Serious Inquiries Only

More challenges from Tyler Vela on how me and other atheists are reading and interpreting the bible. Am I doing it all wrong or is Tyler simply trying to deflect my biblical criticism? Better listen to find out. The post AS178: Tyler Vela on Interpreting the Bible, Part 2 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

I’ve got a great episode for you, but first, I want to inform anyone who hasn’t heard about the Patreon hack. I explain in the first 5 minutes. Here’s a url you can use to see if you are affected: https://haveibeenpwned.com/ Alright, now that that’s over with.. Tyler Vela joins us this week because he is … Continue reading AS177: Tyler Vela on Interpreting the Bible → The post AS177: Tyler Vela on Interpreting the Bible appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

The first ever Atheistically Speaking live debate, part 2! Thanks so much to those who participated! If you’d prefer to watch the debate, you can definitely do so by following this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63XGMDVsNVg Or you can listen to the podcast version which has slightly better audio. The post AS176: Justin Schieber vs Robert Johnson, Part 2 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

The first ever Atheistically Speaking live debate! Thanks so much to those who participated! If you’d prefer to watch the debate, you can definitely do so by following this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63XGMDVsNVg Or you can listen to the podcast version which has slightly better audio. The post AS175: Justin Schieber vs Robert Johnson, Part 1 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

More with the incredibly engaging and interesting Ryan Bell! Last reminder, watch the live debate between Justin Schieber and Robert Johnson! This Saturday, noon Pacific time! https://plus.google.com/events/cu24d10qirl4m53vsl3f3o7htf4?authkey=CIft9qSSnNS-8QE The post AS174: Ryan Bell, Part 2 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

This was a really really good interview.I mean it. I know Ryan has been making the rounds lately due to his new project, Life After God, but I’ve wanted to have Ryan on the show for quite a while to just talk about his life experiences. And he did not disappoint! So while you may have heard … Continue reading AS173: An Interview with Ryan Bell → The post AS173: An Interview with Ryan Bell appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

It’s about time for another Tommentary show! I have plenty of opinions, and I hope you enjoy an episode where I express those opinions on occasion. Ahmed Mohamed brought a clock to school and was arrested. An outrage, right? Most likely. But there are some things to consider… http://nyti.ms/1UXu0LP Also, Sam Harris is likely wrong … Continue reading AS172: Tommentary On Ahmed; Sam Harris; Maajid Nawaz → The post AS172: Tommentary On Ahmed; Sam Harris; Maajid Nawaz appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

The final installment of the secular parent panel on dealing with the topic of sex and porn. Also, important announcement! First ever Atheistically Speaking Live Debate! Find the details here! https://plus.google.com/events/cu24d10qirl4m53vsl3f3o7htf4?authkey=CIft9qSSnNS-8QE The post AS171: Secular Parent Panel, Part 3 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

More with the porno parent panel! What happens when you catch your 8 year old looking at porn? Well, when you are religious, you can freak out and give a very distraught lecture to your child. But what about when you’re an atheist? Does the same moral outrage apply? Joining me this week are 3 … Continue reading AS170: Parenting as an Atheist: Sex and Porn Part 2 → The post AS170: Parenting as an Atheist: Sex and Porn Part 2 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

What happens when you catch your 8 year old looking at porn? Well, when you are religious, you can freak out and give a very distraught lecture to your child. But what about when you’re an atheist? Does the same moral outrage apply? Joining me this week are 3 secular parents to discuss this very … Continue reading AS169: Parenting as an Atheist: Sex and Porn Edition → The post AS169: Parenting as an Atheist: Sex and Porn Edition appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

