The Atheist Experience

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Forrest Valkai and Seth Andrews, work calmly walk through questions from theists, agnostics, and atheists. Arti in the UK wants to know why anything matters if everything is just atoms and nothing else as a helpful topic when talking with their dad. If everything is just atoms, what is the implication and why assume that nothing matters? Why does something need to be eternal to have value? Seth informs the caller that when you get into secular conversations about ethics, that it is still the wild west with people having a lot of different positions due to the lack of data. Patrick in FL wants to talk about objective morality from an agnostic position. He mentions the idea of, “Do whatever you will as long as you don’t infringe on others’ freedoms and liberties in the process.” Both Forrest and Seth come from a position of minimizing harm when it comes to morality. Samar in Pakistan, finds that it gives him comfort to believe in god and seeing his deceased loved ones again in the afterlife. Seth explains how this is one of the key reasons why people believe in the supernatural. What reasons would there be to believe that this is true? If someone finds comfort in another faith, would that faith be just as valid as yours? If you were born in a different place to parents of a different faith system, how would that affect your beliefs? Religion does not just offer comfort; it comes with a lot of shameful baggage as well and is used to justify a lot of evil stuff. Religious people are moral in spite of their religion, not because of their religion. Doing things out of fear of hell and not being concerned about the well being of people makes you a bad person on a leash. Seth outlines what he did to get over his fear of frying in hell and his process of healing.Nikol in Armenia believes that if people don’t have some sort of  punishment such as hell in the afterlife, they will do bad things. What would happen if people are taught to care for others, progress, and the value of life instead of god? Inclusive fitness is what we see in evolutionary biology which is why we see evolution in moral behavior among all kinds of animals. Under religion, how do you guarantee that people will be frightened enough to behave like you want them to? Why do you think there have been no atheist crusades? Seth describes measure called the World (Global) Peace Index that rates over 160 countries and states according to their peacefulness and shows that the less religious countries have a greater quality of life with less crime and misery. Jayson in Australia has two questions about trans people. The first question is if drag is akin to black face. Black face was a way to stereotype, marginalize, and dehumanize black people. This is nowhere close to drag. The second question is about comparing transgender to transracial people. There are a lot of social constructs and none of them behave in the same way. The science deniers like to pretend that science of sex and gender are new liberal concepts even though we have been learning about these things for a century. Thank you for tuning in this week!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Forrest Valkai, The Cross Examiner, and Jim Barrows, work through some logic games with callers before finally reminding everyone that Google exists and to at least try to prepare before calling the show.Patrick in FL wants to know why atheists continue to seek evidence for god. The claims made in the Bible can be tested, but not necessarily god. We don’t need a god built in a laboratory, we just can take individual pieces of evidence that are testable to arrive at the most likely scenario. The hardest thing to do is prove a negative and all we need is one good piece of evidence to show that god exists. Do we understand the rules that god gives us or are we just like ants and mean nothing to him? How is an omnipotent being unable to deal with things himself? Why should we care if you don’t know what your god wants? How can you tell the difference between a god that does not exist and a god that you can’t know?Jackie in MS fails the 60 second test in less than five seconds by referencing someone else and not describing anything in his own words.Brandon in TX has a valid scientific reason to believe in a higher power and uses the first cause argument to support this. The first mover/cause is a fallacy because what caused the first cause? Forrest explains how the big bang(stretch) is what we know of when space and time started. Asking what happened before this could get us into a logic trap. What would that possibly be and how would we test it? If there is no cause for entangled particles having an opposite spin, why would there be one for the universe? Why does god not need a beginning when everything else does? Why can’t this thing that caused the universe have a natural cause? How do we get from the first law of thermodynamics to god?Chuck in HI says that Christians worship the Devil! Are Jesus and the Devil the same entity or are they separate the way the Bible presents them? Why would the Devil say to love your neighbor as yourself? We agree that the Bible says horrible things. Why does Jesus say completely opposite things than what the Devil wants for us in this case? Steve in NE has evidence for Noah’s flood 5,000 years ago of a meteor hitting the oceans. This impact would have been more colossal than what killed the dinosaurs. Why are humans not experiencing the effects of this now? Who did Noah have to have sex with to keep trichomoniasis alive? This explanation is simply not possible with what we know today about the physics of waves. How is there more genetic diversity in chimpanzees than there is for humans? Try and Google your argument before coming on this show. Some of these arguments we have heard for the fiftieth time in a day. You can read original sources for almost everything! Be prepared with your A-game here. Thank you for tuning in this week! Question of the week is: If the Bible had a post credit scene, what would it show?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

