The Atheist Experience

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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