More with the lovely Sahar! She was a great guest and really knew her stuff, and I think we as listeners really benefitted from that. The post AS168: Baha’i With Sahar, Part 2 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Sahar is an ex-Baha’i and she is here to tell us all about it! She very recently came to the realization that she is an atheist, and one of the things that she claims has helped her through this process is hearing from the ex-religious on my show. So, in that spirit, I figured we … Continue reading AS167: Ex-Baha’i Sahar → The post AS167: Ex-Baha’i Sahar appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Here’s the conclusion of the Lauren discussion. After that, I go in a bit of depth on the disagreements of fact we had, and also some analysis on the whole discussion. The post AS166: Discussion With Lauren; Postmortem appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Not the greatest title but I really couldn’t think of a good way to give all the facts… Anyway, listener Lauren, who had a few choice words on Twitter for my discussion with Tom and Cecil about Tim Hunt, is here to talk about that whole debacle. First, we get to know Lauren a little … Continue reading AS165: Lauren Responds To Tim Hunt Episode with Cog Dis → The post AS165: Lauren Responds To Tim Hunt Episode with Cog Dis appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Sorry for the late episode! I believe this is only the second time I’ve missed a deadline with Atheistically Speaking, and I have good reason, I promise! Hear all about the story behind that, plus part two of our John Stuart Mill reading from Portable Atheist! The post AS164: John Stuart Mill, Part 2 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Here we are for the nth installment of the Portable Atheist! This time it’s time to learn about John Stuart Mill and the thinkers who contributed to his upbringing. Very interesting stuff! The post AS163: John Stuart Mill appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

We’re back for more with Justin Schieber! We delve deeper into the evidential problem of suffering and as always, I ask some meandering questions that hopefully take us in some interesting directions! You can find the channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQa6mPLOE2yuMCrDjRio_nA and just on Twitter @justinsweh. The post AS162: Real Atheology with Justin Schieber, Part 2 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Welcome back to the show for what I think is the third time, Justin Schieber! Justin has himself a brand new youtube channel called Real Atheology that I think you guys will love! We talk about his first video – The Evidential Problem of Suffering. You can find the channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQa6mPLOE2yuMCrDjRio_nA and just on Twitter … Continue reading AS161: Real Atheology with Justin Schieber → The post AS161: Real Atheology with Justin Schieber appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Today we have part two of Ishmael from http://www.angryblackrant.com. Ishmael was inspired by my interview with Rondale to possibly start a podcast. When you hear him, maybe you’ll agree with me that he really ought to host a podcast! He’s entertaining, opinionated, and bound for great things. You can also find him on twitter @angryblackrant The post AS160: Ishmael, Part 2 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

First I have some things to say about the whole Cecil the lion debacle. After that, I have a cool interview with Ishmael of http://www.angryblackrant.com. Ishmael was inspired by my interview with Rondale to possibly start a podcast. When you hear him, maybe you’ll agree with me that he really ought to host a podcast! … Continue reading AS159: Tommentary; Interview with Ishmael → The post AS159: Tommentary; Interview with Ishmael appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Yeah, you heard that right. But first, it’s a continuation of Monday’s episode with Nathanael. He turned the interview back on me, and we continued the exchange. Overall I’m very happy to have talked with Nathanael and while I of course disagree with any supernatural claims, he’s a great guy who is doing a lot … Continue reading AS158: “My Father’s Funeral Was Stopped By Gay Marriage” → The post AS158: “My Father’s Funeral Was Stopped By Gay Marriage” appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Show friend Tracey Moody connected today’s guest, Nathanael, and I. We ended up having a really cool discussion that I think was very positive and due to the miracles of modern science, was caught on tape! Here it is. You can find Nathanael at nathanaelvitkus.wordpress.com and his twitter @npvitkus The post AS157: Dialogue With A Christian, Nathanael appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Alright, Cognitive Dissonance, take 2! This time we’re here for real, and the topic at hand is the Tim Hunt controversy. Find out Tom and Cecil’s take on the matter, and see what their responses to some counter arguments are! The post AS156: Cognitive Dissonance on Tim Hunt appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

