The Atheist Experience

Latest Episodes:

The Atheist Experience 25.47 11-21-2021 with Matt Dillahunty and Shannon Q Nov 23, 2021

Show notes

SHOW NOTES
In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Shannon Q
First up today is Mr. Warlight from AK who wants to question the host’s views on spirituality. Just like last week, the caller has nothing to present.
Mohammed from NE believes that spirits are not tangible, but internal conceptual projections of a person’s mind. Since we can’t tell whether those projections are actually related to the existence of spirits or just a part of a person’s imagination, how does this help us prove that spirits truly exist in reality?
Next is Setuf from Spain who doesn’t understand the point the of Violinist analogy. It’s about bodily autonomy, not consent as consent can be revoked.
Up next from California is Raul who has a question regarding free speech versus free action. As the conversation unfolds, the caller’s points begin to drift towards the advocation of thought crimes.
Next is Rob from VA who claims that emotions are irrational. Our hosts respond that emotions themselves are not necessarily either rational or irrational, but are reactions to stimuli. How we reach those emotions and handle them is what makes them and our responses either rational or otherwise.
Next up is Simo from Canada who asks why rape can be considered wrong across the past, present, and future in a subjective moral system. Isn’t it better to be able to present an evidence-based justification for why something is wrong rather than just assert “it is”?
Next is Tony from AK who is struggling to come to terms with the process of deconversion without feeling like they are betraying the church.
Up next is Your Truly from Canada who calls in to assert that the Bible doesn’t advocate for slavery when it very clearly does and has been covered ad nauseam.
Next is Eric from KS who wants advice on how to remain patient during conversations with dishonest theists. Take notes and call them out as they create new inconsistencies.
Our final caller is Sabien from TX who wants to know if it is fair to judge theists if free will does not exist?
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The Atheist Experience 25.46 11-14-2021 with Kenneth and JMike Nov 15, 2021

Show notes

Welcome back to another episode of The Atheist Experience. This week, Kenneth and JMike take AXP by force!
Today’s first caller is “Leopold” from Canada who demands that the Atheist Experience apologizes for the harsh statements it has made against the Catholic Church in the past. Either engage with the hosts you are talking to and justify your position or call again after you think it back over.
Next is Tim from TN who asks if someone who believes a God exists has the same burden of proof as someone who claims to know a God exists. It comes down to the much finer acceptances of claims. If they both accept that Jesus walked on water, superficial confidence levels aside, the implication itself requires an equal burden of proof from both parties.
Up next is Alvin from NC claims that it is probable that the Bible is true. The caller mentions a number of improbable improbabilities and asserts them as evidence for their claim. They then site their webpage, which apparently finds mathematic patterns in random bible verses, as a source of evidence that the bible was intelligently woven together by math.
Mr. Warlight returns from earlier to define spirituality and explain why it’s important to have more of it. Just because something can’t be disproven, especially something we have no track record for its existence, doesn’t mean that it would be justified to accept it as a possibility.
Next is Apollos from TX who claims that Atheists are inconsistent when evaluating arguments for the brain in a vat compared to arguments for Jesus’ resurrection.
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The Atheist Experience 25.45 11-07-2021 with Matt Dillahunty and Arden Hart Nov 08, 2021

Show notes

Welcome back to The Atheist Experience! This week Matt is joined by Arden Hart.
Our first call today comes from Jake in Canada, who wants to ask about original sin, and how the Christian notion of substitutionary atonement is morally corrupt. We feel ya Jake.
Second up is Andrew in New York, offering his understanding of paganism. Matt would rather hear from paganism from a pagan, and Arden points out that not all folks who identify as “pagan” share the same set of beliefs. Moving on!
Mike from Texas stampedes out of the queue with a quick lecture about alternate theist views, before being lassoed in by Matt to talk about what HE believes. We hit on the problem of the source of consciousness, a bit of naturalism, and a touch of solipsism. Mike makes his case for the supernatural with a whole lot of five-dollar words, but Matt & Arden aren't impressed.
Robin from DC believes that if one rejects a claim, one assumes the contrary position. Our hosts explain that it’s possible to be unconvinced of both states. It’s okay to say “I don’t know” folks, in fact, it’s a big step on the way to knowledge.
Next we have Steven in WA who starts with an assertion that people have their own truths, Arden explains the difference between opinion and fact. Steven offers the example of people in his community offering career advice using their “true” assessments about his aptitudes, and Matt further clarifies that opinions and advice are not the same as truth. We wrap up by analyzing claims of a personal relationship with God, which Stephen concedes he cannot prove.
LaRue in Illinois has a question about whether a family member’s threats that he thinks were fulfilled by God qualify that person as sociopathic. Arden offers the caveat that she isn’t qualified to make psychiatric diagnoses, and suggests that trying to determine whether behaviour is positive or negative for LaRue is probably more valuable.
Tate asks our hosts what religious folks mean when they talk about subjective and objective morality. Matt offers a great explanation of how the product of a mind is the basis for subjective morality.
Charles in Canada is a big fan, who doesn’t like the statement that there isn’t evidence for gods. Matt clarifies the difference between good evidence and testimony, and agrees that there is (air quotes) “evidence”, it's just not very compelling and hasn’t convinced him.
Jake from the UK is looking for tips on how to set boundaries with family members while salvaging relationships. Arden and Matt offer a couple examples of how to frame conversations so that they can be constructive.
That’s our show this week folks, wear your masks, get your shots, and let’s get through this thing together!
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The Atheist Experience 25.44 10-31-2021 with Matt Dillahunty and Jim Barrows Nov 01, 2021

