Show notes upon receipt.

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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?

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, JMike is joined by Jim Barrows!

First up is Kevin from GA, a theist who disagrees with slavery in the Bible, especially the constant Christian defense. The issue is, the caller also admits that God’s commands are perfectly justified and should be followed, therefore contradicting their own moral judgments.

Aman from TX doesn’t find owning another human being as property to be moral but also doesn’t find their god who supports slavery to be immoral.

Charlie from FL argues that the tree of knowledge of good and evil is evidence that humans shouldn’t be allowed to follow a moral system that deviates from God’s own. Why is God punishing humans for falling for a trap that he set up?

Tyler from IN is calling to recount the time they found themselves indoctrinated into a cult and their path to getting out.

Duane from WV is calling to draw a comparison between the tenets of narcissism and the Christian God. Needless to say, a ven diagram between a human narcissist and God would be very large in the middle section.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Shannon Q is joined by Kenneth!

First up is Mark from CA who wants to write a letter to their young relatives who have been raised in a fundamentalist environment and would like advice from our hosts on what to open the letter with.

Next is Troy from WA who doesn’t necessarily believe in a God, but is convinced that there is a high probability of other life in the universe and that one of these other intelligent organisms created us in their image. Basically, the caller went to the “Alien: Covenant” school of intelligent design.

Next is Aaron from WY who is curious as to why the human brain appears to be wired to jump to unfounded conclusions, i.e. spiritual thinking.

Dmitry from MA recently read a book that introduces mathematics as the foundational truth of the universe, and that the Bible spirituality is a corruption of this truth.

BenDan from WI will return later...

Michael from GA has a question on how to go about conversing with theists and helping walk a theist through the problems with their methodology and the derived conclusion.

BenDan the “Researchur” from WI is back to tell us that the soul is the part of the mind that moves on after death to be judged. Prepare yourself for warp 10 analogies!

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Forrest Valkai is joined by Dave Warnock!

Charles from TX is calling to claim that Revelations 17:5 is the reason for all of the evil done in the name of Catholicism.

Next is David from Australia who after decades of indoctrination is hit head on with the prospect of the religion not be true, or worse manipulative. The caller is struggling with pushing past their fear of hell from their lifetime of it being used as a tool to keep them in line.

Luke from CA has a five premise argument to make God exist in our world. You could use this argument to make any literally any fantasy character exist in our world...doesn’t mean they do.

Believer in God (BIG) from WA isn’t convinced that Atheists are actually real and those who claim to be Atheist are actually pretending Theists. They believe this because polygraphs.

Diana from KS doesn’t believe that Atheists cannot judge morality because they lack an objective moral standard. Appealing to an authoritarian moral framework can be nice because its easy to judge right from wrong, but it doesn’t necessarily align with what might actually be right and what might be wrong in specific situations, especially if no justification is given or justification in the form of faith based threats of punishment.

Ruben from TX doesn’t think it is okay for Atheists to use the Old Testament, specifically verses regarding slavery to argue against modern Christians because apparently slavery was okay back then.

Finally, Kyle from OH views the world as a complex puzzle, and if the pieces weren’t placed in the perfect order and location, then life wouldn’t exist. Therefore there must have been a creator because there needs to be an intelligence capable of solving said puzzle, but only here, not Venus.

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jim Barrows!

Mr. Warlights from AK starts off the show by accusing Matt of secretly believing in spirits because Matt is just a normal human like the rest of us, and regular humans all believe in spirits. You know, as opposed to all of the not regular humans who don’t?

Next is Isaiah from Korea who is calling to talk about the parental reaction to deconversion, or not sharing the religion of their parents, and why some parents react so harshly compared to others.

Kevin from CA is convinced that a God exists because they encountered portal spirits who showed them a plane of existence that mirrors our own reality.

JB from CO calls in to present problems they see with any reliance on naturalism regarding answering questions about our perceived reality.

Next up is Jeremy from Fl who asks our hosts if a coincidence would ever be enough to convince our hosts that there is a god or supernatural power controlling the universe.

Darius from CA claims to have an argument that will prove that no one really believes that a God exists. Care to explain how you managed to get into every person’s head?

Paul from PA doesn’t understand why Atheists get to ask Theists for evidence supporting their beliefs, but Theists can’t do the same for Atheists. Effectively, why don’t Atheists have a burden of proof?

Chris from Sweden proposes the Hitchens razor, “what can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence,” and attempts to nullify it with a weird example of Matt questioning his mother about who his father is.

Phillip from PA asks how someone would be able to discern the universe of some cosmic being sending you a message, or just something fabricated by your own mind.

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Andrew Seidel!

Dustin from TX is calling to ask Matt what his stance is on the claim that they “choose to believe” in a God. How can you choose to be convinced? You either are or you aren't.

Next is Jaime from the audience who was called something unfortunate after stating they were an agnostic, and are curious if agnosticism really is just sitting on the fence.

Thomas from KY is calling to ask how Christianity is attempting to weaponize the religious freedom outlined in the first amendment within US legislation.

Pedro from Ireland has an argument for God that requires God to be undeniable and necessary. What a great, absolutely unhelpful definition.

Next is Mark from AL who claims to have an answer to the question of divine hiddenness.

Next is Seth from TX who asks for the legal standing on the more creative, rebellious signs being donated in response to the “In God We Trust” signage law.

Peter from Canada claims to have irrefutable evidence. Apparently evidence = Gish gallop. This call feels as chaotic as the Mt. Saint Helens eruption.

Patrick from NY believed in a God because they believe they have experienced answered prayers.

Trent from OH is wondering if one of the driving forces behind many religions is death denial, or at least serves as an attempt to add meaning to life when there may not be one.

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Shannon Q is joined by Dave Warnock!

First up is Philip from Canada who is calling to answer this weeks poll question “Is the Holy Spirit something that is experienced outside the brain?” Why did God reveal himself to you and save you from overdose and abandoned others in your same situation.

Next is Michael from KY who claims to have evidence for the existence of God which is apparently hidden in the “Book of Eli” with Denzel Washington, no doubt hidden in the secret number code Michael was transmitting throughout the call. Also Michael is God–the caller, not the Archangel.

Next is Steven from AZ who brings up their experience of wanting to return to religion after suffering a near-death experience, and is wondering if the hosts have any experiences of their own or advice for dealing with this pull?

Robin from DC is going to overturn our trailer for the show with a transcendental argument for the existence of God. God’s revelation to everyone supports premise one for the argument that God exists. This sounds like an elliptical argument at best.

Kelly from CA is calling to present an argument for the existence of God through an appeal to the physical, aka an argument from contingency.

Zeleni from Europe continues the conversation of the previous call to pose the question if it is even possible for God to have the trait of pure benevolence. Thank you for calling!

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jmike!

First up is Tyler from TX who is an Atheist who is calling to explain the better reason for why God condones slavery in the bible. But why tho?

Next up is Aaron from IL who believes that Catholicism is absolutely factual and their God is the one true God. The caller is very adamant in telling us what they believe but is incapable of actually explaining why they believe.

MacGruber from Canada is calling to present a presuppositional argument to demonstrate that God has revealed the truth of Revelations to all of us.

Next is Erik from MI who experienced something they can’t explain, but doesn’t want to label as supernatural. The caller wants advice on how to go about determining the cause of said experience.

