Talk Heathen

Latest Episodes:

Talk Heathen 07.15 04-16-2023 with Secular Rarity and Armin Navabi Apr 16, 2023

Show notes

Today’s episode of Talk Heathen is hosted by Secular Rarity and Armin Navabi.
Jon from FL wants to know how Armin would initiate a conversation between a Muslim and an Atheist.
Cindi from PA has a friend who after a frightening period of being left behind in Afghanistan, he has come back with extreme anti-Afghan positions combined with PTSD. The Recovering From Religion Foundation is a great resource to consult about this subject.
Erin from FL asks why falsifiability matters when assessing subjects that will likely never be answered.
Ibn from the (UK) is calling to push back against Armin’s claim and the study that concluded that Islam is an Islamic minority country.
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Talk Heathen 07.14 04-09-2023 with Christy Powell and Student Doctor Ben Apr 09, 2023

Show notes

Today’s episode of Talk Heathen is hosted by Christy Powell and Student Doctor Ben.
Carpe Diem from CO asks where someone with a secular moral worldview would draw the line between should-dos versus must-dos. What is moral versus immoral, versus neutral?
Richard from the UK wants to discuss with the hosts techniques on how to approach conversations about supernatural claims compassionately.
Val from Canada wants to contest the description that Jesus was a zombie when he was actually a lich.
Andy from PA starts a conversation about how we can still respect people as people while still recognizing that their beliefs are potentially not worth respecting especially if they cause harm.
Bryan from CA calls in to discuss finding compassion for those with different beliefs while also recognizing that acceptance is not the same as endorsement.
Christian from AZ wants to discuss the process of coming out as a member of the queer community later in life to oneself as well as to others.
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Talk Heathen 07.13 04-02-2023 with ObjectivelyDan and Emma Thorne Apr 02, 2023

Show notes

show notes updated upon receipt
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Talk Heathen 07.12 3-26-2022 with Secular Rarity and Christy Powell Mar 27, 2023

Show notes

In today’s episode of the Talk Heathen, Secular Rarity and Christy Powell are live in studio to see if anyone can convince them of the existence of God.
Michael from MI is the first caller who asks what can be done to implement the tools gathered from shows like this and if we should be putting up billboards. You can always start little groups in your area or find things that you care about to support that are not necessarily atheism, but still support related causes. Being part of an atheist organization is not the only way to get the needs met. You can always find new ways for activism.
Justin in CO observed a disc shaped flying saucer using his telescope one night. There are many potential explanations that are more plausible than aliens. There are many opportunities for the image that you saw to not be what you saw by the time you are able to communicate how that image appears. Be careful not to believe everything you think. Be suspect of your own singular experiences.
Evan in WA who talks about how science can explain consciousness through proprioception, which is an electrical chemical reaction. We are newly aware of how the nerve system communicates. We may be able to use science to fully explain consciousness in the future. The more we look into this, the more we will figure out.
The first audience question is Jamie from TX who shares a relationship experience where there had to be someone to answer to that made him feel healthy, and asks about the safety of taking someone out of a religion. We have the tools needed to offer people the things that seem to be missing when leaving a religion.
Brad in NJ who brings up a past call that was morally bankrupt. It amazes us there needs to be a threat of eternal torture for us not to be murdering people. Somehow we manage to be good people without some ancient book telling us how.
Triston in TX wants to know how to bring up religious topics to children. Acknowledge that lots of people believe lots of things, and let your child know they get to be somebody who gets to decide what to believe and why. It will work out as long as you are not shoving your beliefs down your child’s throat and not lying to them.
Carolina in TX calls to clear up some misinformation about how people think the Space Program is not important. The Space Program is important to humanity because not only is it cost effective, but it drives the education and training to communities of people that support economies. Everything that is done in space is brought back to benefit the people on earth.
Thank you for tuning in everyone! Remember the essential workers! The question of the week is: What is the first thing you would do if you saw all Christians get raptured?
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Talk Heathen 07.10 03-12-23 with Secular Rarity and Richard Gilliver Mar 12, 2023

