Talk Heathen

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Talk Heathen 04.18 2020-05-03 with Eric Murphy & Dave Warnock May 04, 2020

Show notes

Greetings Heathens! We hope you are doing well while still in lock-down, today we have a dear friend on the show, Dave Warnock! He has truly inspired a great number of us, including me, the show writer/archivist. We love Dave and we are so glad to have him on the show again today!
Let’s get to calls. The first one is a returning caller, Corey from South Carolina. He called in last week talking about how prayer works and is evidence of God and returns this week to ask a poignant question about how to live together (Atheists and Theists) in harmony. (He also lets us know that he is doing some research on his call from last week. Great job Corey!)
Next up, Michael from Florida would like to talk about how he is questioning his faith as a Seventh Day Adventist. He goes on to ask what the Atheist view on prophecy is. Eric responds: “If we look at prophecy after the fact, how do we know it wasn’t just made up?”
Kevin has called us back and he has more proof of demons! He is saying an ancient text convinced him that demons absolutely exist. Kevin goes on to say that our times show that demons exist, it’s a cop out though and externalizes the blame that should be on us. We are responsible for our own behavior and we should be held accountable for it.
After Kevin, we have Adrian. He believes in a designer God because of evidence that was left behind. Evidence is a singular point of data that proves one thing vs. another. So PROVE IT Adrian! Bring your best evidence to the table, he also does try to prove the hollow moon hypothesis. Spoiler alert, he doesn’t prove anything. This is a crazy call… the goalposts keep moving, I’m getting dizzy.
Our last caller of the show, Paige in Indiana is wondering if having belief is ok if you receive positive reinforcement from said belief. They are a scientologist and claims they have gotten positive benefit from these beliefs. Dave responds “Me thinking it’s true and beneficial, doesn’t make it true, and beliefs can potentially become devastating.” Wow, this one is interesting.
Stay safe, stay healthy and we’ll see you next time heathens!
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Talk Heathen 04.17 2020-04-26 with Eric Murphy & Vi La Bianca Apr 27, 2020

Show notes

Greetings Heathens! So much has happened since we were last together. Giving us all structure and a good start to our week, Eric and Vi are back again this week! Our dynamic duo remotely comes together every Sunday though to bring you more Talk Heathen, and we love them for it!
First up, we have Corey from South Carolina. He posits that coincidences, fate, and historical events that repeat themselves prove God. Claims that 9-11 and cancer are related in some way. Careful Corey, you’re getting into conspiracy theory and anecdotal evidence territory...
Next up, Tom in California is wondering how to offer condolences to Atheists who have lost loved ones. Eric and Vi both say “What can I do, what do you need from me, and how can I help you through this?” Please avoid saying “They are in a better place or you will be reunited when you pass.”
John in Georgia called in to talk about how babies in the bible were killed, that it was ok because God, and they were sent immediately to Hell. Ooooof.
This call might be a bit wild… Seth is calling from Texas asking about and wanting to discuss bodily autonomy and a possible counter argument. Also wondering about the morality of abortion. Vi asks all the important questions and puts it into perspective for him.
Chewy in Tennessee is next up asking about how secular and non-religious communities can have the same togetherness as theist communities. He is surprised to find out there are a lot of communities that come together to help each other. It’s not just a religious thing, it’s a human thing.
Perry and Holly are calling in to let us know how grateful they are for Talk Heathen and the ACA community. Our community is amazing because folks like you are in it!
Kevin in New York claims the undiscovered Planet X is proof of God. Science Fiction be damned! It has a very large orbit, therefore God. WHAT?? He goes on to say that “every time it swings by, it causes strange natural things to occur here on Earth.” Again WHAT???
Our next caller, Devon in Nebraska, is questioning faith and is wondering about the best methods to letting go of religious teaching. They’ve called into AXP before and are looking to continue the conversation.
Joshua from Canada is concerned about the indoctrination experienced by being a Jehovah’s Witness. He is completely despondent and very regretful of his past. There are a lot of resources out there, especially for ex-JWs. Lloyd Evans: https://www.youtube.com/user/johncedars1929 and Telltale: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgIi12EA6BQ8HKL8QUccsOQ We are here for you Joshua.
Thanks for tuning in folks, that’s all we have for today! We’ll see you next week. Stay healthy, stay home, and thanks to all the essential workers out there!
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Talk Heathen 04.16 2020-04-19 with Eric Murphy & Vi La Bianca Apr 20, 2020

