Talk Heathen

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Talk Heathen 06.07 02-13-2022 with Johnny P Angel and Phil Ferguson Feb 13, 2022

Show notes

Greetings heathens! Join us for today’s show with Johnny Angel and Phil Ferguson who tackle questions from callers on how to handle today’s challenges when speaking with friends.
First caller is Jessica in Ut who asks if atheism can be harmful to mental health. Some people find the truth hard to handle. You are not alone when you feel that all the certainties are gone that used to be there when you had the support system of your church. Recovering from Religion can help with this. Count the good things in life and not just the negative hits. Is the cause of your distress the newly found lack of belief in magical thinking, or is it something else?
Next is Dave from NC wants to talk about the driver behind the holocaust being racism. He has an issue with society having racial categories to emphasize the illusion that races are separate. It comes down to definitions and we often talk past each other as humans. It is not our place to say who is and isn’t a race or who is in a struggle or not. It is more important to learn from the people who were involved than for us to speculate. Do you recognize that certain people statistically get the short end of the stick in society?
Next is B from VA who is talking to a religious friend that does not accept the different between sex and gender. It seems like he says these things to encourage people to hate him. The friend says the LGBTQ community is ruining the world. He also thinks science is wrong about sex and gender. Many people have received their marching orders from a book and some people believe this because it is what they learned growing up. This friend needs to meet more people in the LGBTQ community so his shitty attitude will become less. Our hope is that bigots are dwindling and fading away. Do you feel compelled to be the person that changes your friend’s mind on the subject?
Dan from OH is next that would like to know how to best converse with his friend who is autistic on theist topics. His friend at work is a Christian Fundamentalist and does not understand why the only atheist he knows does not hate Islam. We are not experts on autism, but talking with people can be different for each person. You can use clever ways to look at the Bible as a club when talking about Christianity and argue literally anything. Maybe there is something on the fringe that you can find that will help with the smallest improvement that can be enough to nudge the asteroid off course.
Marcus in TX would like to know how to play off the religious person’s superiority to encourage them into being better human beings. The morality that most people follow is not the same that is laid out in their holy book. People just assume that believers are a positive force in the world because they are part of a charity. You are not moral because of the Bible but in spite of the Bible. Ask questions. Do atheists tip better? What percentage of your tithing actually goes to helping people?
Thank you all for joining us! We want to hear your experience so please keep calling.
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Talk Heathen 06.06 02-06-2022 with Kenneth Leonard and JMike Feb 06, 2022

Show notes

Greetings Heathens! In today’s episode of Talk Heathen, Kenneth Leonard is joined by JMike. Ooooh, two powerhouses co hosting together, this should be a great show!
Let’s get to calls! Xeno claims that their epistemology is correct, ours definitely incredibly flawed. He goes on to say everything has a beginning, just look at your fingers. He also says that because we are Atheists, our epistemology is biased and conflicted. Then he complains that “it was smoother on another show.” Just get it out guy. Wow.
Joe in Minnesota is up next, he says God is something greater than ourselves. Some would say even a higher power. This sounds like someone is willing to misunderstand probability. And if there is a god, they shouldn’t have to share horrific events that you missed to show they exist.
Sean in Oregon had a frustrating confrontation with his In-Laws about religion and his recovery. He is also very concerned about his daughter becoming indoctrinated. A good recommendation would be to set distinct boundaries and have a conversation with your daughter when the time comes.
Richard in the UK is wondering if there is one true religion because of the majority of callers that call in. Are there good arguments for theism or a likely true religion? That’s not really a good way to assess whether or not a religion is more than likely true. JMike gets into this question from his perspective.
Kathy in Illinois has something in particular to talk about, a bitterness that happens when coming out of religion. How does one approach this especially with potential mental illness which may cause some discouragement in deconverting. Recovering from Religion is a great resource to get help. https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/
That’s our show for this week, please continue to be safe in your area, wear your mask, and please please PLEASE get vaccinated if you can. The world is better with you in it. See you next week!
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Talk Heathen 06.05 01-30-2022 with JMike and Johnny P Angel Jan 30, 2022