Show notes

In today’s episodeHello of the Talk Heathen, Secular Rarity is joined by Richard Gilliver who will sort through topics of Jesus proof, gravity not existing, giving up god for Lent, theist-atheist relationships and wokeism.
First caller is Clark in CA who claims that necessary conditions can’t be accounted for under naturalism because there are conjunctions with two inconsistent propositions. That natural world is what we have and what we can measure. Do you have a demonstration of your system that counters the natural world? Why should we accept idealism as the alternative? What is the relation of idealism to reality? Premises like this need supporting evidence, not just assertions.
Mark from TX asks the hosts what evidence would be required for atheists to believe in Jesus. It is first important to understand that not everyone in the world has the same systems. We must establish if god is possible, and then which god. Sufficient evidence that is not necessarily specific, is what would be required. We would like to see the best piece of evidence.
Chuck in HI claims that whatever holds the universe together is scientific proof of god, and there is no such thing as gravity. There are physicists that can explain the collection of matter and what makes up the universe. Before dismissing something you don’t understand, take a closer look at the science you don’t agree with, and call back.
Hannah in PA is a Sunday school teacher that is considering giving up god for Lent as she goes through the deconstruction process. This could be a chance to soften some of the crucial elements that cause harm. You are not responsible for these young people, however, if you are questioning your faith, you don’t want to put yourself in a position of culpability by placing seeds of doubt to the children. You must care for yourself first and foremost and can benefit by contacting Recovering From Religion.
Shawn in MO is an atheist who feels that a theist/atheist relationship would be uncomfortable. Relationships of all kinds are not perfect in every circumstance. If you meet someone that happens to be religious, just be honest with that person to begin with. It is okay to have a different preference than somebody else because it is a partnership between the people involved. If you meet someone that is super hot and find out they are religious, so what?
Alok in CA believes that wokeism overlaps with atheism. When people stop passing laws that put people in jail for drag shows, then we will stop talking about it. Hearing the word “woke” now usually comes from people who want to attack others for their identities. Caring for people is not woke; it is simply caring for people.
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Talk Heathen 07.09 03-05-2023 with Richard Gilliver and Nikki Beat the Cult Mar 06, 2023

Show notes

In today’s episode of the Talk Heathen, Richard Gilliver and Nikki (Beat The Cult) wrestle with everything from Volvos containing hell to objective morality.
First caller is Anonymous from the USA who proposes that the universe might be god. Nikki asks the caller how god is defined before technical issues ended the call.
Branson in NC sees the Western world as interpreting spiritual practices literally and because it is so symbolic, many have turned away from these teachings. What is the purpose of using the word, “spiritual”, and how is it defined? It is important to understand the difference between colloquial theories and scientific theories. Why use religious symbols instead of science? Is symbolism an accurate representation of the universe? It helps to look at the academic work around symbolism rather than esoteric books.
Jeff in OH rules out natural causes in the world before having a reason to believe in supernatural causes. How would one detect the supernatural? If there is no interaction with the natural world, then why do we accept it?
Wesley in WV describes hell as seven years on earth, the lake of fire is a bunch of nuclear bombs because scripture describes it as a fire folding within itself and says he has seen this as a nuclear device in a Volvo. This is a show where we talk to people about what they believe and why they believe. It is not a show where people tell us what to believe.
Wesley in MA reminds us that the idea of a loving god creating a place where we burn forever makes no sense. Some people think it makes sense because they believe god is justified in harming people if they do not continue to pray and please their god. The issue is Christians do not read the Bible; some may be afraid of the questions this will generate. Atheists want Christians to read the Bible and read the whole thing.
Rick in Canada brings up how fossils form within days after Mt. St. Helens erupted, so the Christians and Atheists must meet in the middle when it comes to belief in the global flood. Where is the evidence for this flood? How do you think a global flood physically happened? Where is all this water now? Is it possible there are biological reasons for mental health issues? When mainstream science does not support your belief, where do you get your information from? Pick up some geological journals, search them for past events, and come back with that information using the actual science.
Jeffrey in GA has decided that well being is a terrible way to base subjective morality. It is not an individual that decides this but society as a whole. Well being is not considered the same thing by everybody.
Thank you everyone! We appreciate the essential workers and the viewers!
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Talk Heathen 07.08 2-26-2023 with ObjectivelyDan and Kara Griffin Feb 27, 2023

