The Atheist Experience

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, the Cross Examiner and Ryan Jayne talk about the significance of separation of church and state, rising Christian nationalism in the United States, and phenomenology.

Keyon in Utah claims that the stories of multiple religions point to there being a creator god. So many traditions have similar stories, so they must be on to something. He says he’s not religious but seems to still believe in the Bible and Christianity to an extent. Why does the similarities between different traditions’ stories mean that one (Christianity) is true? Keyon says that concepts like the devil are a type of energy and that he feels the truth of them energetically. He can’t conceive of a world where so many people could be wrong about religion. The hosts explain that religions like Islam and Christianity that contradict each other can’t both be true. And how can we tell which religion is true if both groups came to their conclusion through the same methods? Keyon responds by saying that every religion has god because god is love and energy.


Manuel is calling from Brazil to challenge the hosts’ views on separation of church and state. He argues that there is a level of importance in issues. He says that there are more important issues like the murder of trans people, but it presumes that you cannot fight both fights at the same time. The hosts point out that something that seems so small like Christian iconography in government spaces impacts other issues like systemic transphobia. It helps justify discrimination and violence in society and legal processes.


Jackie in Missouri wants to discuss the “phenomenology of givenness” which is beyond intentionality. Some things are given to you and are not part of your intentionality. The word “given” implies that a “giver” exists. Why are things we can’t explain not just part of the natural world or the human experience? The hosts try to understand why Jackie believes in god, but he just keeps reading his script. Is this his best reason for believing in god? When asked for his best evidence of God, Jackie says that the question is not applicable to his god. We don’t care about a god to which evidence cannot apply or is independent of evidence. It makes that god unfalsifiable. When asked again for his #1 piece of evidence for god, he answers with “the hierarchy of value perception.” We don’t have time to unpack all that today. Jackie can call back to talk about that concept in particular.


Mike is calling in from South Carolina with questions about the Fair Housing Act. He asks the hosts if the Fair Housing Act overrides any discriminatory laws at the state level. While landlords can’t explicitly evict someone because of their sexual orientation, they can come up with some kind of other excuse for kicking them out that isn’t blatantly discriminatory. Enforcing a law like the Fair Housing Act is a lot more challenging that you might think.


Jason from Massachusetts expresses his challenges with family after deconstructing from religion. Unfortunately, stories like Jason’s are far too common, but demonstrate how essential atheist communities can be.


Thank you for calling in this week! This week’s prompt is: Why did God kick out Lucifer? Wrong answers only!

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Forrest Valkai and Doctor Ben tackle several fun issues. 

Jack in Canada asks the hosts about the problem of evil. If god made the rules, why would he choose to cause suffering when he is powerful enough not to? Why did god choose something that causes suffering? If your god is in charge of everything, why does he not fix childhood poverty? You are more moral than your god. 

Max in Russia wants to help but is unable to donate. Every action helps no matter how small and we appreciate you. Doctors without Borders must work legal negotiations before being able to enter a country. 

Mike in SC has a perception that atheists and theists are doing the same thing because atheists say god is evil, and theists say god is good. Is a bi-sexual trans man better off in hell? Why is it okay that someone is sent to Hell for being gay? What if another god says it is a sin to be heterosexual? Why is it okay for Christians to kick people out of their family for being queer? Imagine what it feels like to be told that because of this monster in the sky who treats you differently for being gay,  you deserve to be tortured forever. How is the lesson someone learns from the loss of the baby worth the baby’s life? Is freewill more important to god than protecting children? 


Kelvin in FL asks if the existence of transgender people goes against the societal push of deconstructing gender norms. Dr. Ben explains that the trans community is not about adapting femininity or masculinity, and how the trans community leans into gender abolitionism. There is societal pressure put on trans people to perform to those stereotypes. Forrest discusses how sex and gender are different, and how things in the 1400s that were considered manly are not manly today. 

Vic in TX believes in a creator, but does not believe in the New Testament or Jesus. How is the Bible considered to be morally good? Is it morally good to stone your children if they disobey? Why should this be accepted as an instruction manual when it instructs how to own and beat slaves? 

Jackie in MS wants us to dig into a bunch of philosophers to promote Christian values. What do you have to say about these values being carcinogenic to human minds? How does the function of an idea speak to the morality of an idea? What is one example where consciousness is independent of matter?

Nate in NY discusses his deconstruction before the last caller, Kevin in MA, brings the hosts into a discussion about sexual dimorphism. 

Thank you for calling in this week!

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Secular Rarity(SR) and JMike sort through a variety of callers before being joined be Scott Dickie to wrap it up. 

Jackie in MS misgendered Dr. Ben on Talk Heathen and then refused to issue a proper apology so he was dropped! Be a man, Jackie and do the right thing if you want to play with us. 

Olivia in TX has questions about the Bible being true and how things she was told would come true when she was a kid are true now. How did you independently verify this if you have not read the Bible? The book alone making a claim is not sufficient. How are the things that have come true now any different than how they were hundreds of years ago? At what point do you trust the things people are telling you? Why is the church telling you the Bible is true, a reason to accept it?

Caleb in OH asks the hosts how they have come to the conclusion that there is no god. JMike explains how there are no minds that can exist, and how the commitments that need to be taken on for theism are massive, and therefore not simple. SR confirms that is his position as well. The evidence available leads us to a conclusion that leads to a belief of something being likely to be true. Probability may be interesting, but has no bearing on whether something is true or not. What is the reasoning that you have come to your conclusion about the universe being designed? Does god have free will to create other constants? Why not add more gods?

Johan in FL is a pantheist instead of an atheist because for the ethical reason that words have power and atheists tend to play on the word, “god”. What does god/goddess mean to you? What are you adding to the word, “universe” that we don’t share? What does the philosophy of mind stuff have to do with this? Why is there a moral imperative to believe something that supports well being? 

Polo in PA wants to talk about secular humanism and how he wants to start a new religion that does more interfaith with other religions who see themselves as humanist organizations.  The word “religion” can connote a set of rituals and dogma that may not work for many humanist organizations. 

Alexander in the UK has gradually stepped away from the Christian religion and is curious why some smart people are still so involved. Scott reminds us how smart people can be excellent at justifying what they believe and compartmentalization. There are people that have great arguing skills. None of us properly adhere to the correct methodology 100% of the time.

Dee in IA thinks the hosts missed the mark by not having a stronger acknowledgement when speaking with Olivia. What she got out of Olivia was fear and understands her not reading the Bible. Dee was also in a charismatic cult that took decades to claw out of. We always want to do better and not discount the emotions entirely. Your criticism and suggestion is well taken. Thank you for tuning in this week! 

Question of the week is: If you want to get banned from Bible Study, which Bible story should you pick?


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Show notes upon receipt.

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Show notes upon receipt.

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Show notes upon receipt.

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Today we have a Bat Cruise edition of the Atheist Experience live in the studio with Forrest Valkai, ObjectivelyDan, JMike, and Secular Rarity!
 
David in CA, wants to create an experiment where we remove religious teachings from a society, and if it leads to a god explaining things that science is leaving out. Notice how the things we can’t explain keep getting smaller. We would find that we can use rationality to come up with morality.
 
Sean in TX, wants to talk about the Eucharist miracle of Lanciano, where it turned into actual flesh and blood, and they found the specimen was still alive. If this is true, why is ritualistic cannibalism part of your practice? What if we wanted to be more like another person and decided to eat that person? Why would god choose this miracle instead of ending world hunger?
 
Ivan in CA feels that religions are man’s attempt to explain things, and is curious about how to cross the threshold to believing there is not any god at all. If there is a god, what kind of god is it? What does your god actually do?
 
Joshua in the USA, thinks the fine tuning argument is one of the best arguments that exists for theists, and proposes a thought experiment, where every piece of matter has the words, “made by Jesus”. Why does god create a world with life permitting constants rather than no world at all?
 
Mike in WA believes that if a scientist can’t make a complete set of amino acids, then abiogenesis could not possibly happen. Why are you not accepting the evidence that amino acids can self assemble? Was there a time where we could not create lightning in a lab?
 
Benjamin in AL is calling once again to defend slavery in the Bible. What is the motivation for you wanting this and why do you want to defend slavery? Does that make god a good person if he is okay with slavery and would you worship this god? Why do you believe certain parts in the Bible over others? You are better than your god.
 
Steve, a theist in NE, wants to discuss a research paper that argues for panspermia titled, "The Cause Of Cambrian Explosion, Terrestrial or Cosmic?” While cephalopods are life, it does not say anything for the rest of life on earth. Why are you making the leap of intentionality from this event?

Jimmy in NY asks the hosts why they don’t believe in god. How can the whole Bible be true if different parts say different things? Why do people go to hell and what kind of asshole would send someone there for not believing in him?
 
Billy, a deist in TX, asks about the observer effect where 95% of the universe is not observable. This has been misunderstood for decades. Think some more on this and there is no need to get mad.
 
Mike in SC says that god did not create a lousy world. Who made the Garden of Eden and who was in charge of where the trees were placed? Who allowed the serpent to tempt them?
 
Thank you for tuning in! Question of the week is: What is a warning label that god forgot to make?

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Show notes upon receipt.

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Show notes upon receipt.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, The Cross Examiner and Secular Rarity explore the godliness of Superman as they explain where atheists get their morals. Crew cat helped with technical challenges before jumping into grandparents pushing agenda and the Mandela Effect messes with memory. 
Jim in MO uses a Superman analogy to god, and questions why Superman did not try to stop Lex Luther from doing evil. What kind of similarities can be drawn between stories in the Bible and comic books? We can easily imagine super powerful beings that are more moral than the god of the Bible. 
Jon in Canada wants to know where we get our morals if it wasn't from the Ten Commandments. Were there recorded civilizations before the Ten Commandments and where did they get their morals from? Laws can make society a better place, but it may not be necessary for them to be in place. 
Jax in UT asks if the hosts think god is evil and if so, why doesn't he kill us now? God creates all kinds of atrocities. He may not be evil, but he could be an idiot child playing with matches. How is it possible that god disobey’s his character? We don’t know why god does not kill us, he is a mysterious character. 
Robert in CA, shares how his parents are showing Veggie Tales to his children which caused a switch from neutral to proactive. How much do you trust your parents to honor your wishes? Studies show that if a child reaches an age where they can reason, they will be less likely to adapt to religion. Your parents don’t have to stop being who they are to not put it on the children. These are your kids and no one is entitled to pushing their agenda on them. What are your thoughts about supervised visitations? This situation is an example that answers why we do this. Religion hurts people, that is why we care.
Blind Limey in TX describes a Freddie Mercury performance at a Live Aid event that was televised less than 50 years ago. At this event, there were actors as police. How many people would remember there were police present at that event? There are lots of examples of the Mandela Effect. This kind of thing happens all the time and we know this. Even if we had access to eyewitnesses from Jesus’s time who saw something, how could we rely on that? SR shares an interesting story of his memory owning Golden Retrievers and how they were really Terriers. Memory is a fascinating thing with many chemical variables floating around in our brains!
Thank you for tuning in this week! Prompt is: What prayer will have you banned from saying grace?

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Have the ultimate Atheist Experience today with Johnny P. Angel and John (Godlessengineer)! They wrestle with an argument from popularity right before diving into another theist argument from ignorance with all the chemical gaps being filled with no other but god himself.  
Bernard, a theist in NYY, presents two options for the writing of the Old Testament: god or human. What is your criteria for determining this is actually the word of god? How did you rule out these scriptures are not just from people telling each other stories that describe how they thought the world exists? Why do you accept that this book is accurate? How do you explain all the different ways god is referred to such as Yahweh and Jehovah that indicate different writers of the first five books? Why is it supposed to be persuasive if a book references history? Large amounts of people believing in something has no bearing on how true it is. 
Mike, a theist in SC believes that because of the complexity of DNA, that it had to be designed, and proceeds to lay out his argument using chromosomes as a start. How do proteins come together? What is your definition of information as it pertains to DNA? Why are we replacing chemistry with magic? Why does any of this require a divine intelligence? When was the last time you looked up how many possible life supporting planets there are? What is the nature of the supernatural existence responsible for this design? If god is all powerful, why do genetic disorders exist? God has some explaining to do for this shoddy craftsman work. How is it fair that a kid dies of leukemia and why can’t god intervene to prevent this? Is it because he doesn't care or he doesn't exist? We think you are better than your god. 
Rachel, a skeptical agnostic in AZ, was told by her friend that she can only accept advice from other Christians. Why do Bible thumping folk think they cornered the market on correct action? It can be helpful to ask the person how they reconcile the genocides mentioned in the Bible such as Numbers 31,  with moral actions. 
Thank you for tuning in this week!  Prompt for the week is: What should you NOT say to a friend that is trying to deconvert?

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Have an Atheist Experience today as Secular Rarity (SR) and Armin Navabi, sort through questions of “creation”, differences in Quran scriptures, and ponder the unfalsifiable simulation claim.
 
Jasmine, a theist in Ohio, says that all of existence including us, is part of god and that everything is created through god. How can everything be created through god and be god at the same time? How can something that does not make sense be convincing? Is there a way you can build a claim without using language that is so vague?

Rick, a theist in TX, asks how atheists explain the creation of the universe and the world. There are people dedicated their lives studying how this happened and their explanation does not include a deity. The framing of this question assumes there is a creation and that we as atheists have an answer. Why do atheists need to come up with an explanation when we are not making any claims? Even if things did have a beginning, does not make it true there was a creation. We do not have to have any justification for not believing something. Why do you think the scriptures such as the Bible or Quran will have any validity with atheists? If you were to be shown something that shows how the universe got here, and that does not include a god, how would that change your beliefs and certainty there is a god? If justifiable evidence were to be provided for the existence of god, we would believe, however, worshiping that god will be a another story. Armin and SR have a different opinion on this. 

Abdur Rahman, a Muslim in NY, has laid out three criteria: logical theological framework, preservation of the original text of the Quran, and miracles. There is a ton of evidence showing the Quran has not been preserved perfectly. How do we explain the different versions of the Quran that actually differ in the commandments of Allah? If there were Quranic verses in two separate versions that were so radically different that it changes the commands of Allah and can’t be harmonized, would that make you no longer accept that the Quran is perfectly preserved? Why do we need the opinions of the scholars to make this harmonious? How do you explain these differences without changing the commandment of Allah and committing a sin? 

Steve in NE wants to talk about the collapse of the wave function, how things will exist in the fuzzy quantum state until they are observed, and the Second Law of Infodynamics which requires information entropy to remain constant or decrease overtime. He wonders if these things are indicators of a simulation program. How are you connecting these things? It doesn't really matter if we are in a simulation or not because our reality is indistinguishable from a base reality. We don’t believe there is anything that can rule this claim out, making it unfalsifiable. 

Thank you for hanging out with us today and remember the prompt of the week is: Create the next god!

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You will have the ultimate Atheist Experience today as JMike and Darante’ Lamar discuss the moral standards of not throwing babies off roofs. They jump right into a discussion about Moses writing the Old Testament and then they have a short wrangle with Satan Incarnate. 

Daniel in NC responded to a video where JMike and the caller were discussing if throwing a baby off the roof is wrong in a world where there is no god, and a world where there is a god. Daniel agrees that this action is wrong in both worlds. What is the logical contradiction in a world where there are moral facts? It does not make sense to describe a world with independent obligation. What is the standard for god’s absolute morality? How do you explain the morality that people have who don’t hold a god belief? God has to be defined and shown to exist before you can prove that morality flows through god. Claims that are snuck in such as god being the creator need to be proven as well. Why is there a different standard of morality for god than there is for us? Why is it morally acceptable that god tells people to kill their children?

Bernard in NY attempts to demonstrate that god wrote the first five books of the Bible through Moses, who he says also wrote the Old Testament. Where is the scripture that says this?  This call just did not get anywhere. 

Devon in PA relied on the Bible during a tough situation and references the verses that name, “Philadelphia”. This verse helps clear his name because he is Satan incarnate with black curly hair and a star under his eye. Dude! Why do you think this? 

Calum in Canada had two near death experiences as a teenager and saw an afterlife that was identical to what his mother described that included a “split” with a choice of where to go. Why did this experience not convince you there was an afterlife? It is rare that we hear this perspective from an atheist. 

Keith in OR asks what the hosts think when someone is healed at the same moment as the person who did the arm is asking forgiveness. We would ask for evidence of this taking place and would also be intrigued.  Could god create a backdoor to allow for such things to happen just so we can ask for forgiveness? 

Compares the story of Job to the 1919 World Series with the Chicago Black Sox. If god is omniscient, why would he not bet on Job? God does come down, talk to Job, and stack the bet, just for the record. 

Thank you for tuning in this week! Have a fun week thinking of why it is wrong to throw babies off roof, and make sure to think about our question of the week: What NOT to say if you meet Jesus.


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Johnny P. Angel and Secular Rarity combine for a wild show featuring callers that find divinity through getting high (huh?), the numeric secrects of the universe and more!

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Show notes upon receipt.

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Have an Atheist Experience with Secular Rarity and Armin Navabi as they work through callers determined to prove god’s existence.
 
Moses in FL says our lives are the manifestation of god’s truth. Why should emotions override the data? How is it that living our lives shows the truth of god? How do the narratives contained within religion affect a person’s self respect? What is the point of using logic if it is not to achieve better things and progress? When those who follow Jesus are supposed to be good people, why do Christians still do terrible things? What kind of love uses threats of eternal fire and torture?

Caleb in OH tries to prove that god exists by stating the universe has a beginning because it is expanding. We don’t know if the universe had a beginning or not. What was the second law of thermodynamics like before the big bang happened? How do you know that other people besides the disciples didn't write the Gospels? Even in modern times with video recordings, people come up with all kinds of narratives of how they perceive current events. What do you think it was like 2,000 years ago? 

Landy in FL wants us to know that we are all beings of light and science is catching up to what the Bible tells us. Why do letters in a text adding up to a certain number matter with anything? Why should we believe this is any kind of code? Every religion uses number games within their scriptures. Why should we believe one over another? What Biblical information is science just catching up to? 

James in CA asks what the hosts think about Paul’s argument for Christ being the Messiah. Paul, Mohamed, and Joseph Smith all said the same thing and we reject all of them. How can we believe Paul’s claims if he is not even an eye witness? Why is Paul’s revelation moment any more true than those that others have had? 

Thank you for joining us this week. Question of the week is “What is Jesus's Secret hobby?

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Today you will have a total Atheist Experience as the one and only Shelley Segal treats us to the best start to the show ever! Jim Barrows and JMike walk us through what does and does not matter when providing evidence just before learning there are holograms in our brains! Shelley provides a beautiful concert to conclude our show.
 
Nick in WI believes that he has found god in the same way he would find a specific car in a car lot. If you were to search for god, what reason would you have to think god exists before you start searching? Why would we care about the characteristics if this god has not been demonstrated to exist? How do you explain a Christian foundation’s findings that say prayer has no more effects than a placebo? What does “spiritually alive” mean? Considering the history of the Cananites, how did they get from polytheism to theism? Why blame god for something that is part of you and wanting to know as many true things as possible?


Mac in CA has the argument from perennialism to prove god and is described as god has been contacting humans through history. The sound trailed off into underwater territory. 


Sura in India says there is a strong force that is driving all religions. All religions attempt to explain things we have no control over is a more reasonable explanation than adding a supernatural god to the equation. Why postulate a god for natural phenomena? How do the percentages of people that believe something have any bearing on the truth?


Oliver in FL wants to know what science or LGBTQ has to do with atheism and atheists use faith for not having evidence for god. By your definition of faith, what am I believing in as an atheist that I can’t substantiate or confirm? What is the entailment for when we continue to ask for evidence? Why would Einstein saying anything get us to believe in this useless god of Spinoza?


Angus in NE,  Jesus Mythicist asks what the hosts think of Yahwey or Yesua never saying anything. The same thing can be said of The Hobbit or other stories. What does what someone says prove anything about their existence? 


Dave in India asks the hosts if they would consent to the point that there is a hologram in their brains. How would that point to god? Personal experience does nothing to move the needle here. How does your brain making you see stuff get us to god? Under what circumstances should we assume the supernatural is real? Why would you believe our lives as atheists are meaningless?


That was awesome wasn’t it? Thank you for hanging out with us this week! Question of the week is: Why did god really go no contact with people?

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Have an Atheist Experience with Secular Rarity and Forrest Valkai as they work together to catch a troll who won’t answer a question only to later have another transphobe try a bait and switch tactic with the call screeners.
 
Kevin in GA asks the hosts why he is incorrect by believing there is an intelligent designer without having specific proof such as a video describing how a car is made. What do you have to compare a designed universe with? Not knowing something is not the same as magic. There are multitudes of different types of proof that are needed for us to believe that a creator designed the universe. We do know where things came from and they are all from natural sources. If there is no proof, what is it that leads you to accept it and why do you believe your god is real?
 
Royal Trans Atheist in the UK asks about the morality of homosexuality under atheism. Why are you going out of your way to poke at people? What is your understanding of how reasoning and logic leads one to accept that being homosexual is how one is born? Overwhelming consensus is that it is not a choice but is part of the spectrum of human sexuality. At what point in your life did you decide to be straight? Do you believe that homosexuality is immoral? “Pleading the fifth” is now how this show works; if you are going to be a troll, at least be honest.
 
Seethi in OH asks Forrest about a call where Forrest had said there is no gender of a sex. Forrest explains that gender is a social construct and changes throughout time. Using the proper terminology from a scientific perspective will be inclusive. Agreeing on the facts and agreeing on what the facts mean are two different things. It is important to be careful to not cause more harm when describing how gender does not line up with sex, even when trying to be well intentioned.

Caleb in OH has evidence of the supernatural and asks the hosts their belief of the supernatural. Neither host believes in anything they do not have evidence for. How would accepting the universe having a beginning get us to god? Why would we believe anything contrary to the wealth of knowledge we already have about the universe?
 
Mr. British in London asks the hosts if atheism is appropriating the word “theist” in a proper way? What could this possibly mean? Is it misappropriating the word “symptom” to use the word “asymptomatic”? Can a term be used to describe whether or not something possesses a particular quality? Why should we use the word “secularism” when it does not mean the same thing as atheism?
 
Mike in SC asks SR about his prior belief and if he just grew out of religion. SR explains his deep belief and involvement early in life until an effective method was demonstrated to him. Forrest describes his exposure to a variety of churches and religions and how he applied the same rules to those beliefs as he did for anything else. Mike then asks if all atheists believe that gender is fluid. The majority care about gender identity, but as with other groups, there are atheists that are transphobic. If you are not willing to speak up against policies that are harming trans people, then we would argue you do not have a trans friend.
 
Thank you for joining us this week! Remember to call the show and not just comment in the chat! The prompt for this week is: What is a good come back for, “You need Jesus”?

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Have an Atheist Experience with Jim Barrows and The Cross Examiner and work through the current challenging issues that both theists and atheists continue to sort through. 


Chidumeei in PA asks how he is to tell atheists that they are not morally superior.  How do you deal with Christians that think they are morally superior? You take it one step at a time like you do everything else. Many people go through the angry atheist stage, and sometimes this is frustration from learning the Bible is wrong and realizing people have been lied to. If you slow the conversation down, ask for definitions, and look for understanding, people will realize the conversation is more important than the finger pointing. 


Miguel in CO asks about how society handles transgender people in sports. How does society reconcile the two established facts of transgenderism being real, and the hormonal treatment being good but not perfect? Sports matter more than we think it should, and solutions that we come up with for one sport may not work for another. Maybe early recognition of one being transgender will solve some of the issues. It would be insulting to all genders to just boil it down to not allowing men to compete with women. People do not on a whim just decide to change their gender. Be careful to weed out the lies such as “six year olds getting surgeries”. 


Brandon in CA wants to know why we embrace the trans community by using pronouns. What problem do you have with inclusion? How has the use of pronouns just come out of nowhere? We are hoping to build a society where it does not matter where you are dropped in, and the bottom rung of the ladder keeps going up so that everybody is included. What skin do you lose by using pronouns?

