossly immoral point on slavery? Owning a person as property is wrong in every way. Walter in WA argues that we can’t logically derive moral oughts but we can infer them in a transcendental/objective way. Inferring moral oughts? How is that not just your opinion? You are smuggling in the ought and assuming the goal. You can not derive an ought from an is. Yeah, we don’t need to do homework after proving you wrong. Kenny in OK claims that the miracle Elijah witnessed in the bible addresses the issue of divine hiddenness and that god directs him to passages in the bible. We don’t believe god exists or that he has performed miracles. The issue of divine hiddenness applies to everyone, not just someone in the bible. Go ask god for a passage that will change Matt’s mind. Lastly, Richard in NV wants to talk about what is logically possible and illogical concepts, for example light can’t travel a light year in 6 months. It is 100% correct that if we proved evolution wrong, it would not prove a god exists. All that preamble to say evolution is wrong, therefore god. We aren’t out of the pandemic just yet. Please stay safe, wear masks, social distance, and get vaccinated.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome to AXP! What’s that sound? Another Canadian invasion you say? Why yes it is, ShannonQ is back on tonight with Matt Dillahunty!First up, Joe in VA complains that Matt is the rudest person he has seen. If a caller refuses to ask a question, isn't that rude to the rest of the callers? Matt isn’t bullying anyone.Arnie in WA claims that claiming bible inerrancy is a form of idolatry because every interpretation is subjective. It’s not idolatry and we don’t care if something is idolatrous. How do you prove someone's interpretation of a passage is wrong? Sounds like you are coming from a place of assuming there is a correct interpretation.Jade in CO has come to realize religion is a placebo and since their cancer diagnosis and grapples with their mortality. You came to all this through a tremendous struggle, thank you for sharing. Knowing our lives are finite grounded us to be more responsible for one's actions.Xeno in NC asks if we are trying to prove god, what god are you rejecting? We’re atheists, we address the god claim the caller makes, our mantra is “what you believe, and why”. So you believe in a god that you can’t define, have fun with your irrationality.John in CT asks how the brain can see, taste, smell, etc. (Error dictating huge flow of science) Nothing about a soul has been proven to be anything other than functions of the brain. Consciousness is pure magic and has its own source?? You say the soul exists but you can damage a brain and change tons about how a person behaves.Samuel in ME argues that Christians are changing their doctrine to make the bible appear moral but slavery is wrong on all counts. We agree there are problems in the bible, this needs to be addressed to Christians though.George in Sweden asks if a god exists with infinite knowledge, wouldn't it have an infinite potential to know what is good and would we follow him? We can’t know if god has infinite knowledge. If the bible is accurate, we want nothing to do with him. Try a new question that doesn’t assume anything about god.Lastly, Penelope in OK updates us on their coming out atheist and their father claims he knows how they became atheist. Sounds like you are doing fine. Keep in mind that this interaction is not going to be like this forever, just be comfortable being you and set healthy boundaries.Please stay safe, wear masks, social distance & get vaccinated.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome to AXP! Jenna Belk is back in the cohost chair alongside Matt Dillahunty to tackle all the calls.First up, Peter in England argues that convincing people atheism is correct is futile because books like the Bible don’t convince anyone. The Bible does convince people, even today. Some people might not change their mind, but the ACA has absolutely helped people find their way out of religion.Nicole in MD asks why we hate Jesus. We don’t hate something that there is no evidence it even existed, let alone was divine. We can’t tell if your experiences are from Jesus. Until there is evidence there is a god, we won’t believe.Alejandro in CA says atheism is just an opinion. No this is foundational, disbelief is the default until you’re convinced otherwise. We don’t just assume atheism. Convince us of your god or go away.Joe in WI asks how sound is the argument that Abraham made it all up, arguing there was not a monotheistic god until then. It seems it’s more henotheistic is the belief that there are other gods but ours is the greatest one.Michael in MI claims the rich history of theism in the history of western philosophy has been largely ignored. What? DMT? Hallucinogens aren’t a path to truth. Space & time can’t exist outside of the mind? Email us, this isn’t for the show.Sean in FL asks if we disagree there was a 50% chance the universe was created. Yes, but we are not saying it’s more likely than not anything. Why are you shifting the burden of proof? Defend how you can put a probability on god.Manuela in Brazil is frustrated that people don’t question religion more given that religion causes lots of harm. We respect people's right to believe but it is the single most important question. Indoctrination is powerful, some people may not see the harm done and can’t even question itLast caller, Lethe Water noticed recently that prayer never worked for him. The Bible says that 2 or more people gathered will get anything granted. So any 2 theists should get any wish granted. Prayer has done nothing except to make some people, in a study, do worse. If prayer works, why isn’t a god helping?Please stay safe, wear masks, social distance & get vaccinated.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome to AXP! Matt Dillahunty is joined by our special guest Ian Rowland. Ian is and expert on cold reading and has written several books on the topic.First up, Joey in The UK asks about the basics “building blocks” of reason and how to argue with presuppositionalists. Reason is the tool that we use to evaluate claims and thoughts. It’s tough, Presups tend not to change their mind, they presuppose a necessary thing that grounds all of reality.Xeno in NC argues for the existence of god and claims he gets signals that prove his god. Is there a way for anyone to detect these signals? It’s not the same thing as a blip on a radar, we can demonstrate that. You need to prove these claims rather than trash talk.Cristian in CO claims that the improbability that whatever universe does exist is a life permitting one speaks to design. Is this the reason you believe? Life is inevitable given unlimited attempts. We can think of a better version of this existence and write a better bible, backed by evidence, than this god.Herman in VA if there is no god, how can people not perceive it? It is possible for people to believe things that are not true. We can imagine a winged unicorn horse but it’s not real.Mini in Canada argues for god's existence by refuting darwinian evolution. Evolution is the cornerstone of biology and you could disprove evolution and it wont disprove god. Personal testimony isn’t evidence of God, resurrection, or the supernatural. Stop reading to us on air, we want a conversation.Jules in The UK has seen evidence for god and thinks Matt wouldn’t believe if god came down and revealed himself. No, we have said we would believe but not follow or worship that god. If there is evidence, we would believe. Bibliomancy does not prove god and we can’t believe this wasn’t impactful enough to remember the verse.Tom in MO concluded that something way beyond anything we can understand exists that created this. You can’t just declare something is an indisputable fact. Abiogenesis has been proven to be possible, molecules for life can arise from inorganic material.Please stay safe, wear masks, social distance & get vaccinated. Ian has challenged that next week's callers present arguments in rhyme.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome to The Atheist Experience. Today’s show welcomes back the man, the myth, the legend...Dave Warnock!!! Oh and Matt Dillahunty is here too, I suppose. First up, Dean in CA presents the argument that people deserving to go to hell, eternal punishment, is incoherent. We don't subscribe to an afterlife, sounds like you need to bring it up with theists. Frank in Canada argues testimonials might make Jesus’ resurrection more reasonable. No amount of testimony is good enough for us. We have no good evidence to confirm ANY resurrection but we “need” to believe this 2000+ year old myth. Steven in CO claims we are “all creators” so that proves a creator. You can’t argue that all humans are creators of something, then there is a creator of everything. It’s a waste of time to argue with fallacious arguments.David in GA claims that atheists require evidence for claims but hold a claim we don't have evidence for. Our position is I don’t know. We don't spout a god claim, we simply reject your assertion on god.CJ from the US claims we are going to “outer darkness”, a giant snake that circles the earth. Oh, it's on the internet.Paul in the UK says there is a difference in implicit/explicit atheism. You might imply a baby is an atheist but we are explicit atheists. We are able to process a god claim and so far, every god claim has not met their burden or proof. Armond in GA asks us to explain why we aren’t absolutely certain about anything. We can’t be 100% sure about anything, even reason, so we couldn’t be sure about anything derived from reason. We are all as confident as possible that 1+1=2. Mr Delicieux in Canada claims the 7 day cycle proves Jesus is god. That only proves the popularity of the 7 day calendar, it doesn’t come close to proving Jesus is god. Regardless, you can’t use the bible to prove the bible. Ahmed in OH claims Matt causes him to believe in Islam more because Matt has disproved the Christian god to him. You don’t have to pick any god. There needs to be evidence of Allah, especially if he designed anything. Life makes more sense when you don’t attach a god to it.Helen in NC asks where is the proof that there is a common ancestor between apes and humans. The fusing of chromosome 2 is practically undeniable. Go study the science, this is not a controversy to atheists. Scientists simply follow the evidence rather than starting with a fixed position. Can’t you just take anything on faith? Joshua in ID asks about our stance about not being able to prove anything. On an earlier call, we were talking about the resurrection claim. However, some biblical claims we can accept, others we need evidence.Jason in TN asks if visibility is required for a god to exist. No. Air is not visible but it's detectable. Sorry I couldn’t document more of your Christian talking points, we’re out of characters…Stay safe, wear masks, & get vaxxed.