Show notes

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jim Barrows!
First is Joey from the UK who asks if following God’s commands, even if they are immoral, for the sake of self-preservation is justified. This brings us back to the mafia boss analogy as acting differently than you would if not under threat in no way justifies the immoral behavior of the one holding a position of power.
Next up is Carson from KS who worships and personifies nature. Other than because it seems appealing to do, why do this if as the caller claims, it's just atheism with some extra steps?
Next is John from IN who is struggling to grieve the loss of a loved one without the comfort provided by religion.
Next is Brandon from NJ who claims to have evidence of ghosts. Turns out the caller saw and heard a thing somewhere and determined that it was a Ghost. The caller also attempts to use the anomalies found in camera footage that could not be seen with the naked eye as support for the supernatural.
Up next is Juan from Mexico who is a recent Atheist who still has lingering fears regarding promises they made to God when they still believed. The caller, who acknowledges the illogic in their position, is afraid that the God they no longer believe in may come knocking sometime later demanding the promises be fulfilled. Deconversion takes time, just keep reminding yourself that you do not believe and over time you’ll be able to more easily push these nagging fears aside.
Next is Mike from TX who claims that physics proves that there is no objective reality and that therefore the universe has a mind. Next time don’t talk through Matt and you’ll be on the line longer.
Next is Guy from GA who asserts that the Universe needs to be revered and respected as if it’s conscious and sentient, even though we have no evidence that it is.
William from TX wants to know if Jesus understood what lust and adultery were? Thanks for the quick call.
Next is Rich from PA who has a paranormal story where after a terrifying dream they ended up with physical marks on their back. They are wondering if there are any natural explanations for what happened.
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The Atheist Experience 25.43 10-24-2021 with Matt Dillahunty and Dave Warnock Oct 24, 2021

Show notes

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Dave Warnock!
First up today is Mark from OR who has a question about the difference between the scientific consensus and a fallacious appeal to authority.
Next is GB from CA who wants to argue that the bible argues for divine hiddenness. How can we differentiate between God’s desire to remain hidden, or whether they exist at all.
Up next is Andre from MI believes that there is something greater than us and claims they can prove it. The caller’s interpretation of how the universe around them functions, (i.e. the need to breath & and squirrels killing one another), indicates to them that there is a greater will/
Next up is DJ from Canada who claims to have made contact with a soul. How do we know that the electrical feeling experienced by the caller is actually dead people, let alone a specific soul. As of right now we have no evidence to support the idea that consciousness carries forward after death.
Drew in CA wants to correct Matt’s assertion that the Bible says that “life is like dirty rags” when it does not. The caller gets one win token and immediately starts preaching.
Charlie from TX believes that beliefs are supernatural because they don’t exist tangibly. Just because they cannot currently be tested individually by science does not mean that they won’t ever be, or that they are in any way unnatural.
Next up is Ronald from MO who claims to have found the fabled third possibility for the divine hiddenness argument. The caller did not find it.
Next is Josh from NJ who is struggling to come out as an atheist, for the wellbeing of both themselves and their family. The caller has noticed that anytime their lack of belief is referenced that their mother doubles down on their theism, and fears that this is indicative of what the future reaction will be if the caller fully comes out.
Last up is Peter from Australia who is wondering if there are any legal ramifications for people who spew false prophecies or similar predictions.
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The Atheist Experience 25.42 10-17-2021 with Matt Dillahunty and Jim Barrows Oct 17, 2021

Show notes

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jim Barrows!
Our first caller today is Mark from GA. The caller claims that time robs the ability for information to be communicated, and that god will solve this by fulfilling the great commission through connecting our brains to computers.
Next is Holy Rebel Movement from FL who claims that he received a prophecy from God of Joe Biden’s inauguration, after we knew Joe Biden had won the election. The caller also states that they have 6 to 7 more of these mundane prophecies.
Next up, Arnie from WA is calling back to report the current status of his deconversion process, and how he has transitioned away from his mormon indoctrination. After their previous call to the show, Arnie has since come to the conclusion that they no longer have a good reason to believe.
Jim from Canada asks our hosts if the possibility of consciousness disappearing after death either disappoints or scares them.
Next up is Kim from the UK who wants to talk about the privilege needed to be a non-believer. While needing a community, specifically an atheist community, can require a certain degree of depending on their location and socio-economic status, being an Atheist on its own does not.
Next up is Mike from CA who claims to have personal experiences that can prove God, but I can’t prove it to you. The paranormal experience was, “an urge to go home.”
Our final call is Gilles from the UK who asks our hosts what an Atheist civilization would look like. What follows is a very pleasant call about the future of atheism and non-believers around the world.
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The Atheist Experience 25.41 10-10-2021 with Shannon Q and Johnny P. Angel Oct 10, 2021

