The Atheist Experience

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The Atheist Experience 26.06 02-06-2022 with Matt Dillahunty and Shannon Q Feb 07, 2022

Show notes

This Sunday’s AxP has Matt returning, alongside crowd favorite, Shannon Q!
First up is Hank, who says without precreation, there’s no point to life. He gets cut off after an inappropriate comment, but Shannon and Matt offer MANY reasons why life matters without babies. Keep it PG Hank.
Kevin in Canada thinks scientists believing in gods is proof of their existence, and also believes in Intelligent Design. Shannon points out that many biological systems are clearly not designed well, and Matt doesn’t care what some people, scientist or not, might think. That's not proof of anything!
Bob is next, who is off like a rocket with his background story of being an agnostic atheist with autism. He wants to know if folks on the autism spectrum are more likely to be non-believers. Our hosts aren’t aware of any statistics on the topic, and think it may be more an issue of visibility than tendency. I would love to have a beer with Bob.
Patrick identifies as an atheist, but thinks the universe is… conscious? And also, therefore God. Shannon offers a great rebuttal, and Matt gives a great analogy for this composition fallacy. No cookies for you, Patrick. Ok, one cookie. But it’s oatmeal raisin.
Anthony has worked with the mentally ill, and wonders if the delusions they suffer are present in some small capacity among all religious folk. Both our hosts agree that being religious is not a mental illness, and talk about why irrational beliefs are not necessarily an indicator for such.
Susan has evidence for a soul! Wait, no she doesn’t. But AI being curious is a thing sooo, souls? Concepts aren’t evidence, and thinking about Narnia doesn’t manifest Mr. Tumnus.
Richard claims that without evolution, humans could not exist. Therefore, God. Sadly, his argument is all conjecture and assertions. Any call that makes Shannon rub her temples is worth watching!
Oh Will, why are you defending Biblical slavery? Will’s making excuses for the Pentateuch, and Matt’s not having it. Not today sir.
Christopher thinks he’s had a divine revelation, and has a direct line to the big man upstairs. We get a real-time conversation as this feckless deity fails at guessing what card is in Matt’s hand. This is good content, people.
Patrick has waited an hour to tell us that anyone popular enough is a God. Flashback to high school much? We’re moving on.
Relic wants to ask our hosts if building communities with believers is worth it. Shannon thinks that as long as our goals are aligned, there’s value there, and Matt agrees. Relic tells us why he’s a druid, and this tale is worth hearing! Freya the Goddess makes a cameo, but our hosts don’t see any value in a cool story.
That’s our show folks, stay safe, mask up, and get vaccinated!
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The Atheist Experience 26.05 01-30-2022 with Matt Dillahunty and Dr Darrel Ray Jan 31, 2022

Show notes

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Dr. Darrel Ray!
Starting off is Kyle from NY who believes that they hear spirits talking to them when they pray. How do you know these are spirits? Just because you don’t have an answer to the question “what is it?” doesn’t mean that you are justified in calling them spirits. For all you know it’s a manifestation of Agent Smith trying to control your life from the shadows.
Next up from KY is Eric who is calling to talk about upcoming Recovering From Religion Foundation events and volunteer opportunities! Thanks for calling Eric!
Up next is JR from AR who claims to have figured out a way to detect the presence of a spiritual world using a pendulum? Why does it seem like every time one of these “techniques” is presented, they always seem to develop a humanesque performance anxiety.
Next is Jessica from UT who believes Atheism is a privileged position. There is nothing necessarily privileged about asking a question or holding a belief, it's the external social and physical factors, such as being able to publicly out yourself atheist without fear of harm that make something privileged.
Andrew from ME is calling to ask if mental health diagnoses are subjective, and if so, does that make the conclusions of experts in those fields less valuable?
Dave from FL is coming in hot with currently unanswerable questions. Since we have yet to develop time travel, we have no idea if there was an infinite past. Like with the first caller, a lack of information isn’t a blank check to insert whatever indemonstrable assertion you feel makes sense that day.
Next is Duke from CA who recounts an argument they had with a theist regarding possible tenable positions for a given proposition. Make sure you read up on the material you are discussing so that you can adequately defend your position and have a productive conversation.
Steve from CA is calling in to talk about the possible connection between specific mental health illnesses and religious belief. That connection may or may not exist, or each case could be different making such generalizations unjustified.
Alvin from NC wants to know the difference between atheism and agnosticism. While definitions can be good educational starting points, when having a conversation, address the person's actual position, not what you want them to defend.
Next is Jason from SC who is arguing for the existence of an objective morality by comparing God to a sports referee.
Up next is Jason from Canada who thinks that atheists should find common ground with deists & theists regarding morality. Has the caller never interacted with anyone who isn’t them?
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The Atheist Experience 26.04 01-23-2022 with Matt Dillahunty and Jim Barrows Jan 24, 2022

