We're Back from Faithless Forum! | Skeptic Generation | Episode 27 Season 1

Well, we've had quite the weekend! Speeches, panels, games, and workshops galore at Faithless Forum here in Austin. We just got back and are ready to talk with you: 585-526-8774 or tiny.cc/callSG.

NOTE: This is an abbreviated episode which will begin at 12 noon CT and run until 1pm CT. If you would like to get on to chat with us, please call in by 11:45am to get in the line!

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TIME STAMPS & CALL NOTES

00:00 - Intro - Faithless Forum Recap
06:05 - Isaiah (he/him) - SK - Stop Calling My Beliefs a Mental Illness!
16:42 - Brandon (he/him) - NC - How To Argue With Christians About Morality
23:06 - Kevan (he/him) - FL - Biblical Slavery Is Hypocritical!
34:06 - Sunny (she/they) - IA - Is Virtual Reality An Ethical Substitute for Real Life?
47:54 - Nick (he/him) - AK - Is It Disrespectful To Not Use Pronouns?

06:05
This theist caller would like to see more civil communication between theists and atheists. His example? How atheists are always calling theists mentally ill. Should we stop? What is the harm? Eric and Vi have some thoughts, including how respect for religious people shouldn’t necessarily expand to cover bad or harmful ideas.

16:42
“Well if you don’t believe in God, you can just sin whenever you want!” If that makes you wince, this is the conversation for you. Brandon asks for pointers on debating the morality question with Christians.

Eric cautions that most of these arguments fall prey to the ad hominem fallacy, painting atheists as people without moral compasses and therefore untrustworthy. Vi suggests getting the Christian making the claim to be more explicit: what is preventing them from sinning and why? How does that structure differ between us?

23:06
Isn’t it hypocritical that as soon as the Hebrews were set free from Egypt, they started writing laws about how to own slaves? Kevan wants to know how Christians square this contradiction in moral messaging in Exodus. Eric and Vi caution against framing Exodus as a moral text at all, rather looking at it through a historical lens.

34:06
This is a very interesting call, one that poses a new question we’ve never heard before. Is virtual reality inherently less valuable than actual experiences? What are the ethics of choosing a virtual life over one lived in the outside world? Is Mark Zuckerberg the antichrist? If you enjoy a sci-fi discussion, you’ll like this thought experiment!

47:54
Nick has a friend who has come out as trans. He asked if it’s OK to use his friend’s name instead of pronouns while he gets used to the change. Vi encourages openness and honesty here: tell your friend what’s going on. It’s alright to mess up sometimes, as long as you’re trying!

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