Show notes

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Shannon Q is joined by Johnny P. Angel!
First up is Writer from NY who perceives time as a measurement of the distance that a second-hand takes to move, and that this perception aligns with the attributes of their accepted God. The caller also claims to have spoken to and visited Heaven with this God.
Next is Joshua from Canada who wants to offer testimony on why they converted. If Revelation is a personal experience and not applicable to everyone, then by definition it’s not going to be convincing to those who haven’t experienced it. At this point, it’s just a claim.
Up next is Charlie from TX who is questioning the host’s acceptance of naturalism since the only way to falsify it would be to present something unnatural. The caller believes this creates a problem where naturalism is accepted without proper justification.
Mr. Batman, the “Dark Knight Of Logic” calls in with a misunderstanding of science and his script in hand to present a convoluted spiel for the existence of God.
Next up is Johan from FL who wants to know if a person should withhold belief without evidence for moral reasons, or something else. While there are certainly practical reasons for withholding belief, the moral implications of this are often addressed separately, (e.g. morality with regards to certain goals).
Last up is Jim from Canada who is questioning Christian doctrine, but can’t get past the concept of a soul, and why our hosts do not believe in them.
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The Atheist Experience 25.40 10-03-2021 with Matt Dillahunty and Jenna Belk Oct 04, 2021

Show notes

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jenna Belk. Welcome back to the co-host chair Jenna!
First up is Mohammad from NE who defines god as any conscious entity that is capable of influence celestial objects beyond our (modern humans) comprehension. Nothing presented by the caller contains anything relevant to a scientific argument.
Next up is Tommy from IL who wants to know if our hosts are still searching for an answer to a God question, or if they have gotten to where they have reached a point of certainty in their current position.
Robin from DC is calling in to tell us about some slick new labels for Atheism: Local & Global. Local Atheism refers to someone who doesn’t believe that a subset of Gods exist, but accepts others. Unfortunately, Robin asserts the only way that a person can determine whether one subset exists and the other doesn’t is through God’s revelation.
Up next is DJ from CO who is worried about leaving their child under the care of a religious family member. Exposure to new, different ideas, will likely help in the long run with the child’s development of critical thinking skills. However, making the violation of trust clear to the family members is important if you want to maintain a healthy relationship with them in the future.
Next up is Nikki from CA who believes that they have made contact with a deceased family member. The caller had requested prior to their death that they give her a sign that they are alright, and a year later she receives a notification that his social media account liked her photo. How do we know that this was anything more than a bug in the app?
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The Atheist Experience 25.39 09-26-2021 with Matt Dillahunty and Jim Barrows Sep 27, 2021

Show notes

SHOW NOTES
Hello everyone! Welcome to our fun episode of The Atheist Experience with Matt Dillahunty and Jim Barrows.
First up is Ram from India who started to believe in god again six months ago because he met someone who says science does not explain everything, and that lots of people accept there are multiverses. Scientists are not saying god is the reason for this. God is not a valid, reasonable hypothesis for the universe. Can you name one thing that is demonstrably true and violates logic? Don’t give up on reality so you can have less pain and sadness.
Next we have Jordan in VA who is starting to have doubts of his faith, but does not want to give it up. He wants to raise children with the Christian foundation but has concerns with the Bible. If you raise kids this way, you are telling them they are broken and flawed. Teaching kids about hell is child abuse and so is following what the Bible says to do. It is difficult to teach kids to think for themselves in a Christian household.
Kevin in AZ thinks that Matt is asking the wrong thing about god because it should not be a binary question. Either you are convinced a god exists or you are not convinced a god exists, and this is binary.
Next is Paris in CA who argues that people's reasons for the earth not being flat are not better than the reasons they bring up for the historicity of Jesus. When the Greeks proved the earth is round, it was done with simple geometry. Everything we do with navigation proves the earth has to be an oblate spheroid.
Jesus in CA tries to use Exodus to prove that god exists because wheels were found in that region. Picking out verses that someone fed you does not prove that a god exists. He then goes on to say that many of us believe it to be true. The truth is not impacted in any way by the number of people who believe something.
Next we have Thea in NC that wants to know why whenever bad things happen like school shootings, Christians think it is the end times. It is because they read Revelations and are always ready. Christian Nationalists are actively trying to bring this to happen. People have been profiting off this for ages. When have there not been rumors of wars?
Next is Carlos in Puerto Rico whose friend described an example of no divine intervention that proves the non-existence of god. A particular god may be disproven, but without defined characteristics there is no way of doing this.
Our last caller is Paul in VA who has an idea that Christianity was intentionally created to feel superior, not take responsibility for their actions, and that once you are a Christian, you can’t lose salvation. How did you rule out that this was not true? We don’t have any way to know what the actual doctrine is because god has not arrived to truly tell us.
We will see you all next week. Lets try and focus on reality and not throw up our hands and think god has a plan.
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The Atheist Experience 25.38 09-19-2021 with Matt Dillahunty and Mandisa Thomas Sep 21, 2021

Show notes

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