In today’s episode of The Atheist Experience, Secular Rarity, Armin Navabi, and Justin get into claims about abiogenesis, solving abortion, simulations and more!Caleb from OH says they don’t believe that abiogenesis is possible and because of that, God must have created the universe. Even if we grant their claim that abiogenesis is not true, how do we get to God? Caleb says that information is an important component of life that it comes from a mind. Because they know that information sometimes comes from a mind, they infer that any information must be made from a mind.Christian from the UK calls in to say that if everyone followed the Christian teachings on marriage and divorce, it would negate the need for abortion. If we lived in a world where abortion was never necessary, of course it would be great, but we live in a world where all kinds of medical procedures are necessary. We’d much rather focus on destigmatizing abortion instead of getting rid of it. Christian says that any being that has the potential to be born has the right to live. Even if we grant that, the Bible still doesn’t solve abortion. God murders children and condones the murder of children all the time.Steve calls in from NE to talk about how dark energy is weakening and that points to the fact that we live in a simulation. The hosts point out that just because a force isn’t constant doesn’t mean that there’s an external force tweaking it. According to Occam’s Razor, it’s a lot more likely that we are advancing our understanding as we learn more about these topics, rather than the giant leap that we’re actually in a simulation.Mike from SC asks what the difference is between atheists and a self-aware AI. If atheists don’t believe in a soul, how are we different from an AI that doesn’t have a soul? If an AI is expressing sadness, we know that it’s not going through the same experience as humans expressing sadness. There’s no way that AI can experience the world in the same way we do unless they have neurochemicals and certain biological processes, at which point they wouldn’t be AI anymore.Chloe from MI knows that her reasons for believing aren’t good scientific evidence for God. She’s curious if any atheists have come up with studies to test for the existence of God. This question is tricky because it depends on the definition and attributes of the god. We could make tests more specific if we knew exactly what the god was. There have been tests for phenomena that are religion-adjacent such as testing for a soul and studying near death experiences. Their conclusions point to psychology rather than the supernatural.Jackie calls from MS to discuss the Kuzari argument for Judaism. They say that because over a million people saw the revelation at Mt. Sinai, it must be true. But that’s a claim in itself that has no proof. We don’t have thousands of accounts or individual testimonies, we just have one account in a text that was written hundreds of years after the supposed event.Thanks for joining us this week! Answer this week’s prompt in the comments below: What is a good comeback for “I didn’t come from no monkey.”?Believe in God? Call the show on Sundays 4:30pm-6:00pm CT: 1-512-991-9242 or use your computer 💻 http://tiny.cc/callaxp and tell us what you believe and why!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

