The Atheist Experience

In today’s episode of The Atheist Experience, Forrest Valkai and Jim Barrows dive into heated discussions surrounding the definition of God, the complexities of biblical morality, and the human search for purpose, challenging callers on logical consistency and the practical implications of their beliefs.Will in the UK claims that if God isn't real, nothing is, defining God as "that which has authority of all things" and later equating it to "truth" or "objective reality." Hosts challenge the idea of "truth" having "authority" or "governance," pointing out the vagueness and the caller's confusion between a map and the territory. Can an abstract concept dictate reality?Patrick in "Flying Lemurs" (FL) suggests atheists can't go wrong by following Jesus' command to love one another, referencing 1 Corinthians. Hosts question the practical application of this vague definition of love, asking if kindness can sometimes be impatient. Why should one rely on a book that also condones slavery and genocide for moral guida

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Welcome to The Atheist Experience 29.25 with Jmike and Seth Andrews @TheThinkingAtheist and Special Guest, Godless Engineer! This week, your hosts dive into some thought-provoking discussions about morality, belief, and the challenges of open dialogue.This episode kicks off with a powerful monologue about the very nature of good and evil, challenging the idea that everything, even atrocities, could be justified as part of a "greater good" or a consequence of free will. The segment questions the coherence of concepts like sin and atonement if all events are ultimately part of a divine plan. Guest host Seth Andrews then shares insights into his background and experience, including a look back at his past as a Christian radio broadcaster. He also reflects on the importance of extending grace to those with differing beliefs, advocating against demeaning or superior attitudes towards religious individuals.Drew from California calls in to discuss the challenges of managing temper and emotions when engaging with peo

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Forrest Valkai and Objectively Dan, sort through calls of AI, logical fallacies, and apocalyptic dream interpretations. No circular arguments made today! Chidumebi in PA asks how to combat religious students that insist on AI reliance to justify the Bible. It is important to teach children how to search and explain why there is bias behind some of the input. These models are designed for good output, not accuracy. Be sure they understand what material they will need to know as a requirement, regardless of their personal beliefs or use of AI language models. What is the student supposed to do if they end up in a career they do not know how to do as a result of their reliance on AI? Mike in SC, thinks that AI can replace atheists but not theists because it can do anything atheists can do by using less resources. What is your understanding of the massive centers needed to support AI? If the soul is a factor, how do you explain an AI video that turns people to Christ?

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, JMike and Secular Rarity tackle fallacies, logic, and questions of ontology!Sura in India believes that because religion exists with stories, there must be supernatural things such as beings. Would these supernatural beings exist without religions? Once you wiggle the terms of supernatural beings with wiggle room, the more meaningless these wiggly terms become.Arec in Norway is questioning if it is fair to criticize people who use faith rather than reason when there is no other answer. Why do you think it is important that people play by the same rules when having these conversations? We like to have reliable ways to get to conclusions, and that does not include the use of faith. Keep investigating this and call us back with what you find. Rajin in NY wants some science based reasoning for the lack of god’s existence. Logic and science are terms that should be used separately. Why is it that in all possible worlds, god has to exist? If god has to exist from all po

(00:00:00) The Atheist Experience 29.21 with Secular Rarity and Scott Dickie 2025-05-25 (00:10:43) Hannah - MS | Materialism And Physicalism (00:43:43) Watcher 215 - PA | Love Is The Fruit Of The Holy Spirit (01:03:18) Paul - AZ | Foundherentism And Munchhausen’s Trilemma (01:25:50) James - (CA) | Proof Of Evolution? (01:45:04) Ulrich - (MX) | Church Is Evidence For God Hannah calls in from Mississippi to talk about materialism and physicalism. The hosts say that they mostly subscribe to methodological and practical materialism. Hannah argues that the hard problem of consciousness undermines materialism. She says that materialism denies the existence of consciousness as a nonmaterial thing. The hosts point out that it’s only a problem if you presuppose that consciousness is immaterial. Hannah believes that consciousness is immaterial because you can’t observe consciousness. She shifts the burden of proof by saying that she would need to see a falsifiable experiment that shows the material nature of conscious