Show notes

Welcome to another episode of AxP. Matt and Jim are back together again!
First up is Mr. Warlight, who claims to have a test for souls. Sadly, it involves desecrating a statue in a cemetery, so we’re gonna move on.
Mike in Texas has More (-mon) bad arguments for God. The universe is a big place, and therefore, a universe creating entity is possible. Matt and Jim point out that possibility is not probability, and this is as good an argument for gods as it is for butt monkeys. Just listen, it’ll make sense.
Next is Jasmine who’s going to take us from the Bible to… entropy? Jim reminds us that the Bible is the claim, not the evidence, and gives our caller a quick lesson in thermodynamics. Matt points out that just because order came from chaos, that doesn’t mean God did it.
Brazilian Bruno is next, who takes a very long time to say… God could prevent evil, but doesn’t, so HIS God is a neutral one. Jim gives a great Hell metaphor, and Matt tries to show Bruno where he’s erred.
Lightning round with Earl, who had a dream that convinced him God has updated… his own mind? We’re not gonna waste time on dreams today.
Justin in New York asks our hosts for tips on engaging in constructive debates in social settings. Matt and Jim both agree, pick your battles Justin, you don’t need to die on every hill! Using the Socratic method is always a good start to any conversation Justin.
Jonathan in AZ seems to want to back Matt into a corner by saying he’s equated theism with believing other wacky stuff, flat earth, science denial, etc. He cites some calls from other past shows, but Matt is quick to shut down this attempt at verbal chicanery. Admiral Ackbar sniffed this out from 12 parsecs away.
Next up is Monsters (not the kind with scary teeth). He believes in limited deities with tremendous power…? Concepts can have power, but that doesn’t mean they actually exist. Spiderman is a great moral example, doesn’t mean he’s real.
Anon in Texas doesn’t see the harm in holding beliefs that aren’t true, and doesn’t see why it should matter. Beliefs inform actions, and a flawed process can lead to more dangerous views. Anon seems like a good guy, just a bit mixed up.
Joe hasn’t got a grasp on the burden of proof. Matt gives a courtroom analogy, and Jim explains the null hypothesis. I don’t think Joe has passed the bar exam.
AJ grew up as a JW, and is seeking advice on coming out as an atheist. Matt advises a cost/benefit approach to these conversations, and Jim offers a few resources, like the Secular Therapy Project.
Paul wants to talk about how energy shows the possibility of God, but also doesn’t think it matters. You waited two hours for this?
Finally Tim wants to know why Jesus didn’t write anything down! Dad did! Matt is less concerned about the late Bronze Age, and asks why isn’t he contributing now? We list a few absurdities from Christian theology, and give Tim a quick e-hug.
That’s the show today folks, hasta la vista!
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The Atheist Experience 26.03 01-16-2022 with Matt Dillahunty and MD Aware Jan 17, 2022

Show notes

Welcome to another episode of AxP. Matt’s guest this week, on loan from Truth Wanted, is MD Aware!
Dan in Indiana asks how absurd a claim has to be before one can summarily dismiss it. MD points out that scientists don’t use a yardstick of absurdity, they do experiments and test claims!
John is a believer, he states that since the existence of gods can’t be proven or disproven, atheists and theists are in the same position. He then says he CAN prove gods are real in a different way, but, sadly, he doesn’t. MD and Matt remind him that you can’t write deities into existence, real life isn’t a screenplay.
Michael in Florida asks our hosts about a psychiatrist who claims to also be an exorcist. Matt doesn’t think demons have been shown to be real, and MD Aware reminds us that psychiatric diagnoses aren’t quantitative, and offering a hidden entity as a cause of mental illness is irresponsible.
Next up is Allen, who suggests that Christianity is an atheist religion, because their god died. We’re not sure if you’re familiar with the dogma Allen, this character’s still kickin! Our hosts make it clear that atheism is incompatible with belief in Jesus, be he dead or alive.
Another Michael? This one’s from Texas, and thinks a planet-spawning alien is probable. Also, God. Umm… neither has been shown to be real Michael, and our huge universe doesn’t guarantee that everything you can conceive of must exist.
Eran in Israel wants some help in sussing out definitions of gods from theists. He’s tired of them saying what God isn’t, he wants them to make a positive claim. Matt and MD agree that what we don’t know about God isn’t as useful as what we do.
Next up is Bryan from Utah who thinks Matt’s standards of evidence are off, and that his approach leaves the door open for mysticism? Turns out Bryan’s just frustrated that people are allowed to make wild claims, we’re sympathetic, but we’re gonna move on.
Abby asks when our hosts think religion will die out. Matt doesn’t think it will, MD Aware thinks it’s more likely to take a backseat in the form of cultural habits, rather than actual belief in gods. Matt points out that many religions have died out, and its current iterations will too. Abby asks for advice on how to start teaching critical thinking, and our hosts encourage cautious activism in dangerous places.
Issa wants to know why our hosts don’t believe in god, and offers the complexity of an iPhone as a metaphor for why the universe must have been created. MD Aware replies that the universe isn’t necessarily complex, what emerges from the laws of physics is. Matt asks what information Issa has that cosmologists don’t, but Issa wants to play dodgeball.
Alex wants to talk about a study that he thinks shows evolution can’t be real. Mutations in enzymes would have taken too long, so therefore, God did it. MD Aware reminds Alex that proving one explanation wrong doesn’t mean yours is true, Matt uncovers the bias that the experimenters had. MD Aware offers to have a look at the study, perhaps we’ll have a chapter two on Truth Wanted!
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The Atheist Experience 26.02 01-09-2022 with Jim Barrows and Dave Warnock Jan 10, 2022