Dan in Canada has just been through the loss of a service dog and wants to know if it is okay to be Catholic without proof of god. How do you feel about believing a story without evidence of your dog being in a better place? What is your community around you now like? You may consider calling The Secular Therapy Project for someone to talk with or Recovering from Religion. It is okay to go to a church; there are times when communities offer more benefits than risks. The thing to look forward to when you do not believe in a god, is the exciting prospect that the future is yours to make and do what you want. 


Chloe in MI says that the USA is not a Christian nation even though she is a Christian and does not see the attitude of Jesus and putting other people first. How do we define what a true Christian is? What do you think people mean when they say it is a Christian nation? In addition to legal meanings that are wrong on many levels, it could mean that people who are white evangelicals feel like they are losing their power. How do we determine whose interpretation of the Bible is correct? Who has the proper insight to know what the Bible means? We agree the United States is not a Christian nation. 


Thank you for tuning in this week! Prompt of the week is: How did god the father get out of paying child support? 

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Show notes upon receipt

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To be added.

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Recorded in front of a LIVE studio audience in Austi, TX!

Join The Atheist Experience with Jamie Boone and Christy Powell and work through issues, lack of evidence for god, and religious trauma challenges. 
Caleb in OH, believes the Big Bang is evidence for god, and asks the hosts if atheists believe there is no evidence for god. Evidence that is meaningful, compelling or that stands up to scientific rigor has not been observed yet. The universe having a beginning is consistent with many religions. How is your religion any different?  Why would an all powerful and all loving god not show us something on this show? Call back with one good argument that is overwhelming. 
Yetmas in FL makes an analogy about god, people, and ants, and then asks why we are searching for god evidence when we have not even mapped 25% of the ocean floor. This is 25% more than before there was science. 
AJ in MN asks the hosts what they used to justify the Bible when they used to believe. Christy described having to read a chronological Bible that noted the numerical differences realizing it was not inerrant. Jamie never looked into the claims, and when he finally did, he became an atheist. How many talking animals do you need in a story before you realize it is not literally true? 
Terry in NY wants to know how to bat away the indoctrination and fear of hell. Why would we lose sleep over the Christian hell if we are not worried about the Hindu hell? Your nervous system does not need to be argued with and it is okay to struggle with this distress. Adult logic may not work with your first early childhood concept of hell. Recognizing this conflict is the first step to acceptance. Is it fear or is it guilt that is so scary? A book called, Leaving the Fold, by Marlene Winell is a good place to start along with Recovering from Religion where they are trained to help through this struggle.  
Jon in Canada says that the 10 Commandments are necessary for society to function and prove the existence of god. How can you tell me that they eradicated slavery? How do you explain the basis of Chinese civilization before the Ten Commandments?
Katie in OK is trying to determine if she has religious trauma or if it is being raised in a hetero culture. Living in a religious society is almost certain to cause cuts and scars. Having to pretend to believe in something you don’t believe in can be traumatizing. If it hurts, you are allowed to have compassion on yourself and do something about it.
Barry in GA says that faith is the basis for believing along with the word of god. Where does faith come from? What does it mean if something that you read moves you? What other creation stories from other faiths have you read? Why do you use faith for the Bible but not anything else? What would you say to someone that has faith in Allah?
Josef asks the hosts their opinion on the scriptures that condemn homosexuality. Jamie disagrees with the verses. Christy finds these verses to be a big problem and is what caused him to challenge Christianity. If you remove a person's exposure to a type of person, it is easier to make them hate that type of person. 
Thank you for tuning in! Question of the week: Missing from the Sermon on the Mount is, Blessed are the ___.

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• 00:00 Intro
• 11:08 Ameen-WA | Should I Come Out As An Atheist To My Parents?
• 34:42 Andrew-FL | Power Dynamics Preventing Consent
• 56:51 Bjorn-(NO) | Upholder Of Potential Is Consciousness
• 1:13:52 Jason-WI | Prophecy From God As Barnum Statement
• 1:18:55 Jake-AR | Societies More Prosperous Without Religion
• 1:25:49 Lucy-(LT) | Religiosity Breeds Toxic Positivity
• 1:34:26 Josef-MI | Fascinating Details As Argument For God

SHOW NOTES

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Jim Barrows and Armin Navabi sort through evidence for a designer, Barnum statements, and upholders of consciousness.   

Ameen WA is contemplating reasons to come out as an atheist to his Muslim parents. What would be the two main costs and benefits to making this decision? Considering this will upset your mom, how long will it take for her to get over it? What will you do if the costs outweigh the benefits? What can be done to help fill the void your mother would feel? Showing support to your family is not the same as believing something. Sometimes you need to play a little peek at a boo with the mask. Don’t do it fast and get them scared. 

Andrew in FL says that Armin failed to debunk the slippery slope argument about sexual relationships being allowed that have no potential for harm. How can you claim a failure when you don’t know everything that was said? The potential for harm with incest is much higher than it is with LGBTQ, that is why it is not fair to compare on to another. Incest will have the problem of power dynamics that makes it hard to demonstrate consent. The emotional harm can’t be prevented as easily as STDs can. 

Bjorn in Norway has research that connects consciousness with god and every real life moment has to have the potential of becoming a realization. If you are trying to prove god’s existence, please define god beyond a name. What is god? How would you demonstrate this? How can we connect all these random sentences together and tell us why consciousness is necessary? How do you know that something can’t exist alone? Why do we care about things that are potential but not probable? How do you know what happened before the Big Bang?

Jason in WI has a prophetic message from god about things that will happen. What will happen specifically and what is the exact date and time? Making Barnum statements is not the same as prophecy. Don’t waste our time. 

Jake in AR says the world would be better off without religion. Would a society that has closer beliefs to reality have a better chance of prospering than one that does not have true beliefs? As Forest would say, all models are wrong, and some models are useful.

Lucy in Lithuania says that religiosity can breed toxic positivity. We agree and this is also a way for religious governments to take advantage of people. 

Josef in MI asks what god the hosts have an issue with and uses DNA as an example of why he believes god exists. We have a problem with all claims without evidence. Your interpretation of an experience is going to be heavily influenced by the culture in which you are raised. What do you think a good standard for god is and are we there? It must be proven the designer exists before we can prove that things were designed. Why would we assume that the supernatural or god has anything to do with our existence more than chemicals? Why would DNA being fascinating be an argument for the existence of god? How do we find the creator of the body like we can find the designer of a car?

Thank you for tuning in! Question of the week is: Why is Satan competing for god’s followers?


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Welcome to the full Atheist Experience where JMike and Secular Rarity(SR) take on the resurrection, complaints of atheists, and people being saddened by the truth before Kelley Laughlin takes over for JMike battling the allegation that atheists have no will and the fear of hell. 

James in OH has evidence for the resurrection that has been heard before and is Biblical based. Why would it need to be a supernatural cause if Jesus did in fact resurrect? You must make your case for this with an argument because just stating it doesn't cut it. How can this be done without just adding more miracles? Giving reasons and evidence will move people closer to your position. What is the earliest date of the earliest gospel? 

Michael in FL asks why atheists complain that Christians can’t agree on issues when atheists can’t even agree on what atheism is. SR reminds the caller that Christians inherently have the same idea of the deity while atheists do not have any idea of a deity. JMike points out the problem of interpretation agreeing with god’s principle with Christians, and still has yet to complain about it. How do two people have a relationship with an entity and be so wrong on the  most basic aspects of it? Does god love the LGBTQ people or does god want them to be murdered in the streets the way the Bible says? 

Chloe in MI, one of our more honest and engaged callers, is a theist who responded to the chat poll with atheists should NOT be persecuted for their lack of belief in god. She added some good reasoning behind this; one of which is that god is love. Is love the reason why billions of infants die? How do you reconcile your two concepts of love?

Jon in Canada looks at the sky and wonders how all this came about by accident. Just because something is not intentional, doesn’t make it an accident. Why is it okay to let people believe untrue things that may end up killing them? Would you rather have people who are sad because they learned the truth, or people who believe in an imaginary deity that makes them feel broken? Take the risk of bumming people out by telling them the truth when the alternative is how the Bible considers them worthless. 

Leonard in Germany says that atheists have no will or drive. SR explains how he has been involved in starting up several non-profit organizations, and Kelley runs his own business. How is this not a sense of will? There is a common thread of religions being political, where politics is not a part of atheism, however, individual atheists can be politically active. Every group of people will have bad people within the group. Why do we find justification in the core doctrine of religions to do atrocious things? The crusades, inquisition and conquest of the Americas are examples of this. Make friends with an atheist to get an idea of how they live and treat other humans. 

Autumn in MD asks how to calm the fear of hell in her partner. Be patient and be a support system. Reach out to Recovering from Religion and the Secular Therapy Project.


Thank you for tuning in this week; question of the week is: Why did god wipe out the dinosaurs? 

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Secular Rarity and Armin Navabi, question the universal theist answers and someone figured out that Jesus is the Devil, but not to worry, it is all in the mind because the experience is having us not believe that god is true because of cultural longevity. 

James in OH asks if the hosts think atheists have more questions than theists. Theists may have more answers, but many of those answers are wrong. Would you agree that having more answers is not necessarily correct? A lot of times, answers that are given on the non-religious side do not unravel more layers of questions. Why would you use the Bible as a method to demonstrate god? What would you do to prove that Abraham almost slaughtered his own son and that the Bible is a good source for this claim? What information has been given to you that makes the supernatural a viable option?

John in CA claims that Jesus Christ is the Devil and quotes something that he calls a parable from The Book of Revelation to try and prove it. Why does this “parable” bring you to your conclusion? Is the Devil the good guy or the bad guy? Why is it that nobody else has figured this out? Why are you one of the few or the only one that has solved this puzzle?

Mark in MN says that the proof of something is in a person’s own mind. Accepting a belief is up to the individual, but that does not change the facts. What is your best evidence for god being real? Lets pray! God please provide us atheists proof of your existence! Amen! Okay now everyone get off your knees, you are released from the magical spells.
Josh in MT says that Jesus awakened a truth about people’s experience of the world. Most of the universe is not experiencing anything. 

Michael in CA says that it is important to believe in god because god has always been a part of human culture. Would this be a good justification for the conclusion if we used another word instead of god? Why would longevity make it reasonable to believe in god? If you believe in something, and good things happen because you believe this, would the good things happening justify believing it is true? What if it is a lie? Where is the tomb now? How easy do you think it was for fraudulent claims and lies to spread thousands of years ago?


Thank you for tuning in and be as blasphemous as you need. Don’t forget Atheist Day on March 23. Question of the week: Name a time that God unfairly blamed someone. 

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Show notes upon receipt

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Secular Rarity and JMike float above their bodies as they look at the chat in order to prove they exist as an all knowing god does illogical things with free will.

Jeff, with no location disclosed, believes in Jesus because he experienced floating above his body right before someone took him to church. Why does this give you creedence to believe? How do we justify this content in your head? What does “demonstrated by love” mean? Asking questions does not mean we are disrespecting you, it just means we want to understand the methodology used to arrive at your beliefs.

George in TX asks the hosts if they can see the chat. And then he just left with a classic troll mic drop of running away.

Ali in VA asks the hosts if they can prove that they themselves exist. Available views can be compared to demonstrate how we exist and views that have less explanatory power lose out on justification abilities. Of the two following questions, which will have more justifications in the answers? “Why am I seeing a tree rather than anything else?” Or “Why am I seeing a tree rather than not a tree?” If you received words from Allah directly, would you accept that is Allah speaking?

Abe in NJ asks the hosts about god being all knowing and having free will at the same time. It feels like these ideas clash with each other hard. An open theist might say that knowing the future is not a propositional attitude. This contradiction can reveal some theological and scriptural concerns.

Thank you for tuning in today everyone! Question of the day is: Name a time that god had not chills. Put your answer in the comment section.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Forrest Valkai, Armin Navabi, and Seth Andrews sort through information that causes design as they dodge spiders with wings because Jesus just was not an apocalyptic creature.

Adam in England wants to talk about the relationship between information and design where the information needs a mind to exist and therefore the mind must be god. How is this different from the argument that says DNA is so perfect we must need a designer? Why do people have different understandings of words like “mind” and “freewill”? Where do we draw the line for what has a mind? Being too inclusive with how these words are defined cause them to lose their utility. What is one example of something that was chosen by god to be the way it is? Why add dead weight to the universe to try and explain it?

RJ in CO asks why spiders have not developed wings if evolution is real? If you are such a hard worker, why are you not blowing glass yet? Spiders have some terrifying ways of traveling through the air and there is just no reason to develop wings, just like not having a reason to blow glass. What are the benefits and cons of spiders having wings? Why would the wing mutations have any advantage over what spiders are now? Why would god create a spider to cause its prey to die so horribly? If your god is real, he is evil. Why would god punish a child that he designed for things a child does not understand?

Mikael in GA asks why atheists feel that Jesus is an apocalyptic preacher, when he presented himself as a peaceful Messiah. Why can’t Jesus be both? How do you reconcile the verses that suggest the second coming would happen within the lifetime of his followers? Was it right or wrong for god to forcibly impregnate a young girl?

Thank you for tuning in this week! Question of the week is: It is a bad idea to (blank) at church.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Secular Rarity and Jim Barrows walk callers through logical fallacies, getting out of faith mindsets, and ways to learn more about evolution.
Luke in AZ states that the existence of god is a rational necessity because everything will be meaningless if god doesn't exist. Why does some god’s opinion of what is meaningful have anything to do with anyone else’s? Lack of knowing what is behind everything does not mean there is a god and shows the fallacy of incredulity. Do you accept this same reasoning for anything else in the world?
Art in PA regards god as the ultimate ground of existence. How do you define the “ultimate ground of existence”? Does existence have to exist and is pure philosophical nothing possible? If there was a number other than 17 frequencies to use, what does this do for your concept of god? What do we care about what theology says about science? If your god is the same as “existence”, how does calling “existence” god not lead to problems? What is the difference between Spinoza’s god and a hurricane?
Jack in MD argues that the universe was created because it needs an uncaused cause, and free will is the only uncaused cause. We have not been able to rule out all the potential causes so therefore this is an argument from incredulity. What is an example of free will existing without a brain and how do you get to this being an uncaused cause? Does someone with a traumatic head injury that has lost their ability to eat have free will? We do not need to assume free will to make progress, but we do need to assume logic. Patrick in SC would like to know how to get out of a faith mindset. You ask yourself how you know things and why you think they are true. This is not done overnight but is constant because we are always learning new things. Ask yourself if you could get to any conclusion using the same method you use to get to god.
Olivia in NJ asks if god was created to cope with the uncertainty of death and to explain what we don’t know. We need to make sure we are not presenting this as if the first believers were doing this maliciously. Humans like telling stories and we need to assign agency to random events.
Adam in TX is looking for hardcore evidence for evolution. Start by defining what evolution is, and then must prove that either genes don’t exist, or must prove their frequency does not change over time. Watch the science journals for all the ways that evolution happens. Check out the content by Erika Gutsick Gibbon and Forrest Valkai for helpful information. You can also check out Crash Course for bit size chunks that will help broaden your understanding.
Denny in MI went through conversion therapy that did not work and is considering telling his parents who he really is. Your safety and security needs to be weighed along with how hurtful it may be to your parents. Contact Recovering From Religion for help with ideas on how to deal with this.
Thank you for tuning in folks! Question of the week is: What is an example of god’s sense of humor?

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Jim Barrows and JMike find Jewish atheist communities to help not trust their brains for the truth while they travel into the past to discover that oral traditions are partly the root of religions and to finally confirm that gravity is real.

Chuck in HI is that humans are here to provide a dwelling place for Jehova and gravity is not real. If he is omnipotent, why can’t he provide his own dwelling place? How would he be omnipotent if he does not know who he is dwelling in? Where do you get your god claim if we do not have the sensors to detect him and you do not have evidence? Whining about things that fly in the face of science does not meet the criteria to make them true. Try and bring your A game next time.

Richard in NY is looking for a community of Jewish atheists. Jim points out that both Judaism and Islam are as much a culture as they are a religion and how people have a hard time accepting that. Mike mentions that it is not that weird to grow up never thinking about god. There are many social media platforms available, and if you don’t find what you need, you can create one.

Katelyn in WA asks why we should trust our brains for truth when the basis is to survive. Jim explains how we know that our thinking is faulty with the pattern recognition leading to cognitive bias. This and the need to reason better is why we developed science. We build machines that do better things than we do and see that god’s design is flawed. We are most fascinated about why you believe in a god; what is the reason? Why does god not stop suffering or allow us to survive off just sunlight? Why does god not have the ability to make a world where people do not choose evil? Would the most important message in the world be shrouded with ambiguity?

Colin in the USA wonders if the religions made laws because they were easier to remember as stories through oral traditions prior to the written word. We like tales and stories, but this is not the only reason why religions made laws.

Thank you for tuning in this week! Question of the week is: Name one of god’s unpopular opinions.

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Show notes upon receipt

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Show notes upon receipt

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Show notes upon receipt

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Happy New Year from The Atheist Community of Austin! This year we began a new segment called “Share Your Experience,” or as we generically referred to as “question of the week.” This segment is only as good as the comments we get to respond to, and you, the viewers, really rose to the challenge!

Here is a compilation of our ten favorite questions and answers.

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Dive into this year's best, most viewed calls of The Atheist Experience with 'The Atheist Experience Top 5 Calls of 2023.' Forrest Valkai, Seth Andrews ( @TheThinkingAtheist ), Johnny P. Angel, Jmike, Kenneth, and Dave Warnock in thought-provoking conversations that challenge beliefs and promote critical thinking, and in rare cases, change minds.

We're giving our valued hosts, guests and crew this holiday season off, but we still want to be able to bring you some of the moments that have made Season 27 one of the best ones so far! So from all of us at The Atheist Experience and The Atheist Community of Austin, we wish you Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year. Join us in January when we resume our live productions.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Christy Powell and Armin Navabi, meet god in a dream that tells them which gender is god’s gift before finally being told that god is in fact everything which is really nothing.

Trees in KS had an experience where they met infinite blackness in a dream and felt immense love being surrounded by faceless Grim Reapers. How do you explain what happened to you in this dream? How do you know it was some kind of god and not something generated from your brain? Calling an experience you had god does not make you a theist. How do you know the difference between an experience in your mind and actually meeting a deity? You can have the feeling of meeting god as an atheist just like you can feel like you are flying when dreaming, but those feelings do not make either of these things true.

Jon in Canada describes women as god’s gift to men. Are men god’s gift to women? How can you rectify the problematic ideas about men and women in the Bible? Are you able to provide reasoning to this 1950’s way of thinking? Do you have any data to suggest your suggestion is better than other households? If two parents are better than one, wouldn't it be true then that three parents or even four would be better than two? There is no reason to believe that the nuclear family is superior. What about two toxic parents that are fighting with each other?

Jared in KY rushes through a proposition that agnosticism’s claim is a contradiction to itself. What claim are you talking about? We are getting bored of people who think they are intelligent that put words together and then think they are winning. Watch out for theists purposely speaking in philosophical language just to be not understood.

Erasmus in CA believes that god talks to people through dreams and visions. Why is it that Muslims have Islam related dreams, Christians have Jesus related dreams, and so forth? What metric do you use to know that dreams are not from your mind? Why is it not possible for dreams to be both clear and unclear? What is your evidence that clear dreams are more than a product of the brain? Having a scientific understanding of dreams will help dispel some of these theories you have. Dreams might just be weird thought noise.

Rick, in Canada believes that atheists dodge evidence for god and that energy is god. We are not following your notion of evidence, but do see the word salad you put together. Deep emotional experiences are insufficient evidence for a supernatural claim. Where is the evidence that energy is conscious? If everything is god, then the word god means nothing and loses all utility. Is there anything that is not god? How does matter and energy being everything prove there is a god? How is any of this relevant to the existence of god?

TJ in TX asked god for less pain in a prayer and got beaten up in school the very next day. You can hate a character in a book that does not exist. Emotions do not have to be rational or true because it makes no difference to your nervous system. Don’t try to define yourself by how people see you. We are not seeking the approval of theists.

Thank you for tuning in this week! Question of the week is: What is a minorly inconvenient way that god punishes people?

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Forest Valkai and Johnny P. Angel works through issues of Genesis, Unicorns, suffering, reproduction and babies hating god.


Ray in WV says that asks if the hosts believe we evolved from higher apes He then states that god is sovereign and every human hates god when they are born. The scientific argument is not if evolution happened, but how and why. Why do you think there is a god? How does a baby know there is a god to hate? How can one hate something when they don’t believe it exists? How do you know that god exists? We feel the same way about Yahweh as we do other mythological villains and fictional antagonists. Our explanations for how the universe came about are based on evidence. How much time have you spent talking with people who don’t already agree with what you think? Being a Christian does not give you the ability to have a monopoly on goodness.


Camden in NC asks if the innate response of evolutionary reproduction compliments what god says in the bible. Reproduction is one way that we classify what is and is not alive. If something did not reproduce, we would not know about it and evolution is the logical outcome of reproduction. We did not suddenly jump from a worm with no eyes to a human with eyes. Once the earth cooled from this fiery hello, life appeared relatively quick, and this can show that it is possible for life to arise without needing a cause. There are certain biological constants throughout history that have been developed through evolution and can be seen in many cultures.


Andrew in FL says religion gives meaning to suffering and that atheism makes suffering meaningless. Atheism does not have the narrative that religion does, however humanism helps reduce unnecessary suffering. What is the issue with not seeing the meaning to human suffering or existence? Religion has been used by powerful groups to convince us that we should just accept that suffering has a greater purpose. What do you think about rooting out the causes of suffering and fixing it? The current work structure is not a call from god, it is a call from capitalism. If you did not believe in a god, and you believed this is the only life you have, what would you do for your life, family, and career?


CJ in KS references a previous call where he had evidence for Eve's creation from Adam’s rib and is calling to develop the conversation. He explains that the water mentioned in Genesis is a manifestation of Jesus. The writers of Genesis did not know there would be writers of John. The people who wrote the Bible had access to earlier writings, not the other way around. The later writing does not prove the book is true, but rather develops the theme. Why do you believe the Bible is not just a literary book? How is sin anything that causes death? What about children who die from SIDS? Do you believe in a literal hell?


Thank you for tuning in! Question of the week: What is an inappropriate thing to say or do at a holiday party?

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Secular Rarity(SR) and Seth Andrews, The Thinking Atheist, wrestle with the foreshadow of Jesus.

Christina in Canada calls to inform us that it is humans that are poisoning the earth, not god. What does people not being interested in saving the planet have to do with there being a god? If Allah speaks to you in your dreams, why do you read the prophecies of the Bible and not the Quran? Tethering these things to the real world is the concern.


Nikol in Armenia says that if we don’t believe in god, we would live better in this world than others rather than pretend we can help others. The less religious nations are the more peaceful and produce a better living. The changing of our scientific positions is a feature, not a bug. How does god allow all kinds of bad stuff if he is all knowing and all good? The belief in a divine essence produces all kinds of problems that a secular morality does not have. If you stopped believing in a deity today, why and how would you suddenly become more selfish?


James in CA describes circumcision as a foreshadow to the blood sacrifice Jesus made. Why does circumcision need to be the penis? What does our immorality have to do with this practice? Why is self mutilation as a reminder that we are not able to meet up to god's standards not a problem? Even 2,000 years ago, we would not just walk up to someone and ask to see the penis so we could cut off the tip, unless of course we had a need of 100 Philistine foreskins.


Jimmy in Texas thinks that an atheist view of god is naive and asks the hosts about what their conception of god is. SR does not have a conception of god, but uses the callers’ conception of god for discussion. Seth explains how the argument for any kind of benevolent god falls apart. If a benevolent and omniscient god wanted to have a relationship with us, why would he not intervene and prove himself to us? Would it make sense for a loving parent to be confusing on purpose when clarity is the goal? Why does god need Jimmy to do the heavy lifting by calling a show? Presumptively crawling into our skulls does not mean you know our view or experience.


