Beyond Atheism Podcast

In the past, critics contended that atheists were simply wrong. Now, however, we have found a critique saying that atheists have overreached in their claims. So says the Notre Dame professor Christian Smith in his new book, Atheist Overreach: What Atheism Can’t Deliver. In this episode, Todd and Nathan respond to the arguments made in Smith’s book about universal morality, rational cheating, the limits of science, and the importance of ethics. You’ll be shocked to discover how much (or how little) they agree with Smith’s analysis.Atheist Overreach: What Atheism Can’t Deliver: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/atheist-overreach-9780190880927?cc=us&lang=enNathan and Todd interviewed for the AHS+ blog: https://ahsplus.blog/2021/10/19/activism-matters-nathan-alexander-and-todd-tavares/Follow Nathan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NathGAlexanderNathan’s website: https://www.nathangalexander.com/If you find the podcast valuable and want to support it, check out our Patreon page, where you will also find bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/beyond_atheism You can also contribute by going to https://anchor.fm/beyond-atheism and clicking the “Support” button. We are grateful for every contribution.

This week’s guest drops some shocking information: not only is religion declining around the globe, but atheists are proving to be more moral than fundamentalist Christians. To discuss how this came to be, we’re joined by Phil Zuckerman, a professor of sociology at Pitzer College in Claremont, California, and the author of several books, including What It Means to be Moral, The Nonreligious, Living the Secular Life, Faith No More, and Society Without God. Among other things, we talk about the evidence for and causes of secularization, the future of religion, and the roots of morality. We also find out, for example, whether a true secular person can have sex outside the holy bonds of marriage or tell their kids about Santa.In the bonus section, available on Patreon exclusively for subscribers, we talk about Phil’s establishment of the first Secular Studies program in the world at Pitzer College and whether academics are paying enough attention to the massive decline of religion.For more on Phil and his works: https://philzuckerman.com/Phil’s latest article in Salon, “Staunch atheists show higher morals than the proudly pious, from the pandemic to climate change”: https://www.salon.com/2021/08/21/staunch-atheists-show-higher-morals-than-the-proudly-pious-from-the-pandemic-to-climate-change/New edition of Society without God: What the Least Religious Nations Can Tell Us about Contentment: https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.18574/9781479851119/htmlUpcoming virtual book launch (September 15th) for the two-volume Cambridge History of Atheism: https://atheismsecularismhumanism.wordpress.com/seminars/Follow Nathan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NathGAlexanderNathan’s website: https://www.nathangalexander.com/If you find the podcast valuable and want to support it, check out our Patreon page, where you will also find bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/beyond_atheism You can also contribute by going to https://anchor.fm/beyond-atheism and clicking the “Support” button. We are grateful for every contribution.

In this episode, Todd and Nathan talk about the different labels we use to describe ourselves as nonreligious people. Terms like atheist, agnostic, secularist, freethinker, and bright all have specific definitions – but they are also loaded with connotations and carry different social stigmas. What do these terms mean and how should they be understood? We assign a highly scientific, highly objective score out of 10 to each label! We also discuss whether a “true atheist” can lie about their beliefs or use money with a monarch on it.In the bonus content, available exclusively for Patrons on our Patreon page, Todd describes a recent run-in with the mayor of his town in New Jersey and describes how he used what he learned from previous guests to get his point across to a political leader.Nathan’s article, “An Atheist with a Tall Hat On: The Forgotten History of Agnosticism”: https://thehumanist.com/magazine/march-april-2019/philosophically-speaking/philosophically-speaking-an-atheist-with-a-tall-hat-on-the-forgotten-history-of-agnosticism/How Humanist Are You? (Quiz from Humanists UK): https://humanists.uk/humanism/how-humanist-are-you/On the “Brights”: https://ahsplus.blog/2021/08/23/were-the-brights-really-such-a-bad-idea/Upcoming virtual book launch (September 15th) for the two-volume Cambridge History of Atheism: https://atheismsecularismhumanism.wordpress.com/seminars/Follow Nathan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NathGAlexanderNathan’s website: https://www.nathangalexander.com/If you find the podcast valuable and want to support it, check out our Patreon page, where you will also find bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/beyond_atheism You can also contribute by going to https://anchor.fm/beyond-atheism and clicking the “Support” button. We are grateful for every contribution.