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome to The Atheist Experience. For today’s show, we have Mandisa Thomas joining Matt Dillahunty to field your calls.First up, Frank in Hong Kong asks advice about lying to family about his religion, he is ex-Muslim and has a strained relationship with his family. We encourage all atheists to come out, only if they are comfortable and safe.Jedidiah in WA argues god exists because concepts in your brain exist in reality. Have you heard of equivocation fallacies? There exists a concept of a unicorn in my mind, but unicorns don’t exist in reality. You are confusing the map for the place.Jake in TN argues that Christianity is a reasonable belief to hold. He goes on to claim the bible is “100% god breathed”. Uh oh, the “context” argument for slavery. Stop listening to apologists and read your bible, start at Exodus 21.Chris in OK asks if we believe the apostles were martyred. Someone dying for a belief has no bearing on the validity of that belief, just that someone was willing to die for that belief. We don’t have a way to assess their beliefs. It’s just a story from a book passed down through copies and translations. The story doesn’t make sense, why can’t god appear and clear all this up?Zander in OR wanted to talk about the Dawkins tweets. Matt has covered the topic, today’s not the day for that.Michael in FL argues the bible is a good educational tool mainly because it uses poetry, analogies, and metaphors to convey a topic. The perfect word of god should be clear, not full of parables and analogies? If man wrote the bible, how can you tell what is from god or from man?John in CA argues he could solve any “stumper” we have with Christianity. Why won't god reveal himself. Yeah...we’re not accepting that humanity has to end before that happensEvelyn in OR asks why we lack beliefs in any gods. Simply put, we haven't seen any good evidence for gods. We’ll believe once there is evidence.Jude in TX claims the bible doesn't condone slavery. We cover this topic a ton and we are past time, sorry.Lastly, Phee in GA asks if there are circumstances where tactful discrimination is warranted for people that are religious, anti-humanist, and/or detrimental to humanity? There are times where you may need to exclude people from groups but not to just discriminate out of hand. We would be open to conversing, arguing, or presenting evidence. However, there should be consequences if they are a danger to other humans.Continue to stay safe, get fully vaccinated, and wear those masks so we can see ya next week!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome to The Atheist Experience. We had a last minute host changeup. Today we have Jenna Belk hosting and Kenneth Leonard’s first appearance on AXP! Welcome Kenneth, happy to have you as our guest!Up first, Arnie in WA asks if you want to believe something, are you choosing your beliefs? When some atheists leave their religion, they can WANT those beliefs to be true but not actually believe they are true anymore. Self deceit and brainwashing is a real thing, you may not realize you are “choosing” to believe without knowing why.Michael in OR is frustrated that biology is often left out of the conversation of if it's good to be alive, citing Matt and Jordan Peterson’s chat. Michael argues that there are biological drives to pass on our genes, so it's good to be alive. Some may not be well versed in biology, so they may not go there in a conversation.Kurt in OR had a falling out with a friend over his religion, citing an argument over proving god or slavery. Oof, we lost him...call back Kurt! Relationships can change over time, you may have to remind them your friendship isn’t affected by beliefs or argue and find some common ground.Martin in SC found Christianity to be negative and asked what atheists think of Buddhism. Well you can be an atheist and buddhist. However, it’s going to depend on the individual you ask. You might have to agree on definitions when talking to non believers. How do your beliefs/feelings reflect reality? Check out our facebook groups or discord!Joe in VA asks our takes on morality, claiming there is no right/wrong in atheism. We are very pro morality, you just have to define what is moral. We, the human race, define morality. We disagree there needs to be something “beyond us” for there to be moral actions.Sven in WA finds it hard to believe that atheists don’t comprehend what people mean by a soul (consciousness). It’s such a nebulous concept that people define it differently, we try to have them define what they believe. Fauna on Earth is super diverse, there are tons of driving forces behind evolution. How does skepticism lead to nihilism??Wayne in OR can prove there is a god, claiming revealed prophecies. Prophecies are subjective and no, we don’t believe in miracles. How can you discern something you have no explanation for and a miracle. Uncommon events happen ALL the time, they are not miracles.David in WA argues there is some spiritual being because billions of people have been religious. Appealing to popularity is a fallacy, we can’t know something is true based on popular belief. We can’t jump to a being, god, or anything spiritual existing “outside ourselves”.Lastly, Harry in Canada claims Jesus is god because he has power over all humanity. You need to define your god before you can prove it. How can Genesis 1 prove a god, the Bible is the claim for the Bible. 7 day weeks do not prove god, you need to back up that claim with something other than the Bible.Stay safe, get vaccinated, and wear masks so we can see ya next week!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome to The Atheist Experience. Our special guest is Andrew Seidel with Matt Dillahunty hosting. Andrew is a constitutional and civil rights attorney, activist, and author. Make sure to visit andrewlseidel.com Up first, Chris in OK speculates that large developmental leaps/inspiration might be linked to divinity. It doesn’t seem that anything human is tied to anything divine, you are skipping lots of early human development. God should have created us with that knowledge. John in TX argues that Matt uses the argument for incredulity when talking about whether god reveals himself versus if he exists. God exists or not but talking about a god revealing himself is a different argument. If your god exists, why wont your god show himself? We aren’t going to believe first.Joel from AL argues that the US Navy confirms UFO crafts act in ways that can’t be explained, those creatures are practically a god. Unidentified means NOT identified. Don’t leap from UFO to aliens/beings. You aren’t justified in saying it’s aliens until proven wrong, you need to provide evidence of that claim. Marvin in WA asked god for a sign and an imprint of a cross appeared in the sky on a picture. Email a picture and try again.Jules from The Netherlands claims Pangea drove human evolution on multiple continents. As far as we know, human ancestry is traced to Africa. Pangea was 175 million years ago and pre-human hominids were 2+ million years, how can Pangea play any role? Mary in FL asks if the IRS is afraid of going after religious figures that engage in promoting a political candidate? Doesn’t that give access for christian nationalists? Christian Nationalists in congress gutted the IRS’s ability to take on religious organizations. Religious orgs don’t have to open their books to the government.Peter in India has evidence for the biblical god, born again won’t die, spiritually or physically. How can you tell if someone is born again or even that Jesus said anything about people being born again christians? Regardless, history has proven every human will die eventually.Brian in OR wonders why christians feel so persecuted, citing christians being upset about lead prayer being removed from schools. They had an unconstitutional right and got mad when it was taken away. States ruled that bible passages weren’t acceptable to be read in schools. The Government should not meddle in religious affairs. Arnie in WA argues that people that say the bible inerrant are saying their interpretation of the bible is incorrect. Even biblical scholars agree that the bible we have now is not perfect, there have been scribe errors/etc. Lastly, Frank in Belgium wonders why it took us so long to disbelieve, he read the bible early on and realized it was nonsense. The simple answer is indoctrination. Some of us were raised in the church, sometimes forced, and taught not to question or challenge your beliefs. Everyone, continue to stay safe, get vaccinated, and wear masks. We’ll see ya next week!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Happy Zombie Jesus Day!! Welcome to The Atheist Experience.Today’s show features Jenna Belk and Jim Barrows. Sadly, we couldn’t talk Jim into a bunny costume for today...Up first, David in CA is hopeful for a time where our show is no longer needed. While the goal is to make this show unnecessary, we definitely aren’t there yet. Believers born into a religion is an example of indoctrination and our show tries to help them out of it. Xeno in NC argues there is scientific evidence of god, saying you have to understand empiricism before you can get to god. If your senses can be fooled, how can you get to the “truth” with a flawed system. We agree the color red exists so colorblindness is an example of your senses being flawed. Mohammed in FL has proof that Muhammed never existed, arguing he was not mentioned in contemporary history. How can you begin to prove anything never exists? It sounds like the Jesus mythicist position. We aren’t looking to debate history, checkout facebook and discord.Ulrich in Mexico claims that we are all satanists, the AXP logo shows a broken cross, and we like satanists more than christian. If you claim that atheists deny god/satan, how can we serve satan? The “satanists” you claim we like are from the satanic temple, which are atheists fighting for separation of religion/government. Robin in DC asks if we are hard, or soft, atheist? He defines god as that which is the fundamental, personal cause, and grounds for all reality. Until you prove your god, the only rational position to take is I don't know. You can’t just claim there is no neutrality… We don’t flat out deny there is a god, but atheists aren’t a monolith. Both sides of the claim need supporting evidence, so one more time for those in the back….I DON’T KNOW is an appropriate answer. Justin in AL argues that there may be creatures in the universe that are more evolved that we are and may appear as a god. Given that claim, why would we call them gods? Just because it's possible, doesn’t mean that it's probable. Jo in Canada is a theist and is pro-choice, arguing that pro-life should mean promoting the wellbeing of life of everyone. No matter what, it should always be the woman’s choice to continue pregnancy. Why follow a religion that is unclear on terminating a pregnancy but is absolute that you can’t drink alcohol? At least you are honest in saying you don’t know!Zord in Sweden argues that if a god exists, it's more reasonable to listen to it versus another human. The problem is that we don’t know if a god even exists. How can you get to a being, let alone a creator god. We don’t have the time for more “what if” scenarios, sorry.Lastly, Michael in CT calls to falsify darwinism. Darwinism is just evolution. The scientific theory of evolution is pretty much set in stone, to overturn it would be wor;d view altering. So tell us, how did you overcome all the evidence of evolution??Hope you enjoyed today’s show. Everyone, continue to stay safe, get vaccinated, and wear masks. We’ll see ya next week!