The Atheist Experience

SHOW NOTESIn today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Shannon Q is joined by Jenna Belk!Our first caller is Narder from Australia who claims that there is physical evidence for God. Unfortunately, we are not presented with the physical evidence we were promised, but a philosophical argument.Next is Nigel from New Zealand who is wondering if our hosts do not accept Christianity because of a lack of evidence or because of the inconsistencies within the religious doctrine. The answer obviously varies from atheist to atheist, but depending on someone’s background, it may end up being a combination of each.Up next is Joe from Canada who wants to know how our hosts dealt with the fear of leaving religion after years of being indoctrinated to fear hell.Next is Ryan from NY who presents a list of reasons why they aren’t an atheist. Presenting incohesive ideas in this format isn’t a conversation, especially when they don’t go anywhere.Next is Phillip from OH wants to correct Shannon on a previous terminology mistake

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined once again by Shannon Q. Welcome back Shannon!First up is Jeroen from the Caribbean who questions whether believers actually have a grieving process, or if they just use religion as a bandage. They are concerned with the consequences if said believer stops believing and is suddenly hit with that grief.Next is Steven from Washington who has questions regarding how active religious organizations can be within political movements and what actions are acceptable within the bounds of church/state separation.Next is Jamen from Germany who believes that Atheism has a burden of proof. Anyone who makes a positive claim has a burden of proof, whether they are an atheist or not.Up next is Javier from Minnesota who is wondering if our hosts think it’s wrong to believe in a God if it makes someone feel good. Also using the host’s answer to shift the conversation to race and gender is dishonest and gross.Next is Nick from California who has God-like kn

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Jim Barrows is joined by Johnny P. Angel!Our first topic is coming from the car of Gohan in TX. The caller wants to ask us if Thanos’s snap is considered moral using a secular moral system. I’m not going to answer that question in this description, but my secular morality deems calling the show while driving as immoral.Next up is Donna from NC who believes that the Bible has evidence for God in it. The Bible is the thing making the claims. It can’t also be the proof for those claims, that’s circular.Up next is Malcolm from IL who claims that a mad scientist created white people by grafting the genes of early humans. How does the caller back this claim up? They don’t.Derick from GA implies that plants are conscious because they react to environmental stimuli, and that therefore it is possible for a non-physical consciousness to exist.Up next is Otangelo from Brazil who once again has a long, winding script to present us that apparently gets us to God.Our next calle

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jenna Belk!Our first caller this afternoon is Riyaz from the UK. The caller proposes a scenario where there exists a place where snakes don’t bite and scorpions don’t sting and claims that this example would indicate the presence of a supernatural force.Next up is Paul from TX who claims that without a belief in God and that their existence in the universe is purposeful, society is diminishing.Next is Kevin from GA who wants to talk about how a God’s morality is irrelevant to whether it exists or not. Blindly worshipping a God whether you approve of its moral code or not because you believe that they are above you, without justification of its existence, is both irrational and degrading to yourself.Next up is Lisa from CO is wondering why they feel guilty or fearful whenever they see an image depicting Jesus. You are feeling guilty because you were indoctrinated to feel guilty by your religion, not because God is actively making you fe

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Dr. Darrel Ray!The first caller is Aaron from TX who wants to accuse Matt of being a bully. If you are going to accuse somebody of something, please have clear examples ready to go.Up next is Clifford from VA who has recently escaped from religion through applying skepticism, but is concerned about his mother’s religious religious beliefs and the impact they may have on the caller’s son. Here is the article like that Dr. Ray mentioned during the show: http://tiny.cc/rfrrecoveryUp next is Anthony from IL who wants to know how Atheists have disproven all gods as well as claims that they have scientific and personal evidence to support the existence of the Christian God.Next is Alvin from NC who claims that a Pew Research study shows that Christians live seven years longer than Atheists. Assuming the finding in the study is true, the actual results do not necessarily explain the reasons why this is the case.Next is Lexi from OK who recent

