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.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Forest Valkai and Johnny P. Angel works through issues of Genesis, Unicorns, suffering, reproduction and babies hating god.Ray in WV says that asks if the hosts believe we evolved from higher apes He then states that god is sovereign and every human hates god when they are born. The scientific argument is not if evolution happened, but how and why. Why do you think there is a god? How does a baby know there is a god to hate? How can one hate something when they don’t believe it exists? How do you know that god exists? We feel the same way about Yahweh as we do other mythological villains and fictional antagonists. Our explanations for how the universe came about are based on evidence. How much time have you spent talking with people who don’t already agree with what you think? Being a Christian does not give you the ability to have a monopoly on goodness.Camden in NC asks if the innate response of evolutionary reproduction compliments what god says in the bible. Reproduction is one way that we classify what is and is not alive. If something did not reproduce, we would not know about it and evolution is the logical outcome of reproduction. We did not suddenly jump from a worm with no eyes to a human with eyes. Once the earth cooled from this fiery hello, life appeared relatively quick, and this can show that it is possible for life to arise without needing a cause. There are certain biological constants throughout history that have been developed through evolution and can be seen in many cultures.Andrew in FL says religion gives meaning to suffering and that atheism makes suffering meaningless. Atheism does not have the narrative that religion does, however humanism helps reduce unnecessary suffering. What is the issue with not seeing the meaning to human suffering or existence? Religion has been used by powerful groups to convince us that we should just accept that suffering has a greater purpose. What do you think about rooting out the causes of suffering and fixing it? The current work structure is not a call from god, it is a call from capitalism. If you did not believe in a god, and you believed this is the only life you have, what would you do for your life, family, and career?CJ in KS references a previous call where he had evidence for Eve's creation from Adam’s rib and is calling to develop the conversation. He explains that the water mentioned in Genesis is a manifestation of Jesus. The writers of Genesis did not know there would be writers of John. The people who wrote the Bible had access to earlier writings, not the other way around. The later writing does not prove the book is true, but rather develops the theme. Why do you believe the Bible is not just a literary book? How is sin anything that causes death? What about children who die from SIDS? Do you believe in a literal hell?Thank you for tuning in! Question of the week: What is an inappropriate thing to say or do at a holiday party?

SIn today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Johnny Angel and Christy Powell will work both sincere calls and trolls.First caller is Emmanuel from GA who asks how to come out as an atheist to his parents. It is about setting healthy boundaries. Do you feel like you have to do this? Are the interactions filled with tension? Sharing this part of yourself could make the tensions worse, however, some transparency can be an important step. Make sure your parents know it is about your own beliefs, and not them. Wesley in WV thinks that the hosts witches because they do not believe in angels and are sluggish with the holy spirit. We hope that you get the care that you need and are surrounded by loved ones that will help you work out your thoughts on this subject. Mr. Warlight in AK has proof in the form of stories that leprechauns exist that wear green suits and hide gold. Where are you getting this folklore from? Is there any evidence beyond the story? Where are they documented to show up and why can’t we see them today? If you aspire to be a troll, bring a better game than this. Do some research. Carpe Diem in CO wants to know the distinction between obligation and virtue. If you can do better, then you must do better. If every virtue is imperative then we would wear ourselves out by spending all our time performing virtuous acts. Is there good and evil in the world, or can we step away from these words and look through the eyes of preference?Rick in Canada states that atheists are slowing scientific progress. How do you think scientists do their job? Do you think that a scientist sits at their desk and disproves a theory? Did you examine all the evolution? Examine your sources on some of your data points and recognize there are many tiny contributions to this thing we call science. Chuck in HI believes science is just another religion that says there is no god. Science is the opposite of religion. Science starts with observation; religion starts with the conclusion and works backward. Science is evolving and religion is holding people back. Science delivers the goods and religion causes us to kill each other. Sam in NY has evidence of Jesus performing miracles and resurrecting. Who are the witnesses? There are statements such as the writings of Paul that are not allowed into evidence because they do not meet the hearsay exceptions. Why do we drop the standard of evidence for how we spend eternity? Just because we don’t know something, does not mean there was a supernatural cause. You don’t solve a mystery with a greater mystery. Is there anything you could not believe based on faith? Thank you everyone for tuning in folks! The question of the week is: What is a life hack that god does not want you to know about?

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Forrest Valkai is joined by Jmike!Frank from the USA claims that if you don’t believe in God, your life is meaningless. The first premise of this fallacious “argument” is the existence of objective morality. Here’s my advice, slow down and think this through.Chris from SC wants clarification on the difference between sex and gender. Cliff from Canada wants to ask, eventually, why we ought to worship God assuming it is real. Mr. Warlight is calling in with an argument for the supernatural that our hosts just CAN’T HANDLE. Abhishek from India wants to know why it’s so important to question religious beliefs and focus on its problems when it does have benefits. Andrew from Canada’s argument for God is the same processes science textbooks go through when they are updated. Why revamp the bible? If it’s outdated in terms of its conclusions about reality, why would it be useful to go back and rewrite it with our current scientifical findings integrated when the bible has nothing to do with modern science? Instead of having a story with inaccurate claims about reality, you now have a story with some inaccurate carry-overs, because they have to be there for the bible to still be the bible, with some modern scientific understandings sprinkled in. Chuck from HI believes that matter, space, stars, and Earth are all eternal. Oxygen is as eternal as everyone’s excitement about Marvel’s Eternals. I would add more, but anything I say would detract from whatever just happened.

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?

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!

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!

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?

The Atheist Community of Austin Holiday Trivia Challenge - Championship - Year End SpecialWe 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/ytssThe 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/yttwThe 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/ytthThe 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/ytnpThe 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/ytaxpCall 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

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Shannon Q is joined by Arden Of Eden.First up is Wraith from NY whose religious beliefs are actually a mosaic of the truths found across many religions. The caller also asserts that non-eternal things intrinsically have less value and are borderline worthless.Next is Arnie from WA who asks why some of the hosts utilize Mormonism as the token example of a “ridiculous” religion. Each host’s reasons are different, but some include the relative recency of its creation compared to the more popular religions, or as Shannon says, it can be used to highlight epistemic faults that both Mormons and members of other theistic denominations fall victim to.Next up is Joshua from NC who is struggling to understand the Pro-Choice position. Just because the fetus may be granted full human rights, does not mean that we can assign it special rights that supersede the rights of the woman.Next up is Abdullah from NY who asks why we, Atheists, can’t accept the existence of a creator. The caller then recites the Kalam which is broken down into its usual parts.Next is Luis from CA who believes that the story of “Sodom & Gomorrah” was a coverup of a major natural disaster. Why do you believe this? What evidence do you have that this is true other than the biblical story?Ramsay from Egypt is calling with a question about the Kalam, and attempts to use thermodynamics as a tool to prove that before the universe, there was truly nothing.Mike from ME asserts that parents have an obligation to give up their bodily autonomy to take of a child. Unless someone consents, keyword there, to taking on the obligation to care for a child, then they have no obligation to. You can’t force them to, period. That includes giving blood, donating a kidney, or using someone’s uterus.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jenna Dave Warnock.First up is Mike from IN who asks how is blindly trusting experts any better a pathway to the truth than trusting in religion and God. No one should blindly trust anyone merely because they claim to be an expert, but should look at the data presented by said expert and compare it to other colleagues of their field. Religions rarely, if ever, present any data to justify their claims, so trusting them is by definition, necessarily blind.Next is Gohan from TX who wants to challenge secular moral positions. If you are calling in to have a useful conversation with the hosts, address the views they actually hold without referencing superheroes or other people that you are not talking to. You are either straw-manning the hosts or making what-if assertions that don’t even have addressable data.Next is Tyler from NC who has a series of yes/no statements they want to present to the hosts. The statements are inconsistent with the definition of God the caller prescribes to or is at least presenting.Next is Jan from the Netherlands who wants to talk about how many civilizations have had their own version of religion at some point in their history. Because of the sheer number of gods presented, and the massive ends of the spectrum in terms of characteristics between them, it seems more likely that these gods were products of people who lacked answers to describe natural phenomena than they were real.Next up is K. K’s alternate “mechanism” of addressing faith, if we can call it that, involves a lot of confusing circles, probabilities, and homosexuality...? K.Next is Kal from TN who asks where the line should be drawn with people whose beliefs don’t align with a shared truth about reality, especially a truth that has evidence backing it.Finally, Guy from GA claims that the anti-science stance taken by evangelicals is the primary opponent to climate action that we are facing right now. Whether this is true or not, tying religion to anti-science positions gives evangelicals an excuse to wield their persecution as a weapon. It also may not have so much to do with religion as it does the general slide towards anti-intellectualism that has been occurring over the past 50 to 60 years.

Welcome back to the Atheist Experience. This week, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Genevieve!First up is Manuel from Puerto Rico who wants to know what our hosts think is the best way to educate yourself and others about critical thinking. The first step is recognizing where we are suspending critical thinking, and then going back through and asking questions that put that previously accepted idea on trial to see whether the belief was truly justified.Next is Setuf from Spain who asks our hosts what the difference is between Speciesism, Racism, & Sexism. All three are biases that are each relevant to the level that they operate at (e.g. Species, Race, and Sex/Gender).Next is Steven from WA who would like advice on how to discern good sources of truth from sources that may have undisclosed conflicts of interest. If we use Matt’s definition of “truth” in that it comports with reality, then we can look at a source’s track record, their own testing data (if available), as well as any other peer-reviewed sources they used to justify their statement. The truth is unlikely to be found in its entirety within one document or source, so getting multiple quality opinions or sources may help build a better picture.Next up is Joe from OH who thinks Matt is wrong about Doyle’s Fallacy. How do we know that we’ve actually eliminated all other possibilities? Just because something is unlikely doesn’t automatically eliminate it from consideration.Up next is Allen from MI who claims that science as a tool cannot investigate God and other non-physical phenomena. Unless we have another tool that allows us to reliably investigate the non-physical, we are not justified in accepting the existence of such phenomena if we actually care about the truth.Next is Michael from CA who believes that free will exists. The topic is complicated, as evidenced by the nearly continuous debate on the subject, as it is often difficult to determine the influences on our decisions such as indoctrinated beliefs, societal culture, and environmental circumstances.Up next is Simo from Canada who asks our hosts if they are compatibilists or “hardcore” determinists. Varying forms of determinism, hard or soft, are true across various definitions of free will. Compatibilist arguments only assert that determinism and free will can both be accepted without being irrational.Our last caller is Aaron from AR who would like advice on setting boundaries with religious family members. Being honest and upfront with family can be tricky to navigate, especially when trying to prevent an escalation. You have just as much right to set the ground rules for their behavior when it comes to raising your child just as they do when it comes to their own.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by ObjectivelyDan.First up is Joel from AL who claims they have a philosophical argument that debunks materialism. Apparently there is something below subatomic particles that is spirit rather than material. Don’t have evidence to back that up, come back when you do.Next is Andrew from Thailand who believes that because Christianity can offer positive benefits to members or its ideology, that it should still be followed even if it doesn’t conform to reality. Once again the subjective issue of filtering out the bad and keeping the good comes into play, especially when those same moral positions can be reached via other non-christian belief systems.Up next is Jacob from AL who accepts creation as a part of deism. If you don’t have any evidence that draws the connection between human language and a god, then belief in that connection is unwarranted.Next is Setuf, le sigh...sure it is... from Spain who claims that Matt is irrational. Once again, the caller wants to moan about Matt’s position on abortion and his use of the violinist analogy. Go away.Marlon from the Philippines is back with some sweet new claims. Animals doing cool things is proof of god, somehow. Do we ever find out how? Find out next time on “Storytime With Marlon.”Next is Kevin from NY who wants to know what the problem is with the second premise of the Kalam? The Kalam has two premises that both need to be demonstrated to be true, and even once that’s happened, it still doesn’t support the existence of a God.Next is Billy from the UK who feels that many conversations between atheists and theists get derailed by the atheist’s focus on the definition of God. Having a clear definition for the specific god being talked about is important so that the conversation stays relevant to the actual beliefs being discussed.Next is Phil from HI who asks our hosts if modern magicians can replicate the magic used in the biblical stories. While there are tricks that can replicate the illusion, there isn’t any reason to believe that there are any magicians actually using magic to do those tricks.Michael from TN is up next and claims that DMT and its common experiences among users is evidence of experiencing another reality.Our final caller is Tomas from CA who wants to know how Christianity managed to become as influential as it has throughout history, from when it first emerged through today.

SHOW NOTESIn today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Shannon QFirst up today is Mr. Warlight from AK who wants to question the host’s views on spirituality. Just like last week, the caller has nothing to present.Mohammed from NE believes that spirits are not tangible, but internal conceptual projections of a person’s mind. Since we can’t tell whether those projections are actually related to the existence of spirits or just a part of a person’s imagination, how does this help us prove that spirits truly exist in reality?Next is Setuf from Spain who doesn’t understand the point the of Violinist analogy. It’s about bodily autonomy, not consent as consent can be revoked.Up next from California is Raul who has a question regarding free speech versus free action. As the conversation unfolds, the caller’s points begin to drift towards the advocation of thought crimes.Next is Rob from VA who claims that emotions are irrational. Our hosts respond that emotions themselves are not necessarily either rational or irrational, but are reactions to stimuli. How we reach those emotions and handle them is what makes them and our responses either rational or otherwise.Next up is Simo from Canada who asks why rape can be considered wrong across the past, present, and future in a subjective moral system. Isn’t it better to be able to present an evidence-based justification for why something is wrong rather than just assert “it is”?Next is Tony from AK who is struggling to come to terms with the process of deconversion without feeling like they are betraying the church.Up next is Your Truly from Canada who calls in to assert that the Bible doesn’t advocate for slavery when it very clearly does and has been covered ad nauseam.Next is Eric from KS who wants advice on how to remain patient during conversations with dishonest theists. Take notes and call them out as they create new inconsistencies.Our final caller is Sabien from TX who wants to know if it is fair to judge theists if free will does not exist?

Welcome back to another episode of The Atheist Experience. This week, Kenneth and JMike take AXP by force!Today’s first caller is “Leopold” from Canada who demands that the Atheist Experience apologizes for the harsh statements it has made against the Catholic Church in the past. Either engage with the hosts you are talking to and justify your position or call again after you think it back over.Next is Tim from TN who asks if someone who believes a God exists has the same burden of proof as someone who claims to know a God exists. It comes down to the much finer acceptances of claims. If they both accept that Jesus walked on water, superficial confidence levels aside, the implication itself requires an equal burden of proof from both parties.Up next is Alvin from NC claims that it is probable that the Bible is true. The caller mentions a number of improbable improbabilities and asserts them as evidence for their claim. They then site their webpage, which apparently finds mathematic patterns in random bible verses, as a source of evidence that the bible was intelligently woven together by math.Mr. Warlight returns from earlier to define spirituality and explain why it’s important to have more of it. Just because something can’t be disproven, especially something we have no track record for its existence, doesn’t mean that it would be justified to accept it as a possibility.Next is Apollos from TX who claims that Atheists are inconsistent when evaluating arguments for the brain in a vat compared to arguments for Jesus’ resurrection.

Welcome back to The Atheist Experience! This week Matt is joined by Arden Hart.Our first call today comes from Jake in Canada, who wants to ask about original sin, and how the Christian notion of substitutionary atonement is morally corrupt. We feel ya Jake.Second up is Andrew in New York, offering his understanding of paganism. Matt would rather hear from paganism from a pagan, and Arden points out that not all folks who identify as “pagan” share the same set of beliefs. Moving on!Mike from Texas stampedes out of the queue with a quick lecture about alternate theist views, before being lassoed in by Matt to talk about what HE believes. We hit on the problem of the source of consciousness, a bit of naturalism, and a touch of solipsism. Mike makes his case for the supernatural with a whole lot of five-dollar words, but Matt & Arden aren't impressed. Robin from DC believes that if one rejects a claim, one assumes the contrary position. Our hosts explain that it’s possible to be unconvinced of both states. It’s okay to say “I don’t know” folks, in fact, it’s a big step on the way to knowledge. Next we have Steven in WA who starts with an assertion that people have their own truths, Arden explains the difference between opinion and fact. Steven offers the example of people in his community offering career advice using their “true” assessments about his aptitudes, and Matt further clarifies that opinions and advice are not the same as truth. We wrap up by analyzing claims of a personal relationship with God, which Stephen concedes he cannot prove. LaRue in Illinois has a question about whether a family member’s threats that he thinks were fulfilled by God qualify that person as sociopathic. Arden offers the caveat that she isn’t qualified to make psychiatric diagnoses, and suggests that trying to determine whether behaviour is positive or negative for LaRue is probably more valuable. Tate asks our hosts what religious folks mean when they talk about subjective and objective morality. Matt offers a great explanation of how the product of a mind is the basis for subjective morality.Charles in Canada is a big fan, who doesn’t like the statement that there isn’t evidence for gods. Matt clarifies the difference between good evidence and testimony, and agrees that there is (air quotes) “evidence”, it's just not very compelling and hasn’t convinced him.Jake from the UK is looking for tips on how to set boundaries with family members while salvaging relationships. Arden and Matt offer a couple examples of how to frame conversations so that they can be constructive.That’s our show this week folks, wear your masks, get your shots, and let’s get through this thing together!

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jim Barrows!First is Joey from the UK who asks if following God’s commands, even if they are immoral, for the sake of self-preservation is justified. This brings us back to the mafia boss analogy as acting differently than you would if not under threat in no way justifies the immoral behavior of the one holding a position of power.Next up is Carson from KS who worships and personifies nature. Other than because it seems appealing to do, why do this if as the caller claims, it's just atheism with some extra steps?Next is John from IN who is struggling to grieve the loss of a loved one without the comfort provided by religion.Next is Brandon from NJ who claims to have evidence of ghosts. Turns out the caller saw and heard a thing somewhere and determined that it was a Ghost. The caller also attempts to use the anomalies found in camera footage that could not be seen with the naked eye as support for the supernatural.Up next is Juan from Mexico who is a recent Atheist who still has lingering fears regarding promises they made to God when they still believed. The caller, who acknowledges the illogic in their position, is afraid that the God they no longer believe in may come knocking sometime later demanding the promises be fulfilled. Deconversion takes time, just keep reminding yourself that you do not believe and over time you’ll be able to more easily push these nagging fears aside.Next is Mike from TX who claims that physics proves that there is no objective reality and that therefore the universe has a mind. Next time don’t talk through Matt and you’ll be on the line longer.Next is Guy from GA who asserts that the Universe needs to be revered and respected as if it’s conscious and sentient, even though we have no evidence that it is.William from TX wants to know if Jesus understood what lust and adultery were? Thanks for the quick call.Next is Rich from PA who has a paranormal story where after a terrifying dream they ended up with physical marks on their back. They are wondering if there are any natural explanations for what happened.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Dave Warnock!First up today is Mark from OR who has a question about the difference between the scientific consensus and a fallacious appeal to authority.Next is GB from CA who wants to argue that the bible argues for divine hiddenness. How can we differentiate between God’s desire to remain hidden, or whether they exist at all.Up next is Andre from MI believes that there is something greater than us and claims they can prove it. The caller’s interpretation of how the universe around them functions, (i.e. the need to breath & and squirrels killing one another), indicates to them that there is a greater will/Next up is DJ from Canada who claims to have made contact with a soul. How do we know that the electrical feeling experienced by the caller is actually dead people, let alone a specific soul. As of right now we have no evidence to support the idea that consciousness carries forward after death.Drew in CA wants to correct Matt’s assertion that the Bible says that “life is like dirty rags” when it does not. The caller gets one win token and immediately starts preaching.Charlie from TX believes that beliefs are supernatural because they don’t exist tangibly. Just because they cannot currently be tested individually by science does not mean that they won’t ever be, or that they are in any way unnatural.Next up is Ronald from MO who claims to have found the fabled third possibility for the divine hiddenness argument. The caller did not find it.Next is Josh from NJ who is struggling to come out as an atheist, for the wellbeing of both themselves and their family. The caller has noticed that anytime their lack of belief is referenced that their mother doubles down on their theism, and fears that this is indicative of what the future reaction will be if the caller fully comes out.Last up is Peter from Australia who is wondering if there are any legal ramifications for people who spew false prophecies or similar predictions.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jim Barrows!Our first caller today is Mark from GA. The caller claims that time robs the ability for information to be communicated, and that god will solve this by fulfilling the great commission through connecting our brains to computers.Next is Holy Rebel Movement from FL who claims that he received a prophecy from God of Joe Biden’s inauguration, after we knew Joe Biden had won the election. The caller also states that they have 6 to 7 more of these mundane prophecies.Next up, Arnie from WA is calling back to report the current status of his deconversion process, and how he has transitioned away from his mormon indoctrination. After their previous call to the show, Arnie has since come to the conclusion that they no longer have a good reason to believe.Jim from Canada asks our hosts if the possibility of consciousness disappearing after death either disappoints or scares them.Next up is Kim from the UK who wants to talk about the privilege needed to be a non-believer. While needing a community, specifically an atheist community, can require a certain degree of depending on their location and socio-economic status, being an Atheist on its own does not.Next up is Mike from CA who claims to have personal experiences that can prove God, but I can’t prove it to you. The paranormal experience was, “an urge to go home.”Our final call is Gilles from the UK who asks our hosts what an Atheist civilization would look like. What follows is a very pleasant call about the future of atheism and non-believers around the world.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Shannon Q is joined by Johnny P. Angel!First up is Writer from NY who perceives time as a measurement of the distance that a second-hand takes to move, and that this perception aligns with the attributes of their accepted God. The caller also claims to have spoken to and visited Heaven with this God.Next is Joshua from Canada who wants to offer testimony on why they converted. If Revelation is a personal experience and not applicable to everyone, then by definition it’s not going to be convincing to those who haven’t experienced it. At this point, it’s just a claim.Up next is Charlie from TX who is questioning the host’s acceptance of naturalism since the only way to falsify it would be to present something unnatural. The caller believes this creates a problem where naturalism is accepted without proper justification.Mr. Batman, the “Dark Knight Of Logic” calls in with a misunderstanding of science and his script in hand to present a convoluted spiel for the existence of God.Next up is Johan from FL who wants to know if a person should withhold belief without evidence for moral reasons, or something else. While there are certainly practical reasons for withholding belief, the moral implications of this are often addressed separately, (e.g. morality with regards to certain goals).Last up is Jim from Canada who is questioning Christian doctrine, but can’t get past the concept of a soul, and why our hosts do not believe in them.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jenna Belk. Welcome back to the co-host chair Jenna!First up is Mohammad from NE who defines god as any conscious entity that is capable of influence celestial objects beyond our (modern humans) comprehension. Nothing presented by the caller contains anything relevant to a scientific argument.Next up is Tommy from IL who wants to know if our hosts are still searching for an answer to a God question, or if they have gotten to where they have reached a point of certainty in their current position.Robin from DC is calling in to tell us about some slick new labels for Atheism: Local & Global. Local Atheism refers to someone who doesn’t believe that a subset of Gods exist, but accepts others. Unfortunately, Robin asserts the only way that a person can determine whether one subset exists and the other doesn’t is through God’s revelation.Up next is DJ from CO who is worried about leaving their child under the care of a religious family member. Exposure to new, different ideas, will likely help in the long run with the child’s development of critical thinking skills. However, making the violation of trust clear to the family members is important if you want to maintain a healthy relationship with them in the future.Next up is Nikki from CA who believes that they have made contact with a deceased family member. The caller had requested prior to their death that they give her a sign that they are alright, and a year later she receives a notification that his social media account liked her photo. How do we know that this was anything more than a bug in the app?

SHOW NOTESHello everyone! Welcome to our fun episode of The Atheist Experience with Matt Dillahunty and Jim Barrows.First up is Ram from India who started to believe in god again six months ago because he met someone who says science does not explain everything, and that lots of people accept there are multiverses. Scientists are not saying god is the reason for this. God is not a valid, reasonable hypothesis for the universe. Can you name one thing that is demonstrably true and violates logic? Don’t give up on reality so you can have less pain and sadness. Next we have Jordan in VA who is starting to have doubts of his faith, but does not want to give it up. He wants to raise children with the Christian foundation but has concerns with the Bible. If you raise kids this way, you are telling them they are broken and flawed. Teaching kids about hell is child abuse and so is following what the Bible says to do. It is difficult to teach kids to think for themselves in a Christian household. Kevin in AZ thinks that Matt is asking the wrong thing about god because it should not be a binary question. Either you are convinced a god exists or you are not convinced a god exists, and this is binary. Next is Paris in CA who argues that people's reasons for the earth not being flat are not better than the reasons they bring up for the historicity of Jesus. When the Greeks proved the earth is round, it was done with simple geometry. Everything we do with navigation proves the earth has to be an oblate spheroid. Jesus in CA tries to use Exodus to prove that god exists because wheels were found in that region. Picking out verses that someone fed you does not prove that a god exists. He then goes on to say that many of us believe it to be true. The truth is not impacted in any way by the number of people who believe something. Next we have Thea in NC that wants to know why whenever bad things happen like school shootings, Christians think it is the end times. It is because they read Revelations and are always ready. Christian Nationalists are actively trying to bring this to happen. People have been profiting off this for ages. When have there not been rumors of wars?Next is Carlos in Puerto Rico whose friend described an example of no divine intervention that proves the non-existence of god. A particular god may be disproven, but without defined characteristics there is no way of doing this. Our last caller is Paul in VA who has an idea that Christianity was intentionally created to feel superior, not take responsibility for their actions, and that once you are a Christian, you can’t lose salvation. How did you rule out that this was not true? We don’t have any way to know what the actual doctrine is because god has not arrived to truly tell us. We will see you all next week. Lets try and focus on reality and not throw up our hands and think god has a plan.

Hey everyone and welcome to another episode of The Atheist Experience! This week Matt Dillahunty is joined by Mandisa Thomas from Black Nonbelievers!First up is Sam from TX who says that he believes in a god for the same reason that our hosts don’t believe that there is a god.Next up is Jaime from CO who claims to have photographic evidence for god. How do you know that what you captured in the photo is actually the face of God, or just a cloud?Up next is GB from TX who is curious why Matt states that if a God exists, it is the most important fact that anyone could ever know due to the repercussions that the existence of one would have on our reality. However, until one is demonstrated to exist, acting as if one does and legislating laws that are asserted to align with it is dangerous and irresponsible.Next Cathy from NM who believes that Matt’s approach is rude and unproductive, and that he sets up strawman with religious callers including those from this very show.Next is Hamid from the (UK) who wants to share his experience of reconverting to Islam. Just because you understand the concept of God as depicted in the Bible and the Quran doesn’t make those descriptions true or the God real.Next is Paul from NC who is wondering how true the claims of spirit mediums are and if it is possible to accept their claims or partake in the exercise yourself without engaging in “woo.” What you convince yourself of in private is up to you, but if you are trying to convince others that you can do these things and are charging them money, then you are preying on people who are struggling and coping with loss.Up next is Luke from MN who is curious as to why skepticism is the best path to truth when evaluating truth claims. We don’t choose our beliefs, but we can choose to act as if something is true. Because of this, there are going to be consequences caused by those actions that can range from minuscule to dangerously significant.

In today’s episode of the The Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Arden Of Eden.Our first caller today is Andrew from PA. The caller is beginning to question their beliefs and is wondering how our hosts became comfortable with pushing back against their past indoctrination. Unless you have good reason to believe in a particular god, then worrying about any threats or boons derived from believing in that God isn’t justified.Up next is Sam from NE who believes that because there are things about the universe that we cannot explain today, that it must be supernatural. Sam also had some “important” information he wanted to bless the audience with.Next up is Aiden from FL who is looking for advice on how to manage their relationship with their family with regards to their opposing views of religion. There is probably no single argument that will help your family become accepting of your atheism, but this single disagreement isn’t the whole relationship with your family or how they feel about you as a person.Next is Hank from TX who is claiming that our ownership of non-human animals indicates that we are superior to those animals, and if we are superior, then there is likely a being superior to us.Up next is Robert from OR claims that a belief in a God is properly basic, that it is self-evident and doesn’t require a justification to be accepted as true.Next is Rivalod from the Netherlands who wants to know how Atheists can be moral without God. The caller states that they believe morality is based on whatever God says is right. How do we know what God says? Up next is Leo from Canada who has been pushed back theism because of Matt. The caller doesn’t understand Matt’s position against worshipping a deity, and somehow this has put them back on the fence?Our final caller is Christ from CT is curious as to why Fundamentalist Christians are so against the separation of sex and gender when they themselves ascribe gender to their own God. Part of it is because their books don’t refer to sex or gender directly, as well as the fact that it offers a mechanism to control others.