Show notes

Greetings! Today we have Jmike and Johnny P. Angel are partners in the crime of dancing through various caller challenges.
First caller is Rao who is asking about simulation theory and whether or not we can prove that we exist. The caller brings up Dr. James Gates Jr. who found a string of ones and zeros that are not similar to but identical to the error correcting code that we find in our search engines today. The caller agrees that we care about the independent data, not who said it. We do not know how to falsify this theory or the expectations that are supposed to be generated by this theory, but it can be rivaled with any other theory. There is not enough information here for us to determine if this is true. If you don’t understand the math, why does this take precedence over the facts? If we are in a simulation, it sets us up for playing a role. We will all dig some more into this and do some more research. The caller also mentions to get the god claim out of this hypothesis.
Next is Thomas from TN that wants to talk about people who don’t believe we were ever Christians after deconversion. The caller realized that praying was like talking to air and described that as the reason for stopping the god belief. What does what people think matter to you? The caller also described his past life as Rock n Roll and secular, even though he was a believer. People who believe and don’t believe use different frameworks to describe their lifestyles.
Sal in OH is our last caller who talks about the ability to question oneself. Both of their parents are anti vax conservative Christians and have accused Sal of having too much pride. Dad will show them conspiracy theories about the vaccines. Dad continues to default to government control and removing people’s rights. Show your dad the data and challenge the theories. Ask the question of how you learned of this information. As long as you are willing to engage, you will need to keep poking holes in the theories. Most importantly, you will need to address the reason why he chooses to toss out certain information that is abundantly available. Find out what constitutes a reliable source to your dad. Ask what methodology was used to determine these points. Is this information that already feeds into his beliefs?
Thank you to the essential workers and those in the front lines. If we are able to promote critical thinking and get vaccinated, we can get through this quicker. Bye Heathens!
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Talk Heathen 06.04 01-23-2022 with Katy Montgomerie and Kenneth Leonard Jan 23, 2022

Show notes

Greetings Heathens! In today’s episode of Talk Heathen, Katy Montgomerie is joined by Kenneth Leonard. It’s going to be a great show!
Let’s get to calls! Nick from Arizona would like to talk about the greatest contradictions contained within the bible. Katy brings up the idea of Hell and how an all loving God has a place like that for punishment. I hurt you because I love you is incredibly toxic.
Alex in Australia is up next, he claims that God does exist and he has the arguments to prove it scientifically and philosophically. He goes on to try to claim that mathematics (and specifically the Fibonacci Sequence,) is magical or indicates a supreme being because of its complexity.
Returning caller Gohan in Texas claims that the existence of morality is based on God and created the standard of what is right and what is wrong in terms of this morality. Sadly, Gohan doesn’t really define their terms and the call devolves into arbitrary lists of do’s and don’ts (morality.) His arguments don’t really fly though.
Jeff in Ohio says the Bible is accurate and that it explains and reflects the human condition very well. Except for when it is inconsistent and conflicts with itself but purports itself to being THE source for accuracy, morality, etc. So it doesn’t explain it all very well at all.
That’s our show for this week, please continue to be safe in your area, wear your mask, and please please PLEASE get vaccinated and boosted if you can. The world is better with you in it. See you next week!
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/talk-heathen--3195702/support.

Talk Heathen 06.03 01-16-2022 with JMike and Jesus Christ Jan 16, 2022

Show notes

Greeting Heathens! Today we have Jmike joined by the actual Jesus Christ (JC)! Will the real Jesus Christ please stand up?
First up is Tristan from TX that has some thoughts about how to prevent climate change and getting people to understand that our world matters. The idea that we can try and not do good enough, is not a reason to not try. Just do the most you can do, and don’t get hung up on everyone else. How would you ever know if it was not enough unless you can falsify the prior attempts?
Next we have Rain in UT that wants to learn more about debating presuppositionalists and what points can be most effectively used. Supply the argument that makes the contrary impossible. Are there any set of observations that the person has that can not be attributed to a god? If one of the definitions of god is that everyone knows this god exists, and one person is found that did not know of this existence, then the supposition is false.
Jeff from OH says the mind and body can’t be trusted and we need an arbitrator because the mind and body are not our friends. He wants to know if the mind can do anything to help with well being. JC says our perceptions and ideas can fail us, though the mind and body are the same. Just because you are confused about something, does not mean the conclusion used to fix it is true. If you don’t understand this, it is personal incredulity. If it is a fact that Jesus is the arbitrator, then how does one demonstrate this and why believe it if it can’t be demonstrated?
Next we have The Recipe from Canada that presents a weak argument about the 7 day week. Jmike asks for the inference rule of this claim. The caller tries to use a raising voice with aggression method to assert that the Hebrew God is what all nations follow because he invented the 7 day week and predicted this 2,000 years ago. The caller is asked if Hinduism is true because of the close prediction of the age of the universe, but that just made him more aggressive straw-manning the host’s position.
Austin in MS does not want to leave a loved one behind after death. Being dead is just like being asleep. There is not really anything to be afraid of, other than those around you that miss and love you, feeling sad. That is not good or bad; it is just how it is. There are resources to help with this fear.
Gabriel in Canada believes Jesus is real because he can be seen on the screen as a host. He would like some tips on creating an atheist group in his area. Join our Facebook and Discord groups to reach out to people within these groups. TikTok is a good one because of the eyes on it all day long; there are plenty of resources to check out.
Last we have Chase in Al that has questions about how to deal with a closed minded Christian family. It is difficult to talk someone out of something quickly that they were not talked into quickly.
Shout out to all the first responders, Uber drivers, and the crew! Thank you for joining us and have a great week!
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Talk Heathen 06.02 01-09-2022 with Kenneth Leonard and Johnny P Angel Jan 09, 2022

