Atheist Roundtable

This is part 2 of my most awesome interview with Callie Wright.  In this episode, we dicuss everything from atheism to Star Trek and back.  Callie shows why she is an amazing person, and the kind of leader the atheist and LGBT community love. Then she closes my show with her show stopping style! If you don't know Callie, you don't know awesome sauce.

At ReasonCon, I was teamed up with an incredibly awesome partner for Skep-ardy.  Callie Wright is an amazing, wonderful, awesome leader of the LGBT rights movement AND the atheist movement.  To know Callie is to love Callie.  She is just so awesome. This is Part One of my interview with Callie.  She was kind enough to talk about being trans with me in the honest, frank, and kind manner for which she is so revered.  You cannot miss this!! I won't take calls, but this show will not spare the awesomeness.

The Thanksgiving holiday is over.  The things for which I am grateful are plentiful.  I'll talk about those things. Sometimes, people ask how the athest finds meaning or purpose in life.  I think this is backward.  It was when I lost religion that I found the meaning in life, and allthe things for which I am thankful today. Plus, your calls. I'm thankful for the awesome sauce!!

When I say I'm "anti-theism", I mean I think theism is bad.  I think any good it does is outweighed by the bad.  But that doesn't mean I'm "anti-theist".  Theists are lovely people.  They just hold bad ideas. Now I realize it's hard to separate the people from the ideas.  But I think we are more effective when we do.  I think that by contrasting the amazing person with the vile beliefs, this helps people realize they are better than their religion. Plus, your calls. Let the awesomesause flow once again!!

TW:  rape.  This show will discuss rape culture and other sensitive topics. This past week, I posted a video I found from a friend of the show's wall.  The video is of a couple of toddlers.  One acts inappropriately, but the tag from the original post and the music editied into the clip suggest the people who originally posted it thought it was cute and adorable.  I did not. The comment section was incredible. Most agreed that the child behaved badly, and wondered why there was no parental interaction.  But there were a few that thought my post and comments were over the top and outrageous. I'm going to talk about the video, the reactions it got, the comments on the post and why this is important. Did you see the post?  You can call and give me your impression. All the awesomeness will be here.

This is part 2 of my interview with Dave Foda. This is the part you wanted to hear.  We dive straight into strong atheism, why Dave says there is no god, the evidence he has to back that up and so much more awesomeness. After pondering over Dave's argument against an intercessory god, I've concluded it is a stronger argument than my own.  I must define a very specific god:  the all-knowing, all-powerful, all-good, perfect, creator of the universe, with a message for humanity.  Not every chrisitan believes in this god.  But every believer believes whatever god there is, it interferes with the physical universe.  Dave needs no further definition of god other than "supernatural medler" to disprove it. This is the awesomenes you've been waithing for!! Dave on Facebook:  facebook.com/dave.foda Twitter:  twitter.com/davefoda Sneetle:  facebook.com/sneetle Atheist Survival Guide:  facebook.com/AtheistSurvival Guide

It was over a year ago when I first heard Dave Foda asserting strong atheism, that is the stance that god does not exist.  Dave finds the idea that he simply lacks a belief in a god does not accurately describe his atheism.  This is Part 1 of about an hour I spent with Dave exploring how he defends his position. Dave Foda onFacebook: facebook.com/dave.foda Dave Foda on Twitter: twitter.com/davefoda Sneetle on Facebook: facebook.com/sneetle Dave Foda and the crew at ASG: facebook.com/AtheistSurvivalGuide Support this show:  www.patreon.com/atheistroundtable

The last religious thing I ever did was I got my son circumcised.  It was weird then,  I wasn't an atheist yet, but I wasn't religious, either.  Still, my wife and I made the choice to have this done.  Was it wrong? By the time my daughter was born, we were anxious about the possibility of having another boy.  Would we get this one circumcised?  How wierd would it be to have one cut and one un-cut?  I guess lcuk had it that it was a decision we did not have to make. Since that moment 10 years ago, my views on this practice have evolved.  I'll give my take on how. Plus your calls. Awesomeness will be in excess!! Please support the show on Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/atheistroundtable?ty=h

The first time I tried this show, the audio sucked.  The second time I couldn't login.  I'm doing this show again, damnit!! If this sounds crazy, why do believers reverse it on atheists?  Why do so mant think that it took some tragedy to make us atheists?  It seems so strange to say this way, why would it ever work in reverse? I think it is far more likely to work in reverse, actually.  I think this arguement is one more example of believers projecting their insecurities onto atheists. Plus your calls. Let's get this awesomeness on!

