Unbelievable? Happiness, humanity, ethics, evolution... what really is the meaning of life? Sam McKee vs Stephen Law hosted by Andy Kind
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Nov 13, 2025 Join philosopher Stephen Law, known for his critiques of theism, and scientist Sam McKee, a Christian speaker with a love for evolutionary biology, as they delve into the complexities of belief and meaning. They explore the problem of evil, the evolutionary roots of faith, and personal religious experiences. Law presents the HADD hypothesis, suggesting our brains may be wired to detect agency, while McKee argues for the genuine spiritual experiences that challenge purely evolutionary explanations. Who really holds the key to life's ultimate questions?
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Evidence Can Rule Out Specific Gods
- Stephen Law argues we can know the Judeo-Christian God likely does not exist based on evidence like gratuitous suffering and implausible doctrines.
- He distinguishes a vague cosmic intelligence from the specific omni-God and rejects the latter as implausible.
Agency Bias Explains Religious Belief
- Stephen Law presents the HADD (hyperactive agency-detection device) idea: humans over-detect agents as an evolutionary survival trait.
- This tendency explains widespread beliefs in invisible agents like spirits, gods, and demons without assuming truth.
Religion As Evolutionary Social Glue
- Sam McKee agrees belief is hardwired and evolved for survival and social cohesion, not necessarily truth-tracking.
- He sees ritual and communal religion as evolutionary advantages that persist across human history.