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to The Atheist Experience. Today’s show features Matt Dillahunty and ShannonQ. Both hosts are on point today!!Up first, Ivan in Croatia wants to talk about the many problems with secular humanism because it advocates using reason to solve moral problems but people aren't always rational. What other system eliminates people's irrationality? Religion’s “moral system” isn't remotely good and forcing people to adhere to it is horrible and just indoctrination.Jelmer in the Netherlands argues there is a 3rd option to a dichotomy. God exists/doesn’t exist is a true dichotomy, there is not a 3rd option. The true nature of reality is a separate issue.Peter in India argues the bible has a lot of evidence for the existence of god, claiming only god can speak “Jesus said, unless a man is born again, he can not reach the kingdom of god”. Saying words isn’t evidence of anything. The bible proves the bible doesn’t fly here.Michael in MA claims god has been saving mankind from conjuring nations, as said in the haggadah. This is confirmation bias. Why isn’t god doing anything about this persecution? Lots of groups of people are persecuted. Your heritage does not mean god is real, the plural of anecdote is not data.Anthony in PA thinks that agnosticism is more rational than atheism & theism. Knowledge is a subset of belief. Knowledge is something that is justified and true and discovering it is wrong is worldview altering. Saying no god exists has no moral value. Anthony goes on to argue if the universe is irrational then rationality can’t be used. Only concepts can be irrational, the universe is not a concept.Austin in TX asks if atheists pray. We don’t but some people do a “call out to the cosmos” or meditate. Praying is sending a request to something outside yourself, we don’t believe that. Austin says calling someone theist is offensive, it creates an outgroup scenario. We’re the minority, we didn’t create that system.David in UT wants to talk about biblical zombies and Lazarus’s resurrection makes him as special as jesus. Do you believe anyone has ever resurrected from the dead? No? Then why are we here?Billy in TX argues he found peer reviewed articles that the genome is a code. We mean it is not a code from one intelligent mind to another. Billy then says there is no way nature can’t sequence a genome. There is a difference in a simulation hypothesis failing and something being impossible. Listen back, why can’t you say science has not discovered its impossible that the genome can produce through natural means.Lastly, Rae in MI reports that her neighbor sent a letter saying “you said that you just believe in being good, that's good but not good enough. You need to have a relationship with a higher power”. It really set her off and made her cry. Matt’s mom sent letters/emails and he had to set a boundary to never send mail again, its 1 way communication.To quote Rae, “god ain't going to show up for us, we gotta show up for each other!” Well said. Stay safe, get vaccinated, continue to wear masks, and we’ll see ya next week!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to The Atheist Experience. This Sunday we have Matt Dillahunty hosting with Katy Montgomerie’s debut on AXP. Check out her new show, The TransAtlantic Call-In Show hosted on The Line.Up first, Mike in the Czech Republic asks if some people are more inclined to be believers. Everyone believes for different reasons. Try working on re-rationionalizing your way through when you have these feelings and check out books on skeptically thinking. Give yourself some time.Shelby in ME encourages Matt to reread the bible because he feels the bible is true. Is 4 times enough? WAIT, you haven’t even finished it?Steve in OH made a bet with Matt and claims to have paid up. However, Matt has no idea what you are talking about.Don in CA is grieving the loss of his son and is struggling with the lack of resources for atheists. Religions have a privileged position in society but they often provide false comfort in platitudes like “God needs another angel”. That minimizes the one and only life we know we have. Check out secular therapy project and grief beyond belief.John in CA asks about the fairness of trans women fighting in ciswomen’s events, like MMA. People say trans women just dominate cis women in sport but we don’t have this epidemic that is represented in media. There are a lot of performance factors, weight class, divisions, etc. It is fair that trans women compete in sports.Seleste in FL argues that the fabric of reality is made out of a crystal that has memory and emotions. Something smaller than an atom is not a crystal and rainbows don't come from crystals. Now water is made of crystals? Atoms and quarks are made of crystals too?? Holy crap.Buzz in WA thinks Matt was wrong in saying nothing exists out of time, arguing that photons exist out of time. Photons move at the speed of light, that denotes time. What difference does this make? Try calling a physics show.Arnie in WA is an ex-mormon and asks if he is guilty of the no true scotsman fallacy when he gets upset that other “mormon” callers say they believe in hell. You can define what is a mormon but the fallacy is excluding someone from that label based on unrelated things. For example, no true Mormon lives in Canada or no real christian murders people.Lastly, Scott in Mexico asks how to tell the difference if someone is mistaken or lying when they tell me they are a trans person. It’s akin to sexual preference or left handedness in that we can’t just outright tell if someone is lying. Most people don’t lie about these things but its’ pretty uncommon. We haven’t had examples of people lying about their gender identity in top level sports.That’s all for this week. Check out more from Katy at youtube.com/c/KatyMontgomerie Stay safe, get vaccinated, continue to wear masks, and we’ll see ya next week!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to The Atheist Experience. This Sunday we have Dave Warnock back with us and Jim Barrows hosting. Such a pleasure to have Mr. Warnock back, check out more at www.daveoutloud.com!Up first, Joseph from NV asks why humans can’t interbreed with humans since we share 98% DNA, given that other animals that are similar can interbreed. We recommend doing some more scientific research, you haven’t come close to proving evolution wrong. You misunderstand genetics and evolution. Even if you disprove evolution today, which you can’t, how does that prove god?Alejandro in CA asks if there is a third state other than exists/does not exist, arguing you can’t say I don’t know. There are 3 positions you can take on any claim. Accept the claim, accept the claim as false, or say I don’t know. Atheism is a response to a claim of god/s, not a statement that there is no god. No one has presented sufficient evidence to believe in a god, so our position is we don’t know until the claim is proven. Paw in FL claims he witnessed an exorcist of a demon and he received a miraculous healing of his broken toe. You need to think more about your god’s selective healing, when we have people dying from disease or famine across the globe….but he is going to heal your toe. Even if we received a healing, you couldn’t conclude that god did it. Elizabeth in The UK joined a church and after her son died of covid 19, they were only concerned with his beliefs and said he was going to hell and that any good mother would make sure he made it to heaven. We are so sorry. God job telling them off, we wouldn’t want to be in heaven with those people either. Check out recovering from religion. Anton in MD asks if morality should be taught in school? We agree, they should teach more ethics and epistemology in schools as long as they don't attach religion to it. We have a lot more ethical questions today than we did. Paul in MI asks who decides what is moral given we don’t have an arbiter for morality. We base morality on empathy and happiness/wellbeing. You think hell is moral? It’s not justifiable to have an infinite punishment for a finite “crime”, not that disbelief is a crime. We reject the concept of sin, let alone infinite sin. If you would kill your own kid if a god told you, you are immoral. Lastly, Lee in CA doesn’t believe and was diagnosed with apraxia, he can’t shake that sense that he has earned this affliction. Sounds like you still have baggage from those beliefs. Dave quotes Maya Angelou “Do the best you can do until you know better, when you know better, do better.” Life happens and sometimes people get sick, live the best life you can and try not to look back. Carpe the f!?king diem!That’s all for this week. Stay safe, get vaccinated, continue to wear masks, and we’ll see ya next week!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to The Atheist Experience. This Sunday’s show features Matt Dillahunty and Jenna Belk tackling your calls and arguments!Up first, Chris in CA asks if something willed the universe into existence or if it was just random chance. Why assume god as a default? Try starting out with “I don't know” and go from there. There doesn’t seem to be a way that anything could exist out of time and space. There is nothing about god that necessitates creation of the universe. What if god simply does not exist?Jackson from LA asks if being an atheist means you hate lots of things? Nope, it simply means you don’t believe in any gods. Atheists aren’t necessarily bad nor are they primarily gay. You need to interact with more atheists, check out some online communities. Dane from Australia asks if we think there is order in the universe, asserting that god is the creator of order? There is evidence of some order but none for a god. Repeat caller, Michelle in UT claims beauty wouldn’t exist without god. Complain all you’d like, but you still haven’t proven beauty comes from god.Xeno in NC asks if we think it's irrational to believe in these deities with regards to how much we don't know about the universe. We don’t currently know if a god exists or could exist, the time to believe is after it has been demonstrated. How can you experience your god if you claim it chooses not to reveal itself? Jonathan in AZ asks if secular morality is objective. The foundation, well being, is a subjective decision. However, the assessments we make in comparing consequences of that action to that goal can be objective. We have no evidence of any gods existing, pointing to a god solves nothing. Intrinsic morality has not been demonstrated. God doesn't solve moral problems, isn’t rape/slavery in the bible? Kevin in MI argues that Jesus Christ is real using evidence of the holy spirit. Speaking in tongues is not evidence of the holy spirit. If the holy spirit told you what to tell us, it doesn’t understand evidence. Ask your god for a fallacy free, evidence based argument and call back.Lastly, Andrew in WA is doubting his christianity and wonders our take on christians saying atheists are controlled by satan. Some atheists don’t struggle when losing their faith, but a lot do. A fear of god's wrath or hell can be a tactic used by some religions, we recommend calling recovering from religion. That’s all for this week. Stay safe, wear masks, and we’ll see ya next week!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to The Atheist Experience. Today, we have Matt Dillahunty and ShannonQ teaming to answer your questions!Up first, Michelle in UT claims she saw god in creation even before she started reading the bible. We have evidence to explain how houses were created, we have no other universes for comparison. Appealing to creation as common sense is a fallacy called argument from incredulity. Have you heard of the Dunning-Kruger effect by chance?Alejandro in CA claims “I don’t know” or “I don't believe” does not correspond to reality.Asaf in Israel argues we perceive many things but actually there is only 1 thing in existence. Please define what the “one thing” that exists? Bad arguments for theism...Xeno in NC claims that there is scientific evidence for god. “Could be something” is not a definition of god. NEXT!Seth in OR claims religions all came from the same place, the first civilization, Atlantis. What evidence is there for Atlantis. Call Truth Wanted if you want to argue Atlantis.Charles in The UK claims there could be a god because of mass extinctions but doesn’t want to define god. Mike in Canada claims he believes in a creator, not a god. You have to prove that everything needs a creator. You don’t get to assert time and space were created by a creator, demonstrate it. You do not have a valid or sound argument. Khaled in Egypt argues that god is necessary based on the contingency argument. Sounds a little Canadian and/or Catholic. Ricky in UT argues the book of mormon is spot on and Jesus visited the Americas. Native Americans thought white people were gods...is this an argument that Jesus is white? Because the Book of Mormon says something is not a valid argument. Asaf in Israel calls back to tell us “me” is the one thing that exists and tries to argue that everything is everything. Why did you call back to tell us that??Tristan in TX claims there is an intrinsic morality. Morality is not an emergent property, it’s all about actions and consequences. Is there intrinsic moral value for a can of soda? Please explain why you think there is an intrinsic good in the universe.Kyle in CA argues theism has better explanatory power than naturalism, saying there is something that necessarily exists. We reject the premise that perfection is necessary at all. The fact that naturalism may not offer an explanation does not give any credit to the supernatural. Lastly, David in TX says his church therapist tells him that he won’t have any peace or joy without god. Using a moment of weakness to proselytize religion is disgusting. Lots of red flags here, you need to find a new therapist. Check to see if he is registered with the state. What a wild show this week! Thanks for tuning in, see ya next week.