The ReThink prize results are in and they are very interesting. Winners Did they accomplish what they set out to do though? I have some thoughts. Also, general holiday stuff. And this: http://www.ijreview.com/2014/12/223008-smartest-guy-universe-tm-neil-de-grasse-tyson-trolls-christians-christmas/ Please get in touch with me if you’d like to be on a little panel about parenting as an atheist! The post AS97: Holidays; ReThink Prize Results appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Dec 29, 2014•41 min
We continue the discussion with computer expert Michael about the Sony hack. Then, it’s Patreon of the week Katie! The post AS96: Sony Hack Part 2; Patreon of the Week! appeared first on Atheistically Speaking .
Dec 25, 2014•59 min
This week listener and computer expert (imprecise term, I know..) Michael give us a great run down of the Sony hack. I learned a lot from our discussion and I highly recommend listening if you’re curious about the workings of these high profile hacks! The post AS95: The Sony Hack, with Michael appeared first on Atheistically Speaking .
Dec 22, 2014•39 min
You’ve no doubt heard of the awful incidents of the past few days. In Australia, several people were held hostage for hours and two ended up losing their lives. And of course, in Peshuar in a far more horrifying incident, the Taliban killed 141, most of whom were school children. Do these two atrocities committed … Continue reading AS94: Islamism; Patron of the Week → The post AS94: Islamism; Patron of the Week appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Dec 18, 2014•45 min
In this episode I discuss the Senate Report on Torture that came out last week. As you’ve no doubt heard by now, it’s pretty horrifying. But does Sam Harris condone such behavior? According to CJ Werleman, yes. According to Sam Harris, likely not. Here are some links I discussed. http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/john-yoo-torture-report-dustbin-article-1.2039758 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/12/11/370055472/dick-cheney-on-senate-torture-investigation-the-report-is-full-of-crap http:/...
Dec 15, 2014•48 min
Bobby C and I continue the excellent discussion. Also, we have yet another great Patron of the week! The post AS92: Former Officer Bobby C on Ferguson, part 2 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking .
Dec 11, 2014•46 min
This week I’m joined by Bobby C of No Religion Required. I’m very grateful to Bobby for coming on to give us some insight on what it means to be a police officer. We talk about the NYC case a little as the news broke the day we recorded, but we focus more on Ferguson … Continue reading AS91: Former Officer Bobby C on Ferguson → The post AS91: Former Officer Bobby C on Ferguson appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Dec 08, 2014•40 min
Atheistically Speaking welcomes to the show an avid listener and fantastic supporter, Marcel! We talked about a wide range of differences between the Netherlands and the US. Turns out they are quite different.. who knew! It was an excellent discussion and provided a really neat look into what it's like not being an American, something I don't have much experience with.
Dec 05, 2014•48 min
In this episode I revisit some Ferguson stuff in light of your comments. I have to revise something I said last week. Then, I do some Tommentary about comments Ayaan Hirsi Ali made a week ago, as well as an interview Dawkins had. Ayaan Hirsi Ali: What I’m Thankful For Dawkins’ take on sexual harassment … Continue reading AS89: Comments and Tommentary → The post AS89: Comments and Tommentary appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Dec 01, 2014•45 min
Several months ago I gave my initial thoughts on the happenings in Ferguson. Well, as you’ve no doubt heard, the grand jury came back with no charges filed. Also, the evidence has been made public, so it’s time to dive into it. Also, new segment, Patron of the week! I am going to do a … Continue reading AS88: Ferguson Followup → The post AS88: Ferguson Followup appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Nov 27, 2014•50 min
Listener Erik sent me a very thoughtful email outlining some thoughts he had on the James Lindsay episodes, especially our brief discussion on privilege. Since Erik comes from a different background, I thought it would be a good idea to get a different voice in on the discussion so it wasn’t just another case of … Continue reading AS87: On Privilege, with Erik → The post AS87: On Privilege, with Erik appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Nov 24, 2014•51 min
We finish up the discussion with Jonathan Figdor. Lots of interesting stuff! Then I move onto some commentary about last week’s episodes. Definitely a lot to think about and discuss moving forward. Hopefully I can get some more guests on to represent all sides. The post AS86: Jonathan Figdor, Part 2; Commentary appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Nov 20, 2014•53 min
This week Jonathan Figdor joins us to discuss a multitude of topics. First up, he’s promoting a new book, Atheist Mind, Humanist Heart. That can be found on Amazon or on the home page here : http://www.atheistmindhumanistheart.com/ Also at that link you can find info on his ReThink prize! It sounds really cool and I’m thinking … Continue reading AS85: Jonathan Figdor → The post AS85: Jonathan Figdor appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Nov 17, 2014•42 min
Continued discussion on discussion. We maxed out the time, so I’m going to have to address comments and give more thoughts on a later date. Thanks for the many good comments on this topic! The post AS84: James Lindsay, part 2 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking .
Nov 13, 2014•50 min
This week I have James Lindsay on the show, @goddoesnt on Twitter, to discuss the recent shitstorm that resulted from Peter Boghossian’s tweets. This is a chance to talk at a deeper level about what’s going on when these shitstorms happen. Does the phrase “gay pride” make sense? If so, is it the most effective … Continue reading AS83: Category 5 Shitstorms, with James Lindsay → The post AS83: Category 5 Shitstorms, with James Lindsay appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Nov 10, 2014•44 min
Lydia returns! You likely have seen the video going around featuring a model being catcalled hundreds of times throughout New York. I’ve mentioned before my stance on catcalling and how absolutely idiotic it is. Lydia joins me as a repeated victim of catcalling to talk about it and how it makes women feel. Important stuff … Continue reading AS82: Catcalling with Lydia (and Actual Cats) → The post AS82: Catcalling with Lydia (and Actual Cats) appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Nov 06, 2014•53 min
Today I have listener Ben on, who is of course much more than simply an ex-Muslim, but having an episode named “Ben” seemed weird. Ben had a great comment on the site about the Affleck/Maher debate, and seeing as how his background is a lot different than mine, I wanted to have him on to … Continue reading AS81: Conversation with Ex-Muslim, Ben → The post AS81: Conversation with Ex-Muslim, Ben appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Nov 03, 2014•46 min
I’m continuing where I left off from Hobbes’s Leviathan chapter, Of Religion. Very interesting stuff! The post AS80: The Portable Atheist, Part 3 (cont.) appeared first on Atheistically Speaking .
Oct 30, 2014•47 min
We’re back to our Portable Atheists studies! I love these! This time, we’re reading Of Religion by Thomas Hobbes, from his book called Leviathan. It’s very fascinating, and brilliant of course. Tune in and hear my summary and analysis! Also, I discuss a couple comments about the pro-life debate. Since I asked specifically for comments regarding … Continue reading AS79: The Portable Atheist, Part 3 → The post AS79: The Portable Atheist, Part 3 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Oct 27, 2014•53 min
In this episode I’m revisiting some of the Islamophobia ideas. This time I’m reading some new articles and blog posts about the subject. Here are some links: http://www.newrepublic.com/article/119898/bill-maher-ben-affleck-islam-debate-there-no-muslim-world http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2014/10/reza-aslan-on-what-the-new-atheists-get-wrong.html http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/on-the-mechanics-of-defamation The post AS78: Islamophobia; Reza Aslan and Nathan Lean appeared first on Atheistically ...
Oct 23, 2014•57 min
Please note that CJ is not actually on this episode. He’s been a guest several times before but this time I wanted to talk about what’s happening with him, and not have him in the proverbial room. He has been very vocal about his dislike of Harris’s views, as seen in this video: And now … Continue reading AS77: Observations on CJ Werleman → The post AS77: Observations on CJ Werleman appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Oct 20, 2014•1 hr 4 min
In this episode I talk way too long about this article: http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/there-is-nothing-brave-about-suicide/ It’s very relevant to topics we’ve discussed recently. Apparently there are people who think you owe it to someone to stay alive in the face of terrible suffering. I’m sure if they were being tortured or something they would never want to have the … Continue reading AS76: Dying with Dignity and Abortion Debate Follow-Up → The post AS76: Dying with Dignity and Aborti...
Oct 16, 2014•1 hr 4 min
Today I have the executive director of http://www.prolifehumanists.org, Kristine! Oftentimes it seems as though atheists are 100% pro-choice, but Kristine is here to represent the other side. She contends that there are perfectly reasonable secular arguments to be pro-life. I’m really excited to get into these arguments! The post AS75: Pro-Life Humanist, Kristine Kruszelnicki appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Oct 13, 2014•1 hr 2 min
On this episode I first discuss the Ben Affleck Sam Harris Bill Maher video that has made some waves. Here’s a link: http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/can-liberalism-be-saved-from-itself Then, I spend a lot of time going back on the circumcision discussion from Monday. I received a ton of comments and unfortunately couldn’t get to them all, but I went through a … Continue reading AS74: Holy Codified Doctrine of Islam, Batman! → The post AS74: Holy Codified Doctrine of Islam, Batman! appeared fi...
Oct 09, 2014•58 min
I’m joined today by Sarah from The Whole Network. This organization wants to provide accurate information about circumcision. Is it just as bad as FGM? Are Americans culturally blinded about this issue? Find out! https://www.facebook.com/WholeNetwork Thanks to @helpfulatheist3 for bringing this issue to my attention! The post AS73: Circumcision Vs. FGM appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Oct 06, 2014•53 min
The three of us continue the discussion. Thanks so much for all the positive reaction to these episodes! Talking about this stuff is very difficult but it will become easier the more people talk openly about it. Big thanks to Steve and Jake. The post AS72: Anonymous Steve and Jake Farr-Wharton on Suicide, Part 2 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Oct 02, 2014•54 min
This episode is exactly what it sounds like. Listener Anonymous Steve, whose has made appearances on the Skepticule podcast, contacted me after the episode with Jake previous, regarding depression and suicide. Steve considers himself suicidal. This was a difficult episode but was an incredibly unique experience and hopefully good will come out of it. The post AS71: Anonymous Steve and Jake Farr-Wharton on Suicide, Part 1 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Sep 29, 2014•59 min
The topic of sexism in atheism has warranted another episode. There was a huge response from Monday, and a huge range of response as well. I discuss a lot of the comments and emails I got, as well as the following blog post: Is Sam Harris Sexist? The post AS70: Sexism in Atheism appeared first on Atheistically Speaking .
Sep 25, 2014•58 min
Sam Harris made some comments that feminists did not take kindly to. Here’s a link to his explanation: http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/im-not-the-sexist-pig-youre-looking-for I think there are some troubling points to his commentary, and here are some critics: http://freethoughtblogs.com/greta/2014/09/12/sam-harris-is-just-factually-wrong-globally-atheism-has-no-gender-split/ http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2014/09/15/a-professional-responsibility-to-get-the-facts-straight/#more-20633 ...
Sep 22, 2014•1 hr 1 min
Well here we are for part 2. It’s like part one, but twoer. The post AS68: Cognitive Dissonance on Atheist Celebrities, Part 2 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking .
Sep 18, 2014•56 min