SHOW NOTESIn today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Shannon Q is joined by Jenna Belk!Our first caller is Narder from Australia who claims that there is physical evidence for God. Unfortunately, we are not presented with the physical evidence we were promised, but a philosophical argument.Next is Nigel from New Zealand who is wondering if our hosts do not accept Christianity because of a lack of evidence or because of the inconsistencies within the religious doctrine. The answer obviously varies from atheist to atheist, but depending on someone’s background, it may end up being a combination of each.Up next is Joe from Canada who wants to know how our hosts dealt with the fear of leaving religion after years of being indoctrinated to fear hell.Next is Ryan from NY who presents a list of reasons why they aren’t an atheist. Presenting incohesive ideas in this format isn’t a conversation, especially when they don’t go anywhere.Next is Phillip from OH wants to correct Shannon on a previous terminology mistake. Thank you so much for calling Phillip!Our final caller is Clarence from OH has an issue with the term atheist because it’s a label that defines what they are not.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined once again by Shannon Q. Welcome back Shannon!First up is Jeroen from the Caribbean who questions whether believers actually have a grieving process, or if they just use religion as a bandage. They are concerned with the consequences if said believer stops believing and is suddenly hit with that grief.Next is Steven from Washington who has questions regarding how active religious organizations can be within political movements and what actions are acceptable within the bounds of church/state separation.Next is Jamen from Germany who believes that Atheism has a burden of proof. Anyone who makes a positive claim has a burden of proof, whether they are an atheist or not.Up next is Javier from Minnesota who is wondering if our hosts think it’s wrong to believe in a God if it makes someone feel good. Also using the host’s answer to shift the conversation to race and gender is dishonest and gross.Next is Nick from California who has God-like knowledge of the creation of the universe.Up next is Rob from Georgia who wonders why some Atheists are afraid of certain depictions of heaven.Next is Jeffrey from Texas who is wondering where morality comes from if it is subjective to a specific culture.Last up is Josh from the Netherlands who deconverted from Islam but is struggling due to the sudden loss of his spirituality. The problem is that spirituality doesn’t really mean anything and appears to vary from individual to individual.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Jim Barrows is joined by Johnny P. Angel!Our first topic is coming from the car of Gohan in TX. The caller wants to ask us if Thanos’s snap is considered moral using a secular moral system. I’m not going to answer that question in this description, but my secular morality deems calling the show while driving as immoral.Next up is Donna from NC who believes that the Bible has evidence for God in it. The Bible is the thing making the claims. It can’t also be the proof for those claims, that’s circular.Up next is Malcolm from IL who claims that a mad scientist created white people by grafting the genes of early humans. How does the caller back this claim up? They don’t.Derick from GA implies that plants are conscious because they react to environmental stimuli, and that therefore it is possible for a non-physical consciousness to exist.Up next is Otangelo from Brazil who once again has a long, winding script to present us that apparently gets us to God.Our next caller is Dave from TX who claims that Atheists are hurting Pagan culture because we allow Christians to get away with their “past crimes” against Paganism.Next is Printer Repair from NEw England who agrees with the Bible’s flat-earth claims. I would be annoyed by the subject matter, but I’m more perturbed that your name took up 26 characters of my title.Our final caller is Jesus from CA who says that Atheists don’t really understand the Bible. The caller then quickly moves past this inconvenient claim when confronted, and opts to bring up the Big Bang Model and The Theory of Evolution and how they are wrong.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jenna Belk!Our first caller this afternoon is Riyaz from the UK. The caller proposes a scenario where there exists a place where snakes don’t bite and scorpions don’t sting and claims that this example would indicate the presence of a supernatural force.Next up is Paul from TX who claims that without a belief in God and that their existence in the universe is purposeful, society is diminishing.Next is Kevin from GA who wants to talk about how a God’s morality is irrelevant to whether it exists or not. Blindly worshipping a God whether you approve of its moral code or not because you believe that they are above you, without justification of its existence, is both irrational and degrading to yourself.Next up is Lisa from CO is wondering why they feel guilty or fearful whenever they see an image depicting Jesus. You are feeling guilty because you were indoctrinated to feel guilty by your religion, not because God is actively making you feel guilty.Up next is Orin from OR who knows with 100% certainty that they have communicated with God via a mysterious sentient cloud. Honestly, I’ve got nothing at this point...absolutely nothing.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Dr. Darrel Ray!The first caller is Aaron from TX who wants to accuse Matt of being a bully. If you are going to accuse somebody of something, please have clear examples ready to go.Up next is Clifford from VA who has recently escaped from religion through applying skepticism, but is concerned about his mother’s religious religious beliefs and the impact they may have on the caller’s son. Here is the article like that Dr. Ray mentioned during the show: http://tiny.cc/rfrrecoveryUp next is Anthony from IL who wants to know how Atheists have disproven all gods as well as claims that they have scientific and personal evidence to support the existence of the Christian God.Next is Alvin from NC who claims that a Pew Research study shows that Christians live seven years longer than Atheists. Assuming the finding in the study is true, the actual results do not necessarily explain the reasons why this is the case.Next is Lexi from OK who recently became an Ex-JW, and has questions about how they should identify themselves given that they no longer accept the claims by the organization, but are still struggling to detach themselves from the indoctrination.Up next is Marquis from NC who wants to talk about their motivations behind their decision to leave their religion. Thanks for calling Marquis!Next is George from AZ who believes that they have evidence of Jesus being crucified. The caller’s understanding of biblical history and the Christian tradition are lacking and is very confused about the definition of the word “anonymous.”Next is Brandon from AZ claims that Atheists look at science using rose colored glasses when it comes to evidence for Jesus. “Hey Ya’ll, Watch This” is not evidence for the truth of biblical claims.Next is Oliver from Brazil who is looking for advice on how to break free of indoctrination, specifically with regards to human mortality. As Dr. Ray says, exposing yourself to other ideologies is a great way of teaching your brain that you don’t have to be bound to one belief system.Our final caller is Honey from NC who wants to talk about their fear of leaving religion. Religion connects directly to our baser emotions and thrives on those. This is why religious belief doesn’t necessarily correlate to intellect or analytical abilities. It’s going to take time to break free, but there are resources out there to make the journey easier.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Phil Ferguson. Welcome back Phil!Our first caller today is Alexander from Chile who asserts that the Kalam Cosmological Argument proves god. The caller also claims that our feelings of awe towards spectacular moments in nature is proof of the supernatural.Next is David from CA who takes issue with “Atheist’s” demand for physical evidence. David, you do not listen. Rather than build a strawman on what evidence you think Atheists want, maybe ask them.Up next is Levi from FL who asks if our hosts accept the fine tuned universe argument as evidence of something before the big bang. You first have to show that the universe didn’t unfold the way it has through chance and that fine-tuning is even possible.Next is Juan from Ecuador who is wondering how we can dismiss proposed supernatural explanations for detected, but unexplained events.Up next is Fallon from Canada who believes that Matt gives Atheists a bad name by getting frustrated with callers and not answering their questions.Next is Paulo from DC who is calling to prove God using the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Constitutional rights are not gifts from God while also being evidence for the existence of that same God. That is circular.Up next is Hank from TX who has a question regarding Matt’s position on Life being preferable to Death. This is a very general position and there are always exceptions to that rule, and there are always personal justifications that one can make on an individual level, not always altruistic, for either choosing to live or to die.Our final caller is Paul from the UK who wants to talk about the concept of belief in belief. Belief in belief is problematic because it's based on the fear of being cast out of a social group (i.e religion), and more importantly, it capitalizes on the fear that once you are out or are not part of religion you are socially dead.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Seth Andrews. Let’s do this thing!First up is Pratyush from Japan who can’t seem to get their story on the show to align with what they told the call screeners. See ya later dude!Next up is John from TX who asks how Atheists have ruled out a supernatural cause of the universe. The caller attempts to cite the laws of thermodynamics as the mechanism that caused the universe while claiming that the laws of the universe do not apply to their God.Up next is Lynn from PA who says that God should be love, but is unable to provide any other properties of this God. Love is great, but the definition of this God doesn’t go anywhere, kind of like this conversation.Next is Jackson from VA who attempts to box all Christians into a box with an improper understanding of what the Bible actually says.Next is Narock from Barbados who believes to know that Jesus actually wrote laws in the Bible because of his background. The reason the hosts are asking questions is because they want you to provide a justification of your beliefs before they accept your claims to be true.Next is Paolo from DC who wants to know why we think God created the universe. Before we can consider God’s purpose, we have to first determine whether belief in a God is warranted. Just because something seems obvious to one person, doesn’t make that person’s assessment true without further investigation and demonstration.Our final caller is Drew from CA who claims that Matt has made false claims about Christianity. The caller then cherry picks irrelevant verses that do not in any way rebut Matt’s previous claims.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jmike. Let’s get this show rolling!Our first caller is Minh from CA who has a question regarding the usefulness of the burden of proof and if it also can be used as a tool for persuasion. Anyone making a claim has adopted a burden of proof that requires justification. Whether the reasons you provide satisfactory to justify the truth of the claim is a separate issue.Up next is Joel from AL who believes that we become aware in the womb, but that our consciousness also carries forward into future reincarnations once we’re annihilated. Side note, “I looked on the internet” isn’t evidence.Our next caller is Sain from TX who wants to know if Atheists, and more specifically our hosts, hate religion. While there isn’t a blanket sentiment held by the Atheist community towards religion in general, there may be specific statements, beliefs, or agendas that individual atheists may hate and find repugnant.Next is Anthony from FL who is a recent deconvert and is struggling with becoming an out atheist, and the feeling of betrayal rooted in the caller’s lack of acceptance and understanding by their family.Up next is Daniel from NJ who claims that God emanates the reality that creates the present. I have no idea how you’d demonstrate this, but the argument presented in this call certainly isn’t it.Next is Chris from LA who has evidence for God and also believes that Matt is angry with God. The demon he claimed to experience caused his friend to make a loud noise while he was sleeping. Was the demon Belphegor?Our next caller is Said from Morocco who wants to ask our hosts for advice on how to not be an angry atheist. Please don’t lie to the call screeners.Up next on a similar topic is Billy from CA who recognizes that since their deconversion they have become more anti-theistic. Theists are not dumb or smart based solely on their religious beliefs. There are smart theists and dumb atheists, and vice versa.Up next is Guy from GA who claims to have an argument for eternal life. Scientific discoveries happen all the time, but the fact that science discovers new things isn’t an argument for any old claim being true.Our final caller of the evening is Otangelo from Brazil who believes that human language is analogous to genetics and biology. It’s not.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jim Barrows. Let’s get it started!Our first caller is Mercy from China who believes that the Holy Spirit is real based after they experienced passing out when a priest put their hand on the caller’s forehead.Next up is Enoch from PA who recently became an Atheist and wanted to call back to thank the hosts for helping him through his deconversion.Up next is Calvin from CA who is wondering why God didn’t do more to prove his own existence to the more adamant doubters if his goal was to save them. Thank you for calling Calvin, you're more than welcome to call back anytime.Next is Jan from DE who states that the only explanation for a god’s powers is that the entity in question is utilizing advanced technology. The issue is that there could have been plenty of other explanations for the claimed powers found in stories, specifically plot devices. Claiming that you know the “only explanation” is adopting a burden of proof that you have yet to, and probably won’t satisfy.Up next is Robert from TX who is wondering what led Matt to begin to question his beliefs and start searching for evidence. The caller also claims that God won’t provide evidence for his existence because people don’t really want to believe in him.Next is Eric from CA who confronted his parents about his relatively recent deconversion after being a lifelong theist, and was then told that he “must not have ever been a true believer.” Thank you for your call today Eric. Best of luck!Up next is David from OR who proposes that the resurrection was just a group of people playing along with the crowd, similarly to how we all vaguely remember stories from our past that may not have happened the way we recall them.Next is Zeres from IL who believes the universe is demonstrably finite, but refuses to provide the premises that lead to that conclusion. Premises are not presented using questions.Up next is Sohaib from Canada who claims that there is extra biblical evidence supporting the plagues God imposed on Egypt. The caller then makes the mistake of claiming that there is no other explanation for similar occurrences other than an act of God.Our last caller today is Sam from CA who is wondering what the issues with the deist belief structure is if it doesn’t prevent a person from being a good person or accepting science. The issue is that a deist god is unknowable because it does not interact with the world, so no one could possibly justify it. Critical thinking and teaching a person to be good without the threat of some being watching their every move are much more important than trying to find some hole to stick a god in.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Dave Warnock is joined by Jenna Belk!Our first caller this afternoon is Chris from ID. They believe that the outcome events, like the creation of the universe, have a predetermined purpose behind it.Next is Hank from TX who is struggling to take the last step towards atheism. They can’t reconcile how our consciousness is possible due to its seemingly non-physical characteristics.Next is Jan from DE who claims that it is impossible to choose a god or philosophy. They also claim that we all believe the same things, and that we only have conflicts over beliefs because people aren’t defining their terms properly.Up next is Chris from CA who claims to be a pure agnostic, but isn’t able to explain how their position on God differs from that of atheism.Next up is once again David from CA who wants to talk about how God has stopped rapes while our hosts have not. You are not welcome back here David.Up next is Eric from GA who shares their experience with AA and the program's claim that you can’t get sober without God. Thank you for calling!Up next is Thomas from OH who claims that because humans carry the image of God, therefore we are gods. Beliefs are not interchangeable with knowledge, they are different terms with different levels of justification required before being used as a label.Our final caller is Robert from TX who claims to have a convincing anecdote that proves God. The caller already held the belief that a god existed prior to the experience, so they credited it to the God despite not having a justifiable reason to believe that one exists.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Hemant Mehta.Our first caller today is Marlon from the Philippines who believes that a local baptist pastor has received divine powers from God because the pastor appeared to spontaneously set his hands on fire with a snap. The “miracles” described by the caller sound a lot like the result of store-bought magic tricks rather than powers derived from a God.Our next caller is Pete from TX who asks if our hosts believe that The Atheist Experience and other online atheist programming provides a measurable benefit to society. Let’s have a strawman party!Up next is David from CA who claims that God cannot be proven through science, but through history and anecdotes. Please answer the questions!Next is Danny from FL who believes he triggered the depression in his girlfriend by converting her to Atheism. It was the conversion to Atheism that caused the depression. It was the realization of the lie that her religion told to her throughout her life. The best thing to do is to show her support, and encourage her to interact with other non-believers so that she knows that she isn’t alone.Next up is Richard from CA who believes that water has a collective consciousness. The caller claims that water molecules react to certain words being placed nearby. Whataboutisming other known pseudosciences is seriously not helping your case, trust me.Next is Mark from CA who claims that anyone who isn’t saved, by having faith in God, is going to hell. How is it possible to demonstrate to another person that you are saved?Next is Sharon from IL who asks why atheists believe that consciousness is merely the product of a material brain. Until such time that it is shown that something other than the material is necessary for consciousness, it is not reasonable to conclude that the immaterial is involved at all.Up next is Leo from WI who believes that it is possible to sell your soul to the devil. How do we know whether someone has actually sold their soul to the devil versus someone who is merely claiming to.Next is Sohaib from Canada who asks our hosts what they think about the Islamic version of hell. If you found out that God didn’t exist, what would you do?Next up is Tanner from UT. They are a former mormon whose father admits that he doesn’t care whether his beliefs are true or not.Our next caller is Brian from NZ who has a question about freewill and God as a puppeteer. There is a difference between having the freedom to make certain choices, and the freedom of choice.Our final caller is William from OH who is asking for advice on how to raise their child while being surrounded by believers. The best thing to do is to encourage your daughter to ask questions about their beliefs and ask her probing questions.

In today’s episode of The Atheist Experience, our sincerely apologizing Canadian Shannon Q is joined by Jim Barrows!Our first caller tonight is Patrick from FL is a pantheist who believes in a God defined as the universe. The issue here is that the attributes given to this God are so generic that we have no way of even beginning to investigate whether it actually exists or not. The character traits of the God being presented are essentially being used to assert a God into existence.Next is Rafael from PA who lives in an area where many psychologists, psychiatrists, and neurologists are also practicing scientologists. The caller is concerned about how tied their living situation is to the indoctrinated beliefs and practices of those around them, including medical positions.Up next is Jelmer from the Netherlands who claims that God is paradoxical so therefore God claims aren’t only true or false, but can also be both or neither at the same time.Next up is David from CA who believes they can show that the Big Bang Theory demonstrates pantheism. A kindergarten understanding of physics, the beginning of the universe, and pantheism is just not going to produce a convincing argument.Our final chapter of today’s journey is Kenny from OK. They state that everything that does exist must have an opposite. What is the opposite of sunglasses? What is the opposite of Panda? How does this lead to demonstrating the existence of a god?

Today we have a special roast of Matt Dillahunty for his 500th episode! We are joined by Viced Rhino who deals with young earth creationism and apologetics on his various platforms.Ulrich from Germany is our first caller who argues that disproving god is better than stating there is a lack of evidence. Claiming god does not exist will carry the burden of proof. There are countless gods to disprove, and nobody has the time for that. Some particular gods may not be disproven. You can’t appeal to a modern English definition to explain how the universe began when responding. Claiming to falsify something that is not falsifiable is a mistake.Mohammad in CA believes in god as a default position. The god claim is not the kind of thing we can just accept as a default. Which god is supposed to be the real god as a default? For any given claim, the default position should be to accept it only when there is sufficient reason. It must first be proven there is a god before assuming a prophet of that god has true prophecies. Believing in things you don’t understand leads to suffering.Jeremiah in AZ agrees that religion screwed up the world after visiting various churches but has also read the bible and as a result, believes god is love. The epiphany you had when reading the bible is flawed. The logical fallacy is when you conclude that your understanding is a correct understanding from god. You can not use an abstract concept such as honesty to define a god into existence. Do you have evidence that proves the existence of your god?Mike in MI tried to prove god by asserting the impossibility of the contrary with a ton of word salad. He has still failed to demonstrate the existence of your god. He was actually able to get it all in before Matt hung up on him.MJ in NY tries to make a case for Judaism by sending an email to the hosts. Go rewind and find the address we already gave you.Daniel in NY is trying to be a good Christian and believes the gospels have been written much earlier than scholars have stated. Why would you call an atheist show to tell us that you disagree with Christians? What the hell are we supposed to do about it? The dates of which the gospels have been written do not prove any of it to be true.Bill in CO used to be an atheist but has come back to Jesus because of claims that Abraham’s children would become numerous as the sand. His descendants are not as numerous as the sand and going with the majority is not a good reason to believe something. Either you believe or you don’t is not a defense to a claim.

Welcome to The Atheist Experience! Matt is out sick today, Kenneth Leonard and Dave Warnock stepping up. All our thoughts and, no not that, goes out to Matt. We all hope you feel better. First up, Kameron in MD asks advice on finding a purpose in life after leaving her faith. We atheists have to find or make their own purpose. Atheists aren’t a monolith, we are just people despite our beliefs. Live your life, let people realize that atheists can be good people.Joe in VA asks if there is an objective right or wrong? If we make decisions on actions, we can likely arrive at objective morality. Let’s hear a good moral argument from a theist? We disagree that god is needed for anything moral, atheists can be moral without any god. If theists can’t agree on the character of god, how can that be THE moral grounding?Richard in NV argues that life can’t come from non-life and that if evolution is proven wrong, god is proven by default. Evolution is a mechanism from how we got from point A to B, abiogenesis is a separate field of study. You are shoehorning in god, if evolution is false you still have to prove god. Ahmed in Egypt claims that Allah is evident and the atheist position is untenable. The “look at the trees” argument you use to prove Allah is used by christians to prove their god, nature doesn’t prove god. If we can’t prove something, doesn’t mean you get to insert god there. David in CA argues that proof of Jesus is that he seems omniscient in the bible. You can’t use the bible to prove the bible, we need evidence that demonstrates the claim. If Jesus is an omni god, how can he allow rape and murder? We’re more moral than that god. Jeff in CA is upset that atheists don’t help more in social problems of the world? Some atheists do help, we aren’t a monolith. These examples are broad but there are atheists out there working on these issues. Kenny in OK asks how you quantify “extraordinary evidence”. Evidence just needs to meet the threshold of proving the claim, some claims are pretty extraordinary though. The majority of the people in the world are religious, so what? People believing is ordinary, but Jesus’ resurrection, and lots of other religious claims, is an extraordinary claim. You need to provide better proof than arguments from popularity. Lastly, Peter in TX asks what is the goal of our show? What is our ideal outcome? We promote positive atheism and the separation of religion and government. Atheists aren’t making a claim. We try to help people think critically because we’ve seen religious ideas damage people. Bring the evidence, we haven’t found it yet. Check out more from Dave Warnock at https://daveoutloud.com/ Please stay safe, wear masks, social distance, and get vaccinated.

Welcome to The Atheist Experience! Today we have Dave Warnock and Matt Dillahunty teaming up to tackle today’s arguments. First up, Xeno in NC is back to present evidence for a deistic god, primarily using reductio ad absurdum argument. If your deistic god doesn’t interact with reality, that means it's not detectable. If we can’t detect that god, it might be true that it exists, but how can you provide evidence of an undetectable god?Lisa in CO finds it atrocious that the bible barely mentions dealing with slaves that are beaten and more for decorating your tabernacle. We agree, the all-wise creator of the universe seems to care more about curtains than owning/beating people. We are glad you are seeing those red flags as the best way to make an atheist is to have them read the bible. Arnie in WA thinks there are preconceived notions that atheists or theists can't seem to get over. We were believers and approached the issue seriously and skeptically. When you make a claim that god exists and is involved with us, you are going to have to present incredible evidence. Why is there any ambiguity regarding god, couldn’t he clear that up?Sarel from Israel is an atheist and asks our opinion on spirituality and fears of falling back into religion. What does spirituality even mean? If you are finding comfort or pleasure in it, enjoy until you are forced to buy into the pseudoscience or woo. There is real benefit in secular meditation and exercise. Jacob in CT argues that god never encouraged slavery. God could have said to not own humans as property but instead chose to give instructions to buy slaves, etc. Why are you defending the bible’s grossly immoral point on slavery? Owning a person as property is wrong in every way. Walter in WA argues that we can’t logically derive moral oughts but we can infer them in a transcendental/objective way. Inferring moral oughts? How is that not just your opinion? You are smuggling in the ought and assuming the goal. You can not derive an ought from an is. Yeah, we don’t need to do homework after proving you wrong. Kenny in OK claims that the miracle Elijah witnessed in the bible addresses the issue of divine hiddenness and that god directs him to passages in the bible. We don’t believe god exists or that he has performed miracles. The issue of divine hiddenness applies to everyone, not just someone in the bible. Go ask god for a passage that will change Matt’s mind. Lastly, Richard in NV wants to talk about what is logically possible and illogical concepts, for example light can’t travel a light year in 6 months. It is 100% correct that if we proved evolution wrong, it would not prove a god exists. All that preamble to say evolution is wrong, therefore god. We aren’t out of the pandemic just yet. Please stay safe, wear masks, social distance, and get vaccinated.

Welcome to AXP! What’s that sound? Another Canadian invasion you say? Why yes it is, ShannonQ is back on tonight with Matt Dillahunty!First up, Joe in VA complains that Matt is the rudest person he has seen. If a caller refuses to ask a question, isn't that rude to the rest of the callers? Matt isn’t bullying anyone.Arnie in WA claims that claiming bible inerrancy is a form of idolatry because every interpretation is subjective. It’s not idolatry and we don’t care if something is idolatrous. How do you prove someone's interpretation of a passage is wrong? Sounds like you are coming from a place of assuming there is a correct interpretation.Jade in CO has come to realize religion is a placebo and since their cancer diagnosis and grapples with their mortality. You came to all this through a tremendous struggle, thank you for sharing. Knowing our lives are finite grounded us to be more responsible for one's actions.Xeno in NC asks if we are trying to prove god, what god are you rejecting? We’re atheists, we address the god claim the caller makes, our mantra is “what you believe, and why”. So you believe in a god that you can’t define, have fun with your irrationality.John in CT asks how the brain can see, taste, smell, etc. (Error dictating huge flow of science) Nothing about a soul has been proven to be anything other than functions of the brain. Consciousness is pure magic and has its own source?? You say the soul exists but you can damage a brain and change tons about how a person behaves.Samuel in ME argues that Christians are changing their doctrine to make the bible appear moral but slavery is wrong on all counts. We agree there are problems in the bible, this needs to be addressed to Christians though.George in Sweden asks if a god exists with infinite knowledge, wouldn't it have an infinite potential to know what is good and would we follow him? We can’t know if god has infinite knowledge. If the bible is accurate, we want nothing to do with him. Try a new question that doesn’t assume anything about god.Lastly, Penelope in OK updates us on their coming out atheist and their father claims he knows how they became atheist. Sounds like you are doing fine. Keep in mind that this interaction is not going to be like this forever, just be comfortable being you and set healthy boundaries.Please stay safe, wear masks, social distance & get vaccinated.

Welcome to AXP! Jenna Belk is back in the cohost chair alongside Matt Dillahunty to tackle all the calls.First up, Peter in England argues that convincing people atheism is correct is futile because books like the Bible don’t convince anyone. The Bible does convince people, even today. Some people might not change their mind, but the ACA has absolutely helped people find their way out of religion.Nicole in MD asks why we hate Jesus. We don’t hate something that there is no evidence it even existed, let alone was divine. We can’t tell if your experiences are from Jesus. Until there is evidence there is a god, we won’t believe.Alejandro in CA says atheism is just an opinion. No this is foundational, disbelief is the default until you’re convinced otherwise. We don’t just assume atheism. Convince us of your god or go away.Joe in WI asks how sound is the argument that Abraham made it all up, arguing there was not a monotheistic god until then. It seems it’s more henotheistic is the belief that there are other gods but ours is the greatest one.Michael in MI claims the rich history of theism in the history of western philosophy has been largely ignored. What? DMT? Hallucinogens aren’t a path to truth. Space & time can’t exist outside of the mind? Email us, this isn’t for the show.Sean in FL asks if we disagree there was a 50% chance the universe was created. Yes, but we are not saying it’s more likely than not anything. Why are you shifting the burden of proof? Defend how you can put a probability on god.Manuela in Brazil is frustrated that people don’t question religion more given that religion causes lots of harm. We respect people's right to believe but it is the single most important question. Indoctrination is powerful, some people may not see the harm done and can’t even question itLast caller, Lethe Water noticed recently that prayer never worked for him. The Bible says that 2 or more people gathered will get anything granted. So any 2 theists should get any wish granted. Prayer has done nothing except to make some people, in a study, do worse. If prayer works, why isn’t a god helping?Please stay safe, wear masks, social distance & get vaccinated.

Welcome to AXP! Matt Dillahunty is joined by our special guest Ian Rowland. Ian is and expert on cold reading and has written several books on the topic.First up, Joey in The UK asks about the basics “building blocks” of reason and how to argue with presuppositionalists. Reason is the tool that we use to evaluate claims and thoughts. It’s tough, Presups tend not to change their mind, they presuppose a necessary thing that grounds all of reality.Xeno in NC argues for the existence of god and claims he gets signals that prove his god. Is there a way for anyone to detect these signals? It’s not the same thing as a blip on a radar, we can demonstrate that. You need to prove these claims rather than trash talk.Cristian in CO claims that the improbability that whatever universe does exist is a life permitting one speaks to design. Is this the reason you believe? Life is inevitable given unlimited attempts. We can think of a better version of this existence and write a better bible, backed by evidence, than this god.Herman in VA if there is no god, how can people not perceive it? It is possible for people to believe things that are not true. We can imagine a winged unicorn horse but it’s not real.Mini in Canada argues for god's existence by refuting darwinian evolution. Evolution is the cornerstone of biology and you could disprove evolution and it wont disprove god. Personal testimony isn’t evidence of God, resurrection, or the supernatural. Stop reading to us on air, we want a conversation.Jules in The UK has seen evidence for god and thinks Matt wouldn’t believe if god came down and revealed himself. No, we have said we would believe but not follow or worship that god. If there is evidence, we would believe. Bibliomancy does not prove god and we can’t believe this wasn’t impactful enough to remember the verse.Tom in MO concluded that something way beyond anything we can understand exists that created this. You can’t just declare something is an indisputable fact. Abiogenesis has been proven to be possible, molecules for life can arise from inorganic material.Please stay safe, wear masks, social distance & get vaccinated. Ian has challenged that next week's callers present arguments in rhyme.

Welcome to The Atheist Experience. Today’s show welcomes back the man, the myth, the legend...Dave Warnock!!! Oh and Matt Dillahunty is here too, I suppose. First up, Dean in CA presents the argument that people deserving to go to hell, eternal punishment, is incoherent. We don't subscribe to an afterlife, sounds like you need to bring it up with theists. Frank in Canada argues testimonials might make Jesus’ resurrection more reasonable. No amount of testimony is good enough for us. We have no good evidence to confirm ANY resurrection but we “need” to believe this 2000+ year old myth. Steven in CO claims we are “all creators” so that proves a creator. You can’t argue that all humans are creators of something, then there is a creator of everything. It’s a waste of time to argue with fallacious arguments.David in GA claims that atheists require evidence for claims but hold a claim we don't have evidence for. Our position is I don’t know. We don't spout a god claim, we simply reject your assertion on god.CJ from the US claims we are going to “outer darkness”, a giant snake that circles the earth. Oh, it's on the internet.Paul in the UK says there is a difference in implicit/explicit atheism. You might imply a baby is an atheist but we are explicit atheists. We are able to process a god claim and so far, every god claim has not met their burden or proof. Armond in GA asks us to explain why we aren’t absolutely certain about anything. We can’t be 100% sure about anything, even reason, so we couldn’t be sure about anything derived from reason. We are all as confident as possible that 1+1=2. Mr Delicieux in Canada claims the 7 day cycle proves Jesus is god. That only proves the popularity of the 7 day calendar, it doesn’t come close to proving Jesus is god. Regardless, you can’t use the bible to prove the bible. Ahmed in OH claims Matt causes him to believe in Islam more because Matt has disproved the Christian god to him. You don’t have to pick any god. There needs to be evidence of Allah, especially if he designed anything. Life makes more sense when you don’t attach a god to it.Helen in NC asks where is the proof that there is a common ancestor between apes and humans. The fusing of chromosome 2 is practically undeniable. Go study the science, this is not a controversy to atheists. Scientists simply follow the evidence rather than starting with a fixed position. Can’t you just take anything on faith? Joshua in ID asks about our stance about not being able to prove anything. On an earlier call, we were talking about the resurrection claim. However, some biblical claims we can accept, others we need evidence.Jason in TN asks if visibility is required for a god to exist. No. Air is not visible but it's detectable. Sorry I couldn’t document more of your Christian talking points, we’re out of characters…Stay safe, wear masks, & get vaxxed.

Welcome to The Atheist Experience. For today’s show, we have Mandisa Thomas joining Matt Dillahunty to field your calls.First up, Frank in Hong Kong asks advice about lying to family about his religion, he is ex-Muslim and has a strained relationship with his family. We encourage all atheists to come out, only if they are comfortable and safe.Jedidiah in WA argues god exists because concepts in your brain exist in reality. Have you heard of equivocation fallacies? There exists a concept of a unicorn in my mind, but unicorns don’t exist in reality. You are confusing the map for the place.Jake in TN argues that Christianity is a reasonable belief to hold. He goes on to claim the bible is “100% god breathed”. Uh oh, the “context” argument for slavery. Stop listening to apologists and read your bible, start at Exodus 21.Chris in OK asks if we believe the apostles were martyred. Someone dying for a belief has no bearing on the validity of that belief, just that someone was willing to die for that belief. We don’t have a way to assess their beliefs. It’s just a story from a book passed down through copies and translations. The story doesn’t make sense, why can’t god appear and clear all this up?Zander in OR wanted to talk about the Dawkins tweets. Matt has covered the topic, today’s not the day for that.Michael in FL argues the bible is a good educational tool mainly because it uses poetry, analogies, and metaphors to convey a topic. The perfect word of god should be clear, not full of parables and analogies? If man wrote the bible, how can you tell what is from god or from man?John in CA argues he could solve any “stumper” we have with Christianity. Why won't god reveal himself. Yeah...we’re not accepting that humanity has to end before that happensEvelyn in OR asks why we lack beliefs in any gods. Simply put, we haven't seen any good evidence for gods. We’ll believe once there is evidence.Jude in TX claims the bible doesn't condone slavery. We cover this topic a ton and we are past time, sorry.Lastly, Phee in GA asks if there are circumstances where tactful discrimination is warranted for people that are religious, anti-humanist, and/or detrimental to humanity? There are times where you may need to exclude people from groups but not to just discriminate out of hand. We would be open to conversing, arguing, or presenting evidence. However, there should be consequences if they are a danger to other humans.Continue to stay safe, get fully vaccinated, and wear those masks so we can see ya next week!

Welcome to The Atheist Experience. We had a last minute host changeup. Today we have Jenna Belk hosting and Kenneth Leonard’s first appearance on AXP! Welcome Kenneth, happy to have you as our guest!Up first, Arnie in WA asks if you want to believe something, are you choosing your beliefs? When some atheists leave their religion, they can WANT those beliefs to be true but not actually believe they are true anymore. Self deceit and brainwashing is a real thing, you may not realize you are “choosing” to believe without knowing why.Michael in OR is frustrated that biology is often left out of the conversation of if it's good to be alive, citing Matt and Jordan Peterson’s chat. Michael argues that there are biological drives to pass on our genes, so it's good to be alive. Some may not be well versed in biology, so they may not go there in a conversation.Kurt in OR had a falling out with a friend over his religion, citing an argument over proving god or slavery. Oof, we lost him...call back Kurt! Relationships can change over time, you may have to remind them your friendship isn’t affected by beliefs or argue and find some common ground.Martin in SC found Christianity to be negative and asked what atheists think of Buddhism. Well you can be an atheist and buddhist. However, it’s going to depend on the individual you ask. You might have to agree on definitions when talking to non believers. How do your beliefs/feelings reflect reality? Check out our facebook groups or discord!Joe in VA asks our takes on morality, claiming there is no right/wrong in atheism. We are very pro morality, you just have to define what is moral. We, the human race, define morality. We disagree there needs to be something “beyond us” for there to be moral actions.Sven in WA finds it hard to believe that atheists don’t comprehend what people mean by a soul (consciousness). It’s such a nebulous concept that people define it differently, we try to have them define what they believe. Fauna on Earth is super diverse, there are tons of driving forces behind evolution. How does skepticism lead to nihilism??Wayne in OR can prove there is a god, claiming revealed prophecies. Prophecies are subjective and no, we don’t believe in miracles. How can you discern something you have no explanation for and a miracle. Uncommon events happen ALL the time, they are not miracles.David in WA argues there is some spiritual being because billions of people have been religious. Appealing to popularity is a fallacy, we can’t know something is true based on popular belief. We can’t jump to a being, god, or anything spiritual existing “outside ourselves”.Lastly, Harry in Canada claims Jesus is god because he has power over all humanity. You need to define your god before you can prove it. How can Genesis 1 prove a god, the Bible is the claim for the Bible. 7 day weeks do not prove god, you need to back up that claim with something other than the Bible.Stay safe, get vaccinated, and wear masks so we can see ya next week!