Show notes

Greetings Heathens! We hope to be a sanctuary for you in this chaotic world. In today’s episode of Talk Heathen, Kenneth Leonard is joined by Johnny P. Angel.
Let’s get to calls! Kaitlyn in Texas is calling in about how to find local atheist communities within your area. She had begun to go to atheist meetups and found them to be pretty comforting and wonderful (changed her life for the better in the long run!) There is some comfort in finding inclusive and welcoming groups within the atheist community to converse with.
Nick in Arizona is up next, he is wondering about how an all powerful God doesn’t seem logical. He posits how an all powerful being could make a rock too large to lift and how it just doesn’t make any sense. Kenneth puts his Christian hat on (figuratively) and talks about how theists get around this argument.
Billy in Texas, is calling about how factory farming is used in the creation of most vaccines. He seems to claim that pharmacological companies use chicken eggs from these farms to develop and produce these vaccines. But they don’t. Correlation does not imply causation Billy.
Trevor in Washington would like to talk about how he has a good reason to believe in God. And that is because of subjective experience. Um ok.
That’s our show for this week, please continue to be safe in your area, wear your mask, and please please PLEASE get vaccinated and boosted if you can. The world is better with you in it. See you next week!
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/talk-heathen--3195702/support.

Talk Heathen 05.52 12-26-2021 - Holiday trivia Challenge Round 3 Jan 05, 2022

Show notes

The Atheist Community of Austin Holiday Trivia Challenge - Quarter Finals Pt. 2 - Year End Special.
We are pre-recording this challenge so that we could give you something interesting to watch over the holidays, but also give our hard working hosts and crew some time off to spend with their family and friends.
This will be a 5 part series, with one episode appearing on each of our AEN Network shows. The schedule is as follows:
The preliminary rounds will consist of 5 questions each, and will be shown on the Secular Sexuality channel on Thursday, December 23rd at 7pm Central: http://tiny.cc/ytss
The first two Quarter Final rounds will consist of 7 questions each, and will be shown on the Truth Wanted channel on Friday, December 24th at 7pm Central: http://tiny.cc/yttw
The second two Quarter Final rounds will consist of 7 questions each, and will be shown on Talk Heathen on Sunday, December 26th at 1pm Central: http://tiny.cc/ytth
The two Semi-final rounds will consist of 7 questions each, and will be shown on The Non-Prophets on Sunday, December 26th at 3pm Central: http://tiny.cc/ytnp
The Championship round will consist of 7 questions, and we will have a Consolation round consisting of 3 questions. These will both be show on The Atheist Experience channel on Sunday, December 26th at 4:30pm Central: http://tiny.cc/ytaxp
Call the show on Sundays 1:00-2:00pm CDT: 1-512-686-0279
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Talk Heathen 05.51 12-19-2021 with Kenneth Leonard and JMike Dec 19, 2021

Show notes

Today we have Kenneth Leonard and the incomparable JMike for another fun episode of Talk Heathen. Watch how this combo handles the calls spanning questions of existence, autonomy, and scripture quoting.
First we have Amit in CT who wants to discuss Christians thinking it is effective to quote Bible verses to others when trying to win their souls over. They think the book is right because it says it is right. Sometimes Christians think that atheists were always heathens and did not come from a religious background. Ask the person what interpretive principles are used for the book’s claims and why we should care about what the book says. Get people to start with whether they care or not if their beliefs are true. Since faith can be used to bring people to both true and false beliefs, how do we know if faith is the correct path to truth?
Next is K from nowhere who is asking about the likelihood of Mary’s virginity. This is already irrational; we don’t have to do any work here. A virgin gave birth after being impregnated by a supernatural entity. Anything that is natural is more likely than ghost sex.
Richard in the UK brings up the historical existence of Jesus topic. We don’t have an objection to the idea that there was a historical Jesus or Rabi with followers, but we have no reason to believe he was performing miracles as the bible indicates. When trying to prove biblical figures as historic, people are trying hard to establish a foundation to which their claims are based. We find success when starting the conversation with the smaller claims such as turning water to wine and from there you can get to the resurrection.
Next is Setuf from Spain would like to talk about the horny violinist analogy. If a violinist wants to have sex with Setuf, and causes a third party to be reliant on her body for survival, then there is a question about the right’s being violated of that third party. The problem with this analogy is the use of the word person; you first must establish that the fetus has person hood. When the properties are listed, the fetus and human are not the same thing. You also must demonstrate why a woman should not have a right to her bodily autonomy. Is it a moral good to allow people to have autonomy over their own bodies?
R in an undisclosed location mentions bodily autonomy of animals as a broadened well being of conscious creatures because we may not be able to demonstrate that one suffers more than another. Many practices that we currently have are reprehensible. Effective altruism has people that figure out the minimum amount they can live on and then donate the remainder. This is not something everyone can do, very much like veganism.
Zealous in MO has some questions about the existence of god and how we came from a game realm that we did not know about. Religious claims hide in the category of not being proven. If god is the player and we are in the game, how do you know that this god could exist?
Thank you for tuning in and we will see you next week! Thank you essential workers!
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Talk Heathen 05.50 12-12-2021 with Lloyd Evans and Johnny P Angel Dec 12, 2021

