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  • The Atheist Experience 28.19 with Secular Rarity and Forrest Valkai

    The Atheist Experience 28.19 with Secular Rarity and Forrest Valkai
    2024/05/13
    Have an Atheist Experience with Secular Rarity and Forrest Valkai as they work together to catch a troll who won’t answer a question only to later have another transphobe try a bait and switch tactic with the call screeners.

    Kevin in GA asks the hosts why he is incorrect by believing there is an intelligent designer without having specific proof such as a video describing how a car is made. What do you have to compare a designed universe with? Not knowing something is not the same as magic. There are multitudes of different types of proof that are needed for us to believe that a creator designed the universe. We do know where things came from and they are all from natural sources. If there is no proof, what is it that leads you to accept it and why do you believe your god is real?

    Royal Trans Atheist in the UK asks about the morality of homosexuality under atheism. Why are you going out of your way to poke at people? What is your understanding of how reasoning and logic leads one to accept that being homosexual is how one is born? Overwhelming consensus is that it is not a choice but is part of the spectrum of human sexuality. At what point in your life did you decide to be straight? Do you believe that homosexuality is immoral? “Pleading the fifth” is now how this show works; if you are going to be a troll, at least be honest.

    Seethi in OH asks Forrest about a call where Forrest had said there is no gender of a sex. Forrest explains that gender is a social construct and changes throughout time. Using the proper terminology from a scientific perspective will be inclusive. Agreeing on the facts and agreeing on what the facts mean are two different things. It is important to be careful to not cause more harm when describing how gender does not line up with sex, even when trying to be well intentioned.

    Caleb in OH has evidence of the supernatural and asks the hosts their belief of the supernatural. Neither host believes in anything they do not have evidence for. How would accepting the universe having a beginning get us to god? Why would we believe anything contrary to the wealth of knowledge we already have about the universe?

    Mr. British in London asks the hosts if atheism is appropriating the word “theist” in a proper way? What could this possibly mean? Is it misappropriating the word “symptom” to use the word “asymptomatic”? Can a term be used to describe whether or not something possesses a particular quality? Why should we use the word “secularism” when it does not mean the same thing as atheism?

    Mike in SC asks SR about his prior belief and if he just grew out of religion. SR explains his deep belief and involvement early in life until an effective method was demonstrated to him. Forrest describes his exposure to a variety of churches and religions and how he applied the same rules to those beliefs as he did for anything else. Mike then asks if all atheists believe that gender is fluid. The majority care about gender identity, but as with other groups, there are atheists that are transphobic. If you are not willing to speak up against policies that are harming trans people, then we would argue you do not have a trans friend.

    Thank you for joining us this week! Remember to call the show and not just comment in the chat! The prompt for this week is: What is a good come back for, “You need Jesus”?

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.
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    2 時間 7 分
  • The Atheist Experience 28.18 with Jim Barrows and The Cross-Examiner

    The Atheist Experience 28.18 with Jim Barrows and The Cross-Examiner
    2024/05/06
    Have an Atheist Experience with Jim Barrows and The Cross Examiner and work through the current challenging issues that both theists and atheists continue to sort through.


    Chidumeei in PA asks how he is to tell atheists that they are not morally superior. How do you deal with Christians that think they are morally superior? You take it one step at a time like you do everything else. Many people go through the angry atheist stage, and sometimes this is frustration from learning the Bible is wrong and realizing people have been lied to. If you slow the conversation down, ask for definitions, and look for understanding, people will realize the conversation is more important than the finger pointing.


    Miguel in CO asks about how society handles transgender people in sports. How does society reconcile the two established facts of transgenderism being real, and the hormonal treatment being good but not perfect? Sports matter more than we think it should, and solutions that we come up with for one sport may not work for another. Maybe early recognition of one being transgender will solve some of the issues. It would be insulting to all genders to just boil it down to not allowing men to compete with women. People do not on a whim just decide to change their gender. Be careful to weed out the lies such as “six year olds getting surgeries”.


    Brandon in CA wants to know why we embrace the trans community by using pronouns. What problem do you have with inclusion? How has the use of pronouns just come out of nowhere? We are hoping to build a society where it does not matter where you are dropped in, and the bottom rung of the ladder keeps going up so that everybody is included. What skin do you lose by using pronouns?

    Dan in Canada has just been through the loss of a service dog and wants to know if it is okay to be Catholic without proof of god. How do you feel about believing a story without evidence of your dog being in a better place? What is your community around you now like? You may consider calling The Secular Therapy Project for someone to talk with or Recovering from Religion. It is okay to go to a church; there are times when communities offer more benefits than risks. The thing to look forward to when you do not believe in a god, is the exciting prospect that the future is yours to make and do what you want.