Next up is Kevin from Canada who is a former Christian who has now transitioned to Daoism. The caller mentions that Daoists didn’t have a problem with him when we were Christian, which begs the question, does Daoism care about the truth of one’s beliefs?

James from NM is struggling with family after the death of their brother. The caller is an Atheist but their immediate family is fundamentalist and is threatening the caller’s well-being and assistance with alcoholism if the caller doesn’t participate in their fundamentalist rituals.

Kyle from TX recently discovered the subject of synesthesia and is curious if it has anything to do with certain individuals having the ability to see auras.

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jim Barrows!

First up is James from Canada who supposedly has scientific evidence that supports Jonah’s ability to survive in a whale’s mouth. Except it wasn’t a whale's mouth, but the stomach of a fish.

Our first audience question of the show asks what the host’s opinion what the weirdest Christian denomination is.

Next is Sean from UT who criticizes referencing the harm caused by Christianity throughout history because they don’t believe those who carried out that harm truly understood the bible’s teachings.

Next is audience member James from TX who asks if the same criteria used to determine which books to include in the bible can be used to exclude certain books.

Bob from VA thinks Atheists won’t accept that God does all of the miraculous things the caller claims he can because they willingly don’t understand.

Roy from IL presents an argument for the exodus story and how this is evidence for biblical truth and the existence of a messiah.

Next is Kevin from GA who believes Matt holds theists to a different burden of proof than he does himself.

Kai from Israel asks how atheists can evaluate something as immoral without an objective moral authority, and if they can, why should anyone care or respect their subjective moral opinion?

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, JMike is joined by Forrest Valkai!

First up is Charles from Canada who is calling to present a bible quote that supposedly supports the truth of evolution. What about all of the other verses that do not?

Next is Luc from Canada who disagrees that Atheists can have an objective moral system without belief in a God. There are objective facts about our reality that we can form a morality around. Chopping off someone’s head objectively damages someone physically, so we can then objectively evaluate the action of head-chopping and come to the exact same moral conclusion.

Antonio from AL is calling to argue that the Bible is the evidence for God and that Atheists are unfairly throwing out the Bible because science can’t yet explain all of the claims. The caller also believes that Adam and Even were literally formed out of dust and a rib respectively, and cites modern science and medical procedures that vaguely align with the claim to support it.

Alcibiates from FL thinks that we ignore science when it comes to gender identity. Also, vaccines aren’t necessary because they didn’t get vaccinated and interacted with old people and they didn’t get sick.

Next is Henry from Estonia who claims that since religious people are as a collective happier, therefore it’s better to be religious than Atheist.

Tyler from IN is calling to discuss the typical theist rebuttal, “Everybody knows there was a historical Jesus.” The caller dug into finding evidence for that claim and like most of us, couldn’t find anything. Even if he did exist, a historical Jesus in no way supports the magical aspects claimed in the Bible.

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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?

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Shannon Q is joined by Secular Rarity!

Our first caller today is Charles from Canada who claims that the big bang model is consistent within the story of Genesis.

Next is Kevin from NV who is very persuasive in converting people to their beliefs, but is concerned about bigoted acts being committed by these people after deconverting.

Bob from VA is convinced that “all” Atheists are just making arguments from personal incredulity. Your definitionally significant God is realistically insignificant and has zero explanatory power.

Next up is Emily from MA who is wondering if mental illness increases the likelihood of a person becoming religious or increasing the religiosity of an individual.

Aaron from IL claims to have a clear argument with straight forward evidence for the claim that God, a supernatural being, is biologically natural.

Our final caller Andrew from ME wants to tell us that there is an equal amount of evidence for evolution as there is for creationism. Is the caller well read on the theory of evolution? That is up for you to decide.

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Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Kenneth!

Our first caller today is Michael from MI who believes that mathematical imaginary numbers can prove the existence of well– their definition of God at least.

Denver from VA wants advice on how to introduce skepticism to their very unskeptical girlfriend who believes in significant amounts of woo including astrology and alternative “natural” medicine. While the caller doesn’t want to interfere with their right to do these medical procedures on their own body, they are concerned about the future if they happen to have a kid.

Ralph from FL is calling to demonstrate the existence of a God but claims that you must accept it first then look for evidence. Alright then, the initial singularity that the big bang originated from was actually a hot dog, just accept it. I don’t know what goes into modern hot dogs, maybe this one contained all of the matter in the universe, trust me.

Tyler from MD asserts that because we can’t know everything or have evidence for every claim, that faith is somehow a viable alternative.

Khan from India is calling to make a case that Atheists have a faith-based position because they claim to know no gods exist. No, we don't.

Eric from NY is calling to present an argument from complexity and modified watchmakers analogy, but with atoms and smartphones and beavers so it's cooler.

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Welcome back to the Atheist Experience everyone! Today, here to kick off our first episode back in the studio are your hosts, Jim Barrows and Christy Powell!

Our first audience question is from Aaron from TX who is wondering how our host’s ended up volunteering here at the ACA?

Rodney from MI is calling to prove the existence of the Christian God. Their evidence is that they believe in Jesus and his life story, and the likeness of the near-death experience accounts.

Next is Gohan from TX who wants to know when it is ok to force someone else’s to use their body without their permission? This person is like the magic eight ball of anti-abortion arguments, always wrong.

Next is Andrew from TX who asks why theist apologists continue trying to use the non-interactive deistic “nothing” god as a stepping stone to get to their own interactive god.

Up next is Vàclav from the Czech Republic who is calling to tell us about the biblical stories and mythological claims that convinced them in the past.

Next up is Larry from TX gets annoyed when people tell him that Atheism is just another religion and is wondering if the host’s have any advice for how to respond.

Nancy from TX points out that Austin is known as a beacon of blue in a sea of red, and is concerned about how the insane governmental decisions are going to affect that “balance.”

Steve from FL is grieving a loved one, and despite recognizing the irrationality of believing in a God without evidence, they still feel a pull towards it due to the hope it gives of seeing them again. The caller is wondering if our hosts have any advice for how to sequester this feeling of hope.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Jim Barrows is joined by Kenneth!

First up is Kevin from FL who compares our relationship to God, as a child’s to their parents. From this, the caller claims that God’s past actions and “rules” about morality are disagreeable to us because we are incapable of understanding his reasoning in a similar manner to how a child doesn’t understand why playing video games all day can be detrimental.

Marcus from KY apparently has a miraculous survival story after getting attacked by a black bear. What about the story indicates a miracle occurred?

Jay from MO asks our hosts about evil atheists and if they would want to live in a sin filled, evil atheist world filled. I’m not necessarily saying the framing of the question is underdeveloped, but, I’m definitely saying that.

Jody from DC is coming in with a plan to prove God’s existence with metaphysics and ontology. I am looking for an oasis of a single relevant point in this expansive desert of ideas.

Next is Mohammed in the United Arab Emirates who is an Atheist parent with a child entering the school system soon, and doesn’t want to outright tell their kid that God is made up, but also doesn’t want their child to be pressured into Islam by those around them.

Next is Rich from GA who asks our hosts if they would think getting cast into hell by God is unfair because they maintained their skepticism and didn’t accept God prior to their death? Well yeah, obviously.