Harvey in Canada asks why the hosts are convinced there is not a god. Which god are you talking about? If we are not really delving into what god is, we have not moved the needle with being convinced. Keep asking questions and being honest with yourself on your journey. If you find something concrete, have your people call our people.


Jon in Canada asks what the worst part of Christianity is. Seth answers with a list of awful things and most offensive being how Christianity sells itself as a love relationship when it is in actuality abusive at its core. SR says that at best, there is no methodology for knowing what is true, and the existing method used is what has led to the worst experiences we have had.


James in Ca asks if we can demonstrate morality. The question is ridiculous, offensive and lazy. Do we need to be told not to harm in order to know the difference?


Thank you for tuning in this week. Question of the week is: What would you give Jesus for his birthday?

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Armin Navabi and JMike exist only in god’s imagination as callers discover that you just can’t get to an all powerful god from the Kalem or patterns in books.

Peter in IL proposes that if god exists, then we are imaginary and are entirely within god’s mind. What is the reason that brought you to this conclusion and what argument do you have to support this? Describing more details is not the same as providing evidence. How do you know that other scenarios where god exists are not true? Are we being made imaginary to solve the problem of evil? What is the problem with two competing good things? Does god have reasons for evil to exist? It is important to spend time thinking of things that are real, and not just things that could be real. If you study how logical fallacies work and take some time to understand how the scientific method works it will help you build a stronger position.

James in MI claims there is evidence for god in the book of Numbers and that Christ, Jesus and Messiah are the three words that prove it. How are the three words evidence for your claim? How do you get from patterns in a book to an all powerful god that is the creator of the universe? If the Quran has patterns as well, why does that not make it the word of god? Why does this only work in English?

Robert in CA asks if Arabic has changed as much as English has since the sixth century, when the Quran was written. Early Arabic would be unreadable for Arabic speaking people today. The evolution of the Quran is more complicated than what Muslim narratives say, and it seems that some of it came from pre-Islamic periods and other languages than Arabic. The vast majority of Muslims do not speak Arabic and will need to read the translation of the Quran. There are many competing translators of the Quran and can be different from each other.

Roger in the UK asks why the Kalam cosmological argument is not taken seriously, and how to determine the difference between “no evidence” and “non convincing evidence". The difference resides within how language is used. No good evidence for something is essentially the same as no evidence. There is evidence for everything if bad evidence counts. Can you give an example of anything that has no evidence at all? What if someone dreams of a square circle and calls that evidence? What in the Kalam gives you the attributes and characteristics of god such as being all knowing? If you want to just call random things god, then anything can be god. Nothing from the Kalam will prove god based on your own definition of god.

Yeshua in the UK believes the universe only exists in the mind of god. How can you support this belief with a coherent sentence? Questioning the hosts does not support the view or produce an argument. Personal incredulity does nothing to support your claims.
Thank you for tuning in this week!

Prompt for the week is: Name a weird thing that god gets offended by.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Forest Valkai and Jamie the Blind Limey sort through the creationist talking points while someone admits that sicking bears on kids is okay as a regular caller once again tries to prove god by using the seven day week.


Jonathon in CO asks how the hosts decide who to talk to. The hosts must consider how productive the conversation will be. They think through who they are actually talking to and what the goal is. Someone with bigoted talking points will always be debated, and it may not be pleasant. If not the caller, somebody listening may change their mind.


Mr. Le Cook in Canada uses several premises including the seven day week to claim the Bible proves god, as usual. You know the seven day week dates back to hundreds of years before Jesus, right? Did this become a global practice because of divine intervention? Or was it that one culture steamrolled accross the earth committing genocide against those that disagree? Is the seven day week the only power your god has? Trying to continue to sell your show to other hosts and constantly repeating yourself does not get through. If we changed to an eight day week would you stop believing in god? The only cultural religious practice that matters is yours, just like how your condescending seven day special dish is undercooked, contains empty calories, and lacks any kind of seasoning or reasoning. You are serving us something that is deeply weird and your position is irrational.


David in CA asks what the hosts consider to be knowledge and what they consider evidence. We think we know where this is going. Something that is verifiable in everyday life is knowledge, and beliefs can be more subjective. If god exists, then that creature would know what it takes to get someone to someone and present that as evidence. If Jamie’s eyes were to be fully healed, how do you know what god to attribute that to? How did you come to the conclusion there is only one god? If you were born in Saudi Arabia, would you have the same beliefs you have today? How do you deal with the inconsistencies, inaccuracies, and atrocities contained in the Bible? If you derive your faith from the Bible, why do you not practice all of it? Would it be cool for Jamie to sick bears on children who laugh at him being bald? If you think so, we are deeply disturbed by this and are not taking you seriously.


CJ in KA claims Genesis 1 contains evolution and that Genesis 2 is scientifically accurate. There are problems with birds coming from water and insects coming from earth. Why are things coming from the wrong places? Why is there no mention of fungi and why are these things in the wrong order? This sounds a lot like post hoc rationalization. How is making a person out of a rib scientifically accurate and not just magic? Did birds come from water like in Genesis 1 or did they come from earth like in Genesis 2? Why should we believe myths of people being made out of clay written by a bunch of goat herders? How do you explain what does not line up with scientific reality such as the timing of day and night? Why is the creation story not made to be something more understandable? Justifying a book is not the same as asking questions.

Thank you for tuning in to this crazy show! Question of the week is: What is a modern sin that god did not know about 2,000 years ago?

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Jim Barrows and Armin Navabi battle the problem with evil, as they commit blasphemy right after discovering that only men have the breath of life because ideas must be real.

Mike in SC asks about free will and the problem of evil. Is violating someone’s freewill the only way to prevent someone from doing something bad? Is it rational to believe in things for which you have no evidence? How do you know that the eyewitness testimonies presented in the Bible are not just part of the story? If god is omnipotent, why do people have to burn for not believing? How is the Bible a guide for life if it can’t even get the answer for what we can and can’t eat right? Can you provide evidence without just repeating what you are saying? Are all the ancient gods that changed cultures and performed miracles real?

Michael in GA asks why atheists say that a baby is not a person before it takes its first breath. He also believes that only men have the breath of life since god breathed into a man, not a woman. Your Bible does not even use masculine terminology until after Eve so Adam is gender neutral. Nobody has the right to tell you how to use your body, otherwise we are creating slaves. Bringing up the race of the fetus will do nothing to further your case. In fact, take a wild guess of what that kind of trolling will do for you. Bye!


Rami in Hawaii reads out of the Bible as evidence of the holy spirit’s presence. Why do you need the holy spirit to attain positive qualities? Why is it okay to blasphemy against Islam by not believing that Mohammed is the profit, but not okay to blasphemy against the holy spirit? We are all going to hell in somebody’s religion. You know that right? If god is real, he is a narcissistic monster and should be jailed for crimes against humanity. Is it good or evil to create an organism that is spread by mosquitoes and kills billions of people? Did god create everything including malaria? If we are good people, and do not believe in Jesus, what happens to us when we die?

Oliver in the UK asks what right atheists have to question someone else's reality, if ideas are real. Just because an idea is real, does not mean that it is true. What makes you think atheists don’t have the right to ask questions? Why would Muslims have the right to say that Allah is real, but don’t think that atheists have the right to say that Allah is not real?

Thank you as always for tuning in this week. Question of the week is: Why is god really mad at Satan?

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Forest Valkai and JMike hoped to experience miracles as they wrestled with miracles, animals, morality, failed preachers, gender, and apes.

Ben in Utah has seen some miracles such as praying and fasting for a person to come back to church that worked, and the person came back. How do you know this happened supernaturally? How do you know there was not something in their life that happened to cause this? If this god is real, what is it doing and why is it useful to us? Apply the same rules of logic that you would for everything else when it comes to god.


Levi in Canada asks why it does not undo the concept of morality when atheists believe we are no different than animals. Non-human animals have plenty of morality such as empathy, grief, fairness and equality. The desire to obtain human well being is a source of morality for some, “Survival of the Fittest” causes more harm than good, falls into Social Darwinism, and is complete BS. If there is a being that has the ability to stop harm, wouldn’t you expect the being to prevent the harmful action? If god knows the future and everything that is going to happen, how can we have free will? If god is infallible, then it logically follows that god wants evil to happen.


Rick in Canada calls to challenge JMike’s position that Jesus is a failed apocalyptic preacher. Luke and John had to reinterpret what was being expressed in Mark’s account. It is not enough to cite the proof text. How do you know which red lettering in the Bible are the words that Jesus said? Early Christians had apocalyptic messages like Paul, and later believers had to re-interpret that as a spiritual notion. Reality exists outside of the Bible and we can check what happened.


Mike in Canada asks if Forest believes that genders are categories that we invent, and inquires about his earlier statement about nature fuzzy that we draw boxes around. Gender varies culturally and generationally so it is impossible to say how a man or woman should behave. Gender is something that we do, and not something that we are. Can you give us a definition of man or woman that is exclusively and solely based on physical characteristics? Just because nature is fuzzy, does not mean Biblical lines can be drawn to classify humans differently than animals. Based on the available data at hand, humans are primates, mammals, and animals. Also, sex and gender are two different things. This is not comparable to the arbitrariness of using the Bible.

James in California explains that if god did intervene, he would have to punish all of us because we became immoral. Could you freely not have sinned the last time you sinned? Was it logically possible for Adam and Eve to make the right choice? Could they have freely chosen good over evil? Is god a being that can instantiate any state of affairs that does not contain a contradiction? How are we not just tools for the end?


Thank you for tuning in! Question of the week: What is the real definition of the soul?

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show notes upon receipt

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Jim Barrows and JMike have fun with antinatalism, and most importantly, blasphemy!

Kirsten in TX asks about the benefits of religion providing community, and how secular communities can provide the same benefits. We now have many choices on social media where you just can find your community. You can even start your own group! You can use words like “critical thinker”. If we do not do this ourselves, it is not going to happen.

Samuel in Canada asks how to talk with a pastor that believes there is no evidence for creation or evolution and to just decide based on faith. There is more evidence for evolution than there is gravity. Everything in biology and in medicine is related to evolution. Changes in allele frequencies in a population over a period of time is already a fact that evolution occurs, and we haven’t even got to natural selection yet.

Jon in Canada believes that evidence for god is that people have faith. Does the number of people who believe something have any bearing on whether it is true? If we have evidence that god exists, we will believe in god. We do not have anything against something that does not exist.
Queue in IL asks about the hard atheist stance with the belief that god does not exist and needing to provide the burden of proof. You can give a strong inductive case of why god is not probable. Every theist tends to make deductive cases for their god. Every phenomenon that we know of has a natural explanation or we just don't know how it happens. Even in places where naturalism might be improbable, it is just as improbable under theism with extra ontological baggage.

Amanuel in TX says there should be a restriction on freedom of speech or expression because of an experiment of his that showed panic caused when some hosts tore up the scriptures. What kind of experience do you have setting up these experiments and was there a control group? How is bias not built into your study if these were people you knew? Stating a position of non god belief is not blasphemy or causing harm. Your irrational fear that should not be someone else's problem is used to justify atrocities such as gay conversion therapy. How does a blasphemous meme harm you? Look at how the Islamic world goes nuts for drawing on magazines. Restricting freedom of speech and what artists can portray is the totalitarian way and downright wacky.

Andrew in FL calls to state that atheists tend to lean towards antinatalism and how they are damaging the population. Where do you get this claim? If this is true, why is atheism the fastest growing segment? If correlation is causation, then the increase of ice cream would increase the crime. Up until the last 10 years, the US was 90% Christian. The No True Scottsman fallacy does not work with the Baby Boomers messing up the population.

Thank you for tuning in this week and the question of the week is to capture the image shown on the screen by giving us a caption!

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, ObjectivelyDan and Jamie the Blind Limey are live in studio wrestling with callers who believe the Bible is scientifically accurate and a progressive document.

Josh in FL asks about the Bible being taken literally. Do Christians literally heal people by laying on of hands? People make incredibly important decisions about their life, health and family by this flawed way of thinking. What positivity comes with prayer? How do you explain replacing people’s medical care with prayer? It is the secular values that have corrected Christianity, not the other way around. The atheists in this country did not fight to take away rights from people; can you guess what group has?

Somber in WA postulates that god is not real if the universe can be reduced to a non-dimensional point because there is no outside space and time for god to exist. A physical universe requires physical things to happen.

Sir Le Chef in Quebec believes the Bible is 100% true because there is nothing we can disprove that is in the Bible. How do you know this? Of course, he knows this because of the seven day week! You don’t get to just call into the show and say this without proving it; that is not how logic works. The seven day week existed before Jesus so we do not accept your premise. Is the creation narrative the word of god or not?

Rick in Canada says the Bible is 100% accurate because Jesus says that only the sick need a physician. How do you explain people who have cancer with no symptoms? If the disciples had magical powers, is every other Christian who claims to have these powers a liar because only the elite can do it? So the people who prayed for Jamie’s eyes(not faith) were not part of the special 144,000? There are people who pray to get better daily and we have never seen evidence that it works. Isn’t it interesting that cancer can go into remission, but blindness can’t? Can prayer regrow a hand that has been cut off? Can you find someone who can heal Jamie’s retinas through prayer?
Jose in TX says that god created a “snowglobe with a dome”, not the universe, and that theists try to make the myth work. Many cultures explained the world without knowing what was happening. The problems with Genesis are a mile high!

Andrew in FL says the Bible is a progressive document and just because it is not scientifically accurate that doesn’t mean god doesn't exist. We hope the god that inspired that book is not real because he is obviously not a nice person. Do you believe that god changes himself to suit the times? Does the Bible have literal falsehoods? Why do we even look at the Old Testament in the first place if it is so bad? Why should we care about Christianity any more than Islam or another religion? If cancer does not have intentions, why do you think it is evil? If you believe that god made us, why were we made with the capability of having cancer?

Thank you for joining us with these fun callers! The question of the week is: The hardest part about being an atheist is what?

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Johnny P. Angel and MD Aware work through questions from callers that range from evolution to morality.
Louis in FL says that scriptures are a revealed message from god to Moses that support evolution. How do you explain god creating plants before creating light? Call back when you are not driving or distracted.
Beast in CO describes how he was harmed by the church by sexual abuse among others, and how the pastor did not do anyting about it. What we end up seeing, is there are no reparations needed in this religion because of confession and the forgiveness of Jesus. Voices that report abuses are downplayed and diminished because the church has too much at stake. This is because if people start to ask if the church is wrong, then they will ask if its interpretations are wrong. Check out Recovering from Religion and the Secular Therapy Project for help and support.
Joseph in GA reads something to us that says atheists put too much trust and can limit the imagination. What do you think about how a healthy understanding of science can spark imagination? Imagination is key with science because we are trying to figure out the explanations for things, once we know the basics. If atheists are putting too much trust in science, what would be the alternative? How does atheism limit the imagination?
Ely in TX believes the historicity of the Bible is what makes it true. If the Bible is not true, does that mean that someone made it up? Could the people who wrote the Bible have been wrong? What is to be said about a useful character such as Jesus being used to tell stories that are trying to educate people about morality or ethics? We know that the Jewish people existed for a long time, but we don’t know that the fantastical claims such as the Red Sea parting happened. What evidence matters most and where is it found? When a book predicts something that happened that is in the same book, there is a problem. Are the witnesses that verified Joseph Smith and his magical seeing stones and golden tablets correct, are they mistaken, or are they liars? Just because brimstone is found in a location does not mean the mythical story is true. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
Alok in CA says that the slow growth of atheism in the US is due to people on the fence not understanding where we get our morality, and people looking for some higher purpose that atheism does not offer. People made up the rules to both secular and Biblical morality. The spiritual journey that atheists sometimes pursue involves humans, animals, and plants and can take a lifetime.
Michael in FL asks if morality is supposed to be thought of in a social and psychological context, very much the same way we see health. Our sense of fairness, justice, and right or wrong has evolved with its base level in biology.

Thank you for tuning in this week! Our question of the week is: What do you think the last words of Jesus really were?

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Jim Barrows and Secular Rarity take on calls about divorce, single parents, trans women, and technology before Armin Navabi flies in to help.

Andrea in FL calls to claim that atheism leads to higher divorce rates and that Christians have more satisfactory sex lives than atheists. How do you explain the Pew Research Center studies that contradict this claim? Is it more important to stay married and be miserable for the children or is it better to teach them about happiness? What is it specifically about being married and not getting a divorce that makes people better?


Otari in the nation of Georgia proposes that children of single parent households are more likely to be delinquent. What studies do we have that single parent households are radically problematic? Could the problem be linked to only one income for the household and poverty? Other than income, how are two parents raising a child better than one? Is the real problem divorce, or is it socioeconomic status? Would abortion cut down on single parent households?


Nate in CA asks if trans people competing in sports would have a physical advantage, and what the difference is between sex and gender. Some cis women can have naturally higher levels of testosterone than other cis women. In sports, why are we testing women for testosterone levels but not men? People can be born intersexed, and also be born with different gendered brains. We would rather be on the side of inclusivity to give everyone a chance to participate.


Corey in TX asks how technology changing our environment affects our evolution, and is it causing it to speed up. We may be able to evolve to handle higher levels of pollution, but how rapidly do the pollution levels change? There can be a new species of hominids that evolves alongside homo sapiens.


Theist in the USA claims that theists have better lives than atheists. There is nothing about community building that is better with religion, and there is no link of intelligence to either atheism or religion. There is no data to demonstrate that atheists are more likely to go down a bad path. If an action increases the overall happiness, then it is good. The evangelical stance on LGBTQA increases the number of suicides in that community, and that is a bad thing. Do NOT Google dolphins having sex with blow holes.


Mr. Porter from IL asks what the worst evidence for god is. Jim mentions to look at the trees and Armin says it is the argument for chicken.


Kathy in IL calls as an atheist attending the Unitarian Universalist Church, and explains how their model is not conversion, but cooperation. Compared to other religions, this may be good, but secular humanism is a better instrument. When a church seems loving and tolerant, but accepts bad ideas, we must oppose that.


Thank you for tuning in this week! Question of the week is: What should the Norse have had a god of, but didn’t?

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, our hostesses with the mostess are Forrest Valki & Armin Navabi.

Let’s welcome our first caller is Alan from Wisconsin, who as an atheist, is dealing with the all too common issue of a theist’s view that bad things happen to people due to their lack of faith. He discusses wanting to have that frustrating conversation with as much respect and tact as he can. Our hosts share what has worked for them and how this is a common misperception.

Second caller up to the proverbial bat is Dave from Connecticut. Now Dave gives his explanation of why faith is the only access we can have with God and “smart” people know this where those of “less” intelligence cannot understand what faith is and needing it to access God. Does this sound a little bit egotistical? A mental gymnastic game? You are right! Let’s listen to Armin and Forrest break this down and how silly that is.

Caller number three gives a ring, his name is the Monkey King, and he doesn’t know anything.

Ohhh boy! Michael is the fourth caller and he tries to give God a pass on biblical slavery. Do you need any more detail than that? Yeah, I didn’t think so. Oh! And some antisemitism to boot!

Moving to a more productive topic, Carlos in Puerto Rico calls in dealing with the title of being an anti-theist. Forrest explains his hostility against religious teachings, the harm it does, and how he identifies as an anti-theist. Armin adds on explaining why we as activists, care for religious people as they are the victims of theism and pushing against the bad ideas that actively hurts our fellow human beings.

Caller number 6 comes from John living with our friendly neighbors of the north, Canada. Now John brings up Pascal’s Wager which is easy to refute, but then takes a hard right turn to God creating the USA, as the greatest nation? Dear reader, if you belong to another country, I do apologize for this idiotic opinion. Oh! And a touch of trans-phobia. This call goes a little all over the place.

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Today’s Atheist Experience is live in the studio with Forest Valkai, JMike, and Johnny P. Angel! They operate as a triple host power team to help us work through pubic angles, Biblical interpretations, more pubic angles, bad design, and casting off religious weights.

Evan in VA knows Jesus is true because the Bible says so, and asks the hosts how they know if something they believe is true. Simplicity works for philosophy and evidence works for science. If there is not a good reason to know something, we either stop believing, or look for evidence to see what we should believe. Functionality works if we are not trying to shoehorn something into our beliefs. The perceived reality that we live in has facts that are true and can be tested. Which version of the Bible is true? How do you know that the red lettering are the words of Jesus?

Amanuel in TX says that the teachings of the Old and New Testaments are consistent with each other. In Judaism, was the Messiah a concept of a dying and rising god? How do you know what parts to believe and what to not believe? Was there a talking donkey? Other than the book, what raises the probability that this is true? Do you understand the difference between something being evidence based and something being book based? What use is a mental model that will allow you to believe absolutely anything?

An audience member asks how we change our brain space to recognize our own power and ability to cast off religious weights. The biggest deconversion manual is the Bible. Exploring and analyzing your faith with a critical eye is a start.

Otari, in the nation of Georgia, asks how evolution accounts for bad design in humans like the way the fall of man does and why homosexuality does not lead to extinction. Recent evolution in humans explains this because we can make testable predictions. According to the Bible, god told the very first lie in history to explain bad design. The reason why homosexuality does not lead to extinction is because they are not 100% of the population. This has been observed in over 1,500 species and something that is this ubiquitous, clearly has some sort of benefit.

Jimmie in TX feels there is no contradiction in scripture, Forrest’s interpretation is outrageous, and we should listen to Joseph Campbell when interpreting the endemic myth. Do you have access to god’s intentions and know what he wants you to interpret? How do you know that god did not want us to interpret the Bible literally, or a different way? When you criticize another’s view, you have to beg the question.

Thank you for tuning in this week! Question of the week is: What is the best comeback for when someone says, “A fool says in his heart, there is no god.”

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show notes upon receipt

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Johnny P. Angel and Hemant Mehta work through calls of free will, the supernatural, and morality.

Art in PA says god is believable because people have seeked thousands of gods over thousands of years and you still have to believe in god to give up the Bible. Just because people were looking for something does not mean they were on the right track for what they are seeking. Wanting something to exist does not make it true. Why would an appeal to popularity make something true? If you care about truth, what is the best thing to do?

David in Ireland asks how to deconstruct supernatural beliefs when using things such as Tarot cards or crystals. Going through a ritualistic process can put yourself in a different mental state of focus, but does not mean the items used in the ritual have any special powers. How do you know these items are helping more than any other practice? If all these tools you use disappear, would you end up in the same place? The power is within you and you do not need magical items.

Tyler in NC does not believe god exists, but is not sure about free will. The idea of free will or not free will is a false dichotomy. How can a circumscribed universe of limited choices be considered free will?

Sam in NY says that if people don’t pray, they are incomplete. Are people who believe in a different god from you incomplete? What is the feeling of the power of prayer? How did you become complete? Is god’s power limited to that of sight? Why do you believe the Bible is true? What if something is in the Quran but not the Bible? Are people who pray that use other books than the Bible or Quran?

Shinobi Sheran in the USA believes a woman should have the right to choose all around. Who should make medical decisions on people’s behalf? Once a politician starts making these decisions, it can be a slippery slope.

Jon in FL does not believe religion is needed for morality. Why do you believe this? Countries that have the smallest belief in religion are arguably the most moral. How do you define morality? If you Google Phil Zuckerman you will find some interesting information on this. It will be hard to find anything that shows religious people are more moral when the playing field is even. The differences between secular morality and religious morality reside in the goals of each.

Dave in India asks if god is the government’s way of controlling people and part of the military industrial complex. What version of these beliefs would get people to think a certain way? The belief in a higher power has been around before nations had militaries and leaders may sprinkle the fairy dust of religion on their mission. This does not mean it is part of a conspiracy. When politicians use religion as a weapon, it backfires.

Thank you for tuning in today! The question of the week is: What is the weirdest Bible story?

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Secular Rarity(a.k.a. "Schmike") and Jmike get philosophically fun as callers discuss deconstruction and free will.

Devon in CA calls to discuss how worshiping in two religions at one time does not make sense. Some religions have beliefs that are mutually exclusive, but there are also some that are not. How often do you run into people who have dual beliefs? When you see this, analyze the two and compare the contradictions. What is the criteria used to pick these two different beliefs? It is important to have consistency to help not hold two contradictory beliefs.