We've all heard the claim that atheists aren't believers because we've been hurt by a believer.  And we all know how crazy that accusation is. But could it work the other way? Have you ever heard of a believer encountering trauma and becoming "renewed" in the faith?  Are funerals places where evangelizing is rampant?  Could a person turn to faith in a crisis when they think they have nowhere else to turn? I'll give my take,  Plus your calls. Awesomeness in 5, 4, 3, 2, ...

You've all heard the conversation I had with Kurt from Gospel Billboards, but I haven't made any commentary yet.  This episode, I'll talk about why I called, and why I think these kinds of discussions are good. You can hear the whole conversation on YouTube here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFu5ZE05Y4c   Plus, your calls. Let the awesomeness flow.

The conclusion on my conversation with Gospel Billboards.  If nothing else, I got to really slam the morality of the god of the bible in this one. All the background noise is me moving to plug my computer in.   The awesomeness CONCLUDES

This is Part 2 of my conversation with Kurt at Gospel Billboards.  Prepare for face-palming. In this segment, we talk extensively about patterns, design, and order.  I really try to get Kurt to answer one question. He does an amazing job of dodging this.  Like a ninja! The Awesomeness CONTINUES!

In my town, there is a billboard that says, "There is Evidence for GOD.  855-FOR-TRUTH".  Well, I called.  The whole conversation was just over an hour long, so to get it all, I've had to break it into three parts.  So you don't have to wait, I'll schedule all the shows this week, with Part 3 being next week's show. And the awesomeness BEGINS!! Go to http://atheistpa.org/ to register for PASTAH con!!

I've a 10 year old, and a 6 year old.  My son has even appeared on this show before, and it may be that he will make another appearance soon.   I'll talk about the kinds of discussions we have about religion in my house, and outside of it.  I'll give a window into my crazy daily life. Plus your calls! Cue the awesomeness!

At last we have marriage equality in all 50 states!!  Hooray!!  It's time to celebrate!! But not everyone is so happy. I gathered some awesome people who were kind enough to join me for an impromptu recording session.  These people are the sauce of awesome.  Even though a few people cut out and never came back, I'm so glad these people joined me. Hugh Mann, the kindest person in the world, who could not be moved to berate the hate slung at him from the right. K Renee Davis Pelt, the coolest person in Evansville, Indiana! Ray Riley, who until this podcast recording was only a facebook friend and now has risen to the status of awesome. Kelsey Hollis, a personal friend and seriously awesome person.   Kristen, the reason I spent three hours editing this show.   http://www.justachoice.org/  

My amazing guest tonight is Brian Hinkley, author of Atheism Religion and Life, a Layman's Perspective.  This book is so awesome, you absolutley MUST get it! Brian has created a book about atheism for real people.  This book reads like a friend telling a story, or a conversation you have with a friend.  But don't think that because it is for the layman that Brian minces words.  He states clearly and beautifully how atheists see reality. This book is so wonderful.  Get yours today. https://www.facebook.com/atheismreligionandlife?fref=ts http://www.lulu.com/shop/brian-hinkley/atheism-religion-and-life-a-laymans-perspective/paperback/product-22164422.html  

My guest is the amazing Zach Law of the Zachrilege Cast.  Zach and I met briefly at ReasonCon, but didn't get the chance to hang out.  Now, we make up for that! The Zachrilege Cast features interviews with your friendly neighborhood atheist podcasters.  Zach is a tireless promoter of every podcast you ought to know, and mine.   Want to know whose podast is awesome?  Listen to Zach, the authority of awesomeness! https://www.facebook.com/zachrilegecast https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoHo6xkuJPqq93Ag_2tkrtw

Last week, I talked a lot about how atheists look back at religion with disgust.  I wanted to make the point that, while many think otherwise, I didn't feel disgust toward religion and then leave; I left religion and THEN felt disgust. I got some really good feedback on this idea.  Didn't I have issues with religion?  Wasn't I confronted with those things I now find disgusting while I was still a believer?  Wasn't that confrontation at least in some way connected to leaving? I'll talk about the exchange, how it made me think, and why I still think the order of events places leaving before disgust. Plus your calls. This will one for the awesome books.

Several weeks ago, the Freindly Atheist posted a link to a pastor in Canada who was asking, "How come some don't believe there is a god?"  The article cotained a link to the original piece written by Rev Eric Strachan from the New Life Community Church in Petawawa.  It was hard to track him down, but I eventually got to send him an email requesting an interview.  I never heard back. So tonight, I'll respond to the few questions Eric asked in his article.  I'll do my best to answer such questions as, "But look at the babies!" and "Why are you so angry at god?"   I wish I could have talked to him, but at least you'll get my take. Plus your calls.  Awesome!! http://www.thedailyobserver.ca/2015/05/04/faith-how-come-some-dont-believe-there-is-a-god