Atheism, narrowly defined, is only concerned with the absence of gods. To build a foundation that grounds ethics and morality we need a positive worldview free from dogma and the supernatural. In this episode, we examine one worldview that goes “beyond atheism”: namely, religious naturalism. To discuss this idea, we are joined by Carol Wayne White, the Presidential Professor of Philosophy of Religion at Bucknell University, and author of the book, Black Lives and Sacred Humanity: Toward an African American Religious Naturalism. We learn about what religious naturalism is, whether it is compatible with atheism, and whether there is a place for “spirituality” in the worldview. We also ask whether a true atheist – or rather, a true religious naturalist – can believe in an afterlife or get married in a church.In the bonus section, available on Patreon exclusively for subscribers, we talk about the “harm principle,” Black Lives Matter, and whether anyone has ever asked to pray for her.Check out Carol’s book, Black Lives and Sacred Humanity: Toward an African American Religious Naturalism: https://www.fordhampress.com/9780823269822/black-lives-and-sacred-humanity/For more on Carol, including a list of recent publications: https://www.bucknell.edu/fac-staff/carol-whiteFollow Nathan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NathGAlexanderNathan’s website: https://www.nathangalexander.com/If you find the podcast valuable and want to support it, check out our Patreon page, where you will also find bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/beyond_atheism You can also contribute by going to https://anchor.fm/beyond-atheism and clicking the “Support” button. We are grateful for every contribution.

In this episode, we talk with Sarah Levin, the founder of Secular Strategies, a political consulting firm that works with policymakers, lawmakers, and non-profit organizations to be effective champions of secularism in the United States. We discuss her political work – from the grassroots to lobbying to serving on the Democratic National Committee’s Interfaith Council. We also talk about why secular people seem to lean left, the possibility of an atheist president, and whether Republicans might ever pay attention to secular voters. We also learn whether a “true atheist” can, for example, eat meat or vote Republican.In our bonus content on Patreon, available exclusively for Patrons, Sarah gives us a crash course in lobbying and tells us some funny stories about meeting politicians.Secular Strategies: www.secularstrategies.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/secular-strategies/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secularstrategies/Twitter: https://twitter.com/secularstratsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/secularstrategiesFollow Sarah on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahmlevinAnd on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahmlevinNathan and Todd’s article on the nonreligious voting bloc in The Humanist: https://thehumanist.com/magazine/winter-2021/up-front/nonreligious-americans-the-key-demographic-that-no-one-is-talking-aboutFollow Nathan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NathGAlexanderNathan’s website: https://www.nathangalexander.com/If you find the podcast valuable and want to support it, check out our Patreon page, where you will also find bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/beyond_atheism You can also contribute by going to https://anchor.fm/beyond-atheism and clicking the “Support” button. We are grateful for every contribution.

In this episode, we are joined by Lucien Greaves, the co-founder and spokesperson of the Satanic Temple. We have a wide-ranging conversation about the founding of the Satanic Temple, their various legal battles for religious neutrality, the Baphomet Statue, Lucien’s appearances on Fox News, Satanic rituals, and the place for atheists in the congregations. We also have a round of “Can a True Satanist…?” where we learn – among other things – whether a true Satanist can wear bright-coloured clothing or use the prayer emoji.For more on the Satanic Temple:https://thesatanictemple.com/Follow them on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Satanic_Temple_Support Lucien on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LucienGreavesFollow Lucien on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LucienGreavesAnd his band:https://twitter.com/SatanicPlanetLucien’s 1st appearance on Tucker Carlson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueeYIZs0xj4Lucien’s 2nd appearance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHMEiz7J2h8Lucien on Megyn Kelly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6pL8aRmLJsFollow Nathan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NathGAlexanderNathan’s website: https://www.nathangalexander.com/If you find the podcast valuable and want to support it, check out our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/beyond_atheism You can also contribute by going to https://anchor.fm/beyond-atheism and clicking the “Support” button. We are grateful for every contribution.