Show notes

Happy Quarantining Heathens! Today’s episode of Talk Heathen is brought to you by, washing your damn hands and staying home! Eric and Vi are here to make your quarantine life a little bit better in today’s episode of Talk Heathen. It’s going to be a fun episode, let’s get to it!
David in Australia is calling in again claiming that God is fair, moral, and accountable. Is He fair? Is He moral? If we say He is unfair, what happens then? I’m waiting for an answer here God... Are you there God, it’s me, one of the ACA show notes writers.
Next up, Adrian wants to talk about how there is ABSOLUTELY a designer God because of evidence of Him left behind. Including but not limited to DNA and Eric’s favorite topic: the Moon. Wooooo, where to start… I have trouble following as the goalposts keep moving on this call. The cognitive dissonance and the dishonesty is strong within this call.
Kevin is coming in with definitions and anthropomorphizing things. This time defining the Occult (which he says means hidden.) He also claims every brain has a magnetic field around it and that the Ouija Boards are haunted by evil spirits and demons. Eric asks the all important question, how do you summon a demon. Inquiring minds want to know!
Our last caller of the episode is Jordan, they are on their journey out of religion and are currently questioning the validity and physicality of God. They are concerned and still stuck on there being a literal Hell. We’ve all been there Jordan, you’re so close! Pascal’s Wager is a tough one to get beyond. Definitely continue asking questions, we are here for you, and you’re not alone!
That’s all for today folks, stay safe, wash your hands, and stay home!
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Talk Heathen 04.15 2020-04-12 with Eric Murphy & Vi La Bianca Apr 13, 2020

Show notes

Greetings and Happy Zombie Day heathens. The dynamic duo of Eric and Vi are back again hosting the show, woo! It’s so great to see them both. Hopefully they provide us all a little bit of comfort in these trying times.
Let’s get to calls. The first caller is Greg. He seemed nervous about calling and made every effort to talk about near death experiences and how they don’t prove God. Greg, it’s ok! It’s nerve-wracking to call the show, take a breath, collect your thoughts and call us again. We are here for you!
Next up, Kris in the lower 3rd would like to talk about how he has gotten better with his debate skills, his grandmother is now less eager to talk to him, turning to apologetics and the Bible to justify their stance.
Nikki in Pennsylvania calls in asking if we have seen Cosmos with Carl Sagan, further explaining we can’t prove more than 3 dimensions because we are trapped in the 3rd dimension. Moving on to say that we have no evidence of extraterrestrial life. The time to believe a thing is when there is evidence for it. This is an interesting call, it has appeals to mysteries and everything, even cryptid creatures!
Totally not an apologist Christian who constantly moves goalposts to also ensure the validity of his stance on a god creating the universe, Gabriel from Barbados calls in wanting to discuss abiogenesis and the definition and beginning of life. “Did it pop (snap!) into existence? Oh! It did? That is very silly.” - Eric D. Murphy.
Mohammed in Jordan tries to prove the Quran is the most correct book, the last written book inspired by god, and the Book of Mormon was written by a liar and trickster. We are off to a great start on this one. Here’s some highlights: English speakers at a disadvantage at understanding the Quran because the translation from Arabic to English loses some of the message. This call turns out to be really great and Mohammed is seeking to understand where we atheists stand on things.
David in Australia follows up with how god is fair to humans. Putting aside the WHOLE argument about whether or not god exists… He is NOT fair to humans at all. Eternal punishment for a finite crime being the reason the Christian god is a monster.
Have a wonderful Spring Zombie Day Heathens! Be safe, healthy, and 6 feet apart! Thanks go out to all the essential workers out there, we see you and appreciate the work you do! We’ll see you all next week.
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Talk Heathen 04.14 2020-04-05 with Eric Murphy & Andrew Torrez Apr 06, 2020