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to The Atheist Experience. Today, we have Truth Wanted’s ObjectivelyDan joining Matt Dillahunty to tackle your calls! Up first, Travis in PA recounts a story of a paranormal experience of something flying around in his room. He now feels people can be justified in concluding the supernatural. Why couldn’t it just be a bat flying around? Right now, the best you can say is that you don’t know what it was.Alex in MO asks why Matt holds the “hard atheist” position, meaning believing there are no gods.. The world doesn't look like the world created by a god. As far as we can tell, people made up every god and only evidence will change our mind. If a god is “hiding” from view, from our perspective it's indistinguishable from a non-existent god. Heath in SC thinks there is good evidence for god, but not scientific evidence as he is supernatural. Since there is no way to prove the supernatural, how is there good evidence for a god? Faith and reason are not the same thing, faith is the excuse when you don’t have a good reason. Your misunderstanding of the infinite monkey theorem is not a good reason to believe in any god. Robin in DC claims that you won't have grounds to make any predications without being able to identify what is ultimate. We don't work in ultimates here. Robin claims god is the personal creator of all temporal states of affairs. How do you know that is the property of any god? You can’t prove direct revelation is from a god, tell god to speak to everyone…Adam in IL asks if there are logical reasons to be an atheist. No one has proved a god, so the default position is disbelief. There is no evidence the bible is the word of god. Hoo boy, the ol’ “building needs a builder so creation needs a creator” argument… Now onto “something from nothing” retort, you don’t understand big bang cosmology. Harmon in MI claims the concept of the third eye came from DMT released from the pineal gland and the pineal gland has been known since ancient times. Ancient people weren’t idiots, however the age of belief lends no credence to the belief itself. DMT is a natural process in our bodies, the body is a complex organism and we don’t fully understand every process. Olivia in TX asks why so many eye witnesses died for their religion if their religion is a lie. How do you know if there were any eye witnesses? What we have are stories designed to make you ask that question. The real question is DID it happen?Lastly, Russ in MO claims theists and atheists have misconceptions, claiming everything in the universe is in a perfect order. We didn't believe that before or after a god belief. Good luck telling us that we believe what we don't believe. I guess you have misconceptions about how to remain a guest on our show...That’s our show, thanks for tuning in!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back fellow Atheist Experience lovers. Today Matt Dillahunty is Jim Barrows, such a great duo! Our first caller, Sarah in OR is an atheist but believes in reincarnation and argues that e-meters work to show past lives. There is no scientific basis behind e-meters, it’s complete BS. Sarah has no other evidence than personal experience. We don’t believe in something without any evidence. Duke in IN claims to be a skeptic but retains belief in god, arguing peculiar experiences with a ouija board opened his mind. We wouldn’t know the cause of a ouija board getting every answer right, let alone less impressive examples. Being skeptical means refraining from belief until the claim is demonstrated. Manuel in OH asks why atheism is better than any other religion. It's not a religion, it's a label for people who do not accept the religious claim. If religions aren’t true and you believe it was a limitation on your life, all belief has a consequence. Noah in OR is a believer that became a skeptic but argues that the odds are astronomical against the big bang. If the only thing keeping you believing in god because no one has been able to prove god, thats a bad reason. Just because the odds are against something, doesn’t mean that thing didn’t happen.Michael in CA argues that god is a rational concept and has logical arguments. He goes on to define god as a mind like entity that has the ability to affect physics in a teleological direction. What is a mind-like entity?? If you can’t define your god, try again next time.Patrick in FL claims there is a problem claiming there is not scientific evidence of a supernatural god. Science is not able to investigate the supernatural, because no one knows what it is. If you advocate for a non supernatural god, that is something we can investigate. You defined the universe as a natural god, but the universe is not conscious. Cliff in MI asks advice about an attack against the kalam, arguing things coming into the universe are just reformulations given that the universe is the thing that came into existence. It could be a good rebuttal but they will try to claim there is something that did not begin to exist. Todd in CO argues science isn’t the only method to observe reality. There are plenty different methods to view facts of the world, science seeks to minimize the likelihood of being correct using rigorous investigation. “True for me” does not sound like a good method to view reality, sounds like a wild ass guess. Allan in NY asks why we won’t permit cherry picking in the bible. If the bible is the inerrant word of god, you don’t get to pick and choose. Cherry pickers are just basing it on their own preference. Last up, Chris in CA argues for the supernatural and there is something out there that reads our minds. He tells of a story of having lunch with coworkers, or thought they were coworkers. We were on a good call, or so we thought.That’s our show, thanks for tuning in!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back fellow Atheist Experience lovers. Today Matt Dillahunty is joined by Dr. Josh, known as Digital Hammurabi. Check out more videos at https://www.youtube.com/c/DigitalHammurabiOur first caller, Ayham in Toronto grew up Jehovah Witness and was diagnosed with schizophrenia and asks our take on if Jehovah is god. Why would that god speak to you if it can be written off as a medical issue? We can’t prove one way or another if the voice you hear is god. If your medicine makes the god visions go away, is god less powerful than your meds?Michael in Germany asks if claims of religious experience is reason enough for atheists to look into it. It depends on the claim, it may make us look into it more but it's not evidence of their claim. Regarding “gods morality”, we can’t evaluate what the god says but we can evaluate what the bible says.Mickey in NY argues that theists are rationally justified in believing in god. Your 4 premise argument does not prove god and can be rejected out of hand. You are rushing to say your argument is sound, it is not. Try again another day.Pablo in AZ asks if we have completely ruled out god/s. We don’t know how one could completely rule out any deity, we are not absolutely certain about anything. The world doesn’t appear to support any deity. We have been doing this show since 1997, no evidence of gods yet…Wade in LA picks Dr. Josh’s brain about Shamhat in the Epic Of Gilgamesh, focusing on a scene of man on woman sex. What’s the point? As fun as this is, it's not relevant to our show.Elvis in CA argues that every moral a political belief is just intuition which is post hoc justified. That is not true of EVERY belief. We don’t just intuit something and try to justify it after the fact. Some people just distrust vaccines out of hand, but we can show the science behind it. The default position is disbelief until evidence is shown.Harry in England asks why we wouldn’t afford an unborn baby special rights? We don't give special rights to anyone. Harry goes on to ask about setting up a secular society. See if the secular student alliance has ties in the UK, let the group be what the people need and grow from there, make sure the president of the group is not a senior.Bob in VA makes the claim that atheism is a psychological issue. “That’s bullshit” is not an argument...good luck next time.Last up, Mike in CA is an atheist and gives his assertion of a creator. You don’t just assume the universe is created to prove a creator. “If there was no creator, there would be no creation”...Prove that assumption. “It exists therefore it’s created” Gee we’ve never heard that one.That’s our show, thanks for tuning in! Matt predicted the big game for Kansas City 31-20...let's see if he is correct.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back, the ladies have taken over this episode of The Atheist Experience! We have Jenna Belk and ShannonQ talking to our callers, this is going to be good.Our first caller, Hugh in The USA asks the definitions of Theism/Atheism/Antitheism. Theism/Atheism deal with truth beliefs about a deity, whereas antitheism is a supplemental belief about religion and religious practice. Hugh believes deities are imaginary proclaims himself an antitheist. Kenny in CA want’s to tell us that he believes in the biblical god and why he believes it. He can’t seem to describe god but stating he is the self existing Yahweh. “All of history supports it” is not evidence, that is a ridiculous reason. Mike in Austria claims he can use mathematical logic to prove the unprovable, arguing if you have a set of axioms, arriving from those axioms you can never get all true statements. To what end are we having this conversation? How is asking for proof illogical?Solomon in WA argues that abortion should be illegal becuase it’s taking a life from another person, defining life starting with a heartbeat. You are placing life at the wrong stage of fetal development. There is a notable difference in a fetus and 4 month old baby. It boils down to bodily autonomy, no one has consent to use your body...inside of birth or out. Jack in AZ believes that god does provide evidence, saying “interesting” coincidences can point to bigger truths. Jack tells a story where the number 3435 resonated with his mother. How is that proof of god? Listen to Shannon on this one, there is no thinking with your heart and gut bacteria doesn’t make you believe different things. Defining god as everything means nothing to us, why use the label god then?.Christian in CA asks whether atheists have the duty to deconvert people. You have to pick your moments, family would be the last place to start. You can casually mention it and gauge their interest. You are the one that decides when beliefs are causing your harm. Don’t give anyone time in your life that uses your lack of belief as a cudgel to abuse you. Last up, David in CA claims that everyone operates on faith, because we just trust our parents from birth. You should not just blindly trust your parents. We require a higher burden of evidence of claims you may just trust. We use source methodology and logic to find the truth in a claim. We investigated the claims of religion and found it lacking sufficient evidence to believe. That’s our show, thanks for tuning in!