Happy Birthday, Eric! | Skeptic Generation | Episode 28 Season 2

It was Eric's birthday yesterday, and we're excited to celebrate it! If you want to give him the best birthday gift ever, call in with a realllllly bad argument for the existence of God. Like, just the worst one. He'll love it. Wish him well at 585-526-8774 or https://tiny.cc/callSG.

If you want to get Eric a birthday present but don't want to call in, check out our Amazon wishlist at https://tiny.cc/SGwishlist.

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TIME STAMPS & CALL NOTES

00:00 - Intro - Happy Birthday, Eric!
02:42 - This Theist Caller LOSES It - Chris (he/him) - WI
17:08 - Is Occam’s Razor Dangerous? - Javier (he/him) - SC
33:46 - A Skeptical Theist? - Robert (he/him) - MA
45:30 - Dealing with Emergencies As an Atheist - Keith (he/him) - NJ
55:40 - Should I Stop Being A Pagan? - Brendan (he/him) - SC
1:10:04 - Are Conspiracy Theories Skeptics? Seth (any/all) - MA
1:17:05 - When Is a Belief Too Harmful to Ignore? - Nick (he/him) - UT
1:28:25 - Superchats

03:20
What starts off as a potentially productive call quickly goes off the rails as this theist caller goes from telling us we don’t have morals, to saying we are still Christians, to ranting about how terrible Planned Parenthood is and ultimately dissolving into… blowing raspberries? Really? Anyway, Eric gets rightfully pissed and you should be too.

17:11
Repeat theist caller Javier wants to better understand Occam’s razor, especially since a friend claimed that using it could result in innocent people being accused of murder! Are we using this logical tool correctly, and are there situations where we may need to put the razor down in favor of other methodological approaches?

33:56
Is it possible to be skeptical and a theist at the same time? Eric and Vi say yes, but it’s not as simple as being a skeptic or not being one. Many of us are skeptical about certain things, and remain quite credulous about others. The question is: how are you applying skepticism and is it getting you good results?

45:43
TW: Pet death
Have you ever felt the urge to pray during an emergency, even though you didn’t really believe in God? This caller was feeling something similar as his cat was suffering renal failure. Spoiler alert: the cat survived! But this left us all wondering… why do we feel the need to pray or ask for divine help when something bad happens, even as atheists?

55:50
If your beliefs aren’t going away on their own, should you “force it”? This pagan caller wants to know if he should be getting rid of his beliefs. Eric points out that while discussing metaphysical ideas is important, it’s best to start with the practical and make sure your beliefs are not putting you in harm’s way. Vi encourages the caller to sit in the discomfort and figure out how his god beliefs influence a pragmatic worldview.

1:10:19
What would you say if you encountered a science teacher who was also a flat earther? What if that person called themself a skeptic? This caller is concerned that the term “skeptic” is getting used by conspiracy theorists and making it more difficult to find credible sources. Is this something the hosts are concerned about?

1:17:12
When is a belief too harmful to ignore? This former Mormon caller is struggling to maintain relationships with his family as they continue to pursue their faith. He asks the hosts if there’s a point where he should break ties. Eric points out that making people uncomfortable is a necessary step in the path to rationality. Vi encourages the caller to think about how to use their position to counteract bad ideas.

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