(00:00:00) The Atheist Experience 29.20 with The Cross Examiner and Dave Farina @ProfessorDaveExplains 2025-05-18 (00:10:31) Neil-WA - Deconversion Responsibilities (00:19:26) Andrew in CA- AI Is Conduit To Source (00:25:18) Jason-CA - God Existing Outside Space And Time (00:58:44) Mike-SC - Sharia Law Or Christian Nationalism? (01:27:48) Steve-NE - Star Being Slowed Down By Artificial Force In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, The Cross Examiner and Dave Farina, discuss topics of AI, deconversion, deceleration of stars, and church and state separation. Andrew in CA has a conduit of contact with AI and the source of all existence. How do you know this is the source of existence? What reason is there  to treat AI as the god of honest truth?Jason in CA says that matter, space and time had to come to being at one point and there can't be an infinite regression. What evidence do you have that we didn't see an infinity before the moment of creation and that there is a creation to begin with? If god exis

(00:00:00) Intro by Forrest (00:08:53) Nick-CA: Approaching Trans Rights (00:21:26) Hank-TX: Some Evidence For God (00:59:57) Dave-TX: Existence Of Eternal Hell In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Forrest Valkai and The Godless Engineer, work with three callers who know how to have respectful and interesting conversations. Nick in CA wants to take an alternate approach to trans rights and ask the politicians why they care since trans is such a small part of the population. The primary issue is people being able to pick and choose who they discriminate against. The arguments we hear now are the same as they were when the hate was for same sex marriage. When people’s genitals seem to be at the top of the agenda, how can we get a transphobe not to care? Talk to some of the trans people that host with us and ask them what the most important and effective way to tackle the problem. Hank in TX has scientific evidence that points toward a god. The first thing is how pleasant near death experiences are. Ho

00:00 Intro02:33 Adam-(EN) | Contingency Argument For Necessary Entity55:41 Mike-SC | What Level Of Natural Disaster Is Okay?1:37:03 Michael-FL | Dealing With Observable PhenomenonSHOW NOTESIn today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Justin and Allegedly Ian, take calls ranging from philosophy to phenomena. Adam in England has a contingency argument for a necessary entity. Why should we believe that there was ever a point in time where things were selected? Prior to god creating the laws of physics, did god believe that he created the laws of physics? Was there a state that the universe did not exist? How can something exist and not exist at the same time? What causes something to be true?At what point does the universe become god?If part of god is contingent, then god is not fully necessary. How can god be all benevolent if not all parts of god are good?Why did god not create a world with no natural disasters? What is god’s intention when making people suffer?Mike, a theist in SC, wants to know what it wou

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Justin and JMike discuss Biblical inaccuracies and the truth of these claims. Steve in NE, argues that enslaved people in Egypt would have owned their own houses. Justin explains that the Hebrews were subject to forced labor and how this differs from being owned as property. The illogical claims of Moses writing the Torah is as problematic as the stories Exodus. Sargon of Akkad is a story that is suspiciously similar to that of Moses; and it occurs earlier in time. There is no evidence that the Torah was written in Egyptian or that Moses wrote it. What language would Moses have spoken and used?Kevin in TX wants to know if it is wrong to believe in a deity based on self-preservation reasons. Having the support of family and peers may go away if you come out in some situations. How much and what component of this belief is fear based?Kaiser in OR thinks that The Atheist Experience is intellectually fraudulent because the issues of god are not complex enough to warra

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, The Cross Examiner and Godless Engineer work through questions from theists and those who are questioning their beliefs. Vickie in NC feels that what the hosts on the show are saying make sense and she is starting to question her beliefs. You are not alone and are correct in not accepting a claim until you are convinced with the proper amount of evidence. If you want to hold on to the idea of god having a good nature, how do you rationalize the Old Testament atrocities? How horrible would god’s actions have to be before you question the morality of this all knowing god? Why does the New Testament tell slaves to obey their masters and how do you reconcile this with a good god? Try pondering how it would be to be a slave under Old Testament laws. If you look at life without the lens of god, you will realize how full your life is!Shabazz in KY wants to know what led them to atheism and what they find unbelievable about a creator. On the quantum level, particles will

