Serious Inquiries Only

This week I’m joined again by the great Chris Shelton! Chris appeared on the show some months back to discuss his 27 years of working for the Church of Scientology! I definitely recommend checking those episodes out if you weren’t a listener at the time. He’s here for an update on the goings on of … Continue reading AS190: Scientology with Chris Shelton → The post AS190: Scientology with Chris Shelton appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Well, I wasn’t about to ignore this major event that everyone is talking about. I offer my opinion on some of the reactions people are having, from the far right to the far left. As usual, find out why everyone is wrong! (Maybe.) The post AS189: Paris and Beirut Attacks appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

In this second installment with Fiona, we debate a bit about what the rules should be for transgender kids or kids who begin identifying as another gender in high school, and request full use of shower/locker rooms. This is a real case that happened recently and the result was that even a separate changing area within … Continue reading AS188: More Transgender Discussion with Fiona → The post AS188: More Transgender Discussion with Fiona appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

This week I’m joined by Fiona to talk about her life as a transgender person. Fiona came out within the past year and has had to overcome a lot of challenges along the way. Fiona talks about how people have reacted, or not reacted, and also how every day things like using a public restroom … Continue reading AS187: On Being Transgender, with Fiona → The post AS187: On Being Transgender, with Fiona appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

One of my absolute favorites is back to talk politics! Best wishes also to Heath and his family, I would have loved to have both the guys on for this one but Noah and I soldiered on with a great show about the election. We broke down the debates, talked about different candidates, and just … Continue reading AS186: Skepticrat Noah Lugeons! → The post AS186: Skepticrat Noah Lugeons! appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

I guess that’s slightly shorter… Alright another few topics in need of some Tommentarying this week! I had so much feedback from last week, thanks to all of you! This week I’ve got a clip from William Lane Craig’s podcast to dissect, as well as a Sam Harris clip. Then, I talk about some of … Continue reading AS185: Tommentary Tuesday Monday Sunday → The post AS185: Tommentary Tuesday Monday Sunday appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Joining me today is someone you may be surprised to learn is somewhat an expert in the field of genetic testing, Jake Farr-Wharton! 23andMe has started operating again in the US in certain capacities, after having been shut down by the FDA. While you might think this is a good thing, Jake has some concerns … Continue reading AS184: Jake Farr-Wharton On 23andMe → The post AS184: Jake Farr-Wharton On 23andMe appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

….and is usually released on Sunday nights. That’s my new super catchy slogan for what is now going to be every Monday episode! That’s right, slightly new format for the show, and you’ll be able to expect it on every Monday now! I’m very excited for the change and I think it will make for … Continue reading AS183: Tommentary Tuesday, Except It’s Monday → The post AS183: Tommentary Tuesday, Except It’s Monday appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Since I went two months without it, we’re doing back to back Portable Atheists. And with this one, we’re in for a treat! George Eliot, AKA Mary Ann Evans, was an absolutely brilliant writer. Contrasting this with the confusion that was Marx has been interesting. The essay we’re reading today is an absolute verbal ass … Continue reading AS182: Portable Atheist, George Eliot → The post AS182: Portable Atheist, George Eliot appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

It has been a few months since the last portable atheist, and this one’s a weird one. Today’s reading is the essay which features the famous quote “Religion is the opium of the people.” What did Marx really mean by that quote? Hitchens, among others, has always said that people misinterpret those words. Find out … Continue reading AS181: Portable Atheist: Karl Marx on Religion → The post AS181: Portable Atheist: Karl Marx on Religion appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Joining me this week is a scientist from Canada who goes by the name Krakus. @DrVarsovian on Twitter. He’s here to talk about anti-science attitudes and politics in Canada. Did you think the US had it bad with our religious right wing? Well, turns out America’s hat is not doing too much better… find out … Continue reading AS180: Anti-Science In Canada → The post AS180: Anti-Science In Canada appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Yeah I decided to just try to pack it all into the title…. Here’s a link to an article I discuss: http://freethoughtblogs.com/ashleymiller/2015/10/02/atheist-tribalism-poisons-everything/ Is atheism at all culpable for atheist shooters? If we say no, are we being hypocritical when we blame Islam for terrorism? I think I have a pretty good answer. Also, politicizing tragedies is … Continue reading AS179: Tommentary: 2nd Amendment Needs To Go; Blaming Atheism for Atheist Killers → The post AS179: Tommentary: 2nd Amendment Needs To Go; Blaming Atheism for Atheist Killers appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

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.