The God or Not Podcast

Jamie challenged Scott to pray and read the bible every day for 30 days. In this episode, they talk about the experience and Scott shares what, if anything, he has learned about what it is like to live at least somewhat as a believer. Then the dialectic duo revisits the Argument from Morality, sharing new perspectives they have gained as a result of bashing heads for so long on this subject. As further study Scott recommends "The Mind's I: Fantasies and Reflections on Self and Soul" by Douglas Hofstadter and Daniel Dennett, and Jamie recommends "The Holy Bible" by God ... or not? Contact us with comments and questions: email@GodOrNotPodcast.com

How do your biases affect what kinds of arguments and evidence you will accept? Is it just based on the quality (or lack thereof) of the arguments, or is it possible to blind yourself to reason? Jamie tries again to make the case that Scott is just not giving his arguments a fair shake. In "Spin the Wheel", Jamie talks about his take on the separation of church and state, and Scott talks about that old chestnut, Pascal's Wager. As further study Jamie recommends "Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Skeptical" by Timothy Keller, and Scott recommends "The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies - How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths" by Michael Shermer. Contact us with comments and questions: email@GodOrNotPodcast.com

Jamie claims that it's not that he is failing to make his case for God, it's that Scott is unfairly rejecting reasonable evidence! What do you think, is this a legitimate gripe or a convenient deflection? In this episode, Scott & Jamie explore epistemology, and its application to their arguments. In "Oh the Humanity", Scott talks about the difference between "prescriptive" and "descriptive", and how the distinction exposes a flaw in an argument from professional Christian apologist William Lane Craig. As further study Jamie recommends "Religious Epistemology" by Tyler McNabb, and Scott recommends "Why Everyone (Else) is a Hypocrite: Evolution and the Modular Mind" by Robert Kurzban. Contact us with comments and questions: email@GodOrNotPodcast.com

Scott goes on the offense and begins making his case that Jamie's foundational arguments, his "4 legs of the stool", do not support the conclusions they claim to. In part 1 of 2, Scott tries to "sweep the legs" of the Cosmological Argument and the Argument from Morality arguments Jamie presented. How do you think he did? In "Spin the Wheel", Scott and Jamie surprise each other with burning questions on "Circular Reasoning" and "People that Don't Know Jesus". As further study Jamie recommends "Reasonable Faith" by William Lane Craig, and Scott recommends "A Universe from Nothing: Why There Is Something Rather Than Nothing" by Lawrence Krauss. Contact us with comments and questions: email@GodOrNotPodcast.com

Are we free to act as we want to act? If so, how does that work in a mechanistic universe? Scott and Jamie have a very interesting discussion on the various definitions for free will, along with the compatibilist position, namely that a deterministic universe and free will are completely compatible. In "Spin the Wheel", Scott and Jamie surprise each other with burning questions on "The Overlap of Religion and Politics" and "Methodological vs Philosophical Naturalism". As further study, Scott recommends the book "Elbow Room: The Varieties of Free Will Worth Wanting" by Daniel Dennett, and Jamie recommends "Philosophy of the Mind" by Edward Feser. Contact us with comments and questions: email@GodOrNotPodcast.com

Don’t let the title mislead you. While it’s true that Scott did go to church, it’s also true that Scott is still an atheist. Scott was invited by Common Ground United Methodist Church (https://www.commongroundumc.org/) to speak to their congregation during a Sunday morning sermon series on the intersection of science and faith. Scott has always had a love for science and it was because of this, his extensive knowledge on the subject, and his ability to be fair, that he was asked to speak about the beginning of the universe. Jamie and Scott review his talk, the pastors talk immediately after, and discuss some of the questions that were presented to him by the congregants during the question and answer portion of the service. In "Let's Go to the Instant Replay", Jamie talks about a surprise re-think he has had on a very contentious subject. As further study Jamie recommends "From God To Us: How We Got Our Bible" by Norman Geisler, and Scott recommends "Faith vs. Fact: Why Science and Religion Are Incompatible" by Jerry Coyne. Contact us with comments and questions: email@GodOrNotPodcast.com Here are the slides Scott used in his talk.