Austin from TX informs us that Alex Grey is building a Chapel of Sacred Mirrors in NY, and this work of art encompasses all the theist ways of being. How do you arrive at this being what your religion is about? What are they doing to demonstrate their truth claim of there being a god? How do you determine what is true from religions to incorporate into your world view? How would this be independently verified?

Alan in TX believes we have choices with consequences so therefore we all have free will. Do you believe that if you were given the ability to rewind life, that you would not make the same decision you did five minutes prior? If you chose A over B, is there something that explains why? Are there agents in your brain that can break the causal chain? Where does the free will sneak in? How do you demonstrate that free will exists without referring to things that are predetermined? Do you think your thoughts before you think your thoughts?

Jason, a former megachurch pastor in CA, asks how to latch on to something larger than the self to find new purpose when in the state of post deconstruction. Secular Rarity explains there is nothing that is needed if one already knows how to connect with other people. There is no space to be filled because all you have is the beauty of the world around you, and no longer have the need for added magic. There are lots of systems out there that are incredibly worthwhile in terms of understanding the world and giving us a framework of what we should be doing next. When you step away from the supernatural, you get to discuss the big questions in life. The Clergy Project and Recovering from Religion are two great resources for people that are deconstructing. Love and grace from some religious communities might be conditional.

Dustin in WI believes we have free will because language informs decisions. Free will is not defended by being defeated. How do you demonstrate that something does not work out the same way if we go back in time? Just stating that you can move your arm, does not tell us that the movement was your own free will. Where does the free will come from if it exists?

Thank you for tuning in! You are pre-determined to consider the question of the week: What would be a red flag on a religious dating app? We will see you next week because you don’t have a choice in the matter.

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Today’s Atheist Experience has Objectively Dan and Christy Powell in the studio take audience questions in between wrestling with concepts from callers.

God’s Sign in CA calls to say that Christianity is not immoral because it teaches one to be selfless. Why does this need to be Christianity and not the Boy Scouts or some other organization? Many people have a moral problem with the scriptures, including the words of Paul from the New Testament. If Jesus was god, was the crucifixion really a sacrifice? How do you feel about the extortion threat of hell?

Gene in TX brings up Matthew 10 where Jesus tells the disciples to not preach his message to anyone but the people of Israel, and that some of them will still be living when he returns. There are weird differences in each of the gospels. Gene also tells us about Southern Baptist groups called the Royal Ambassadors(RAs) and Girls Auxiliary(GAs) that seem to be somewhat of a mystery.

Lee from the audience asks why it takes some people longer to figure things out with their beliefs. It is not the individual brain power; it is about how you grew up. Being smart and believing in god are not mutually exclusive ideas.

PG in TX wants to know why it seems like atheists switch from the supernatural god to the god state because they leave religion and become authoritarian. People are leaving Christianity often because of political issues. There are a lot of atheists who lean left, but why do so many people on the right have a god belief?

Omar from the audience asks if there are Bible verses or ideas that contradict the possibility of aliens. This world was supposed to be for people made in his image and if it is only 6,000 years old, aliens don’t factor into that.

Jay in IL claims that god is life and life created everything. Is cancer in children and war from god too? Why should we believe the Bible is true without using the Bible as a reference? If we all have “common sense”, why do we need the Bible? Would you have the same notion of god if you have been born in Japan where less than 2% of people believe in god?

Figgy in NY brings up that sometimes callers are questioning their beliefs. If your belief system can’t hold up to scrutiny, that is something you need to be questioning.

Jose in Honduras asks the hosts what caused them to lose their faith. Christy explains the reasons as logical errors in the bible and how LGBTQIA people would be rejected by Christ. Dan realized there were man made parts in the Bible and god has never contacted him.

Robert in TX has a dilemma because science can’t really explain the origin of things. There is a human desire to fill in any question we don't have an answer for with something else. Have Christians proved the origin?

Thank you for tuning in! The question of the Week: Where did the Catholic Church really get all their money? (Wrong answers only).

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Welcome to The Atheist Experience! Our hosts Secular Rarity and David Warnock are looking for proof of God. Or Allah. Or Jesus. Or even Thor. Will they get it? Probably not, but you will be entertained!

Peter from MA wants to talk about blasphemy, having humility, and where does that come from. Our hosts discuss how human beings need to be “checked”. That science shows us where we are wrong and to learn from being wrong. We all have limits in our knowledge, and that’s a good thing. We are all human after all.

Mason from Florida is asking why we care for animals, children, each other, etc? Unless some God or other outside entity gives us that love? Does this sound like circular reasoning? Yes reader, you are correct, it is.

Lisa from CO is on the journey! YAY! And like many, has had these thoughts, moments, feelings that feels “outside” their own thinking/experience/perspective. So, how do we differentiate between what is our own minds and something “outside” of our minds? The hosts walk through the philosophy and the psychology of how we process information, how we learn, and how it manifests into our consciousness. Our brains are amazing! (though very flawed)

Yoel from NY tells our hosts what he believes. Now, can God be the creator of everything and be everything? Confusing isn’t it? Listen in folks, this is gonna be good!

Ultimated Judeo Christian from Australia calls. He is saying words about his belief in his God and wants our hosts to convert. How does he do this? This show notes’ writer is not sure, as he sounds like a random word generator. The hosts tried to get UJC to make sense. They tried.

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Let’s welcome our first caller Michael, whose limited understanding of quantum mechanics somehow equals consciousness and that leads to God existing. Now, if this seems like a leap in logic, well because it is. This also has something to do with abiogenesis and life wouldn’t be likely without a God? Well dear audience, this seems a bit confusing & a bit of a gish gallop. Let’s watch our hosts walk Michael through the flaws in his thinking shall we?

Hey Arnold from Texas! Our number two caller brings to our hosts the probability of God due to the predisposition of human beings to believe in a God. Emma gives a great response on the flaws in evolution, animals having supernatural beliefs, and how socially we used religion/beliefs to form cultures still doesn’t prove a God/Gods.

Jimmy, our third caller from the great state of Texas asks our hosts, does rationality lead to an atheistic perspective? The hosts argue that rationality and intelligence does not mean atheism comes afterwards, nor is it a perfect tool, and in some cases may lead to flawed thinking and logic. Jimmy also explains how a “spiritual” experience informed his beliefs and our hosts question how that proves a God exists.

John from Canada calls to argue (terribly) for the “merits” of being anti-choice. Though he agrees the government shouldn’t be involved in making decisions when it comes to his own body, but if you own a uterus? Nah! Hypocritical much? This show notes writer could go into why this is silly, but our hosts do a fantastic job. Listen in!

Otari from Georgia wants to have a conversation about how it seems illogical to think the Universe came into being without a creator. Johnny and Emma bring up certain logical fallacies such as the entropy principle and the randomness of the universe as a way to counter that thinking.

Nick from New York calls in asking for help and a new perspective on the gospels, specifically that the authors would knowingly lie to say salvation comes through Jesus. Emma and Johnny bring up that the Bible can be used as a historical and mythology book for the people at that time, but still cannot be used to prove divinity or anything supernatural. This moves into a conversation of morality, God’s role to the believer, and the arguments how God, even if he existed, is not needed for morality.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Christy Powell and Jimmy Jr., are live with fun words of encouragement!

Darius in CA asks about how to have a conversation with believers at his grandmother’s funeral. This is the time to be with family and get through this rather than discuss beliefs. How upsetting are ideas of the afterlife or lack thereof for you? Be mindful of your own experiences and how painful this can be.

Arthur in NY asks how religious extremists and atheists can get to a place where they can harmonize. It takes these conversations to move the needle. There will always be diversity which means conflict, but we are getting better by working together as a species. We can create a more harmonious society in part by having these discussions.

JR. in WA asks about private revelations leading to public revelations, and if god is pushing towards the model of prophets. Which god would it be that is pushing this model? How can you tell the difference between a visit from your god or something that was made up? It would be good to understand what your own thoughts sound like and how to figure out how to differentiate between those thoughts and god’s revelation.

Frank in NC does not believe in the god that commands violent actions, but the god that is about love and freedom. Who is the god you believe in and how do you know it wants love and freedom for everyone?

Christian in MI has changed beliefs and come out to his wife and this is causing problems with the in-laws and asking for advice about raising children. Alongside the magical stories your children are receiving, teach critical thinking. This can be a conflict heavy situation, and there will be sacrifices made, just don’t harm yourself in the process.

Christian in GA asks why the hosts think the gospels are unreliable. We can start with the four contradicting each other, and then look at how they tend to progress in a mythical way. Why would something contradict itself if it is inspired by god? How is Christianity consistent with the message we are supposed to receive in the New Testament? How is this stone age poetry that is supposed to be the perfect word of god not perfect? If the four gospels are not the word of god, then what makes them so special?

Ellis in Canada asks if there is any value in a person not identifying with social stereotypes and the usage of pronouns. A lot of these ideas are about functionality so we should be descriptive and not proscriptive. If one were to lose a bunch of weight, we don’t like people giving commentary on how we express ourselves.

Felix in GA states that human corruption is the problem and not religion, and that religion is a tool to reduce anxiety. How does the crime that is done in the name of religion factor in with this concept?

Thank you for tuning in this week. The question of the week is: What is an inappropriate thing to say at the crucifixion?

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show notes uploaded when recieved

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In today’s episode of The Atheist Experience, for the first time ever, Johnny P. Angel and Armin Navabi discuss what makes Johnny face-palm, the hypocrisy of atheists accepting trans experiences but not claims about Muhammad, and the existence of religious characters.

James from CA claims that homosexuality is physically harmful and should be banned in the same way that environmentally damaging actions are banned.

Xavier from FL claims that the hosts are hypocrites for accepting the experiences of trans people and not the supernatural claims of Paul or Muhammad.


Ahmad from OH is shocked that the hosts don’t believe that Paul and Muhammad existed in their religiously claimed form.

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In today’s episode of The Atheist Experience, Jim Barrows wrestles with multiple callers that trigger the best Forest Valkai science rants ever.

First caller is Art in PA who says that atheists are quitters because they skip a step. We are at a point where the god explanation is no longer needed. The first attempt to explain the natural world is oftentimes the worst attempt. Atheists have one less assumption than theists do.

Mikal in CO asks how to reply to someone that says atheists must have faith for what they believe. Faith and belief are not the same things and we proportion our beliefs to evidence. Not believing someone does not require faith. Atheists do not have the TV on any channel; it is simply off.

Elias in TN asks how to respond to people when they claim that sex is binary since gametes production determines sex. What if someone does not have gonads? Does that mean they do not have a sex? This is not new science and is undergraduate level stuff. This has only recently become a hot topic issue that is controversial. The model of sex is useful and helps explain nature, and nature does not care about our explanations. Binary for lack of a better word, is just not good enough.

Dan in Canada asks why the Laetoli footprints were huge when Lucy was supposed to be small, and not bipedal. No part of Lucy’s skeleton tells us she was ever a knuckle walker. The size of the foot does not change much about the big picture or disprove evolution. What the footprints tell us is that 3.5 million years ago there was something like us walking in this area. It is recommended you go to https://humanorigins.si.edu/ to learn more. Humans are apes, primates, mammals, and animals! Do you believe any part of the Bible is wrong? Were humans created before or after animals? In the Book of Genesis, is Chapter 1 correct or is it Chapter 2? When you try to justify the many things in the Bible that are not true, it is like carrying around a miltone. Would you use faith based thinking for anything else? Why would you not use faith to start your car?

David, an educator in AZ, asks how to respond when students ask about his beliefs. When in a public setting, it would be unethical to talk about religion or politics in any capacity to a captive audience. This would be a misuse of public funds and trust. Answering these questions will change the way the students see you and can take away their objectivity.

Thank you for tuning into the show and never stop learning! The question of the week is: What did the caller say to make Johnny P Angel look distraught?

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SHOW NOTES
Today’s Atheist Experience is the “show of hair” with Jmike and Secular Rarity. They sort through philosophical naturalism, because morality changes when god creates evil that is spoken through the unfalsifiable Quran and the all inclusive Catholic Church.

First caller is Matt from CA who tells us about The Secular Student Alliance Convention. Vist Secularstudents.org to register before it closes on Wednesday.

Rogue Show in SC calls to clarify Jmike’s position on philosophical naturalism. Natural sciences exhaust natural reality. The simplest theory is the one with the least amount of axioms, commitments, and predicates. Unjustified assumptions do not hold up to stacks of evidence.

Kevin in GA asks why we think we do not get morality from god and if morality changes over time. We see more benefit and less harm when looking at other moral systems compared to god’s system. Do you think that what is good is in virtue with god’s commands? Will the basics of mathematics be the same in the future?

Slave of Christ in TX asks about the problem of evil and says that god is all good for only the chosen ones. Does god intend there to be evil? How do you believe in an irrational god that creates evil? Either god permits the impermissible or there is not anything that is impermissible. How do you resolve this contradiction? Why would you take commands from a villain? If a view is contradictory, would you agree that the view is false?
Jamal in Ca does not know if the hosts are really atheists, and asks the hosts what proof is needed to believe god exists. How is what the Quran says about embryology true? There is nothing in this book that is novel. We are going to be tortured in hell for eternity under Allah’s view and so will you unless you can provide some evidence to convince us because our sins are yours now. The Quran places other people’s burdens on you.

Mary in FL asks about the difference between ought and is and had some general questions about logical fallacies. Ought and “is” are unrelated except for when the premise contains both an “is” statement and a value. Descriptive premises do not follow value statements, and we can’t get prescriptions from descriptions. There must be more work put in to fill in the gap. Search for intro books about logic, inference rules, formal and formal fallacies, and propositional logic.

Xavier in FL wants to know what is wrong with the Catholic Church. The church puts aside money that is specifically used for fighting against holding people accountable for abusing children. Enough said.

Thank you for tuning in everyone! The question of the week : If it weren’t for ____________, I would still believe in God.

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show notes upon receipt

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Jmike and Doctor Ben die for Jesus so immorality won’t cause riots from atheists with meaningless worldviews after disconnecting emotionally from religion.

Davis in CO wants to know why people would die for Jesus if it was not true. What does the psychological state of your reasoning have to do with whether it is true or not? When death is the gateway to getting to a better existence, and people honestly believe it, they will embrace it. Huge amounts of people believing in something does not have any bearing on its truth. People are willing to risk their existence for smaller things than a reason for eternity.

Patrick in AR experienced his wife having a vision after dying in his arms. After she was revived, he was told her recovery was miraculous. The treatment used at the facility such as epinephrine and CPR increase the chances of survival. We don’t know medically why someone survives in this state for so long, but we also don’t have a reason to believe it is supernatural. Statistically, the outlier events are going to occur, and there will always be someone who asks why that happens to them. Hug the people around you and love them.

Trevor in MI has some questions about Biblical interpretations when having conversations with his dad. If you want to be correct about something, then you need to have a principle and intention of what was said. How do you validate anyone’s interpretation? You could follow a weird train of interpretation to the original which turns out to be a different denomination entirely. God is seemingly the author of confusion.

Jon in Canada says that god is necessary for morality, and immorality is what causes riots. How do you explain wrong things that occur in god’s world? Can people do good things for bad reasons? What evidence do you have that supports the claim that people being immoral are the cause of riots?

Icon in Canada presents a thought experiment where we attach reasonableness to time, where a belief is reduced by a percentage slowly over time. What metric would we use to assign the percentages?

Adam in Saudi Arabia finds it unattractive to accept life being meaningless as part of atheism. If an intrinsic value is not forced on something, does that make it any less valuable? If everything has a purpose, then can we agree there is a reason for all events, good and bad? When babies die suddenly, are we going to say they need to die as some sort of a sacrifice for whatever a deity needs to prove? It makes no sense to simultaneously have evil and good if evil is the thing that leads to the good.

Shi in the USA asks how to disconnect from religion emotionally after already disconnecting intellectually. What does emotional disconnecting mean to you? You may not need to entirely disconnect in that way.

Thank you for tuning in this week! The question of the week is: What do you think is the weirdest prayer god has ever heard?

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Jim Barrows and Christy Powell are live in the studio! They will discover different economic systems through absolute morality before performing a thought experiment with god as the arbiter of morality. This god is responsible for the high level grammar of the Quran and the fine tuning of the universe. We know this because we can’t replicate abiogenesis and the messianic prophecy is all we need for proof of Jesus.

Julia in Florida would like to hear input on other gods that we have in our society such as different systems. Economic systems can be one of these things. Look at what you are willing to do to support what you believe.

Audience Question- Kathy wants to know about absolute morality. Morality is a judgment of behavior. How do you prove that an animal is acting out of forethought and no instinct?

Michael in GA presents a thought experiment. If there was a god, then that god must be the arbiter of all morality. The god of the Bible is not only imaginary but also sounds like a narcist.

Omar in CA presents the Quran as the highest level of grammar and is a sign of the original being preserved. What does the highest level of grammar mean? How is the Quran different from any other book? Before voice recordings, how do you prove the voice vocalizations are the same? Why is the Quran superior?

Frank in NC asks what the hosts would accept as proof for god. We don’t know what that evidence would be exactly. It is frustrating to see people indulging in antidotes that don’t work in place of real life solutions. What is the evidence for the god you believe in? If we talk about probability, there is a problem with sample size and inherent sampling error. The problem with fine tuning is we only have one universe to draw samples from. If you don’t know what something is, how do you know that it is fine tuned?

Mike in WA asks if we have ever been able to replicate abiogenesis. Just because we can’t replicate this, does not mean that it did not happen. Not knowing the answer to something does not prove that something else exists. Over the last 3,000 years, we have no new evidence for the existence of god, and no phenomena has been proven to be supernatural. Are you trying to make the watchmaker argument from design? This will not work for people who think critically.

Anthony in MA brings up the Messianic Prophecy argument. If there are a number of books in a series, and the first book is true, how does that make the other books true? There are a number of stories in the Bible that we know did not happen as written. The people who wrote the gospels knew of the prophecies and they were more interested in theology than they were history.

Thank you for being here everybody! Question of the week is: If god is so powerful, then why hasn’t she___________?

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

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SIn today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Johnny Angel and Christy Powell will work both sincere calls and trolls.


First caller is Emmanuel from GA who asks how to come out as an atheist to his parents. It is about setting healthy boundaries. Do you feel like you have to do this? Are the interactions filled with tension? Sharing this part of yourself could make the tensions worse, however, some transparency can be an important step. Make sure your parents know it is about your own beliefs, and not them.


Wesley in WV thinks that the hosts witches because they do not believe in angels and are sluggish with the holy spirit. We hope that you get the care that you need and are surrounded by loved ones that will help you work out your thoughts on this subject.


Mr. Warlight in AK has proof in the form of stories that leprechauns exist that wear green suits and hide gold. Where are you getting this folklore from? Is there any evidence beyond the story? Where are they documented to show up and why can’t we see them today? If you aspire to be a troll, bring a better game than this. Do some research.


Carpe Diem in CO wants to know the distinction between obligation and virtue. If you can do better, then you must do better. If every virtue is imperative then we would wear ourselves out by spending all our time performing virtuous acts. Is there good and evil in the world, or can we step away from these words and look through the eyes of preference?


Rick in Canada states that atheists are slowing scientific progress. How do you think scientists do their job? Do you think that a scientist sits at their desk and disproves a theory? Did you examine all the evolution? Examine your sources on some of your data points and recognize there are many tiny contributions to this thing we call science.


Chuck in HI believes science is just another religion that says there is no god. Science is the opposite of religion. Science starts with observation; religion starts with the conclusion and works backward. Science is evolving and religion is holding people back. Science delivers the goods and religion causes us to kill each other.


Sam in NY has evidence of Jesus performing miracles and resurrecting. Who are the witnesses? There are statements such as the writings of Paul that are not allowed into evidence because they do not meet the hearsay exceptions. Why do we drop the standard of evidence for how we spend eternity? Just because we don’t know something, does not mean there was a supernatural cause. You don’t solve a mystery with a greater mystery. Is there anything you could not believe based on faith?

Thank you everyone for tuning in folks! The question of the week is: What is a life hack that god does not want you to know about?

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Welcome to this week's episode of The Atheist Experience. Host Jim Barrows is joined by Talk Heathen regular Secular Rarity. It's going to be a great show, so let's get onto the calls.

Unbeliever discusses the difficulties and the benefits of coming out as an atheist in a Muslim family. How do we navigate these conversations and in the long run, is it worth having?

What does an open or closed universal system show there is a God? Our hosts and John debate the flaws in this concept, that solipsism cannot be proven or disproven, and adding assumptions where we don’t have answers doesn’t solve anything.

Caller Roland asks if having faith in a God the more reasonable explanation for everything vs. the skepticism atheists have. Does existence have a purpose?

Romeo is curious, have our hosts heard any “good” arguments for God? Romeo,Jim, & Secular Rarity discuss what is convincing evidence for a God and how does one move from being an atheist into a believer? Are those reasons valid? Ehh, probably not. Also, an evolution argument..again!

Science Time! Eli calls in and asks “where does energy and mass come from?” Jim patiently explains the science and how to avoid the argument from ignorance fallacy. Eli admits to having some doubts as well while our hosts how we become more skeptical.

Ni and the hosts explore what absolute truth is, the standard for it, scientific proof, and what standard of evidence would be sufficient to prove God is real.

Slave of Christ explains what sin is and how it is a “good” standard of immoral acts. Our hosts pushed back against this argument followed with a discussion of ethics, morality, and the areas of gray the bible does not provide answers for. Also biblical slavery defended again—ugh!

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

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Forrest Valkai is joined by Jmike!

Frank from the USA claims that if you don’t believe in God, your life is meaningless. The first premise of this fallacious “argument” is the existence of objective morality. Here’s my advice, slow down and think this through.

Chris from SC wants clarification on the difference between sex and gender.

Cliff from Canada wants to ask, eventually, why we ought to worship God assuming it is real.

Mr. Warlight is calling in with an argument for the supernatural that our hosts just CAN’T HANDLE.

Abhishek from India wants to know why it’s so important to question religious beliefs and focus on its problems when it does have benefits.

Andrew from Canada’s argument for God is the same processes science textbooks go through when they are updated. Why revamp the bible? If it’s outdated in terms of its conclusions about reality, why would it be useful to go back and rewrite it with our current scientifical findings integrated when the bible has nothing to do with modern science? Instead of having a story with inaccurate claims about reality, you now have a story with some inaccurate carry-overs, because they have to be there for the bible to still be the bible, with some modern scientific understandings sprinkled in.

Chuck from HI believes that matter, space, stars, and Earth are all eternal. Oxygen is as eternal as everyone’s excitement about Marvel’s Eternals. I would add more, but anything I say would detract from whatever just happened.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Johnny P. Angel is joined by Seth Andrews!

First up is Mr. Warlight from AK who believes that the hosts whom they’ve previously debated on the show have been closed-minded to their arguments.

Mike from WA claims that naturalist claims about the origins of life are irrational. Where have I heard this argument before?

Daniel from WI asks the hosts how serious they are about actually finding the truth. The proof for the truth of a global flood is wherever Daniel is.

Felix from FL claims that exorcisms are evidence of the existence of hell. There are quite a few sub-claims that need to be justified before we can get to that conclusion.

Clark from CA believes that there is a separation between the mind and brain. The claim is that the mind is immaterial and doesn’t need to be connected to a physical form and that this somehow points to the existence of God.

David from NY is calling to discuss the book, “The Late Great Planet Earth,” which the caller claims predicts many recent events.

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Welcome back to the show! Please welcome today’s hosts of the Atheist Experience, Johnny P. Angel and ObjectivelyDan!

Dave from WI wants to know if our hosts believe that there is any validity of prophecy. The caller seems to think so.

Jon from Canada claims Atheism is a religion because they are woke and believe in things that are based on their own ideas. So is being woke at all relevant? So does that mean that Christian fundamentalist denominations are not actually religions?

Frank from NC asks what our hosts think of the idea that God is actually source-energy that jumpstarted the big bang.