Show notes

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Jim Barrows is joined by Dave Warnock! Happy 2022!
Our first caller is none other than Matt with a post-surgery and recovery update! Good luck with the rest of your recovery!
Next up is Aidan from IL who was diagnosed with MS last year, and has concerns with their religious family member’s position regarding death with dignity.
Up next is Paul from PA! Paul, first off...if you want to advertise your book, go and pay for ad space on (insert popular social media platform) or something. Next up, narrative sequels act as a continuation of an existing work. Sequels, by themselves, do not IN ANY WAY serve as evidence for the truth value of the original story. You can’t use the original work to prove the truth of the sequel, or vice versa.
Next is Nick from CO who asserts that “fine-tuning” is justified by physics. This call quickly becomes 2022’s first case of the argument from incredulity. Just because we aren’t able to investigate before Planck time, doesn’t mean that a creator pulled the trigger.
Up next is Michael is MD who, after three minutes of gish galloping while they attempt to pick a topic, finally settles on “catholophobia?” Apparently criticizing the Catholic church’s criminal actions regarding moving pedophiles around is somehow catholophobic. Wow, that word is fun to write. Thanks for inventing that one caller.
Next is Sliew from Australia who has an issue accepting evolution because they don’t understand the definitions of mutation and how it differs from alleles. Open a biology textbook or at a bare minimum watch a well-researched documentary to educate yourself on the subject you clearly do not understand.
Finally, Patrick from FL presents the watch-maker argument. How did you conclude that everything around you was created by a God? What evidence do you have to support the existence of said God?
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The Atheist Experience 25.52 12-26-2021 - Holiday Trivia Challenge Round 5 Jan 05, 2022

Show notes

The Atheist Community of Austin Holiday Trivia Challenge - Championship - Year End Special
We are pre-recording this challenge so that we could give you something interesting to watch over the holidays, but also give our hard working hosts and crew some time off to spend with their family and friends.
This will be a 5 part series, with one episode appearing on each of our AEN Network shows. The schedule is as follows:
The preliminary rounds will consist of 5 questions each, and will be shown on the Secular Sexuality channel on Thursday, December 23rd at 7pm Central: http://tiny.cc/ytss
The first two Quarter Final rounds will consist of 7 questions each, and will be shown on the Truth Wanted channel on Friday, December 24th at 7pm Central: http://tiny.cc/yttw
The second two Quarter Final rounds will consist of 7 questions each, and will be shown on Talk Heathen on Sunday, December 26th at 1pm Central: http://tiny.cc/ytth
The two Semi-final rounds will consist of 7 questions each, and will be shown on The Non-Prophets on Sunday, December 26th at 3pm Central: http://tiny.cc/ytnp
The Championship round will consist of 7 questions, and we will have a Consolation round consisting of 3 questions. These will both be show on The Atheist Experience channel on Sunday, December 26th at 4:30pm Central: http://tiny.cc/ytaxp
Call the show on Sundays 4:30pm-6:00pm CT: 1-512-686-0279 or use your computer to save on long-distance charges: http://tiny.cc/calltheshow
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The Atheist Experience 25.51 12-19-2021 with Shannon Q and Arden Hart Dec 20, 2021

Show notes

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.
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The Atheist Experience 25.50 12-12-2021 with Matt Dillahunty and Dave Warnock Dec 13, 2021

Show notes

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.
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The Atheist Experience 25.49 12-05-2021 with Matt Dillahunty and Genevieve Dec 06, 2021

Show notes

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.
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The Atheist Experience 25.48 11-28-2021 with Matt Dillahunty and ObjectivelyDan Nov 29, 2021

Show notes

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.
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