Up next is Michael from FL came out of religion and became a skeptic relatively recently, and explains that when he hears personal religious anecdotes, they feel like they have to actively hold back their years of indoctrination that draws them to those claims, but recognizes that just “tuning it out” is no longer skepticism.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Dave Warnock is joined by Forrest Valkai!

First up is Devon from CA who asks our hosts why tragedies, big or small, influence people’s position on the God belief either one way or the other? Why do bad things happen to good people, and vice versa?

Next up is Daniel from NJ who recently had a conversation about evolution with their creationist father, and felt scientifically unequipped to rebut the creationist claims. Creationism itself is a claim that requires evidence, and the truth of evolution is entirely irrelevant to proving creationism.

Gabe from KY acknowledges that since their deconversion from Mormonism, they have struggled to put the magical thinking they utilized while religious behind them and engage in critical, skeptical thinking. The caller wants advice on how to rectify this, and apply skeptical thinking practically.

Patrick from FL claims Atheism is a faith. Is it faith to say “I don’t believe you,” to a claim? Patrick sure thinks so.

Next is Timothy from FL is calling to ask our hosts when they think a fetus gains the rights of personhood, and what the evidence for that timeframe is?

Rob from CA is calling to claim that science no longer supports evolution, and provides examples of naturally “unexplainable” phenomena to support this. Turns out, they are explainable. Oh yeah also, God flooding the world was 110% justified!

Next is Joseph from TN believes that since we cannot know anything with 100% absolute certainty that we must need faith.

George from NY who wants advice on how to converse with people who make unjustified claims, and are obviously unwilling to move their position even a little?

Finally, Paul from MN asks our hosts if they have ever considered using Numbers 5:20 against Christians “pro-lifers.” As we have learned today, and almost exert episode, most Christians don’t know their own bible, and those that do and hold that position will find ways to ignore specific verses that are inconvenient.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by JMike!

First up is John from CA who says that there are multiple pathways to reaching the truth about God’s existence, and that a pathway available to one person might not be accessible to another.

Next up is Dean from CA who believes that science doesn’t require methodological naturalism, but does require philosophical naturalism. So scientists get to use unmeasurable supernatural phenomenon to create new theories? Seems legit.

Questioning Theist from WA finds the host’s arguements for God relatively convincing, but doesn’t think their credible due to the caller’s disagreements with the host’s other positions. So if we both agree that the sun causes skin cancer, but you don’t like my position on a women’s rights to bodily autonomy, therefore you won’t be a pro-sunscreener like me? Wut?

Next up is Brandon from WA who claims that the time doesn’t exist in the subconscious, and uses the perceived time before death as evidence of this.

Serge from Australia is calling to ask why Atheists are asking for evidence and why Theists would want to present any. Why do beliefs require evidence?

Next is Jonah from TN who is wondering if our host’s think that this show and other like it have opened the floodgates for the online platforming of evangelicals or presups like Darth Dawkins?

Next up is Mike from WA asks if naturalists have proven the natural origin of life. As the caller doesn’t believe in naturalism, they conclude that Theists must have proven it by default.

Next is David from TX is calling to argue that differences in epistemology allow for different standards of acceptable evidence and arguement. I mean sure, but that doesn’t mean they should be accepted or be convincing.

Tom from the UK is calling to present an arguement that can somehow disprove every God, Theist or Deist, regardless of their respective properties.

Seth from CA from is calling to say that porn has perpetuated a bad perception of women, and therefore God exists? How did we get here?

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Forrest Valkai!



First up is Christian from the UK who has a hypothetical argument for the existence of a God or a divine being.



Next up is John from India, who has found a connection between Anti-Natalism and Anthropodicy and has concluded that the only justification for having children in this imperfect universe is universal salvation.



Next is John from TX claims to have scientific, historical, and testimonial evidence for God. When the hosts push for the scientific evidence, the caller continually wants to return to their personal testimony instead.



Declan from Australia is calling to ask why atheists don’t believe in the Christian God when he’s made the caller’s life, and apparently everybody’s life, better?



Alex from CA is a deist who believes that a non-interactive intelligent creator-God can be demonstrated through perceived coincidences? Wouldn’t coincidental creation imply that things weren’t intelligently designed?



Mr. Warlight from AK says Matt is a Gothic Preacher. What & Why?



Our final call is Andrew from ME believes the supernatural is a requirement for the first two laws of thermodynamics to be true.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Secularity Rarity is joined by Apostate Prophet!

First up is David from Canada who is calling to argue for a necessary uncaused first cause for the universe, ie a creator god.

Next up is Kevin from UT who is calling to ask for advice on how to help comfort religious family members who are grieving the death of a family member. The caller is out as an atheist, so they are unsure of how to approach them without potentially triggering a confrontation.

Ben from AK makes an argument for something, in theory about a necessary first cause being. If anyone watching can piece this puzzle together, please let us know on the Facebook group.

Next is Kevin from GA who is against the support for trans individuals because they don’t understand how someone knowing their trans is any different than someone claiming to have spoken with God in the bedroom.

Up next is Ahmad from WA is calling to talk about the anchor point for objective theistic morality, and the lack of one when it comes to Atheism.

Next up is Timothy from CA who wants to talk about what the Hadith says about abortion, specifically that Allah gives a fetus a soul after four months. AP breaks down this statement and points out the inconsistencies between Islamic culture and the schools of thought therewithin, and what is stated about abortion.

Next is William from FL who is calling to ask our hosts how we know 100% that other humans exist. Apparently, our hosts know humans exist with 100% certainty because we have some sort of soul knowledge and that is somehow proof for God?

Daniel from MD is calling to ask if religious indoctrination, e.g. inducing fear of hell, child abuse and if so where should that line be drawn between the two?

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Secular Rarity is joined by Dave Warnock.



First up is Sebastian from IL who is calling to voice their disagreement with Matt’s bodily autonomy abortion argument.



Next up is George from MD who is looking for advice for talking to their girlfriend who is a Young-Earth Creationist & biblical literalist. The caller wants to know how to go about approaching them about this subject to potentially start them changing their mind.



Next is Karol from Europe who apparently has a certain set of conditions that apparently, somehow, help indicate that heaven and hell “might” be real. Loving these odds so far.



Up next is Nikki from OR who is once again calling to tell everyone that they believe in God now after years of being Atheist, but still refuses to answer the host’s question regarding why they believe.



Vincent from UT is calling to discuss the relationship between humans and our flavor of consciousness, to use Secular Rarity’s term, compared to other animals, and whether that flavor is a byproduct of our surroundings or god.



Next, Anto from Italy has video evidence of flying people. Honestly wasn’t expecting that–– one moment...



Up next is Timothy from CA who wants to talk about the widespread misconception that science leads to the truth when all it is is a tested methodology that assists with limiting our biases while investigating reality.

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Show notes upon receipt.

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Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of The Atheist Experience. This week, Shannon Q is joined by the one and only Forrest Valkai!

First up is Anthony from VA who is calling to argue that the body of God is the universe. The argument is founded on the idea that complex arrangements of atoms can lead to consciousness, and solar systems look similar to atoms and they might be the atoms of God?