Welcome to The Atheist Experience. Our special guest is Andrew Seidel with Matt Dillahunty hosting. Andrew is a constitutional and civil rights attorney, activist, and author. Make sure to visit andrewlseidel.com Up first, Chris in OK speculates that large developmental leaps/inspiration might be linked to divinity. It doesn’t seem that anything human is tied to anything divine, you are skipping lots of early human development. God should have created us with that knowledge. John in TX argues that Matt uses the argument for incredulity when talking about whether god reveals himself versus if he exists. God exists or not but talking about a god revealing himself is a different argument. If your god exists, why wont your god show himself? We aren’t going to believe first.Joel from AL argues that the US Navy confirms UFO crafts act in ways that can’t be explained, those creatures are practically a god. Unidentified means NOT identified. Don’t leap from UFO to aliens/beings. You aren’t justified in saying it’s aliens until proven wrong, you need to provide evidence of that claim. Marvin in WA asked god for a sign and an imprint of a cross appeared in the sky on a picture. Email a picture and try again.Jules from The Netherlands claims Pangea drove human evolution on multiple continents. As far as we know, human ancestry is traced to Africa. Pangea was 175 million years ago and pre-human hominids were 2+ million years, how can Pangea play any role? Mary in FL asks if the IRS is afraid of going after religious figures that engage in promoting a political candidate? Doesn’t that give access for christian nationalists? Christian Nationalists in congress gutted the IRS’s ability to take on religious organizations. Religious orgs don’t have to open their books to the government.Peter in India has evidence for the biblical god, born again won’t die, spiritually or physically. How can you tell if someone is born again or even that Jesus said anything about people being born again christians? Regardless, history has proven every human will die eventually.Brian in OR wonders why christians feel so persecuted, citing christians being upset about lead prayer being removed from schools. They had an unconstitutional right and got mad when it was taken away. States ruled that bible passages weren’t acceptable to be read in schools. The Government should not meddle in religious affairs. Arnie in WA argues that people that say the bible inerrant are saying their interpretation of the bible is incorrect. Even biblical scholars agree that the bible we have now is not perfect, there have been scribe errors/etc. Lastly, Frank in Belgium wonders why it took us so long to disbelieve, he read the bible early on and realized it was nonsense. The simple answer is indoctrination. Some of us were raised in the church, sometimes forced, and taught not to question or challenge your beliefs. Everyone, continue to stay safe, get vaccinated, and wear masks. We’ll see ya next week!

Happy Zombie Jesus Day!! Welcome to The Atheist Experience.Today’s show features Jenna Belk and Jim Barrows. Sadly, we couldn’t talk Jim into a bunny costume for today...Up first, David in CA is hopeful for a time where our show is no longer needed. While the goal is to make this show unnecessary, we definitely aren’t there yet. Believers born into a religion is an example of indoctrination and our show tries to help them out of it. Xeno in NC argues there is scientific evidence of god, saying you have to understand empiricism before you can get to god. If your senses can be fooled, how can you get to the “truth” with a flawed system. We agree the color red exists so colorblindness is an example of your senses being flawed. Mohammed in FL has proof that Muhammed never existed, arguing he was not mentioned in contemporary history. How can you begin to prove anything never exists? It sounds like the Jesus mythicist position. We aren’t looking to debate history, checkout facebook and discord.Ulrich in Mexico claims that we are all satanists, the AXP logo shows a broken cross, and we like satanists more than christian. If you claim that atheists deny god/satan, how can we serve satan? The “satanists” you claim we like are from the satanic temple, which are atheists fighting for separation of religion/government. Robin in DC asks if we are hard, or soft, atheist? He defines god as that which is the fundamental, personal cause, and grounds for all reality. Until you prove your god, the only rational position to take is I don't know. You can’t just claim there is no neutrality… We don’t flat out deny there is a god, but atheists aren’t a monolith. Both sides of the claim need supporting evidence, so one more time for those in the back….I DON’T KNOW is an appropriate answer. Justin in AL argues that there may be creatures in the universe that are more evolved that we are and may appear as a god. Given that claim, why would we call them gods? Just because it's possible, doesn’t mean that it's probable. Jo in Canada is a theist and is pro-choice, arguing that pro-life should mean promoting the wellbeing of life of everyone. No matter what, it should always be the woman’s choice to continue pregnancy. Why follow a religion that is unclear on terminating a pregnancy but is absolute that you can’t drink alcohol? At least you are honest in saying you don’t know!Zord in Sweden argues that if a god exists, it's more reasonable to listen to it versus another human. The problem is that we don’t know if a god even exists. How can you get to a being, let alone a creator god. We don’t have the time for more “what if” scenarios, sorry.Lastly, Michael in CT calls to falsify darwinism. Darwinism is just evolution. The scientific theory of evolution is pretty much set in stone, to overturn it would be wor;d view altering. So tell us, how did you overcome all the evidence of evolution??Hope you enjoyed today’s show. Everyone, continue to stay safe, get vaccinated, and wear masks. We’ll see ya next week!

Welcome back to The Atheist Experience. Today’s show features Matt Dillahunty and ShannonQ. Both hosts are on point today!!Up first, Ivan in Croatia wants to talk about the many problems with secular humanism because it advocates using reason to solve moral problems but people aren't always rational. What other system eliminates people's irrationality? Religion’s “moral system” isn't remotely good and forcing people to adhere to it is horrible and just indoctrination.Jelmer in the Netherlands argues there is a 3rd option to a dichotomy. God exists/doesn’t exist is a true dichotomy, there is not a 3rd option. The true nature of reality is a separate issue.Peter in India argues the bible has a lot of evidence for the existence of god, claiming only god can speak “Jesus said, unless a man is born again, he can not reach the kingdom of god”. Saying words isn’t evidence of anything. The bible proves the bible doesn’t fly here.Michael in MA claims god has been saving mankind from conjuring nations, as said in the haggadah. This is confirmation bias. Why isn’t god doing anything about this persecution? Lots of groups of people are persecuted. Your heritage does not mean god is real, the plural of anecdote is not data.Anthony in PA thinks that agnosticism is more rational than atheism & theism. Knowledge is a subset of belief. Knowledge is something that is justified and true and discovering it is wrong is worldview altering. Saying no god exists has no moral value. Anthony goes on to argue if the universe is irrational then rationality can’t be used. Only concepts can be irrational, the universe is not a concept.Austin in TX asks if atheists pray. We don’t but some people do a “call out to the cosmos” or meditate. Praying is sending a request to something outside yourself, we don’t believe that. Austin says calling someone theist is offensive, it creates an outgroup scenario. We’re the minority, we didn’t create that system.David in UT wants to talk about biblical zombies and Lazarus’s resurrection makes him as special as jesus. Do you believe anyone has ever resurrected from the dead? No? Then why are we here?Billy in TX argues he found peer reviewed articles that the genome is a code. We mean it is not a code from one intelligent mind to another. Billy then says there is no way nature can’t sequence a genome. There is a difference in a simulation hypothesis failing and something being impossible. Listen back, why can’t you say science has not discovered its impossible that the genome can produce through natural means.Lastly, Rae in MI reports that her neighbor sent a letter saying “you said that you just believe in being good, that's good but not good enough. You need to have a relationship with a higher power”. It really set her off and made her cry. Matt’s mom sent letters/emails and he had to set a boundary to never send mail again, its 1 way communication.To quote Rae, “god ain't going to show up for us, we gotta show up for each other!” Well said. Stay safe, get vaccinated, continue to wear masks, and we’ll see ya next week!

Welcome back to The Atheist Experience. This Sunday we have Matt Dillahunty hosting with Katy Montgomerie’s debut on AXP. Check out her new show, The TransAtlantic Call-In Show hosted on The Line.Up first, Mike in the Czech Republic asks if some people are more inclined to be believers. Everyone believes for different reasons. Try working on re-rationionalizing your way through when you have these feelings and check out books on skeptically thinking. Give yourself some time.Shelby in ME encourages Matt to reread the bible because he feels the bible is true. Is 4 times enough? WAIT, you haven’t even finished it?Steve in OH made a bet with Matt and claims to have paid up. However, Matt has no idea what you are talking about.Don in CA is grieving the loss of his son and is struggling with the lack of resources for atheists. Religions have a privileged position in society but they often provide false comfort in platitudes like “God needs another angel”. That minimizes the one and only life we know we have. Check out secular therapy project and grief beyond belief.John in CA asks about the fairness of trans women fighting in ciswomen’s events, like MMA. People say trans women just dominate cis women in sport but we don’t have this epidemic that is represented in media. There are a lot of performance factors, weight class, divisions, etc. It is fair that trans women compete in sports.Seleste in FL argues that the fabric of reality is made out of a crystal that has memory and emotions. Something smaller than an atom is not a crystal and rainbows don't come from crystals. Now water is made of crystals? Atoms and quarks are made of crystals too?? Holy crap.Buzz in WA thinks Matt was wrong in saying nothing exists out of time, arguing that photons exist out of time. Photons move at the speed of light, that denotes time. What difference does this make? Try calling a physics show.Arnie in WA is an ex-mormon and asks if he is guilty of the no true scotsman fallacy when he gets upset that other “mormon” callers say they believe in hell. You can define what is a mormon but the fallacy is excluding someone from that label based on unrelated things. For example, no true Mormon lives in Canada or no real christian murders people.Lastly, Scott in Mexico asks how to tell the difference if someone is mistaken or lying when they tell me they are a trans person. It’s akin to sexual preference or left handedness in that we can’t just outright tell if someone is lying. Most people don’t lie about these things but its’ pretty uncommon. We haven’t had examples of people lying about their gender identity in top level sports.That’s all for this week. Check out more from Katy at youtube.com/c/KatyMontgomerie Stay safe, get vaccinated, continue to wear masks, and we’ll see ya next week!

Welcome back to The Atheist Experience. This Sunday we have Dave Warnock back with us and Jim Barrows hosting. Such a pleasure to have Mr. Warnock back, check out more at www.daveoutloud.com!Up first, Joseph from NV asks why humans can’t interbreed with humans since we share 98% DNA, given that other animals that are similar can interbreed. We recommend doing some more scientific research, you haven’t come close to proving evolution wrong. You misunderstand genetics and evolution. Even if you disprove evolution today, which you can’t, how does that prove god?Alejandro in CA asks if there is a third state other than exists/does not exist, arguing you can’t say I don’t know. There are 3 positions you can take on any claim. Accept the claim, accept the claim as false, or say I don’t know. Atheism is a response to a claim of god/s, not a statement that there is no god. No one has presented sufficient evidence to believe in a god, so our position is we don’t know until the claim is proven. Paw in FL claims he witnessed an exorcist of a demon and he received a miraculous healing of his broken toe. You need to think more about your god’s selective healing, when we have people dying from disease or famine across the globe….but he is going to heal your toe. Even if we received a healing, you couldn’t conclude that god did it. Elizabeth in The UK joined a church and after her son died of covid 19, they were only concerned with his beliefs and said he was going to hell and that any good mother would make sure he made it to heaven. We are so sorry. God job telling them off, we wouldn’t want to be in heaven with those people either. Check out recovering from religion. Anton in MD asks if morality should be taught in school? We agree, they should teach more ethics and epistemology in schools as long as they don't attach religion to it. We have a lot more ethical questions today than we did. Paul in MI asks who decides what is moral given we don’t have an arbiter for morality. We base morality on empathy and happiness/wellbeing. You think hell is moral? It’s not justifiable to have an infinite punishment for a finite “crime”, not that disbelief is a crime. We reject the concept of sin, let alone infinite sin. If you would kill your own kid if a god told you, you are immoral. Lastly, Lee in CA doesn’t believe and was diagnosed with apraxia, he can’t shake that sense that he has earned this affliction. Sounds like you still have baggage from those beliefs. Dave quotes Maya Angelou “Do the best you can do until you know better, when you know better, do better.” Life happens and sometimes people get sick, live the best life you can and try not to look back. Carpe the f!?king diem!That’s all for this week. Stay safe, get vaccinated, continue to wear masks, and we’ll see ya next week!

Welcome back to The Atheist Experience. This Sunday’s show features Matt Dillahunty and Jenna Belk tackling your calls and arguments!Up first, Chris in CA asks if something willed the universe into existence or if it was just random chance. Why assume god as a default? Try starting out with “I don't know” and go from there. There doesn’t seem to be a way that anything could exist out of time and space. There is nothing about god that necessitates creation of the universe. What if god simply does not exist?Jackson from LA asks if being an atheist means you hate lots of things? Nope, it simply means you don’t believe in any gods. Atheists aren’t necessarily bad nor are they primarily gay. You need to interact with more atheists, check out some online communities. Dane from Australia asks if we think there is order in the universe, asserting that god is the creator of order? There is evidence of some order but none for a god. Repeat caller, Michelle in UT claims beauty wouldn’t exist without god. Complain all you’d like, but you still haven’t proven beauty comes from god.Xeno in NC asks if we think it's irrational to believe in these deities with regards to how much we don't know about the universe. We don’t currently know if a god exists or could exist, the time to believe is after it has been demonstrated. How can you experience your god if you claim it chooses not to reveal itself? Jonathan in AZ asks if secular morality is objective. The foundation, well being, is a subjective decision. However, the assessments we make in comparing consequences of that action to that goal can be objective. We have no evidence of any gods existing, pointing to a god solves nothing. Intrinsic morality has not been demonstrated. God doesn't solve moral problems, isn’t rape/slavery in the bible? Kevin in MI argues that Jesus Christ is real using evidence of the holy spirit. Speaking in tongues is not evidence of the holy spirit. If the holy spirit told you what to tell us, it doesn’t understand evidence. Ask your god for a fallacy free, evidence based argument and call back.Lastly, Andrew in WA is doubting his christianity and wonders our take on christians saying atheists are controlled by satan. Some atheists don’t struggle when losing their faith, but a lot do. A fear of god's wrath or hell can be a tactic used by some religions, we recommend calling recovering from religion. That’s all for this week. Stay safe, wear masks, and we’ll see ya next week!

Welcome back to The Atheist Experience. Today, we have Matt Dillahunty and ShannonQ teaming to answer your questions!Up first, Michelle in UT claims she saw god in creation even before she started reading the bible. We have evidence to explain how houses were created, we have no other universes for comparison. Appealing to creation as common sense is a fallacy called argument from incredulity. Have you heard of the Dunning-Kruger effect by chance?Alejandro in CA claims “I don’t know” or “I don't believe” does not correspond to reality.Asaf in Israel argues we perceive many things but actually there is only 1 thing in existence. Please define what the “one thing” that exists? Bad arguments for theism...Xeno in NC claims that there is scientific evidence for god. “Could be something” is not a definition of god. NEXT!Seth in OR claims religions all came from the same place, the first civilization, Atlantis. What evidence is there for Atlantis. Call Truth Wanted if you want to argue Atlantis.Charles in The UK claims there could be a god because of mass extinctions but doesn’t want to define god. Mike in Canada claims he believes in a creator, not a god. You have to prove that everything needs a creator. You don’t get to assert time and space were created by a creator, demonstrate it. You do not have a valid or sound argument. Khaled in Egypt argues that god is necessary based on the contingency argument. Sounds a little Canadian and/or Catholic. Ricky in UT argues the book of mormon is spot on and Jesus visited the Americas. Native Americans thought white people were gods...is this an argument that Jesus is white? Because the Book of Mormon says something is not a valid argument. Asaf in Israel calls back to tell us “me” is the one thing that exists and tries to argue that everything is everything. Why did you call back to tell us that??Tristan in TX claims there is an intrinsic morality. Morality is not an emergent property, it’s all about actions and consequences. Is there intrinsic moral value for a can of soda? Please explain why you think there is an intrinsic good in the universe.Kyle in CA argues theism has better explanatory power than naturalism, saying there is something that necessarily exists. We reject the premise that perfection is necessary at all. The fact that naturalism may not offer an explanation does not give any credit to the supernatural. Lastly, David in TX says his church therapist tells him that he won’t have any peace or joy without god. Using a moment of weakness to proselytize religion is disgusting. Lots of red flags here, you need to find a new therapist. Check to see if he is registered with the state. What a wild show this week! Thanks for tuning in, see ya next week.

Welcome back to The Atheist Experience. Today, we have Truth Wanted’s ObjectivelyDan joining Matt Dillahunty to tackle your calls! Up first, Travis in PA recounts a story of a paranormal experience of something flying around in his room. He now feels people can be justified in concluding the supernatural. Why couldn’t it just be a bat flying around? Right now, the best you can say is that you don’t know what it was.Alex in MO asks why Matt holds the “hard atheist” position, meaning believing there are no gods.. The world doesn't look like the world created by a god. As far as we can tell, people made up every god and only evidence will change our mind. If a god is “hiding” from view, from our perspective it's indistinguishable from a non-existent god. Heath in SC thinks there is good evidence for god, but not scientific evidence as he is supernatural. Since there is no way to prove the supernatural, how is there good evidence for a god? Faith and reason are not the same thing, faith is the excuse when you don’t have a good reason. Your misunderstanding of the infinite monkey theorem is not a good reason to believe in any god. Robin in DC claims that you won't have grounds to make any predications without being able to identify what is ultimate. We don't work in ultimates here. Robin claims god is the personal creator of all temporal states of affairs. How do you know that is the property of any god? You can’t prove direct revelation is from a god, tell god to speak to everyone…Adam in IL asks if there are logical reasons to be an atheist. No one has proved a god, so the default position is disbelief. There is no evidence the bible is the word of god. Hoo boy, the ol’ “building needs a builder so creation needs a creator” argument… Now onto “something from nothing” retort, you don’t understand big bang cosmology. Harmon in MI claims the concept of the third eye came from DMT released from the pineal gland and the pineal gland has been known since ancient times. Ancient people weren’t idiots, however the age of belief lends no credence to the belief itself. DMT is a natural process in our bodies, the body is a complex organism and we don’t fully understand every process. Olivia in TX asks why so many eye witnesses died for their religion if their religion is a lie. How do you know if there were any eye witnesses? What we have are stories designed to make you ask that question. The real question is DID it happen?Lastly, Russ in MO claims theists and atheists have misconceptions, claiming everything in the universe is in a perfect order. We didn't believe that before or after a god belief. Good luck telling us that we believe what we don't believe. I guess you have misconceptions about how to remain a guest on our show...That’s our show, thanks for tuning in!

Welcome back fellow Atheist Experience lovers. Today Matt Dillahunty is Jim Barrows, such a great duo! Our first caller, Sarah in OR is an atheist but believes in reincarnation and argues that e-meters work to show past lives. There is no scientific basis behind e-meters, it’s complete BS. Sarah has no other evidence than personal experience. We don’t believe in something without any evidence. Duke in IN claims to be a skeptic but retains belief in god, arguing peculiar experiences with a ouija board opened his mind. We wouldn’t know the cause of a ouija board getting every answer right, let alone less impressive examples. Being skeptical means refraining from belief until the claim is demonstrated. Manuel in OH asks why atheism is better than any other religion. It's not a religion, it's a label for people who do not accept the religious claim. If religions aren’t true and you believe it was a limitation on your life, all belief has a consequence. Noah in OR is a believer that became a skeptic but argues that the odds are astronomical against the big bang. If the only thing keeping you believing in god because no one has been able to prove god, thats a bad reason. Just because the odds are against something, doesn’t mean that thing didn’t happen.Michael in CA argues that god is a rational concept and has logical arguments. He goes on to define god as a mind like entity that has the ability to affect physics in a teleological direction. What is a mind-like entity?? If you can’t define your god, try again next time.Patrick in FL claims there is a problem claiming there is not scientific evidence of a supernatural god. Science is not able to investigate the supernatural, because no one knows what it is. If you advocate for a non supernatural god, that is something we can investigate. You defined the universe as a natural god, but the universe is not conscious. Cliff in MI asks advice about an attack against the kalam, arguing things coming into the universe are just reformulations given that the universe is the thing that came into existence. It could be a good rebuttal but they will try to claim there is something that did not begin to exist. Todd in CO argues science isn’t the only method to observe reality. There are plenty different methods to view facts of the world, science seeks to minimize the likelihood of being correct using rigorous investigation. “True for me” does not sound like a good method to view reality, sounds like a wild ass guess. Allan in NY asks why we won’t permit cherry picking in the bible. If the bible is the inerrant word of god, you don’t get to pick and choose. Cherry pickers are just basing it on their own preference. Last up, Chris in CA argues for the supernatural and there is something out there that reads our minds. He tells of a story of having lunch with coworkers, or thought they were coworkers. We were on a good call, or so we thought.That’s our show, thanks for tuning in!

Welcome back fellow Atheist Experience lovers. Today Matt Dillahunty is joined by Dr. Josh, known as Digital Hammurabi. Check out more videos at https://www.youtube.com/c/DigitalHammurabiOur first caller, Ayham in Toronto grew up Jehovah Witness and was diagnosed with schizophrenia and asks our take on if Jehovah is god. Why would that god speak to you if it can be written off as a medical issue? We can’t prove one way or another if the voice you hear is god. If your medicine makes the god visions go away, is god less powerful than your meds?Michael in Germany asks if claims of religious experience is reason enough for atheists to look into it. It depends on the claim, it may make us look into it more but it's not evidence of their claim. Regarding “gods morality”, we can’t evaluate what the god says but we can evaluate what the bible says.Mickey in NY argues that theists are rationally justified in believing in god. Your 4 premise argument does not prove god and can be rejected out of hand. You are rushing to say your argument is sound, it is not. Try again another day.Pablo in AZ asks if we have completely ruled out god/s. We don’t know how one could completely rule out any deity, we are not absolutely certain about anything. The world doesn’t appear to support any deity. We have been doing this show since 1997, no evidence of gods yet…Wade in LA picks Dr. Josh’s brain about Shamhat in the Epic Of Gilgamesh, focusing on a scene of man on woman sex. What’s the point? As fun as this is, it's not relevant to our show.Elvis in CA argues that every moral a political belief is just intuition which is post hoc justified. That is not true of EVERY belief. We don’t just intuit something and try to justify it after the fact. Some people just distrust vaccines out of hand, but we can show the science behind it. The default position is disbelief until evidence is shown.Harry in England asks why we wouldn’t afford an unborn baby special rights? We don't give special rights to anyone. Harry goes on to ask about setting up a secular society. See if the secular student alliance has ties in the UK, let the group be what the people need and grow from there, make sure the president of the group is not a senior.Bob in VA makes the claim that atheism is a psychological issue. “That’s bullshit” is not an argument...good luck next time.Last up, Mike in CA is an atheist and gives his assertion of a creator. You don’t just assume the universe is created to prove a creator. “If there was no creator, there would be no creation”...Prove that assumption. “It exists therefore it’s created” Gee we’ve never heard that one.That’s our show, thanks for tuning in! Matt predicted the big game for Kansas City 31-20...let's see if he is correct.

Welcome back, the ladies have taken over this episode of The Atheist Experience! We have Jenna Belk and ShannonQ talking to our callers, this is going to be good.Our first caller, Hugh in The USA asks the definitions of Theism/Atheism/Antitheism. Theism/Atheism deal with truth beliefs about a deity, whereas antitheism is a supplemental belief about religion and religious practice. Hugh believes deities are imaginary proclaims himself an antitheist. Kenny in CA want’s to tell us that he believes in the biblical god and why he believes it. He can’t seem to describe god but stating he is the self existing Yahweh. “All of history supports it” is not evidence, that is a ridiculous reason. Mike in Austria claims he can use mathematical logic to prove the unprovable, arguing if you have a set of axioms, arriving from those axioms you can never get all true statements. To what end are we having this conversation? How is asking for proof illogical?Solomon in WA argues that abortion should be illegal becuase it’s taking a life from another person, defining life starting with a heartbeat. You are placing life at the wrong stage of fetal development. There is a notable difference in a fetus and 4 month old baby. It boils down to bodily autonomy, no one has consent to use your body...inside of birth or out. Jack in AZ believes that god does provide evidence, saying “interesting” coincidences can point to bigger truths. Jack tells a story where the number 3435 resonated with his mother. How is that proof of god? Listen to Shannon on this one, there is no thinking with your heart and gut bacteria doesn’t make you believe different things. Defining god as everything means nothing to us, why use the label god then?.Christian in CA asks whether atheists have the duty to deconvert people. You have to pick your moments, family would be the last place to start. You can casually mention it and gauge their interest. You are the one that decides when beliefs are causing your harm. Don’t give anyone time in your life that uses your lack of belief as a cudgel to abuse you. Last up, David in CA claims that everyone operates on faith, because we just trust our parents from birth. You should not just blindly trust your parents. We require a higher burden of evidence of claims you may just trust. We use source methodology and logic to find the truth in a claim. We investigated the claims of religion and found it lacking sufficient evidence to believe. That’s our show, thanks for tuning in!

Welcome back to The Atheist Experience. Today Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jim Barrows! Today’s show is going to be a good one, get ready!Our first caller, Bo in MT is surprised we would respond that we wouldn’t worship god if proven real. We don’t have the baggage of “god is good” and, if real, has a lot to answer for. The god of the bible has acted atrociously toward humans and does not deserve reverence. Raphael in Sweden asks, hypothetically, if Hitler would have been correct in wiping out a race of humans if it did the world good? Was he correct though? Rafael asks who defines morality. It’s not a matter of who, it's a matter of maximizing happiness and wellbeing and applying that across society. Kaden in WA asks what is the value of morality if this world is all we’ll get? That’s like asking what good are the rules if we are only playing 1 game. Is it better to be polite to someone or punch them in the face upon first meeting them? Kaden thinks he is a psychopath without his god belief. Good luck, get some help, and keep believing. Aaron in VA thinks he would fall in line if the Christian god presented himself to be real, fearing damnation. Would It be more moral to kill your kid or burn in hell? The moral thing is to tell that god to go fuck themselves. We can see what happens when a dictator is worshiped as a god, people do what they can to survive. Mohammad in Australia claims a creator is the most logical explanation for consciousness. It’s true consciousness came from either something conscious or nonconscious. However, simply thinking the other option is not reasonable is not a good reason to believe anything. James in The UK argues that, secularly, abortion is wrong. Abortion is simply the termination of pregnancy. Do you agree we should allow people the autonomy to make their own decision? A born human doesn’t have a right to anyone’s body. We are not willing to grant special rights to a human in utero. Calvin in CA asks if time is the enemy in creating life in laboratory conditions, how can you come to the conclusion that evolution is correct? What we can/can’t do in a lab is irrelevant to what happened in the course of our history. Michael in FL has been listening to more atheist content and has been trying to address issues in his faith. Should we work towards the best heaven, or the worst hell? It’s best to say I don’t know, if the god is good then they shouldn’t fault you for living the best life you can. John in KY believes there is a god because of a near death experience but can’t even tell of his experience. Last up, Jeremy in CO finds his Aunt’s cured cancer as a miracle and thinks the best explanation is a god did it but agrees god has never been proved. Faith is not a good path to finding the truth. You can just say I don’t know, that is reserving judgement. That’s our show, thanks for tuning in!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hello all you atheists (and theists) out there! The hosts of Atheist Experience today are our very own Matt Dillahunty and Jenna Belk. Tune in to see Jenna’s big announcement!!Our first caller, Eddie in Canada objects to Matt’s use of a moral/slavery argument. Matt’s position is slavery in the bible is immoral but Eddie thinks if a god commands it, it is moral. How can you tell the difference between someone thinking god told them versus god actually commanding it?Ulrich in Mexico says that phrases akin to “oh my god” proves god’s existence. We are not calling on a literal god, just using a phrase found commonly in society’s lexicon. Lester in NC asks about objective morality, asking if certain situations are objectively bad. What does it matter if something is objectively immoral? Christians can not demonstrate morality comes from a god, let along prove that god. Anne in Turkey worries thinking about skepticism triggers mental health issues. Skepticism is just not believing something without good evidence. Check into resources in your area and look into Recovering From Religion. Jesus in CA argues God is a personal being outside of time, space, and matter. Does God interact with reality at all? Design is not interaction and DNA is neither a code or evidence for design. Oh no, now we're talking about the big bang theory…Anthony in FL tells us that atheists are hypocritical because we would vote for a believer. He rambled on about inane “what-if” scenarios but couldn’t point out why atheists are hypocritical. Dmitriy in CA argues that fine tuning is the best argument for the existence of a god. We can not show that physics could work another way, the argument fails that it was fine tuned. We look for explanations supported by scientific evidence, it is impossible to define the supernatural in science. Cindy in Belgium asks about inductive and deductive reasoning. There is no requirement that logic address true premises, it is possible in an inductive argument for the conclusion to not be true. What a fun call on logic and syllogisms! John in GA asks if we are predetermined to believe in god if you believe in predeterminism? We believe that the universe is deterministic. We believe that people can choose to change their minds on their beliefs. Lastly, Preston in UT asks how life was created given the laws of entropy. We don't know, those that claim knowledge has the burden of proof. There are scientists working on abiogenesis. If you say that life arising on earth violates the law of entropy, write a paper and get a Nobel prize. Thanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. Keep wearing your masks and please go vote!

Hello all you atheists (and theists) out there! The hosts of Atheist Experience today are our very own Matt Dillahunty and Johnny Angel. Not only is Johnny a co-host but he co-produces the Non-Prophets reboot! Nice hats Johnny, very clever.Our first caller, Heath in TX asks how you can tell if a claim is extraordinary or not? Does it comport to our human experiences? All claims warrant as much evidence as is needed to believe that claim. You need different levels of evidence for the sky is blue versus there is a god. Adam in Romania asks advice on how to deal with an irrational fear of death and dealing with grief? These fears hit Adam mainly right before he goes to sleep. Johnny has had these kinds of episodes and gives his advice. Contact the secular therapy project and see if they have resources in Romania. They talked about what an atheist funeral should look like. Meerkat in UT asks why he should bother convincing an atheist that god exists if that atheist doesn't want to convert to Christianity. The answer to your question in your Bible, according to your own beliefs. Do you know what an atheist wants to believe?Ray in Colorado argues that GDP is higher in Christian nations than others. It is higher than all other nations, so what? The USA is a secular, not Christian, nation with a secular constitution. Ray disagrees but fails to make a valid point that the USA is Christian. Out of the 10 commandments, only 2 are part of any laws here. Catholic Traditionalist claims he can prove God by asking a few questions. Matt tries to answer his questions but the caller only wants to troll on behalf of a previous caller. Be an honest interlocutor if you call back. Joe in MO claims 2 of the first 5 claims in the Skeptic’s Annotated Bible are disproven by reading the Bible. Matt addressed this in a recent video he posted and we don’t accept the claims in the Bible. Joe fails to show how he knows his Bible code or interpretation is correct. Cool story bro.Last caller, David in Canada asks why we do not feel the call to Jesus Christ. Matt thought he did feel a calling toward Jesus, he was going to be a pastor after all. David talks about God healing his cancer but fails to prove how it could be god. Why can’t a god just heal you of cancer without making you go through treatments and surgeries?Thanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. Keep wearing your masks and please go vote!

Hello all you atheists (and theists) out there! The hosts of Atheist Experience today are our very own Matt Dillahunty and Jim Barrows. Glad to have you have on Jim!Our first caller, Kel in UT asks for advice on talking to his brother about going on a mission trip, after regretting his own. Have a sit down talk with him about how you felt on your mission and leaving the religion. Let him know you are someone that cares but also respect his boundaries.Al in Poland easily left the faith and wonders why it is difficult for others and thinks AXP is helpful for leaving one’s faith. It can be difficult to leave your faith and that is why we do this show, thanks for thinking highly of our production! Alvin in NC offers his theory on a biblical code, that there are over 100 numeral patterns in genesis 1:1. How can there be 100 patterns in 7 words? All the arguments just sound like numerology. Genesis 1:1 shows pi? Granting this theory, it still doesn’t prove a divine author. Rj in CO doesn’t think Christianity spreading globally wasn’t a coincidence. We agree, it mostly spread through coercion, conquest, convincing people, and at the point of a sword. Sorry you don’t agree with facts. Kim in OR believes in the bible but dismisses 80% of Christianity. Kim gives a case for his god belief, inherent design of nature and poking holes in evolution. Kim puts forth the 2nd law of thermodynamics argument, it doesn’t prove god and the earth is not a closed system. Study the 2nd law of thermodynamics, don’t just read answers in genesis. Last caller, David in CA tries to prove the bible is correct in its order and science verifies genesis 1 is correct. Genesis does not match the scientific order of how the earth formed. Science gives us the best models based on the current evidence available. David threw in the towel himself by mentioning Hitler… JeezThanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. Keep wearing your masks and please go vote!

