This week’s episode was recorded live at Die Laughing 2015!  We sat down with Levi Weinhagen, who is something of a podcasting expert.  His current slate includes Pratfalls of Parenting, Regret Labs, and Reason Gone Mad.  He is also one of the minds behind the spectacularly funny Comedy Suitcase, a company devoted to making smart comedy that is accessible to all ages.  We talk with Levi about his podcasts and then get into the meat of our conversation – the challenges of being out as an atheist.  We also make a lot of inappropriate jokes about Bill Cosby.

Also, check out a list of all sorts of podcasts produced in the Twin Cities at http://tcpods.us!

We have a whole new set of geeky boners to share with everyone this week.  Tim has a couple of mini boners about gaming and British TV series.  Molly has a far more impressive boner involving a new favorite podcast.  Nick has a gigantic boner about going back to school.  Of course we have a listener answer our five questions and we remind everyone about what is going on at Die Laughing this weekend.  Enjoy!

Show notes below the fold:

Here’s a link to the home page for PleasureTown.

And here’s a picture of THE SANDWICH!

This week’s episode features our friend Andy Wilkins, who has several experiences coming out at work.  She’s come out as atheist, a gay man and finally a transgender woman.  We talk about the differences in those experiences and the challenges in coming out at work versus friends and family.  Of course Andy also gets a crack at our five questions.

This week’s episode brings back guest Matt Allex from the Apropos of Nothing podcast.  Matt is one of our cohorts over at Fearless Comedy so he joined us to discuss the second annual installment of Die Laughing.  In addition to talking about all the cool stuff we’ll be doing at the event, we also announce this year’s fundraiser challenge and it is a doozy – if we can raise $1000 for Fearless, we’ll all get a Scientology audit!  Details are in the podcast but if you want to donate, links are below.

If you follow the link to Die Laughing, you will see a donate button at the top right hand of the page.  Donations are accepted from now through the end of the event.  If you want to donate to our challenge, make sure you put a comment in your donation that it is for the Geeks Without God Scientology challenge.

We have a very heavy topic this week that was inspired by the loss of a couple of pets.  Why, we wondered, is there very little moral ambiguity around ending the life of a pet who is suffering but a great deal when we are talking about a thinking, reasoning person?  We talk about the difference between suicide and euthanasia, the value of human life versus that of other animals and Brittany Maynard.  Grab a tissue for the saddest Geeks Without God yet!

This week we are joined by our friend Elliot James.  Born and raised in England, Elliot talks with us about the differences in how religion is viewed in the UK vs. the United States.  He’s had some harrowing close calls due to IRA bombings and other conflicts that may, or may not have to do with religion.  We cover as much ground as possible in our short time together and then, of course, he answers our five questions!

At the very end of the episode (post theme song), we mention our listener Steve, who has been ordered to take his son to Catholic Mass.  If you’d like to sign an online petition protesting this ruling, here is the link.

This week we have a talk about our latest geeky boners.  Tim has been watching a lot of his favorite movies since the beginning of the year and spends some time talking about them.  Nick has been working to catch up on some new (and old) TV series.  Molly is playing a whole lot of video games.  Once we spend time talking about our current obsessions, we read off five answers from another listener.

Show notes below the fold:

Here is a link to the Penny Arcade comic Nick mentioned

This week’s episode brings our friend Jon Olsen to the basement studios for a conversation about calendars.  Jon has a long held interest in how we mark time and it makes for a broad conversation topic.  We even learn why the seventh day of the week isn’t a Sunday!  Jon also has the distinction of being only the second theist to appear on our podcast, a fact we almost completely ignore.

Jon will be performing The Insufferable Spiteness of Beaver at the Bryant Lake Bowl in February, 2015.  The show opens on the 5th and will also play on the 6th, 12th and 13th.  Go see his show!

Additional show notes below the fold:

Tim mentioned a BBC series with Christopher Eccleston as Jesus.  It was The Second Coming.

This week we talked about the shocking massacre at the Charlie Hebdo offices in France. We explore a lot of different reactions to the situation, some more understandable than others.  Is Islam somehow more dangerous than other religions?  And should satire have limitations?  We try – and mostly fail – to make sense of a senseless act.

Note: We had a technical glitch and recorded this episode with the wrong microphone.  The sound is a little bit tinny.  Sorry for the problem!

Show notes below the fold:

Here is the statement from Bill Donahue.

I you want to listen to Bill Donahue being smacked down by fellow conservative Catholic Hugh Hewitt, here’s the place.

Molly and Tim both drew pictures of Mohammed!  Here’s Molly’s Mohammed Unicorn with a horn that grants wishes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here is Tim’s Drawing of Mohammed moving a mountain WITH HIS MIND!!!

This week we get together with our friend David Elwyn Traylor to talk about holy wars.  The central question is whether or not religion drives people to commit despicable acts or if it is merely one potential means to an end.  We manage to do little more than scrape the surface of so broad a topic so feel free to continue the conversation in the comment section if you are so inclined.  After we cut our main conversation short, David gets to ask us five questions.

Show notes below the fold:

Obviously, we don’t know everything about the Church of England and what we do know is probably wrong so here’s more information if you want to read it.