Next up is Noah from CA, a deist who claims that we are born and are currently living in hell. They abhorrently suggest that all of the sufferings that occurs in the world is just the waiting room to get to the perfect place, and is something that we can all laugh about later once we get to the other place after spending years being hazed by this bully of God. Piss off!

Next up is Jeffrey from PA who believes that God created two genders. The idea of two genders is a very antiquated western viewpoint that is not reflected by other cultures. Thank you for being a great caller Jeffrey.

John from Canada is the less pleasant version of the last caller. Good use of assertions buddy.

Next is Gohan from TX who has questions regarding the pro-choice argument that relates to abortion (the fetus’s use of the mother’s uterus), and organ donation.

Our final call is Tony from MA who presents the idea religion encourages narcissism and platforms for extreme narcissists.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by @Paulogia!

First up is Issac from Israel who presents an argument for the truth of Judaism and its version of God by using the continued existence of the Jewish people.

Next up is Clarence from OH who is confused about the laws of identity, non-contradiction, and excluded middle.

Kevin from NY has a claim that will help our hosts find God. What’s the claim? The book of Enoch apparently describes supermassive black holes, but only if you interpret the text correctly. Whatever you say dude...

Next up is Jonathan from CO who questions why Atheists would choose to help others and make the world a better place if there is no God to motivate them. Please keep believing in a God.

Up next is Shiela from KY who had a recent confrontation with a family member who used their husband’s declining health as leverage to bring the caller back into religion.

Next is Mercy from China is wondering what Matt’s position on assisted suicide and death with dignity, is and what the qualifications would be for granting permission to do so.

Our final call is John from TX who wants to share some of God’s laws of reality. A lot of these sound like they were pulled out of a very specific orifice.

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Welcome to another episode of The Atheist Experience. Today we have Apostate Prophet in the host chair alongside Shannon Q, this is going to be a good one!

First caller Gregory in AZ asks how to talk with muslims about hijabs and other face coverings as he feels it’s outdated. We mainly have a problem with islam societies mandating wearing hijabs. Try arguing against the idea that it empowers women.

Eric in NH claims god exists and is the foundation for all reality and is an omnigod, and other word salad. How can one summarize this call when Eric can’t seem to agree on his definitions. Yeah no, lucid dreaming is not a pathway to understand physics or to prove god.

Ahmet in OH continues on the hijab call claiming it’s a human rights issue. We agree people can wear what they want but we disagree with making it mandatory. Some muslim women feel it’s subjugating and not actually a choice.

Ben in AK believes god is the universe and we have to forget everything we know about the universe. God, a young solar system, Saturn birthing plants, and LOKI??? Try making sense next time.

Noah in OK asks AP what the creation story is in the Quran. It's not that different from other Abrahamic religions, almost as if it pulls from those previous religious myths…

Parham in The UK worries liberalism/secularism won’t survive an influx of theocratic voters, like muslim immigrants in Europe, and thinks only Christianity can combat this. Sure religions have held on for millenia, but non-believers are growing in numbers due in large part to secular efforts. Don’t forget, christian law is just as bad as islamic law…

Derrick in SC asks if the locus of control is pseudoscience and if people control what they believe by avoiding consenting viewpoints. Sure, you can control what information you expose yourself to, to an extent, but not what you are convinced is true.

That's all the ACA shows for this week, thanks for joining us. Catch the next ACA live show, Secular Sexuality, this Thursday at 7PM central!

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Welcome to another episode of The Atheist Experience. This week, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Dave Warnock!

First up is Aiden from IL who is calling to update our hosts on their life since their previous call about dying with dignity.

Next up is Cody from TX who wants to talk about the importance of the Secular Student Alliance and its role in normalizing atheism and providing opportunities for atheists to find community.

John from Canada is calling to express their opinion on the overturning of “Roe vs Wade.” Your opinion has been noted; we thank you for your business. Next customer, please.

Art from PA is calling to present an argument that Jesus isn’t actually God. Flawed premises equal a flawed conclusion.

Oh, Mykil from Canada is mad. Really mad.

Next up is Tory from IL, an ex-Jehovah's Witness who lost everything when they departed the organization.

Up next is Victor from TX who claims that God cannot be demonstrated by using reason, but can be using intuition.

Next is David from AZ who is apparently super pro-choice, but still has questions regarding the rights of the fetus.

Next is Ciel from OR who believes that deep, internal spiritual experiences are what drive people to God.

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Welcome to another episode of The Atheist Experience. This week, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Forrest Valkai!

First up is John from Georgia, who has been asked by others in their community the classic question, “If we came from monkeys, why are there still monkeys?” The caller wants to know if our hosts have a better response to that question than they do.

Next up is John from CO who is wondering how Matt could have possibly lost faith when the truth of the Bible is apparently as obvious as math.

Dan from FL believes that abortions are murders and that there should be a penalty for those who get one.

Joseph from the UK believes that mathematics provides evidence for a creator through the use of probability calculation.

Next up is Tony from CA, who is wondering if biological evolution has any connections to societal evolution and the widespread tribalistic polarization we see today?

Next is John from the UK who engaged a creationist on a forum, and has questions for our hosts regarding abiogenesis and the origins of life in the universe.

Our final caller is Ashton from CA who is wondering if our hosts still hold out hope for evidence and quality arguments after all these years of running the show?

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Welcome to another episode of the Atheist Experience! This week, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Shannon Q!



First is Larry from VA who is curious to know what parts of our brain are utilized when a person speaks or listens to someone speaking in tongues?



Next up is Rosalind from FL who doesn’t understand how Atheists can be moral since their morality can be anything.



Next is Anthony from VA who says you can still have Christianity without Christ.



Up next is Mark from PA who believes that theists are mentally ill and that society should not be tolerant of them. Take it away Shannon.



Next is Jay from MO who asks if Atheism is a mental illness, among other enlightening questions.



Next up is Gary from CT who asks what makes a real, “insert group label here,” and what type of evidence is acceptable.



Next is Luke from FL who believes that xenophobia and racism don’t occur naturally, but are generated through science.



Our final caller is Victor from TX who seems to have invented their own God with their chosen qualities, but cannot justify any of it.

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In today’s episode of The Atheist Experience, Matt is joined by Everyday_Atheist to see how capable callers are answering questions this week.

First caller is Dane in KS who is suggesting that a bracelet that dates back to the 14th century BCE is proof that the Bible is true. How does this bracelet confirm the Biblical stories in a way that proves god? In 2,000 years, when NY City is dug up, will it confirm that Spider Man is real?

Next caller is Jamaal from CA who believes that our consciousness is our soul since we don’t have a scientific explanation for consciousness. He believes that consciousness can affect the brain state and that the supernatural explains experiences. If we don’t have an explanation, you don’t get to make something up. Labels that religions tie to a soul are emergent properties of the brain. You can’t solve a mystery by appealing to a bigger mystery. Can you prove that consciousness is magic and that it exists? How do you know that consciousness is a soul?

James in SC brings up how other animals than humans are living in original sin, and how there are 450 species that engage in same sex acts. Matt puts on his Christian hat to explain that human beings are the only ones who have a duty to god and are accountable to the law. How is it there is the serpent that was cursed to crawl on his belly?

Jelmer in the Netherlands wants to remove the word existence by saying if there is a god that is foundational reality, then either it is true that foundational reality has defined properties or it is not true. If your conclusion at the end is still either god exists or god does not exist, then why go through all the trouble? What is the point of presenting an argument that we ultimately agree on?