What does it mean to be rational? What is the difference between a rational person and a rational argument? Can a rational person make an irrational argument? Scott and Jamie dig deep exploring the nuances of what this means. In "What Say You", Scott and Jamie discuss two videos produced by Derren Brown, "The Push" and "The Sacrifice". Scott had recommended these videos in Episode 013, and Jamie liked them so much we decided to talk about them on the show. As further study Jamie recommends "Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview" by J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig, and Scott recommends "The Invisible Gorilla: How Our Intuitions Deceive Us" by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons. Contact us with comments and questions: email@GodOrNotPodcast.com

Have you ever actually pulled yourself up by your own bootstraps? It's an old saying about resourcefulness and initiative, but in reality it's an exercise in futility. Circular arguments work, or don't work, in much the same way. Can an argument prop itself up? Scott and Jamie talk about what exactly is a circular argument, and Scott makes an argument that many arguments for the existence of gods are circular. Recent events have put a lot of demand on the available time of our two warriors. But against all odds, new episodes are starting to trickle out! Our schedule will be a bit uncertain in the near future, but we haven't gone the way of the dodo quite yet! So hang in there with us! As further study, Jamie recommends "Logically Fallacious" by Bo Bennett, and in a rare convergence Scott recommends a similar book "Informal Logic: A Pragmatic Approach" by Douglas Walton. Links mentioned in this episode: Why Revive 'Cosmos?' Neil deGrasse Tyson Says Just About Everything We Know Has Changed Neil deGrasse Tyson: Don't Believe the Dark Matter Hype Contact us with comments and questions: email@GodOrNotPodcast.com

The Dialectic Duo is stepping away from the microphone to rest and replenish a bit. Look for Season 2 of the God or Not Podcast, coming in May 2020! Thank you for listening!

Our universe is set up just perfect for our existence … or is it? It seems as if certain aspects about our universe, if changed by even the slightest bit, would render our universe life prohibiting. If we live in a fine tuned universe what are the odds we would find ourselves in a life permitting universe as opposed to a life prohibiting universe? Can we calculate such odds? Is the universe fine tuned by an external something-or-other? God? Does a multiverse increase the odds we live in a life permitting universe? Join Jamie and Scott as they look at the fine tuning of the universe as evidence for God’s existence. In "Spin the Wheel", Scott and Jamie surprise each other with burning questions on "Dialogue" and "The Democratic Primary". In their third installment of the "God or Not Book Club", Scott and Jamie discuss parts 6 - 10 of Section III (pages 135 - 208) of "Sense and Goodness Without God: A Defense of Metaphysical Naturalism" by Richard Carrier. For the next installment, they will cover Section IV (pages 209 - 290). You may contribute to the discussion by submitting your comments by 2/26/20. As further study Scott recommends the book "The Fallacy of Fine-Tuning: Why the Universe Is Not Designed for Us" by Victor Stenger, and Jamie recommends the book "A Fortunate Universe" by Geraint Lewis and Luke Barnes. Contact us with comments and questions: email@GodOrNotPodcast.com

Scott and Jamie continue their discussion on prejudice, touching on homophobia, transphobia, and sexism. They also discuss how the existence of prejudice fits into their own worldviews. In "Spin the Wheel", Scott and Jamie surprise each other with burning questions on "Church and State Separation" and "Sin". In their second installment of the "God or Not Book Club", Scott and Jamie discuss parts 1 - 5 of Section III (pages 63 - 134) of "Sense and Goodness Without God: A Defense of Metaphysical Naturalism" by Richard Carrier. For the next installment, they will cover the remainder of Section III (pages 135 - 208). You may contribute to the discussion by submitting your comments by 2/11/20. As further study Scott recommends the Netflix documentary special “Derren Brown: Sacrifice”, and Jamie recommends the book “Love Thy Body” by Nancy Pearcey. Contact us with comments and questions: email@GodOrNotPodcast.com

Bigotry, racism, sexism, homophobia and the like are terms that can broadly be categorized under the umbrella, prejudice. What does it mean to be prejudiced and who is prejudiced? Is it prejudice to be intolerant of certain behaviors? Scott and Jamie tackle this volatile topic head on flushing out each other‘s perspectives, highlighting some areas of difference and asking the tough questions. In their first installment of the "God or Not Book Club", Scott and Jamie discuss Sections I & II (pages 1 - 62) of "Sense and Goodness Without God: A Defense of Metaphysical Naturalism" by Richard Carrier. For the next installment, they will cover parts 1 - 5 of Section III (pages 63 - 134). You may contribute to the discussion by submitting your comments by 1/28/20. As further study Scott recommends the book “The Better Angels of our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined” by Steven Pinker, and Jamie recommends the book “The Four Loves” by C.S. Lewis. Contact us with comments and questions: email@GodOrNotPodcast.com

Is there an objective standard for morality? Can God be that standard? If God had a different nature would morality be different? Scott and Jamie tackle these issues and more as they investigate together the objective standard for morality. In "Spin the Wheel", Scott and Jamie surprise each other with burning questions on "Mercy and Justice" and "Valid Methods of Reasoning". The dialectic duo also get the ball rolling on the "God or Not Book Club", where they will be reading "Sense and Goodness Without God: A Defense of Metaphysical Naturalism" by Richard Carrier. Grab a copy and follow along if you would like! The first assignment is Sections I & II (up to page 62). You may contribute to the discussion by submitting your comments by 1/14/20. As further study Scott recommends the book “Just Babies: The Origins of Good and Evil” by Paul Bloom, and Jamie recommends the book “Legislating Morality” by Frank Turek. Happy New Year 2020! Contact us with comments and questions: email@GodOrNotPodcast.com