    Chloe in MI says that the USA is not a Christian nation even though she is a Christian and does not see the attitude of Jesus and putting other people first. How do we define what a true Christian is? What do you think people mean when they say it is a Christian nation? In addition to legal meanings that are wrong on many levels, it could mean that people who are white evangelicals feel like they are losing their power. How do we determine whose interpretation of the Bible is correct? Who has the proper insight to know what the Bible means? We agree the United States is not a Christian nation.


    Thank you for tuning in this week! Prompt of the week is: How did god the father get out of paying child support?

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.
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    1 時間 54 分
  • The Atheist Experience 28.17 with Secular Rarity and Armin Navabi

    The Atheist Experience 28.17 with Secular Rarity and Armin Navabi
    2024/04/28
    Show notes upon receipt

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.
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    2 時間 7 分
  • The Atheist Experience 28.16 with Secular Rarity and Richard Gilliver

    The Atheist Experience 28.16 with Secular Rarity and Richard Gilliver
    2024/04/22
    To be added.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.
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    2 時間 8 分
  • The Atheist Experience 28.15 with Forrest Valkai and Jim Barrows 2024-04-14

    The Atheist Experience 28.15 with Forrest Valkai and Jim Barrows 2024-04-14
    2024/04/14
    1 時間 37 分
  • The Atheist Experience 28.14 with Christy Powell and Jamie Boone

    The Atheist Experience 28.14 with Christy Powell and Jamie Boone
    2024/04/08
    Recorded in front of a LIVE studio audience in Austi, TX!

    Join The Atheist Experience with Jamie Boone and Christy Powell and work through issues, lack of evidence for god, and religious trauma challenges.
    Caleb in OH, believes the Big Bang is evidence for god, and asks the hosts if atheists believe there is no evidence for god. Evidence that is meaningful, compelling or that stands up to scientific rigor has not been observed yet. The universe having a beginning is consistent with many religions. How is your religion any different? Why would an all powerful and all loving god not show us something on this show? Call back with one good argument that is overwhelming.
    Yetmas in FL makes an analogy about god, people, and ants, and then asks why we are searching for god evidence when we have not even mapped 25% of the ocean floor. This is 25% more than before there was science.
    AJ in MN asks the hosts what they used to justify the Bible when they used to believe. Christy described having to read a chronological Bible that noted the numerical differences realizing it was not inerrant. Jamie never looked into the claims, and when he finally did, he became an atheist. How many talking animals do you need in a story before you realize it is not literally true?
    Terry in NY wants to know how to bat away the indoctrination and fear of hell. Why would we lose sleep over the Christian hell if we are not worried about the Hindu hell? Your nervous system does not need to be argued with and it is okay to struggle with this distress. Adult logic may not work with your first early childhood concept of hell. Recognizing this conflict is the first step to acceptance. Is it fear or is it guilt that is so scary? A book called, Leaving the Fold, by Marlene Winell is a good place to start along with Recovering from Religion where they are trained to help through this struggle.
    Jon in Canada says that the 10 Commandments are necessary for society to function and prove the existence of god. How can you tell me that they eradicated slavery? How do you explain the basis of Chinese civilization before the Ten Commandments?
    Katie in OK is trying to determine if she has religious trauma or if it is being raised in a hetero culture. Living in a religious society is almost certain to cause cuts and scars. Having to pretend to believe in something you don’t believe in can be traumatizing. If it hurts, you are allowed to have compassion on yourself and do something about it.
    Barry in GA says that faith is the basis for believing along with the word of god. Where does faith come from? What does it mean if something that you read moves you? What other creation stories from other faiths have you read? Why do you use faith for the Bible but not anything else? What would you say to someone that has faith in Allah?
    Josef asks the hosts their opinion on the scriptures that condemn homosexuality. Jamie disagrees with the verses. Christy finds these verses to be a big problem and is what caused him to challenge Christianity. If you remove a person's exposure to a type of person, it is easier to make them hate that type of person.
    Thank you for tuning in! Question of the week: Missing from the Sermon on the Mount is, Blessed are the ___.

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    2 時間 4 分
  • The Atheist Experience 28.13 with Jim Barrows and Armin Navabi

    The Atheist Experience 28.13 with Jim Barrows and Armin Navabi
    2024/03/31
    • 00:00 Intro
    • 11:08 Ameen-WA | Should I Come Out As An Atheist To My Parents?
    • 34:42 Andrew-FL | Power Dynamics Preventing Consent
    • 56:51 Bjorn-(NO) | Upholder Of Potential Is Consciousness
    • 1:13:52 Jason-WI | Prophecy From God As Barnum Statement
    • 1:18:55 Jake-AR | Societies More Prosperous Without Religion
    • 1:25:49 Lucy-(LT) | Religiosity Breeds Toxic Positivity
    • 1:34:26 Josef-MI | Fascinating Details As Argument For God


    SHOW NOTES

    In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Jim Barrows and Armin Navabi sort through evidence for a designer, Barnum statements, and upholders of consciousness.