Show notes

In today’s episode of the Talk Heathen, ObjectivelyDan and Kara Griffin will wrestle with lots of global floods, humans made from sand, the real Jesus, and aggressive persecution complexes.
First caller Kenneth in GA mentions how there has been a great flood in every ancient myth that points to a world event. Notice there are also dragon myths in many cultures, and there are major differences between all these myths. A flood is a big deal to many agricultural societies. Why do we privilege the Christian story of the flood? How did the ancient people know if the floods were global? Why do you think the majority of scientists dismiss the claim of a global flood? Outside of the stories, there is no evidence of a global flood.
Darick in Canada asks the hosts what part of evolution made humans advanced. He then talks about how we are made up from sand like it says in Genesis and there must be a creative force. The larger cranial capacity is what some will say caused advancement, others will attribute it to agricultural developments, and even our relationship with dogs. Just because we are made from natural materials does not mean we are made of literal sand. How and why does creativity of humans lead to a god or higher creative force?
Rick in Canada also thinks the global flood is real and the supporting evidence is a boat structure in Turkey. We need to see evidence more than a video or documentary that are not scholarly sources. How does something that looks like a boat on a mountain lead to a global flood? Mt. Ararat could be a million different mountains. We are struggling to see how this structure is convincing. The existence of this structure is not remarkable because this is common and is even refuted by Answers In Genesis (AIG). The image shown on the screen of the ark was a lump of earth.
Jesus in Germany wants to prove the Bible is a hoax and 2,000 years ago he was gay. If he time travels with the powers he has now, there will be god attributes. We try to stick to the topic and this is in another dimension. Thank you Jesus for talking to us.
Nate in Ohio is upset about what is happening with the aggressive religious right having this persecution complex. There is value in having conversations rather than just yelling back and forth. Sometimes you have to let it happen naturally and it can be a hard relationship to balance.
Thank you for tuning in this week! Please consider the following question: What is the weirdest reason to pray for someone? Remember our essential workers and see you next week!
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Talk Heathen 07.07 02-19-2023 with Richard Gilliver and Katy Montgomerie Feb 19, 2023

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Talk Heathen 07.06 02-12-2023 with Student Doctor Ben and Blatant Blatheist Feb 12, 2023

Show notes

In today’s episode of Talk Heathen, please observe how Student Doctor Ben and Blatant Blatheist handle the various calls with ease.
First caller is Ethan from TN. He states that a right winged, conservative society consisting of nuclear families would be better than what we have now. In what ways is a nuclear family better than others? Do gender roles determine the betterness of family structure? If the nuclear family is better, then we should have evidence to back that up. If you describe the nuclear family as an institution, how is it defined? The caller was not able to provide a definition.
Wesley from WV has proof of Jesus! The proof is in our mouths as teeth since Jesus has healed two teeth of every person on earth. Is there a way to demonstrate the truth of what you are saying?
Thomas from TN has some questions about processing the death of his wife as an atheist. Grief beyond belief is helpful for these situations so you don’t grieve alone. You can also contact Recovering From Religion for support. One of the best things to do is to accept what is so that you can deal with the reality and not prolong your suffering. We hope you will get through this time.
Bryan from Ireland wonders how many people who think they believe, really don’t. There are times when you feel unconvinced, and then fear takes over. We tend to fall back on what we were taught and people stay in religion for different reasons such as marriage. Could it be that the culture in Ireland is different from the U.S. when it comes to these things?
Zakean from OK has come out as both non-binary and atheist. Their family is supportive yet refuses to use their pronouns or their name. Ben recommends they set up boundaries with the family where interaction is restricted if proper pronouns are not used. Some people allow a year or so to ask questions. If you are unable to get through to your family, acceptance helps. This dynamic is incredibly common in the trans community; you are not alone.
Vaibhav from India wants to know how to engage with the one non-atheist in his small village, which is a place for people who have been kicked out of their families. If you kick this person out, that is the same thing that religious families do. Focus less on the religious aspect and more on the agreement that this person has violated.
Brooklyn in FL does not believe Satanic themed performances should be banned from public spaces. If we regulate one viewpoint for art, what else are we going to regulate? People have every right to change the channel. Satanism is being used to prove a point and is being showcased openly. The Satanic Panic never went away!
Thank you for tuning in this week! Please remember the essential workers and we will see you next week!
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Talk Heathen 07.05 02-05-2023 with Secular Rarity and Richard Gilliver Feb 05, 2023

Show notes

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