Michael from UT has faith that aliens exist but in a super unexciting way. We have an example of a planet that can sustain life, therefore it is possible that another planet somewhere in the universe might have life of some variety on it.

John from IA had a mystical (hallucination) experience that lead them to agnostic atheism.

Pablo from Spain asks why finding the truth is important. Why hunt for the truth when the search for it might negatively impact humanity in the process or disrupt the status quo?

Jonah from TN wants to know if reforming the church is an attainable goal. It's one of those things that as an institution will always be lagging behind, but I’d rather work to reform it and get half of its followers to fight for progressive issues than not and have all of them work to maintain injustice.

Kennedy from CA asks if became possible for us to scientifically investigate the possibility of life after death, would that sway people away from religion?

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Welcome back to the show! Please welcome today’s hosts of the Atheist Experience, Kenneth and Jmike!

Mr. Warlight from Ak claims he can prove the spiritual form of Jesus Christ and even better can do so on the show! No, he can’t.

Clark from CA has a transcendental argument for God and asks if moral statements are propositional.

Kevin from GA claims that traditional Christian values produce the most moral society. Why are we in such a rush to toss those society-shaping rules aside?

Amunuel from TX wants to discuss Kenneth’s position of free will when it comes to the proposition that God created people. Apparently, god created some people to be saved and others to be sent to hell and punished. What an immoral thug that God is.

Jon from Canada is back, again. Today he asks what evidence would convince our hosts. Listen to Kenneth’s fantastic reframing of this question.

Zach from D.C. asks if Atheists have an argument against Islam. Apparently, Atheism is just doubt and arrogance. If it is arrogant to admit you don’t know something, then I’ll take arrogance any day. “Beware this boy.” - Dickens.

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Johnny P. Angel and Phoebe Rose!

Scott from (PL) has a justification for biblical slavery and genocide because morality is subjective. Kill or be killed, I guess?

Tommy from AL is calling to explain how the Fibonacci number sequence is evidence of intelligent design. How would conclude that this sequence is evidence of an intelligent creator and not just a coincidence in nature?

Gary from MD asks why so many people are convinced that they will continue on in an afterlife when they die given that we don’t have any experience with non-existence.

Tim from D.C. asks why atheists bust on God and Jesus instead of just accepting God and freeing themselves. Loving God is the only thing that matters. How exactly is that freedom if there is only one acceptable action you can partake in and it's based on the demands of an unsubstantiated god?

Mike from WA asks if the formation and combination of 300 amino acids in the “correct” order to form life were caused by random chance.

Mack from CA is an atheist who has a Mormon friend who is being abused by their religion and church and doesn’t know what to do to help them.

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Forrest Valkai and Johnny P. Angel!

Frank from the USA is calling to teach us atheists that God is real and how we are leading ourselves away from salvation. Turns out the evidence is the spirits we met along the way.

Mark from NY wants to talk about the great ostracization of Intelligent Design “theorists” by the scientific consensus and mainstream, accredited scientific journals. ID isn’t a theory. It's creationism with a gilded scientific paint job that started peeling off on day one because ID isn’t the same base layer as properly conducted science.

Mike from FL is calling to prove the existence of God and ask why our hosts would still refuse to believe in the Christian God even if they became convinced he was real.

Emery from CA is non-binary and is wondering if science can explain why a person might identify as non-binary.

Chris from NY wants to know if Forrest has any sources that can give help them explain the steps from the Big Bang to life as we know it now. Forrest recommends Astrobiology Primer by Nasa.

Amanuel from TX claims that everything written in scripture is ethical. That’s it, I have nothing else. What could you possibly add to that?

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, JMike is joined by Jim Barrows & Student Doctor Ben!

First up is Chris from NY who cites a project at Princeton that allegedly has found a link between the pattern of random numbers and major global events.


Jon from Canada is calling to talk about Christian oppression, citing Kirk Cameron not being able to get his book in a library or something. Jon adds that LGBTQ+ individuals are getting unfair preferential treatment over Christians. Amazing self-own incoming, see if you can spot it.


Mark from NY wants to discuss the God of the gaps and how theists might be able to reframe God so that its definition isn’t just a puddle that fits its environment.


Dave from the Netherlands asks if it is God who sends people to hell.


AJ from TX claims to have a personal relationship with The Flying Spaghetti Monster. How does that even work given the nature of why the FSM was devised?


Xavier from FL claims that morality doesn’t apply to God and has biblical evidence to back it up!

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, JMike is joined by MD Aware!

Nicol from Armenia is wondering how atheists organize their marriages compared to that of biblical Christians.

Joe from KA is calling to express frustration with atheists’ answer to Christians with regards to God creating a world where humans can perform evil. Why would God create a world where evil can take place?

Hay Z from LA is calling in to discuss evolution. The caller is having a hard time understanding how the world can be so orderly and a perfect fit for us if God didn’t create everything.

Kevin from WI wants to discuss science and the assumptions that scientists make prior to doing the work. Can you trust the findings if said findings are based on unjustified assumptions?

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Forrest Valkai is joined by Dave Warnock!

Our first caller of 2023 is Greg from TX who is wondering why it would be useful to prove the existence of God? What is the purpose of the “why” question that is always asked by host’s on this show?

Carlos from Argentine is calling to discuss the rise of Christianity in the Argentinian government and how the caller was persecuted for their activision the separation of religion and government.

Rick from Canada believes that the theory of evolution is full of many holes including that Forrest can’t disprove talking donkeys, horses, and snakes. Interesting hole you’ve found. The evidence indicates that it is of the rabbit variety.

Bill from IL recently deconverted from their religion and is looking for advice about how they are going to tell their wife?

Sir Delicioso from Canada has an argument for why the God of the Bible is good. Get ready for this tapdancing defense at justifying genocide.

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The Midshow Promo clips. You like them! You love them! You want more of them! Well, consider your prayers answered, because we present some of the best moments from our past season. The video elves have been working overtime to bring you this collection of some of the funniest, most intense, and overall best segments.

We’ll be back to live production in the new year, but for now the hosts, crew and volunteers of The Atheist Experience and The Atheist Community of Austin wish you all the best for this holiday season and in the new year to come. We’ll see you next year!

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As we wind down 2022, we wanted to take a look back at all the best moments of the current season, and we've chosen the Top 5 calls, as determined by your viewing. Relive some of the most memorable and favorite moments from this past year of The Atheist Experience.

We are also compiling this collection so that we could give you something interesting to watch over the holidays, but also give our hard-working hosts and crew some time off to spend with their family and friends.

The ACA wishes you all the best for 2023, and make sure to join us in this coming year for more of the stuff you love!

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Jim Barrows is joined Student Doctor Ben at the Freethought Library!

Kevin from GA disputes the reliability and double standards of social constructs. From a social perspective, the caller asks why it isn’t acceptable to kick down someone’s door to steal food from others if we are hungry? If humans are animals and other animals will take drastic action in the name of self-preservation, why is this any less acceptable?

Jon from Canada has ultimate proof of God. It's the force. Jon, are you 100% sure that it isn’t the Schwartz?

Paul from Canada is calling to ask about what the terms: gnostic, agnostic, theist, and atheist mean, and how and when to use them.

Seth from ID believes that atheists get the meaning of separation of church and state wrong. The caller claims that the statement was to prevent a specific sect of Christianity from becoming the dominant faith in the United States, not that religion and government should be separate. Oh boy...
Olivia from IL has some beef and feedback for the show. Gotta shut down the theists at the name of their God.

Audience Question One asks how certain anti-choice individuals who also believe in free will get around it when it comes to situations involving for example, rape, something that clearly violates the mother’s free will.

Brittany from GA is a questioning Christian who despite discovering holes in the faith they were indoctrinated to believe, is still struggling to cope with the fear of a Christian hell.

Hank from TX argues that slavery is a part of what makes humans special compared to other species. Why do humans only take moral issue with humans enslaving humans and not humans enslaving animals?

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, JMike is joined by Dave Warnock!

Davis from CO is calling to ask about what God or what kind of God atheists are rejecting. The caller states that they do not have enough faith to ascribe to “the atheist worldview” whatever that is.

Julian from FL has a question about Job 38:16 and how it predicted the recently discovered geysers in the sea. How did we get to that out of this vague verse?

Bear from WA claims that God’s glory is indirectly derived from permitting a world, he created, where there is both good and evil. If he is either capable of creating a world where there is no evil or stepping in when evil is being committed for the sake of his own necessary glory, why should anyone think of this God as a self-centered, pacifistic thug? And unfortunately for you, without evidence to support the existence of this God that would otherwise act as your ideology’s meat shield, your beliefs Bear, are abhorrent and disgusting on their own merit.

Johan from FL presents a two-pronged argument that people should just support the broad concept of well-being, regardless of religious or non-religious belief. There needs to be a specific definition in order to actually assess the concept because well-being as a term is far too vague to make any judgment call. Well being for whom and based on what?

James from AZ asks if science or atheism requires faith. Science is based upon evidence and testing and therefore doesn’t fall into the same category as faith as its used when theists talk about God. Previous determinations of science do not become pseudoscience because they are proven to be false. They just are no longer the current determinations for a particular scientific field. Pseudoscience differs in that is not falsifiable (i.e. psychics).

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Forrest Valkai is joined by JMike!

Muhammad from CA wants to discuss their views that naturalism takes away the characteristics that make humans unique. But a lack of uniqueness and predetermined purpose doesn’t necessarily correlate with value or worthiness?

Sheep of God, because why not, from TX is calling to defend the claim that secularism is a form of faith. The more atheist shows SoG watched, the more they learned about their doctrine and the more their faith strengthened.

Brian from Canada asks that given many atheist’s don’t believe there is substantial evidence for God, what kinds of evidence are our host’s looking for?

Mark from NY believes that evidence exists that leads to the conclusion that god is more probable. What is this evidence you might ask? It’s that atheism failed to provide answers to some of the caller’s questions. Just because something claims to have answers in no way means that those answers are true, and atheism’s lack of explanation to said questions doesn’t equal evidence against atheism.

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Student Doctor Ben is joined Adam Elmasri!

Jon from Canada is calling to ask what is one’s purpose in life if the person doesn’t believe in God or if there isn’t a god? And also education about trans people is apparently the equivalent of genocide, and no they won’t defend that.

Jaime from TX wants to know how to criticize Islam without coming off as Islamophobic especially with the history of that in the U.K. Make it general about the core foundation of theism, and engage specifically only if the conversation shifts to a specific religion. Even then, don’t attack the religion or its culture but instead, focus on getting them to defend the claims made in the book.

Rick from Canada is just calling to tell us that if we don’t agree with God’s genocide of the Canaanites and Amalekites or else were the evil ones? Because inbreeding? Whaaaaaaaat, why? Lot of genocide talk so far today.

David from Romania is calling to talk about how their mother claims to have seen God and offers the follow up question of how our hosts would react if they found themselves in her position.

Michael from GA wants to ask if God was determined to be real, does their existence correlate to the validity of their moral pronouncements? Is what the God says objective, or is it just another slew of subjective moral judgments but this time being made by someone who is potentially smite happy.

Henry from Estonia is calling to present an argument that pulling people away from religion is causing harm. Specifically, the caller saw read some articles and watched a video saying the religious people live longer than atheists, but didn’t read the actual studies.

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Forrest Valkai is joined by Christy Powell!

First up is Damien from WA who wants advice on how to explain to their family that they don’t enjoy the religious inquiries and love, and that their non-belief is not an attack on them.

Jay from IA asks why Atheists feel the need to talk about their non-belief and tell others God doesn’t exist all the time. The answer varies from atheist to atheist based on their own experiences. But don’t worry, the call doesn’t stop there so be sure to keep watching and listening?

Next is Bear from WA who is presenting personal testimony about how they experienced problems with their life, but that these problems resolved themselves after seeking out God.

Eric from WI is calling to tell Atheists that God doesn’t send them to hell, but that we send ourselves. Theists have had 12 years to make the choice to revise and rehabilitate this argument before calling in again, but they haven’t.

Next is Nicole from Armenia who is wondering if the Bible is a good guide for having successful relationships & marriage?

Teo from Croatia wants to talk about how its ridiculous that people judge people who have not read the bible or believe in a God in ways they wouldn’t judge others.

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Forrest Valkai is joined by Dave Barrows!

First up is Victoria from Chile is wondering if religion or religious practices, given their predominance across modern cultures, may have first formed prior to the emergence of homo sapiens.

Next is King from AK is calling to present evidence, that at least to their friend, that Atheists converting to Christianity such as C.S. Lewis and Anthony Flew is evidence for god. The evidence would be based on their reason for the conversion, not merely that they became Christian.

Joshua from NC believes that gender and sex are the same for biological reasons. Forrest can explain this far better than I can even if I had an unlimited character count so listen to him. Jim’s Recommended Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.3988

Frisco from AZ is working hard to figure out the mind-state of Atheists, but not too hard because we’re weird and the worst of human beings. Yes. We are laughing.

Amanual from TX is calling to address the constant atheist question, “why won’t God reveal himself to us?” Why would anyone worship and follow the rules attributed to something whose existence is not at all demonstrable?

James from OH is calling to present the biblical prophecies as physical evidence for God. Even if the prophecies appeared to have come true, that doesn’t evidence that these said events were caused by a religious reason, a God.

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Kenneth is joined by the one and only Dave Warnock!

Michael from CA is calling to claim the prophecies in the Bible are in fact accurate because the Euphrates River is drying up, waters in China are turning blood red (not actually turning to human blood.) and that there are wars and rumors of wars.

Jay from NY presents the double slit experiment and the observer effect in order to demonstrate that conscious observation actively affects the particles of our universe.

Drew from CA claims to have biblical evidence that the Bible is true, specifically that the New Testament and Old Testament stories align and fit with each other.

John from CA comes fully loaded with threats about our going to hell and a claim that the bible is smarter than you about deciding who is saved or not. Lots of preaching with this one.

Diana from CA wants to point out the correlation from the psychological tactic of love bombing to some of the methods used by religions to gain and maintain the interest of children through tactics such as gift giving.

Jaime from TX is calling to ask if there is ever a situation where any books should be bad. Books, even if dangerous, should be allowed to exist with the hope that the “bad” books should be critically analyzed with the intent of education and learning on why the bad ideas presented are in fact detrimental. But banning is a slippery slope based entirely on the dominant ideology in power.

Amanual from TX claims the New Testament apostles were credible...because they died brutally? Doom Guy brutally rips and tears through the demonic armies of hell. Does the gruesomeness of their deaths portrayed in DOOM in any way prove this demon army exists?

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Jim Barrows is joined by Johnny P. Angel!

First up is Kevin from Canada who claims that there are other dimensions, among many other claims. So. Many. Claims.

Next up is Sarah from Belgium who is beginning to question their faith, and asks out hosts if there is any truth to Judaism. Historically speaking regarding the Israelites, definitely. With regards to the religious beliefs and stories, likely less so.

Connor, TX from the audience asks our hosts what their opinion is on having nuanced rules for taxing churches based on size (i.e. Megachuches versus small community congregations.) The answer may surprise you.

Max from TX was a theist, but after listening to the show they are starting to question whether they are still a Theist.

William, TX from the audience continues the conversation started by Connor by asking if the hosts are concerned that gauging the tax status of churches based on how much they benefit their community opens the door to excessive proselytizing?

Patrick from FL is an agnostic who disagrees with the definition of agnostic on google and wants the hosts to convince them to be an Atheist.

Allen from Jamaica is calling to ask why God decided to hold off on creating a woman, Eve, rather than just create her with Adam. Just another thing to add to the nonsense list of the story I guess.

Bill from TX is calling to ask why there aren’t atheist churches, and why doesn’t the ACA create one. Bill sees the growth of the “Nones” as an example of a group of people who need accessible groups that mirror the community-building aspects of religious organizations but are secular. This way these individuals don’t come out of religion into an unfamiliar social void.

Jon from Canada is calling to tell us that removing God from the United States is causing the moral decay of society. Which society? All of it presumably.

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, JMike is joined by Jim Barrows!

First up is Kevin from GA, a theist who disagrees with slavery in the Bible, especially the constant Christian defense. The issue is, the caller also admits that God’s commands are perfectly justified and should be followed, therefore contradicting their own moral judgments.

Aman from TX doesn’t find owning another human being as property to be moral but also doesn’t find their god who supports slavery to be immoral.

Charlie from FL argues that the tree of knowledge of good and evil is evidence that humans shouldn’t be allowed to follow a moral system that deviates from God’s own. Why is God punishing humans for falling for a trap that he set up?

Tyler from IN is calling to recount the time they found themselves indoctrinated into a cult and their path to getting out.

Duane from WV is calling to draw a comparison between the tenets of narcissism and the Christian God. Needless to say, a ven diagram between a human narcissist and God would be very large in the middle section.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Shannon Q is joined by Kenneth!

First up is Mark from CA who wants to write a letter to their young relatives who have been raised in a fundamentalist environment and would like advice from our hosts on what to open the letter with.

Next is Troy from WA who doesn’t necessarily believe in a God, but is convinced that there is a high probability of other life in the universe and that one of these other intelligent organisms created us in their image. Basically, the caller went to the “Alien: Covenant” school of intelligent design.

Next is Aaron from WY who is curious as to why the human brain appears to be wired to jump to unfounded conclusions, i.e. spiritual thinking.

Dmitry from MA recently read a book that introduces mathematics as the foundational truth of the universe, and that the Bible spirituality is a corruption of this truth.

BenDan from WI will return later...

Michael from GA has a question on how to go about conversing with theists and helping walk a theist through the problems with their methodology and the derived conclusion.

BenDan the “Researchur” from WI is back to tell us that the soul is the part of the mind that moves on after death to be judged. Prepare yourself for warp 10 analogies!

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Forrest Valkai is joined by Dave Warnock!

Charles from TX is calling to claim that Revelations 17:5 is the reason for all of the evil done in the name of Catholicism.

Next is David from Australia who after decades of indoctrination is hit head on with the prospect of the religion not be true, or worse manipulative. The caller is struggling with pushing past their fear of hell from their lifetime of it being used as a tool to keep them in line.

Luke from CA has a five premise argument to make God exist in our world. You could use this argument to make any literally any fantasy character exist in our world...doesn’t mean they do.

Believer in God (BIG) from WA isn’t convinced that Atheists are actually real and those who claim to be Atheist are actually pretending Theists. They believe this because polygraphs.

Diana from KS doesn’t believe that Atheists cannot judge morality because they lack an objective moral standard. Appealing to an authoritarian moral framework can be nice because its easy to judge right from wrong, but it doesn’t necessarily align with what might actually be right and what might be wrong in specific situations, especially if no justification is given or justification in the form of faith based threats of punishment.

Ruben from TX doesn’t think it is okay for Atheists to use the Old Testament, specifically verses regarding slavery to argue against modern Christians because apparently slavery was okay back then.

Finally, Kyle from OH views the world as a complex puzzle, and if the pieces weren’t placed in the perfect order and location, then life wouldn’t exist. Therefore there must have been a creator because there needs to be an intelligence capable of solving said puzzle, but only here, not Venus.

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jim Barrows!

Mr. Warlights from AK starts off the show by accusing Matt of secretly believing in spirits because Matt is just a normal human like the rest of us, and regular humans all believe in spirits. You know, as opposed to all of the not regular humans who don’t?

Next is Isaiah from Korea who is calling to talk about the parental reaction to deconversion, or not sharing the religion of their parents, and why some parents react so harshly compared to others.

Kevin from CA is convinced that a God exists because they encountered portal spirits who showed them a plane of existence that mirrors our own reality.

JB from CO calls in to present problems they see with any reliance on naturalism regarding answering questions about our perceived reality.

Next up is Jeremy from Fl who asks our hosts if a coincidence would ever be enough to convince our hosts that there is a god or supernatural power controlling the universe.

Darius from CA claims to have an argument that will prove that no one really believes that a God exists. Care to explain how you managed to get into every person’s head?

Paul from PA doesn’t understand why Atheists get to ask Theists for evidence supporting their beliefs, but Theists can’t do the same for Atheists. Effectively, why don’t Atheists have a burden of proof?

Chris from Sweden proposes the Hitchens razor, “what can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence,” and attempts to nullify it with a weird example of Matt questioning his mother about who his father is.

Phillip from PA asks how someone would be able to discern the universe of some cosmic being sending you a message, or just something fabricated by your own mind.

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Andrew Seidel!

Dustin from TX is calling to ask Matt what his stance is on the claim that they “choose to believe” in a God. How can you choose to be convinced? You either are or you aren't.

Next is Jaime from the audience who was called something unfortunate after stating they were an agnostic, and are curious if agnosticism really is just sitting on the fence.

Thomas from KY is calling to ask how Christianity is attempting to weaponize the religious freedom outlined in the first amendment within US legislation.

Pedro from Ireland has an argument for God that requires God to be undeniable and necessary. What a great, absolutely unhelpful definition.

Next is Mark from AL who claims to have an answer to the question of divine hiddenness.

Next is Seth from TX who asks for the legal standing on the more creative, rebellious signs being donated in response to the “In God We Trust” signage law.

Peter from Canada claims to have irrefutable evidence. Apparently evidence = Gish gallop. This call feels as chaotic as the Mt. Saint Helens eruption.

Patrick from NY believed in a God because they believe they have experienced answered prayers.

Trent from OH is wondering if one of the driving forces behind many religions is death denial, or at least serves as an attempt to add meaning to life when there may not be one.

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Shannon Q is joined by Dave Warnock!

First up is Philip from Canada who is calling to answer this weeks poll question “Is the Holy Spirit something that is experienced outside the brain?” Why did God reveal himself to you and save you from overdose and abandoned others in your same situation.

Next is Michael from KY who claims to have evidence for the existence of God which is apparently hidden in the “Book of Eli” with Denzel Washington, no doubt hidden in the secret number code Michael was transmitting throughout the call. Also Michael is God–the caller, not the Archangel.

Next is Steven from AZ who brings up their experience of wanting to return to religion after suffering a near-death experience, and is wondering if the hosts have any experiences of their own or advice for dealing with this pull?

Robin from DC is going to overturn our trailer for the show with a transcendental argument for the existence of God. God’s revelation to everyone supports premise one for the argument that God exists. This sounds like an elliptical argument at best.

Kelly from CA is calling to present an argument for the existence of God through an appeal to the physical, aka an argument from contingency.

Zeleni from Europe continues the conversation of the previous call to pose the question if it is even possible for God to have the trait of pure benevolence. Thank you for calling!

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jmike!

First up is Tyler from TX who is an Atheist who is calling to explain the better reason for why God condones slavery in the bible. But why tho?

Next up is Aaron from IL who believes that Catholicism is absolutely factual and their God is the one true God. The caller is very adamant in telling us what they believe but is incapable of actually explaining why they believe.

MacGruber from Canada is calling to present a presuppositional argument to demonstrate that God has revealed the truth of Revelations to all of us.

Next is Erik from MI who experienced something they can’t explain, but doesn’t want to label as supernatural. The caller wants advice on how to go about determining the cause of said experience.

Next up is Kevin from Canada who is a former Christian who has now transitioned to Daoism. The caller mentions that Daoists didn’t have a problem with him when we were Christian, which begs the question, does Daoism care about the truth of one’s beliefs?

James from NM is struggling with family after the death of their brother. The caller is an Atheist but their immediate family is fundamentalist and is threatening the caller’s well-being and assistance with alcoholism if the caller doesn’t participate in their fundamentalist rituals.

Kyle from TX recently discovered the subject of synesthesia and is curious if it has anything to do with certain individuals having the ability to see auras.

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jim Barrows!

First up is James from Canada who supposedly has scientific evidence that supports Jonah’s ability to survive in a whale’s mouth. Except it wasn’t a whale's mouth, but the stomach of a fish.

Our first audience question of the show asks what the host’s opinion what the weirdest Christian denomination is.

Next is Sean from UT who criticizes referencing the harm caused by Christianity throughout history because they don’t believe those who carried out that harm truly understood the bible’s teachings.

Next is audience member James from TX who asks if the same criteria used to determine which books to include in the bible can be used to exclude certain books.

