The Atheist Experience 26.05 01-30-2022 with Matt Dillahunty and Dr Darrel Ray

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, Matt Dillahunty is joined by Dr. Darrel Ray!

Starting off is Kyle from NY who believes that they hear spirits talking to them when they pray. How do you know these are spirits? Just because you don’t have an answer to the question “what is it?” doesn’t mean that you are justified in calling them spirits. For all you know it’s a manifestation of Agent Smith trying to control your life from the shadows.

Next up from KY is Eric who is calling to talk about upcoming Recovering From Religion Foundation events and volunteer opportunities! Thanks for calling Eric!

Up next is JR from AR who claims to have figured out a way to detect the presence of a spiritual world using a pendulum? Why does it seem like every time one of these “techniques” is presented, they always seem to develop a humanesque performance anxiety.

Next is Jessica from UT who believes Atheism is a privileged position. There is nothing necessarily privileged about asking a question or holding a belief, it's the external social and physical factors, such as being able to publicly out yourself atheist without fear of harm that make something privileged.

Andrew from ME is calling to ask if mental health diagnoses are subjective, and if so, does that make the conclusions of experts in those fields less valuable?

Dave from FL is coming in hot with currently unanswerable questions. Since we have yet to develop time travel, we have no idea if there was an infinite past. Like with the first caller, a lack of information isn’t a blank check to insert whatever indemonstrable assertion you feel makes sense that day.

Next is Duke from CA who recounts an argument they had with a theist regarding possible tenable positions for a given proposition. Make sure you read up on the material you are discussing so that you can adequately defend your position and have a productive conversation.

Steve from CA is calling in to talk about the possible connection between specific mental health illnesses and religious belief. That connection may or may not exist, or each case could be different making such generalizations unjustified.

Alvin from NC wants to know the difference between atheism and agnosticism. While definitions can be good educational starting points, when having a conversation, address the person's actual position, not what you want them to defend.

Next is Jason from SC who is arguing for the existence of an objective morality by comparing God to a sports referee.

Up next is Jason from Canada who thinks that atheists should find common ground with deists & theists regarding morality. Has the caller never interacted with anyone who isn’t them?

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