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Phil Ferguson. Welcome back Phil!Our first caller today is Alexander from Chile who asserts that the Kalam Cosmological Argument proves god. The caller also claims that our feelings of awe towards spectacular moments in nature is proof of the supernatural.Next is David from CA who takes issue with “Atheist’s” demand for physical evidence. David, you do not listen. Rather than build a strawman on what evidence you think Atheists want, maybe ask them.Up next is Levi from FL who asks if our hosts accept the fine tuned universe argument as evidence of something before the big bang. You first have to show that the universe didn’t unfold the way it has through chance and that fine-tuning is even possible.Next is Juan from Ecuador who is wondering how we can dismiss proposed supernatural explanations for detected, but unexplained events.Up next is Fallon from Canada who believes that Matt gives Atheists a bad name by getting frustrated with c

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Seth Andrews. Let’s do this thing!First up is Pratyush from Japan who can’t seem to get their story on the show to align with what they told the call screeners. See ya later dude!Next up is John from TX who asks how Atheists have ruled out a supernatural cause of the universe. The caller attempts to cite the laws of thermodynamics as the mechanism that caused the universe while claiming that the laws of the universe do not apply to their God.Up next is Lynn from PA who says that God should be love, but is unable to provide any other properties of this God. Love is great, but the definition of this God doesn’t go anywhere, kind of like this conversation.Next is Jackson from VA who attempts to box all Christians into a box with an improper understanding of what the Bible actually says.Next is Narock from Barbados who believes to know that Jesus actually wrote laws in the Bible because of his background. The reason the hosts are asking qu

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jmike. Let’s get this show rolling!Our first caller is Minh from CA who has a question regarding the usefulness of the burden of proof and if it also can be used as a tool for persuasion. Anyone making a claim has adopted a burden of proof that requires justification. Whether the reasons you provide satisfactory to justify the truth of the claim is a separate issue.Up next is Joel from AL who believes that we become aware in the womb, but that our consciousness also carries forward into future reincarnations once we’re annihilated. Side note, “I looked on the internet” isn’t evidence.Our next caller is Sain from TX who wants to know if Atheists, and more specifically our hosts, hate religion. While there isn’t a blanket sentiment held by the Atheist community towards religion in general, there may be specific statements, beliefs, or agendas that individual atheists may hate and find repugnant.Next is Anthony from FL who is a recent dec

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Jim Barrows. Let’s get it started!Our first caller is Mercy from China who believes that the Holy Spirit is real based after they experienced passing out when a priest put their hand on the caller’s forehead.Next up is Enoch from PA who recently became an Atheist and wanted to call back to thank the hosts for helping him through his deconversion.Up next is Calvin from CA who is wondering why God didn’t do more to prove his own existence to the more adamant doubters if his goal was to save them. Thank you for calling Calvin, you're more than welcome to call back anytime.Next is Jan from DE who states that the only explanation for a god’s powers is that the entity in question is utilizing advanced technology. The issue is that there could have been plenty of other explanations for the claimed powers found in stories, specifically plot devices. Claiming that you know the “only explanation” is adopting a burden of proof that you have yet t

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Dave Warnock is joined by Jenna Belk!Our first caller this afternoon is Chris from ID. They believe that the outcome events, like the creation of the universe, have a predetermined purpose behind it.Next is Hank from TX who is struggling to take the last step towards atheism. They can’t reconcile how our consciousness is possible due to its seemingly non-physical characteristics.Next is Jan from DE who claims that it is impossible to choose a god or philosophy. They also claim that we all believe the same things, and that we only have conflicts over beliefs because people aren’t defining their terms properly.Up next is Chris from CA who claims to be a pure agnostic, but isn’t able to explain how their position on God differs from that of atheism.Next up is once again David from CA who wants to talk about how God has stopped rapes while our hosts have not. You are not welcome back here David.Up next is Eric from GA who shares their experience with AA and the progra