Bob from VA thinks Atheists won’t accept that God does all of the miraculous things the caller claims he can because they willingly don’t understand.

Roy from IL presents an argument for the exodus story and how this is evidence for biblical truth and the existence of a messiah.

Next is Kevin from GA who believes Matt holds theists to a different burden of proof than he does himself.

Kai from Israel asks how atheists can evaluate something as immoral without an objective moral authority, and if they can, why should anyone care or respect their subjective moral opinion?

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, JMike is joined by Forrest Valkai!

First up is Charles from Canada who is calling to present a bible quote that supposedly supports the truth of evolution. What about all of the other verses that do not?

Next is Luc from Canada who disagrees that Atheists can have an objective moral system without belief in a God. There are objective facts about our reality that we can form a morality around. Chopping off someone’s head objectively damages someone physically, so we can then objectively evaluate the action of head-chopping and come to the exact same moral conclusion.

Antonio from AL is calling to argue that the Bible is the evidence for God and that Atheists are unfairly throwing out the Bible because science can’t yet explain all of the claims. The caller also believes that Adam and Even were literally formed out of dust and a rib respectively, and cites modern science and medical procedures that vaguely align with the claim to support it.

Alcibiates from FL thinks that we ignore science when it comes to gender identity. Also, vaccines aren’t necessary because they didn’t get vaccinated and interacted with old people and they didn’t get sick.

Next is Henry from Estonia who claims that since religious people are as a collective happier, therefore it’s better to be religious than Atheist.

Tyler from IN is calling to discuss the typical theist rebuttal, “Everybody knows there was a historical Jesus.” The caller dug into finding evidence for that claim and like most of us, couldn’t find anything. Even if he did exist, a historical Jesus in no way supports the magical aspects claimed in the Bible.

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Shannon Q is joined by Secular Rarity!

Our first caller today is Charles from Canada who claims that the big bang model is consistent within the story of Genesis.

Next is Kevin from NV who is very persuasive in converting people to their beliefs, but is concerned about bigoted acts being committed by these people after deconverting.

Bob from VA is convinced that “all” Atheists are just making arguments from personal incredulity. Your definitionally significant God is realistically insignificant and has zero explanatory power.

Next up is Emily from MA who is wondering if mental illness increases the likelihood of a person becoming religious or increasing the religiosity of an individual.

Aaron from IL claims to have a clear argument with straight forward evidence for the claim that God, a supernatural being, is biologically natural.

Our final caller Andrew from ME wants to tell us that there is an equal amount of evidence for evolution as there is for creationism. Is the caller well read on the theory of evolution? That is up for you to decide.

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Kenneth!

Our first caller today is Michael from MI who believes that mathematical imaginary numbers can prove the existence of well– their definition of God at least.

Denver from VA wants advice on how to introduce skepticism to their very unskeptical girlfriend who believes in significant amounts of woo including astrology and alternative “natural” medicine. While the caller doesn’t want to interfere with their right to do these medical procedures on their own body, they are concerned about the future if they happen to have a kid.

Ralph from FL is calling to demonstrate the existence of a God but claims that you must accept it first then look for evidence. Alright then, the initial singularity that the big bang originated from was actually a hot dog, just accept it. I don’t know what goes into modern hot dogs, maybe this one contained all of the matter in the universe, trust me.

Tyler from MD asserts that because we can’t know everything or have evidence for every claim, that faith is somehow a viable alternative.

Khan from India is calling to make a case that Atheists have a faith-based position because they claim to know no gods exist. No, we don't.

Eric from NY is calling to present an argument from complexity and modified watchmakers analogy, but with atoms and smartphones and beavers so it's cooler.

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Welcome back to the Atheist Experience everyone! Today, here to kick off our first episode back in the studio are your hosts, Jim Barrows and Christy Powell!

Our first audience question is from Aaron from TX who is wondering how our host’s ended up volunteering here at the ACA?

Rodney from MI is calling to prove the existence of the Christian God. Their evidence is that they believe in Jesus and his life story, and the likeness of the near-death experience accounts.

Next is Gohan from TX who wants to know when it is ok to force someone else’s to use their body without their permission? This person is like the magic eight ball of anti-abortion arguments, always wrong.

Next is Andrew from TX who asks why theist apologists continue trying to use the non-interactive deistic “nothing” god as a stepping stone to get to their own interactive god.

Up next is Vàclav from the Czech Republic who is calling to tell us about the biblical stories and mythological claims that convinced them in the past.

Next up is Larry from TX gets annoyed when people tell him that Atheism is just another religion and is wondering if the host’s have any advice for how to respond.

Nancy from TX points out that Austin is known as a beacon of blue in a sea of red, and is concerned about how the insane governmental decisions are going to affect that “balance.”

Steve from FL is grieving a loved one, and despite recognizing the irrationality of believing in a God without evidence, they still feel a pull towards it due to the hope it gives of seeing them again. The caller is wondering if our hosts have any advice for how to sequester this feeling of hope.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Jim Barrows is joined by Kenneth!

First up is Kevin from FL who compares our relationship to God, as a child’s to their parents. From this, the caller claims that God’s past actions and “rules” about morality are disagreeable to us because we are incapable of understanding his reasoning in a similar manner to how a child doesn’t understand why playing video games all day can be detrimental.

Marcus from KY apparently has a miraculous survival story after getting attacked by a black bear. What about the story indicates a miracle occurred?

Jay from MO asks our hosts about evil atheists and if they would want to live in a sin filled, evil atheist world filled. I’m not necessarily saying the framing of the question is underdeveloped, but, I’m definitely saying that.

Jody from DC is coming in with a plan to prove God’s existence with metaphysics and ontology. I am looking for an oasis of a single relevant point in this expansive desert of ideas.

Next is Mohammed in the United Arab Emirates who is an Atheist parent with a child entering the school system soon, and doesn’t want to outright tell their kid that God is made up, but also doesn’t want their child to be pressured into Islam by those around them.

Next is Rich from GA who asks our hosts if they would think getting cast into hell by God is unfair because they maintained their skepticism and didn’t accept God prior to their death? Well yeah, obviously.

Up next is Michael from FL came out of religion and became a skeptic relatively recently, and explains that when he hears personal religious anecdotes, they feel like they have to actively hold back their years of indoctrination that draws them to those claims, but recognizes that just “tuning it out” is no longer skepticism.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Dave Warnock is joined by Forrest Valkai!

First up is Devon from CA who asks our hosts why tragedies, big or small, influence people’s position on the God belief either one way or the other? Why do bad things happen to good people, and vice versa?

Next up is Daniel from NJ who recently had a conversation about evolution with their creationist father, and felt scientifically unequipped to rebut the creationist claims. Creationism itself is a claim that requires evidence, and the truth of evolution is entirely irrelevant to proving creationism.

Gabe from KY acknowledges that since their deconversion from Mormonism, they have struggled to put the magical thinking they utilized while religious behind them and engage in critical, skeptical thinking. The caller wants advice on how to rectify this, and apply skeptical thinking practically.

Patrick from FL claims Atheism is a faith. Is it faith to say “I don’t believe you,” to a claim? Patrick sure thinks so.

Next is Timothy from FL is calling to ask our hosts when they think a fetus gains the rights of personhood, and what the evidence for that timeframe is?

Rob from CA is calling to claim that science no longer supports evolution, and provides examples of naturally “unexplainable” phenomena to support this. Turns out, they are explainable. Oh yeah also, God flooding the world was 110% justified!

Next is Joseph from TN believes that since we cannot know anything with 100% absolute certainty that we must need faith.

George from NY who wants advice on how to converse with people who make unjustified claims, and are obviously unwilling to move their position even a little?

Finally, Paul from MN asks our hosts if they have ever considered using Numbers 5:20 against Christians “pro-lifers.” As we have learned today, and almost exert episode, most Christians don’t know their own bible, and those that do and hold that position will find ways to ignore specific verses that are inconvenient.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by JMike!

First up is John from CA who says that there are multiple pathways to reaching the truth about God’s existence, and that a pathway available to one person might not be accessible to another.

Next up is Dean from CA who believes that science doesn’t require methodological naturalism, but does require philosophical naturalism. So scientists get to use unmeasurable supernatural phenomenon to create new theories? Seems legit.

Questioning Theist from WA finds the host’s arguements for God relatively convincing, but doesn’t think their credible due to the caller’s disagreements with the host’s other positions. So if we both agree that the sun causes skin cancer, but you don’t like my position on a women’s rights to bodily autonomy, therefore you won’t be a pro-sunscreener like me? Wut?

Next up is Brandon from WA who claims that the time doesn’t exist in the subconscious, and uses the perceived time before death as evidence of this.

Serge from Australia is calling to ask why Atheists are asking for evidence and why Theists would want to present any. Why do beliefs require evidence?

Next is Jonah from TN who is wondering if our host’s think that this show and other like it have opened the floodgates for the online platforming of evangelicals or presups like Darth Dawkins?

Next up is Mike from WA asks if naturalists have proven the natural origin of life. As the caller doesn’t believe in naturalism, they conclude that Theists must have proven it by default.

Next is David from TX is calling to argue that differences in epistemology allow for different standards of acceptable evidence and arguement. I mean sure, but that doesn’t mean they should be accepted or be convincing.

Tom from the UK is calling to present an arguement that can somehow disprove every God, Theist or Deist, regardless of their respective properties.

Seth from CA from is calling to say that porn has perpetuated a bad perception of women, and therefore God exists? How did we get here?

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Forrest Valkai!



First up is Christian from the UK who has a hypothetical argument for the existence of a God or a divine being.



Next up is John from India, who has found a connection between Anti-Natalism and Anthropodicy and has concluded that the only justification for having children in this imperfect universe is universal salvation.



Next is John from TX claims to have scientific, historical, and testimonial evidence for God. When the hosts push for the scientific evidence, the caller continually wants to return to their personal testimony instead.



Declan from Australia is calling to ask why atheists don’t believe in the Christian God when he’s made the caller’s life, and apparently everybody’s life, better?



Alex from CA is a deist who believes that a non-interactive intelligent creator-God can be demonstrated through perceived coincidences? Wouldn’t coincidental creation imply that things weren’t intelligently designed?



Mr. Warlight from AK says Matt is a Gothic Preacher. What & Why?



Our final call is Andrew from ME believes the supernatural is a requirement for the first two laws of thermodynamics to be true.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Secularity Rarity is joined by Apostate Prophet!

First up is David from Canada who is calling to argue for a necessary uncaused first cause for the universe, ie a creator god.

Next up is Kevin from UT who is calling to ask for advice on how to help comfort religious family members who are grieving the death of a family member. The caller is out as an atheist, so they are unsure of how to approach them without potentially triggering a confrontation.

Ben from AK makes an argument for something, in theory about a necessary first cause being. If anyone watching can piece this puzzle together, please let us know on the Facebook group.

Next is Kevin from GA who is against the support for trans individuals because they don’t understand how someone knowing their trans is any different than someone claiming to have spoken with God in the bedroom.

Up next is Ahmad from WA is calling to talk about the anchor point for objective theistic morality, and the lack of one when it comes to Atheism.

Next up is Timothy from CA who wants to talk about what the Hadith says about abortion, specifically that Allah gives a fetus a soul after four months. AP breaks down this statement and points out the inconsistencies between Islamic culture and the schools of thought therewithin, and what is stated about abortion.

Next is William from FL who is calling to ask our hosts how we know 100% that other humans exist. Apparently, our hosts know humans exist with 100% certainty because we have some sort of soul knowledge and that is somehow proof for God?

Daniel from MD is calling to ask if religious indoctrination, e.g. inducing fear of hell, child abuse and if so where should that line be drawn between the two?

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Secular Rarity is joined by Dave Warnock.



First up is Sebastian from IL who is calling to voice their disagreement with Matt’s bodily autonomy abortion argument.



Next up is George from MD who is looking for advice for talking to their girlfriend who is a Young-Earth Creationist & biblical literalist. The caller wants to know how to go about approaching them about this subject to potentially start them changing their mind.



Next is Karol from Europe who apparently has a certain set of conditions that apparently, somehow, help indicate that heaven and hell “might” be real. Loving these odds so far.



Up next is Nikki from OR who is once again calling to tell everyone that they believe in God now after years of being Atheist, but still refuses to answer the host’s question regarding why they believe.



Vincent from UT is calling to discuss the relationship between humans and our flavor of consciousness, to use Secular Rarity’s term, compared to other animals, and whether that flavor is a byproduct of our surroundings or god.



Next, Anto from Italy has video evidence of flying people. Honestly wasn’t expecting that–– one moment...



Up next is Timothy from CA who wants to talk about the widespread misconception that science leads to the truth when all it is is a tested methodology that assists with limiting our biases while investigating reality.

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Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of The Atheist Experience. This week, Shannon Q is joined by the one and only Forrest Valkai!

First up is Anthony from VA who is calling to argue that the body of God is the universe. The argument is founded on the idea that complex arrangements of atoms can lead to consciousness, and solar systems look similar to atoms and they might be the atoms of God?

Next up is Noah from CA, a deist who claims that we are born and are currently living in hell. They abhorrently suggest that all of the sufferings that occurs in the world is just the waiting room to get to the perfect place, and is something that we can all laugh about later once we get to the other place after spending years being hazed by this bully of God. Piss off!

Next up is Jeffrey from PA who believes that God created two genders. The idea of two genders is a very antiquated western viewpoint that is not reflected by other cultures. Thank you for being a great caller Jeffrey.

John from Canada is the less pleasant version of the last caller. Good use of assertions buddy.

Next is Gohan from TX who has questions regarding the pro-choice argument that relates to abortion (the fetus’s use of the mother’s uterus), and organ donation.

Our final call is Tony from MA who presents the idea religion encourages narcissism and platforms for extreme narcissists.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by @Paulogia!

First up is Issac from Israel who presents an argument for the truth of Judaism and its version of God by using the continued existence of the Jewish people.

Next up is Clarence from OH who is confused about the laws of identity, non-contradiction, and excluded middle.

Kevin from NY has a claim that will help our hosts find God. What’s the claim? The book of Enoch apparently describes supermassive black holes, but only if you interpret the text correctly. Whatever you say dude...

Next up is Jonathan from CO who questions why Atheists would choose to help others and make the world a better place if there is no God to motivate them. Please keep believing in a God.

Up next is Shiela from KY who had a recent confrontation with a family member who used their husband’s declining health as leverage to bring the caller back into religion.

Next is Mercy from China is wondering what Matt’s position on assisted suicide and death with dignity, is and what the qualifications would be for granting permission to do so.

Our final call is John from TX who wants to share some of God’s laws of reality. A lot of these sound like they were pulled out of a very specific orifice.

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Welcome to another episode of The Atheist Experience. Today we have Apostate Prophet in the host chair alongside Shannon Q, this is going to be a good one!

First caller Gregory in AZ asks how to talk with muslims about hijabs and other face coverings as he feels it’s outdated. We mainly have a problem with islam societies mandating wearing hijabs. Try arguing against the idea that it empowers women.

Eric in NH claims god exists and is the foundation for all reality and is an omnigod, and other word salad. How can one summarize this call when Eric can’t seem to agree on his definitions. Yeah no, lucid dreaming is not a pathway to understand physics or to prove god.

Ahmet in OH continues on the hijab call claiming it’s a human rights issue. We agree people can wear what they want but we disagree with making it mandatory. Some muslim women feel it’s subjugating and not actually a choice.

Ben in AK believes god is the universe and we have to forget everything we know about the universe. God, a young solar system, Saturn birthing plants, and LOKI??? Try making sense next time.

Noah in OK asks AP what the creation story is in the Quran. It's not that different from other Abrahamic religions, almost as if it pulls from those previous religious myths…

Parham in The UK worries liberalism/secularism won’t survive an influx of theocratic voters, like muslim immigrants in Europe, and thinks only Christianity can combat this. Sure religions have held on for millenia, but non-believers are growing in numbers due in large part to secular efforts. Don’t forget, christian law is just as bad as islamic law…

Derrick in SC asks if the locus of control is pseudoscience and if people control what they believe by avoiding consenting viewpoints. Sure, you can control what information you expose yourself to, to an extent, but not what you are convinced is true.

That's all the ACA shows for this week, thanks for joining us. Catch the next ACA live show, Secular Sexuality, this Thursday at 7PM central!

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Welcome to another episode of The Atheist Experience. This week, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Dave Warnock!

First up is Aiden from IL who is calling to update our hosts on their life since their previous call about dying with dignity.

Next up is Cody from TX who wants to talk about the importance of the Secular Student Alliance and its role in normalizing atheism and providing opportunities for atheists to find community.

John from Canada is calling to express their opinion on the overturning of “Roe vs Wade.” Your opinion has been noted; we thank you for your business. Next customer, please.

Art from PA is calling to present an argument that Jesus isn’t actually God. Flawed premises equal a flawed conclusion.

Oh, Mykil from Canada is mad. Really mad.

Next up is Tory from IL, an ex-Jehovah's Witness who lost everything when they departed the organization.

Up next is Victor from TX who claims that God cannot be demonstrated by using reason, but can be using intuition.

Next is David from AZ who is apparently super pro-choice, but still has questions regarding the rights of the fetus.

Next is Ciel from OR who believes that deep, internal spiritual experiences are what drive people to God.

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Welcome to another episode of The Atheist Experience. This week, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Forrest Valkai!

First up is John from Georgia, who has been asked by others in their community the classic question, “If we came from monkeys, why are there still monkeys?” The caller wants to know if our hosts have a better response to that question than they do.

Next up is John from CO who is wondering how Matt could have possibly lost faith when the truth of the Bible is apparently as obvious as math.

Dan from FL believes that abortions are murders and that there should be a penalty for those who get one.

Joseph from the UK believes that mathematics provides evidence for a creator through the use of probability calculation.

Next up is Tony from CA, who is wondering if biological evolution has any connections to societal evolution and the widespread tribalistic polarization we see today?

Next is John from the UK who engaged a creationist on a forum, and has questions for our hosts regarding abiogenesis and the origins of life in the universe.

Our final caller is Ashton from CA who is wondering if our hosts still hold out hope for evidence and quality arguments after all these years of running the show?

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Welcome to another episode of the Atheist Experience! This week, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Shannon Q!



First is Larry from VA who is curious to know what parts of our brain are utilized when a person speaks or listens to someone speaking in tongues?



Next up is Rosalind from FL who doesn’t understand how Atheists can be moral since their morality can be anything.



Next is Anthony from VA who says you can still have Christianity without Christ.



Up next is Mark from PA who believes that theists are mentally ill and that society should not be tolerant of them. Take it away Shannon.



Next is Jay from MO who asks if Atheism is a mental illness, among other enlightening questions.



Next up is Gary from CT who asks what makes a real, “insert group label here,” and what type of evidence is acceptable.



Next is Luke from FL who believes that xenophobia and racism don’t occur naturally, but are generated through science.



Our final caller is Victor from TX who seems to have invented their own God with their chosen qualities, but cannot justify any of it.

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In today’s episode of The Atheist Experience, Matt is joined by Everyday_Atheist to see how capable callers are answering questions this week.

First caller is Dane in KS who is suggesting that a bracelet that dates back to the 14th century BCE is proof that the Bible is true. How does this bracelet confirm the Biblical stories in a way that proves god? In 2,000 years, when NY City is dug up, will it confirm that Spider Man is real?

Next caller is Jamaal from CA who believes that our consciousness is our soul since we don’t have a scientific explanation for consciousness. He believes that consciousness can affect the brain state and that the supernatural explains experiences. If we don’t have an explanation, you don’t get to make something up. Labels that religions tie to a soul are emergent properties of the brain. You can’t solve a mystery by appealing to a bigger mystery. Can you prove that consciousness is magic and that it exists? How do you know that consciousness is a soul?

James in SC brings up how other animals than humans are living in original sin, and how there are 450 species that engage in same sex acts. Matt puts on his Christian hat to explain that human beings are the only ones who have a duty to god and are accountable to the law. How is it there is the serpent that was cursed to crawl on his belly?

Jelmer in the Netherlands wants to remove the word existence by saying if there is a god that is foundational reality, then either it is true that foundational reality has defined properties or it is not true. If your conclusion at the end is still either god exists or god does not exist, then why go through all the trouble? What is the point of presenting an argument that we ultimately agree on?

Jack in FL would like to talk about the transcendental argument for god. He states that either our worldviews are going to bottom out or we are going to fall into a coherent paradigm or it will be an infinite set of justifications for our beliefs. He thinks that atheists don’t have the basis for logical reasoning. Justin points out that he is begging the question. Matt asks: How do you show that logic is in fact ungrounded? How did you determine that these things must have a grounding?

Jon in Canada claims that BLM is harming black people because it teaches to resist arrest and people end up getting killed. What difference does it make if BLM has any connection to Black Nonbelievers? We don’t believe you have a point.

Vanamali in IL wants to know what the difference is between death cults and religion. It is not about the number of people. Not everything that is under the umbrella of religion is on equal footage to its harm. Death cults hold views that isolate people ultimately resulting in their death.

Thank you for tuning in! We look forward to seeing you back here again so please follow the guidelines and stay safe.

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Welcome to another episode of the Atheist experience! This week, Jim Barrows is joined by Forrest Valkai!

First up is Alex from Israel who wants to talk about lucid dreaming and its possible naturalistic explanatory power for out of body & near death experiences.

Next is Nate from CA who identifies as an atheist, but takes a 50/50 confidence stance on the true/false claim that a God exists.

Next is Brett from MO who asks us if Atheism is an objective position or subjective?

Up next is Matthew from SC who doesn’t understand what makes someone biologically transgender, versus someone just “choosing” to identify as a sex they weren’t born as.

Next up is Theodore from PA who reasons that after death, our consciousness continues onward via the consciousness of others. So is consciousness like an organic version of distributed computing?

Next up is Jay from TX who claims to have had a near death experience, and believes it to be evidence of the afterlife.

Finally, Jay from MO is calling in to present the standard “it’s just a theory” gish gallop. The call comes with such great quotes like “Life can’t come from nothing,” and “Where does electricity come from?”

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Shannon Q!

First up is Dominic from CA who claims to be able to prove the existence of God using the concepts of “Objective Morality” & “Karma.”

Tim from CA is calling to see if our hosts agree with their assessment that religious belief is a psychological disorder.

Next up is John from Sweden who wants to know what motivates someone who does not believe in a God or afterlife, why care about creating a better world if we are just going to die and not get to experience it?

Isaiah from NV is calling to present a definition of spirituality. I am convinced that spirituality is necessarily first person at this point because I’ve yet to hear a single, consistent definition for that word. “The Mind is everything...” O_o

Next is Anthony from VA who wants to take a crack at arguing for intelligent design via a hypothetical, and an appeal to probability.

Anthony from FL is calling to argue that there is a proto-consciousness within all matter in the universe that when combined, emerges as a base-level consciousness throughout the universe.

Finally, Don from OH is calling to argue that secular morality allows for people to create their own personal morality and do whatever they want.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Apostate Prophet!



First up is Samuel from UT who is calling to suggest that Matt’s chess model of secular morality is incomplete and needs to be expanded on.



Anthony from VA is calling back to present a new and “improved” argument for intelligent design.



Next is John from Sweden who wants advice from AP on how express their dwindling faith in Islam to their close family.



Javier from IA calls to ask our hosts why they are called transphobic & islamophobia by others. I think we can figure out why.



Next is Nikki from OR who was formerly an Atheistic Jew who found Jesus, but won’t tell us what the experience was or at least where Jesus was hiding.



Henri from Estonia believes that God doesn’t physically exist, but exists metaphysically within humans?



Patrick from FL claims that Matt caused them to develop faith, but they don’t know what the God they believe in actually is.



Jacob from TX claims that they were once an Atheist, but was convinced later in life by credible evidence that Christianity was true.



Ben from TX is an ex-Muslim who is wants to call out the lies of Muslim apologists spread about the Quran regarding the subject of child mariage.



Next up is Robert from ID who admits that it is impossible to prove a God, but it's reasonable to believe in one anyway.