Jack in FL would like to talk about the transcendental argument for god. He states that either our worldviews are going to bottom out or we are going to fall into a coherent paradigm or it will be an infinite set of justifications for our beliefs. He thinks that atheists don’t have the basis for logical reasoning. Justin points out that he is begging the question. Matt asks: How do you show that logic is in fact ungrounded? How did you determine that these things must have a grounding?

Jon in Canada claims that BLM is harming black people because it teaches to resist arrest and people end up getting killed. What difference does it make if BLM has any connection to Black Nonbelievers? We don’t believe you have a point.

Vanamali in IL wants to know what the difference is between death cults and religion. It is not about the number of people. Not everything that is under the umbrella of religion is on equal footage to its harm. Death cults hold views that isolate people ultimately resulting in their death.

Thank you for tuning in! We look forward to seeing you back here again so please follow the guidelines and stay safe.

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Welcome to another episode of the Atheist experience! This week, Jim Barrows is joined by Forrest Valkai!

First up is Alex from Israel who wants to talk about lucid dreaming and its possible naturalistic explanatory power for out of body & near death experiences.

Next is Nate from CA who identifies as an atheist, but takes a 50/50 confidence stance on the true/false claim that a God exists.

Next is Brett from MO who asks us if Atheism is an objective position or subjective?

Up next is Matthew from SC who doesn’t understand what makes someone biologically transgender, versus someone just “choosing” to identify as a sex they weren’t born as.

Next up is Theodore from PA who reasons that after death, our consciousness continues onward via the consciousness of others. So is consciousness like an organic version of distributed computing?

Next up is Jay from TX who claims to have had a near death experience, and believes it to be evidence of the afterlife.

Finally, Jay from MO is calling in to present the standard “it’s just a theory” gish gallop. The call comes with such great quotes like “Life can’t come from nothing,” and “Where does electricity come from?”

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Shannon Q!

First up is Dominic from CA who claims to be able to prove the existence of God using the concepts of “Objective Morality” & “Karma.”

Tim from CA is calling to see if our hosts agree with their assessment that religious belief is a psychological disorder.

Next up is John from Sweden who wants to know what motivates someone who does not believe in a God or afterlife, why care about creating a better world if we are just going to die and not get to experience it?

Isaiah from NV is calling to present a definition of spirituality. I am convinced that spirituality is necessarily first person at this point because I’ve yet to hear a single, consistent definition for that word. “The Mind is everything...” O_o

Next is Anthony from VA who wants to take a crack at arguing for intelligent design via a hypothetical, and an appeal to probability.

Anthony from FL is calling to argue that there is a proto-consciousness within all matter in the universe that when combined, emerges as a base-level consciousness throughout the universe.

Finally, Don from OH is calling to argue that secular morality allows for people to create their own personal morality and do whatever they want.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Apostate Prophet!



First up is Samuel from UT who is calling to suggest that Matt’s chess model of secular morality is incomplete and needs to be expanded on.



Anthony from VA is calling back to present a new and “improved” argument for intelligent design.



Next is John from Sweden who wants advice from AP on how express their dwindling faith in Islam to their close family.



Javier from IA calls to ask our hosts why they are called transphobic & islamophobia by others. I think we can figure out why.



Next is Nikki from OR who was formerly an Atheistic Jew who found Jesus, but won’t tell us what the experience was or at least where Jesus was hiding.



Henri from Estonia believes that God doesn’t physically exist, but exists metaphysically within humans?



Patrick from FL claims that Matt caused them to develop faith, but they don’t know what the God they believe in actually is.



Jacob from TX claims that they were once an Atheist, but was convinced later in life by credible evidence that Christianity was true.



Ben from TX is an ex-Muslim who is wants to call out the lies of Muslim apologists spread about the Quran regarding the subject of child mariage.



Next up is Robert from ID who admits that it is impossible to prove a God, but it's reasonable to believe in one anyway.



Our final caller is Jaime from AL presents the concept of the “elevation” emotion as a naturalistic explanation for the feeling theists associate as the holy spirit.

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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!

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First up is Mark from PA who recently lost a loved one and is struggling with the typical Christian belief that God is loving when such suffering is allowed to persist.

Next up is Anthony from PA who claims that intelligent design is philosophically sound. Can the caller demonstrate the truth of intelligent design without being fallacious? Find out now!

Next is Bob from TN who calls to read us bible verses, specifically John 4:10, that somehow demonstrate the truth of...itself? Start the clock.

Tru from TX is calling to ask for advice on dealing with extremely religious family members who act hurtfully whenever the topic is broached.

Next up is Patrick from FL who wants to know why many skeptics deem extrasensory perception as “hooey” and dismiss it out of hand.

Next up is Matthew from England who believes that explicit (capable of assessing evidence), weak (not claiming certainty) atheists have a burden of proof. How?

Next is Jack from FL who presents a “simple” syllogism to prove God. Typically, syllogisms are not 1000+ words.

Mr. Warlight from AK calls to present the single greatest argument for the existence of Ghosts. Check-mate skeptics! Flawless victory!

Finally, Noah from OR wants some clarification on the objective and subjective components of a secular moral system.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Apostate Prophet!

First up is Padraic from Ireland who calls in to claim that belief in a god is more reasonable than atheism. A great many claims are made...

Next is David from AZ who wants to convince the hosts to adopt their theology using “logical” premises only. Oh, if only that were true.

Joseph from MD calls into ask what motivates an Atheist to act morally without a God? Queue a presentation on secular moral systens.

Next up is Abu from England who was kicked out of their home and lost man family connections when the deconverted from Islam. The caller wants to know if something similar happened to our host AP when they left.

Next is Noah from OR who believes that the laws of logic and nature were created, much in the same way that societal laws are created, and that this is evidence of a creator.

Next is Patrick from FL who called to ask why our hosts are atheists rather than pantheist. While the caller’s audio dropped, our hosts provide a straight to the point answer to their question.

Next up is Drew from AZ who calls to ask if the pros of coming out as Atheist to religious family are enough to outweight the cons.

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Join us today with the fun dual of Shannon Q and Phil Ferguson who will be looking for callers to finally present the proof of god.

Clarence in Ohio would like to talk about the arrogance of anthropocentric religions leading to dangerous consequences. His perspective is that secular humanism tends to be this way where pantheism does not. This is more of a philosophy than a religion. Is there a specific list of rules with scientific pantheism that needs to be adhered to? And what did the people who made these rules call themselves before the rules were made?

Next up is Shane in GA that is going to lay some math on us. He is fixing to show us something that is irrefutable. He starts with Revelations and then Daniel. He talked about Mohammed dying in 632.5. And then we are supposed to go forward 1335 years and to 1967. Abraham has two sons going back to Genesis. His feelings got hurt and started yelling and cussing. Still no math.

Kevin in Canada believes miracles are proof of god because god is the only one that can make them happen. Recorded(recalled) near death experiences are proof of these miracles. Is it possible that this experience was not actually the person outside their physical body? None of these claims can be substantiated or repeated. The sigma-6 receptor prevents hypoxia by allowing DMT to be produced which is a natural hallucinogen. How are these things miracles when there is a chemical explanation? Your lack of understanding does not make it a miracle.