Show notes

Welcome to Talk Heathen where we have the poetic Lloyd Evans joined by Johnny P. Angel, who actually is not an angel, but rather a legend. This power combo tackles calls with tact and respect!
First up is Briar from CO who wants to emphasize how important it is to keep talking about religion and what it takes to get help when leaving a religion. This was especially important for her when she left the JW and she heard Lloyd talk about getting professional help after being in a cult.
Next is Jack from PA who is having a hard time with his grandfather, a JW, that turned his back on the family who are not JW. This is because they need to protect their righteousness from anyone who is not a JW. That is how doomsday this organization is. You could say there is an element of cowardice, but it is more likely to be cognitive dissonance. If he were to engage in too much conversation with family who are not JW, his faith might unravel.
Setuf in Spain has a question about slavery. She would like to know if slavery can ever be moral. Her belief is that slavery is utterly immoral and should be forbidden. We agree and mention the Bible has specific slavery instructions. Setuf would also like to know if doing things to fetuses without their consent is like slavery. We can’t recommend anything because we are a non-profit. Abortion is a political question and this is not a political show. We would like to recommend 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days which is a Romanian film about the topic.
Zealous in MO, a first time caller has some thoughts about the etymology of religion. His position is that atheism is a religion because of the etymology. Etymology tells you how a word developed; it does not tell you what the word means. If we play a lot of Call of Duty, we do not belong to the Call of Duty Religion. Can we separate “fan” from “religion” devotee? How is the rejection of religion a religion? How is not collecting stamps a hobby?
Alex from Australia presents that there is a quantum order behind abstract paintings and theories. He states that science has proven that mathematics is the way the universe is and holds a belief in a nameless god. This position seems more like deism than theism. Traumatic experiences as a child led Alex to believe these experiences were divine interventions and that the pineal gland did not evolve, but was placed where it is. When you talk about order without religion, that is deism. Here is the problem with divine intervention: Why does god allow millions of people to suffer and die while intervening in another’s life? Do we want to worship a god with dreadful prioritization skills? How does having order behind things prove a god?
Thank you for tuning in and remember, if you do believe we do not hate you, we are just not convinced. We look forward to future conversations that will continue to be plowed.
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Talk Heathen 05.49 12-05-2021 with JMike and ObjectivelyDan Dec 05, 2021

Show notes

Greetings Heathens! We hope to be a sanctuary for you in this chaotic world. In today’s episode of Talk Heathen, JMike is joined by ObjectivelyDan.
Let’s get to calls! Lionel from Mississippi is wondering about what our thoughts on determinism are and has an argument he’d like to run by us. Lionel, thanks for calling in, your call and resulting conversation was interesting.
Dave in Oregon has some constructive criticism about a call between Matt Dillahunty and a caller wanting to talk about modal ontological arguments. He attempts to lay out where he thinks there are flaws with the argument and response. Thanks Dave!
Dale in California wants to talk about how God is specifically focused on us on Earth in this one Galaxy. Why is this and why is He so concerned about us on this tiny blue marble within the vastness of space? Could there be multiple Gods for the other countless galaxies within the Universe?
Returning caller Setuf in Spain is wondering why it is important to be logically consistent. JMike awesomely doesn’t let her take the conversation towards morals and applying personal morals. This call is sounding more and more like a trap to talk about morality, and it does skirt that issue a little bit. Interestingly, it also doesn’t lead to the abortion talk this time around. Hmmm.
Ron in Canada asks how we can objectively (or subjectively) know right or wrong. He then brings up a couple problematic examples to show right and wrong or good and evil. And he can’t seem to look beyond his very favorite book ever, the Bible.
That’s our show for this week, please continue to be safe in your area, wear your mask, and please please PLEASE get vaccinated if you can. The world is better with you in it. See you next week!
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/talk-heathen--3195702/support.

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