    Ameen WA is contemplating reasons to come out as an atheist to his Muslim parents. What would be the two main costs and benefits to making this decision? Considering this will upset your mom, how long will it take for her to get over it? What will you do if the costs outweigh the benefits? What can be done to help fill the void your mother would feel? Showing support to your family is not the same as believing something. Sometimes you need to play a little peek at a boo with the mask. Don’t do it fast and get them scared.

    Andrew in FL says that Armin failed to debunk the slippery slope argument about sexual relationships being allowed that have no potential for harm. How can you claim a failure when you don’t know everything that was said? The potential for harm with incest is much higher than it is with LGBTQ, that is why it is not fair to compare on to another. Incest will have the problem of power dynamics that makes it hard to demonstrate consent. The emotional harm can’t be prevented as easily as STDs can.

    Bjorn in Norway has research that connects consciousness with god and every real life moment has to have the potential of becoming a realization. If you are trying to prove god’s existence, please define god beyond a name. What is god? How would you demonstrate this? How can we connect all these random sentences together and tell us why consciousness is necessary? How do you know that something can’t exist alone? Why do we care about things that are potential but not probable? How do you know what happened before the Big Bang?

    Jason in WI has a prophetic message from god about things that will happen. What will happen specifically and what is the exact date and time? Making Barnum statements is not the same as prophecy. Don’t waste our time.

    Jake in AR says the world would be better off without religion. Would a society that has closer beliefs to reality have a better chance of prospering than one that does not have true beliefs? As Forest would say, all models are wrong, and some models are useful.

    Lucy in Lithuania says that religiosity can breed toxic positivity. We agree and this is also a way for religious governments to take advantage of people.

    Josef in MI asks what god the hosts have an issue with and uses DNA as an example of why he believes god exists. We have a problem with all claims without evidence. Your interpretation of an experience is going to be heavily influenced by the culture in which you are raised. What do you think a good standard for god is and are we there? It must be proven the designer exists before we can prove that things were designed. Why would we assume that the supernatural or god has anything to do with our existence more than chemicals? Why would DNA being fascinating be an argument for the existence of god? How do we find the creator of the body like we can find the designer of a car?

    Thank you for tuning in! Question of the week is: Why is Satan competing for god’s followers?


    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.
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    1 時間 53 分
  • The Atheist Experience 28.12 with Secular Rarity and Jmike

    The Atheist Experience 28.12 with Secular Rarity and Jmike
    2024/03/24
    Welcome to the full Atheist Experience where JMike and Secular Rarity(SR) take on the resurrection, complaints of atheists, and people being saddened by the truth before Kelley Laughlin takes over for JMike battling the allegation that atheists have no will and the fear of hell.

    James in OH has evidence for the resurrection that has been heard before and is Biblical based. Why would it need to be a supernatural cause if Jesus did in fact resurrect? You must make your case for this with an argument because just stating it doesn't cut it. How can this be done without just adding more miracles? Giving reasons and evidence will move people closer to your position. What is the earliest date of the earliest gospel?

    Michael in FL asks why atheists complain that Christians can’t agree on issues when atheists can’t even agree on what atheism is. SR reminds the caller that Christians inherently have the same idea of the deity while atheists do not have any idea of a deity. JMike points out the problem of interpretation agreeing with god’s principle with Christians, and still has yet to complain about it. How do two people have a relationship with an entity and be so wrong on the most basic aspects of it? Does god love the LGBTQ people or does god want them to be murdered in the streets the way the Bible says?

    Chloe in MI, one of our more honest and engaged callers, is a theist who responded to the chat poll with atheists should NOT be persecuted for their lack of belief in god. She added some good reasoning behind this; one of which is that god is love. Is love the reason why billions of infants die? How do you reconcile your two concepts of love?

    Jon in Canada looks at the sky and wonders how all this came about by accident. Just because something is not intentional, doesn’t make it an accident. Why is it okay to let people believe untrue things that may end up killing them? Would you rather have people who are sad because they learned the truth, or people who believe in an imaginary deity that makes them feel broken? Take the risk of bumming people out by telling them the truth when the alternative is how the Bible considers them worthless.

    Leonard in Germany says that atheists have no will or drive. SR explains how he has been involved in starting up several non-profit organizations, and Kelley runs his own business. How is this not a sense of will? There is a common thread of religions being political, where politics is not a part of atheism, however, individual atheists can be politically active. Every group of people will have bad people within the group. Why do we find justification in the core doctrine of religions to do atrocious things? The crusades, inquisition and conquest of the Americas are examples of this. Make friends with an atheist to get an idea of how they live and treat other humans.

    Autumn in MD asks how to calm the fear of hell in her partner. Be patient and be a support system. Reach out to Recovering from Religion and the Secular Therapy Project.


    Thank you for tuning in this week; question of the week is: Why did god wipe out the dinosaurs?

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.
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    2 時間 1 分