Dominic has a way to prove that gods are real and the soul is real and the bible is of divine origin. Falun Dafa meditation practice explains about the universe and reveals things to him. He asks if not knowing something shows ignorance in the subject. If all the evidence about god has been presented, would we be ignorant? Even if ignorance meant there was a possibility of a god, even a probability is not sufficient for a belief.

John in the U.A.E wants to get over his fear in hell. Think of all the other religions around the world with the different hells created by different deities. Why are you not afraid of these other hells? Be patient with yourself and the journey. Recovering from Religion has a hotline to help along the way.

Mike in MI asks if one can be an atheist without god. This depends on the definition of atheism which is going to be different for each person you talk to.

Kevin in GA asks how can god be demonstrated as the god he says he is? He then talks about psychic readings. Remember that psychics take the hits and forget the misses. The odds are in favor of the hits.

Luke in Canada wants to know what is missing to be able to say there are miracles. Hearing second hand information is not enough to prove miracles. Ask your deity what it would take to convince Shannon that a miracle happened.

Thank you for tuning in and we will see you next show!

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Welcome to another episode of The Atheist Experience. This week, Jim Barrows is joined by JMike!

First up is Mark from Australia has faith that we are living in a situation. It doesn’t matter if you would prefer to have evidence and not employ faith, if you admit that you can’t back up your belief, why continue to believe it?

Next is John from MO who proposes that it is reasonable to pre-suppose a God because we don’t have any other explanation and therefore we should employ common sense. The caller argues that rationality is only possible if we have enough information to examine a claim.

B from VA asks who gets to name a group of people. The members of the group get to determine what they want to be called, not outsiders. It is disrespectful and offensive, especially if they continue to ignore the preferred label.

Kevin from WA is calling to compare humans eating animals is akin to slavery. Factory farming does contain traits that parallels slavery, but eating animals itself isn’t on its own slavery.

Next is Victor from TX who is a deconverting theist, but is still hung up on the issue of morality, specifically regarding incentives to cooperate. Life typically wants to continue living, and if that life is surrounded by others around it, cooperation has a track record of increasing the chance of survival.

Next is Davion from TX who claims that it is unreasonable to not pre-suppose Deism. Why should anyone pre-suppose a by definition, non-interventive God, which is therefore potentially even less examinable than a theist God?

Sean from MT wants to know when it’s time to give up trying to convince family members that their beliefs are unjustified?

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Dave Warnock!

First up is Charles from GA who wants to argue that scientists and their dating methods are incorrect. Does the caller present evidence? No. Does the caller understand the science they are proposing is incorrect? No.

Next up is Brian from NY who worships demons and claims that they are supernatural gods, and that there are demonstrable mechanisms to make them manifest. The caller submits that the spirit box is one such method, but fails to demonstrate that it is at all reliable in doing what it claims it does.

Next is Andrew from ME who calls to propose that everyone worships something, even Atheists. While the caller admits that they don’t claim to know what any specific individual worships, they do claim that everyone does to what they value most.

Next up is Alex from Canada who objects to religious teachings that advocate for its followers to abandon all pleasures and enjoyments in life. The caller is starting to question their own beliefs and is trying to push past fears derived from their indoctrination.

Jack from AZ calls to claim that no one can ever prove God because finding God is a personal experience. How do you know that these significant personal experiences are actually an answer from God, or just your interpretation of an irrelevant event?

Next is Anthony from CA who wants to know where morals come from? There is no reason to assume that there is a book of absolute morals or that such hard-defined morals exist or are even possible.

Stephen from CO is a questioning theist, but is still confused on whether morality applied to God due to their holiness.

Our final call is Greg from Canada who calls in to provide examples of prophecy fulfillment in the Bible. It’s not prophecy fulfillment if the prophecy is knowingly being fulfilled.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jim Barrows!

First up is Kevin from Canada, who believes that coincidences are God’s way of anonymously interacting with us and therefore are convincing evidence for God’s existence. Typically, the word “coincidence” corresponds to one not having an explanation for an occurrence. Arbitrarily assigning an explanation does not make it true.

Next up is Charles from GA who wanted to present historical evidence of the bible. Apparently, Noah’s Ark is in Turkey and has metal that’s only been developed in the last century. This finding by Ron Wyatt has been debunked repeatedly, and even if what was found was indeed a boat, that does not mean that it was Noah’s Ark nor is proof of God.

Next up is Jon from Canada who argues that God is required for moral guidance. They claim that we are in a state of chaos because we as a society are ignoring God’s commands (i.e. rampant racism, apparently being gender non-conforming)... because those two are apparently the same.

Next is Bob from TN who has anecdotal evidence for God. The caller says that they will believe claims of encounters with the Holy Spirit, but will engage “skepticism” when the hosts swap “Holy Spirit” with aliens. The caller does not know how to have an honest conversation.

Next is Christian from NY who is a recently converted Catholic, and wants advice on whether they should stay in the religion and keep learning about it. The caller’s belief in the Church’s claims is founded on their process of exorcizing demons.

Next is Jesus from MO who says that Atheists can’t prove that God and Demons aren’t real, so why do they get to ask theists to prove God does. In summary, the caller doesn’t understand the burden of proof.

Carlton from NY calls in to see if our hosts see the increased size, duration, and number of natural disasters as signs that we are in the end times.

Our final call is Raj from UK who asks if our hosts would agree that slavery assisted in progressing society forward. In some ways, maybe, but there is no way to investigate what would have happened had slavery and its side-effects never occured. Slavery is immoral, regardless of whether it benefitted society or not. The ends do not justify the means.

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Apostate Prophet.



Our first call for the day is King from AK who recently had a conversation with a theist regarding prophecy and whether it can be proof of God. The fact that something may have happened doesn’t tell us why it happened.



Next up is Aaron from FL who wants to know if telling those struggling with severe mental health issues that God wants them to live is a beneficial technique. One of main issues with this is that their reason for living is not tied to reality, and if their belief wavers they are back to where they started or worse.



Next is Jacob from NJ who wants to pick a fight with Apostate Prophet. Is this relevant to the truth of Islam? No, it's petty and fallacious.



Next is Joel who believes that the universe was created by God. Since no one has an evidence based explanation yet for the cause of the universe, any conclusion is premature and unfounded.



Up next is Kerim from Turkey who is concerned about Turkish Muslims who give up the Hadiths in favor of only embracing the Quran. Without the Hadiths, the Quran becomes merely a compilation of secondary sources.



Next is Rivalvo from Norway who presents a prophecy where Muhammad claims that a warrior won’t die in battle, and despite fighting in many, they didn’t. Just because a prediction comes true, doesn’t explain why it came true.



Up next is Marlo from TX who discovered Sufism and believes that they had a supernaturally influenced spiritual experience. The caller unfortunately has no evidence that their conclusion is anything more than a feeling.



Our final call of the day is Guy from GA who wants to ask if Muslims believe that only Allah can create life, or if they believe that humans may eventually become capable of doing so.

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This Sunday’s AxP has Matt returning, alongside crowd favorite, Shannon Q!

First up is Hank, who says without precreation, there’s no point to life. He gets cut off after an inappropriate comment, but Shannon and Matt offer MANY reasons why life matters without babies. Keep it PG Hank.