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to The Atheist Experience. Today Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jim Barrows! Today’s show is going to be a good one, get ready!Our first caller, Bo in MT is surprised we would respond that we wouldn’t worship god if proven real. We don’t have the baggage of “god is good” and, if real, has a lot to answer for. The god of the bible has acted atrociously toward humans and does not deserve reverence. Raphael in Sweden asks, hypothetically, if Hitler would have been correct in wiping out a race of humans if it did the world good? Was he correct though? Rafael asks who defines morality. It’s not a matter of who, it's a matter of maximizing happiness and wellbeing and applying that across society. Kaden in WA asks what is the value of morality if this world is all we’ll get? That’s like asking what good are the rules if we are only playing 1 game. Is it better to be polite to someone or punch them in the face upon first meeting them? Kaden thinks he is a psychopath without his god belief. Good luck, get some help, and keep believing. Aaron in VA thinks he would fall in line if the Christian god presented himself to be real, fearing damnation. Would It be more moral to kill your kid or burn in hell? The moral thing is to tell that god to go fuck themselves. We can see what happens when a dictator is worshiped as a god, people do what they can to survive. Mohammad in Australia claims a creator is the most logical explanation for consciousness. It’s true consciousness came from either something conscious or nonconscious. However, simply thinking the other option is not reasonable is not a good reason to believe anything. James in The UK argues that, secularly, abortion is wrong. Abortion is simply the termination of pregnancy. Do you agree we should allow people the autonomy to make their own decision? A born human doesn’t have a right to anyone’s body. We are not willing to grant special rights to a human in utero. Calvin in CA asks if time is the enemy in creating life in laboratory conditions, how can you come to the conclusion that evolution is correct? What we can/can’t do in a lab is irrelevant to what happened in the course of our history. Michael in FL has been listening to more atheist content and has been trying to address issues in his faith. Should we work towards the best heaven, or the worst hell? It’s best to say I don’t know, if the god is good then they shouldn’t fault you for living the best life you can. John in KY believes there is a god because of a near death experience but can’t even tell of his experience. Last up, Jeremy in CO finds his Aunt’s cured cancer as a miracle and thinks the best explanation is a god did it but agrees god has never been proved. Faith is not a good path to finding the truth. You can just say I don’t know, that is reserving judgement. That’s our show, thanks for tuning in!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to The Atheist Experience. Today Matt Dillahunty is joined by Johnny P. Angel! Strap in for a good show today!Our first caller, Murri in IN was diagnosed with Parkinson's and is tempted to go back to her faith. We are sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Religion/Church isn’t the sole source of comfort, support, or community. Give yourself some time to come to grips with how you feel about your diagnosis. Look into the secular therapist project Austin in WA asks if the scientific method is the best way to truth and how do we evaluate whether things are more or less true? We have yet to see any more reliable method to evaluate evidence. A consensus of opinion is a horrible method to ascertain capital T truth. Science deals with the natural world, not “spirits of the jungle”. Kaden in WA asks what is the value of morality if we are going to die anyway? Acting morally is beneficial to you and the people around you. Stealing a loaf of bread may be the most moral thing you could do, given certain scenarios. Morality impacts our life right now, even if we are going to die. Sam in TX asks how to deal with a friend that received a “prophetic reading” from a megachurch pastor given Sam doesn’t believe. Sounds like a trick or cold reading to us, we don’t buy it. Is it more likely god or some form of deception? We recommend showing them mind reading or James Randi videos, mentalists are way more impressive than any preacher. Matthew in MA argued last call that the Christian worldview was correct. After the last call, he is appreciative that we helped open his eyes. This never happens, thank you so much for sharing. Tom in MO is trying to determine a non supernatural explanation to Christianity. Have you looked for non-supernatural explanations to any other religion and do those explanations apply to Christianity? You should be looking for a reason that Christianity is true before believing it. Priest in The Bahamas doesn’t agree with anything we have to say and argues that god is an intelligent mind. Can you demonstrate that? The human mind IS capable of doing amazing things, but there is no evidence it came from an intelligence. Mark in FL thinks there is still hope for atheists in the upcoming rapture, believing in Jesus. Why should we believe in your god? Faith is not a pathway to truth, you can be wrong about things you have faith in.Last up, Ronaldo in Brazil asks our opinions of someone who thinks the burden of proof is on the atheist. The burden of proof is on the person making the claim. If an atheist claims there is no god, they have adopted a burden of proof. Not believing does not carry any such burden. Thanks for tuning in today! Wear your masks, stay at home and we’ll see you next Sunday for more rants and arguments.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Welcome back to another Atheist Experience. Today Matt Dillahunty is Joined by Mandisa Thomas! Mandisa is the founder and president of Black Nonbelievers and they are having their 10th Anniversary Celebration in New Orleans and online January 15-17. Make sure to attend!Our first caller, Enoch in PA asks if we would become christians if the bible was all proven true. That’s a hard no, there are too many horrible things in that book. Do you not see how abusive it is that you would rather serve an evil god than suffer in a hell? Your god should denounce the immoral crap in the bible. Neil in ID claims it’s morally repugnant that a god would allow someone to live apart from all goodness and there are supernatural things. Supernatural is not synonymous with unexplainable. If you imagined something under duress, how is that a supernatural vision? If there is a god, we wouldn’t have to argue the existence of the supernatural. Leeroy in MN claims to have been an atheist but experienced god and changed his mind. His experience was a conversation with god but can’t answer a simple question about it. Moving on…Kevin in OR asks if we were submerged underwater for 10 minutes would we be alive. That would depend on lots of variables. Think your question through next time before you try to “get us”. Paul in MI asks why truth matters from an atheist perspective, if we are just all compost in the end. It matters if a bus is coming at you when you are crossing the street. Just because something is going to cease to exist doesn't mean it doesn't have value. We have to deal with reality on reality’s terms. Austin in TX asks if either host has had a religious experience. Yes, they have, but that term is super broad. Our hosts share their “religious” experiences, explainable completely naturally or scientifically. Carl in NC asks why so many black people embrace christianity? Mandisa explains the history of forcing religion on slaves, oppression of black people, and the community services that the church provided. Research into those histories to delve into it more. Not everyone can be reasoned out of religious beliefs. Derek in NV argues that intentionality is built into the fabric of the universe, assuming that naturalism is false. Proof of something isn’t the denial of naturalism. Quit dodging the questions, you haven’t begun to demonstrate that intentionality is built into the structure of the universe. Lastly, Robert in the UK asked why do we allow theists to speculate about morality. We let anyone talk about anything! When they do talk about morality, you can point out where we have the moral high ground. Thanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. Donate to Black Nonbelievers and don’t forget to get tickets at https://blacknonbelievers.com/bns10th2021/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Happy New Year and welcome back! Get ready for today’s Atheist Experience: The Canadian Invasion! Today ShanonQ is joined by Paulogia to tackle a new year's set of arguments and apologetics. Find more Paulogia content at:http://www.youtube.com/c/PaulogiaOur first caller, Tim in KS how does atheism better account for the world as we find it than his Christianity does? Atheism isn’t a worldview. Biblical interpretation is not a way to look at the real world. We can argue about morality all day but your personal experience does not hold any explanatory power for us. Brian in MD is doubting everything and asks how can any human prove science is reliable? Science has predictive power and It’s the best model we have to investigate the world. So many of us go through a heavy doubt phase, it is completely normal. A god is not needed for a moral system. Good luck on your journey!Enoch in PA asks our take on a story he heard in bible school. Is it probable that a story you were told was prophetic? We have our doubts. We attribute our beliefs to outlandish stories, it isn’t proof of a god. Yes, evidence would change our minds. We might believe in a proven god, but we wouldn’t necessarily worship it.Kevin in NY asks if the universe has a nurturing or volatile aspect to it. The universe does not care about us. We don’t understand how you are making the connection to we need a god for anything, let alone consciousness. See if we can hone in on one of your topics when you call back. Lastly, Jo in Canada asks why atheists are mocking other religions, like drawing Mohamad inappropriately? People are bringing light the injustice of others losing their freedoms or lives for blasphemy laws that we don’t face here. Mockery is a way to assert that freedom but not all atheists engage in this type of activism. There are people that don’t have that freedom, like Zara Kay, who is being held in Tanzania on trumped up blasphemy charges.#JusticeForZaraThanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. Thanks for joining us to say goodbye to 2020. Welcome to 2021!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Hello all you atheists (and theists) out there! Strap in, today’s Atheist Experience features Matt Dillahunty and Jenna Belk! Happy holidays!Our first caller again is Enoch in PA asks our thoughts on why humans are different from other animals, given humans have morality/religion/philosophy. Humans' niche is intelligence but other great apes & pack animals have moral drives. We can’t communicate with other animals and we aren’t special...just different. Joey in IN asks if we have thought how Star Trek relates to Christianity on earth, given the crew dealt with skepticism and religions on other worlds? It didn’t necessarily teach skepticism and may have helped Matt understand humanism, but didn’t really help with religion. Babylon dealt with religion better. Kirby in IN believes in a god but thinks the Abrahamic religions are racist and controlling and feels that god is pure energy that evolved from a man. Population, not individuals, evolve. What makes you think this being exists at all? Evidence, not feelings, is the path to truth. Do you care if your beliefs are rational? If so, you shouldn't hold a belief without evidence. There is a difference in “I think there is a god” and “I think there might be a god”. Kevin in NY believes that a secret passed down by alchemists is that the soul is an emergent property within the magnetic field of the human aura. Aura? There is no evidence of souls or aura. Try again next time. Mohammed in Pakistan no longer believes in Islam but believes in a god, likely due to indoctrination. Why keep believing it then? We get how insidious indoctrination can be, you need to figure out what is keeping you in that fear. Sounds like you might be suffering from religious trauma syndrome, check out recovering from religion and the secular therapy project. Talking about this is the only thing that can help. Radu in WA never believed in a god but has started thinking more about it after researching game theory. His basis started with humans being a neural network, however we aren’t a neural network. You are arguing by analogy, where is the god in what you are seeing? The time to believe something is when there is evidence for it. Tim in ND asks why an atheist values rationality so intensely? Is there anything more valuable than rationality? We would like to be as right as possible, faith is gullibility. It’s important that others are rational because what they do has an impact on our lives. Rationality lends to survivability.Lastly, Erica in MT is an atheist that sides with Christians on social issues, for example the right to assembly in this pandemic. Do you not think we have a duty to protect the health of others? It’s conspiratorial to think that governments would create emergencies to keep take away rights. Thanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. Wear a damn mask and have safe and wonderful holidays, we’ll see ya next year!