Hello all you atheists (and theists) out there! The hosts of today’s Atheist Experience are Matt Dillahunty and Paulogia! Paulogia is a recent atheist and has a popular YouTube channel addressing Christianity.Our first caller, Jelmer in The Netherlands argues that god exists and god doesn't exist is a false dilemma. Matt explains it is a direct logical negation and the laws of logic holds up, even in a black hole. Jelmer confuses laws of science and logic. Marius in AL argues that Matt’s interpretation on Exodus 21, great another slavery argument. The bible explicitly endorses owning a human. Marius argues that it permits indentured servitude. Even if we grant that, it still outlines some horrific actions, like beating their property. People are not property.Omniskeptic in Canada claims most atheists activists misunderstand the no true Scotsman fallacy and feels Christians are just amending their definitions. A good practice is to let people give their label and what they mean by it. Atheists catch a lot of flack claiming we were never true Christians. Jacob in the UK argues in favor of the resurrection of Jesus. Paulogia tells us that we can only be confident about the martyrdom of 2 of the 12 apostles of Jesus. We can’t be certain anything in the bible occurred but we acknowledge people truly believe, but we can’t link it to anything factual. Shannon in TX thinks that atheism is wrong by definition, defining atheists as “god or gods don't exist”. That's not the definition we use. One needs to agree on definitions to have meaningful conversations, gods don’t exist just by naming an existent person a god.Nadir in FL can prove the Koran is from god, using science even! There is not a way to prove any text is from the mind of a god. Was this merely a call to challenge Matt to a debate?Last caller, Jeff in FL asks if there is no free will how do we hold people responsible. We don’t think people are overall evil, but we can hold people responsible for the actions they take independent the reason they took the action.Thanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. Check out more from Paulogia at https://www.youtube.com/c/paulogia Keep wearing your masks and please go vote!

Hello all you atheists (and theists) out there! The hosts of today’s Atheist Experience are Matt Dillahunty and our own Jenna Belk.Our first caller, Hunter asks our experience coming out to religious family members now that he is embracing atheism. It went badly but not the worst thing in the world, don’t make it a huge sit down event. Also look into resources like books, forums, recovering from religion, etc. Nat in Mexico thinks there is no way to justify an ethical point of view as an atheist and argues theism provides grounding to ethics. There is no objection to secular morals by appealing to a deity. At least we agree well being is the only rational grounding to morals, too bad we can’t agree on the definition of atheism.Ricky in Columbia thinks people need Christianity to form the basis of a society. Actually society remains intact despite religion. Ricky can’t seem to point to a Christian value that couldn’t be secular and implies LGBT people are dangerous.Alvin in NC wrote a book about 100 provable patterns in genesis 1:1 that are way beyond chance or mortal capabilities. He then goes on to explain his proof in numerology. How do you know the rules of how to do math on the verses? This sounds like bad methodology and confirmation bias.Robert in CA asks advice on how to talk about atheism on a college application. There shouldn't be much of a problem if it's not a religious college. Matt finds it easier to make a pro/con list and Jenna advises that if they had that kind of bias, she is not sure if she would want to attend.Mars argues that the Christian god supports freedom, not slavery. Matt points out the bible doesn’t support freedom and does endorse owning another human. Mars asks to not be taken seriously, happy to oblige. Brent in CA asks how to get over using the atheist label when holding onto some other beliefs. Jenna points out you don't have to use any terms, you can just say you don’t believe in any gods. It takes time to work through your beliefs. Don’t beat yourself up!John in NJ asks how to reason his thoughts of what he feels should happen to the murderer of his brother. It is understandable to have mixed thoughts about that and while we can empathize, don't let it consume your life. Looks into grief beyond belief.G in NC asks tips for how to find out if we are using epistemology correctly. Know that you hold irrational beliefs. Skepticism is not an on/off switch and be open to changing your mind in the face of new evidence. Last caller, Sam in NV argues there has to be an afterlife. It may seem like there should be one but where is your evidence? A gut feeling isn’t evidence and life is not fair. Thanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. Stay safe and continue wearing masks out there.

Hello all you atheists (and theists) out there! The hosts of today’s Atheist Experience are Matt Dillahunty and ObjectivelyDan. Dan joins us from ACA’s own Truth Wanted (airs every Friday), and we're glad to see him on AXP!Our first caller, Jake in CA shares his beliefs with us. For instance, the devil is walking around and only has power through god. How could you know that? … oh the bible, of course. Jose in GA feels Matt is dismissive of peoples stories about experiences with the holy spirit. How can we tell if someone had a genuine experience with the holy spirit? We don’t just shut people down, we care about what beliefs are true. Matt demonstrates to Jose that feelings don’t justify beliefs.Lauren in NY has logical proof for god, arguing if the universe is a closed system then consciousness would extend to the universe itself. We’re not sure how consciousness would extend to the universe. Lauren goes on to talk about astrology and predicts Matt’s friends will have air/fire signs and Dan’s would have earth/water. Lisa in FL asks how much knowledge of all religions comes into play when talking about atheism. You don’t need to research any or all religions to talk about your atheism. Atheists don’t need to disprove any god, let along all gods. Jacob in CA thinks lots of laws in the old testament would fix some societal problems we see today. We don’t need a theological understanding of problems in the bible to solve current problems. We don't have to justify the bible, we can just get rid of it. Joe in IL tries to prove the inspired word of god comes through him. He got a premonition to buy medical supplies at a hobby lobby...for a self surgery? Yeah, this one went off the rails.Dan in NY claims to be able to prove the devil. Too bad he lied to get on the air, NEXT! Enoch in PA, asks why we want to convince people they are wrong. We are just trying to have conversations about what people believe. If they figure out they don't have a good reason to believe something, all the better. We care about true beliefs.Jeremy in NV claims to have a good defense of christianity and finds it best to defend one true god, not just a god. Matt asks what evidence demonstrates a god exists but Jeremy can’t seem to answer.Last caller, Anthony in VA argues that god used to exist but doesn’t any longer, claiming that god is nothing but a title and ancient people put those ideals onto those names. There is no way to prove that.Thanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. You can find more from ObjectivelyDan at https://www.youtube.com/c/TruthWanted Stay safe and continue wearing masks out there.

Hello all you atheists (and theists) out there! The hosts of today’s Atheist Experience are Matt Dillahunty and Dr. Hector Garcia! Hector is an author, podcaster, and youtuber. Heh has been spending his Covid time making a new YouTube channel, shout out to Genetically Modified Skeptic.Our first caller, Jonathan in the UK wants to know how to help his believer wife without challenging her beliefs. Tough request Jonathan. Is the belief of a punishing god damaging to begin with? Be honest, come at with concern and let her know this is you and you are not taking away her beliefs. Reach out to Recovering From Religion. Shawna in NY asks what to say to people that say consciousness is proof of god. There needs to be more to the argument, a statement is not enough to conclude a god exists. The brain is malleable, it can be altered and fundamentally change the person affected.Dean in CA argues that wellbeing is not robust enough to base morality on. Dean argues coronavirus harms our wellbeing. We agree but there are forms of wellbeing, like societal wellbeing. In discussions of coronavirus we are always talking about wellbeing, not personal preference. Brian in CA asks about Pascal’s Mugging, a thought experiment on probability of return on investment and risk versus reward. We would want more evidence to believe someone would return any money given. Way too many factors to consider. Rick in MI thinks Matt is wrong that slavery is in the bible. Rick agrees with Matt that slavery is outlined in the bible but its immoral to own people. Matt points out the bible advocates for something we agree is immoral. Ron in FL asks how to combat the argument that his brother needs to power through mental health problems. You can research barriers to mental health and help direct him. It’s not a failing on his part and one can’t necessarily pull themselves up by their bootstraps. Mark in NM asks if atheism creates a contentious point for people arguing new theological ideas. Atheism is merely a response to a claim. We are unsure of what you are asking. Nathan in LA feels people are agnostic because we don’t know where people came from and feels there has to be a force controlling evolution. Look at the trees… Abiogenesis deals with where life came from, not evolution. No creator required.Michael in AZ thinks god is a paradox. A paradox implies that something doesn’t exist, a god can’t both exist and not. Last caller, Vernaz in the UK asks why does god have to be connected to religion and feels god has nothing to do with religion. Some religions don't have a god belief. Email [email protected], we would love to hear more. Thanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. You can find more from Hector at www.hector-garcia.com. Stay safe and continue wearing masks out there.

Hello all you atheists (and theists) out there! The hosts of today’s Atheist Experience are Matt Dillahunty and Jim Barrows, welcome back Jim!Our first caller, Isaac in OH thinks differences in DMT experience is evidence that one could be transported to another dimension. The hosts talk hypotheticals and testing methodologies with safeguards using DMT. We would need evidence to be on board here.Alexander in Norway defines spirituality as wise thoughts that deepen the understanding of existence. Wouldn’t that then make philosophy spiritual? This is just giving spirituality a new definition but we need to find common ground on nebulous concepts.Patrick in WA has simple scientific evidence from the bible that modern science has confirmed, for example mountains and valleys in the ocean. That sounds like something one could discover skin diving or diving for food. Jose in GA gives evidence of people experiencing the holy spirit. How can we tell if someone has actually had an experience with a real holy spirit? We don’t assume people are lying about their experiences, we don't just assume a supernatural explanation.Kendall in OR asks what evidence would change the mind of a lifelong believer versus a non believer. A god would know what would change our minds but seemingly chooses not to. Our minds aren’t closed, we just haven’t been presented with sufficient evidence.Kay in NH thinks freedom should be the foundation of morality, not well being. The reason you care about freedom is it is conducive to well-being. Matt pointed out the flaw in using freedom as a basis for morality.Danny in London says if there is a cause of the universe, it rules out every god but an Abrahamic god. There is a beginning to our universe but there is no evidence of a creator. Danny fails to provide evidence for this claim. Mark in IL finds Matt’s hard atheism surprising and believes in a god via skepticism. Matt doesn’t believe in a god but also believes that man has made up god stories. Suspicions of the way things are is not a skeptical approach, the trees aren’t proof of creation. Last caller, George in TX, finds Romans to be evidence of the death and resurrection of Jesus. The verse is the claim, not evidence, of a resurrection. Quoting the bible doesn’t provide any evidence. Thanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. Stay safe and continue wearing masks out there.

Hello all you atheists (and theists) out there! The hosts of today’s Atheist Experience are Matt Dillahunty and Jenna Belk! Happy Birthday to our audio engineer Vern, the Lord of Levels!Our first caller, John in FL, asks if christianity negatively affects people? We don’t even know if it's actually true. Is it good for people to believe something that isn't true? John holds onto belief because of Pascal's Wager and may call Recovering From Religion. Good idea John!Ralph in FL asks what makes values valuable? The person making the assessment imbues it with value, morality is rooted in well being after all. We can’t access god’s thoughts on morality or well being. It seems the biblical god doesn’t care about the quality of human life, just who gets to what afterlife.Syngyn in PA thinks we should follow god’s word and asks why it is hard for people to put faith in something they don’t know of? Do you have any evidence? At least we agree the bible isn't the word of god. If you won’t find out what god wants until you are dead, god is irrelevant to living life. We hope you look more into your beliefs and callback.Jack in Canada believes Matt and Jenna are part of a group of organized secularists. That is true but concepts matter, not the labels. Jack thinks religions are persecuted and atheists are not. Quite the opposite is true. Keyon in CA argues discernment to a previous call about the bible then brings up arguments about evolution. We live in the best of times Keyon. There are so many erroneous claims in this call and human babies not being able to care for themselves out of the womb does not disprove evolution. Last caller today, Kendall in WA cites Exodus and 1 Timothy to disprove Matt's position that the bible condones slavery. Exodus 21:16 is about kidnapping but exodus 21 tells you who you can enslave. Matt challenges Kendall to be his slave outlined in Exodus 21. Yikes Kendall...Thanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. Stay safe and please continue to wear your masks. The world is better with you in it. See you next week!

Hello all you atheists (and theists) out there! The hosts of today’s Atheist Experience are Matt Dillahunty and Shannon Q, so happy to have Shannon Q on today!Our first caller, Jack in Canada, says that he thinks religious groups “walk on eggshells” more than atheist groups. The bible does not preach religious tolerance and we oppose beliefs not religious people. Matt points out Deuteronomy 13 commands you to kill other believers. Ryan in NY asks what proof there is of atheism. What is your definition of a god? Atheism just means disbelief in god/s, the burden of proof is on the claimant. Ryan gives us his personal experience and talks about morality and once again we find another caller cool with slavery…Linguistie in the Ukraine asks if god appearing in believers dreams are a style of lucid dreaming? Your brain functions while you sleep, as well as parses memories, and can affect your waking perceptions. People can use this to solidify their beliefs. Sain in TX asks about divine command theory. The problem is whatever god dictates would be moral, that can lead to some horrible commands. Not to mention the lack of evidence of any god. The biblical god is immoral and in the event of his return, the only recourse is rebellion.Last caller today, Jonathan in AZ asks the reasons for believing one doesn’t go “anywhere” upon dying. There is no evidence anything happens after you die, you just stay dead. A soul is the most dead concept in theology. Shannon expertly breaks down the neurology that makes someone a person, doesn’t lend any credence to a soul or an afterlife. Thanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. Stay safe and please continue to wear your masks. The world is better with you in it. See you next week!

Hello all you atheists (and theists) out there! The hosts of today’s Atheist Experience are Matt Dillahunty and David McRaney. David is an author and got into podcasting as a way to promote his book. You can check out his work at https://www.youarenotsosmart.com and the You Are Not So Smart podcast!Let’s get to calls! Our first caller, Jacob in IL, tells a story of a man who went into a coma and saw many-eyed animals next to god and that made Jacob think it was true. Just because people have an experience regarding a religion, doesn’t mean we should leap to believe the experience or the religion. Arthur in Europe asks if we think it's wrong that someone believes in something with zero evidence. There may be bad evidence, but we can't see people believing based on no evidence. It’s best not to believe anything without sufficient evidence.Josiah in CA asks how we are interpreting evidence of paranormal or religion correctly to poke holes in evolution. He then tells us of a dream where he foresaw a man and the details matched up with reality after he had the dream. How can you rule out other explanations? Dreams are fun and all, but aren’t evidence of anything supernatural, godly, or magical.Dan in Romania asks why we wouldn’t believe Paul the Apostle? You can’t just accept claims about an experience with the risen savior on a damascus road with no evidence. Dan doesn’t see a reason they would make that up, but their claims alone aren't sufficient evidence to believe. Otherwise, you would have to believe every other would-be prophet out there.God (Sirha) in CT claims there are no paradigms are real and claims to have transcended reason. Matt tried to ask some questions but lets say he didn’t make it far.Last caller! Marie in VA doesn’t think that the big bang theory conflicts with major religions creation stories. The order of events in genesis doesn’t match with the order we know from science. For instance, the earth was not created before light. Marie believes the bible anyway. Thanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. Stay safe and please continue to wear your masks. The world is better with you in it. See you next week!

Hello all you atheists (and theists) out there! The hosts of today’s Atheist Experience are Matt Dillahunty and Jim Barrows! Glad to see Jim back! As an update, our show will remain remote throughout the year and into next year.Let’s get to calls! The first caller, Rick in CA, has a quick question on the efficacy of prayer. Who knows how many times our hosts prayed and nothing happens. The hosts don’t see any evidence that prayer works. Aaron in WI calls to talk about morality as it pertains to atheists vs theists for an argument for god. Neither theism nor atheism takes a position on morality inherently. Aaron feels we would agree with most of the morality in the Bible, but Aaron has more in common morally with the hosts than what's in the Bible. Carl in Ontario calls to tell a story about saving a kid from a car wreck. While reflecting back he has a purpose to protect people and needs no gods. One would hope any decent person would do the same in that situation, with or without a god belief. Mark in FL asks what is the standard of proof before one begins to believe something? There are multiple standards of evidence. Believing means you accept something likely true. Why would you be convinced of something without evidence?Gene in PA, a science teacher, would feel bad if a student left the class believing that the earth is flat but recognizes a right to one's beliefs. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink. You can only do your best to educate people, teach them how to think and not what to think.Joe in Lebanon is on the road to atheism and points out that most religions are started by eccentric men and asks if St. Paul was honest. We don’t, and maybe can’t, know. Adrian in TX is calling to argue for a designer god but confuses purpose and design. One can use a rock as a hammer but the rock is not designed. When you can't differentiate between purpose and designed, there isn't much of a conversation to be had. David in Mexico calls to challenge something Jim said at the start of the show, the hypothesis of god can be scientific if you look at it as a non incomprehensible object. Throw in some metaphysics and quantum mechanics and you have some word salad. This is speculative at best.Last up is Jim and NV, calling in about the possibility of a god and that god would want people to be rational...and suggests Matt is god. We aren’t convinced that there is a god and feelings aren’t a pathway to truth.Thanks for tuning in, we are so glad you joined us today. Stay safe and please continue to wear your masks. The world is better with you in it. See you next week!

Hello all you atheists (and theists) out there! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jenna Belk, who we’re all happy to see return! Welcome back to the co-host chair, Jenna! This episode (and all episodes hereafter) is dedicated to Ed Breyton. Ed has been an integral part of the ACA over the years and while he isn’t as active as he once was, he will always be remembered. Thank you, Ed!Let’s get to calls. The first caller is Dennis in New York. He was in the hospital for a time (due to illness) and his Christian friends say his condition improved due to God. Thankfully he knows his improvement was due to doctors’ diligence and treatment.Are rocks atheist? Oh no, not this question. Steve in Virginia switched up his original question from ‘What is the lack of belief?’ to the weird rock question...sigh. To answer the original question: for explicit atheism, it requires a conscious being who is able to determine and evaluate this. There’s plenty of philosophical ground to be covered here!Hold up! We have a theist on the line who would like to start out defining God buuut, he segways and pivots to questioning the Big Bang cosmological event. What does this have to do with the definition of God? And we don’t have time for you, goodbye!William in Australia claims to have seen his grandfather in a vision after he passed. We are sorry for your loss William. It can be a comfort to have these unexplained events occur and feel a connection to your lost family member. Instead of feeling as though it’s a message from them, think of it as a good remembrance of them. Guillermo in California asks why we believe in history, but not biblical history. Jenna asks the all important question, “Why should we believe the Bible?” Also, history books don’t generally use metaphors within the texts.Mike in Washington is wondering how to show other Christians the hypocrisy in the Bible and also how to reconcile it. This caller is a theist and this turns out to be a really interesting call. Austin in Wisconsin says it’s ok to believe or not believe. Uh, sure?. He also thinks there is a war between atheists and theists. Is there really? He also thinks that we are wasting our time and it isn’t worth spending time on the truth. But we aren’t wasting our time, nice try. Thanks for tuning in and not wasting your time! We are so glad you joined us today. Please continue to wear your masks. The world is better with you in it. See you next week!

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Shannon Q is joined by our longtime friend and co-host, Matt Dillahunty. Welcome back to the co-host chair Matt, we’re glad you are here to join us! (Shannon is taking the reins this week!)Let’s get to calls. Our first caller is Jenna from California. She’d like to discuss how her current boyfriend is freaking out about COVID and thinks they would be better off believing in his previous religion (JW) because we are clearly in the “end times.” Next up, Ricky from Georgia says Matt, theologians, and philosophers are all wrong about morality. He also talks about social cohesion and how it relates to morality. But, he seems to agree with Matt for most of the call...so, how again is Matt wrong?Pack it up folks, AXP is done. The next caller says Matt already believes in God. James is saying this in a roundabout way by intentionally manipulating words and trying to pull a “Gotcha!” Boring, NEXT!Next up, Mike in California misinterprets some of Matt’s previous videos. Ooh, and he wants to talk about slavery and the context in which the Bible (specifically Exodus 21) was written. This should be fun!Chandu in Canada calls asking if it is righteous to practice a worldview where everyone is equal. Dualism, non-dualism, and how is this an atheist vs. theist problem?James in California suggests that God is an aspirational archetype and Shannon has a great retort! Whose God? What definitions? Would these definitions be able to change for the good of all? Ultimately God as an aspirational archetype isn’t always a benefit to society and Shannon explains why. WHOA!Greg in Ohio asks if we know who Jesus really was. His actual question was if we know who Jesus was historically. We can’t reasonably demonstrate that he actually existed, but he may have been 1 of 7 people back then, or a rabbi during this time. Shrug?Journey in North Carolina is a returning caller who was hung up upon before who would like to make definitions and defend God. Not an actual god, mind you, but the word “god”...yawn.Alex in New Jersey needs help with fully distancing themselves from spirituality. He is really struggling because of being raised in the church and feeling as though his mental illnesses are holding him back. We feel for you Alex, it’s a tough road, but credit where credit is due, YOU’RE doing the hard work. We are glad to be here for you. That’s our episode for today, please be safe and healthy out there!

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Hemant Mehta of The Friendly Atheist! https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/ Welcome, Hemant, we’re so glad you’re here!Time for calls! The first caller is a returning caller, Keith from Nebraska. He poses a question about hauntings and the supernatural...in a graveyard?! This story sounds very true and legitimate.Next up, Steve in Ohio. He is claiming his prediction about Trump is coming true, except that small part where it’s not even possible for it to be true or untrue yet...Nicolas asks: What if we devise a way to test or measure the supernatural? Will that prove the supernatural and God? The supernatural just means science may not have a way to understand it yet. Once it is understood, then it ceases to be supernatural. Craig in Texas wonders if people have the right to be stupid. Willful ignorance can be harmful to others, so in that sense, no, but this definitely seems to be a grey area.Julian asks a brand new question: how can Atheists have morality without God? He claims that God is the only foundation for morality and there is a right way and a wrong way to act. Siri: Define “circular.”Eryn asks about the value of personal religious experiences. Well, we are social beings and being in a crowd can be a wonderful experience. This call moves on to cathartic personal experiences and the Satanic Temple’s “pink mass.”Jelmar in the Netherlands wonders about the law of excluded middle. It’s either A or NOT A, which logically excludes the middle. There is no other choice! (This is a huge hit with the Sith.) Lloyd in Washington had a supernatural experience and is now a believer. After a long, drawn-out story about removing porn from his life and a commitment to his wife (porn was his second wife, also?), he finally shows us how real the supernatural realm is. It’s… I feel like I’m waiting for a climax that will never come. Sigh. Ba-dum tss.Our last caller of the day, James in Maine has problems with Matt’s logic and stance on LGBTQ+ issues. Religious people have claims and believe in something outside of themselves, LGBTQ+ folk don’t claim the same, they speak their truth from what is inside themselves. We are also not denying their Christian identity, James. Unlike some Christian denominations. It seems some Christians are ok with denying LGBTQ+ identities and people.That’s all folks, please be safe and wear your masks in public!

The Atheist Experience is hosted today by Matt Dillahunty and Scott Clifton! Scott is an actor who’s well-known for his award-winning soap opera roles in shows such as “The Bold and the Beautiful”, but he’s also a secular activist! (Check him out at https://www.youtube.com/user/TheoreticalBullshit, or on Twitter @TheoreticalBullshit.) After sharing some sweet stories of Scott sending Matt’s grandmother Christmas headshots, we jump into calls!Josh in Tennessee was asked by his atheist wife to call in. Judging by his “evidence” for god, it seems as though he maybe hasn’t questioned his belief, but he’s friendly and open to conversation. This is awesome! (Be like Josh.)Russell in Georgia calls in to talk about how alien encounters are consistent with the Bible, then offers an analogy between himself as a parent using “tough love” to what God does to us as “his children.” He ends up saying morality is fickle because our perception as humans changes overtime, It’s yet another misunderstanding the difference between actual facts changing and our human understanding of facts changing. Then...then aliens. Aliens and Jesus.Kendall in Seattle wants to ask Scott if he’d become a Christian if Christianity were “proven true.” The answer might not be what some would expect.Mo in Canada called in about advantages to prayer, but instead asks the hosts about people leaving religion due to bullying, which, as far as we can tell, is a pretty small group. Then we get to the prayer bit, and eventually get to Islamophobia and the concept of drawing Mohammad.Lance in Ohio insults the previous caller, starts to ask how atheism is a net positive to society, but decides to stop and get annoyed with a host for sighing at this question we’ve heard a million times. He doesn’t seem interested in a real discussion, but that’s on him. If you’re reading this, consider being less of an asshole.That’s our show this week! Remember, being careless during a pandemic infects babies with viruses, so USE YOUR BRAIN! Thanks, we’ll see ya next week!

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Seth Andrews. Seth is a long time friend of Matt and a friend of the show. Welcome back!First up, we have Jonathan in MI, who claims to have solid evidence for god. For example, he takes it on faith that they found Jesus’ tomb and his cross still stands in Jerusalem. Faith is not a good pathway to truth. Work on your Google-fu, Jonathan.Stephen in IL is up next. He was raised reform Jewish and is questioning if Jewish history and Hebrew school is right for his son, more for the culture of it. Our hosts are for religious history classes, just not the advocacy for a god.Matthew from NC is next up. His dad had cancer and Matthew believes his father's faith gave him strength to make it through the ordeal and into experimental treatments. We shouldn't have to lie to ourselves to push through. Great topic caller!RJ in CO is calling to argue that evolution is false and the Judeo-Christian theory is correct. He goes on to argue the origin of humans was in Sumeria. We end with an in-depth conversation about the tower of babel. Fascinating! Jessica from VT has parents who think the world is ending and Jesus is coming back. Her parents have been trying to indoctrinate their grandchildren. Now Jessica is grappling with restricting access to her kids. Give yourself permission to set boundaries. Great advice, Seth! The last call of the show, Mary in MN. She is terminally ill and finds people don't want to talk about death, yet she isn’t afraid to die. She has been living her best life the last 6 months. Matt looks forward to Mary calling back with updates. Great example of a rational mind facing death!Thanks for tuning in today! Check out Seth on the Thinking Atheist YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheThinkingAtheist

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jim Barrows. Jim is one of ACA’s own hosts and we are happy to have him today! Welcome back Jim!First up we have Emyn in OH, who is calling in about the Monty Hall problem. Pick a door Jim! Matt is not sure how this ties to atheism and thinks the analogy is untenable. Maybe compose your thoughts in an email?Jeury in NY is up next. He is calling to ask how to deal with conversations when there is no point. Our hosts explain that you need patience and may have to know when to walk away and regroup. Oscar from IN is asking why Matt is an atheist and not agnostic. Matt was a southern baptist and was trying to demonstrate the belief in god and found his way out. There didn’t seem to be a point so on to more callers.Gerard in CT is calling in to challenge Matt on believing as many true things and as few false things as possible. The caller goes on to demonstrate he wants to believe as many true things as possible. Daniel from CA is saying that Christians don’t investigate the bible and points out the bible is a historical text. The hosts flex their Bible knowledge chops to point out it’s not historically accurate. Check out this call for a fun conversation about the Bible and Christians.Alex in VA is up next. His father is dying and although Alex isn't a believer he asks if it's ethical to let his father think he is still a believer. The hosts relate stories of their loved ones and give some great advice in this call. Who is chopping onions in here...Angel in NC has moved in with some atheists and has questions for us today. Angel is questioning her faith and uses a form of Pascal's Wager to stay a believer. A great call destructing Pascal's Wager and "Christianinanity" ensues. Justin in MN says the study of comets disproves evolution. Oh, boy, 12,000 year old comets prove a young earth? The hosts point out Justin is cherry picking data and short period comets aren’t the only types of comets. Mark in RI says you can be justified in believing that a miracle is an explanation for an event. Matt points out that you can’t appeal to the supernatural until it's been found to exist and could have explanatory power. Luke in GA wants to tell us that some people haven't received the holy ghost but anyone can. Apparently you just have to “die unto yourself” and take up a cross. Ugh. And moving on.The last call of the episode, Michael in San Diego, wants to know why they don’t believe in Spinoza's god. Matt points out there is no evidence for it and he doesn't care what Spinoza or Einstein believed. Thanks for tuning in folks! Check out Jim in other ACA shows. See ya next week and wear a dang mask!

Today we’re joined by Justin Looney, who helps the ACA by answering the e-mails you, the fans, send us! After some regular announcements, he offers some tips about e-mailing (or voice mailing) the ACA, its shows, or members. Then off to calls!Our first caller, Michael in Pennsylvania calls in to say he doesn't want to publicly label himself an atheist "because atheism is too close to communism." He won't budge from the position that America is inherently tied to theism due to particular words in its founding documents.David in Mexico City wants to call nature "God" for what he claims are pragmatic reasons when talking to theists. (AKA: It's easier to talk to theists about stuff if you just say you believe in God.)Next up, Steve in Ohio wants to bet $1,000 the following prediction is accurate: Trump will lose the election in November, refuse to give his position over in January, and become a military-backed King of the U.S...We'll see you in January, Steve.Questions...and agreements?! Josh in Israel doesn't buy Matt's claim that Judaism wasn't originally monotheistic, and has to have it explained...and accepts the explanation, seemingly! Yay!Comin' in hot! Chris in Tennessee assumes Matt wants Bibles removed from schools by law, not even realizing Matt actually wants Bibles and comparative religion courses in schools. The hosts also explain to Chris what the separation of church and state issues inside schools are, and what "secularists" want in that regard.Kevin in Oregon calls in to ask about specific comments from Matt about free will. He's quickly hung up on after seemingly refusing to listen.Here's an interesting one: Paulo in Boston has some ideas about why it is that moralities rooted in God belief are so incredibly appealing to people...and the truth is that it removes the thinking and makes morality seem easier to deal with.Our next caller, Cory in New York supposedly has a real reason to call, but immediately shows himself to be dishonest and uninterested in listening. Through that, Matt and Justin STILL try to help him understand...and he just doesn't want to understand.Seemingly questioning believer, Elijah in New Mexico seems to be thinking Christians don't have any hope if the resurrection myth turns up false, or if they stop believing it is true. The answer is a little more complicated than replacing faith with something else, because de-conversion is a hard, complicated process.Our last caller, Tory in Illinois is an "ex-JW" (ex-Jehovah's Witness) who disassociated, which inside of the JW organization means his family is intended to consider him dead. This means Tory may have to accept never speaking to his family again, and the hosts go over some useful resources for Tory and ex-JWs like him.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Shannon Q. Shannon is a longtime friend of the ACA and we are glad she is joining us today! Welcome Shannon!First up we have Earl in New York, who has proof of the nephilim (aka giants.) He claims his “evidence” comes from the bible. It could be confirmation bias and very likely internet hoaxes or conspiracy theories. Shannon puts it best: “Advocate for your own understanding. Go and find your sources, seek out the information, do the research.”Will in Washington is up next, claims the ability to perceive beauty is proof and evidence of God. Will sounds a little confused about his thoughts and comes off a bit hostile. Dude, chill and maybe email us! Or not.Victor from New Mexico claims to have had a demon inside him and the only remedy was Jesus. Goes on to say that a lot of this could very well rooted in anger and hatred of others. Shannon gets to the core of his issues. And he hasn’t listened to a word Shannon has said. Sigh.Ivan in Russia is calling in to tell us that he has a message from God. The message is that God loves us, very very very much and God is Love. Also thinks God wanted him to call in to express himself and provide us this message. Shannon breaks it down for him.Joseph from Nova Scotia is wondering if both hosts are materialists. There is some philosophy in this call, listen in and watch Matt flex those amazing philosophical muscles. It’s something to behold, definitely.The last call of the episode, Sy Garte in Maryland, wants to talk about how DNA is a code (aka pseudoscience) and this is the atheist view. He goes on to say that Atheist activists/influencers should use their clout to downplay memes and pseudoscience. Ok, cool, lets add that to their already busy schedules. Thanks for tuning in folks, Shannon Q will be back, yay! Stay safe out there folks, we’ll see you all next week!

