Category: Debate and discussion

He promised me a ‘brawl’

My debate with a man who seems to be a cross between an animist and a deist.

About a week ago Aaron Fauth issued a challenge on Facebook

Aaron’s challenge

I was happy to accept the challenge, if only because I was intrigued by his complete misunderstanding of atheism and of atheists in general.

I invited him to join me in a discussion with the two basic conditions I always include:

  1. We both have the option to record it.
  2. We can both publish the video UNEDITED wherever we choose.

This video is the result of our recent online conversation. What’s your opinion? Did Aaron live up to his challenge?

Something instead of nothing

One of the silliest questions asked by theists: Can atheism explain why is there something rather than nothing?

An old mate of mine asked…
“Can atheism explain why there’s something rather than nothing?”
I was surprised because he’s a bright guy. One of the most intelligent lads in my old Grammar school as it happens. And yet his question was so ridiculously stupid I could hardly believe he’d asked it.
However, since it’s not uncommon for atheists of less intelligence than him to ask this same question I put my answer into a video so I won’t need to keep typing out the answer every time some theist presents the question as though it’s some sort of ‘gotcha’.
Spoiler alert… it isn’t.

Toxic MAGA Christianity

Do you think Bishop Budde’s sermon reflects true Christian values

Do you think Bishop Budde’s sermon reflects true Christian values or should she have refrained from asking the most powerful to have mercy for the powerless?

See for yourself and let me know in the comments. Watch her sermon here… https://youtu.be/xwwaEuDeqM8?si=69mVloI9pGWiP5Xb You can read the transcript here… https://www.stmarksrva.org/blog/a-sermon-given-by-the-rt-rev-mariann-budde/

Atheist epistemology?

I CAN ACCEPT SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENSE AND I CAN ACCEPT SOMETHING THAT EITHER HAS EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE OR WORKS IN PRACTICE.
I CANNOT BELIEVE SOMETHING THAT NEITHER MAKES SENSE NOR HAS EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE.

I was challenged in a FaceBook group recently to discuss a series of points pertaining to religion, atheism and the philosophical bases of each.

Unlike the majority of these requests, things like

“Give me scientific proof that you’re an atheist”

which are too ridiculous to bother making a video about but this one was different. This demonstrated an intelligent approach apparently genuine issues that my interlocutor actually seemed to be serious about – and not just another theist troll.

A creationist UK science teacher

Nick Cowan is a creationist who also understands the principles of science. He’s a retired UK chemistry teacher who also taught creationism to the same state school pupils in his A level general studies class. I asked him how this could possibly make sense. What followed was a passionate but genial conversation between two people who hold diametrically opposing views.

I’m on ‘The Unshaw podcast’!

My discussion about faith, atheism, mental health, evolution and nursing with Robert Shaw

The Unshaw podcast discusses faith, atheism, religiosity and a whole lot more besides. In this episode Robert Shaw (no, not THAT Robert Shaw) and I discuss mental health, faith and deconversion, politics and even evolutionary psychology.

Visit the Unshaw podcast and have a listen. Go on … you know you want to!

When Christians lie

How should we react when Christians lie about us whilst simultaneously claiming the moral high ground?

I don’t imagine many people will be surprised to learn that Christians are just as capable of dishonesty as every other group of people. We’re all human and humans are fallible, after all. But how should we react when they lie about us whilst simultaneously claiming the moral high ground and insisting that non-Christians can’t understand morality?

What should the result be when the smug Christian conveniently forgets the commandment not to bear false witness against his neighbour?

In this case the liar in question, an American right wing Christian (a group disproportionately heavy with liars, in my experience) lied about me online and named me, even using deliberately selective screenshots to enhance his deception. The stupid thing is that it was so completely unnecessary. Just a cheap shot of the sort you’d expect to find in a school playground. Certainly not worthy of adult discourse.

I’m retaliating appropriately. I’ve decided to tell the true story on line, complete with screenshots that show the larger conversation and that explain the real story of what happened between me and Luke Villarreal.

Yes, it’s petty.

No, it’s not my finest moment but it is honest, unlike Luke and it’s only a few minutes long.

Go on – learn the truth about yet another Christian #lyingforJesus. You know you want to!

Discussion with Luke, an American Christian

Luke and I don’t see eye to eye on very much but we do show that it’s possible to discuss and argue, passionately at times and still remain cordial and genial at the end.

This is a discussion/debate with Luke Villareal, an American Christian. We had a few technical problems resulting in fairly poor video quality on my end and no image at all from Luke. However that beats our first attempt during which we couldn’t get anything to record at all.

The rule was that we both get to record it and we both can publish it online as we see fit but without any edits. There is one small edit in the original where I cut out about a minute of ‘dead air’ whilst I attended to my dog. Other than that the video is completely unedited.

Luke and I don’t see eye to eye on very much but we do show that it’s possible to discuss and argue, passionately at times and still remain cordial and genial at the end. Let us know in the comments what you thought of the points raised and especially let us know if either Luke or I managed to change your mind about anything.