In this episode, we are joined by Thomas Lawson, a writer, eulogist, and crematory operator, to talk about his new book, The Secret Clergy Bible. The book reveals some surprising doubts among clergy members in the nineteenth century about the Bible, Jesus, hell, miracles, and religion itself. After discussing the book, we turn toward Tom’s work as a cremationist and the connections he has made delivering eulogies at funerals. Tom explains how his personalized eulogies create meaning for grieving families by drawing on the freethought tradition. Plus, more answers to what “true” atheists can and cannot do!The Secret Clergy Bible: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HH1JSTS(All proceeds go to the Clergy Project)For more on the Clergy Project: https://clergyproject.org/Letters from an Atheist Nation Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/atheistletters/Grief Beyond Belief Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/faithfreegriefsupport/Digitized issues of the Blue-Grass Blade: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86069867/issues/Follow Tom on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tojolawFollow Nathan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NathGAlexanderNathan’s website: https://www.nathangalexander.com/If you find the podcast valuable and want to support it, go to https://anchor.fm/beyond-atheism and click the “Support” button. We are grateful for every contribution.

Do certain political views flow from atheism? This is the question we tackle in the podcast, with reference to the slogan, “No Gods, No Masters.” The discussion brings up many reasons to reject the rule of religious authorities. But with no gods and no masters, are there any legitimate authorities for atheists to follow? What does it mean for an authority to be legitimate?PRRI Report on the 2020 Census of American Religion: https://www.prri.org/research/2020-census-of-american-religion/Nathan and Todd’s article on nonreligious voters in The Humanist: https://thehumanist.com/magazine/winter-2021/up-front/nonreligious-americans-the-key-demographic-that-no-one-is-talking-aboutSupport for legalizing marijuana among religious groups: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/05/26/religious-americans-are-less-likely-to-endorse-legal-marijuana-for-recreational-use/On another note, check out Nathan’s recent appearance on the Embrace the Void podcast: https://voidpod.com/podcasts/2021/7/15/ev-201-defining-racism-with-nathan-alexanderFollow Nathan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NathGAlexanderNathan’s website: https://www.nathangalexander.com/If you find the podcast valuable and want to support it, go to https://anchor.fm/beyond-atheism and click the “Support” button. We are grateful for every contribution.

Episode 16: Black Nonbelievers, with Mandisa ThomasIn this episode, we talk with Mandisa Thomas, the president and founder of Black Nonbelievers. We discuss her unique journey to atheism, how she created Black Nonbelievers, and how they are building a community to address the needs of Black atheists and others. We also find out, among other things, if Mandisa thinks a “true” atheist can say “bless you” after someone sneezes.Black Nonbelievers: https://blacknonbelievers.org/On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BNonbelieversOn Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackNonbelieversWomen of Color Beyond Belief conference, September 24-26, 2021: https://wocbeyondbelief.com/Follow Mandisa on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mandy0904Follow Nathan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NathGAlexanderNathan’s website: https://www.nathangalexander.com/If you find the podcast valuable and want to support it, go to https://anchor.fm/beyond-atheism and click the “Support” button. We are grateful for every contribution.

In this episode, we talk about the “Harm Principle.” This principle claims government should only prohibit actions that harm someone else, and it guides much of our political discussions. We talk about whether this principle is actually valid, with reference to – among other things – littering, polygamy, blasphemy, mask-wearing, and one very evocative example!For more on the “harm principle”: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mill-moral-political/#HarPriFollow Nathan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NathGAlexanderNathan’s website: https://www.nathangalexander.com/If you find the podcast valuable and want to support it, go to https://anchor.fm/beyond-atheism and click the “Support” button. We are grateful for every contribution.