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Lloyd Evans. Welcome back to the co-host chair Lloyd, I quite enjoyed your last appearance on the show and have since added ‘an onslaught of nutters’ to my lexicon.Let’s get to calls. The first caller is Dave in Austria. He would like to invite us to question slavery in a different way, one that shifts the question. Matt has OPINIONS about this. Next up, Sawyer from Australia would like to talk about becoming an atheist activist after leaving Jehovah’s Witnesses. Lloyd has a fantastic perspective and whether this is the right path for him.Kevin in Arizona claims Matt has a flaw in reasoning on whether it was rational to believe in god. He also says essentially god exists beyond our reality. “I have a cognitive bias and I don’t care if it’s flawed or an argument for personal experience.” Sigh.Douglas in Georgia is up next wanting to prove the existence of a soul. He talks about the argument for the existence of a soul and that a soul is possible in a logical sense. Lets see how this plays out...Malcolm is calling from California. He has NEW evidence for the existence of god. Lloyd is skeptical. Malcolm claims: a species that at one time that looked like a snake or eel carries the proof and meaning of god. Oh and pronunciation, linguistics, and patterns! Nathan in Idaho is seeking help, he ran away from his religious home and is concerned about his brother. Lloyd recommends being very cautious about this and to tread lightly with this situation. Next up, condescending Kevin in Oregon has questions about infinity and it sounds like he wants to catch Matt in a conundrum. Good luck with that Kevin. Justin in Minnesota, has the evidence for Demons. It was in Time Magazine! There was a study measuring brain waves and prints. Every individual has a unique brain print under normal circumstances. EXCEPT when they think are possessed. Um, how does this prove the supernatural? Chris in Idaho, there are derivatives of god’s nature all around us, in us, and proves his existence. The problem is that this depends on a belief in god. But we don’t, so how does this work? Why should we believe it? Andy in New Mexico used to be an atheist, did some drugs, and is now a hard solipsist. He also claims to be a deist and possibly believes in all gods because of his experiences on drugs.Carlos in Peru would like to talk about a specific argument they saw in a video. The argument they are wanting to talk about is the argument from contingency. Up next, Sebastian in Belgium. Has noticed himself being more and more of an angry atheist and would like to figure out how to be more calm. Greg in Ohio doesn’t agree with Matt on the general goal of life. What reason do we have that there is any life goal generally? Kim in California would like our opinion on a couple verses talking about the creation of Israel being formed is a prophecy and Damascus is a pile of ruin. Except Israel is not a prophecy and Damascus is a thriving city.That’s our show folks! See you next week!

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Phil Ferguson. Phil has been a long time and recurring co-host on the show. Welcome back to the co-host chair Phil! Also happy birthday Phil!Let’s get to calls. The first caller is David from Georgia. He claims that 100,000 years ago, the magnetic field was decaying and caused the Earth to… all of the what? I am not following this caller at all. Phil puts it succinctly: “Wow, that was… profound.”Next up, a different David, this time from New York would like to talk about prostitution and has reasons for believing it is morally wrong. He provides these reasons and doesn’t provide evidence or provide justification for these reasons: 1. Self value (“selling oneself”) 2. Harmful/damaging to one’s self/spiritually/psyche. It sounds more like he has a personal problem with it and seems to be projecting. Paul wants to know why atheism is a better default position than theism. It’s real simple, Paul. We have no evidence for the existence of a god (any god), much like we also have no evidence for the existence of Thor, Odin, Zeus, et cetera. Oh… here comes the argument from experience and god of the gaps. And here comes the intelligent design argument. Todd is an atheist and is wondering how to approach the argument of intelligent design provided by friends and family. ‘I don’t know’ is a legitimate answer to this sort of argument and saying so shouldn’t be seen as a weak position.Tom in Ohio, is hearing voices and claims they are mystical/natural in origin. He has heard these voices since the 70s and have increased in intensity lately. Oh, I feel for you Tom. Please seek and find the professional help you so desperately need. Pack it up folks, we are done being atheists! Miner is up next. He says the story he has is very powerful and says once people hear this story, we won’t be atheists anymore. Are you ready? His story: Some helicopters scared some bobcats off while he was playing guitar on a mountain with a friend. That’s it... Just checking, I’m still an atheist.Mallory from Oregon is up next. Recently deconverted after most of her life passionate about religion. She is having trouble finding joy or interest at the same intensity as religion anymore. Matt provides some really great advice on this. You definitely don’t have to figure this out today, best of luck!RJ claims he can prove god with the mathematical progression argument and statistics. No it won’t. He claims that static growth models and population science gives more relevance to the bible. Claims the current count of human population is impossible. You didn’t do the math right RJ. Stop Googling and go talk to anthropologists and scientists.Jesse from California claims that the brain has a high level of consciousness… then changes the subject when he is actually on air. Dude, that’s really dishonest. Next!Steve has facts and evidence to back up his opinion about god and prayer. Um, ok. How did god lead you to Daniel 8? And you’re done!That’s our show for today folks, stay safe out there! Even though it looks like the shelter-in-place orders are being lifted, please try to continue to keep yourself safe and healthy out there.

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by the wonderfully amazing Don Baker. Before we get to calls, we have a topic to discuss from Don: ‘Are Christians Lazy?’Let’s get to calls. Andrew from California wants to discuss something that has never EVER been discussed on the show… Are you ready for it? Julian from Canada would like to break down (in a nonreligious way) that a god or deity or higher power exists. Are we ready to get dizzy? When pressed on the definition of god, he responds with “god created himself and creation.”Keyon from Utah is wondering how we had the first babies and how they came about. Ummm… they came from their moms? He also tries to argue against evolution, talk about divine human intervention through “visions” at church, and we are just denying god. Wait. what!? O.oCaller Dave is next wanting to talk about Christian laziness with Don. This will be great! Don asks for examples he would like to talk about and Dave claims it’s the atheists’ burden to bring those examples to the table. Hmmmm… how about no, you called us... right?Next up, David wants to convince us that the god particle actually proves god. Oh yeah David also says he's an atheist. That's a bold move, Cotton. Let's see how it plays out..Miner in Arizona claims to have an argument against atheism. Um, ok. Go on... He claims that because there are so many people on the Earth, there has to be a god. Correlation does not equal causation and I’m not following Miner’s line of thinking. Is this an argumentum ad populum?Oscar in Mexico would like to discuss the spiritual meaning of life if you’re an atheist. Is there a drive to do anything if there isn’t anything spiritual to inspire you? Matt tried to speak Spanish during this call!Ben in California asks about Jesus’ existence and is wondering why Matt doesn’t claim he doesn’t exist. How will Matt handle this one?Our last call, Cory in South Carolina believes in a god but is worried this god is an evil god. He claims he did some research and is calling back to talk to Matt and Don about what he has discovered. That’s our episode for today, please be safe and healthy out there folks. The world is way better with you in it. See you next week!

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Johnny Angel. Welcome back to the co-host chair Johnny! We loved having you on with us a couple weeks back, glad to see you again!Let’s get to calls. The first caller in the queue is a returning caller, Javier from Florida. He would like to discuss how he had a street discussion with a preacher against theism and it had him in a bit of a fluster. It sounds like he is almost on his way out and clinging to religion it seems. Good luck to you Javier!Next up, Dormand from New Jersey claims that he can prove a god and this god is all powerful. He’s called before and we’ve gone over this before with him. But this time he claims he can prove it with mathematics and philosophy! Show your work then, I’m waiting for the equations and eventual fallacies. Nathan is up next, claiming he has good reasons to believe in god, and it’s FAITH. It’s our problem we don’t believe because we are atheists, man. C’mon dude, give us something to work with here. You’re not providing us with anything to discuss here. FYI, faith is NOT a good enough reason.David had a vision in 1994! The room turned a hue of pink and was visited by someone (maybe Jesus) who was 10 feet tall. This person spoke and he provided instructions to not cut their hair and to meet them on a mountain in 2011. Hmmm… Was it drugs and alcohol? Why didn’t he explore this further? Sounds like an argument from personal experience… What the heck is in the water in Colorado??? Next up, Zachary in Alabama wants to talk about how incorrectly atheists assess evidence and have an inherent presupposition against believing that Christianity is true. He continues to say that it is “totally true.” It isn’t true until it is proven to be true and faith on it’s own is not a reliable path to truth. Oh boy and we end on the morality of slavery, Matt’s (so not) favorite topic. Our last caller of the day, Raul from Texas. He claims he can prove intelligent design. Look at the stars, especially the constellation Orion, The Big Dipper/Ursa Major, and Scorpio! We are blind to these constellations being figures that were constructed by god. Wow! Humans time over time look for patterns and this is definitely one of those times. Sigh.Have a great week folks, we’ll see you next week!

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Jenna Belk is joined by Anthony Magnabosco. Here’s his channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/magnabosco210/ and here is his website: https://streetepistemologyinternational.org/ Ready for round two Anthony? We are so glad you are here. It should be a good show!Let’s get to calls. The first caller is Trudy from Texas. She is all over the place on this call and super difficult to follow; babies are miracles, she has an Atheist best friend, she experienced an NDE. Listen in and challenge yourself to figuring out what her point is because I’m totally lost.Next up, Debbie in New England is calling in with her son Eric who was on a mission trip in Australia and is now home. He was encouraged to call in with his mom as an update from their last call. He talks about his reconversion and his experience within the LDS church. He was convinced of these two things: The LDS church and their message/teachings made sense and was appealing to him. Ooooh boy.Adam calls in saying he is about to be kicked out of his home due to watching the ACA shows. Our hearts go out to you Adam, please stay safe and take care of yourself first, then work on coming out. Also, please reach out to the Recovering from Religion, they may have some great resources for you. Jack is coming in hot with a huge amount of claims about the Bible, Jesus is real, Evolution is false and we Atheists are wrong. Dodging and deflecting left and right. We first try to establish who is an expert and Anthony tries to figure out his confidence level on his “studies.” We dropped the call because Jack refused to listen and have a dialogue. Call back (or don’t) when you’ve calmed down. And NO, we aren’t scared, you didn’t “own” us, and you didn’t provide anything close to a good argument. Next up, Jack in London claims that truth is something we experience first hand, and belief is something we don’t but we think it to be true without evidence. Umm… I’m a bit lost here. That doesn’t sound quite right.Dean in North Carolina ponders the strengths and weaknesses of street epistemology. The strength that Anthony could see is that it is something that everyone can use. A weakness in this method is two willing participants. If one isn’t willing to interact in this way, it can become a difficult conversation.That’s all folks for today! Thanks for tuning in, stay safe and healthy out there!

Welcome back to The Atheist Experience! Today’s show is hosted by Matt Dillahunty & Shane Isgrig. We have a little pre-show chatter, but most important is we have Secular Survey results! https://www.secularsurvey.org/executive-summaryCharles is curious whether our hosts accept any sort of supernatural phenomenon, then explains that God is as clear as the cause of a scraped knee!David wants to talk about Aristotle’s reason for believing in God, assuming we care specifically about Aristotle’s opinion.Andre has an argument from quantum mechanics. The call ends quickly and Matt and Shane discuss these odd “proofs for God” from quantum mechanics. What an interesting follow up from quantum gods. Michael says God exists, doesn’t exist, is mathematics, and is reality. Uh...what?!Brian believes Matt’s position on how likely a god is to exist changed, and Matt clarifies this misunderstanding of his own positions.Glenn says the whole show is pointless, because God doesn’t exist and no one will ever call in with evidence of God!Vladimir has proven God: a creation needs a creator. He’s got us. Pack it up.Matt in Indiana has an equation that MAY prove god, he thinks. I have an idea on which side of “MAY” the answer will end up.Kanyon is saying she’s had a lot of unexplained things happen to her, and for that reason she thinks “something” must be behind it.Daniel in Toronto insists that, since there are so many alien abduction stories, some of them must be true! He also says that there is evidence of alien technology on earth. Ooh, aah!That’s our show today! If you want to support the show you can check out https://www.patreon.com/theatheistexperience for a monthly subscription to podcasts with NO ADS, or https://tiny.cc/aenmerch for ACA merch! Matt is on Twitter @Matt_Dillahunty and Shane is on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/shanemysterio).

Welcome back to The Atheist Experience! Today’s show is hosted by Matt Dillahunty with guest Dave Warnock. Dave is an ex-pastor turned atheist who was recently diagnosed with ALS, a terminal illness. He now travels the world talking to interested groups about dying as an atheist, embracing life’s “moments,” all wrapped up in one statement: Dying Out Loud. (https://www.daveoutloud.com/) Dave also advocates death with dignity, which allows those with conditions like his to choose when they’re ready to go, when they have had enough pain.Javier wants to know what Dave and Matt think about the concept that religious leaders often are the catalysts of religious followers losing their faith.Marcus claims to have a syllogism that proves theists and atheists are just as rational as one another. He then explains that a bad argument isn’t necessarily one that leads to a wrong answer, as if we didn’t already know and say that on this show...constantly.David calls in to ask Dave a specialised question: What should I do to prepare my religious family for my death? Dave gives a recommendation toward the Final Exit Network (https://finalexitnetwork.org/).Amanda was adopted, and her biological older brother recently found her. Since then, that part of her family has been seemingly trying to convert and question her, and she’s wondering how to have these conversations without “scaring them off.”Will in Florida calls to ask if it makes sense to be a theist who believes in evolution...then asks if he should believe in god. What answer was he expecting?Richard starts off by asking what counts as “you?” He then stretches this out to mean that somehow one human is humanity. That’s our show today! If you want to support the show you can check out https://www.patreon.com/theatheistexperience for a monthly subscription to podcasts with NO ADS and other fun goodies, or https://tiny.cc/aenmerch for merch from all of the ACA’s shows! Matt is on Twitter @Matt_Dillahunty, and Dave is there @dwwarnock. Thanks for watching/listening!

Greetings folks! Today’s episode of the Atheist Experience is brought to you by, I can’t think of anything clever to say, so it’s brought to you by virtual hugs. Virtual Hugs to all! Today’s episode of the Atheist Experience is, Matt Dillahunty and Jenna Belk. It’s going to be a great show!Let’s get to calls. Our first caller is Bug from Texas. He wants to discuss how he is convinced there is no deity helping us make our decisions. He also rambles a bit and it was difficult to really follow what the topic was, but he seems very sincere. Good luck to you Bug!Next up, Phillip from Florida would like to speak about “the Absence of God Paradox”, claiming if there are no divine laws, God doesn’t exist, and religion is wrong. That’s not a paradox though? The following caller is Javier from Florida. What is going on in Florida?… don’t answer that! He posits that the foundation for morality is subjective. Matt then says “There is no objective reason to care about well-being, nor what you think your God wants.” Pretty quick call, but good.The next caller in the queue is Ernesto from Georgia wanting to discuss his questioning of his faith. He is trying to understand and how to better communicate with his significant other about how he feels about where he is.Next up, Amene in Texas advocates for the God of the Old Testament. Ok, and... What’s your point? Having a bunch of people believe it isn’t enough of a reason to believe in a God. Afterwards we have Hunter from Texas. He wonders about having to give a religious eulogy. He is expected to give one for family. It’s up to him to decide on how open he is with his Atheism to his family. Perhaps Recovering from Religion would be most helpful. https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/ Our last caller of the day, Wilbur in New York would like to discuss how people experience the Holy Spirit and possibly how folks in crowds may feel a certain way due to collective delusion. But there can be euphoria with all sorts of things that aren’t religious. Jenna, you are wonderful! Matt you are fantastic! The crew is amazing! The ACA is here to give you structure by producing our shows remotely for you to enjoy, and we appreciate all of you! Stay healthy, stay home, and wash your hands.

Welcome back to The Atheist Experience! Today’s show is hosted by Matt Dillahunty and Jim Barrows! We start the show with a little more COVID-19 talk, as has become an unfortunate tradition in recent days. Jim addresses an earlier comment he made about suicide as a sin in the Catholic church.Our first caller, Tony in South Africa, thinks that atheists (he uses the strong definition of believing there is no god) and theists can both be correct about God. There is a god, but also...there isn’t. Maybe.Aligaz in San Antonio claims to have undeniable scientific proof of god, but things get squirrely when Matt asks for a definition of god. We get to all-powerful, and Aligaz’s response to whether or not God can create a rock so big he can’t lift it is surprising.In what immediately sounds like a strange re-definition of “god,” Tony in Illinois (who claims to be neither atheist nor theist) says that men are gods, but have to earn the title. Turns out he means people will figure out how to overcome the end of the earth and “choose to exist” to become gods.Juan in Colombia tells us that basic axioms get us to god, but doesn’t quite flesh out those axioms or their relation to God.Wes in the Middle East calls to talk about infinity, but seems to have a pretty severe misunderstanding of infinity as a concept.Our final caller, Kevin in Mississippi, seems to have come across a few basic arguments for God and found them quite compelling. He goes down a list of different arguments, from, “The universe is complex,” to, “A lot of people believe it.” It turns out Kevin has been interested in some of our videos and is essentially hanging by the thread of Pascal’s wager...he may be calling in as a de-convert soon.That’s our show today! If you want to support the show you can check out https://www.patreon.com/theatheistexperience for a monthly subscription to podcasts with NO ADS and other fun goodies, or https://tiny.cc/aenmerch for merch from all of the ACA’s shows! Hosts can be found on Twitter @Matt_Dillahunty and @JimBarrows. Thanks for watching/listening!

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by two very distinguished guests and friends of the ACA, Nick Fish and Debbie Goddard of American Atheists. They definitely have some experience being atheists and we are happy to have them join us today! Also, happy zombie day to all, keep your brain safe by staying inside and away from everyone. Let’s get to calls. The first caller is Guardy from Canada. He believes that some people need God because they also need defined rules given to them. And he’s an atheist? This is interesting and may potentially melt your mind. Good for zombie day I guess?And we are done, we have our Sundays back folks. Dewitt has historical proof of Jesus. Though, his name was Yeshua, and oh he probably didn’t exist... nevermind. hmmm… how historic is this claim because I have serious doubts? I’ve noticed lately that we get this kind of call quite a bit. But because we get this sort of argument frequently doesn’t make it true. Even though we are done here and have our Sundays back, Amene has called in saying God through the Holy Spirit has encouraged him to call us. Yeah, no.Murray is conflicted because they are fearful about how to get through the current situation we are all in without God. Having religion there is definitely a source of comfort, and without it can be troubling. It’s not easy to let go and it is very legitimate to feel this way. “Draw strength from the relationships and community you have.” - Debbie GoddardNext up, Marquel in Georgia is calling again (he called during Talk Heathen when Andrew was on: Clip! https://youtu.be/g1dftovY7CY ) talking about how he is the ONLY person who has experienced pre-existence, spoke life into existence before time began, and had a race with god. Yeah, sure you are. He claims to have met god during this pre-existence. Yeah, um… ok. Afterwards we have Amin from New Jersey. He thinks the things that protect us from the COVID-19 outbreak may usher in the beast in his mind. He continues to give a laundry list of events and he’s lost me in the conspiracy. Wow this one… are we having fun yet?Greg in Florida ends the show with the eternal question about why we are here. He claims we are here to Worship! He also claims that King James did a great job writing the King James Bible. (facepalm.) The bible makes no sense when explaining why we are here, it’s a horrible miss-mash of stories that really have no bearing on why we are here. What is our intended purpose of being here?And that’s all folks. Have a wonderful zombie day! Stay Safe, Stay Home, Stay Healthy. Wash your damned hands and wear a mask if you go out for quarantine supplies!

Welcome back to The Atheist Experience! Today’s show is hosted by Matt Dillahunty and friend of the show Dragnauct Sylvas. We start the show with discussion about the coronavirus and its effects on daily life, from isolation depression to grocery store gross-outs. Then, we get to caller numero uno!Dragnauct picks an interesting topic from Gavin, who says he wants to check in on his own rationale. Gavin says he believes in a soul, or at least something like it, based on some experiences he’s had in life, but he’s pretty sure something about that rationale is faulty. Is he right?Brian in Washington, DC calls in to convert Matt by asking, “What’s wrong with being a saint?” and using a version of Pascal’s Wager. When Matt and Dragnauct bring up the fact of Catholic cover-ups of child molestation, Brian starts to get a little squirrely.We have a few frequent callers, and one is coming back: Kamal in Alabama was brought into a Facebook intervention by his family, who tried to bring him back to Jesus. We’ve all had this experience, unfortunately, and it’s nice to relate to each other sometimes. We love you, Kamal.Carlos is another newly frequent caller, and his argument today is...well, it’s a little confusing. He says that God as described in the Bible gives life so he can determine how long it is for you. Then there’s an analogy from Batman. Essentially, Carlos thinks we shouldn’t see God’s action as distasteful if we read the Bible as fiction, because you’re not allowed to think fictional characters are bad guys, I guess?Can somebody say Clergy Project? https://clergyproject.org/ Well, not quite, but our caller is in that sort of predicament. Cade went to a Christian high school where he lost his faith, but he’s stuck in the church. No one knows about his non-belief, and he’s not sure what to do. Matt ends up turning this caller into a co-host for a moment!Laura in Michigan has personal access to God, and Matt attempts to use this access to have Laura ask God what she should say to convert Matt. Turns out, you just have to study the Bible and be open to love! We should have known.Our last call is an important one. Justin has a wife, and the two are currently awaiting a child’s birth. His wife has started to express concern about her child “being told there is no God,” or something along those lines. Dragnauct takes over most of this call, as his wife is also a believer, so he has some experience here. The key: communication between spouses, education for the child!That’s our show today! If you want to support the show you can check out https://www.patreon.com/theatheistexperience for a monthly subscription to podcasts with NO ADS and other fun goodies, or https://tiny.cc/aenmerch for merch from all of the ACA’s shows! Hosts can be found on Twitter @Matt_Dillahunty and @Dragnauct. Thanks for watching/listening!

SUMMARYWe look funny today, but it’s because our awesome crew figured out a way for us to continue the show from individual hosts’ and crew members’ homes! Thanks, guys! We start off with a bang: What do we do about church gatherings that could spread the corona virus more? If God isn’t real, why is religion influential? Can you even test science, and do the same forces that “created” the universe still exist? Isn’t there something “higher” that’s apparent? Why is Matt inconsistent with standards of evidence for others’ beliefs vs. his own? Ending the night with a beautiful summary of so much of this show’s history: Why don’t we believe in Jesus and his resurrection? But then technical issues cause us not to end the night, so we talk to Lana about her family’s gross treatment of her transgender daughter. And that ends our show.SHOW NOTESToday’s show looks different, because we’re all at home right now! Hosts, crew, all of us! Even me, writing these notes (although that’s no technical feat). Thank you to our wonderful Vern and Mark for making it possible for us to continue doing shows throughout the corona virus pandemic and Austin’s shelter-in-place ordinance.In relation to the pandemic, Dave in Austria asks a question of alarming importance: What do we do about all of these churches and religious groups having massive gatherings in tight spaces when the way to prevent this pandemic’s spread is staying home and social distancing? What can we do?Anthony in Florida has a kind of “gotcha” question: If God isn’t real, how is religion so influential? Checkmate, atheists!In what seems to be another attempt at a wording gotcha, Alex in Saskatchewan asks a couple things: Can we test science? Are the forces that created the universe still in the world? (He lists a few things that aren’t necessarily their own types of forces...there seems to be a misunderstanding here of what a force is.)A wild(ly confused) agnostic (atheist) appeared! (It’s okay to be confused. It happens.) Shawn in Minneapolis says he’s “between” believing and not believing to our call screener. He seems unable to let go of a concept of something “higher” as his first reason for not being an atheist is along the lines of, “Don’t you channel something higher when you play music?” Hm...I don’t think I do…You know what’s fun? Being accused of having different standards of evidence for beliefs you disagree with! Omar in California wants Matt to know that that’s exactly what he does! He provides awesome examples and Matt is forced to turn in his Atheist card and walk away in shame.Our final caller, Aaron in Arizona, wants to know why Matt and Jenna don’t accept Jesus and his resurrection.HAHA, we lied, that wasn’t the final call. Our show has to run long today...what a strange tech issue! Caller Lana is having issues with her family’s poor treatment of her transgender daughter, and she’s looking for advice.That’s our show today! If you want to support the show you can check out https://www.patreon.com/theatheistexperience for a monthly subscription to podcasts with NO ADS and other fun goodies, or https://tiny.cc/aenmerch for merch from all of the ACA’s shows! Hosts can be found on Twitter @Matt_Dillahunty and @Belk_Jenna. Thanks for watching/listening!

SHOW SUMMARYWelcome to the Atheist Experience where we experience life as atheists. Today’s episode we have our wonderful host Matt Dillahunty being joined by Shane Isgrig. Welcome to the show Shane! We begin the show with Dean claiming ancient oral tradition like the Dead Sea Scrolls are more accurate than modern human communication. Brent the pantheist calls in saying the universe is conscious and alive. We have an update call, Traci calls to update us on how she’s doing. Damon “thinks” he can prove reincarnation due to the universe expansion and contraction (LOL ok.) Anna Marie is seeking to understand coincidences and un-explainable events. And lastly Brian doesn’t think it’s fair that atheists can cherry pick the bible (sounds like projection!)CALL NOTESIn today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Shane Isgrig. Shane is a host on Atheist Vanguard and he is Welcome to the co-host chair Shane!Let’s get to calls. The first caller is Dean from North Carolina. Why are the transmission of the stories of the bible not historically accurate? He gives an example of the Dead Sea Scrolls and oral tradition because the new testament was written 50 years after the ‘fact.’ Dean, have you played the game telephone right? Are ancient humans and their communication style more accurate than modern humans? Sigh, he said they were than us.Brent the pantheist calls in saying the universe is conscious and alive. Hmmm… parts are, but as a whole this is a problematic claim. If anything, the universe has been created for black holes, hates living things, and his argument in favor that the universe is conscious and alive is arrogant and biased.Traci the ex-christian is next, she is struggling with completely letting go of god. Congratulations on moving on from religion. Unpacking the religious suitcase and baggage is tough, but you’ll get through it. Shane also brings up a good point: If someone specifically made COVID-19, would you trust them to come up with the vaccine and cure? Why is god more comfortable then if he made this virus?Oooooh, Damon thinks he can prove reincarnation due to the expansion and contraction of the universe over and over. Ummmm…. He claims he has reasonable justification of this using a TON of assumptions. Next up, Anna Marie, a recently deconverted atheist in Indiana seeking understanding of un-explainable events. Saying ‘I don’t know’ isn’t providing the solace she is looking for. But it is the best answer in some of these situations. Our last caller of the day, Brian in South Carolina would like to discuss language semantics and translation due to a previous call. He moves on to talk about how atheists cherry pick the bible, ah, that sounds like projection to me!And that’s the show for today! We end the show with a word from Matt and Shane about staying safe, stay home, and if things escalate, please keep an eye for announcements as things are always changing.Send your prayer postcards for Matt to answer on the show to 1507 W. Koenig Lane, Austin, TX, 78741. Otherwise...goodbye!

The Atheist Experience 24.11 2020-03-15 with Matt Dillahunty & Don BakerSHOW TIME-STAMPS00:01:33 Announcements Regarding Coronavirus & the ACA00:08:58 The Coronavirus & the People Taking Advantage of It for Money00:12:11 Failures of Christianity: Why Won't God Just TALK?00:29:08 Tom - MO - Struggling Out of My Lutheran Faith (Doubting God)00:53:01 CJ - NC - How Are You Feeling About Debating David Wood?00:06:15 Hassan - CA - God is to the Universe as Zero is to Math01:16:12 Luke - AZ - Why Aren't You Nihilists?00:00:00 Caller - PL: Topic00:00:00 Caller - PL: TopicSUMMARYIn today’s show, Matt takes us through the steps the ACA is taking to prevent the spread of coronavirus locally, Don and Matt chat about coronavirus charlatans, and Don has a new Failure of Christianity! We have questioning believers from Matt’s old stomping grounds (near his old church, even!), discussion of debate tactics, God being analogous to zero somehow, and Matt turning an empty truck of gotcha around with a whole trailer full of GOTCHA! And that’s our show!SHOW NOTESHi, folks! We’re in weird times with a pandemic turning its ugly head at us, so Matt starts the show by explaining what the ACA is doing. The tl;dr version: The ACA has issued Defcon levels regarding how many and which people we allow into the Freethought Library, and International Atheist Day events have been moved to online-only, as the Austin capitol has officially closed to the public.Before we get into Don’s failures, we highlight people taking advantage of fear around the coronavirus. Jim Baker has weird silver supplements, Alex Jones has...anti-coronavirus toothpaste? What? And Matt Dillahunty has F BOMBS!What’s this week’s failure of Christianity? Well, God keeps hiding from us! He won’t answer our calls, he seems to be answering a bunch of people’s calls with different information, and he won’t heal amputees! WHY?! https://whywontgodhealamputees.com/ (Also Matt puts his Christian hat on...and an atheist hat...and another hat.)Our first caller shares some ground with Matt, as he lives near Matt’s old church! Tom has some questions, as he feels he’s struggling out of his faith, so he runs some thoughts by our hosts about how he’s deconverted so far (and whether the reasons are good), and what his current questions are. (He does something fun at the end of his call.

SHOW NOTESIn today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Denis Loubet. We are borrowing Denis from the long standing Non-Prophets show also produced by the ACA. Glad to have you Denis, welcome to the co-host chair!Let’s get to calls. The first caller is Sam from the UK. Oooooh boy, he wants to talk about why there is slavery in the Bible and why it’s misunderstood. Ready for some fireworks? Here we go!Next up, Minh from California would like to talk about when you deconvert from religion, what do you replace it with? (and Denis’ reply, “when you cure cancer what you replace it with… um health”) The following caller is Christopher from Pennsylvania is concerned about how to help mend a relationship with his family after avoiding them after deconverting. He is struggling with how to proceed. Christopher, you may find some solace in contacting the folks at Recovering from Religion. https://www.recoveringfromreligion.orgJames in Canada is next, calling in about having discussions with a Catholic friend who is questioning their faith. He is expressing some discomfort in helping this friend deconverting. He is troubled with feeling as though he is pushing him towards atheism and is concerned with the repercussions.Next up, David in New Jersey attempts to argue that he can apply the rules of logic to presuppositional arguments, I think. Some if not all of this word salad makes my head spin… Whoa, do not tell Matt he doesn’t understand the laws of logic. We have a live one here.Afterwards we have Jeremy from Louisiana. He ponders about Pascal’s Wager and asks Matt about it. “Which creator is the right one?” Matt did say at the beginning of the episode he has talked about Pascal’s Wager at least every episode the past 15 years he’s been on the show.And that’s it folks! Send your prayer postcards for Matt to answer on the show to 1507 W. Koenig Lane, Austin, TX, 78741 and check out the amazing artwork of Denis Loubet at http://www.denisloubet.com ! :)

TIME-STAMPS00:03:21 Arthur - (CA): Seeing My Family For First Time Since Coming Out Atheist00:17:06 Thomas - GA: Evidence Jesus Exists (I Know Too Much, I HAVE to Tell You)00:28:04 Mark - ME: What's the Point of Looking at the Bad Parts of Holy Books?00:45:44 Arturo - TX: Let's Build a Strawman Ep. 666: SATANISTS!01:01:11 Akeem - PA: I Have Scientific Proof Homosexuality is Wrong! (He Doesn't)01:10:44 Hallie - CA: Hallie - CA - I'm a Questioning Fundamentalist Christian, I Have Questions01:21:21 Danny - UK: What Caused God? Why Can't We See Him?01:26:15 Jason - SC: I'm a Theist That Leans Atheist (Moral Argument for God)SUMMARYToday’s episode is hosted by Jenna Belk, with guest host Phil Ferguson of The Phil Ferguson Show! How do you deal with seeing your religious family after coming out as an atheist...in a different COUNTRY?! A guy who knows Jesus exists, a guy who doesn’t understand why we’re just so darn hard on the worst part of “holy” books, a guy who has actually encountered baby-eating Satanists (supposedly), scientific proof that homosexuality is wrong (not so much), a formerly fundamentalist Christian who’s honestly questioning her religious beliefs, a guy telling us that god is just whatever caused the universe, and a theist who is merely convinced by a moral argument for god, because it would be really sad if we didn’t have some ultimate arbiter!That’s our show! If you’d like to donate monthly, you can visit us over at https://www.patreon.com/theatheistexperience. Chat with other fans at https://tiny.cc/acadiscord. Check out our merch at https://bit.ly/aenmerch. SHOW NOTESToday’s show is hosted by the powerful Jenna Belk and Phil Ferguson of The Phil Ferguson Show, where Phil talks religion, politics, and money (the 3 things you shouldn’t talk about with your family!).Our first caller today is Arthur, who is concerned that his Nigerian family will try to re-convert him when he goes back to see them for the first time since he has publicly identified as an atheist.Thomas in Georgia doesn’t seem to have ever had this conversation before, and we seem to be able to offer him new questions. We’re hoping he calls back if he finds some answers for us.Our next caller, Mark in Montenegro, asks why we “throw out” the Koran “just because it had bad things in it.” He seems to miss the part where people base their entire morality on these books… He then tells Jenna her argument comes from ego. Fun!Let’s talk about Satan, ba-by, let’s talk about you and me! Arturo came to the show to straw man Satanists, or something! Apparently he found some real Satanists who eat babies, or something?Akeem in Philadelphia thinks he has a good secular reason why homosexuality is wrong by quoting a debunked article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonentine/2014/03/10/did-the-new-yorker-botch-puff-piece-on-frog-scientist-tyrone-hayes-turning-rogue-into-beleaguered-hero/#1bcbf81147f6 ..we don’t end up agreeing with Akeen. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Next up- Hallie in California is a fundamentalist Christian...or was until recently. She’s starting to back away from that, and has questions about her faith in general. Hallie may be in the midst of a skeptically motivated de-conversion!Caller Danny from London presents us with a version of the Kalam which includes a definition of God as “whatever caused the universe.”Jason in South Carolina says he’s a theist who leans atheist. Apparently he’s so compelled by a perceived lack of moral arbitration “beyond human beings” without god that he believes in a god. Hmm.That’s our show! If you’d like to donate monthly, you can visit us over at https://www.patreon.com/theatheistexperience. Chat with other fans at https://tiny.cc/acadiscord. Check out our merch at https://bit.ly/aenmerch.