The guys are back! Well, we intended to talk about the Tim Hunt stuff, and its implications on free expression, etc, BUT we got a little sidetracked. I thought the recording was comedy gold, but in case anyone disagrees, you get a 2 for 1 deal on Thursday, during which time we ACTUALLY talk about … Continue reading AS155: Cognitive Dissonance → The post AS155: Cognitive Dissonance appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Ok ok, a REAL one this time! This month’s reading is A Refutation of Deism by Percy Shelley. Lots of cool stuff to talk about in this reading. Shelley was a poet but honestly in my opinion, he could have been a philosopher! Also, did he predict evolution 50 years before Origin of Species? I … Continue reading AS154: The Portable Atheist → The post AS154: The Portable Atheist appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

..plus Portable Atheist, kind of. You’ll see. This weekend I had the unique experience of attending a Catholic wedding. It has been a while since I’ve stepped foot in a Catholic Church and it certainly was fascinating. Also, we were set to do Portable Atheist but the selection was very short and not too amenable … Continue reading AS153: An Atheist In A Catholic Church → The post AS153: An Atheist In A Catholic Church appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Today we continue the discussion with Adrian, an atheist who lives in a majority Muslim country. Lots more interesting stuff on part 2! Take a listen! The post AS152: An Atheist In A Muslim Country, Part 2 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

My guest this week is Adrian, who has appeared on the show a few times before. This time might be the most interesting yet, however, because Adrian recently moved to Malaysia. So, that makes him an atheist living in a Muslim majority country. He has a lot of really interesting stories and observations about what … Continue reading AS151: An Atheist In A Muslim Country → The post AS151: An Atheist In A Muslim Country appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

We round out our first book club book with a couple more interviews. Then, what better way to take us out than with the man himself, Carl Sagan, reading his most beautiful passage ever. The post AS150: Pale Blue Dot, Part 2 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Yay the first book club book is done! This was so much fun, and thank you to all who participated! Make sure to read the next book and contact me to get on the show next time. The post AS149: Pale Blue Dot, Part 1 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Today I have two listeners on as guests to provide some feedback on the recent Elijiah T episodes. Some of my listeners reacted a bit negatively to Elijiah and I’m curious to find out why. Let’s see if I can find some answers! The post AS148: Live Listener Feedback appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

It’s with a heavy heart that I have to launch on another Tommentary. Pretty much every time there’s a horrible massacre, there are a number of things to react to. Here’s an article I talked about toward the end that was very interesting: http://aeon.co/magazine/philosophy/people-do-violence-because-their-moral-codes-demand-it/ The post AS147: Tommentary appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

More discussion with Rondale. In part 2 we talk a bit more about being an atheist in the black community. The post AS146: Ex-Mormon, Rondale Part 2 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

This week’s guest is another ex-Mormon, but coming with yet another unique perspective. I’ll give you a hint, he wouldn’t have been allowed in the church before 1978. The post AS145: Ex-Mormon, Rondale appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Here’s the second half with Elijiah T! I’m liking the response to this. Keep those comments coming. The post AS144: Atheists Say the Darnedest Things, Part 2 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Elijiah was a guest about a year ago, and now he’s back for another round! This time, we’re going to discuss what Elijiah alleges are bad arguments atheists make. It’s a really cool discussion and I had a great time. 2 episodes, filled to the brim! The post AS143: Atheists Say the Darnedest Things, with Elijiah T. appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Continuing the discussion from Monday, Jake and I go on to react to the CNN Anderson Cooper interview with the organizer of the obnoxious event. Also, I read most of this really well written response to the event: To the Bikers Who Plan to Protest in Arizona The post AS142: Armed Peaceful Protests, with Jake Farr-Wharton appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

This week I have Jake on to discuss what is an actual case of Islamophobia. That is, the biker “protest” outside of an Arizona mosque where members wore t-shirts saying “F*** Islam” and carried weapons. The post AS141: Real Islamophobia, with Jake Farr-Wharton appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

But not just any comments, really good comments! I go back over the Louis CK stuff from Monday in light of a few comments, and then I finally comment back at a comment on Christina Hoff Sommers. The post AS140: At Long Last, Listener Comments appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

