Rise of the Butt Unicorn | Skeptic Generation | Episode 13 Season 1

If you were here last week, you may have heard a phrase uttered in the heat of the moment. Will the butt unicorn ride again this week? Do we have a Skeptic Generation school mascot?

Check out our new and unexpected merch line here: https://tiny.cc/buttunicorn

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TIME STAMPS & CALL NOTES

05:16 - Death Metal Skeptic (they/them) - NC - Deprogramming Christianity
24:05 - Jeremy (he/him) - MD - Is It Immoral to Have Kids?
33:37 - Cindy (she/her) - MO - Can You Be Good Without God?
49:21 - Andy (he/him) - TX - Defining God Into Existence
1:10:09 - Anon (he/him) - CA - How Do Atheists Define Sin?
1:17:33 - NativeGinger13 (she/her) - CA - Is “Super Straight” Ideology Transphobic?

05:16
How do you deprogram yourself after a decade of leaving the church? DM Skeptic calls in for some help in restructuring their worldview and continuing the process of deconversion. The hosts stress that this kind of thing takes time, and that picking your battles and engaging honestly with difficult subject matter are paramount.

How about you: do you still say “bless you” after someone sneezes?

If you’re dealing with your own deconversion, check out Recovering from Religion for some help and support: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/

24:05
If it’s immoral to cause someone to cease to exist without their consent, why is it considered moral to cause someone to exist without their consent? Jeremy asks what the hosts think about antinatalism. Eric extols the merits of adoption as an alternative, and Vi gets philosophical.

Do you think it’s ethical to cause someone to exist?

For an example of an antinatalist argument, check out this article by David Benatar from the New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/persons-of-interest/the-case-for-not-being-born

33:37
Cindy is thinking about leaving her church, or at least beginning to hold them to a higher standard. But she does have a concern: How do you explain all the good her church community does without a God? The hosts talk a bit about human nature, psychology, and evolutionary psychology as they help her think through this question.

Do you think you can be good without a god?

49:21
Andy calls in to debate William Lane Craig’s argument from contingency. He claims that all things need an explanation for their existence, and that God explains His own existence due to His necessary properties. Eric and Vi have *several* questions.

Do you find the argument from contingency to be convincing?

1:10:09
How do atheists define sin? Eric and Vi give their working definitions, and point out the importance of asking for other people’s definitions. It’s also important to remember that our language was shaped by religious people, so using these phrases colloquially should be challenged.

How about you: how do you define sin?

1:17:33
A “super straight” person calls in on a bet. Can we have a calm and reasonable discussion about the validity of “super straight” ideology? Turns out no, not when you’re propagating Nazi terminology in an effort to normalize transphobia. Vi tries to be patient, but ends up slapping down the argument and hanging up on her.

Do you think where a term comes from and what it’s used for matters?

For an overview of how the “super straight” troll op came into being, check out this article complete with screenshots: https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/03/08/super-straight-4chan-neo-nazi-kiwi-farms-trans-rights-transphobia/

For a more in-depth look, check out Corinne Engber’s article here: https://www.jewishboston.com/read/follow-your-gut-super-straight-and-identifying-alt-right-dog-whistles/

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