SHOW TIME-STAMPS00:00:00 Introduction (to Darrel Ray & Recovering From Religion)00:21:21 Mary - MN: My Relatives Fear Me Going to Hell (Atheist w/ Pancreatic Cancer)00:32:32 David - MEX: Demons & Sinful Behavior Cause Paranormal Events00:38:12 Rami - FR: The Scientific Method Proves God (Over-Simplifying Science)00:43:40 Alex - MD: I Know What Unites All Religions/Ideologies00:54:58 Shannon Q - NS: How do we combat "Christian counseling?"01:05:47 Matt Dillahunty Answers Prayers Again!01:12:03 Tom - (CA): Can you explain Our Lady of Guadalupe? (Real Miracles! ...not)01:22:00 Mike - VT: Rude Caller Hung Up On (Bible & Masturbation)01:24:56 David - LA: Fictional Science Diabetics Book...and other word salad.01:32:51 Alex - AUS: How Do I Get My Wife to Raise My Kids Secular?01:39:50 David - AZ: Disproving God Via Math...not so much.SHOW NOTESDr. Darrel Ray is back on the show to talk to us about the mission of Recovering From Religion (1-84-I-DOUBT-IT, 1-844-368-2848, https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/). Matt and Darrel discuss how religious beliefs impact therapy when therapists bring religion into their practice, and go over Religious Trauma Syndrome.Mary in Minnesota asks what to do about the fact that her friends and family seem to be afraid of hell for her as she faces imminent death from pancreatic cancer. Matt & Darrel offer some useful advice, but the best thing to know from this call is that Mary will be meeting friend of the show Dave Warnock. If you’re interested in a perspective on actively dying as an atheist, please check out Dave Warnock and Dying Out Loud. (Website: https://daveoutloud.com/, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DaveWarnock.DyingOutLoud/, Twitter: @dwwarnock, Instagram: @warnockpa, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZpN57H2-9Nv2u5rqIMLZwg?fbclid=IwAR2ygIagoXdW7yxQ-geZbazPrvghM6ZBLV_AUttjb8TdQxjv57ZTY5ouPOs, e-mail: [email protected].)We have some unfortunate issues hearing what caller David says, but he starts to imply that “our sin” has caused some sort of physical change in the universe. He eventually gets to dark energy, at which point Matt drops the call because it’s unfortunately likely that this caller is severely misunderstanding dark energy.Rami in France seems to offer a similar sort of proof of God, but his is mathematic rather than scientific. He is hung up on after not allowing hosts to address points of disagreement. Womp, womp.Deepities! Deepities abound! Caller Alex in Maryland uses a LOT of language fluffing to explain the fairly basic concept that a lot of people want good things. He uses this to justify what he calls “meta-theism.”Speaking of friends of the show, Shannon Q is here! We announce as she calls in that she’ll be here to host the show during Faithless Forum, but her question for Dr. Darrel Ray is this: How do we deal with so-called “Christian counseling?” Shannon takes a look at this on her own YouTube channel in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6vDhtBWFtc. (It’s a long one, grab some popcorn! But if you’re into it, subscribe.) Matt hangs up on Shannon with a soundboard button of his own voice. She asked for it. Literally.Matt answers more postcard prayers!We’ve been having calls pop up every now and then recently about Catholic miracles. Tom in Canada wants to ask if the hosts have a natural explanation for Our Lady of Guadalupe.Mike in Vermont gets hung up on pretty quickly. Don’t come on the show to complain about how long you were on hold… It’s quite rude, and you’re not owed our platform. Next.Alex in Australia asks what to do about the fact that he and his wife share different religious views, and how to make sure his wife helps him raise their children secularly. Dr. Darrel Ray provides great answers about honest communication and setting of boundaries.Our final caller, David in Arizona, thinks he can prove God doesn’t exist...with math! He doesn’t. But he really tries!Please check out The Atheist Experience at https://www.patreon.com/TheAtheistExperience, subscribe on YouTube and your favorite podcast app, and check out our merch at https://www.tiny.cc/aenmerch! Please check out Recovering From Religion at https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org, or call their hotline at 1-84-I-DOUBT-IT (1-844-368-2848). Thanks for checking out our show! Join other fans at Discord at https://www.tiny.cc/acadiscord.

SHOW TIME-STAMPS00:00:00 Introduction00:03:03 Daniel - MN: I Want to Believe in An Afterlife, but I'm an Atheist00:10:40 Alex - CO: A Rational Person Can Use Faith, & Faith Can Be Rational00:24:09 Mark - ME: The Koran/Quran is More Accurate than the Bible00:35:47 Dalton - NJ - Used to Be Christian, Now Hindu but Doubting...What Do I Do? 00:44:35 Joshua - NY: How Do I Come Out as an Atheist to My Family?00:54:37 Joseph - NY: People Misunderstand the Zodiac Signs (Astrology is Real)01:01:05 Shattered - OR: Personal Experiences Are Reliable for Personal Beliefs01:10:43 Samuel - GM: Star Wars is a Religion01:19:53 Mark - FL: What is the ATHEIST AGENDA? (Guy tells US what WE believe.)01:33:05 Julian - WA - Are Atheists Willing to Abandon Christian Morality?01:47:17 OutroSHOW NOTESToday we’re hosted by Don Baker & Jenna Belk, who spare no time in getting straight to calls!Our first caller, Daniel, is an atheist who wants to believe in an afterlife. He describes his discovery of Carlin as his first steps toward being an atheist, but seems confused about gods and related topics.Alex in Colombia thinks that a rational person can use faith, and that faith can be part of a rational worldview. Jenna and Don explain that rational people can use non-rational tools, and get a little into epistemology with Alex.We get a rare sort of call with Mark in Montenegro, who wants to defend the Koran/Quran is more accurate than the Bible because we’re closer to it in time, know that it hasn’t been changed as much, and is written in a living language rather than a dead language. Don & Jenna explain some of their issues with the book, and the caller continues attempting a defense of the book.Dalton in New Jersey is an interesting case. He started years ago as a Christian, is currently a Hindu, but is doubting his beliefs. He seems to be headed down a road of skepticism, and Jenna gets to throw him Street Epistemology as a recommendation for his topic.Joshua in New Jersey is a deconvert of only 4-5 years ago, and calls to ask the question so many of us have dealt with in the past: how do I come out to my family as an atheist? Specifically, Joshua is concerned about coming off as an “angry atheist” and “without being flashy.” We get to go over that with him, and also get a little into death and grieving as an atheist.Joseph in New York explains to us that zodiac signs and astrology are actually reliable, but people mis-apply them by using the sun sign...which is correct in its own way? Uh, vaguery is fun, I guess.Shattered in Portland, OR is a pantheist. He doesn’t offer up a defense or justification for his belief, but instead tells us that personal experience is reliable for personal beliefs, but can’t be used to convince people. The question is, why is such reasoning reliable for oneself but not for others?Samuel in Germany thinks that Star Wars has a cult-like following and fascination because people dress up and get upset when movies “violate canon” and similar issues. Does this guy know about the actual Jedi religion? Someone should tell him.Mark in Florida tells us that all the atheists he’s encountered are aggressive anti-theists to point out that we’re more than “just” agnostic atheists...people telling us what we believe is always the best.Here comes a Pordan B. Jeterson fan to ask if “atheists are willing to abandon a Christian morality.” Apparently we’re actually Christians. At least he didn’t call us murderers...actually, never mind, he does say something about Pol Pot.Now, it’s meatloaf time. Goodbye! Join us at tiny.cc/acadiscord, and support us at patreon.com/theatheistexperience. Check out our merch at bit.ly/aenmerch.

SHOW TIME-STAMPS00:00:00 Matt - TX - Epic postcard reading by Matt00:16:55 Jonathan - KY - Is there a moral question about slavery?00:27:07 Walter - MI - Proof of God because of a NDE00:38:07 Jonathyn - AZ - Can believe in something and not know it/be aware of it.00:50:58 Jonathan - AL - How to create a secular community when in a hostile area.01:05:39 Kevin - TN - Agnostic theist, believes in emanation01:25:03 Keith - OK - People in prison are better off with religious belief.01:27:20 John - TX - Evolution points to theismSHOW NOTESWoooot! Your normal notes writer is back in the writer’s chair. Just kidding, there is no writer’s chair, it doesn’t exist. In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jim Barrows. Does Matt have more postcards to read? (Oh yes he does and it is EPIC!) Who is this Jim Barrows character? Does God exist? Stay tuned to find out all this and more!Let’s get to calls. The first caller is Jonathan from Kentucky. He is wondering if there has always been a moral question regarding slavery. What about prisoners of war? He claims that in history, it was more moral to have slaves than now because of tribal warfare. That’s not an excuse. Walter is next up calling in from Michigan, claims to have met God after a very violent car wreck. He experienced a near death experience and saw the light! People convinced him that it was all God’s doing. Sadly, he doesn’t provide any evidence though, except “look at the trees.” Oh and science isn’t real.The following caller named Jonathyn from Arizona is wondering about the argument that folks can believe in something and not know it. He queries Matt on it and Matt responds in kind. Tune in to watch the salad spin!Jonathan from Alabama is next, he is calling in about how to create a community when in a hostile and possibly violent area to secular/atheists.Next up, Kevin in Tennessee has an argument he’d like to share. He believes and is an agnostic theist and that this reality we deem as real is only a small part of something greater.Afterwards we have Steve from Canada. He is an Atheist turned Catholic and is wondering if there is purpose or point in life if you don’t believe. Why does it matter if anyone benefits he asks. It absolutely matters to those around us. C’mon dude, a scribe?!Keith in Oklahoma would like to discuss how prisoners are better off religious. This was a speedy call and Matt definitely disputed that. Might want to watch it to capture more than I did. Our last caller of the day, John in Texas claims that evolution is linked or tied to theism. Um, nah. Natural selection is random and is all about time. Thank you very much, Goodbye!Whew! And that’s it! See you all next week!Send your prayer postcards for Matt to answer on the show to 1507 W. Koenig Lane, Austin, TX, 78741. Otherwise...goodbye!

SHOW TIME-STAMPS00:00:00 Introduction00:07:50 Hermer-NY: The Bible Supports Science00:18:01 Yoel-NY: I Can Convert Everyone!00:43:39 Brant-CA: Native American Church Member’s Peyote Path to God01:00:34 William-NE: Deductive Proof of NO God01:12:36 End of Show AnnouncementsSHOW NOTESMatt and Jenna are back to experience being atheists, and we’re starting off today with some shenanigans! Matt Dillahunty answers prayers sent in on postcards, including a miracle healing of a hen! Jenna has some Christian music looping in her brain today, and has a thought about why this music is such an effective indoctrination tool.Hermer calls us from a cavern deep inside the Earth, approximately 5 meters from its core, and explains to us how the Bible says, “Avoid opposition to science.” He somehow completely misses the fact that the Bible is loaded with scientific inaccuracies. He proceeds to justify Lot’s wife turning into salt because sweat tastes like salt. (“I Tasted Lot’s Wife and It Tastes Like Sweat | Hermer - NY | Talk Heathen 03.51” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE5RxZzVKHw) Also, everyone who has ever seen Hermer’s face believes in God! Wow! How does he know this?Yoel from Brooklyn calls in to give us PROOF of God that will turn all of us into believers! Pack it in, folks, the Atheist Experience is over. What will I do with my Sundays now? At the end of the call, it appears that Yoel has some trouble constructing proper syllogisms...while discussing this, Matt demonstrates a concept by eating crickets with Jenna. Ew.Brant presents a case for his Native American Church beliefs, which involve a peyote path to God, because we all know altered brain states are the way to truth!After all this life-altering proof God DOES exist, William is able to provide us with deductive proof that NO god exists. Matt expects to disagree with him just as much as the “proof of god” callers...let’s see if he’s right.Send your prayer postcards for Matt to answer on the show to 1507 W. Koenig Lane, Austin, TX, 78741. Otherwise...goodbye!

Hi friends. I'm not your regular audio editor for today's show, but I am the guy who agreed to do show notes and then got caught up in modding the live chat and grabbing live clips and neglected to do show notes. Get out your flogging equipment, I'll wait here.Also, sorry about that...

ATHEIST EXPERIENCE 23.03 for 2020-01-19 with Matt Dillahunty & Jenna BelkSHOW TIME-STAMPS00:06:57 Christian - Denmark - Further discussion about antinatalism00:34:39 Kayla - CT - Caller update: Has deconverted and hiring a humanist celebrant for her wedding.00:51:23 Alan - CA - Afraid of not having a “guide” that would intervene at the last moment01:00:28 Cory - NY - Would like to talk about biblical slavery, oh he gets mad.01:03:55 David - KY - Clarity on the position of what is life and if it is precious01:20:38 Michael - AZ - Is both a believer and a non-believer, but how though?01:21:50 Mike - Toronto - Is struggling with helping as many animals as possible and there is still suffering.SHOW NOTESIn today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jenna Belk. It’s going to be a great show!Let’s get to calls. The first caller is a returning caller, Christian from Denmark. He is still struggling with antinatalism (arguing it’s morally wrong to have children because they would possibly suffer in life and the afterlife) and would like to continue to talk about it. Next up, Kayla from Connecticut has an update on her deconversion and her wedding. They have decided to have a humanist celebrant. Congratulations Kayla! We are so happy for you! (Love Rings!) Keep being your awesome sassy self!The following caller named Alan from California is afraid of not having a “guide” that would intervene. Jenna provides some amazing advice, surround yourself with others where they can help if you stumble. Listen in to hear more!The next caller in the queue is Cory from New York wonders if God has the moral right to endorse slavery. Oooooh, one of Matt’s “favorite” topics. Listen in to hear Matt show how immoral slavery is. Next up, David in Kentucky is seeking clarity on what value we assign to life and if that life is precious. Tune in to hear Matt and Jenna talk through this topic.Afterwards we have Michael from Arizona. Claims to be a believer and non-believer. HOW THOUGH? We don’t get to find out… goodbye Michael. Don’t call back.Our last caller of the day, Mike from Toronto is calling about how he and his family are struggling with how to help animals and others who are suffering in the world. What can we do to help? Yes there are bad things that happen, a good response is how can we prioritize how we help out. Keep saving those older and elderly kitties Mike, they need all the help they can get.

ATHEIST EXPERIENCE 24.02 for 2020-01-12 with Matt Dillahunty & Don BakerSHOW TIME-STAMPS00:15:25 Joe - NY - Would like to talk about how bad behavior is caused by atheism. 00:24:02 Matt - MI - No true believer would knowingly lie to create Bible stories.00:47:40 Ralph - FL - What is our criteria for evidence of claims for the existence of God.01:01:51 Ryan - FL - We can come to God through skepticism01:30:48 Ken - PA - Incredibly freeing to become an atheist, is becoming despondentSHOW NOTESIn today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Don Baker. Great to see you Don! We start the show with Don’s list of Failures. Today's topic is “God’s Anointed Leaders.” Ooooh, fun.Let’s get to calls. The first caller is Joe from New York. He would like to talk about how bad behavior is caused by atheism and lists off a couple bad actors/leaders from humanity’s past. People doing bad things who happen to also be atheists does not mean all atheists are bad. Matt moves in to dismantle his arguments quickly.Next up, Matt from Michigan would like to talk about how extraordinary resurrection claims could have happened and continued to talk about how religious people did not knowingly lie to tell a story. Tune in and watch Matt walk through his claim and show how it is untestable and logically unacceptable. The following caller named Ralph from Florida would like to discuss the criteria for evidence of claims for the existence of God. Also is it absurd to believe the Universe is God? Ummm, yes it is and this is broaching the topic of some sort of designer in creator of the Universe. Watch Matt and Don dispute these claims.The next caller in the queue is Ryan from Florida wanting to discuss how we can come to God through skepticism. Claims to have been an atheist until 3 years ago. Turned to a church because of their willingness to say “I don’t know” and became a believer again. Listen in to hear Matt unpack this. Our last caller of the day, Ken in Pennsylvania would like to talk about how freeing it is to become an atheist, and has started to lose the drive and ambition to continue his activism. How do we continue doing what we do? Knowing we make an impact on their journey, we are convinced that not doing it will lead to a worse life. Plus be satisfied with planting seeds of doubt in others and not seeing it fruit. People can change their minds and these seeds can potentially help.

ATHEIST EXPERIENCE 24.01 for 2020-01-05 with Matt Dillahunty & Jen AldrichSHOW TIME-STAMPS00:06:55 Adam - MN - How can atheists be moral and have a system of morality?00:19:49 Elaine - IL - Shot 9 times, only wanted to speak to Matt, Nah. Goodbye.00:23:42 Nick - OR - Recently out, struggling with family and pastor friend knowing.00:43:32 John - TN - Using science and logic to prove a creator exists.00:57:53 Alonzo - VA - Tries to make the argument that the supernatural exists01:18:01 Theo - IL - Believes God communicates through feelings and emotions.01:31:25 Joseph - NY - Reacting to his previous call and to discuss near death experiences.SHOW NOTESHappy New Year everyone, it’s the 24th Season of the Atheist Experience! Time flies when you’re debunking theists. In today’s episode, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jen Aldrich. Jen Aldrich is one of the new hosts of Godless Bitches 3.0, together with Vi La Bianca & Jenna Belk. She's had her own atheist podcast before, called Not Another Atheist Podcast. Google it and enjoy! Welcome to the co-host chair Jen, are you ready for round 2? This is different from Talk Heathen a bit!Let’s get to calls. The first caller is Adam from Minnesota. He would like to talk about the atheist morality system and how there can be one. He claims that atheists don’t have morals and only have likes and dislikes. Um, that’s wrong. Tune in and see Matt try to show him the truth.Next up, Elaine from Illinois earns the title of quickest hangup ever of 2020 (so far). Calls in to dictate how we run our show after emailing a couple times. Um no, you don’t get to dictate who speaks during the shows. Goodbye!The following caller named Nick from Oregon is concerned about how to come out as an atheist to his fundamentalist family and close friend. We can definitely relate, approach them gradually and respectfully, you’ll be ok. The next caller in the queue is John from Tennessee wanting to discuss how science and logic point to a creator. Uses a laundry list of scientific discoveries and tech to “prove” a blueprint. No no no, that’s not how science works! Bring in Dragnauct, we need his expertise! Next up, Alonzo in Virginia tries to make the argument that a supernatural god exists. Presupposes that powerful being could exist because of lack of understanding. Tune in to hear Matt break it all down.Afterwards we have Theo from Illinois. He believes God communicates only through feelings and emotions. How do you know and why do you believe that? Watch and see Matt and Jen work through this with him.Our last caller of the day, Joseph in New York would like to discuss how atheists can’t understand him correctly and he also would like to talk about believing in near death experiences. Listen in to hear Matt and Jen explore this topic.

SHOW TIME-STAMPS00:07:30 Matt - MI - Investigating miracles and claiming they are supernatural00:30:10 Gregory - MA - Would like some helpful clarity on his desire to return to religious life.00:44:37 James - NC - Wonders how we feel about scientists who are banned by the community for their social gaffs.00:52:07 Valued Customer - Raising kids in religion as atheists, is struggling with being outed by their kids.01:06:41 A. Radical - Believes there is a mind/conscious creator behind the creation of the universe.01:29:06 Otangelo - Brazil - Happy holidays, it’s Otangelo. Goodbye01:31:50 Brett - WA - Claims the Earth cannot be here by natural means.01:33:45 Jon - Arguing about the laws of logic and using reason to justify worldviews.SHOW NOTESIn today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Dragnauct Sylvas. Welcome to the co-host chair Dragnauct! We are glad you are here to join us!Let’s get to calls. The first caller is Matt from Michigan. He would like to explore the validity of miracles and backing up their claim of being supernatural in origin. Listen in to hear Matt refute these claims. Our first hangup in a while, tune in and see Matt use the magic button!Next up, Gregory from Massachusetts would like to talk about how he is feeling the need to return to a religious life. He is feeling challenged and uncertain about his lack of belief and needs some help and clarity on it all.The following caller named James from North Carolina would like to talk about scientists who have been banned by the scientific community due to their inaccurate opinions on social constructs. And... he dropped the call, Dragnauct says James should go back to biology class!The next caller in the queue is “Valued Customer” wanting to discuss raising their kids in religion and is concerned about them outing them while within a hostile and religious area. At some point, they will need to explain to their kids why they have lied and move forward. Next up, “A. Radical” believes there is a mind behind the creation of the universe and claims there is empirical evidence there is a conscious creator. Has a list of premises to back up his claims. Listen in to hear Matt and Dragnauct rebuke these premises and claims.Oh boy, Otangelo in Brazil would like to discuss a previous closed conversation between himself and Dragnauct… The conversation was closed, so it’s done. GOODBYE! (Good to have you back in the host’s seat Matt!)Matt’s on a roll, next up, Brett from Washington would like to discuss his paper that the Earth could not have formed due to random chance/natural means because the probability is way too high!Our last caller, Jon would like to talk about the laws of logic and how to use them to justify a specific worldview. He also claims you couldn’t have the laws of logic without God. Nope, wrong goodbye!

SHOW TIME-STAMPS00:14:33 Ray - MI - Struggling with family, longing for acceptance for her son 00:29:19 Charlotte - CA - Questioning their faith, is wondering if it’s difficult to not believe.00:55:49 Danny - London, UK - Mocked for beliefs? Is persecution justified?01:15:40 Joseph - NY - It’s story time!: Turning to God after traumatic encounter at the gym.SHOW NOTESHi everyone! In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, we have the dynamic duo as host and co-host today, Matt Dillahunty and Jenna Belk. Before we get to calls, Jenna has a couple things she’d like to talk about from previous calls in previous episodes. Let’s get to calls. The first caller is Rae from Michigan. She is struggling with family and longs for acceptance for her son. Her son is also living with Asperger’s and she is trying her best to shield him from fundamental ideologies. Next up, Charlotte from California would like to know if it is difficult to not believe. She is also slightly fearful of accepting the ‘Atheist’ label and the consequences of doing so. Listen in to hear Jenna and Matt help her out.The following returning caller named Danny from London, UK is concerned about being mocked and persecuted for their beliefs. Some discussion about a variety of topics occurred, including prophecies and proof of God. Sorry Danny, your word salad isn’t very palpable and is quite bitter. We’re moving on. It’s story time! Our last caller of the live show is Joseph from New York. He has a story! He begins to tell a convoluted tale about going to the gym with his brother at the age of 22, a strange character who may have assaulted him, and then going swimming… Jenna and Matt get to the lesson/morale of this story and recommend a few resources.

SHOW TIME-STAMPS00:02:55 Vanessa - MA - Wondering about compromising with Santa.00:06:10 Ryan - IN - Would like to talk about why atheists don’t believe. 00:25:38 Michael - TX - Has the BEST argument for the existence of God.00:33:08 Bree - WA - Attended grandpa’s funeral and received the fire & brimstone talk.00:39:02 Dean - NC - Using ancient documents, why can’t we use them as historical evidence.01:02:19 Nick - NY - Has the greatest evidence that Catholicism is the truest religion.01:13:11 Danny - London, UK - Would like to talk about Exodus01:24:45 Levi - WA - Living as an atheist in a religious household.SHOW NOTESIn today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Don Baker is joined by Jenna Belk. Are you all ready for Don’s laugh? I am! Let’s get to calls.The first caller is Vanessa from Massachusetts. Wonders if it is ruining the magic of Christmas if they tell their young children about the myth of Santa Claus. Jenna and Don help her through this. It’s ok to pretend for a little while, but keep an eye on it.Next up, Ryan from Indiana would like to talk about why atheists don’t believe in a God. Jenna explains her history and her journey from Catholicism to being an atheist. Ryan also claims atheists are miserable. Oh that’s a stretch, we are all pretty happy at the Freethought Library. Listen in to find out how Don and Jenna unpack his arguments.The following caller named Michael from Texas has the BEST argument for the existence of God. First he defines the God he believes in, which is good, and his argument is fine-tuning and the multiverse hypothesis. Listen in to hear Don and Jenna break it all down.The next caller in the queue is Bree from Washington wanting to talk about her experience at a very religious funeral as an out atheist. I’m sorry you experienced that Bree, you have community with us here!Next up, Dean in North Carolina would like to propose that because the documents that make up the Bible are ancient due to when they were written, we should be able to use these documents as historical evidence. Sorry, confirming historical documents as evidence doesn’t work that way.Afterwards we have Nick from New York. He has the greatest evidence that Roman Catholicism is the one true religion. He also wants to fix the Church’s problems by writing and visiting Pope Francis in the Vatican. Also claiming that by believing in something it makes it true. Jenna provides some great resources for him.Wooo, after that interesting caller, we have Danny in London, UK. He would like to chat about Exodus and its historicity. What does it mean if it is true? Why should we care? He should talk to an Egyptologist about this. This one was interesting as well.Our last caller of the day, Levi in Washington. He is questioning his family’s religiosity and how to best approach them. Listen in to hear amazing Jenna’s advice.

SHOW TIME-STAMPS00:04:26 Gohan - TX - Invited call from Talk Heathen, would like to discuss pro-life/abortion.00:19:15 Richard - Malaysia - Would like to discuss intuition and how that figures into belief.00:36:19 Caleb - PA - Recently deconverted, wife is religious, how to approach this with her.00:47:35 “Canadian Catholic” - Canada - How his view on religion changed after being an atheist.01:08:26 Richard - AZ - Makes the argument that God/Gods will exist01:15:00 Guillermo - CA - Do you believe in faith?01:19:20 Tony - NY - Doesn’t believe in traditional religion, but believes God communicates through Math.SHOW NOTESIn today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jenna Belk. Welcome back to the co-host chair Jenna!Let’s get to calls. The first caller is a returning caller, Gohan from Texas. He was invited to call in during Talk Heathen to discuss abortion, pro-life, and body autonomy. He uses a conjoined twins analogy that is rife with flaws and inaccuracies. If using flawed analogies doesn’t get to solutions, don’t use them!Next up, Richard from Malaysia would like to talk about intuition and how it figures into belief. Tune in and watch Jenna and Matt walk Richard through using logic to reach conclusions. The following caller named Caleb from Pennsylvania is concerned about his life as an atheist married to someone religious. Jenna offers some great recommendations to moving his relationship forward.Oh, you’ll love this… The next caller in the queue is “Canadian Catholic” from Canada wanting to discuss how his view changed from “inner circle atheist” to deeply devoted Roman Catholic. He also presents a hypothesis on consciousness. He called last week, you may recognize his voice. Next up, Richard in Arizona has an argument he’d like to share. He provides a science fiction argument that through current trends, AI will become “god-like”. Um, sure… no.Afterwards we have Guillermo from California. He wonders about atheists and their use of the word faith. Atheists tend to use the word faith as way to describe the trust they have or the confidence they have in certain things. Faith to believers is definitely used differently. I think he learned something. Yay!Our last caller of the day, Tony in New York would like to discuss how God communicates to humans through math. The equations in this argument and formulas are just not adding up here. (Math is not God btw.) Matt goes on to recommend watching Donald in Mathmagicland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_ZHsk0-eF0 Which ends with this quote by Galileo: “Mathematics is the alphabet/language with which “god” has written the universe.” As a metaphor, that is a beautiful concept.

The Atheist Experience 23.48 for 2019-11-17 with Matt Dillahunty & Don BakerSHOW TIME-STAMPS00:23:32 Brian - OH - Has proof god exists, it’s Tim Tebow.00:27:04 Charles - TX - Historical events caused by Jesuits? No.00:27:53 Joel - AL - Claims to have proof of reincarnation00:31:23 Patrick - FL - What is sufficient evidence for the existence of god.00:37:52 Paul - UK - Has definite proof that all the gods don’t exist00:47:12 Jonathan - AZ - Claims to have found a false argument by Matt 00:58:46 Jeroen - Curaçao - Invited a missionary in to discuss miracles, they deconverted.01:11:31 CC - Canada - Has evidence for god and he reconverted to Catholicism01:21:08 Eddie - NY - Believer who has doubts, needs help with understanding.01:32:20 Rick - Canada - Proof the Big Bang is in the bible and science is in the bible too.SHOW NOTESIn today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by one of our favorite co-hosts, Don Baker. Don is back with his list of Christian Failures. This week, Don continues to talk about souls for the 3rd time. He talks about where the soul goes when you die, spoiler alert: the soul doesn’t exist and it doesn’t go anywhere. If you’re following along and keeping track, this is topic #69.Let’s get to calls!The first caller is Brian from Ohio. He claims Tim Tebow is miraculous, it’s also a miracle that he wore 3:16, and everything lined up for a win 7 years ago. Ummmm… No. How do you determine it’s a miracle and how does it translate into proving a god.Oooh, this one is quick. Charles from Texas lists off historical events and claims it was all caused by the Jesuits. Nope, goodbye! The following caller named Joel from Alabama has a bald assertion that the soul is reincarnated through universal awareness. Instincts do not relate at ALL to reincarnation. There is also no evidence for this. The next caller in the queue is Patrick from Florida wanting to discuss why atheists don’t believe that god is the universe. We aren’t trying to redefine the universe as god. What attributes or properties justify putting a god label on the universe? (Answer: it’s not worth it and makes you seem ridiculous.)Next up, Paul in London, UK has proof that no gods exist. This assertation needs to be under the same scrutiny as the claim that there is a god. The burden of proof is on Paul here due to his claim. Afterwards we have Jonathan from Arizona. He called in to talk about Matt’s argument that alien abduction is more plausible than god and how that argument is false. It actually is plausible and could happen because it wouldn’t be a supernatural event. You do not get to assert that it is supernatural.Subsequently, Jeroen in Curaçao feels guilt about deconverting someone who he invited into his home where they discussed and dismantled miracles and other religious ideology.Next up, Catholic “Clearly” Canadian in Canada definitely has evidence for god. It’s why he reconverted to Catholicism. Where and what is your evidence, eh? Next caller, Eddie from New York is disgusted with immoral believers and is troubled by what he used to believe. He is having a really tough time, hang in there Eddie, you have community with us here. Please contact the kind folks at Recovering from Religion. They can help: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/Finally, we have Rick from Canada. Claims the big bang is in the bible along with scientific facts. Sorry, science doesn’t work that way.