Merry Christmas! I mean Happy Holidays, er Festivus for the rest of us!… Christmas has traditionally been a time to celebrate the birth of Christ, or has it? Is Christmas pagan? Does it matter? Can an atheist celebrate Christmas or are they too busy waging war on the rest of us who just want to celebrate in peace? In "The Crowd Goes Wild", Jamie addresses some listener feedback. As further study Scott recommends the book “The Atheist's Guide to Christmas” edited by Robin Marvie and Stephanie Meyers, and Jamie recommends the book “Hijacking the Historical Jesus” by Phil Fernandes. The jolly fellows also discuss some upcoming plans for the podcast, including a God or Not Book Club? Music credit: Jingle Bells by Kevin MacLeod http://incompetech.com Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/_jingle-bells Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/8ahD-2LK_Zw

Scott and Jamie aren’t the kind to shy away from difficult or heavy subject matter. In this episode of the God or Not Podcast they discuss death, dying and grief. A naturalist and a theist give their thoughts on the subjects, sifting out some of the possible implications of each worldview. Do those who believe in an afterlife live more morally righteous lives because of the fear of punishment or the thought of reward? Do atheists take better advantage of opportunities in the here and now believing that this is the only life they have? Scott and Jamie both reflect on past grief in their own lives having lost loved ones to this thing we call death. In "Spin the Wheel", Scott and Jamie surprise each other with burning questions on "What would it take to convince you" and "Should you be interpreting". As further study Scott recommends the book “A Better Life: 100 Atheists Speak Out on Joy & Meaning in a World Without God” by Chris Johnson, and Jamie recommends the book “A Grief Observed” by C.S. Lewis. Contact us with comments and questions: email@GodOrNotPodcast.com

Scott and Jamie take a break from their usual sparring match to tackle a less contentious topic: swearing. Where do swear words come from? Why do we use them? Are there benefits to swearing? Is it wrong? Scott investigates Jamie’s religious position on swearing, and they discuss society's role in this often taboo subject. We hope you enjoy this *#!&%@ episode! In "Oh, the Humanity", Scott talks about the Halo Effect. As further study Scott recommends the book “Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing” by Melissa Mohr, and Jamie recommends the book “A Christian Manifesto” by Francis Schaeffer. Contact us with comments and questions: email@GodOrNotPodcast.com

The story of the resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of Christianity. What should we think of that story? Did it really happen, or is there some other explanation? Why does it matter? Scott and Jamie break out the magnifying glass and examine this ancient story and its ramifications. In "Spin the Wheel", Scott and Jamie surprise each other with burning questions on "Becoming an atheist" and "Labor unions". As further study Scott recommends the book “The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe: How to Know What's Really Real in a World Increasingly Full of Fake” by Steven Novella, and Jamie recommends the book “The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus” by Gary Habermas and Michael Licona. Contact us with comments and questions: email@GodOrNotPodcast.com

“Faith”, a volatile word with many meanings. Is faith believing something you know ain’t so? Or is faith trusting in something you have good reason to believe to be true? Scott and Jamie explore what it means to have faith, diving into the nuances of this word. In "Oh, the Humanity", Scott talks about risk-taking. As further study Scott recommends the book “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman, and Jamie recommends the book “Why Do You Believe?” by Skip Heitzig. Contact us with comments and questions: email@GodOrNotPodcast.com

What does it mean to say "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence"? Is it an attempt to shut down an argument before it is even made, or is it simply holding up claims to a fair standard of proof? Scott and Jamie dive deep into the weeds discussing the kind and amount of evidence needed to warrant belief in something extraordinary. In "Spin the Wheel", Scott and Jamie surprise each other with burning questions on "What kind of documentary would you make" and "Exorcism". As further study Scott recommends the book “The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark” by Carl Sagan, and Jamie recommends the book “Forensic Faith” by J. Warner Wallace. Contact us with comments and questions: email@GodOrNotPodcast.com

In the second part of their discussion on morality, Scott and Jamie record "behind the scenes" where they work through some miscommunications and figure out what kind of approach they will use as they continue their travels through this deep topic. If you're wondering what goes into making a podcast like this, this will give you a little peek into their process. In "Low Blow", Scott talks about what it means when someone says they're an atheist. As further study Scott recommends the book “Moral Origins: The Evolution of Virtue, Altruism, and Shame” by Christopher Boehm, and Jamie recommends the book “How Should We Then Live?: The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture" by Francis Schaeffer. Contact us with comments and questions: email@GodOrNotPodcast.com