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Hello all you atheists (and theists) out there! In today’s Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by ACA’s own Jim Barrows. Welcome back Jim!Our first caller, Enoch in PA argues that it makes more sense to believe that god created everything rather than it happened by chance. That is a false dichotomy, those aren't the only 2 options. There hasn’t been sufficient evidence that there even is a god, let alone that god is more likely the explanation. I don’t know a perfectly acceptable answer. Connor in TX argues that he can debunk atheism and atheism is making a blind assumption about a material world. Atheists aren’t making a blind assumption about reality, that’s an everyone assumption. An atheist is someone not convinced a god exists, there are no assumptions made. Jim in the Faroe Islands asks if there is a duty to countering unfounded beliefs at social events, saying he struggles with not speaking up. There may be a duty, as a humanist, but that is mitigated by the impact it’s going to have on your life. It kind of depends on how egregious the claim is, for example if it was pandemic related and harming others. Avishai in MD claims Exodus 21 is not talking about slavery, saying the catholic church added that. It doesn't matter how you define it, the bible allows you to own people as property and pass them down. That is slavery. Have you ever read Leviticus 25:44-46?Phillip in Australia claims the evidence of God is all around us. Define your god, “god in general” and “eternal prime mover” are useless definitions. Do we know what matter is...Try again next time. Wade in SC asks why we should care about the wellbeing of others. There is no imperative, it is in fact in your best interest. In the example of slavery, a slave could be the one to cure the slave owners cancer. Paul in MI asks why slavery is wrong without a moral arbiter. So you believe the bible is moral, does god oppose slavery? The world is better off without slavery. Ugh, now we're onto Jesus existing. The gospel’s authors are anonymous, we don't have originals, nor would any of it prove the supernatural claims of Jesus. Could your god prove his existence right now, if so why doesn't he? Veria in the UK asks our opinion on the argument of believing A equals A is a form of faith. Generally, theists use faith as confidence in the absence of certainty. For your afterlife example, the soul is the most dead concept in philosophy. It’s just speculative. It's reasonable to believe a=a but not a soul or afterlife. Sammy in England has experience with fiery supernatural beings. We can’t verify personal experience, how did you rule out natural explanations? It’s irrational to just jump to the supernatural.Lastly, Mark in CA claims we can see the evidence of a creator, saying a painting requires a painter. We have evidence that a painter created a painting, you have no evidence that the universe was created. Thanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. Please be safe on these upcoming holidays.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Hello all you atheists (and theists) out there! Today’s AXP Matt Dillahunty is joined by Shannon Q. Glad to have Shannon back in the co-host chair!Our first caller, Stephen in OR asks if there are any aspects of religion that we miss? There isn't much of anything we miss, we have been building a community. If anything, we miss the relationships with believing family/friends. It was nice to not have those religious arguments. We are appreciative in everything we gained since, looking at the universe without the lens of religion is amazing.Ahmad in Syria says that slavery in Islam is perfectly logical. Arguing that you can’t start a war, and if someone does then you can take them as your slave. There is no justification to own people, full stop. Keeping a slave as a deterrent to war/battle is not moral, they started it is not a justification to keep slaves. Daniel in NY asks if god didn't create everything, then what did? I don’t know, is a perfectly acceptable answer. Claiming to know takes away the motivation to keep looking for the answer. Daniel goes on to ask if consciousness exists after death, there is no good evidence for that. There isn’t even consciousness that exists outside of our brains.Penelope in OK asks how “spiritual health” translates over to atheists, she read that overall health is affected by this “spiritual” health. We would know how it's defined and what metrics they use, spirituality is a useless term. Hunter in NC doesn’t believe but is a soon to be father with religious family and a Muslim girlfriend. He worries his child will fall in these religious trappings. You need to have discussions on how you are going to raise your child. Teaching them critical thinking is a good way to stave off indoctrination. Keep the conversation on raising the child, not your religious differences. Moldred in NY argues that owing people is morally correct if they volunteer. BDSM slave relationships are not about owning people as property, that’s just kink.William in MA says that Matt is getting god’s morality wrong, he is too focused on the smaller picture. The god of the bible sanctions slavery... God’s wrath is abated by Jesus??? Aren’t they the same and never changing? Jesus didn’t come to fix things, he never changed the rules about slavery or changed views on the worth of women. Jacob in The UK was disowned by his Jehovah Witness family for talking to an apostate. Shunning is a way to force people into adherence through fear. We agree, an all loving god wouldn’t do that. Check into www.recoveringfromreligion.org they help with religious harm, not deconversion. Also look into ex JW communities. Lastly, Zaman in India asks why we don’t believe. We don't see good evidence for anything supernatural, including gods. Personal revelation doesn’t equal truth. We can’t have the experience you had, you need to demonstrate you are correct.Thanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. Please follow safety guidelines and wear your mask!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Hello all you atheists (and theists) out there! For today’s Atheist Experience, Jenna Belk is joined by Anthony Magnabosco. Anthony is best known for Street Epistemology, a method for addressing beliefs/claims. Learn more at https://streetepistemology.com/Our first caller, Mark says that prophesies are keeping him tied to his religion, saying several predictions/claims are real. Try not to jump to conclusions about these claims, a more natural explanation tends to be best. Allow yourself to question and doubt the things you thought were true. Amber in SC can’t shake her belief that souls are real. What makes you think a soul exists? It sounds like you are afraid of letting go of aspects of your religion. It can be hard to let go of those beliefs, it takes time and it's a slow process. Give yourself credit for assessing these beliefs. Chase in TX asks about Anthony’s recent video regarding Caleb, an animated street preacher whose behavior seemed to change and Chase was wondering the cause of such a dramatic change. Check out that video here, https://youtu.be/IXzCdauGc_8 Anthony quickly breaks down aspects of those interviews. Sid in NV asks how we process grief as a non believer. We keep people alive in the memories and stories we share, it keeps them alive in your head.. Try to take a few moments to remember them when you come across pictures or keepsakes. Don’t forget to check out http://griefbeyondbelief.org/ Sam in PA finds it difficult to use techniques of Street Epidemiology to address political beliefs. Focus on the claims made, there is a factual truth on these political beliefs you can address. Anthony recommends Cordial Curiosity’s channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiWKxPMKUBFjN3Ny_VxpkYw)Steven in GA asks if we believe Jesus forced humans into existence, based on scripture and prophecy. There is no way to verify that, especially using the bible. Steven was placed back on hold so he could clarify the claim. Andrea in CA asks what we can do about people getting defensive about their beliefs. Jenna was conditioned to be guarded if someone tried to change her mind, believing it was the devil tempting you. Explore safer topics to indicate you aren’t just attacking and just let them be exposed to other worldviews. Skye in CO sticks to their beliefs based on fear of being left behind during the rapture. These are legacy fears that come with the belief. Access communities to talk with atheists who overcame that same fear. Look into www.recoveringfromreligion.org they have resources to address this. Lastly, Joe in VA doesn’t think we can have an infinite regress without there being an eternal being behind that. The honest response here is “I don’t know". There are lots of things that seem intuitive that aren’t once we learn more. Thanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. Please continue to follow safety guidelines and wear your damn mask!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Hello all you atheists (and theists) out there! Today Matt Dillahunty is joined by DB Ramsey, author of “Speaking of God We Don't Know Sh*t”. Mr. Ramsey’s book takes a look at religious practices and god beliefs, learn more at https://www.dbramsey.com/Our first caller, Michael in CO is engaged to a Christian who wants to baptize his daughter and make him go to classes about it first. No one should be forced to participate in religion. Making you go to classes seems more like she is trying to change you. Decide what you are comfortable with and have those discussions with your wife.Paul in England argues that atheists are straw-manning prayer, citing atheists equating prayer to wish granting from a genie. We don’t espouse that position. Paul agrees that the Bible supports answered prayers but says people skip the thanks part. The notion that someone’s prayers aren’t answered because they aren’t thankful or positive enough is abhorrent.Enoch in PA asks how we address morality with someone who says they care about only themselves. Does that person want food, healthcare, transportation? If they are not willing to contribute, they are disenfranchising themselves from society. We have never met anyone that really didn’t care.Danny in LA thinks that God is the best explanation for the supernatural/non-natural. You first need to define supernatural AND God. We agree that you can’t verify the supernatural, at least. The mind is not supernatural...oof. The mind is a label we put on what the brain does. How can you show something is non-natural?Beth in MN why does the catholic church shuffle criminal priests around? We are aware of the systematic child abuse and the coverup, how anyone can still support the catholic church is beyond us. Sadly this happens in protestant churches as well.Greg in FL wants to have a logical conversation about why slavery is immoral. Do you feel it should be legal to own you as a slave? Greg wants to move the slavery discussion away from humans. That is what slavery is about, owning humans as property. We are stewards of our pets/animals that we own, you can’t just beat your pets.Mac in CA asks about the necessity of religion and how it relates to a belief in god. Religion is not necessary. People don’t necessarily end up religious, some look for more scientific answers to life. Morality is NOT inherently tied to religion, there is such a thing as secular morality. Secular Morality does not lean on religion, it started in opposition to religion after religion.Lastly, Julian in FL if compatibilism or determinism is true, how do you know anything was true if you were determined to believe it. Because you were determined to believe, doesn't mean one can’t be determined to not believe. The assessment of truth is that which comports with reality.Thanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. Please continue to follow safety guidelines for COVID-19 and stay safe out there.