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Hemant Mehta.Our first caller today is Marlon from the Philippines who believes that a local baptist pastor has received divine powers from God because the pastor appeared to spontaneously set his hands on fire with a snap. The “miracles” described by the caller sound a lot like the result of store-bought magic tricks rather than powers derived from a God.Our next caller is Pete from TX who asks if our hosts believe that The Atheist Experience and other online atheist programming provides a measurable benefit to society. Let’s have a strawman party!Up next is David from CA who claims that God cannot be proven through science, but through history and anecdotes. Please answer the questions!Next is Danny from FL who believes he triggered the depression in his girlfriend by converting her to Atheism. It was the conversion to Atheism that caused the depression. It was the realization of the lie that her religion told to her throughout her l

In today’s episode of The Atheist Experience, our sincerely apologizing Canadian Shannon Q is joined by Jim Barrows!Our first caller tonight is Patrick from FL is a pantheist who believes in a God defined as the universe. The issue here is that the attributes given to this God are so generic that we have no way of even beginning to investigate whether it actually exists or not. The character traits of the God being presented are essentially being used to assert a God into existence.Next is Rafael from PA who lives in an area where many psychologists, psychiatrists, and neurologists are also practicing scientologists. The caller is concerned about how tied their living situation is to the indoctrinated beliefs and practices of those around them, including medical positions.Up next is Jelmer from the Netherlands who claims that God is paradoxical so therefore God claims aren’t only true or false, but can also be both or neither at the same time.Next up is David from CA who believes they can show that the Big Ba

Today we have a special roast of Matt Dillahunty for his 500th episode! We are joined by Viced Rhino who deals with young earth creationism and apologetics on his various platforms.Ulrich from Germany is our first caller who argues that disproving god is better than stating there is a lack of evidence. Claiming god does not exist will carry the burden of proof. There are countless gods to disprove, and nobody has the time for that. Some particular gods may not be disproven. You can’t appeal to a modern English definition to explain how the universe began when responding. Claiming to falsify something that is not falsifiable is a mistake.Mohammad in CA believes in god as a default position. The god claim is not the kind of thing we can just accept as a default. Which god is supposed to be the real god as a default? For any given claim, the default position should be to accept it only when there is sufficient reason. It must first be proven there is a god before assuming a prophet of that god has true prophecie

Welcome to The Atheist Experience! Matt is out sick today, Kenneth Leonard and Dave Warnock stepping up. All our thoughts and, no not that, goes out to Matt. We all hope you feel better. First up, Kameron in MD asks advice on finding a purpose in life after leaving her faith. We atheists have to find or make their own purpose. Atheists aren’t a monolith, we are just people despite our beliefs. Live your life, let people realize that atheists can be good people.Joe in VA asks if there is an objective right or wrong? If we make decisions on actions, we can likely arrive at objective morality. Let’s hear a good moral argument from a theist? We disagree that god is needed for anything moral, atheists can be moral without any god. If theists can’t agree on the character of god, how can that be THE moral grounding?Richard in NV argues that life can’t come from non-life and that if evolution is proven wrong, god is proven by default. Evolution is a mechanism from how we got from point A to B, abiogenesis is a separa

Welcome to The Atheist Experience! Today we have Dave Warnock and Matt Dillahunty teaming up to tackle today’s arguments. First up, Xeno in NC is back to present evidence for a deistic god, primarily using reductio ad absurdum argument. If your deistic god doesn’t interact with reality, that means it's not detectable. If we can’t detect that god, it might be true that it exists, but how can you provide evidence of an undetectable god?Lisa in CO finds it atrocious that the bible barely mentions dealing with slaves that are beaten and more for decorating your tabernacle. We agree, the all-wise creator of the universe seems to care more about curtains than owning/beating people. We are glad you are seeing those red flags as the best way to make an atheist is to have them read the bible. Arnie in WA thinks there are preconceived notions that atheists or theists can't seem to get over. We were believers and approached the issue seriously and skeptically. When you make a claim that god exists and is involved with u