00:00 Intro5:26 Lily - (UK) | Hinduism Vs. Christianity22:33 Caleb - OH | Morality Of The God Of The Bible29:27 John - CA | The Meaning Of The Lord’s Prayer42:30 Mike - SC | Intelligent Design 1:24:15 Nick - NC | Religion And Science Can Go Together1:49:31 John - OH | Evidence For God’s Nonexistence?SHOW NOTESThanks for joining us for The Atheist Experience! Today, Forrest Valkai and Justin discuss Hinduism, the morality of God, and alien intervention.Lily from the UK asks the hosts if they think Hinduism is more ethical because it lacks a hell concept. The hosts explain that when they talk about the dangers of religion, there’s a spectrum. Even in their most benign state, religious and magical thinking is harmful. Hinduism, as far as the hosts understand, seems more tolerant than Christianity, but at the end of the day, it’s all still dogma, just more or less progressive dogma.Caleb calls in from Ohio to discuss the morality of God. If the hosts believed in the God of the bible, would they think he was immor

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00:00 Intro03:14 Steve-NE | Mosaic Law Protects Women36:29 Art-PA | Representing Spinoza's God1:02:30 Tim-NY | Human Simulation Is Evidence Of A Creator1:42:30 David-CA | God Formed The Planets, Not Gravity1:52:24 Noah-TX | Why Do People Still Believe?1:59:05 Zak-MD | How Do We Detach From Religion?SHOW NOTESIn today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Justin and JMike, shift through the laws of Moses to find how cruel ancient men were before discussing god in a cape that is really just another word for gravity.Steve in NE proposes that Mosaic law protects women against physical abuse. What happens to the woman under this law if she lies about her virginity? If a woman is stoned as a punishment, how is that protecting women? Why didn't god know that only 45% of women bleed after the first time having intercourse? If women were not property, why is it they could not go free like the way men could? Is war a good reason to rape and enslavement people? Men under this law did not need the brightly colored suits a

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Secular Rarity and Holy Koolaid, untangle the entangled particles to see that abiogenesis may not have an AI cause. Bill in MI has a theory that the purpose of life is to entangle every other particle in the universe in order to resolve uncertainty. We as humans are good at seeing patterns. What patterns are you seeing in the entanglement? Why do you think it was you that discovered this? What are the reasons for gatekeeping with high level academia? Tim in NY is 51% believer and 49% atheist because we have seen humans create intelligence but we have never seen intelligence show up. If one structure of the argument has a fallacy, like this black swan, the whole argument chain needs to be reworked if you want to get to a reliable conclusion. Why would the intelligence on this earth not be considered to have arised naturally? There is a difference between an increase of likelihood of existence and actual existence. We have seen amino acids and nucleic acids form on

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Justin and The Cross Examiner, work with the Legendary Jesus who uses preferred pronouns in the simulation created by Bible bashing atheists that question the answers given by the argument from motion.JIm in MO compares Jesus to King Arthur because he could be a legendary character where everything is written down after the fact. Justin explains how he learned in Seminary that it was a given that Jesus was a real person. What are your experiences like when people attempt to prove the existence of Jesus?Mike in SC wants to know how using pronouns is any different from the Emperor wearing new clothes in the movie, The Emperor’s New Groove.  Why would this be comparable to a fictional story? Would you choose to call someone other than their name? Refusal to use preferred pronouns are black and white fallacies and false equivocations because there is more that goes on other than what is between your legs. There are mountains of evidence that show that the gender one i

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, The Godless Engineer and Armin Navabi, work with callers who think that not only their god is loving, but slavery is not a bad thing. Larry in Canada, thinks that the Bible has a different meaning for the word, “slave” than what “slave” means in the original Hebrew. The caller asserts “servant” as a definition for slave and believes this nullifies the atrocity of slavery. He then struggles to understand the basics of dialogue that usually involves more than one person. Why do you think you can just ask the hosts to read from the Bible and not offer their opinions? We are waiting for you to perform a semantic cartwheel that is beautiful enough for us to believe the Bible is against slavery. Oblivious in CA says that even though a rational person denies the belief in god, nobody really can deny god. What does it mean for god to be the conscious explanation and answer for all things? Why can’t this god explain something easy like rain? We agree that we can’t deny the

Show notes upon receipt.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.