Kevin in Canada thinks scientists believing in gods is proof of their existence, and also believes in Intelligent Design. Shannon points out that many biological systems are clearly not designed well, and Matt doesn’t care what some people, scientist or not, might think. That's not proof of anything!

Bob is next, who is off like a rocket with his background story of being an agnostic atheist with autism. He wants to know if folks on the autism spectrum are more likely to be non-believers. Our hosts aren’t aware of any statistics on the topic, and think it may be more an issue of visibility than tendency. I would love to have a beer with Bob.

Patrick identifies as an atheist, but thinks the universe is… conscious? And also, therefore God. Shannon offers a great rebuttal, and Matt gives a great analogy for this composition fallacy. No cookies for you, Patrick. Ok, one cookie. But it’s oatmeal raisin.

Anthony has worked with the mentally ill, and wonders if the delusions they suffer are present in some small capacity among all religious folk. Both our hosts agree that being religious is not a mental illness, and talk about why irrational beliefs are not necessarily an indicator for such.

Susan has evidence for a soul! Wait, no she doesn’t. But AI being curious is a thing sooo, souls? Concepts aren’t evidence, and thinking about Narnia doesn’t manifest Mr. Tumnus.

Richard claims that without evolution, humans could not exist. Therefore, God. Sadly, his argument is all conjecture and assertions. Any call that makes Shannon rub her temples is worth watching!

Oh Will, why are you defending Biblical slavery? Will’s making excuses for the Pentateuch, and Matt’s not having it. Not today sir.

Christopher thinks he’s had a divine revelation, and has a direct line to the big man upstairs. We get a real-time conversation as this feckless deity fails at guessing what card is in Matt’s hand. This is good content, people.

Patrick has waited an hour to tell us that anyone popular enough is a God. Flashback to high school much? We’re moving on.

Relic wants to ask our hosts if building communities with believers is worth it. Shannon thinks that as long as our goals are aligned, there’s value there, and Matt agrees. Relic tells us why he’s a druid, and this tale is worth hearing! Freya the Goddess makes a cameo, but our hosts don’t see any value in a cool story.

That’s our show folks, stay safe, mask up, and get vaccinated!

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Dr. Darrel Ray!

Starting off is Kyle from NY who believes that they hear spirits talking to them when they pray. How do you know these are spirits? Just because you don’t have an answer to the question “what is it?” doesn’t mean that you are justified in calling them spirits. For all you know it’s a manifestation of Agent Smith trying to control your life from the shadows.

Next up from KY is Eric who is calling to talk about upcoming Recovering From Religion Foundation events and volunteer opportunities! Thanks for calling Eric!

Up next is JR from AR who claims to have figured out a way to detect the presence of a spiritual world using a pendulum? Why does it seem like every time one of these “techniques” is presented, they always seem to develop a humanesque performance anxiety.

Next is Jessica from UT who believes Atheism is a privileged position. There is nothing necessarily privileged about asking a question or holding a belief, it's the external social and physical factors, such as being able to publicly out yourself atheist without fear of harm that make something privileged.

Andrew from ME is calling to ask if mental health diagnoses are subjective, and if so, does that make the conclusions of experts in those fields less valuable?

Dave from FL is coming in hot with currently unanswerable questions. Since we have yet to develop time travel, we have no idea if there was an infinite past. Like with the first caller, a lack of information isn’t a blank check to insert whatever indemonstrable assertion you feel makes sense that day.

Next is Duke from CA who recounts an argument they had with a theist regarding possible tenable positions for a given proposition. Make sure you read up on the material you are discussing so that you can adequately defend your position and have a productive conversation.

Steve from CA is calling in to talk about the possible connection between specific mental health illnesses and religious belief. That connection may or may not exist, or each case could be different making such generalizations unjustified.

Alvin from NC wants to know the difference between atheism and agnosticism. While definitions can be good educational starting points, when having a conversation, address the person's actual position, not what you want them to defend.

Next is Jason from SC who is arguing for the existence of an objective morality by comparing God to a sports referee.

Up next is Jason from Canada who thinks that atheists should find common ground with deists & theists regarding morality. Has the caller never interacted with anyone who isn’t them?

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Welcome to another episode of AxP. Matt and Jim are back together again!

First up is Mr. Warlight, who claims to have a test for souls. Sadly, it involves desecrating a statue in a cemetery, so we’re gonna move on.

Mike in Texas has More (-mon) bad arguments for God. The universe is a big place, and therefore, a universe creating entity is possible. Matt and Jim point out that possibility is not probability, and this is as good an argument for gods as it is for butt monkeys. Just listen, it’ll make sense.

Next is Jasmine who’s going to take us from the Bible to… entropy? Jim reminds us that the Bible is the claim, not the evidence, and gives our caller a quick lesson in thermodynamics. Matt points out that just because order came from chaos, that doesn’t mean God did it.

Brazilian Bruno is next, who takes a very long time to say… God could prevent evil, but doesn’t, so HIS God is a neutral one. Jim gives a great Hell metaphor, and Matt tries to show Bruno where he’s erred.

Lightning round with Earl, who had a dream that convinced him God has updated… his own mind? We’re not gonna waste time on dreams today.

Justin in New York asks our hosts for tips on engaging in constructive debates in social settings. Matt and Jim both agree, pick your battles Justin, you don’t need to die on every hill! Using the Socratic method is always a good start to any conversation Justin.

Jonathan in AZ seems to want to back Matt into a corner by saying he’s equated theism with believing other wacky stuff, flat earth, science denial, etc. He cites some calls from other past shows, but Matt is quick to shut down this attempt at verbal chicanery. Admiral Ackbar sniffed this out from 12 parsecs away.

Next up is Monsters (not the kind with scary teeth). He believes in limited deities with tremendous power…? Concepts can have power, but that doesn’t mean they actually exist. Spiderman is a great moral example, doesn’t mean he’s real.

Anon in Texas doesn’t see the harm in holding beliefs that aren’t true, and doesn’t see why it should matter. Beliefs inform actions, and a flawed process can lead to more dangerous views. Anon seems like a good guy, just a bit mixed up.

Joe hasn’t got a grasp on the burden of proof. Matt gives a courtroom analogy, and Jim explains the null hypothesis. I don’t think Joe has passed the bar exam.

AJ grew up as a JW, and is seeking advice on coming out as an atheist. Matt advises a cost/benefit approach to these conversations, and Jim offers a few resources, like the Secular Therapy Project.

Paul wants to talk about how energy shows the possibility of God, but also doesn’t think it matters. You waited two hours for this?

Finally Tim wants to know why Jesus didn’t write anything down! Dad did! Matt is less concerned about the late Bronze Age, and asks why isn’t he contributing now? We list a few absurdities from Christian theology, and give Tim a quick e-hug.

That’s the show today folks, hasta la vista!

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You will have the ultimate Atheist Experience today as JMike and Darante’ Lamar discuss the moral standards of not throwing babies off roofs. They jump right into a discussion about Moses writing the Old Testament and then they have a short wrangle with Satan Incarnate. 