Welcome to AXP! What’s that sound? Another Canadian invasion you say? Why yes it is, ShannonQ is back on tonight with Matt Dillahunty!First up, Joe in VA complains that Matt is the rudest person he has seen. If a caller refuses to ask a question, isn't that rude to the rest of the callers? Matt isn’t bullying anyone.Arnie in WA claims that claiming bible inerrancy is a form of idolatry because every interpretation is subjective. It’s not idolatry and we don’t care if something is idolatrous. How do you prove someone's interpretation of a passage is wrong? Sounds like you are coming from a place of assuming there is a correct interpretation.Jade in CO has come to realize religion is a placebo and since their cancer diagnosis and grapples with their mortality. You came to all this through a tremendous struggle, thank you for sharing. Knowing our lives are finite grounded us to be more responsible for one's actions.Xeno in NC asks if we are trying to prove god, what god are you rejecting? We’re atheists, we addr

Welcome to AXP! Jenna Belk is back in the cohost chair alongside Matt Dillahunty to tackle all the calls.First up, Peter in England argues that convincing people atheism is correct is futile because books like the Bible don’t convince anyone. The Bible does convince people, even today. Some people might not change their mind, but the ACA has absolutely helped people find their way out of religion.Nicole in MD asks why we hate Jesus. We don’t hate something that there is no evidence it even existed, let alone was divine. We can’t tell if your experiences are from Jesus. Until there is evidence there is a god, we won’t believe.Alejandro in CA says atheism is just an opinion. No this is foundational, disbelief is the default until you’re convinced otherwise. We don’t just assume atheism. Convince us of your god or go away.Joe in WI asks how sound is the argument that Abraham made it all up, arguing there was not a monotheistic god until then. It seems it’s more henotheistic is the belief that there are other god

Welcome to AXP! Matt Dillahunty is joined by our special guest Ian Rowland. Ian is and expert on cold reading and has written several books on the topic.First up, Joey in The UK asks about the basics “building blocks” of reason and how to argue with presuppositionalists. Reason is the tool that we use to evaluate claims and thoughts. It’s tough, Presups tend not to change their mind, they presuppose a necessary thing that grounds all of reality.Xeno in NC argues for the existence of god and claims he gets signals that prove his god. Is there a way for anyone to detect these signals? It’s not the same thing as a blip on a radar, we can demonstrate that. You need to prove these claims rather than trash talk.Cristian in CO claims that the improbability that whatever universe does exist is a life permitting one speaks to design. Is this the reason you believe? Life is inevitable given unlimited attempts. We can think of a better version of this existence and write a better bible, backed by evidence, than this god

Welcome to The Atheist Experience. Today’s show welcomes back the man, the myth, the legend...Dave Warnock!!! Oh and Matt Dillahunty is here too, I suppose. First up, Dean in CA presents the argument that people deserving to go to hell, eternal punishment, is incoherent. We don't subscribe to an afterlife, sounds like you need to bring it up with theists. Frank in Canada argues testimonials might make Jesus’ resurrection more reasonable. No amount of testimony is good enough for us. We have no good evidence to confirm ANY resurrection but we “need” to believe this 2000+ year old myth. Steven in CO claims we are “all creators” so that proves a creator. You can’t argue that all humans are creators of something, then there is a creator of everything. It’s a waste of time to argue with fallacious arguments.David in GA claims that atheists require evidence for claims but hold a claim we don't have evidence for. Our position is I don’t know. We don't spout a god claim, we simply reject your assertion on god.CJ from

Welcome to The Atheist Experience. For today’s show, we have Mandisa Thomas joining Matt Dillahunty to field your calls.First up, Frank in Hong Kong asks advice about lying to family about his religion, he is ex-Muslim and has a strained relationship with his family. We encourage all atheists to come out, only if they are comfortable and safe.Jedidiah in WA argues god exists because concepts in your brain exist in reality. Have you heard of equivocation fallacies? There exists a concept of a unicorn in my mind, but unicorns don’t exist in reality. You are confusing the map for the place.Jake in TN argues that Christianity is a reasonable belief to hold. He goes on to claim the bible is “100% god breathed”. Uh oh, the “context” argument for slavery. Stop listening to apologists and read your bible, start at Exodus 21.Chris in OK asks if we believe the apostles were martyred. Someone dying for a belief has no bearing on the validity of that belief, just that someone was willing to die for that belief. We don’t