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Hello all you atheists (and theists) out there! The hosts of Atheist Experience today are Matt Dillahunty and Jim Barrows. Yay, another Jim week!Our first caller, Enoch in PA wants to know why man would evolve and think up a god concept? We imagine beings with more capabilities to one with maximal capabilities, it's a natural progression. Enoch fails to prove god using his hypothetical scenarios. It’s no surprise that man made up the god concept. Charles in TX starts out spouting bible verses, even on hold. We aim to have a conversation, not just be preached at. Matt addressed some verses after the call, make sure to listen!Jason in TN asks if secular humanism comports with the reality of human nature that exists today or is at a utopian idea? Humanism is an ideal. In the absence of supernatural health, we recognize we need to work together to make this world a better place. The hosts break down secular humanism. We need to be more altruistic.Patrick in NH doesn’t believe but finds value in eastern religions, he feels they help him moderate his disorders. If it is benefiting you and not doing identifiable harm, go for it. Sam in Egypt asks how we explain free will and determinism and asks our thoughts on how consciousness comes from a brain. While we don’t have good answers right now, we are working on it. There is no reason to jump to a god as a conclusion. We don’t have a full explanation of consciousness, no one else does either.Marcus in Ghana claims black magic is real. Matt covers this well, real magic is fake and fake magic is real! What “magic” do you see in Ghana that makes you think atheism is false. You are seeing a trick and jumping to the conclusion that magic is real. Nick in CA doesn’t think that Christian god needs, or can, be proven. For most definitions of god, we think you are correct. You are acknowledging that your god can’t be proven, that means you can’t have a good reason to believe. Why do you believe? Mustafa in MI asks if god doesn’t exist, is there an objective morality? We can’t measure an objective morality, but we can come up with a subjective foundation in wellbeing. We don’t accept that any god is the arbiter of right or wrong. Jay in VA asks our thoughts of the government closing churches during this pandemic. It is not a church/state issue, religion is not an essential service that should remain open during this pandemic. Jay is against it as a personal freedom issue, you don't have freedom to violate quarantine during a pandemic. Lastly, Tyler in CA doesn’t see much on male reproductive rights in the secular community. The rights are equal but the situation is not equal. No one can tell anyone else what to do with their body. If the sex creates a pregnancy and the person carries it to term, you will become a parent. Thanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. Please continue to follow safety guidelines for COVID-19 and stay safe out there.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Hello all you atheists (and theists) out there! The hosts of Atheist Experience today are Matt Dillahunty and Shannon Q! Glad to have you back Shannon.Our first caller, Bonnie in WI read some horrible passages in bible and that is what sparked her journey to non-belief, specifically child sacrifice and slavery. We agree the bible is whacky and full of horribleness. Alvin in NC argues for his 100 patterns in Genesis 1:1. Matt sits back on this one while Shannon breaks down the math for statistical analysis. If you can’t answer Shannon’s questions, you need to take your claim to mathematicians or statisticians.David in PA feels his theistic beliefs are not rooted in reality. He has a history of psychological issues, Shannon talks with him about how religion can affect those mental states and drives home that no one deserves abuse. We are glad you are doing better and that ACA shows have helped you!Lord Methane from CA continues our first call, comparing blood atonement and sacrifices. We think the old testament is about God's failures and people not living up to God's standard. We don't care about the bible. Try again when you can make a point.Lee in GA is a member of the clergy project and gives us a brief history of his beliefs and went to Asia to save people and ended up leaving his religion. We are glad you are doing better!Lester in NC asks why people who believe morality is founded on wellbeing are pro-choice. Matt discusses bodily autonomy with Lester, mainly pointing out someone doesn’t have the right to use someone else’s body without their consent. Anything to the contrary points to fetuses getting special rights.Mike in OH believes that god is a transcendent mathematical object and that god’s existence was proven in 2014. We are interested in a god people believe in and pray to, not a hypothetical god. “Racking up losses,” grow up. Andrew in NC asks if he should give thought to predictions in the Bible, like the 3rd temple ushering in the end of the world. Knowing that people are actively working toward the goals of a biblical prediction, kind of makes it less impressive. Lastly, Rick in GA thinks the bible proves Jesus existed. It’s all speculation, you have to assume the accuracy of the bible to accept it as proof. What could the Bible prove? There is no reason to assume Jesus existed, we don’t take the Bible at face value.Thanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. Thanks to everyone that voted! Please continue to follow safety guidelines for COVID-19 and stay safe out there.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Hello all you atheists (and theists) out there! The hosts of Atheist Experience today are our very own Matt Dillahunty and Jenna Belk. Tune in to see Jenna’s big announcement!!Our first caller, Eddie in Canada objects to Matt’s use of a moral/slavery argument. Matt’s position is slavery in the bible is immoral but Eddie thinks if a god commands it, it is moral. How can you tell the difference between someone thinking god told them versus god actually commanding it?Ulrich in Mexico says that phrases akin to “oh my god” proves god’s existence. We are not calling on a literal god, just using a phrase found commonly in society’s lexicon. Lester in NC asks about objective morality, asking if certain situations are objectively bad. What does it matter if something is objectively immoral? Christians can not demonstrate morality comes from a god, let along prove that god. Anne in Turkey worries thinking about skepticism triggers mental health issues. Skepticism is just not believing something without good evidence. Check into resources in your area and look into Recovering From Religion. Jesus in CA argues God is a personal being outside of time, space, and matter. Does God interact with reality at all? Design is not interaction and DNA is neither a code or evidence for design. Oh no, now we're talking about the big bang theory…Anthony in FL tells us that atheists are hypocritical because we would vote for a believer. He rambled on about inane “what-if” scenarios but couldn’t point out why atheists are hypocritical. Dmitriy in CA argues that fine tuning is the best argument for the existence of a god. We can not show that physics could work another way, the argument fails that it was fine tuned. We look for explanations supported by scientific evidence, it is impossible to define the supernatural in science. Cindy in Belgium asks about inductive and deductive reasoning. There is no requirement that logic address true premises, it is possible in an inductive argument for the conclusion to not be true. What a fun call on logic and syllogisms! John in GA asks if we are predetermined to believe in god if you believe in predeterminism? We believe that the universe is deterministic. We believe that people can choose to change their minds on their beliefs. Lastly, Preston in UT asks how life was created given the laws of entropy. We don't know, those that claim knowledge has the burden of proof. There are scientists working on abiogenesis. If you say that life arising on earth violates the law of entropy, write a paper and get a Nobel prize. Thanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. Keep wearing your masks and please go vote!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Hello all you atheists (and theists) out there! The hosts of Atheist Experience today are our very own Matt Dillahunty and Johnny Angel. Not only is Johnny a co-host but he co-produces the Non-Prophets reboot! Nice hats Johnny, very clever.Our first caller, Heath in TX asks how you can tell if a claim is extraordinary or not? Does it comport to our human experiences? All claims warrant as much evidence as is needed to believe that claim. You need different levels of evidence for the sky is blue versus there is a god. Adam in Romania asks advice on how to deal with an irrational fear of death and dealing with grief? These fears hit Adam mainly right before he goes to sleep. Johnny has had these kinds of episodes and gives his advice. Contact the secular therapy project and see if they have resources in Romania. They talked about what an atheist funeral should look like. Meerkat in UT asks why he should bother convincing an atheist that god exists if that atheist doesn't want to convert to Christianity. The answer to your question in your Bible, according to your own beliefs. Do you know what an atheist wants to believe?Ray in Colorado argues that GDP is higher in Christian nations than others. It is higher than all other nations, so what? The USA is a secular, not Christian, nation with a secular constitution. Ray disagrees but fails to make a valid point that the USA is Christian. Out of the 10 commandments, only 2 are part of any laws here. Catholic Traditionalist claims he can prove God by asking a few questions. Matt tries to answer his questions but the caller only wants to troll on behalf of a previous caller. Be an honest interlocutor if you call back. Joe in MO claims 2 of the first 5 claims in the Skeptic’s Annotated Bible are disproven by reading the Bible. Matt addressed this in a recent video he posted and we don’t accept the claims in the Bible. Joe fails to show how he knows his Bible code or interpretation is correct. Cool story bro.Last caller, David in Canada asks why we do not feel the call to Jesus Christ. Matt thought he did feel a calling toward Jesus, he was going to be a pastor after all. David talks about God healing his cancer but fails to prove how it could be god. Why can’t a god just heal you of cancer without making you go through treatments and surgeries?Thanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. Keep wearing your masks and please go vote!