Show notes

Happy Sunday Heathens, for some of you out there today begins the 4th week of sheltering in place (it has been for me,) we hope you all are doing well and staying healthy. In today’s episode, Andrew Torrez is here in the co-host seat lawyering it up in this place. He hosts the Opening Arguments podcast (https://www.openargs.com) and is incredibly knowledgeable about how constitutional law works, especially with the 1st amendment and the founding fathers. It’s going to be a wonderful show,
Let’s get to calls. The first caller is Carlos from Texas. He claims we don’t know nor understand the Bible because we aren’t Jewish. Soooooo, does he know the Bible and if so how does he know we don’t know it and if only Jews know the Bible, how does a self-professed non-religious person know the Bible? Ooooof, the mental gymnastics is making me tired already.
And... Talk Heathen is done forever folks, Marquel from Georgia has called and claims God exists, there is only one God (He is not Allah btw,) plus we are pre-existent to the physical world. That’s it, we’re done! We have our Sundays back now! What do we do now that we are all reconverted? Go back to church? (nah.)
Oh, you’ll love this… The next caller in the queue is TE (aka the presup named True Empiricism or Ron) from Illinois is wanting to continue the conversation about the separation of church and state. Are you ready TE, Andrew is a constitutional lawyer and can run circles around your dishonest arguments and fallacies. Ooooooh, intrigue!
Next up, Steven in Ohio wonders how we stay true to our beliefs and avoid being swayed by others. His is a very refreshing call and quite a nice palette cleanser compared to the others we’ve gotten today.
Patrick in Canada follows up with the claim that the Bible is true historically and giants are real. Are we broadcasting Truth Wanted and not Talk Heathen? If giants were real and we had fossils of them, they would be part of the scientific record. They aren’t a part of the record and we have no evidence of them, sooooo… not convinced they are real.
Our last caller of the day, Dean from North Carolina calls in wondering what sort of evidence we need to believe a God is real. It’s hard to believe in a God who has set up an eternal place of torture and torment for finite transgressions. I also agree with the Sagan Standard: "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."
That’s our show today folks, thanks for tuning in! Stay Safe! Stay Healthy! Practice Social Distancing! Thanks to our crew for working hard to keep us online and broadcasting. See you all next week!
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Talk Heathen 04.13 2020-03-29 with Eric Murphy & Jim Barrows Mar 30, 2020

Show notes

SHOW SUMMARY
Good morning Heathens! Our hosts today are Eric Murphy and Jim Barrows, he is an all around awesome dude who has been on many ACA shows. You can find him on AXP, Atheist Vanguard, and many more. And now introducing the callers… Carlos from California claims he has proof of god, are you ready for it? It’s in the BIBLE! He’s also super defensive from the get-go. Dishonesty will get you nowhere Carlos, try again. After Carlos, we have Mark who says we as atheists can be absolutely 100% certain about experiences and perceptions… except we can’t. Am I really here? Next up, Zach who is concerned about his younger brother being raised with belief. Uh Oh, we have a new presup on the scene, TE called in to talk about the secular “agenda” and whether the separation of church and state is sound. Debbie in Nebraska provides a nice respite and good conversation about her beliefs. Kevin knows he has soul dude (and not a Kia Soul,) and wants to prove it. While Randy is struggling with raising children to think critically and skeptically. The last caller of the day, Brandon wonders about the burden of proof of an omnipotent god. It’s a good one folks, be sure to tune in!
SHOW NOTES
Good morning Heathens, today’s episode of Talk Heathen is technologically advanced! After some testing (yesterday), we were able to completely remote all ACA shows due to quarantines/shelter-in-place orders. Being completely remote is good news for everyone, we can continue to be your sanctuary online and provide the content you rely on daily and weekly. It definitely helps me stay sane. On with the show! Today Eric Murphy is joined by the wonderful Jim Barrows.
Let’s get to calls. The first caller is Carlos from California. He has proof of god, it’s in the bible. Right away he is quite defensive about his claim, asking that we refrain from swearing at him and getting upset about perceived slights against him at the very beginning of the call. Except neither Eric nor Jim swore at him, yet. Hmmm…. Selective listening and no willingness to have an honest conversation is at play here.
Mark calls in from North Carolina (no not Mark our wonderful producer!) Claims we can be absolutely certain about experiences and perceptions. How though? How would we prove this?
The following caller named Zach from Ohio is concerned about how he may be a problematic influence on his younger brother. Take your time and teach him gently about your stance on how you see the world along with the tools for skepticism and questioning.
TE from Illinois would like to discuss teaching the bible in public schools, the secular “agenda,” and our take on the separation of church and state. They believe that teaching it is true is ideal but only the abrahamic bible and no other. Also claims that the US was founded on Christian ideals and by Christian founding fathers… mmmm. No it wasn’t. Uh oh, this guy may be a presup… weeee!
Next up, Debbie in Nebraska wanting to talk about atheists she has met are jealous of Christians because they have something to look forward to after death (aka wishful thinking.) She seems to be clinging to the idea of life after death and a heaven. Is there justification for heaven? Is there free will in heaven? Call us back Debbie, we love talking to you!
Kevin has a soul and wants to prove it to us over the phone. He can prove it due to personal experiences and testimonies. We are all ears Kevin! Is there a “ghost in the machine?” How have you determined there is a soul or something like it?
Randy in Texas calls in talking about the beliefs of his children. Be gentle, be patient, seek to understand and gently question their beliefs and belief structure. Be a positive guide in their understanding, it will be a good thing as they grow up.
Our last caller of the day, Brandon in Japan would like to discuss the burden of proof of an omnipotent God. It’s a quick call, I didn’t catch all of it.
Everyone, please be safe and healthy out there. I’ve said this to friends lately, the world is a better place with you in it. Love Rings to ALL!
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Talk Heathen 04.12 2020-03-22 with Eric Murphy & Vi La Bianca Mar 22, 2020