It’s a bit of a potpourri for today’s episode! What did Louis CK’s SNL monologue from the other week have to do with free will and determinism? Also, I saw Mad Max and felt the need to talk a bit about it and the intersection with feminism. The post AS139: Louis CK, Filters, Mad Max, MRAs… appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Continuing from Monday, we’re finishing up Of Miracles by Hume. It’s quite an important piece in skeptic history, and seeks to provide an argument against miracle testimony of many kinds. The post AS138: David Hume, Of Miracles Part 2 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

The Portable Atheist, part 6! Rather than claim I will come back to the Portable Atheist in a month and then wait like 4 months as I have previously, I decided to be proactive and get right to it! This time, it’s “Of Miracles” by David Hume, very important work for skepticism. This will be … Continue reading AS137: David Hume, Of Miracles → The post AS137: David Hume, Of Miracles appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Megan is back for part 2 about being raised as a female Mormon. It’s quite a bit different than as a male.. Also, NCMOs are real! Here’s some of the resources/links Megan mentioned: http://www.colleenkellypoplin.com/home/faith-the-privileges-and-responsibilities-of-sisters http://www.lds-mormon.com/poelman.shtml http://whitefieldseducational.org/ Also if you’d like to contact Megan, she was kind enough to offer her email at [email protected] Thanks for listening! The post AS136: Being Raised A Mormon Girl, Part 2 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Some time ago I had two ex-Mormons, Bill and Gerald, on to discuss their experience with the church. After hearing that, Megan sent me a message asking if I wanted to get the female perspective on the Mormon experience. I said absolutely! So Megan is here to give us another side of the story. With … Continue reading AS135: Being Raised A Mormon Girl, with Megan → The post AS135: Being Raised A Mormon Girl, with Megan appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Much more with Jeffrey Jay Lowder! This time we get even deeper into the arguments, and I get to try out a couple of thoughts I’ve been having on Jeff. It was a real treat to have an expert on to be able to bounce some ideas off of. This is of course in addition … Continue reading AS134: Moral Arguments, with Jeffery Jay Lowder, Part 2 → The post AS134: Moral Arguments, with Jeffery Jay Lowder, Part 2 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

I’m very pleased to have a special guest this week, Jeffery Jay Lowder! Jeff is one of the founders of Internet Infidels and the Secular Outpost. He’s also someone with a vast knowledge of apologetics and counter-apologetics, having studied at a christian university. One thing about Jeff Lowder though is that he’s very fair and … Continue reading AS133: Moral Arguments, with Jeffery Jay Lowder → The post AS133: Moral Arguments, with Jeffery Jay Lowder appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Lots of great comments on my last episode to discuss, but ALAS! There’s no time! We’re on to the Portable Atheist 5! I cannot believe how long it has been since I did this last. This edition is David Hume’s “The Natural History of Religion.” I promise to find a time to address these really … Continue reading AS132: The Portable Atheist, Part 5 → The post AS132: The Portable Atheist, Part 5 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

This week I want to take a break from interviews. I’ve absolutely loved the interviews I’ve been doing lately, but I recognize that some people come to my podcast for some commentary, or Tommentary, so today I’d like to do that. SO, I picked a doozy of a topic, which is Christina Hoff Sommers. She … Continue reading AS131: Hiding From Ideas → The post AS131: Hiding From Ideas appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Part 2 with Ben Bell. For a description and if you haven’t heard part one, refer here: http://atheisticallyspeaking.com/as129-reddit-toxicity/ The post AS130: Reddit Toxicity, with Ben Bell, part 2 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Atheism’s Reddit Toxicity The company Idibon recently conducted a Reddit toxicity that made a lot of headlines. The study can be found here. Many subreddits reposted the study and reacted to their position. In a finding that might be relevant to the atheism community, r/atheism was found to be among the top in the Reddit … Continue reading AS129: Reddit Toxicity, with Idibon’s Ben Bell → The post AS129: Reddit Toxicity, with Idibon’s Ben Bell appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.