Daniel in NC responded to a video where JMike and the caller were discussing if throwing a baby off the roof is wrong in a world where there is no god, and a world where there is a god. Daniel agrees that this action is wrong in both worlds. What is the logical contradiction in a world where there are moral facts? It does not make sense to describe a world with independent obligation. What is the standard for god’s absolute morality? How do you explain the morality that people have who don’t hold a god belief? God has to be defined and shown to exist before you can prove that morality flows through god. Claims that are snuck in such as god being the creator need to be proven as well. Why is there a different standard of morality for god than there is for us? Why is it morally acceptable that god tells people to kill their children?

Bernard in NY attempts to demonstrate that god wrote the first five books of the Bible through Moses, who he says also wrote the Old Testament. Where is the scripture that says this?  This call just did not get anywhere. 

Devon in PA relied on the Bible during a tough situation and references the verses that name, “Philadelphia”. This verse helps clear his name because he is Satan incarnate with black curly hair and a star under his eye. Dude! Why do you think this? 

Calum in Canada had two near death experiences as a teenager and saw an afterlife that was identical to what his mother described that included a “split” with a choice of where to go. Why did this experience not convince you there was an afterlife? It is rare that we hear this perspective from an atheist. 

Keith in OR asks what the hosts think when someone is healed at the same moment as the person who did the arm is asking forgiveness. We would ask for evidence of this taking place and would also be intrigued.  Could god create a backdoor to allow for such things to happen just so we can ask for forgiveness? 

Compares the story of Job to the 1919 World Series with the Chicago Black Sox. If god is omniscient, why would he not bet on Job? God does come down, talk to Job, and stack the bet, just for the record. 

Thank you for tuning in this week! Have a fun week thinking of why it is wrong to throw babies off roof, and make sure to think about our question of the week: What NOT to say if you meet Jesus.


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Welcome to another episode of AxP. Matt’s guest this week, on loan from Truth Wanted, is MD Aware!

Dan in Indiana asks how absurd a claim has to be before one can summarily dismiss it. MD points out that scientists don’t use a yardstick of absurdity, they do experiments and test claims!

John is a believer, he states that since the existence of gods can’t be proven or disproven, atheists and theists are in the same position. He then says he CAN prove gods are real in a different way, but, sadly, he doesn’t. MD and Matt remind him that you can’t write deities into existence, real life isn’t a screenplay.

Michael in Florida asks our hosts about a psychiatrist who claims to also be an exorcist. Matt doesn’t think demons have been shown to be real, and MD Aware reminds us that psychiatric diagnoses aren’t quantitative, and offering a hidden entity as a cause of mental illness is irresponsible.

Next up is Allen, who suggests that Christianity is an atheist religion, because their god died. We’re not sure if you’re familiar with the dogma Allen, this character’s still kickin! Our hosts make it clear that atheism is incompatible with belief in Jesus, be he dead or alive.

Another Michael? This one’s from Texas, and thinks a planet-spawning alien is probable. Also, God. Umm… neither has been shown to be real Michael, and our huge universe doesn’t guarantee that everything you can conceive of must exist.

Eran in Israel wants some help in sussing out definitions of gods from theists. He’s tired of them saying what God isn’t, he wants them to make a positive claim. Matt and MD agree that what we don’t know about God isn’t as useful as what we do.

Next up is Bryan from Utah who thinks Matt’s standards of evidence are off, and that his approach leaves the door open for mysticism? Turns out Bryan’s just frustrated that people are allowed to make wild claims, we’re sympathetic, but we’re gonna move on.

Abby asks when our hosts think religion will die out. Matt doesn’t think it will, MD Aware thinks it’s more likely to take a backseat in the form of cultural habits, rather than actual belief in gods. Matt points out that many religions have died out, and its current iterations will too. Abby asks for advice on how to start teaching critical thinking, and our hosts encourage cautious activism in dangerous places.

Issa wants to know why our hosts don’t believe in god, and offers the complexity of an iPhone as a metaphor for why the universe must have been created. MD Aware replies that the universe isn’t necessarily complex, what emerges from the laws of physics is. Matt asks what information Issa has that cosmologists don’t, but Issa wants to play dodgeball.

Alex wants to talk about a study that he thinks shows evolution can’t be real. Mutations in enzymes would have taken too long, so therefore, God did it. MD Aware reminds Alex that proving one explanation wrong doesn’t mean yours is true, Matt uncovers the bias that the experimenters had. MD Aware offers to have a look at the study, perhaps we’ll have a chapter two on Truth Wanted!

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In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Jim Barrows is joined by Dave Warnock! Happy 2022!



Our first caller is none other than Matt with a post-surgery and recovery update! Good luck with the rest of your recovery!



Next up is Aidan from IL who was diagnosed with MS last year, and has concerns with their religious family member’s position regarding death with dignity.



Up next is Paul from PA! Paul, first off...if you want to advertise your book, go and pay for ad space on (insert popular social media platform) or something. Next up, narrative sequels act as a continuation of an existing work. Sequels, by themselves, do not IN ANY WAY serve as evidence for the truth value of the original story. You can’t use the original work to prove the truth of the sequel, or vice versa.



Next is Nick from CO who asserts that “fine-tuning” is justified by physics. This call quickly becomes 2022’s first case of the argument from incredulity. Just because we aren’t able to investigate before Planck time, doesn’t mean that a creator pulled the trigger.



Up next is Michael is MD who, after three minutes of gish galloping while they attempt to pick a topic, finally settles on “catholophobia?” Apparently criticizing the Catholic church’s criminal actions regarding moving pedophiles around is somehow catholophobic. Wow, that word is fun to write. Thanks for inventing that one caller.



Next is Sliew from Australia who has an issue accepting evolution because they don’t understand the definitions of mutation and how it differs from alleles. Open a biology textbook or at a bare minimum watch a well-researched documentary to educate yourself on the subject you clearly do not understand.



Finally, Patrick from FL presents the watch-maker argument. How did you conclude that everything around you was created by a God? What evidence do you have to support the existence of said God?

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The Atheist Community of Austin Holiday Trivia Challenge - Championship - Year End Special



We are pre-recording this challenge so that we could give you something interesting to watch over the holidays, but also give our hard working hosts and crew some time off to spend with their family and friends.



This will be a 5 part series, with one episode appearing on each of our AEN Network shows. The schedule is as follows:



The preliminary rounds will consist of 5 questions each, and will be shown on the Secular Sexuality channel on Thursday, December 23rd at 7pm Central: http://tiny.cc/ytss



The first two Quarter Final rounds will consist of 7 questions each, and will be shown on the Truth Wanted channel on Friday, December 24th at 7pm Central: http://tiny.cc/yttw



The second two Quarter Final rounds will consist of 7 questions each, and will be shown on Talk Heathen on Sunday, December 26th at 1pm Central: http://tiny.cc/ytth



The two Semi-final rounds will consist of 7 questions each, and will be shown on The Non-Prophets on Sunday, December 26th at 3pm Central: http://tiny.cc/ytnp



The Championship round will consist of 7 questions, and we will have a Consolation round consisting of 3 questions. These will both be show on The Atheist Experience channel on Sunday, December 26th at 4:30pm Central: http://tiny.cc/ytaxp



Call the show on Sundays 4:30pm-6:00pm CT: 1-512-686-0279 or use your computer to save on long-distance charges: http://tiny.cc/calltheshow

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