Atheist Experience 24.07 2020-02-16 with Don Baker & Jenna Belk

SHOW TIME-STAMPS
00:00:00 Introduction
00:03:03 Daniel - MN: I Want to Believe in An Afterlife, but I'm an Atheist
00:10:40 Alex - CO: A Rational Person Can Use Faith, & Faith Can Be Rational
00:24:09 Mark - ME: The Koran/Quran is More Accurate than the Bible
00:35:47 Dalton - NJ - Used to Be Christian, Now Hindu but Doubting...What Do I Do?
00:44:35 Joshua - NY: How Do I Come Out as an Atheist to My Family?
00:54:37 Joseph - NY: People Misunderstand the Zodiac Signs (Astrology is Real)
01:01:05 Shattered - OR: Personal Experiences Are Reliable for Personal Beliefs
01:10:43 Samuel - GM: Star Wars is a Religion
01:19:53 Mark - FL: What is the ATHEIST AGENDA? (Guy tells US what WE believe.)
01:33:05 Julian - WA - Are Atheists Willing to Abandon Christian Morality?
01:47:17 Outro
SHOW NOTES
Today we’re hosted by Don Baker & Jenna Belk, who spare no time in getting straight to calls!
Our first caller, Daniel, is an atheist who wants to believe in an afterlife. He describes his discovery of Carlin as his first steps toward being an atheist, but seems confused about gods and related topics.

Alex in Colombia thinks that a rational person can use faith, and that faith can be part of a rational worldview. Jenna and Don explain that rational people can use non-rational tools, and get a little into epistemology with Alex.
We get a rare sort of call with Mark in Montenegro, who wants to defend the Koran/Quran is more accurate than the Bible because we’re closer to it in time, know that it hasn’t been changed as much, and is written in a living language rather than a dead language. Don & Jenna explain some of their issues with the book, and the caller continues attempting a defense of the book.
Dalton in New Jersey is an interesting case. He started years ago as a Christian, is currently a Hindu, but is doubting his beliefs. He seems to be headed down a road of skepticism, and Jenna gets to throw him Street Epistemology as a recommendation for his topic.

Joshua in New Jersey is a deconvert of only 4-5 years ago, and calls to ask the question so many of us have dealt with in the past: how do I come out to my family as an atheist? Specifically, Joshua is concerned about coming off as an “angry atheist” and “without being flashy.” We get to go over that with him, and also get a little into death and grieving as an atheist.
Joseph in New York explains to us that zodiac signs and astrology are actually reliable, but people mis-apply them by using the sun sign...which is correct in its own way? Uh, vaguery is fun, I guess.

Shattered in Portland, OR is a pantheist. He doesn’t offer up a defense or justification for his belief, but instead tells us that personal experience is reliable for personal beliefs, but can’t be used to convince people. The question is, why is such reasoning reliable for oneself but not for others?

Samuel in Germany thinks that Star Wars has a cult-like following and fascination because people dress up and get upset when movies “violate canon” and similar issues. Does this guy know about the actual Jedi religion? Someone should tell him.

Mark in Florida tells us that all the atheists he’s encountered are aggressive anti-theists to point out that we’re more than “just” agnostic atheists...people telling us what we believe is always the best.
Here comes a Pordan B. Jeterson fan to ask if “atheists are willing to abandon a Christian morality.” Apparently we’re actually Christians. At least he didn’t call us murderers...actually, never mind, he does say something about Pol Pot.

Now, it’s meatloaf time. Goodbye! Join us at tiny.cc/acadiscord, and support us at patreon.com/theatheistexperience. Check out our merch at bit.ly/aenmerch.

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