In today’s thought-provoking episode of The Atheist Experience, The Cross Examiner and Secular Rarity delve into the depths of morality, divine character, and the very nature of human perception. They challenge conventional religious narratives, exploring whether God's actions align with human ideas of goodness and the profound implications of untrustworthy eyewitness accounts, both ancient and modern.Jim in MO questions why God, if real, wouldn't act more like Superman, actively intervening to prevent evil and refraining from punishing those who don't worship him. The hosts draw parallels between biblical figures and flawed comic book heroes, arguing that human authors often conceive more moral entities than the inconsistent God of the Bible. What might a truly moral divine being look like?John in Canada asks the fundamental question of where morals originate if not from God or the Ten Commandments. The discussion highlights that human societies have developed moral frameworks through trial and error, emphasizing that laws and rules, while beneficial for human flourishing, are not inherently necessary for survival. Does well-being serve as the universal principle for all moral systems?Jax queries whether the God of the Bible is evil, given his purported actions, and why, if so, he hasn't already consigned humanity to hell. The hosts examine God's seemingly immoral deeds like mass murder and slavery, suggesting divine incompetence or a "childlike" nature rather than intentional malice. How do believers reconcile God's stated character with his actions?Robert shares a deeply personal dilemma about his religious parents attempting to instill their faith in his young children against his wishes. The hosts liken religious institutions' tactics to tobacco companies targeting youth, underscoring the importance of parental boundaries to protect children from indoctrination. What is the ultimate cost of forcing faith on impressionable minds?Blind Limey provides compelling examples of eyewitness testimony's fallibility, using the Live Aid concert as a modern case study. The hosts elaborate on how memory is prone to distortion, bias, and external suggestion, even when individuals are highly confident in their recollections. How can we truly discern truth when our own perceptions can be so easily manipulated?Thank you for joining us this week! We will see you next time!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Armin Navabi and Kelley Laughlin, face attacks with no gravity and hurl their molecules under a big udder that prevents the sacrifice of finding the truth behind what the U.S. was based on. Chuck in HI says he has scientific evidence for god and this is that the matter in the universe is eternal. He goes on to say there is no such thing as gravity and that god is holding everything together. Where is the evidence for this self aware, thinking agent that holds the universe together? The caller uses an inappropriate ad hominem and is warned by the hosts. He then goes on to try to convince the hosts that the same molecule is inhaled that is exhaled. How would this get us to god if it is true? Why does something have to make the atoms work and what is the work you think they are doing? The caller continues his childish attempts at insulting the hosts before repeating claims instead of providing the evidence for the claims. Jackie in MS name dropped right off the bat even though Kelley explicitly asked him not to. He proposes that religion becomes a big udder that prevents sacrifice. How can you make your own points without referring to other philosophers? The key is to communicate in a way that is understandable. Why is there a need to use words that are undefined? Mike in SC wants to know how to determine if something is true. Armin likes to put things into two categories: empiricism(more reliable) and rationalism(less reliable). He explains how critical thinking skills and spotting logical fallacies play into figuring out which arguments are the best in addition to using Occam's Razor. There is a difference between the truth and what is justified.Kelley looks for unambiguous empirical evidence to find truth. The topic swings over to the existence of Jesus. Where is the evidence for the resurrection? Why should we believe the Bible being used to prove the Bible? How do you get from the claims of physical evidence to the supernatural? How do people being willing to die for their religion make it true? People have died for bad ideas and things that are wrong throughout history. What is your path to truth and how do you arrive there? When do you accept your evidence and what is your process to prove it? If you have a low percentage of surety, what makes the difference between a positive and a negative decision? Jon in Canada asks Kelley if he believes the U.S. was based on Christianity. Kelley explains how people misunderstand that separation of church was put there to protect religion from the government. And how many of the founding fathers were deists meaning that the U.S. was not based on Christianity but there were Christian influences on the founding of this nation. Ben Clodfelter joined to close out the show as Kelley cut a red tie. Thank you for tuning in this week! Prompt for the week is: When is it inappropriate to respond to, “checkmate atheists”?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Forrest Valkai and The Cross Examiner, walk Jackie through some thought processes of his own before encountering questions of existence with some New Age sprinkles.Jackie in MS was not able to answer Forrest’s question of whether he has any of his own thoughts. It goes absolutely nowhere when this happens. Jackie agrees not to mention the names of philosophers and to answer the hosts’ questions. He argues that the existence of metaphysical things associated with religion are the reason for religion being a positive thing. What is an example of a good point you have made regarding these things? Why do you think people listening to this conversation will become convinced to believe in a god? Why do you believe a god exists? What created god that is more complicated than god? Why does the universe need a god to do what it does? Not knowing how something could have happened is not a basis to make a conclusion in the version that you like. Not only is there a magical explanation, but you know the dude that did it, and believe we must hate trans people! This could be a product from your environment, and Jackie, you deserve better than this. George in Bulgaria claims that god is pure existence and we are eternal beings. What does pure existence mean? If we agree that things exist, how do you get from there to a god or to eternal beings? What would happen to existence, if a person was born that never reacted with anyone or anything else? What does your god want you to do? If god is asleep, why should we care? What is the evidence for our consciousness producing reality? Why is this better than just saying reality exists? How can your belief be falsified? A god that does not interact with the universe is indistinguishable from a god that does not exist. What can be gained knowledge wise by testing this?Ibrahim in the USA, converted to Islam, and wants to know the strongest arguments against god. Would you say that the burden should be on us to prove things like Santa Clause are not real? When you get into the business of arguing about god, you get into different versions of god. If this god does exist, what kind of god is it? If half of the things that the Abrahamic god is said to have done are true, he is a monster. The amount of evil and suffering this god has allowed is atrocious. This is not a religion of morality, but a religion of threats.  Why would somebody believe something that is not true when there is harm associated with it? If someone could convince you to believe in absurdities, they can also make you commit atrocities. The real danger sets in when you think you know what that god wants; this is when we start seeing cults, the Crusades, and the Dark Ages. Why does god not fix the suffering in the world and why did he not choose to create a universe where this did not need to happen?The hosts are joined by Ben Clodfelter to close out the show. Thank you for tuning in this week! Question of the week is: What is an underquoted scripture at a funeral?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

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

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

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