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Hello all you atheists (and theists) out there! The hosts of Atheist Experience today are our very own Matt Dillahunty and Jim Barrows. Glad to have you have on Jim!Our first caller, Kel in UT asks for advice on talking to his brother about going on a mission trip, after regretting his own. Have a sit down talk with him about how you felt on your mission and leaving the religion. Let him know you are someone that cares but also respect his boundaries.Al in Poland easily left the faith and wonders why it is difficult for others and thinks AXP is helpful for leaving one’s faith. It can be difficult to leave your faith and that is why we do this show, thanks for thinking highly of our production! Alvin in NC offers his theory on a biblical code, that there are over 100 numeral patterns in genesis 1:1. How can there be 100 patterns in 7 words? All the arguments just sound like numerology. Genesis 1:1 shows pi? Granting this theory, it still doesn’t prove a divine author. Rj in CO doesn’t think Christianity spreading globally wasn’t a coincidence. We agree, it mostly spread through coercion, conquest, convincing people, and at the point of a sword. Sorry you don’t agree with facts. Kim in OR believes in the bible but dismisses 80% of Christianity. Kim gives a case for his god belief, inherent design of nature and poking holes in evolution. Kim puts forth the 2nd law of thermodynamics argument, it doesn’t prove god and the earth is not a closed system. Study the 2nd law of thermodynamics, don’t just read answers in genesis. Last caller, David in CA tries to prove the bible is correct in its order and science verifies genesis 1 is correct. Genesis does not match the scientific order of how the earth formed. Science gives us the best models based on the current evidence available. David threw in the towel himself by mentioning Hitler… JeezThanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. Keep wearing your masks and please go vote!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Hello all you atheists (and theists) out there! The hosts of today’s Atheist Experience are Matt Dillahunty and Paulogia! Paulogia is a recent atheist and has a popular YouTube channel addressing Christianity.Our first caller, Jelmer in The Netherlands argues that god exists and god doesn't exist is a false dilemma. Matt explains it is a direct logical negation and the laws of logic holds up, even in a black hole. Jelmer confuses laws of science and logic. Marius in AL argues that Matt’s interpretation on Exodus 21, great another slavery argument. The bible explicitly endorses owning a human. Marius argues that it permits indentured servitude. Even if we grant that, it still outlines some horrific actions, like beating their property. People are not property.Omniskeptic in Canada claims most atheists activists misunderstand the no true Scotsman fallacy and feels Christians are just amending their definitions. A good practice is to let people give their label and what they mean by it. Atheists catch a lot of flack claiming we were never true Christians. Jacob in the UK argues in favor of the resurrection of Jesus. Paulogia tells us that we can only be confident about the martyrdom of 2 of the 12 apostles of Jesus. We can’t be certain anything in the bible occurred but we acknowledge people truly believe, but we can’t link it to anything factual. Shannon in TX thinks that atheism is wrong by definition, defining atheists as “god or gods don't exist”. That's not the definition we use. One needs to agree on definitions to have meaningful conversations, gods don’t exist just by naming an existent person a god.Nadir in FL can prove the Koran is from god, using science even! There is not a way to prove any text is from the mind of a god. Was this merely a call to challenge Matt to a debate?Last caller, Jeff in FL asks if there is no free will how do we hold people responsible. We don’t think people are overall evil, but we can hold people responsible for the actions they take independent the reason they took the action.Thanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. Check out more from Paulogia at https://www.youtube.com/c/paulogia Keep wearing your masks and please go vote!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Hello all you atheists (and theists) out there! The hosts of today’s Atheist Experience are Matt Dillahunty and our own Jenna Belk.Our first caller, Hunter asks our experience coming out to religious family members now that he is embracing atheism. It went badly but not the worst thing in the world, don’t make it a huge sit down event. Also look into resources like books, forums, recovering from religion, etc. Nat in Mexico thinks there is no way to justify an ethical point of view as an atheist and argues theism provides grounding to ethics. There is no objection to secular morals by appealing to a deity. At least we agree well being is the only rational grounding to morals, too bad we can’t agree on the definition of atheism.Ricky in Columbia thinks people need Christianity to form the basis of a society. Actually society remains intact despite religion. Ricky can’t seem to point to a Christian value that couldn’t be secular and implies LGBT people are dangerous.Alvin in NC wrote a book about 100 provable patterns in genesis 1:1 that are way beyond chance or mortal capabilities. He then goes on to explain his proof in numerology. How do you know the rules of how to do math on the verses? This sounds like bad methodology and confirmation bias.Robert in CA asks advice on how to talk about atheism on a college application. There shouldn't be much of a problem if it's not a religious college. Matt finds it easier to make a pro/con list and Jenna advises that if they had that kind of bias, she is not sure if she would want to attend.Mars argues that the Christian god supports freedom, not slavery. Matt points out the bible doesn’t support freedom and does endorse owning another human. Mars asks to not be taken seriously, happy to oblige. Brent in CA asks how to get over using the atheist label when holding onto some other beliefs. Jenna points out you don't have to use any terms, you can just say you don’t believe in any gods. It takes time to work through your beliefs. Don’t beat yourself up!John in NJ asks how to reason his thoughts of what he feels should happen to the murderer of his brother. It is understandable to have mixed thoughts about that and while we can empathize, don't let it consume your life. Looks into grief beyond belief.G in NC asks tips for how to find out if we are using epistemology correctly. Know that you hold irrational beliefs. Skepticism is not an on/off switch and be open to changing your mind in the face of new evidence. Last caller, Sam in NV argues there has to be an afterlife. It may seem like there should be one but where is your evidence? A gut feeling isn’t evidence and life is not fair. Thanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. Stay safe and continue wearing masks out there.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Hello all you atheists (and theists) out there! The hosts of today’s Atheist Experience are Matt Dillahunty and ObjectivelyDan. Dan joins us from ACA’s own Truth Wanted (airs every Friday), and we're glad to see him on AXP!Our first caller, Jake in CA shares his beliefs with us. For instance, the devil is walking around and only has power through god. How could you know that? … oh the bible, of course. Jose in GA feels Matt is dismissive of peoples stories about experiences with the holy spirit. How can we tell if someone had a genuine experience with the holy spirit? We don’t just shut people down, we care about what beliefs are true. Matt demonstrates to Jose that feelings don’t justify beliefs.Lauren in NY has logical proof for god, arguing if the universe is a closed system then consciousness would extend to the universe itself. We’re not sure how consciousness would extend to the universe. Lauren goes on to talk about astrology and predicts Matt’s friends will have air/fire signs and Dan’s would have earth/water. Lisa in FL asks how much knowledge of all religions comes into play when talking about atheism. You don’t need to research any or all religions to talk about your atheism. Atheists don’t need to disprove any god, let along all gods. Jacob in CA thinks lots of laws in the old testament would fix some societal problems we see today. We don’t need a theological understanding of problems in the bible to solve current problems. We don't have to justify the bible, we can just get rid of it. Joe in IL tries to prove the inspired word of god comes through him. He got a premonition to buy medical supplies at a hobby lobby...for a self surgery? Yeah, this one went off the rails.Dan in NY claims to be able to prove the devil. Too bad he lied to get on the air, NEXT! Enoch in PA, asks why we want to convince people they are wrong. We are just trying to have conversations about what people believe. If they figure out they don't have a good reason to believe something, all the better. We care about true beliefs.Jeremy in NV claims to have a good defense of christianity and finds it best to defend one true god, not just a god. Matt asks what evidence demonstrates a god exists but Jeremy can’t seem to answer.Last caller, Anthony in VA argues that god used to exist but doesn’t any longer, claiming that god is nothing but a title and ancient people put those ideals onto those names. There is no way to prove that.Thanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. You can find more from ObjectivelyDan at https://www.youtube.com/c/TruthWanted Stay safe and continue wearing masks out there.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Hello all you atheists (and theists) out there! The hosts of today’s Atheist Experience are Matt Dillahunty and Dr. Hector Garcia! Hector is an author, podcaster, and youtuber. Heh has been spending his Covid time making a new YouTube channel, shout out to Genetically Modified Skeptic.Our first caller, Jonathan in the UK wants to know how to help his believer wife without challenging her beliefs. Tough request Jonathan. Is the belief of a punishing god damaging to begin with? Be honest, come at with concern and let her know this is you and you are not taking away her beliefs. Reach out to Recovering From Religion. Shawna in NY asks what to say to people that say consciousness is proof of god. There needs to be more to the argument, a statement is not enough to conclude a god exists. The brain is malleable, it can be altered and fundamentally change the person affected.Dean in CA argues that wellbeing is not robust enough to base morality on. Dean argues coronavirus harms our wellbeing. We agree but there are forms of wellbeing, like societal wellbeing. In discussions of coronavirus we are always talking about wellbeing, not personal preference. Brian in CA asks about Pascal’s Mugging, a thought experiment on probability of return on investment and risk versus reward. We would want more evidence to believe someone would return any money given. Way too many factors to consider. Rick in MI thinks Matt is wrong that slavery is in the bible. Rick agrees with Matt that slavery is outlined in the bible but its immoral to own people. Matt points out the bible advocates for something we agree is immoral. Ron in FL asks how to combat the argument that his brother needs to power through mental health problems. You can research barriers to mental health and help direct him. It’s not a failing on his part and one can’t necessarily pull themselves up by their bootstraps. Mark in NM asks if atheism creates a contentious point for people arguing new theological ideas. Atheism is merely a response to a claim. We are unsure of what you are asking. Nathan in LA feels people are agnostic because we don’t know where people came from and feels there has to be a force controlling evolution. Look at the trees… Abiogenesis deals with where life came from, not evolution. No creator required.Michael in AZ thinks god is a paradox. A paradox implies that something doesn’t exist, a god can’t both exist and not. Last caller, Vernaz in the UK asks why does god have to be connected to religion and feels god has nothing to do with religion. Some religions don't have a god belief. Email [email protected], we would love to hear more. Thanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. You can find more from Hector at www.hector-garcia.com. Stay safe and continue wearing masks out there.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.