Show notes

SHOW NOTES
Good morning Heathens! Hope you all are safe and healthy at home this fine Sunday. Today’s episode of Talk Heathen is brought to you by Social Distancing and Pajamas. Who wants to guess the hosts will be wearing pajama pants! Our hosts today are Eric Murphy and Vi La Bianca, the dynamic duo bringing thoughtfulness and hope to your new quarantine life.
Let’s get to calls. The first caller is a returning caller, Marlon from the Philippines. He claims that there is proof of David the giant slayer thus proving the bible. Sorry Marlon, correlation does not imply causation. If that were the case, Spiderman would exist in New York… Spiderman, Spiderman… Look out, here comes the Spiderman!
Carlos is next, calling from a wind tunnel. Saying intelligence is a great gift from god and the best at combating evil. Ooooh, call back Carlos when you aren’t in a wind tunnel, we are having trouble hearing what you are saying...
The following caller is Ethan from Illinois is concerned about an upcoming discussion where he will be sitting down with a previous caller and their close minded family. Ethan is seeking understanding and if we have any tips on how to approach this.
Carlos is back, in a less windy wind tunnel. Claiming intelligence is a great gift from god. He also claims that intelligence as a gift is the best tool against evil. The background noise doesn’t help, but it is an interesting conversation.
Next up, Sam in the UK would like to talk about how slavery in the bible is justified. Oh boy. Is the bible written for believers or atheists? Vi also brings up a good point, if the bible is written for believers, why should we atheists know it? This call gets a little heated, tune in to see both Eric and Vi get passionate on this call.
Afterwards we have Tyler from Mississippi. He claims the end is nigh because of the coronavirus/COVID-19. He also claims the black plague wasn’t global. Oh boy Tyler. You should REALLY read some history. Also, you are causing fear about the current pandemic, stop it, you aren’t helping anyone.
We need a palate cleanser, Michael from Florida is calling in talking about surviving his old cult. It’s great to hear from you and your journey away from religion. Keep on learning and investigating!
Our last caller of the day, Kevin in New York would like to discuss how god exists within systems upon systems upon systems. Say what now? Ooooooh, it’s the fine tuning argument. I think I need more coffee.
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Talk Heathen 04.11 2020-03-15 with Eric Murphy & Vi La Bianca Mar 15, 2020

Show notes

Greetings Heathens! We are here to give you the 411 about the show today. Eric Murphy and Vi La Bianca (the dynamic duo,) are hosting this episode of Talk Heathen. Sadly we have a limited live studio audience due to the corona-virus, this is because we care about you and your health heathens, please stay home. Stay safe out there! Don’t Panic and always make sure you know where your towel is.
Let’s get to calls. The first caller is Joel from New York. He ponders about the properties of God and Vi asks the all important question: How many feet does God have? The conversation continues to include time, reality, and mathematics. I think Joel is grossly misinformed.
Next up, Marlon from Philippines would like to talk about the immortal jellyfish that was just discovered and how it proves the creationist view of the beginning of life and debunks evolution.
Elizabeth is calling in from Texas is concerned about how theists define her deconversion due to emotional reasons. It’s totally OK to have an emotional reaction to the trauma experienced at the hands of religion.
Tyler B from the live chat is up next. He claims the triune (Time, Space, and Matter) exists because of God. Eric brings up the argument that the trinity defies the laws of logic. Vi follows up with inaccuracy of not including energy in that equation. Whoops!
Next up, Jelmer in Holland claims to have rational justification for irrational beliefs. It’s another philosophy call and I get so lost with these specific topics. Tune in and watch, you may find some truth in what Eric and Vi talk about with him.
And that’s the show for today, stay safe everyone! See you next week online!
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Talk Heathen 04.10 2020-03-08 with Eric Murphy & Vi La Bianca Mar 08, 2020