Our final caller is Jaime from AL presents the concept of the “elevation” emotion as a naturalistic explanation for the feeling theists associate as the holy spirit.

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First up is Mark from PA who recently lost a loved one and is struggling with the typical Christian belief that God is loving when such suffering is allowed to persist.

Next up is Anthony from PA who claims that intelligent design is philosophically sound. Can the caller demonstrate the truth of intelligent design without being fallacious? Find out now!

Next is Bob from TN who calls to read us bible verses, specifically John 4:10, that somehow demonstrate the truth of...itself? Start the clock.

Tru from TX is calling to ask for advice on dealing with extremely religious family members who act hurtfully whenever the topic is broached.

Next up is Patrick from FL who wants to know why many skeptics deem extrasensory perception as “hooey” and dismiss it out of hand.

Next up is Matthew from England who believes that explicit (capable of assessing evidence), weak (not claiming certainty) atheists have a burden of proof. How?

Next is Jack from FL who presents a “simple” syllogism to prove God. Typically, syllogisms are not 1000+ words.

Mr. Warlight from AK calls to present the single greatest argument for the existence of Ghosts. Check-mate skeptics! Flawless victory!

Finally, Noah from OR wants some clarification on the objective and subjective components of a secular moral system.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Apostate Prophet!

First up is Padraic from Ireland who calls in to claim that belief in a god is more reasonable than atheism. A great many claims are made...

Next is David from AZ who wants to convince the hosts to adopt their theology using “logical” premises only. Oh, if only that were true.

Joseph from MD calls into ask what motivates an Atheist to act morally without a God? Queue a presentation on secular moral systens.

Next up is Abu from England who was kicked out of their home and lost man family connections when the deconverted from Islam. The caller wants to know if something similar happened to our host AP when they left.

Next is Noah from OR who believes that the laws of logic and nature were created, much in the same way that societal laws are created, and that this is evidence of a creator.

Next is Patrick from FL who called to ask why our hosts are atheists rather than pantheist. While the caller’s audio dropped, our hosts provide a straight to the point answer to their question.

Next up is Drew from AZ who calls to ask if the pros of coming out as Atheist to religious family are enough to outweight the cons.

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Join us today with the fun dual of Shannon Q and Phil Ferguson who will be looking for callers to finally present the proof of god.

Clarence in Ohio would like to talk about the arrogance of anthropocentric religions leading to dangerous consequences. His perspective is that secular humanism tends to be this way where pantheism does not. This is more of a philosophy than a religion. Is there a specific list of rules with scientific pantheism that needs to be adhered to? And what did the people who made these rules call themselves before the rules were made?

Next up is Shane in GA that is going to lay some math on us. He is fixing to show us something that is irrefutable. He starts with Revelations and then Daniel. He talked about Mohammed dying in 632.5. And then we are supposed to go forward 1335 years and to 1967. Abraham has two sons going back to Genesis. His feelings got hurt and started yelling and cussing. Still no math.

Kevin in Canada believes miracles are proof of god because god is the only one that can make them happen. Recorded(recalled) near death experiences are proof of these miracles. Is it possible that this experience was not actually the person outside their physical body? None of these claims can be substantiated or repeated. The sigma-6 receptor prevents hypoxia by allowing DMT to be produced which is a natural hallucinogen. How are these things miracles when there is a chemical explanation? Your lack of understanding does not make it a miracle.

Dominic has a way to prove that gods are real and the soul is real and the bible is of divine origin. Falun Dafa meditation practice explains about the universe and reveals things to him. He asks if not knowing something shows ignorance in the subject. If all the evidence about god has been presented, would we be ignorant? Even if ignorance meant there was a possibility of a god, even a probability is not sufficient for a belief.

John in the U.A.E wants to get over his fear in hell. Think of all the other religions around the world with the different hells created by different deities. Why are you not afraid of these other hells? Be patient with yourself and the journey. Recovering from Religion has a hotline to help along the way.

Mike in MI asks if one can be an atheist without god. This depends on the definition of atheism which is going to be different for each person you talk to.

Kevin in GA asks how can god be demonstrated as the god he says he is? He then talks about psychic readings. Remember that psychics take the hits and forget the misses. The odds are in favor of the hits.

Luke in Canada wants to know what is missing to be able to say there are miracles. Hearing second hand information is not enough to prove miracles. Ask your deity what it would take to convince Shannon that a miracle happened.

Thank you for tuning in and we will see you next show!

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Welcome to another episode of The Atheist Experience. This week, Jim Barrows is joined by JMike!

First up is Mark from Australia has faith that we are living in a situation. It doesn’t matter if you would prefer to have evidence and not employ faith, if you admit that you can’t back up your belief, why continue to believe it?

Next is John from MO who proposes that it is reasonable to pre-suppose a God because we don’t have any other explanation and therefore we should employ common sense. The caller argues that rationality is only possible if we have enough information to examine a claim.

B from VA asks who gets to name a group of people. The members of the group get to determine what they want to be called, not outsiders. It is disrespectful and offensive, especially if they continue to ignore the preferred label.

Kevin from WA is calling to compare humans eating animals is akin to slavery. Factory farming does contain traits that parallels slavery, but eating animals itself isn’t on its own slavery.

Next is Victor from TX who is a deconverting theist, but is still hung up on the issue of morality, specifically regarding incentives to cooperate. Life typically wants to continue living, and if that life is surrounded by others around it, cooperation has a track record of increasing the chance of survival.

Next is Davion from TX who claims that it is unreasonable to not pre-suppose Deism. Why should anyone pre-suppose a by definition, non-interventive God, which is therefore potentially even less examinable than a theist God?

Sean from MT wants to know when it’s time to give up trying to convince family members that their beliefs are unjustified?

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Dave Warnock!

First up is Charles from GA who wants to argue that scientists and their dating methods are incorrect. Does the caller present evidence? No. Does the caller understand the science they are proposing is incorrect? No.

Next up is Brian from NY who worships demons and claims that they are supernatural gods, and that there are demonstrable mechanisms to make them manifest. The caller submits that the spirit box is one such method, but fails to demonstrate that it is at all reliable in doing what it claims it does.

Next is Andrew from ME who calls to propose that everyone worships something, even Atheists. While the caller admits that they don’t claim to know what any specific individual worships, they do claim that everyone does to what they value most.

Next up is Alex from Canada who objects to religious teachings that advocate for its followers to abandon all pleasures and enjoyments in life. The caller is starting to question their own beliefs and is trying to push past fears derived from their indoctrination.

Jack from AZ calls to claim that no one can ever prove God because finding God is a personal experience. How do you know that these significant personal experiences are actually an answer from God, or just your interpretation of an irrelevant event?

Next is Anthony from CA who wants to know where morals come from? There is no reason to assume that there is a book of absolute morals or that such hard-defined morals exist or are even possible.

Stephen from CO is a questioning theist, but is still confused on whether morality applied to God due to their holiness.

Our final call is Greg from Canada who calls in to provide examples of prophecy fulfillment in the Bible. It’s not prophecy fulfillment if the prophecy is knowingly being fulfilled.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jim Barrows!

First up is Kevin from Canada, who believes that coincidences are God’s way of anonymously interacting with us and therefore are convincing evidence for God’s existence. Typically, the word “coincidence” corresponds to one not having an explanation for an occurrence. Arbitrarily assigning an explanation does not make it true.

Next up is Charles from GA who wanted to present historical evidence of the bible. Apparently, Noah’s Ark is in Turkey and has metal that’s only been developed in the last century. This finding by Ron Wyatt has been debunked repeatedly, and even if what was found was indeed a boat, that does not mean that it was Noah’s Ark nor is proof of God.

Next up is Jon from Canada who argues that God is required for moral guidance. They claim that we are in a state of chaos because we as a society are ignoring God’s commands (i.e. rampant racism, apparently being gender non-conforming)... because those two are apparently the same.

Next is Bob from TN who has anecdotal evidence for God. The caller says that they will believe claims of encounters with the Holy Spirit, but will engage “skepticism” when the hosts swap “Holy Spirit” with aliens. The caller does not know how to have an honest conversation.

Next is Christian from NY who is a recently converted Catholic, and wants advice on whether they should stay in the religion and keep learning about it. The caller’s belief in the Church’s claims is founded on their process of exorcizing demons.

Next is Jesus from MO who says that Atheists can’t prove that God and Demons aren’t real, so why do they get to ask theists to prove God does. In summary, the caller doesn’t understand the burden of proof.

Carlton from NY calls in to see if our hosts see the increased size, duration, and number of natural disasters as signs that we are in the end times.

Our final call is Raj from UK who asks if our hosts would agree that slavery assisted in progressing society forward. In some ways, maybe, but there is no way to investigate what would have happened had slavery and its side-effects never occured. Slavery is immoral, regardless of whether it benefitted society or not. The ends do not justify the means.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Apostate Prophet.



Our first call for the day is King from AK who recently had a conversation with a theist regarding prophecy and whether it can be proof of God. The fact that something may have happened doesn’t tell us why it happened.



Next up is Aaron from FL who wants to know if telling those struggling with severe mental health issues that God wants them to live is a beneficial technique. One of main issues with this is that their reason for living is not tied to reality, and if their belief wavers they are back to where they started or worse.



Next is Jacob from NJ who wants to pick a fight with Apostate Prophet. Is this relevant to the truth of Islam? No, it's petty and fallacious.



Next is Joel who believes that the universe was created by God. Since no one has an evidence based explanation yet for the cause of the universe, any conclusion is premature and unfounded.



Up next is Kerim from Turkey who is concerned about Turkish Muslims who give up the Hadiths in favor of only embracing the Quran. Without the Hadiths, the Quran becomes merely a compilation of secondary sources.



Next is Rivalvo from Norway who presents a prophecy where Muhammad claims that a warrior won’t die in battle, and despite fighting in many, they didn’t. Just because a prediction comes true, doesn’t explain why it came true.



Up next is Marlo from TX who discovered Sufism and believes that they had a supernaturally influenced spiritual experience. The caller unfortunately has no evidence that their conclusion is anything more than a feeling.



Our final call of the day is Guy from GA who wants to ask if Muslims believe that only Allah can create life, or if they believe that humans may eventually become capable of doing so.

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This Sunday’s AxP has Matt returning, alongside crowd favorite, Shannon Q!

First up is Hank, who says without precreation, there’s no point to life. He gets cut off after an inappropriate comment, but Shannon and Matt offer MANY reasons why life matters without babies. Keep it PG Hank.

Kevin in Canada thinks scientists believing in gods is proof of their existence, and also believes in Intelligent Design. Shannon points out that many biological systems are clearly not designed well, and Matt doesn’t care what some people, scientist or not, might think. That's not proof of anything!

Bob is next, who is off like a rocket with his background story of being an agnostic atheist with autism. He wants to know if folks on the autism spectrum are more likely to be non-believers. Our hosts aren’t aware of any statistics on the topic, and think it may be more an issue of visibility than tendency. I would love to have a beer with Bob.

Patrick identifies as an atheist, but thinks the universe is… conscious? And also, therefore God. Shannon offers a great rebuttal, and Matt gives a great analogy for this composition fallacy. No cookies for you, Patrick. Ok, one cookie. But it’s oatmeal raisin.

Anthony has worked with the mentally ill, and wonders if the delusions they suffer are present in some small capacity among all religious folk. Both our hosts agree that being religious is not a mental illness, and talk about why irrational beliefs are not necessarily an indicator for such.

Susan has evidence for a soul! Wait, no she doesn’t. But AI being curious is a thing sooo, souls? Concepts aren’t evidence, and thinking about Narnia doesn’t manifest Mr. Tumnus.

Richard claims that without evolution, humans could not exist. Therefore, God. Sadly, his argument is all conjecture and assertions. Any call that makes Shannon rub her temples is worth watching!

Oh Will, why are you defending Biblical slavery? Will’s making excuses for the Pentateuch, and Matt’s not having it. Not today sir.

Christopher thinks he’s had a divine revelation, and has a direct line to the big man upstairs. We get a real-time conversation as this feckless deity fails at guessing what card is in Matt’s hand. This is good content, people.

Patrick has waited an hour to tell us that anyone popular enough is a God. Flashback to high school much? We’re moving on.

Relic wants to ask our hosts if building communities with believers is worth it. Shannon thinks that as long as our goals are aligned, there’s value there, and Matt agrees. Relic tells us why he’s a druid, and this tale is worth hearing! Freya the Goddess makes a cameo, but our hosts don’t see any value in a cool story.

That’s our show folks, stay safe, mask up, and get vaccinated!

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Dr. Darrel Ray!

Starting off is Kyle from NY who believes that they hear spirits talking to them when they pray. How do you know these are spirits? Just because you don’t have an answer to the question “what is it?” doesn’t mean that you are justified in calling them spirits. For all you know it’s a manifestation of Agent Smith trying to control your life from the shadows.

Next up from KY is Eric who is calling to talk about upcoming Recovering From Religion Foundation events and volunteer opportunities! Thanks for calling Eric!

Up next is JR from AR who claims to have figured out a way to detect the presence of a spiritual world using a pendulum? Why does it seem like every time one of these “techniques” is presented, they always seem to develop a humanesque performance anxiety.

Next is Jessica from UT who believes Atheism is a privileged position. There is nothing necessarily privileged about asking a question or holding a belief, it's the external social and physical factors, such as being able to publicly out yourself atheist without fear of harm that make something privileged.

Andrew from ME is calling to ask if mental health diagnoses are subjective, and if so, does that make the conclusions of experts in those fields less valuable?

Dave from FL is coming in hot with currently unanswerable questions. Since we have yet to develop time travel, we have no idea if there was an infinite past. Like with the first caller, a lack of information isn’t a blank check to insert whatever indemonstrable assertion you feel makes sense that day.

Next is Duke from CA who recounts an argument they had with a theist regarding possible tenable positions for a given proposition. Make sure you read up on the material you are discussing so that you can adequately defend your position and have a productive conversation.

Steve from CA is calling in to talk about the possible connection between specific mental health illnesses and religious belief. That connection may or may not exist, or each case could be different making such generalizations unjustified.

Alvin from NC wants to know the difference between atheism and agnosticism. While definitions can be good educational starting points, when having a conversation, address the person's actual position, not what you want them to defend.

Next is Jason from SC who is arguing for the existence of an objective morality by comparing God to a sports referee.

Up next is Jason from Canada who thinks that atheists should find common ground with deists & theists regarding morality. Has the caller never interacted with anyone who isn’t them?

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Welcome to another episode of AxP. Matt and Jim are back together again!

First up is Mr. Warlight, who claims to have a test for souls. Sadly, it involves desecrating a statue in a cemetery, so we’re gonna move on.

Mike in Texas has More (-mon) bad arguments for God. The universe is a big place, and therefore, a universe creating entity is possible. Matt and Jim point out that possibility is not probability, and this is as good an argument for gods as it is for butt monkeys. Just listen, it’ll make sense.

Next is Jasmine who’s going to take us from the Bible to… entropy? Jim reminds us that the Bible is the claim, not the evidence, and gives our caller a quick lesson in thermodynamics. Matt points out that just because order came from chaos, that doesn’t mean God did it.

Brazilian Bruno is next, who takes a very long time to say… God could prevent evil, but doesn’t, so HIS God is a neutral one. Jim gives a great Hell metaphor, and Matt tries to show Bruno where he’s erred.

Lightning round with Earl, who had a dream that convinced him God has updated… his own mind? We’re not gonna waste time on dreams today.

Justin in New York asks our hosts for tips on engaging in constructive debates in social settings. Matt and Jim both agree, pick your battles Justin, you don’t need to die on every hill! Using the Socratic method is always a good start to any conversation Justin.

Jonathan in AZ seems to want to back Matt into a corner by saying he’s equated theism with believing other wacky stuff, flat earth, science denial, etc. He cites some calls from other past shows, but Matt is quick to shut down this attempt at verbal chicanery. Admiral Ackbar sniffed this out from 12 parsecs away.

Next up is Monsters (not the kind with scary teeth). He believes in limited deities with tremendous power…? Concepts can have power, but that doesn’t mean they actually exist. Spiderman is a great moral example, doesn’t mean he’s real.

Anon in Texas doesn’t see the harm in holding beliefs that aren’t true, and doesn’t see why it should matter. Beliefs inform actions, and a flawed process can lead to more dangerous views. Anon seems like a good guy, just a bit mixed up.

Joe hasn’t got a grasp on the burden of proof. Matt gives a courtroom analogy, and Jim explains the null hypothesis. I don’t think Joe has passed the bar exam.

AJ grew up as a JW, and is seeking advice on coming out as an atheist. Matt advises a cost/benefit approach to these conversations, and Jim offers a few resources, like the Secular Therapy Project.

Paul wants to talk about how energy shows the possibility of God, but also doesn’t think it matters. You waited two hours for this?

Finally Tim wants to know why Jesus didn’t write anything down! Dad did! Matt is less concerned about the late Bronze Age, and asks why isn’t he contributing now? We list a few absurdities from Christian theology, and give Tim a quick e-hug.

That’s the show today folks, hasta la vista!

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Welcome to another episode of AxP. Matt’s guest this week, on loan from Truth Wanted, is MD Aware!

Dan in Indiana asks how absurd a claim has to be before one can summarily dismiss it. MD points out that scientists don’t use a yardstick of absurdity, they do experiments and test claims!

John is a believer, he states that since the existence of gods can’t be proven or disproven, atheists and theists are in the same position. He then says he CAN prove gods are real in a different way, but, sadly, he doesn’t. MD and Matt remind him that you can’t write deities into existence, real life isn’t a screenplay.

Michael in Florida asks our hosts about a psychiatrist who claims to also be an exorcist. Matt doesn’t think demons have been shown to be real, and MD Aware reminds us that psychiatric diagnoses aren’t quantitative, and offering a hidden entity as a cause of mental illness is irresponsible.

Next up is Allen, who suggests that Christianity is an atheist religion, because their god died. We’re not sure if you’re familiar with the dogma Allen, this character’s still kickin! Our hosts make it clear that atheism is incompatible with belief in Jesus, be he dead or alive.

Another Michael? This one’s from Texas, and thinks a planet-spawning alien is probable. Also, God. Umm… neither has been shown to be real Michael, and our huge universe doesn’t guarantee that everything you can conceive of must exist.

Eran in Israel wants some help in sussing out definitions of gods from theists. He’s tired of them saying what God isn’t, he wants them to make a positive claim. Matt and MD agree that what we don’t know about God isn’t as useful as what we do.

Next up is Bryan from Utah who thinks Matt’s standards of evidence are off, and that his approach leaves the door open for mysticism? Turns out Bryan’s just frustrated that people are allowed to make wild claims, we’re sympathetic, but we’re gonna move on.

Abby asks when our hosts think religion will die out. Matt doesn’t think it will, MD Aware thinks it’s more likely to take a backseat in the form of cultural habits, rather than actual belief in gods. Matt points out that many religions have died out, and its current iterations will too. Abby asks for advice on how to start teaching critical thinking, and our hosts encourage cautious activism in dangerous places.

Issa wants to know why our hosts don’t believe in god, and offers the complexity of an iPhone as a metaphor for why the universe must have been created. MD Aware replies that the universe isn’t necessarily complex, what emerges from the laws of physics is. Matt asks what information Issa has that cosmologists don’t, but Issa wants to play dodgeball.

Alex wants to talk about a study that he thinks shows evolution can’t be real. Mutations in enzymes would have taken too long, so therefore, God did it. MD Aware reminds Alex that proving one explanation wrong doesn’t mean yours is true, Matt uncovers the bias that the experimenters had. MD Aware offers to have a look at the study, perhaps we’ll have a chapter two on Truth Wanted!

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Jim Barrows is joined by Dave Warnock! Happy 2022!



Our first caller is none other than Matt with a post-surgery and recovery update! Good luck with the rest of your recovery!



Next up is Aidan from IL who was diagnosed with MS last year, and has concerns with their religious family member’s position regarding death with dignity.



Up next is Paul from PA! Paul, first off...if you want to advertise your book, go and pay for ad space on (insert popular social media platform) or something. Next up, narrative sequels act as a continuation of an existing work. Sequels, by themselves, do not IN ANY WAY serve as evidence for the truth value of the original story. You can’t use the original work to prove the truth of the sequel, or vice versa.



Next is Nick from CO who asserts that “fine-tuning” is justified by physics. This call quickly becomes 2022’s first case of the argument from incredulity. Just because we aren’t able to investigate before Planck time, doesn’t mean that a creator pulled the trigger.



Up next is Michael is MD who, after three minutes of gish galloping while they attempt to pick a topic, finally settles on “catholophobia?” Apparently criticizing the Catholic church’s criminal actions regarding moving pedophiles around is somehow catholophobic. Wow, that word is fun to write. Thanks for inventing that one caller.



Next is Sliew from Australia who has an issue accepting evolution because they don’t understand the definitions of mutation and how it differs from alleles. Open a biology textbook or at a bare minimum watch a well-researched documentary to educate yourself on the subject you clearly do not understand.



Finally, Patrick from FL presents the watch-maker argument. How did you conclude that everything around you was created by a God? What evidence do you have to support the existence of said God?

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The Atheist Community of Austin Holiday Trivia Challenge - Championship - Year End Special



We are pre-recording this challenge so that we could give you something interesting to watch over the holidays, but also give our hard working hosts and crew some time off to spend with their family and friends.



This will be a 5 part series, with one episode appearing on each of our AEN Network shows. The schedule is as follows:



The preliminary rounds will consist of 5 questions each, and will be shown on the Secular Sexuality channel on Thursday, December 23rd at 7pm Central: http://tiny.cc/ytss



The first two Quarter Final rounds will consist of 7 questions each, and will be shown on the Truth Wanted channel on Friday, December 24th at 7pm Central: http://tiny.cc/yttw



The second two Quarter Final rounds will consist of 7 questions each, and will be shown on Talk Heathen on Sunday, December 26th at 1pm Central: http://tiny.cc/ytth



The two Semi-final rounds will consist of 7 questions each, and will be shown on The Non-Prophets on Sunday, December 26th at 3pm Central: http://tiny.cc/ytnp



The Championship round will consist of 7 questions, and we will have a Consolation round consisting of 3 questions. These will both be show on The Atheist Experience channel on Sunday, December 26th at 4:30pm Central: http://tiny.cc/ytaxp



Call the show on Sundays 4:30pm-6:00pm CT: 1-512-686-0279 or use your computer to save on long-distance charges: http://tiny.cc/calltheshow

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Shannon Q is joined by Arden Of Eden.

First up is Wraith from NY whose religious beliefs are actually a mosaic of the truths found across many religions. The caller also asserts that non-eternal things intrinsically have less value and are borderline worthless.

Next is Arnie from WA who asks why some of the hosts utilize Mormonism as the token example of a “ridiculous” religion. Each host’s reasons are different, but some include the relative recency of its creation compared to the more popular religions, or as Shannon says, it can be used to highlight epistemic faults that both Mormons and members of other theistic denominations fall victim to.

Next up is Joshua from NC who is struggling to understand the Pro-Choice position. Just because the fetus may be granted full human rights, does not mean that we can assign it special rights that supersede the rights of the woman.

Next up is Abdullah from NY who asks why we, Atheists, can’t accept the existence of a creator. The caller then recites the Kalam which is broken down into its usual parts.

Next is Luis from CA who believes that the story of “Sodom & Gomorrah” was a coverup of a major natural disaster. Why do you believe this? What evidence do you have that this is true other than the biblical story?

Ramsay from Egypt is calling with a question about the Kalam, and attempts to use thermodynamics as a tool to prove that before the universe, there was truly nothing.

Mike from ME asserts that parents have an obligation to give up their bodily autonomy to take of a child. Unless someone consents, keyword there, to taking on the obligation to care for a child, then they have no obligation to. You can’t force them to, period. That includes giving blood, donating a kidney, or using someone’s uterus.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jenna Dave Warnock.

First up is Mike from IN who asks how is blindly trusting experts any better a pathway to the truth than trusting in religion and God. No one should blindly trust anyone merely because they claim to be an expert, but should look at the data presented by said expert and compare it to other colleagues of their field. Religions rarely, if ever, present any data to justify their claims, so trusting them is by definition, necessarily blind.

