Informed Secular Minds

Dan Barker is the Co-President of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the purpose of which, as stated in its bylaws, are to promote the constitutional principle of separation of state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism. Become a member here.

Mr. Barker is prolific author and speaker on the topics of atheism and secularism. He has written many books including Life Driven Purpose, The Good Atheist, and God: The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction.

Our discussion includes Donald Trump's recent executive order on "Religious Liberty" and the FFRF's legal response, as well as the debate between theists and atheists.

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After some obligatory coverage of the sometimes-funny-sometimes-sad antics of Texas Rep. Randy Weber during this year's "Washington - A Man of Prayer" event, Cory and Scott settle in for an exploration of two major chapters of Ethiopian history: a bit of biological anthropology from the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs (Lucy!) and the middle of the twentieth century during the reign of Haile Selassie. This is a fascinating individual, and he leads us to the inspiration of a new religion... Rastafarianism! How are the two related, and what does Rastafarianism teach? What is a rasta and what informs their theology? How does this religion fit in with the ones that came before it?

Please stay tuned until the end of the episode for a very, very special announcement! (Seriously. We've got exciting news.)

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Its a packed episode! We have a lot of news to cover, followed by a conversation about spirituality in the absence of a god belief. We are also excited to bring you another Logic That Fallacy segment (sponsored by Recovering From Religion) What is spirituality without religion? Is nihilism a natural conclusion for atheists?

In our second hour, we are joined by Kate, the Doubting Pastor for a conversation about her journey through and out of Baptist Christianity. We are very glad to have the opportunity to share her story with our listeners!

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Our episode begins a bit dark, as we follow up on a serious breach of secularism in Alabama. That state is approving church employed police officers (what could go wrong?) and is still reeling from the resignation of its evangelical gevernor Dr. Robert Bentley. Also, there's something deeply disturbing happening in Chechnya... OK, we admit that could refer to practically anything that happens in Chechnya. This is a new disturbing thing.

Logic That Fallacy is back! Our gratitute goes to our sponsor Recovering from Religion

The real meat(balls) of our episode concerns the divine truth of the revelation of our savior, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, hallowed be his name. Who is his Noodliness, the great FSM? What do the holy texts reveal about reality and where we came from? How can anyone doubt such extraordinary claims? Prove that the great and benevolent pasta creature DOESN'T exist!

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Skepticism: we need more of it. Scott and Cory focus on religious skepticism, and offer a few classic thought experiments as a demonstration of why skepticism is a rational approach to extraordinary claims. Is atheism in line with skepticism? What is the difference between an agnostic and an atheist? Why is it ok to reject claims that cannot be disproven? What is the burden of proof, and who holds it? Discussion includes Russel's Teapot, Eric the God-Eating Penguin and Ontological arguments.

In our second half, we are joined by Mikey, a former member of the Church of Latter-day Saints to discuss his experiences as a young man joining the faith, and what was involved in converting others as a missionary, elder and high priest. We will discuss how inculcation works, what emotions and concepts the conversation plays on to convince potential believers of the truth of the faith, and what life was like as an active Mormon. Join us exclusively on Periscope for an open Q & A after the broadcast (Starting at 10PM EST).

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Blasphemy is among the silliest concepts we can think of, and is antithetical to secularism. In this week's show, we discuss what blasphemy is, and how it is seen from some of the major religions. Where are blasphemy laws in effect today, and how do they affect citizens? How has blasphemy impacted culture in America and abroad? Why is blasphemy a threat, and why does it often result in threats or violence? How can this concept be refuted and dismissed? It's going to be a fantastic episode!

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Lots of people attribute colloquialisms and bits of wisdom to the bible that simply aren't there. Why does this happen? What are some famous examples? The bible does, however, include many strange and bizarre things that are rarely mentioned. Scott and Cory have fun (and cringe) while exploring several of these as well.

The team also explores a few interesting bits of news involving religion in the United States and evaluates what some recent legislative proposals mean through the lens of secularism.

 

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Informed Secular Minds is pleased to welcome Matt Cawthorn on the program for a wide range of topics. What is antitheism, and how does it differ from atheism? Why is religion a bad idea for the world, and in what ways is it harmful? Are the central tenets of theism (belief in an afterlife, the concept of sin, and the narrative of God) inherently negative? Why even bother with the topic at all? Tune in and listen as the guys talk shop about publically engaging in these discussions and break down the concept of antitheism.

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Life after death! So many religions make extraordinary claims about this concept in their doctrines, and the path to getting to heaven (or avoiding hell) is perhaps the greatest carrot-and-stick ever employed. What do the major religions say about heaven and hell? What are the implications of such a reality? What are the prerequisites for acceptance or damnation? What is it like in paradise and why? What can we learn about the formation of religion based on these ideas?

It’s good to be back! Cory is thrilled to return to the airwaves, and we thank you as always for spending some of your time with us.

You are welcome to call in and chat about this or any religious or secular matter of interest to you at 646-564-9551. 

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With Cory travelling, Scott is joined by guest host Maris Warfel (@YoungAthlon399) for a discussion on prayer in its many forms. Why do so many religions implement prayer into their theology? What do believers hope to achieve through prayer? Does it work, and how would anyone ever be able to tell?

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