SHOW TIME-STAMPS00:16:35 Jim - CA - How to shield his child from JW propaganda 00:24:09 Alexander - Germany - Knowingly deceiving self into believing due to fear of death00:37:44 Tyler - MO - Shunned by JW community for 3 years, should he fade or disassociate.00:45:47 John - GA - Believes atheists all have faith and why we have a negative view on it.01:05:20 Kenny - OK - Why must Christians provide extraordinary evidence for their god01:17:00 Steve - WA - Concerned with believing science can explain everything. 01:23:49 Kevin - AK - Why is the Damascus road experience good enough for Saul but not us?01:37:50 Anonymous - TX - God definitely definitely definitely exists and has the proof.01:39:19 Rob - Quebec - Noah existed and so did the ark, it’s in TurkeySHOW NOTESWelcome to The Atheist Experience! In today’s episode, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Lloyd Evans. (Matt’s back, we missed you!) Lloyd runs a YouTube channel (John Cedars), wrote an amazing book (The Reluctant Apostate), and a website for ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses (www.jwsurvey.org) providing resources to those JWs who are seeking help getting out. After a couple announcements and some chat about yesterday’s talk in Arizona, they begin taking calls. The first caller is Jim from California. He would like to talk about how best to approach and shield his child from JW propaganda. Lloyd explains how to best go about handling this, tune in to see his response.The next caller, Alexander from Germany would like to discuss how he is afraid of death, and is deceiving himself into believing so he may enjoy an afterlife. The following caller named Tyler from Missouri is an ex-JW and wants to talk about whether to fade (aka slip off the radar) or disassociate (aka be excommunicated). Lloyd has a couple recommendations and resources for him.The next caller in the queue is John from Georgia wanting to discuss why atheists have negative views on religious faith and genuinely believes that all atheists have faith. Et Tu quoque? Next up, Kenny in Oklahoma is wondering about extraordinary claims requiring extraordinary evidence. The fact that religion is common and people believe in a god isn’t extraordinary, it’s the claim there IS a god, that is extraordinary and requires evidence. Matt is back!Afterward, Steve from Washington talks about how he is concerned about using science to explain things and is it credible enough. Uh oh, he doesn’t believe in outer space, whoa we might have a flat-earther. Goodbye, you’re done.Subsequently, Kevin in Alaska would like to discuss why atheists don’t believe in god revealing himself to Saul. Matt explains how if god was wise and real, he would reveal himself to everyone. Kevin responds by saying he saw god in his cereal. One of our super quick calls, Anonymous in Texas definitely has evidence for god. It’s the 10 commandments… Lloyd’s first hangup! Congrats Lloyd! You’re a pro now!Finally, Rob from Quebec has proof that Noah and his ark existed and they used steel cables to construct it. It’s in Turkey. (Sure it is.)

The Atheist Experience 23.45 for 2019-10-27 with Jenna Belk & ObjectivelyDan SHOW TIME-STAMPS00:03:45 Kenny - OK - Doesn’t believe that it is an extraordinary claim that a god exists.00:32:08 Chris - TN - Is there something greater than us that created the Universe?00:50:45 John - TN - Losing religion was like losing a horrible part-time job.01:04:55 Jarrod - FL - Possibility of a creator based on science.01:09:42 Dean - NC - Accepting the Big Bang model as beginning of the known universe.SHOW NOTESWelcome to Truth Wanted, the show were we explore and debunk myths and try to get to the truth! In today’s episode, ObjectivelyDan talks about... No, wait. It’s Sunday, not Friday. Did the crew mix it up? VERN OR MARK, HELP, YOU’RE MY ONLY HOPE! Jenna to the rescue, it IS the Atheist Experience with Jenna Belk and ObjectivelyDan! Let’s jump right into calls! The first caller is Kenny from Oklahoma. He would like to talk about how Christianity or a monotheistic god shouldn’t require extraordinary evidence. Tune in to see Jenna and Dan work through this ad-hoc rationalization. After some discussion, we take the next caller, Chris from Tennessee. He would like to discuss the idea of intelligent design. Listen in and find out how Jenna and ObjectivelyDan offer a different perspective on this.The following caller named John also from Tennessee wants to talk about how losing one’s religion is like losing a horrible part-time job. Listen in to hear ObjectivelyDan help him through this conundrum.The next caller in the queue is Jarrod from Florida who believes we could be code within a quantum computer or mainframe. Why would he believe this? He may be a solipsist… this is an interesting call, tune in to find out what happens.Our last caller of the day, Dean in North Carolina is asking about using the Big Bang model as a way to explain the beginning of the known universe and if it relates to a god. Tune in and find out how ObjectivelyDan and Jenna expand and unpack this question.Be sure to check out Truth Wanted with ObjectivelyDan Fridays at 7:00pm central timeYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/truthwantedAudio Podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/show/truthwanted

The Atheist Experience 23.45 for 2019-10-27 with Matt Dillahunty & Don BakerSHOW TIME-STAMPS00:09:00 Jerry - MN - Questioning the end of life of a religious relative00:19:00 Christian - Denmark - Is it immoral to have children if you believe they’ll end up in Hell?00:36:00 Nick - OK - How to encourage a thriving atheist community in your area00:52:00 John - GA - Could the universe really have happened by random chance?01:07:00 Maurice - TX - Is death really and truly the end?01:20:27 Jamie - AR - Troubled with honoring her atheist daughter’s last wishes.01:37:22 Mike - AZ - Why did you choose Atheism over Agnosticism01:40:12 Gman - NJ - Has proof that god exists, and no he doesn’t really.SHOW NOTESIn this episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by the most fabulous Don Baker! We begin this episode with Don’s failures. This week’s topic is: Soul scams used by religions. For those following along, this is topic #68.Afterwards, they begin taking calls. The first caller is Jerry from Minnesota. He would like to talk about how to approach a religious relative’s end of life beliefs. As someone close to death, she may be embracing religion out of fear, perhaps a gentle touch is a good idea. The next caller, Christian from Denmark would like to discuss the idea that it is immoral to have children and believe they might end up in Hell. Listen in and find out how Matt and Don approach this idea!The following caller named Nick from Oklahoma wants to talk about his atheist group and best practices to encouraging and revitalizing a thriving atheist community.The next caller in the queue is John from Georgia wanting to discuss if the universe really could have happened by random chance and probability. Tune in to hear Matt’s explanation and debunking yet another ad-hoc rationalization.Next up, Maurice in Texas is asking about using circumstantial evidence to prove the existence of the afterlife and therefore God. Tune in and find out if the evidence provided is good enough for Matt and Don!Afterward, Jamie from Arkansas talks about how to truly honor her daughter’s wishes in death, Jamie is a Christian and her dying daughter is an atheist. This is something worth listening to as well as visiting Grief beyond Belief: http://griefbeyondbelief.org/Subsequently, Mike in Arizona discusses why we chose atheism over agnosticism. Guess what Mike, they are not mutually exclusive nor are they absolute as you claim. One is about belief and the other is about knowledge. That was a short call.Finally, Gman from Arizona has proof a god exists. Go ahead and prove it and don’t use circular arguments or rationalizations. We're still waiting… annnnddd.. you’re done!

13 OCTOBER 2019 / 4:30-6:00 PM / HOSTS: Eric Murphy, Christy PowellSHOW ITINERARY0:00 Announcements & Updates.0:04 Richard from Malaysia, 0:19 Joel from Alabama, 0:24 John from NY, 0:54 James from LA,1:14 Ian from UK, 1:22 Marcus from Germany, 1:33 Lucas from South Dakota, 1:44 Alex from Hawaii,SHOW NOTESIn this episode of the Atheist Experience and continuing the day of Eric Murphy, we have as hosts Eric Murphy and Christy Powell. Christy is a host from Secular Sexuality and we are stoked to have him co-host AXP today. Should be a great show!After a few announcements, the first caller of the day is Richard from Malaysia. He claims that everyone experiences god and this god can be proven to exist. We now wait for Richard to prove it… We are still waiting Richard. Can Eric and Christy finally get him to prove it?The next caller, Joel calls in pondering about the soul/awareness and recurrent reincarnation. He claims the soul/awareness can be passed on and incorrectly asserts that evolved instincts are proof of this reincarnation. You know, badgering the hosts isn’t always a good tactic. Eric’s first hangup as host! Congrats!The call following is John from NY. He wants to talk about uniformity in nature, the laws of logic, and using the Christian worldview as a way to determine morality, logic, and intelligence. Will Eric and Christy find the right approach in dealing with this pre-sup?After some followup conversation because pre-sups can make your mind melt with their word salad, the next caller is James, a Catholic who wants to further the conversation about the laws of logic and how they can prove a god exists. He continues to talk about the miracle of Fátima and how this also proves god. Watch Eric and Christy debunk these assertions! Next up we have Ian from the UK, he humorously tries show the insanity of deathbed conversions. He posits that by using Pascal’s Wager and beating someone with grandma’s bible, the atheist on their deathbed will go to heaven due to being a martyr. Is this a joke? How does Eric respond?Afterward, Marcus from Germany calls in to talk about proving god through the Kalam cosmological argument. Can Eric and Christy unpack this to reach the truth? Tune in to find out!Next in the queue we have Lucas from South Dakota. He’s calling about how a cult he left is threatening him for standing up to them. It sounds like he needs some support and resources outside of the show. The hotline project through Recovering from Religion (https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org) is there for him. Calling 184-I-DOUBT-IT, Freedom from Religion https://ffrf.org, and the legal team at American Atheists https://www.atheists.org/legal/ can also help.Our last caller of the day is Alex from Hawaii wants to know our thoughts on religion in public school, forcing religious based education on children, and the legality of that. As always, if you need to, please do reach out to Freedom from Religion, American Atheists, and Recovering from Religion for help if you need them!

SHOW NOTESIn this episode of the Atheist Experience, we have Matt Dillahunty and Don Baker as co-hosts. While this episode is not a milestone show like Talk Heathen’s 100th episode, this episode should prove to be just as memorable. Why? Because Don is co-hosting, we love Don! Also Happy Birthday to Matt’s dad!Before we jump into calls, a couple announcements and Don’s list of failures. Today’s topic: Ensoulment. Ensoulment and when the soul gets a body, it is nonsensical at best says Don. Theists and Christians say the soul is intentionally imperfect and created by God. But when do they get put into a body? Does it happen at conception or at first cell division? There are a lot of problems with ensoulment at conception, one being that 50% of fertilized eggs fail or don’t implant. Other problems include but are not limited to, science, chimeras, and developing identical twins! Does one twin go to hell without a soul? Do Chimeras have two souls? Our first caller of the show today is Sean in Nebraska. Sean wonders why we atheists don’t believe in god? Why or why not? He continues to ask about how the Bible claims to be the work of god, how do we demonstrate or prove that it is true? Interestingly he agrees at the ancient age of the Earth, but the “testimonies” of the people in the Bronze age should be accepted. Matt questions his belief in this line of thinking.Our next caller is Chloe from Maryland, She is beginning to have doubts about her faith after coming out LGBTQ. She also questions if it is normal to be angry after being challenged on belief? She is also struggling with the idea that after death there is nothing. Matt attempts to help her understand it’s important to live the one life we all have. (Carpe Diem Chloe!) https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org May help anyone who is struggling with similar issues like Chloe.Next in the queue we have Nate in Alabama. He asks about the laws of logic & science and how would an atheist explain their existence? Matt explains they are non-physical and descriptive. Don chimes in and says it sounds like there is a false equivalency happening due to a lack of context. Our next caller is Greg in Colorado. Whispers they can provide evidence for the existence of god and claims that 0 theists are arguing that god is physical and non-physical. Matt counters saying: Arguing for a conceptual god doesn’t mean that a god exists and the concept of a thing is not the thing. There seems to be a major conflict though, Greg is saying they’re an atheist, but is also claiming to be able to prove a god exists. Greg may be a bit confused, Matt recommends they collecting their thoughts and call back during another show.Next up, Vik in Indiana. Family claims to have experienced a supernatural event and he wants advice on how to approach this story when he visits them. Can Matt and Don provide best practices on how to debunk this and explore the available resources on being a skeptic? The caller following Vik is Stevie in NY. His questions were philosophical in nature. There are things we disagree about, but if there is an observable answer that we agree on, we should all get along. It’s not the topics we agree on that are troublesome, it’s the topics we disagree on where there are potential conflicts and pitfalls. Reminder to all though, don’t tell us what we believe, we will react negatively. AT-HEIST, phooey.Next up, William in Arizona. Has questions about intelligent design, may be approaching the blind watchmaker fallacy. Having one watchmaker make you a watch can be inferred that a watch you happen upon may have been intelligently designed and created, yes we agree on that. William continues, What happens when humans guide the evolution of things or artificial selection? Does it rule out intelligent design or a creator? Matt and Don answers: Nobody made a species in the same way we make a watch. Arguing by analogy isn’t a great way to explain things. Ready for some fireworks? Next we had Otangelo from Brazil. Oh boy. Questions why we answer “I don’t know.” Says “I don’t know” isn’t a justified answer due to the evidence provided. If you can demonstrate the truth of theism, then we can have a conversation. When Otangelo calls in, he claims god instead of “I don’t know” and says we lie about god when we say it. If we don’t know something, then I don’t know is the right answer and we don’t lie nor are we dishonest about it.Afterwards the next caller is Jeff in Florida. Has a 6 year old child and she mentioned her non-belief to a friend. Needs advice on how to encourage his young daughter to talk with him about her friend’s theism and negative reaction to his daughter’s exclamation of atheism. Matt responded People believe different things, and some believe so strongly they could be construed as being mean. But at no point should the desire for friendship override her happiness as a person. Dale McGowan’s book “Parenting beyond belief” may help him traverse this prickly situation.On deck, is Anonymous in Colorado. If I don’t believe in any theology, does that make me an atheist? Does the negation of theology make me an atheist? For some reason didn’t want to hear any answer from Matt and basically didn’t listen to Don. Quite a quick call… Shortest in AXP history?Our final caller is Nicolas in Norway. Has a question about morality. Matt explains how the rules of chess can be fairly similar objectively to the rules of morality. There are objective rules we can make in reference to morality. EXTERNAL LINKS (If needed or discussed during the show)https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org https://ffrf.org http://clergyproject.org https://www.seculartherapy.org/

In this episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty has a special guest, Gayle Jordan, on the show. Gayle is an Executive Director on the Recovering From Religion. In addition, she ran two-times as a Democratic candidate for a State Senate seat in a very red part of Tennessee but did not win. Not to mention, she won the American Atheist's Atheist of the Year Award this year! At the beginning of the show, Gayle discusses what she does at Recovering From Religion and building communities for nonreligious people.Afterwards, they begin taking calls. The first caller is John from Connecticut. He discusses the difficulty of leaving religion because he still believes in God at the back of his mind and asks Matt to help him out with that. Can Matt help him?The next caller, Aaron from Pennsylvania discusses his difficulties with the AA and its method. Is there another method to deal with alcoholism without turning to a higher power? Listen in and find out!The following caller named AC from Illinois claims to have a simple proof that shows that atheism is not possible by logic. Carl Sagan once said that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Let's see if AC meets this requirement. Following a lengthy conversation, the next caller Ron from San Antonio, Texas discusses how the human body complexity is evidence for God. The classic Watchmaker Argument brought up again but debunked by Matt Dillahunty. Next on the list, Dale in Ohio steps up to the plate to discuss his "discovery" of the Garden of Eden? Is this discovery worthy of a Nobel Prize? Tune in and find out!Afterward, Mojo from the UK talks about how Intelligent Design is a scientific theory. Or is it? This is something worth listening to. Subsequently, Oliver in Washington discusses the difference between belief and knowledge. Do you know something or merely suspect something? Word choice is very important. Finally, Guillermo from California discusses if Atheists can use phrases such as OMG or Holy Cow. This is probably the shortest call you will ever see at the Atheist Experience.

In this episode of the Atheist Experience with Matt Dillahunty and Don Barker, Don first discusses the Do No Harm Act. The Do No Harm Act clarifies that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) is intended to protect religious freedom without allowing the infliction of harm on other people. However, how far should religious freedom go? Afterwards, Matt and Don begin taking calls. The first caller is Michael from Maryland. Michael discusses how churches have the wrong description of Lucifer (the devil), and that he knows what the correct description is. Is Lucifer really Satan or is he actually Tom Ellis? Will the real Lucifer please stand up?The next caller is Karen from California. She discusses if sight and feelings are the necessary and sufficient criterion for believing in something or if there are other things necessary. In addition, Matt and Karen get into a heated debate about what it means to be a professional. A clip definitely worth listening to! The following caller is Justin from New Jersey. He claims that he knows the truth about how the universe works through observing purposes and designs. Is his argument worthy of a Nobel Prize? Listen in and find out! The next caller, Tasha from Nevada, claims that Jehovah's Witnesses have the correct doctrine of the Bible due to revelations by them. Maybe all that door-to-door business is not in vain. Or is it? Despite appearing exhausted at this point, Matt and Don continue the calls with Ellen from Michigan. Matt jokes at the start of call by talking about a commenter who said that the microphones were in the wrong place, because they wanted to see the hands of the hosts when they talk. Truthfully, they wanted the microphones moved down so they could see the cleavage from the female hosts. Afterwards, Ellen discusses with Matt how to plan a funeral with religious family members.Following the previous difficult conversation, a new caller, Doug from Ohio, discusses how people make ridiculous claims made about natural disasters being the result of unrelated things such as slavery. Another caller from Ohio, Mike brings up the Do No Harm Act that Don discussed earlier and how important it should be to protect individuals who are victims of religious exemptions such as children who are denied blood transfusions and those who are sent to conversion therapies. Afterwards, Mike discusses how Secular Charities are better than Religious Charities. One of the reasons is because religious charities don't have to reveal how much their income is whereas all other nonprofit charities have to. Scary right?Finally, the we wrap up the calls with Michelle from California. She discusses the difficulties that she went through during her deconversion process such as anxiety, PTSD, and even an attempted suicide attempt. Afterwards, she asks Matt how to deal with leaving religion.

Part 2 of the AxP Double Header!

Part 1 of the AxP Double Header!

2019-07-21

2019-07-14

2019-04-21

2019-04-20 from the American Atheist Convention in Cincinnati, OH.

On Todays show:Support the show https://www.patreon.com/theatheistexperienceThe March issue of the Thinking Aloud magazine is out!http://aca.activehosted.com/f/1FAITHLESS FORUM-THE ATHEIST YOUTUBE CONFERENCE, April 27, 2019 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM CST 5938 Skillman St. Dallas, TX 75231https://faithlessforum.comAmerican Atheists convention April 19-21 in Cincinnati OhioFailures in the News: -United Methodist split-Catholic Church abuse investigation-Southern Baptist sex scandalCaller: Kenny - What is your opinion on Ephesians 5:22 and 5:23 and free speech?Caller: Traci - Indoctrination and shared experiences. Caller: RAO- Double Slit experiment proves the existence of god. Caller: Mitch- Sleep paralysis and people tell him it's a sign from god.Caller: Thomas- How to get through to apologetics, is it even possible?Caller: Jeff- What is the best way to "come out", and should I even do it?Caller: Terri- How do you know there is not a higher power?If you would like to continue the conversation, join the ACA DISCORD and hang out with other fans! https://discord.gg/TWyskr

2019-03-0317:40 Sam: Bahamas: What Would a World Without Religion Look Like?29:30 Cody: Louisville, KY: Emotional Side of Transitioning Out of Theism51:45 Larry: Pensacola, FL: Deist says God is Life, Love, Truth, Mind, Soul, Spirit, and Principle1:07:30 Alonso: Garland, TX: Importance of Renaissance/Enlightenment in Rise of Secularism1:21:05 Eric: TX: How to Respond to “The Bible is Literally True”1:42:15 Ben: Philadelphia, PA: How Useful Is Debating with Theists?

2019-01-20

The Atheist Experience is a weekly Internet television show based in Austin, Texas geared at a non-atheist audience. Every week we field live calls from atheists and believers alike, and you never know what you're going to get! Sometimes it can get quite feisty indeed! You don't want to miss it.The Atheist Experience is produced by the Atheist Community of Austin. The Atheist Community of Austin is organized as a nonprofit educational corporation to develop and support the atheist community, to provide opportunities for socializing and friendship, to promote secular viewpoints, to encourage positive atheist culture, to defend the first amendment principle of state-church separation, to oppose discrimination against atheists and to work with other organizations in pursuit of common goals.

Geoff Blackwell is an attorney for American Atheists: https://www.atheists.org/about/staff/The Atheist Experience is a weekly call-in show from Austin, Texas intended for a theist and atheist audience. We debate religious claims and help fellow atheists with questions and concerns. AXP streams live every Sunday at 4:30pm CDT. 

Atheist Experience 22.47 2018-11-25 with Matt Dillahunty and John Iacoletti

The Atheist Experience is a weekly Internet television show based in Austin, Texas geared at a non-atheist audience. Every week we field live calls from atheists and believers alike, and you never know what you're going to get! Sometimes it can get quite feisty indeed! You don't want to miss it.The Atheist Experience is produced by the Atheist Community of Austin. The Atheist Community of Austin is organized as a nonprofit educational corporation to develop and support the atheist community, to provide opportunities for socializing and friendship, to promote secular viewpoints, to encourage positive atheist culture, to defend the first amendment principle of state-church separation, to oppose discrimination against atheists and to work with other organizations in pursuit of common goals.

The Atheist Experience is a weekly call-in television show in Austin, Texas geared at a non-atheist audience. The Atheist Experience is produced by the Atheist Community of Austin. The Atheist Community of Austin is organized as a nonprofit educational corporation to develop and support the atheist community, to provide opportunities for socializing and friendship, to promote secular viewpoints, to encourage positive atheist culture, to defend the first amendment principle of state-church separation, to oppose discrimination against atheists and to work with other organizations in pursuit of common goals. We define atheism as the lack of belief in gods. This definition also encompasses what most people call agnosticism.

2018-11-04

2018-10-28What is the Atheist Experience?The Atheist Experience is a weekly Internet television show based in Austin, Texas geared toward a non-atheist audience. Every week we field live calls from atheists and believers alike- you never know what you're going to get! Sometimes it can get quite feisty indeed so you don't want to miss it.The Atheist Experience is produced by the Atheist Community of Austin. The Atheist Community of Austin is organized as a nonprofit educational corporation to develop and support the atheist community, to provide opportunities for socializing and friendship, to promote secular viewpoints, to encourage positive atheist culture, to defend the first amendment principle of state-church separation, to oppose discrimination against atheists and to work with other organizations in pursuit of common goals.

The Atheist Experience is a weekly Internet television show based in Austin, Texas geared at a non-atheist audience. Every week we field live calls from atheists and believers alike, and you never know what you're going to get! Sometimes it can get quite feisty indeed! You don't want to miss it.The Atheist Experience is produced by the Atheist Community of Austin. The Atheist Community of Austin is organized as a nonprofit educational corporation to develop and support the atheist community, to provide opportunities for socializing and friendship, to promote secular viewpoints, to encourage positive atheist culture, to defend the first amendment principle of state-church separation, to oppose discrimination against atheists and to work with other organizations in pursuit of common goals.

The Atheist Experience is a weekly Internet television show based in Austin, Texas geared toward a non-atheist audience. Every week we field live calls from atheists and believers alike- you never know what you're going to get! Sometimes it can get quite feisty indeed! You don't want to miss it.The Atheist Experience is produced by the Atheist Community of Austin. The Atheist Community of Austin is organized as a nonprofit educational corporation to develop and support the atheist community, to provide opportunities for socializing and friendship, to promote secular viewpoints, to encourage positive atheist culture, to defend the first amendment principle of state-church separation, to oppose discrimination against atheists and to work with other organizations in pursuit of common goals.

The Atheist Experience is a weekly Internet television show based in Austin, Texas geared toward a non-atheist audience. Every week we field live calls from atheists and believers alike- you never know what you're going to get! Sometimes it can get quite feisty indeed! You don't want to miss it.The Atheist Experience is produced by the Atheist Community of Austin. The Atheist Community of Austin is organized as a nonprofit educational corporation to develop and support the atheist community, to provide opportunities for socializing and friendship, to promote secular viewpoints, to encourage positive atheist culture, to defend the first amendment principle of state-church separation, to oppose discrimination against atheists and to work with other organizations in pursuit of common goals.

The Atheist Experience is a weekly Internet television show based in Austin, Texas geared toward a non-atheist audience. Every week we field live calls from atheists and believers alike- you never know what you're going to get! Sometimes it can get quite feisty indeed! You don't want to miss it.The Atheist Experience is produced by the Atheist Community of Austin. The Atheist Community of Austin is organized as a nonprofit educational corporation to develop and support the atheist community, to provide opportunities for socializing and friendship, to promote secular viewpoints, to encourage positive atheist culture, to defend the first amendment principle of state-church separation, to oppose discrimination against atheists and to work with other organizations in pursuit of common goals.

Matt and Mandisa Thomas of Black Non-Believers take calls.

The Atheist Experience is a weekly Internet television show based in Austin, Texas geared at a non-atheist audience. Every week we field live calls from atheists and believers alike, and you never know what you're going to get! Sometimes it can get quite feisty indeed! You don't want to miss it.The Atheist Experience is produced by the Atheist Community of Austin. The Atheist Community of Austin is organized as a nonprofit educational corporation to develop and support the atheist community, to provide opportunities for socializing and friendship, to promote secular viewpoints, to encourage positive atheist culture, to defend the first amendment principle of state-church separation, to oppose discrimination against atheists and to work with other organizations in pursuit of common goals.

The Atheist Experience is a weekly Internet television show based in Austin, Texas geared at a non-atheist audience. Every week we field live calls from atheists and believers alike, and you never know what you're going to get! Sometimes it can get quite feisty indeed! You don't want to miss it.The Atheist Experience is produced by the Atheist Community of Austin. The Atheist Community of Austin is organized as a nonprofit educational corporation to develop and support the atheist community, to provide opportunities for socializing and friendship, to promote secular viewpoints, to encourage positive atheist culture, to defend the first amendment principle of state-church separation, to oppose discrimination against atheists and to work with other organizations in pursuit of common goals.

The Atheist Experience is a weekly Internet television show based in Austin, Texas geared at a non-atheist audience. Every week we field live calls from atheists and believers alike, and you never know what you're going to get! Sometimes it can get quite feisty indeed! You don't want to miss it.The Atheist Experience is produced by the Atheist Community of Austin. The Atheist Community of Austin is organized as a nonprofit educational corporation to develop and support the atheist community, to provide opportunities for socializing and friendship, to promote secular viewpoints, to encourage positive atheist culture, to defend the first amendment principle of state-church separation, to oppose discrimination against atheists and to work with other organizations in pursuit of common goals.

The Atheist Experience is a weekly Internet television show based in Austin, Texas geared at a non-atheist audience. Every week we field live calls from atheists and believers alike, and you never know what you're going to get! Sometimes it can get quite feisty indeed! You don't want to miss it.The Atheist Experience is produced by the Atheist Community of Austin. The Atheist Community of Austin is organized as a nonprofit educational corporation to develop and support the atheist community, to provide opportunities for socializing and friendship, to promote secular viewpoints, to encourage positive atheist culture, to defend the first amendment principle of state-church separation, to oppose discrimination against atheists and to work with other organizations in pursuit of common goals.

The Atheist Experience is a weekly Internet television show based in Austin, Texas geared at a non-atheist audience. Every week we field live calls from atheists and believers alike, and you never know what you're going to get! Sometimes it can get quite feisty indeed! You don't want to miss it.The Atheist Experience is produced by the Atheist Community of Austin. The Atheist Community of Austin is organized as a nonprofit educational corporation to develop and support the atheist community, to provide opportunities for socializing and friendship, to promote secular viewpoints, to encourage positive atheist culture, to defend the first amendment principle of state-church separation, to oppose discrimination against atheists and to work with other organizations in pursuit of common goals.

The Atheist Experience is a weekly Internet television show based in Austin, Texas geared at a non-atheist audience. Every week we field live calls from atheists and believers alike, and you never know what you're going to get! Sometimes it can get quite feisty indeed! You don't want to miss it.The Atheist Experience is produced by the Atheist Community of Austin. The Atheist Community of Austin is organized as a nonprofit educational corporation to develop and support the atheist community, to provide opportunities for socializing and friendship, to promote secular viewpoints, to encourage positive atheist culture, to defend the first amendment principle of state-church separation, to oppose discrimination against atheists and to work with other organizations in pursuit of common goals.

The Atheist Experience is a weekly Internet television show based in Austin, Texas geared at a non-atheist audience. Every week we field live calls from atheists and believers alike, and you never know what you're going to get! Sometimes it can get quite feisty indeed! You don't want to miss it.The Atheist Experience is produced by the Atheist Community of Austin. The Atheist Community of Austin is organized as a nonprofit educational corporation to develop and support the atheist community, to provide opportunities for socializing and friendship, to promote secular viewpoints, to encourage positive atheist culture, to defend the first amendment principle of state-church separation, to oppose discrimination against atheists and to work with other organizations in pursuit of common goals.

The Atheist Experience is a weekly Internet television show based in Austin, Texas geared at a non-atheist audience. Every week we field live calls from atheists and believers alike, and you never know what you're going to get! Sometimes it can get quite feisty indeed! You don't want to miss it.The Atheist Experience is produced by the Atheist Community of Austin. The Atheist Community of Austin is organized as a nonprofit educational corporation to develop and support the atheist community, to provide opportunities for socializing and friendship, to promote secular viewpoints, to encourage positive atheist culture, to defend the first amendment principle of state-church separation, to oppose discrimination against atheists and to work with other organizations in pursuit of common goals.

The Atheist Experience is a weekly Internet television show based in Austin, Texas geared at a non-atheist audience. Every week we field live calls from atheists and believers alike, and you never know what you're going to get! Sometimes it can get quite feisty indeed! You don't want to miss it.The Atheist Experience is produced by the Atheist Community of Austin. The Atheist Community of Austin is organized as a nonprofit educational corporation to develop and support the atheist community, to provide opportunities for socializing and friendship, to promote secular viewpoints, to encourage positive atheist culture, to defend the first amendment principle of state-church separation, to oppose discrimination against atheists and to work with other organizations in pursuit of common goals.

The Atheist Experience is a weekly Internet television show based in Austin, Texas geared at a non-atheist audience. Every week we field live calls from atheists and believers alike, and you never know what you're going to get! Sometimes it can get quite feisty indeed! You don't want to miss it.The Atheist Experience is produced by the Atheist Community of Austin. The Atheist Community of Austin is organized as a nonprofit educational corporation to develop and support the atheist community, to provide opportunities for socializing and friendship, to promote secular viewpoints, to encourage positive atheist culture, to defend the first amendment principle of state-church separation, to oppose discrimination against atheists and to work with other organizations in pursuit of common goals.

The Atheist Experience is a weekly Internet television show based in Austin, Texas geared at a non-atheist audience. Every week we field live calls from atheists and believers alike, and you never know what you're going to get! Sometimes it can get quite feisty indeed! You don't want to miss it.The Atheist Experience is produced by the Atheist Community of Austin. The Atheist Community of Austin is organized as a nonprofit educational corporation to develop and support the atheist community, to provide opportunities for socializing and friendship, to promote secular viewpoints, to encourage positive atheist culture, to defend the first amendment principle of state-church separation, to oppose discrimination against atheists and to work with other organizations in pursuit of common goals.

Matt and Phil talk to theist and atheist callers about what they believe and why.

1000th Episode with Matt Dillahunty and special guest Seth Andrews

The Atheist Experience with host Matt Dillahunty and co-host Don Baker

The Atheist Experience with host Tracie Harris and co-host Matt Dillahunty 

Atheist Experience 22.22 2018-06-03 with Matt Dillahunty and Phil Session

Status Quon't. Katilyn Pulcher talks about her path to atheism and her book, "Status Quon't".  

Jen Peeples and John Iacoletti. Viewer Calls. Jen and John take callers.

Tracie Harris and Don Baker. They Don't Believe That. Don looks at professed vs. actual beliefs of Christian churches. No phone system.

Jen Peeples and Phil Session. ACA Goings On. Some discussion of today's ACA elections and volunteer activities.

Russell Glasser with guest Phil Ferguson. The Phil Ferguson Show. Phil Ferguson runs a podcast on skepticism, personal finance, and economics.

Matt Dillahunty and Jen Peeples. American Atheists Firing. Matt urges patience with waiting on details of the American Atheists firing of Dave Silverman.

Tracie Harris and Eric Murphy. Viewer Calls. Tracie and Eric take callers.

Tracie Harris and John Iacoletti. American Atheists 2018 Convention. Traciie summarizes the AA convention and she and John take callers.

Jen Peeples and Don Baker. Legend, Lunatic, Liar. Don examines the CS Lewis tricotomy and comes up with a different answer.

Russell Glasser and Tracie Harris. Live from the AA Convention. This special episode was taken live from the 2018 American Atheists Convention.