Next is Gohan from TX who wants to challenge secular moral positions. If you are calling in to have a useful conversation with the hosts, address the views they actually hold without referencing superheroes or other people that you are not talking to. You are either straw-manning the hosts or making what-if assertions that don’t even have addressable data.

Next is Tyler from NC who has a series of yes/no statements they want to present to the hosts. The statements are inconsistent with the definition of God the caller prescribes to or is at least presenting.

Next is Jan from the Netherlands who wants to talk about how many civilizations have had their own version of religion at some point in their history. Because of the sheer number of gods presented, and the massive ends of the spectrum in terms of characteristics between them, it seems more likely that these gods were products of people who lacked answers to describe natural phenomena than they were real.

Next up is K. K’s alternate “mechanism” of addressing faith, if we can call it that, involves a lot of confusing circles, probabilities, and homosexuality...? K.

Next is Kal from TN who asks where the line should be drawn with people whose beliefs don’t align with a shared truth about reality, especially a truth that has evidence backing it.

Finally, Guy from GA claims that the anti-science stance taken by evangelicals is the primary opponent to climate action that we are facing right now. Whether this is true or not, tying religion to anti-science positions gives evangelicals an excuse to wield their persecution as a weapon. It also may not have so much to do with religion as it does the general slide towards anti-intellectualism that has been occurring over the past 50 to 60 years.

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Welcome back to the Atheist Experience. This week, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Genevieve!

First up is Manuel from Puerto Rico who wants to know what our hosts think is the best way to educate yourself and others about critical thinking. The first step is recognizing where we are suspending critical thinking, and then going back through and asking questions that put that previously accepted idea on trial to see whether the belief was truly justified.

Next is Setuf from Spain who asks our hosts what the difference is between Speciesism, Racism, & Sexism. All three are biases that are each relevant to the level that they operate at (e.g. Species, Race, and Sex/Gender).

Next is Steven from WA who would like advice on how to discern good sources of truth from sources that may have undisclosed conflicts of interest. If we use Matt’s definition of “truth” in that it comports with reality, then we can look at a source’s track record, their own testing data (if available), as well as any other peer-reviewed sources they used to justify their statement. The truth is unlikely to be found in its entirety within one document or source, so getting multiple quality opinions or sources may help build a better picture.

Next up is Joe from OH who thinks Matt is wrong about Doyle’s Fallacy. How do we know that we’ve actually eliminated all other possibilities? Just because something is unlikely doesn’t automatically eliminate it from consideration.

Up next is Allen from MI who claims that science as a tool cannot investigate God and other non-physical phenomena. Unless we have another tool that allows us to reliably investigate the non-physical, we are not justified in accepting the existence of such phenomena if we actually care about the truth.

Next is Michael from CA who believes that free will exists. The topic is complicated, as evidenced by the nearly continuous debate on the subject, as it is often difficult to determine the influences on our decisions such as indoctrinated beliefs, societal culture, and environmental circumstances.

Up next is Simo from Canada who asks our hosts if they are compatibilists or “hardcore” determinists. Varying forms of determinism, hard or soft, are true across various definitions of free will. Compatibilist arguments only assert that determinism and free will can both be accepted without being irrational.

Our last caller is Aaron from AR who would like advice on setting boundaries with religious family members. Being honest and upfront with family can be tricky to navigate, especially when trying to prevent an escalation. You have just as much right to set the ground rules for their behavior when it comes to raising your child just as they do when it comes to their own.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by ObjectivelyDan.



First up is Joel from AL who claims they have a philosophical argument that debunks materialism. Apparently there is something below subatomic particles that is spirit rather than material. Don’t have evidence to back that up, come back when you do.



Next is Andrew from Thailand who believes that because Christianity can offer positive benefits to members or its ideology, that it should still be followed even if it doesn’t conform to reality. Once again the subjective issue of filtering out the bad and keeping the good comes into play, especially when those same moral positions can be reached via other non-christian belief systems.



Up next is Jacob from AL who accepts creation as a part of deism. If you don’t have any evidence that draws the connection between human language and a god, then belief in that connection is unwarranted.



Next is Setuf, le sigh...sure it is... from Spain who claims that Matt is irrational. Once again, the caller wants to moan about Matt’s position on abortion and his use of the violinist analogy. Go away.



Marlon from the Philippines is back with some sweet new claims. Animals doing cool things is proof of god, somehow. Do we ever find out how? Find out next time on “Storytime With Marlon.”



Next is Kevin from NY who wants to know what the problem is with the second premise of the Kalam? The Kalam has two premises that both need to be demonstrated to be true, and even once that’s happened, it still doesn’t support the existence of a God.



Next is Billy from the UK who feels that many conversations between atheists and theists get derailed by the atheist’s focus on the definition of God. Having a clear definition for the specific god being talked about is important so that the conversation stays relevant to the actual beliefs being discussed.



Next is Phil from HI who asks our hosts if modern magicians can replicate the magic used in the biblical stories. While there are tricks that can replicate the illusion, there isn’t any reason to believe that there are any magicians actually using magic to do those tricks.



Michael from TN is up next and claims that DMT and its common experiences among users is evidence of experiencing another reality.



Our final caller is Tomas from CA who wants to know how Christianity managed to become as influential as it has throughout history, from when it first emerged through today.

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SHOW NOTES

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Shannon Q

First up today is Mr. Warlight from AK who wants to question the host’s views on spirituality. Just like last week, the caller has nothing to present.

Mohammed from NE believes that spirits are not tangible, but internal conceptual projections of a person’s mind. Since we can’t tell whether those projections are actually related to the existence of spirits or just a part of a person’s imagination, how does this help us prove that spirits truly exist in reality?

Next is Setuf from Spain who doesn’t understand the point the of Violinist analogy. It’s about bodily autonomy, not consent as consent can be revoked.

Up next from California is Raul who has a question regarding free speech versus free action. As the conversation unfolds, the caller’s points begin to drift towards the advocation of thought crimes.

Next is Rob from VA who claims that emotions are irrational. Our hosts respond that emotions themselves are not necessarily either rational or irrational, but are reactions to stimuli. How we reach those emotions and handle them is what makes them and our responses either rational or otherwise.

Next up is Simo from Canada who asks why rape can be considered wrong across the past, present, and future in a subjective moral system. Isn’t it better to be able to present an evidence-based justification for why something is wrong rather than just assert “it is”?

Next is Tony from AK who is struggling to come to terms with the process of deconversion without feeling like they are betraying the church.

Up next is Your Truly from Canada who calls in to assert that the Bible doesn’t advocate for slavery when it very clearly does and has been covered ad nauseam.

Next is Eric from KS who wants advice on how to remain patient during conversations with dishonest theists. Take notes and call them out as they create new inconsistencies.

Our final caller is Sabien from TX who wants to know if it is fair to judge theists if free will does not exist?

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Welcome back to another episode of The Atheist Experience. This week, Kenneth and JMike take AXP by force!

Today’s first caller is “Leopold” from Canada who demands that the Atheist Experience apologizes for the harsh statements it has made against the Catholic Church in the past. Either engage with the hosts you are talking to and justify your position or call again after you think it back over.

Next is Tim from TN who asks if someone who believes a God exists has the same burden of proof as someone who claims to know a God exists. It comes down to the much finer acceptances of claims. If they both accept that Jesus walked on water, superficial confidence levels aside, the implication itself requires an equal burden of proof from both parties.

Up next is Alvin from NC claims that it is probable that the Bible is true. The caller mentions a number of improbable improbabilities and asserts them as evidence for their claim. They then site their webpage, which apparently finds mathematic patterns in random bible verses, as a source of evidence that the bible was intelligently woven together by math.

Mr. Warlight returns from earlier to define spirituality and explain why it’s important to have more of it. Just because something can’t be disproven, especially something we have no track record for its existence, doesn’t mean that it would be justified to accept it as a possibility.

Next is Apollos from TX who claims that Atheists are inconsistent when evaluating arguments for the brain in a vat compared to arguments for Jesus’ resurrection.

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Welcome back to The Atheist Experience! This week Matt is joined by Arden Hart.



Our first call today comes from Jake in Canada, who wants to ask about original sin, and how the Christian notion of substitutionary atonement is morally corrupt. We feel ya Jake.



Second up is Andrew in New York, offering his understanding of paganism. Matt would rather hear from paganism from a pagan, and Arden points out that not all folks who identify as “pagan” share the same set of beliefs. Moving on!



Mike from Texas stampedes out of the queue with a quick lecture about alternate theist views, before being lassoed in by Matt to talk about what HE believes. We hit on the problem of the source of consciousness, a bit of naturalism, and a touch of solipsism. Mike makes his case for the supernatural with a whole lot of five-dollar words, but Matt & Arden aren't impressed.



Robin from DC believes that if one rejects a claim, one assumes the contrary position. Our hosts explain that it’s possible to be unconvinced of both states. It’s okay to say “I don’t know” folks, in fact, it’s a big step on the way to knowledge.



Next we have Steven in WA who starts with an assertion that people have their own truths, Arden explains the difference between opinion and fact. Steven offers the example of people in his community offering career advice using their “true” assessments about his aptitudes, and Matt further clarifies that opinions and advice are not the same as truth. We wrap up by analyzing claims of a personal relationship with God, which Stephen concedes he cannot prove.



LaRue in Illinois has a question about whether a family member’s threats that he thinks were fulfilled by God qualify that person as sociopathic. Arden offers the caveat that she isn’t qualified to make psychiatric diagnoses, and suggests that trying to determine whether behaviour is positive or negative for LaRue is probably more valuable.



Tate asks our hosts what religious folks mean when they talk about subjective and objective morality. Matt offers a great explanation of how the product of a mind is the basis for subjective morality.



Charles in Canada is a big fan, who doesn’t like the statement that there isn’t evidence for gods. Matt clarifies the difference between good evidence and testimony, and agrees that there is (air quotes) “evidence”, it's just not very compelling and hasn’t convinced him.



Jake from the UK is looking for tips on how to set boundaries with family members while salvaging relationships. Arden and Matt offer a couple examples of how to frame conversations so that they can be constructive.



That’s our show this week folks, wear your masks, get your shots, and let’s get through this thing together!

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jim Barrows!

First is Joey from the UK who asks if following God’s commands, even if they are immoral, for the sake of self-preservation is justified. This brings us back to the mafia boss analogy as acting differently than you would if not under threat in no way justifies the immoral behavior of the one holding a position of power.

Next up is Carson from KS who worships and personifies nature. Other than because it seems appealing to do, why do this if as the caller claims, it's just atheism with some extra steps?

Next is John from IN who is struggling to grieve the loss of a loved one without the comfort provided by religion.

Next is Brandon from NJ who claims to have evidence of ghosts. Turns out the caller saw and heard a thing somewhere and determined that it was a Ghost. The caller also attempts to use the anomalies found in camera footage that could not be seen with the naked eye as support for the supernatural.

Up next is Juan from Mexico who is a recent Atheist who still has lingering fears regarding promises they made to God when they still believed. The caller, who acknowledges the illogic in their position, is afraid that the God they no longer believe in may come knocking sometime later demanding the promises be fulfilled. Deconversion takes time, just keep reminding yourself that you do not believe and over time you’ll be able to more easily push these nagging fears aside.

Next is Mike from TX who claims that physics proves that there is no objective reality and that therefore the universe has a mind. Next time don’t talk through Matt and you’ll be on the line longer.

Next is Guy from GA who asserts that the Universe needs to be revered and respected as if it’s conscious and sentient, even though we have no evidence that it is.

William from TX wants to know if Jesus understood what lust and adultery were? Thanks for the quick call.

Next is Rich from PA who has a paranormal story where after a terrifying dream they ended up with physical marks on their back. They are wondering if there are any natural explanations for what happened.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Dave Warnock!

First up today is Mark from OR who has a question about the difference between the scientific consensus and a fallacious appeal to authority.

Next is GB from CA who wants to argue that the bible argues for divine hiddenness. How can we differentiate between God’s desire to remain hidden, or whether they exist at all.

Up next is Andre from MI believes that there is something greater than us and claims they can prove it. The caller’s interpretation of how the universe around them functions, (i.e. the need to breath & and squirrels killing one another), indicates to them that there is a greater will/

Next up is DJ from Canada who claims to have made contact with a soul. How do we know that the electrical feeling experienced by the caller is actually dead people, let alone a specific soul. As of right now we have no evidence to support the idea that consciousness carries forward after death.

Drew in CA wants to correct Matt’s assertion that the Bible says that “life is like dirty rags” when it does not. The caller gets one win token and immediately starts preaching.

Charlie from TX believes that beliefs are supernatural because they don’t exist tangibly. Just because they cannot currently be tested individually by science does not mean that they won’t ever be, or that they are in any way unnatural.

Next up is Ronald from MO who claims to have found the fabled third possibility for the divine hiddenness argument. The caller did not find it.

Next is Josh from NJ who is struggling to come out as an atheist, for the wellbeing of both themselves and their family. The caller has noticed that anytime their lack of belief is referenced that their mother doubles down on their theism, and fears that this is indicative of what the future reaction will be if the caller fully comes out.

Last up is Peter from Australia who is wondering if there are any legal ramifications for people who spew false prophecies or similar predictions.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jim Barrows!



Our first caller today is Mark from GA. The caller claims that time robs the ability for information to be communicated, and that god will solve this by fulfilling the great commission through connecting our brains to computers.



Next is Holy Rebel Movement from FL who claims that he received a prophecy from God of Joe Biden’s inauguration, after we knew Joe Biden had won the election. The caller also states that they have 6 to 7 more of these mundane prophecies.



Next up, Arnie from WA is calling back to report the current status of his deconversion process, and how he has transitioned away from his mormon indoctrination. After their previous call to the show, Arnie has since come to the conclusion that they no longer have a good reason to believe.



Jim from Canada asks our hosts if the possibility of consciousness disappearing after death either disappoints or scares them.



Next up is Kim from the UK who wants to talk about the privilege needed to be a non-believer. While needing a community, specifically an atheist community, can require a certain degree of depending on their location and socio-economic status, being an Atheist on its own does not.



Next up is Mike from CA who claims to have personal experiences that can prove God, but I can’t prove it to you. The paranormal experience was, “an urge to go home.”



Our final call is Gilles from the UK who asks our hosts what an Atheist civilization would look like. What follows is a very pleasant call about the future of atheism and non-believers around the world.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Shannon Q is joined by Johnny P. Angel!

First up is Writer from NY who perceives time as a measurement of the distance that a second-hand takes to move, and that this perception aligns with the attributes of their accepted God. The caller also claims to have spoken to and visited Heaven with this God.

Next is Joshua from Canada who wants to offer testimony on why they converted. If Revelation is a personal experience and not applicable to everyone, then by definition it’s not going to be convincing to those who haven’t experienced it. At this point, it’s just a claim.

Up next is Charlie from TX who is questioning the host’s acceptance of naturalism since the only way to falsify it would be to present something unnatural. The caller believes this creates a problem where naturalism is accepted without proper justification.

Mr. Batman, the “Dark Knight Of Logic” calls in with a misunderstanding of science and his script in hand to present a convoluted spiel for the existence of God.

Next up is Johan from FL who wants to know if a person should withhold belief without evidence for moral reasons, or something else. While there are certainly practical reasons for withholding belief, the moral implications of this are often addressed separately, (e.g. morality with regards to certain goals).

Last up is Jim from Canada who is questioning Christian doctrine, but can’t get past the concept of a soul, and why our hosts do not believe in them.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jenna Belk. Welcome back to the co-host chair Jenna!

First up is Mohammad from NE who defines god as any conscious entity that is capable of influence celestial objects beyond our (modern humans) comprehension. Nothing presented by the caller contains anything relevant to a scientific argument.

Next up is Tommy from IL who wants to know if our hosts are still searching for an answer to a God question, or if they have gotten to where they have reached a point of certainty in their current position.

Robin from DC is calling in to tell us about some slick new labels for Atheism: Local & Global. Local Atheism refers to someone who doesn’t believe that a subset of Gods exist, but accepts others. Unfortunately, Robin asserts the only way that a person can determine whether one subset exists and the other doesn’t is through God’s revelation.

Up next is DJ from CO who is worried about leaving their child under the care of a religious family member. Exposure to new, different ideas, will likely help in the long run with the child’s development of critical thinking skills. However, making the violation of trust clear to the family members is important if you want to maintain a healthy relationship with them in the future.

Next up is Nikki from CA who believes that they have made contact with a deceased family member. The caller had requested prior to their death that they give her a sign that they are alright, and a year later she receives a notification that his social media account liked her photo. How do we know that this was anything more than a bug in the app?

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SHOW NOTES
Hello everyone! Welcome to our fun episode of The Atheist Experience with Matt Dillahunty and Jim Barrows.

First up is Ram from India who started to believe in god again six months ago because he met someone who says science does not explain everything, and that lots of people accept there are multiverses. Scientists are not saying god is the reason for this. God is not a valid, reasonable hypothesis for the universe. Can you name one thing that is demonstrably true and violates logic? Don’t give up on reality so you can have less pain and sadness.

Next we have Jordan in VA who is starting to have doubts of his faith, but does not want to give it up. He wants to raise children with the Christian foundation but has concerns with the Bible. If you raise kids this way, you are telling them they are broken and flawed. Teaching kids about hell is child abuse and so is following what the Bible says to do. It is difficult to teach kids to think for themselves in a Christian household.

Kevin in AZ thinks that Matt is asking the wrong thing about god because it should not be a binary question. Either you are convinced a god exists or you are not convinced a god exists, and this is binary.

Next is Paris in CA who argues that people's reasons for the earth not being flat are not better than the reasons they bring up for the historicity of Jesus. When the Greeks proved the earth is round, it was done with simple geometry. Everything we do with navigation proves the earth has to be an oblate spheroid.

Jesus in CA tries to use Exodus to prove that god exists because wheels were found in that region. Picking out verses that someone fed you does not prove that a god exists. He then goes on to say that many of us believe it to be true. The truth is not impacted in any way by the number of people who believe something.

Next we have Thea in NC that wants to know why whenever bad things happen like school shootings, Christians think it is the end times. It is because they read Revelations and are always ready. Christian Nationalists are actively trying to bring this to happen. People have been profiting off this for ages. When have there not been rumors of wars?

Next is Carlos in Puerto Rico whose friend described an example of no divine intervention that proves the non-existence of god. A particular god may be disproven, but without defined characteristics there is no way of doing this.

Our last caller is Paul in VA who has an idea that Christianity was intentionally created to feel superior, not take responsibility for their actions, and that once you are a Christian, you can’t lose salvation. How did you rule out that this was not true? We don’t have any way to know what the actual doctrine is because god has not arrived to truly tell us.

We will see you all next week. Lets try and focus on reality and not throw up our hands and think god has a plan.

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Hey everyone and welcome to another episode of The Atheist Experience! This week Matt Dillahunty is joined by Mandisa Thomas from Black Nonbelievers!

First up is Sam from TX who says that he believes in a god for the same reason that our hosts don’t believe that there is a god.

Next up is Jaime from CO who claims to have photographic evidence for god. How do you know that what you captured in the photo is actually the face of God, or just a cloud?

Up next is GB from TX who is curious why Matt states that if a God exists, it is the most important fact that anyone could ever know due to the repercussions that the existence of one would have on our reality. However, until one is demonstrated to exist, acting as if one does and legislating laws that are asserted to align with it is dangerous and irresponsible.

Next Cathy from NM who believes that Matt’s approach is rude and unproductive, and that he sets up strawman with religious callers including those from this very show.

Next is Hamid from the (UK) who wants to share his experience of reconverting to Islam. Just because you understand the concept of God as depicted in the Bible and the Quran doesn’t make those descriptions true or the God real.

Next is Paul from NC who is wondering how true the claims of spirit mediums are and if it is possible to accept their claims or partake in the exercise yourself without engaging in “woo.” What you convince yourself of in private is up to you, but if you are trying to convince others that you can do these things and are charging them money, then you are preying on people who are struggling and coping with loss.

Up next is Luke from MN who is curious as to why skepticism is the best path to truth when evaluating truth claims. We don’t choose our beliefs, but we can choose to act as if something is true. Because of this, there are going to be consequences caused by those actions that can range from minuscule to dangerously significant.

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In today’s episode of the The Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Arden Of Eden.



Our first caller today is Andrew from PA. The caller is beginning to question their beliefs and is wondering how our hosts became comfortable with pushing back against their past indoctrination. Unless you have good reason to believe in a particular god, then worrying about any threats or boons derived from believing in that God isn’t justified.



Up next is Sam from NE who believes that because there are things about the universe that we cannot explain today, that it must be supernatural. Sam also had some “important” information he wanted to bless the audience with.



Next up is Aiden from FL who is looking for advice on how to manage their relationship with their family with regards to their opposing views of religion. There is probably no single argument that will help your family become accepting of your atheism, but this single disagreement isn’t the whole relationship with your family or how they feel about you as a person.



Next is Hank from TX who is claiming that our ownership of non-human animals indicates that we are superior to those animals, and if we are superior, then there is likely a being superior to us.



Up next is Robert from OR claims that a belief in a God is properly basic, that it is self-evident and doesn’t require a justification to be accepted as true.



Next is Rivalod from the Netherlands who wants to know how Atheists can be moral without God. The caller states that they believe morality is based on whatever God says is right. How do we know what God says?



Up next is Leo from Canada who has been pushed back theism because of Matt. The caller doesn’t understand Matt’s position against worshipping a deity, and somehow this has put them back on the fence?



Our final caller is Christ from CT is curious as to why Fundamentalist Christians are so against the separation of sex and gender when they themselves ascribe gender to their own God. Part of it is because their books don’t refer to sex or gender directly, as well as the fact that it offers a mechanism to control others.

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SHOW NOTES

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Shannon Q is joined by Jenna Belk!

Our first caller is Narder from Australia who claims that there is physical evidence for God. Unfortunately, we are not presented with the physical evidence we were promised, but a philosophical argument.

Next is Nigel from New Zealand who is wondering if our hosts do not accept Christianity because of a lack of evidence or because of the inconsistencies within the religious doctrine. The answer obviously varies from atheist to atheist, but depending on someone’s background, it may end up being a combination of each.

Up next is Joe from Canada who wants to know how our hosts dealt with the fear of leaving religion after years of being indoctrinated to fear hell.

Next is Ryan from NY who presents a list of reasons why they aren’t an atheist. Presenting incohesive ideas in this format isn’t a conversation, especially when they don’t go anywhere.

Next is Phillip from OH wants to correct Shannon on a previous terminology mistake.
Thank you so much for calling Phillip!

Our final caller is Clarence from OH has an issue with the term atheist because it’s a label that defines what they are not.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined once again by Shannon Q. Welcome back Shannon!

First up is Jeroen from the Caribbean who questions whether believers actually have a grieving process, or if they just use religion as a bandage. They are concerned with the consequences if said believer stops believing and is suddenly hit with that grief.

Next is Steven from Washington who has questions regarding how active religious organizations can be within political movements and what actions are acceptable within the bounds of church/state separation.

Next is Jamen from Germany who believes that Atheism has a burden of proof. Anyone who makes a positive claim has a burden of proof, whether they are an atheist or not.

Up next is Javier from Minnesota who is wondering if our hosts think it’s wrong to believe in a God if it makes someone feel good. Also using the host’s answer to shift the conversation to race and gender is dishonest and gross.

Next is Nick from California who has God-like knowledge of the creation of the universe.

Up next is Rob from Georgia who wonders why some Atheists are afraid of certain depictions of heaven.

Next is Jeffrey from Texas who is wondering where morality comes from if it is subjective to a specific culture.

Last up is Josh from the Netherlands who deconverted from Islam but is struggling due to the sudden loss of his spirituality. The problem is that spirituality doesn’t really mean anything and appears to vary from individual to individual.

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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.

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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.

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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/rfrrecovery

Up 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 it

Last 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?

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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.

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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…
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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 happens
Evelyn 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!

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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!

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