Show notes

Greetings Heathens and fans! Welcome to the show! Eric is hosting today and Vi is back in the co-host chair! It’s been a month since this dynamic duo had a show together, it’s going to be a fantastic show! Let’s get to calls.
Owen from Ireland is calling in wanting to talk about shamanism and how different it is from mainstream religion. He goes on to talk about theoretical frameworks, empirical evidence to prove it, and processes and and and… I got lost.
Jeffery from Pennsylvania is calling in to testify to the grandness and truth of the bible… That’s it folks, I’ve reconverted because of this call. Just kidding, he is calling in to attempt to not only have a conversation but to proselytize. Why is the Bible important? Why should we care? How do you know the words in the Bible are true?
The following caller is Raquel from Florida who is concerned about their lingering beliefs from Christianity including those surrounding one’s sexuality. This is truly a great call, I recommend listening to it just to hear Eric say ‘naughty bits’!
We have a returning caller, Kevin in New York is calling back about why he believes in God. The conversation moves on to talk about how the Bible is divinely inspired but “missing parts.” Where’s the director’s cut? Is there a more accurate version? How do you know there were parts left out of the canonical bible? We aren’t talking about the apocrypha?
Next up, Bill in Florida believes Eric is Spider-Man and Vi is amazing and is smarter than anyone else. C’mon dude.
Afterwards we have JJ from Pennsylvania. He wonders about whether it’s reasonable to believe in superstitions but not religious superstition. Eric and Vi really get into this call and it’s very refreshing after Bill being a bit of a Luddite.
Our last caller of the day, Nadine in South Africa has recently come out as Atheist to her family and their reactions to this have been less than stellar. Her family sends her religious things and are passive aggressive about her life. Eric comes in with the recommendation of setting boundaries and try to find a therapist to help her through this.
That’s it for this episode, have a great week folks! See ya next time!
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Talk Heathen 04.09 2020-03-01 with Eric Murphy & Phil Ferguson Mar 01, 2020

Show notes

SHOW TIME-STAMPS
-00:07:01 Khalil - VA - Scientific evidence supports the bible.
-00:22:11 Danielle - LA - Is a Christian Anti-Vaxx Flat Earther, ooooh!
-00:52:47 Jonathan - AZ - Concerns about previous callers and the ad hominem Eric uses about the bible
-01:18:05 - Thanks to our Patreons!
-01:20:57 Caleb - Canada - Heard his name in a song from Jesus Christ Superstar
-01:30:15 Jesse - NJ - Family is forcing religion on him
-01:36:57 Eli - OR - Heaven isn’t a safe place
SHOW NOTES
Greetings Heathens! In today’s very special episode, we have financial guru Phil Ferguson joining Eric Murphy in the co-host seat. Are you ready for retirement heathens? Do you have buckets to squirrel away funds for vacations and other things (cough, medical, cough)? Are you ready for the impending apocalypse? Contact Phil for more info, hope you have a lot of assets though: http://polarisfinancialplanning.com/
Let’s get to calls. Khalil from Virginia is claiming there is scientific evidence that supports the bible. He also claims that because of Adam and Eve, we are all sinners. Is there a sinful gene? (No, there isn’t and we don’t believe your assertion.) Try again Khalil!
Next up, Danielle from Louisiana would like to talk about her belief in the bible and how it supports the flat earth due to being under a dome. She is also an anti-vaxxer. This should be an interesting call. You definitely will want to listen in, she is FASCINATING!
The following caller named Jonathan from Arizona would like to talk about the previous callers and their stances. He also has trouble with the ad hominem on ‘Bronze Age Goat Herders’ who wrote the bible.
The next caller in the queue is Caleb from Vancouver, Canada (did you know there is a Vancouver, Washington? He’s not from there…) Anyway, Caleb is calling in about hearing his name in a song from ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’. Is it authentic or not? Is it audio pareidolia?
Jesse in New Jersey is seeking help on how to handle family who are forcing their religion on him. If you are financially dependent upon your family, please tread carefully and purposefully. It can get better though. We hope things work out for you!
Afterwards we have Eli from Oregon. He claims that heaven isn’t a safe place because it is not perfect anymore (after kicking Lucifer out of it.) I had trouble following this call. Maybe you’ll have a better time understanding. Tune in!
Our last caller of the day, Javier… Oooooops! Sorry Javier, we dropped your call. Sigh. Not worth even writing about.
And that’s it folks! Thanks for tuning in! See you all next week!
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