The Atheist Experience

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?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 special guest Seth Andrews tackle complex issues surrounding faith, doubt, and human experience. They delve into topics from the personal struggles of deconverting from high-control religion and the challenges of discussing biblical slavery, to alleged extraterrestrial messages in DNA and the ethics of compassionate communication in difficult life circumstances. This episode also invites listeners to ponder a compelling question: if there is an intelligent designer, what would they need to explain? D from IA, a former charismatic fundamentalist Christian, shares her struggle to abandon foundational beliefs in the supernatural despite embracing atheism. The hosts encourage her not to feel guilty, emphasizing that escaping the fear of damnation from her previous faith is a significant achievement. They suggest focusing on verifiable evidence to determine what is real, allowing herself time on this journey. Ben discusses why he believes God allowed slavery in the Bible, presenting arguments rooted in subjective morality and historical context. Seth Andrews challenges this, asserting that an all-powerful God could have simply prevented slavery altogether, rather than "condescending" to primitive societal norms. The conversation highlights the logical inconsistencies of a "gradualist" God in the face of clear moral wrongs. Steve from NE calls in to present claims that scientists have found an "informational signal embedded in genetic code" pointing to extraterrestrial intelligence, citing specific numerical patterns. The hosts, acknowledging they are not biologists, question the scientific validity, the lack of widespread recognition or a Nobel Prize for such a discovery, and highlight how such claims often echo numerology or conspiracy theories. Derek from Canada shares a deeply personal dilemma: his wife, suffering from dementia, fears eternal damnation, and he, an atheist, finds himself comforting her with religious assurances. The hosts advocate for prioritizing compassion and humanity over strict adherence to data or logic in such situations, suggesting that "white lies" or carefully phrased words of comfort can minimize suffering without betraying one's core values. Big Soap from SD proposes a non-religious theory of reincarnation, suggesting that consciousness is most likely to transfer after death based on the possibility of existence and the concept of neuroplasticity. The hosts challenge this assertion, asking for empirical evidence, questioning the definition of consciousness without memory, and concluding that such a theory remains an unproven guess. Ellenie from AZ disagrees with the hosts' stance on biblical slavery, arguing that morality is contextual and that past generations shouldn't be judged by present standards. The hosts counter that fundamental harms like slavery are wrong regardless of historical context, and an omnibenevolent deity would have established a morally superior system from the outset. 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.

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.

Have a complete atheist experience today as Armin Navabi and JMike observe the simulator rearranging the stars before being joined by Kelley Laughlin to discuss more mind stuff. Chris in Canada asks if there is any chance the hosts would change their beliefs if god were to come down and show himself to them and show some sort of miracle. We must first verify that there is a god to be able to answer the question. We can’t just assume that god is talking to us or that the miracle performed is from god. If god were omniscient, wouldn’t that god know what it takes to get someone to believe? How do we know that anything that we see is from the creator? If the stars got rearranged, we would check the water supply first to see if we were all hallucinating before assuming that a god did it. Steve in NE, has a way for the Simulation Theory to be tested by looking at the information of the particles. This sounds more like metaphysics than a hypothesis. What explanatory benefit is there for having more hypotheses? There are more than just two options. Just because something is not “A” does not mean it is “B”. How do we even falsify this? Saran in India asks about the moral standards that atheists have. The only position that atheists hold is the lack of belief in god. We have a natural desire to see each other happy and not make our fellow human beings upset. Even if theists had excuses to be moral, and atheists don’t, how does that add any points to a claim that there is a god? Do you need god to tell you that incest is wrong? What if god says it is okay? Saran then asks about the Kalam argument. The universe may have had a beginning, but that does not mean there was a cause. Daisy in CA, an atheist, is still having a hard time with the concept of free will, and is hoping for an argument against libertarian free will. This about making a choice about something, and if there is an explanation for that choice. Libertarian free will is just another way of saying randomness, and this will cause a collapse in the intention, and the outcome. How do we know that we are making choices and it is not just an illusion of making choices? What is important is if the direction is in alignment with your desires. Shoridon in AK, asks about past hosts claiming that time started with the Big Bang and not sure if the Big Bang is the beginning of time. How sure are we that this is propositional that can either be true or false? We are not making claims about this and maybe it would be good to call in when a host is present who has. Reincarnation Entertainment in the UK says that we can disprove Christianity. Either god is not all knowing, or not omnipotent. These logical arguments won’t do the trick because people chose their belief to serve different utilities such as belonging and membership. The key is to offer alternatives. Darius in CA made an easy transition to being an atheist, and has been for a few years. How has this affected your life? Some of his family is not accepting, and this seems more like their problem rather than his problem.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.

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

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

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