Matt Dillahunty and Jen Peeples. Austin Bomber. Jen talks about a local bomber and a bit about his motivations and background.

Tracie Harris with guest David Fitzgerald. Christian Mythicism. David Fitzgerald has written extensively on mythicism in Christianity.

Matt Dillahunty and Jamie. Viewer Calls. 202302 Jamie, from Talk Heathen, co-hosts.

#22.08: Trans Rights

Russell Glasser and Jen Peeples. Fighting Creationism. Jen uses a viewer letter to talk about how to fight creationism in public education.

Matt Dillahunty and Don Baker. Pro-Life in Texas. Don examines the fruits by which we know Texas conservatives.

#22.05: We Get Mail

Russell Glasser and Phil Session. Viewer Calls. Phil describes some of the upcoming events in Austin, then he and Russell take callers.

Matt Dillahunty and Don Baker. Lingering opp. to gay marriage. Don talks about Chris Sevier, one of many trying to stop same-sex marriage.

Tracie Harris and Eric Murphy. Viewer Calls. After a brief introduction of Eric (from Talk Heathen), Tracie and Eric take callers.

Russell Glasser and John Iacoletti. Viewer Calls. Russell and John take callers.

Jen Peeples and Clare Wuellner. Science Education. Clare talks about the state of science education in Texas with a focus on biology.

#21.49: Category Errors

Russell Glasser and Phil Session. Smith Girls. Phil describes the Smith Girls situation and encourages help for them.

Russell Glasser and John Iacoletti. Coco. Russell talks about the movie Coco and the idea of religion as entertainment.

Tracie Harris and Jen Peeples. Vegan Poop. Jen talks about how to be skeptical, using vegan poop fecal transplants as an example.

Tracie Harris and Don Baker. The Gift. Don dissects the alleged gift offered in John 3:16.

#21.44: Ethical Societies

Jen Peeples and John Iacoletti. Viewer Calls. Jen and John take viewer calls.

Tracie Harris with guest Anthony Magnabosco. Street Epistemology. Anthony talks about his technique for challenging theists with their beliefs without shutting them down.

Russell Glasser and Ciera Ramirez. Viewer Calls. Russell and Ciera take callers after talking about Ciera's background. This is Ciera's first co-host appearance.

Matt Dillahunty and Don Baker. Church Bailouts. Don discusses that churches asking for bailouts after hurricane Harvey is just another failure of Christianity.

Tracie Harris and Phil Session. Foreclosed Identity. Tracie talks about identity development (or lack thereof) with people who have been indoctrinated.

Russell Glasser and John Iacoletti. Viewer Calls. The first caller is Shirley Rivera from Atheists of Pueto Rico talking about hurricane relief efforts.

Leaving Islam. Muhammad Syed talks about his experience as an ex-Muslim and the challenges for apostates.

Tracie Harris with guest Mitchell Diamond. Hallucinations. Mitchell Diamond talks about the biological basis for hallucinations.

Russell Glasser and Jen Peeples. The Nashville Statement. Jen discusses the conservative Christian "Nashville Statement" manifesto.

Tracie Harris and John Iacoletti with guest Clare Wuellner. Foundation Beyond Belief. Clare talks about Foundation Beyond Belief and how it's helping with relief from Harvey.

Russell Glasser and Don Baker. You're So Special. Don discusses how Christianity uses vanity to manipulate adherents.

Tracie Harris and Phil Session. Viewer Calls. Tracie and Phil take callers.

Matt Dillahunty and John Iacoletti. Matt's Weight. Matt responds to a viewer who is concerned about Matt's weight.

Russell Glasser and Jen Peeples. Trump's Transgender Tweet. Jenn talks about the alleged new policy for transgenders in the military tweeted by Trump.

Matt Dillahunty and Tracie Harris. Viewer Calls. Matt and Tracie take viewer calls.

Tracie Harris and Don Baker. The Failure of Revelation. Don discusses the failure of revealed truth.

Russell Glasser and Lynnea Glasser. Dungeons and Dragons. Lynnea explores why D and D is so odious to believers.

Matt Dillahunty and John Iacoletti. Viewer Calls. Matt and John take callers.

Matt Dillahunty and Jen Peeples. The Transgender Bathroom Bill. Jenn discusses the bill in the Texas legislature to control bathroom use of transexuals.

Matt Dillahunty and Tracie Harris. Changing World Views. Tracie discusses how losing ones faith suddenly can be jarring and difficult.

Matt Dillahunty and Don Baker. Soul Silliness. Don talks about the squishy concept of the soul.

Russell Glasser and Phil Session. Viewer Calls. After talking with special caller Rebecca Vitsmun, Russell and Phil take callers.

Matt Dillahunty and John Iacoletti. Viewer Calls. Matt and John take callers.

Matt Dillahunty and Tracie Harris with guest Chris Johnson. A Better Life. Chris Johnson discusses his book and film about prominent atheists.

Matt Dillahunty and Jen Peeples. Texas Legislative Action. After recapping today's membership meeting, Jen describes some of the bills being considered in Texas.

Matt Dillahunty and Don Baker. Explaining Too Much. Don describes how, by explaining everything, the concept of God explains nothing at all.

Russell Glasser and Phil Session. Viewer Calls. After a brief update of recent ACA activities, Russell and Phil take callers.

Russell Glasser and John Iacoletti. Viewer Calls. After a brief mention of Austin march for science, Russell and John take viewer calls.

Child Sacrifice in the Bible. Jen explores child sacrifice in the Bible. Happy Easter.

Matt Dillahunty and Tracie Harris. Viewer Calls. Matt and Tracie take viewer calls.

Russell Glasser with guest John Loftus. A Chat with John Loftus. Russell chats with author and former Christian John Loftus.

Russell Glasser and Phil Session. Viewer Calls. After a recap of some recent ACA activities, Russell and Phil take callers.

Discussion of Phil's Podcast. The Phil Ferguson podcast is about skepticism, atheism, investment philosophies, economics, and politics.

Matt Dillahunty and John Iacoletti. Viewer Calls. Matt and John take callers.

Russell Glasser and Jen Peeples. Church-State Violations. Jen talks about what to do when you discover a church-state violation.

Matt Dillahunty and Tracie Harris. Viewer Calls. After a recap of Matt's recent debate, Matt and Tracie take callers.

Matt Dillahunty and Don Baker. Stem Cell Snafu. Don examines the huge debt to humanity incurred through stem cell research restrictions.

Russell Glasser and Phil Session. Viewer Calls. After a recap of some recent ACA activities, Russell and Phil take callers.

Matt Dillahunty and John Iacoletti. Pulpit and Politics. Matt discusses Trump's recent claim of changing the law to allow churches to endorse candidates.

Matt Dillahunty and Jen Peeples. Trump's Executive Order. Jenn explains the fallout from the execuctive order closing the border to nationals of some countries.

Matt Dillahunty and Tracie Harris. Viewer Calls. Matt and Tracie take viewer calls.

Russell Glasser and Don Baker. Obsession with Sex and Power. Don talks about the long term effect of Christianity on Texas and nation laws.

Matt Dillahunty and Phil Session. Lackland AFB Atheist Group. Phil talks about an atheist group at the Lackland AFB and the topic of the day, dealing with death.

John Iacolettii and Jen Peeples. Some Pre-Christmas Thoughts. Jen and John talk about a few Christmas-related items.

Matt Dillahunty and Jen Peeples. ACA Position Statements. Matt and Jen defend our apparent "liberal" views, both in the ACA and the show.

Russell Glasser and Tracie Harris. The Fall. Tracie tackles the story original sin and the non-gift of free will.

Matt Dillahunty and Don Baker. Troubling Theology. Don and Matt discuss some troubling theological questions and athests' responses to them.

Russell Glasser and Phil Session. Recovering from Religion. Russell and Phil chat with author Darrel Ray about Recovering from Religion.

Matt Dillahunty and John Iacoletti. How Trump will Impact SCOTUS. Matt and John discuss how the new president will impact the Supreme Court and its later rulings.

Russell Glasser and Jen Peeples. Hacking the Election. Jen and Russell talk about what it would take to actually hack a presidential election.

Russell Glasser and Tracie Harris. Predicting the Future. Tracie disescts two stories about predicting the future and finds confirmation bias.

Russell Glasser and Don Baker. The Failure of Time. Russell encourages viewers to vote and Don talks about how the Bible can't be reconciled with temporal reality.

Matt Dillahunty with guest Ed Brayton. Humanism. Comedian and blogger Ed Brayton joins Matt as a guest.

Matt Dillahunty and John Iacoletti. Viewer Calls. Matt and John take callers.

Russell Glasser and Jen Peeples. Vaccinations. Jen addresses some misconceptions about vaccines.

Matt Dillahunty with guest Greta Christina. Greta Christina. Bat Cruise lecturer Greta Christina talks about her books and current projects.

Russell Glasser and Tracie Harris. Viewer Calls. Tracie and Russell take a special caller, then move on to other calls.

Matt Dillahunty and Don Baker. Mercy for the Poor. Don critiques two recent articles about the canonization of Mother Teresa.

Russell Glasser and Phil Session. Viewer Calls. Russell and Phil take viewer calls.

Matt Dillahunty and John Iacoletti. Pride Recap. Matt describes his and Beth's interaction with protesters at the Austin Pride festival.

Matt Dillahunty and Jen Peeples. Was Joseph Smith a Con Man?. Jen describes some viewer mail where the claims go off the rails.

Russell Glasser and Don Baker. Pope visits Auschwitz. Don disects a news article about the Pope visiting Auschwitz.

Russell Glasser and Tracie Harris. Prejudice. Tracie clarifies the difference between prejudice and discrimination.

Matt Dillahunty and John Iacoletti. Viewer Calls. Matt and John take viewer calls after a late start due to technical difficulties.

Matt Dillahunty and Phil Session. Religious Tests in the DNC?. Matt comments on the e-mail leaked from the DNC and the suggested religious test therein.

Russell Glasser and Jen Peeples. Viewer Calls. Russell and Jen talk about the new ACA web site and take viewer calls.

Matt Dillahunty and Tracie Harris. Viewer Calls. Matt and Tracie take viewer calls.

Matt Dillahunty and Don Baker. Religions Evolve. Don shows how many features of religions are best explained by evolution.

Matt Dillahunty and Phil Session. Introducing Cohost Phil Session. New cohost Phil Session introduces himself.

Tracie Harris and John Iacoletti. Thanking Martin Wagner. John tips his hat to long-time AE host Martin Wagner.

Matt Dillahunty and Anthony Magnabosco. Street Epistemology. Matt talks about the latest shooting. Anthony Magnabosco talks about how to erode confidence in false beliefs.

Matt Dillahunty and Jen Peeples. Talking to Kids about Death. Jenn discusses how to talk to your kids about death and dying without religious claptrap.

Matt Dillahunty and Tracie Harris. Left Behind. Tracie does a retro review of the Left Behind movie.

Matt Dillahunty and Annie Laurie Gaylor with guest Dan Barker. Freedom From Religion Foundation. Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker talk about the latest FFRF activities.

Russell Glasser and Don Baker. God Confusion. Don talks about how muddled the concept of "God" is.

Matt Dillahunty and John Iacoletti. Mother's Day / Natl. Day of Prayer. Matt and John talk about mother's day and the National Day of Prayer.

Russell Glasser and Tracie Harris. Recapping the ACA Election. Russell recaps the ACA election and his vision for the organization.

Matt Dillahunty. Remembering Prince. Matt does a solo show and talks about the recent death of Prince.

Russell Glasser and Don Baker. Failure of Unbridled Reproduction. Don talks about how religions get the wrong answer on the subject of reproduction.

Matt Dillahunty and Sarah Morehead with guest Neil Carter. Removing the Fig Leaf. Bloggers Sarah Morehead and Neil Carter talk about their new sex and religion blog, Removing the Fig Leaf.

Matt Dillahunty and John Iacoletti. Viewer Calls. Matt and John take calls.

Matt Dillahunty and Tracie Harris. ISIS Bombings. How Islam is making the world a better place through bombings.

Russell Glasser and Jen Peeples. Endorsements. Jenn talks about how the ACA can't endorse candidates and how we don't have volunteers to edit books.

Matt Dillahunty and Martin Wagner. Viewer Calls. Matt and Martin take callers.

Matt Dillahunty and John Iacoletti. Viewer Calls. Matt and John take callers.

Russell Glasser and Jen Peeples. Skepticism about an Anti-Vax E-mail. Jen applies skepticism to an anti-vaccination e-mail.

Russell Glasser and Martin Wagner. Viewer Calls. Russell and Martin take callers.

Matt Dillahunty and Don Baker. Slime in the Religion Machine. Don argues that the sliminess of religious leaders should bring their trustworthiness into question.

Russell Glasser and Tracie Harris. Harrassment of Planned Parenthood. Traice talks about the fate of the fake videos used to vilify Planned Parenthood.

Matt Dillahunty and Jen Peeples. Are Theists Stupid?. Jen addressis the false idea that believers are not as intelligent as atheists.

Russell Glasser and Neil Carter. Godless in Dixie. Neil Carter talks about his experiences as an out atheist in Mississippi.

Matt Dillahunty and Martin Wagner. Viewer Calls. Matt and Martin take viewer calls.

Russell Glasser and Don Baker. The Failure of Miracles. Don talks about the fraud that passes as "miracles" for the Catholic church.

Russell Glasser and Jen Peeples. The Merry F-ing Christmas Episode. Jen talks about the latest Christmas craze: disparaging the phrase happy holidays.

Matt Dillahunty and John Iacoletti. A Plug for Secular Student Alliance. Matt recaps a fundraising effort for the Secular Student Alliance. He and John take calls.

Matt Dillahunty and Martin Wagner. Viewer Calls. Matt and Martin take viewer calls.

Matt Dillahunty and Don Baker. A Christian Detector. Don responds to the idea that only Christian Syrian refugees are worthy immigrants.

Matt Dillahunty and Tracie Harris. Mythology Rehash?. Tracie reads a story from Bulfinch Mythology concerning sacrificing a virgin that sounds almost Biblical.

Russell Glasser and Jen Peeples. Biblical Law and ISIS Bombings. Jen mentions a Kevin Swanson polictial rally. Comments on the Paris bombings.

Russell Glasser and Lynnea Glasser. Viewer Calls. Russell and Lynnea take callers.

Matt Dillahunty and John Iacoletti. Dear Abby. John reads a recent Dear Abby column from a young non-believer.

Matt Dillahunty and Don Baker. Who is going to hell?. Don talks about the majority of Christians who are going to hell.

Russell Glasser and Tracie Harris. Instant Mythology. Tracie talks about situations where myths spring up immediately after an event.

Tracie Harris and Jen Peeples. National Coming Out Day. Jen talks about national coming out day and what it might mean for atheists.

Russell Glasser and Martin Wagner. Viewer Calls. Russell and Martin take callers.

Matt Dillahunty with guest Heina Dadabhoy. Guest Heina Dadabhoy. SkepChick blogger and former Muslim Heina Dadabhoy talks about sex and Islam.

Don Baker and John Iacoletti. Viewer Calls. Don and John take viewer calls.

Tracie Harris and John Iacoletti. Religious Rights?. Tracie and John talk about the alleged conflict between people's religious "rights" vs others' rights.

Russell Glasser and Don Baker. Conflict of Interest. Don describes conflict of interest as a problem for Christians to participate in society.

Matt Dillahunty and Jen Peeples. Viewer Calls. Matt and Jen take callers.

Russell Glasser and Martin Wagner. Viewer Calls. Russell and Martin take calls.

Matt Dillahunty and Tracie Harris. Viewer Calls. Matt and Tracie take callers.

Matt Dillahunty and John Iacoletti. Viewer Calls. Matt and John take callers via Skype.

Jeff Dee and Joe Zamecki. Old Timers in a New Venue. Old hosts Jeff and Joe take callers from our own studio.

Russell Glasser and Don Baker. Murderers and Thugs. Don talks about religion being a fertile ground for murderers and thugs.

Matt Dillahunty and Jen Peeples. Fight for Atheist Freedom. Jenn addresses the idea that atheists have laws stacked against us.

Russell Glasser and Martin Wagner. Kent Hovind is out of Prison. Russell and Martin "celebrate" creationist shyster Kent Hovind's release from prison.

Russell Glasser and Tracie Harris. Viewer Calls. Russell and Tracie take callers.

Matt Dillahunty and John Iacoletti. Viewer Calls. John talks about the ACA copyright claim on AE. Matt and John take callers.

Tracie Harris and Don Baker. Emotional Manipulation. Don and Tracie talk abou the use of emotional manipulation in the marketing of religion and controlling believers.

Russell Glasser and Jen Peeples. Duggar Family Values. Jenn talks about some of the hypocrisy in the Duggar family and conservative Christianity in general.

Matt Dillahunty and Tracie Harris. Is Human Nature Inherently Sinful?. Tracie talks about how some seculars have unknowingly adopted some religious attitudes.

Matt Dillahunty and John Iacoletti. Viewer Calls. Matt and John take callers.

Russell Glasser and Martin Wagner. Viewer Mail. Russell responds to viewer mail. The trailer for Mission Control Texas was shown at the beginning.

Matt Dillahunty and Don Baker. Brief Lies: Equivocation. Don talks about equivocation as a subtle means of lying.

Russell Glasser and Jen Peeples. Indoctrination of Young Relatives. Jen and Russell respond to a viewer mail concerning a man concerned about the indoctrination of his grandchild.

Matt Dillahunty and Tracie Harris. Religion and Families. Tracie talks about how religions can destroy family structures and bonds.

Russell Glasser and Martin Wagner. Viewer Calls. Russell and Martin take callers.

Russell Glasser and John Iacoletti. Viewer Calls. Russell and John take callers.

Russell Glasser with guest Ryan Bell. Living a Year Without God. Former minister Ryan Bell describes his unusual path to atheism.

Matt Dillahunty and Don Baker. Can religions be blamed?. Don asks whether it's appropriate to blame religions for the actions of believers and when blame is appropriate.

Matt Dillahunty and Jen Peeples. Marriage Equality. Jen talks about the first same-sex marriage legalized in Texas.

Matt Dillahunty and Tracie Harris. Is atheism a reason to kill?. Matt tries to disect the killing of three people by an admitted atheist. Tracie talks about sleep paralysis.

Russell Glasser and Lynnea Glasser. Viewer Calls. Russell and Lynnea take callers.

Matt Dillahunty with guest Darrel Ray. The Myth of Sex and Addiction. Author Darrel Ray talks about his books.

Matt Dillahunty and Jen Peeples. Viewer Calls. Matt and Jen take viewer calls.

Jen Peeples and John Iacoletti. Should 'god' be capitalized?. John responds to a claim from a believer that you should always capitalize 'god'.

Russell Glasser and Tracie Harris. Je Suis Charlie. Tracie and Russell react to Islamic extremists killing French satirists.

Matt Dillahunty and Don Baker. You Worship That?. Don explains that the Christian god is not worthy of being worshiped.

Russell Glasser and Martin Wagner. Viewer Calls. Russell and Martin take callers.

Matt Dillahunty and Jen Peeples. Can Atheists Run for Public Office?. Jenn talks about the claim made by some that atheists can't run for public office.

Matt Dillahunty and John Iacoletti. Secular Christmas. Matt and John talk informally about the evolution of Christmas into a secular holiday.

Russell Glasser and Tracie Harris. Interfaith Marriage. Tracie discusses an article from the Christian Science Monitor on interfaith couples and families.

Matt Dillahunty and Martin Wagner. Satanic Children's Book. Matt and Martin chat about rattlesnakes and the Satanic Children's Big Book of Activities.

Matt Dillahunty and Don Baker. Slavery. Don and Matt discuss the failure of slavery.

Matt Dillahunty and Jen Peeples. Making Progress?. Jenn and Matt discuss whether the Catholic Church's stance has really changed on various issues.

Russell Glasser and John Iacoletti. Viewer Calls. Matt and John take callers.

Matt Dillahunty and Tracie Harris. Scientific Journals and Reporting. Matt and Tracie have an informal talk about scientific journals and scientific reporting.

Matt Dillahunty and Don Baker. Lame Rationalizations. Don explains what you get when you get an apologist off his script.

Russell Glasser and Martin Wagner. Islamophobia. Russell deconstructs the latest debate on Islamophobia on the Bill Maher show.

Russell Glasser with guest R. Carrier & C. Johnson. Bat Cruise Guest Speakers. Dr Richard Carrier and Chris Johnson discuss their new books.

Russell Glasser and John Iacoletti. Gay Pride Festival. John and Russell talk about the ACA's participation in the Austin Gay Pride Festival.

Russell Glasser and Tracie Harris. Viewer Calls. Russell and Tracie take viewer calls.

Matt Dillahunty and Jen Peeples. Stop Calling Theists Stupid. Jenn urges atheists to not dismiss Christians and other believers as stupid.

Matt Dillahunty and Tracie Harris. Viewer Calls. Matt and Tracie take viewer calls.

Russell Glasser and Don Baker. Failing the Environment. Don talks about how Christianity is sabotaging the environmental movement.

Russell Glasser and Tracie Harris. Viewer Calls. Russell and Tracie take viewer calls.

Matt Dillahunty and John Iacoletti. Viewer Calls. Matt and John take callers.

Matt Dillahunty and Jen Peeples. Children and Religion. Jen talks about the pressure on adults to indoctrinate their children with religion.

Matt Dillahunty and Aron Ra. Viewer Calls with Aron Ra. Matt and Aron take callers.

Russell Glasser and John Iacoletti. Salt Lake City. John gives a trip report to Salt Lake City, the hub of Mormonism.

Matt Dillahunty and Don Baker. The Hobby Lobby SCOTUS Decision. Don talks about the implications of the Hobby Lobby decision for church-state separation.

Russell Glasser and Tracie Harris. Tu Quoque Fallacy. After a plug for the ACA Bat Cruise and other announcements, Tracie talks about when "and you too" is a fallacy.

Matt Dillahunty and Jen Peeples. Catholic Child Rape (again). Matt points out the blatant immorality of the Catholic Church and how lame their excuses are.

Matt Dillahunty and John Iacoletti. Sye ten Bruggencate Debate. John lists ten things he learned from Matt's debate with Sye ten Bruggencate.

Russell Glasser and Martin Wagner. Viewer Calls. Russell and Martin take viewer calls.

Matt Dillahunty and Don Baker. The Dark Ages. When Christianity ruled the world, they called it the dark ages.

Russell Glasser and Tracie Harris. The Explanatory Power of God. Tracie talks about the explanatory power of gods.

Matt Dillahunty and Jen Peeples. The Abraham Reason Apologetic. Jen dissects a bogus apologetic submitted by an e-mail correspondent.

Russell Glasser and John Iacoletti. The Beatles' Religious Beliefs. John does a brief riff on the religious beliefs of the Beatles.

Martin Wagner and Tracie Harris. Viewer Calls. Martin and Tracie take viewer calls. Happy b-day Martin!

Russell Glasser and Don Baker. Easter. Don gives 6 facts that are not widely known about Easter. Russell explains Passover.

Matt Dillahunty and Martin Wagner. Viewer Calls. Matt and Martin take viewer calls.

Russell Glasser and Tracie Harris. Spirituality and Health Care. Tracie explores more on the topic of spirituality and health care.

Matt Dillahunty and Martin Wagner. Viewer Calls. Matt and Martin take viewer calls.

Russell Glasser and Jen Peeples. Message from a Deist. Jen talks about what we do and don't talk about on the show.

Russell Glasser and Don Baker. Christianity's Dep. on Ignorance. Don talks about how Christianity relies on and promotes ignorance to support itself.

Matt Dillahunty and Tracie Harris. Islam 101 Seminar. Tracie gives a trip report from an "Islam 101" seminar she attended.

Russell Glasser and John Iacoletti. Unitarian Universalism. John talks about the UU church.

Matt Dillahunty and Jen Peeples. Viewer Calls. Matt and Jenn take viewer calls.

Matt Dillahunty and Martin Wagner. Viewer Calls. Matt and Martin take callers. According to Christian news, Girls Scouts promote abortion. Who knew?

Russell Glasser and Don Baker. Using People. Don talks about how Christianity's use of people as tools belies its fraudulent nature.

Matt Dillahunty and Tracie Harris. Spirituality in Health Care. Tracie talks about appropriate religious boundaries in medicine and therapy.

Matt Dillahunty and Jen Peeples. 'Brain Dead' is Dead. Jen explains that what we think of as our selves is a product of our brains.

Matt Dillahunty and Martin Wagner. Christian Radio Interview Recap. Matt recaps his recent interview on a Christian radio station.

Russell Glasser and Don Baker. The Failure of Fraternity. Don responds to the Pope's "day of peace" message and its central theme of fraternity.

Matt Dillahunty and Jen Peeples. War on Xmas. Matt and Jen talk about some news stories related to the "war" on Christmas.

Russell Glasser and Tracie Harris. Polar Express. Tracie talks about religious messages in the Christmas movie "Polar Express".

Russell Glasser and Martin Wagner. Viewer Calls. Russell and Martin take viewer calls.

Russell Glasser and Don Baker. Lies: Modern Propaganda. Don talks about how Christianity seemingly needs lies for sucessful marketing.

Russell Glasser and Jen Peeples. Messianic Jews & Other Crazy News. Jen talks about Messianic Jews, exorcisms against same-sex marriage, and North Korean killings.

Matt Dillahunty and Martin Wagner. Viewer Calls. Matt and Martin take viewer calls.

Matt Dillahunty and John Iacoletti. John's Path to Atheism. John talks about his path to atheism.

Russell Glasser and Tracie Harris. Rob Poole Recap. Tracie talks more about religious trauma syndrome.

Matt Dillahunty and Don Baker. Heaven. Don and Matt discuss the lack of consistency in beliefs about heaven.

Matt Dillahunty. Matt Flies Solo. Matt flies solo and spends the episode taking viewer calls.

Russell Glasser and Lynnea Glasser. Viewer Calls. Russell and Lynnea take callers.

Matt Dillahunty and Jen Peeples with guest Dave Silverman. Religion and Depression. Dave Silverman pimps the American Atheist Conv. Jen examines a study correlating religious belief and depression.

Russell Glasser and Tracie Harris. Indoctrination. Tracie talks about how children get indoctrinated into Christianity and other religions and its harmful effects.

Russell Glasser and Don Baker. God's Mistakes. Don talks about the mistakes the god of the Bible makes.

Russell Glasser and Lynnea Glasser. Christian Extended Universe. Lynnea talks about how Christianity (as fiction) has extended the basic story in various directions.

Russell Glasser and Martin Wagner. Viewer Calls. Russell and Martin take viewer calls.

Matt Dillahunty and Jen Peeples. Ad Hominem Attacks. Jenn clarifies what an ad hominem attack is and isn't.

Russell Glasser and Tracie Harris with guest Rob Poole. Interview with Rob Poole. Tracie interviews Rob Poole, Professor of Social Psychiatry, Bangor University, North Wales

Matt Dillahunty and Jeff Dee. Viewer Calls. Matt and Jeff take callers.

Russell Glasser and Don Baker. The Failure of Scripture. Don talks about founder Thomas Paine and how he nailed most of the problems with the Bible.

Matt Dillahunty and Martin Wagner. Viewer Calls. Matt and Martin take viewer calls.

Russell Glasser and Jen Peeples. Polls about Non-Belief. Jenn describes a new poll about what people think about the rise of non-belief in the US.

Russell Glasser and Tracie Harris. Treatment of Gays in Iraq. Russell gives some atheist news and Tracie reads a letter concerning treatment of gays in Iraq.

Matt Dillahunty and Don Baker. The Failure of Faith. Don discusses how faith is a path to harm and why chuch-state separation is so important.

Matt Dillahunty and Jeff Dee. Viewer Calls. Matt and Jeff take callers.

Russell Glasser and Martin Wagner with guest Dan Fincke. Objective Morality. Russell and Martin talk with atheist Dan Fincke about objective morality.

Russell Glasser and Jen Peeples. Westpoint Religious Graduation. Jen describes the experience of an atheist officer at his Westpoint graduation.

Matt Dillahunty and Don Baker. The Failure of TRUTH. Don talks about how various religions/sects claims of TRUTH are obvious falsehoods.

Matt Dillahunty and Tracie Harris. What's Possible?. Tracie shows how, even with some uncertainty, some things are known to be impossible.

Matt Dillahunty and Russell Glasser. Peer Review. Russell talks about the peer review process and how it helps to benefit scientific knowledge.

Jeff Dee and Martin Wagner. Viewer Calls. In a rare pairing, Jeff and Martin take calls.

Matt Dillahunty and Tracie Harris. Imagined Childhood Powers. Tracie describes her imagined childhood powers and invited others to contribute theirs.

Russell Glasser and Jen Peeples with guest Dale McGowan. Atheist Parenting. Jenn and Russell talk with Dale McGowan about atheist parenting.

Russell Glasser and Don Baker. Christian Message Subtext. Don describes what he hears in the subtext of the Christian message.

Matt Dillahunty and Jeff Dee. Matt Goes to Church. Matt describes his latest visit to a local Austin church.

Matt Dillahunty and John Iacoletti. Viewer Calls. John and Matt take callers. This is John's first time in front of the camera. He's been a crew member for years.

Matt Dillahunty and Jen Peeples. Marriage Equality. Jenn and Matt discuss the DOMA/Prop 8 challenge before the Supreme Court.

Russell Glasser and Tracie Harris. Viewer Calls. Russell and Tracie discuss some news items and take viewer calls.

Matt Dillahunty and Don Baker. God's Absolute Morality. Don examines the failure of God's absolute morality.

Matt Dillahunty and Jeff Dee. Viewer Calls. Matt and Jeff take callers.

Matt Dillahunty and Martin Wagner. Responding to a Viewer E-mail. Matt responds to a viewer e-mail.

Russell Glasser and Jen Peeples. The Bible as Fan Fiction. Jenn looks at the Bible as just fan fiction.

Matt Dillahunty and Tracie Harris. Socialization vs. Indoctrination. Tracie describes the difference between socialization and indoctrination.

Russell Glasser and Don Baker. Nothing New Under the Son. Don shows how none of the supernatural claims about Jesus were novel.

Matt Dillahunty and Martin Wagner. Viewer Calls. Matt and Martin take viewer calls.

Russell Glasser and Jeff Dee. Viewer Calls. Russell and Jeff take callers.

Matt Dillahunty and Tracie Harris. Argument from "Making Sense". Tracie identifies a type of argument that we hear that a claim "just makes sense," and therefore must be true.

Russell Glasser and Lynnea Glasser. Souls. Lynnea talks about what's not believable about souls.

Matt Dillahunty and Jen Peeples. News. Jen discusses an upcoming Supreme Court decision and a West Point cadet's rights.

Matt Dillahunty with guest Darrel Ray. Sex and God. Guest Dr. Darrell Ray talks about sex and god.

Jen Peeples and Tracie Harris. Pray Until It Works. Tracie and Jen talk about the "thinking" involved in rationalizing prayer and quack medicine.

Russell Glasser and Jen Peeples. Dying for Pro Life. Jen and Russell talk about an Irish woman who was effectively killed over control of her uterus.

Russell Glasser and Don Baker. Embellishing God's Perfect Religion. Don talks about how revealed religions need embellishment to keep the con going.

Jen Peeples and Jeff Dee. Viewer Calls. Jen and Jeff take viewer calls.

Matt Dillahunty and Martin Wagner. Viewer Calls. Matt and Martin take viewer calls.

Matt Dillahunty and Russell Glasser. Texas Freethought Convention Recap. Matt and Russell recap the Texas Freethought Convention (Oct 19-20, Austin).

Russell Glasser and Tracie Harris. Atheism in Egypt. Tracie talks about a correspondent who is an atheist in Egypt.

Matt Dillahunty and Don Baker. They Don't Believe That. Don points out a number of things that believers clearly don't believe about their own religion.

Matt Dillahunty and Jen Peeples. Test Episode. Matt and Jen do a test episode from our own studio.

Matt Dillahunty with guest Teresa MacBain. The Clergy Project. Teresa MacBain talks about her experience coming out as an atheist minister.

Russell Glasser and Jeff Dee. Viewer Calls. Russell and Jeff take callers.