Talk Heathen

By Atheist Community of Austin

Talk Heathen is a weekly call-in television show in Austin, Texas geared toward long-form and on-going dialogue with theists & atheists about religion, theism, & secularism. Call 1-512-991-924... more

· Society & Culture

4.7

559559 ratings

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How many episodes does Talk Heathen have?

The podcast currently has 455 episodes available.

Best of Talk Heathen

The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

Number 1: Talk Heathen 10.36 with Jamie the Blind Limey and Jim Barrows
In today's episode of Talk Heathen, Jamie The Blind Limey, Jim Barrows, and Scott Dickie tackle questions of religious plagiarism, flood myths, and the epistemology of belief!Chloe in NV, a Norse pagan, argues that Christianity didn't plagiarize pagan traditions as much as skeptics claim. The hosts explore cultural blending versus direct copying, asking what evidence distinguishes borrowed traditions from independent development. How do we determine which religious narratives influenced others? When similar stories appear across cultures, does that validate or undermine their truth claims? The conversation shifts to epistemology: how do we know what we know about ancient religious practices?Nick in IL claims flood stories are central to all religions and connects this to AI sentience and UFO phenomena. The hosts challenge his sweeping generalizations and ask for evidence supporting these connections. Why assume flood myths prove a universal truth rather than common human experiences with water? How does AI relate to ancient mythology? The call becomes confrontational as Nick resists providing specifics. What would it take to demonstrate these claims reliably?Thank you for joining us this week! We'll see you next time!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/talk-heathen--3195702/support.
September 07, 20261h 25min
Number 2: Talk Heathen 10.33 with Jamie the Blind Limey, Christy Powell, and Sofia Spina
In today's episode of Talk Heathen, Jamie Limeyman, Christy Powell, and Sofia Spina examine religion as big business, prosperity gospel exploitation, and the commercialization of Christmas!Lisa in Canada argues religion functions more as a grift than a legitimate business, pointing to prosperity gospel preachers who demand massive donations from vulnerable congregants. The hosts explore whether intention matters when the harm is identical, and Lisa shares her painful experience of a church pressuring her to tithe even when she desperately needed that money for mental health medication. How do we distinguish between sincere belief and deliberate exploitation when the damage is the same?Todd in WY believes religion as business stems from human selfishness, citing the Cain and Abel story as proof of universal evil. The hosts challenge Todd's black-and-white worldview, discussing how moral philosophy functions without requiring God. Todd expresses frustration with political corruption and isolation in his conservative area. Can we build ethical frameworks without divine command, and what happens when our communities reject those frameworks?Anne in CA discusses the 'War on Christmas' narrative and how Christmas has become so commercialized that people are talking about it in August. The hosts explore the tension between Christians who rail against commercialism while simultaneously insisting Christmas belongs exclusively to them. How did a religious holiday become so secular that its biggest defenders are corporations?Thank you for joining us this week! We'll see you next time!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/talk-heathen--3195702/support.
August 17, 20261h 24min
Number 3: Talk Heathen 10.35 with Christy Powell and Jamie the Blind Limey
In today's episode of Talk Heathen, Christy Powell and Jamie The Blind Limey tackle the problem of evil and why an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-loving God allows children to suffer!Wade-MS argues God never intended suffering, but sin introduced it. He defends God's omniscience as contingency planning, not predestination. If God knew sin would happen and created anyway, how is that not intentional? Why is eternal punishment proportionate to finite sin? Wade's teleological argument collapses when pressed on divine foreknowledge.Tallahassee Squirrel-OK argues all life suffers, so children aren't exempt. He accuses the hosts of wanting heaven on earth and debates agnosticism semantics. If suffering is universal and unavoidable, what does that say about divine love? The conversation ends when semantic games replace substance.Erich-TN suggests God allows suffering to foster dependence and humility. The hosts challenge this as abusive and question divine hiddenness. If God wants relationship, why hide? Erich admits he can't fully explain why God doesn't reveal himself. Does suffering really build character, or does it just break people?Thank you for joining us this week! We will see you next time!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/talk-heathen--3195702/support.
August 31, 20261h 29min
Number 4: Talk Heathen 10.34 with Doctor Ben and Sofia Spina
In today's episode of Talk Heathen, Doctor Ben, Sofia Spina, and Jamie The Blind Limey tackle empiricism, statistical sleight-of-hand, and the messy reality of so-called intelligent design!One Clever Trevor in IL argues that modern routines prevent us from examining how we know what we know. How does empiricism fit into daily life when we're too busy to question our assumptions? The hosts explore whether individualism or collective action better serves consciousness-raising. What happens when we stop and actually interrogate our knowledge claims?Agnostic in NC calls out Inspiring Philosophy's abuse of p-values and statistical methods to argue for Gospel reliability. Why do apologists misuse science to prop up miracle claims? The hosts dissect methodological flaws and ask why bad math keeps getting a pass in apologetics. Does twisting statistics make your case stronger or just more dishonest?Jock in IL insists reality's order and patterns prove an intelligent source. The hosts counter with biology's messiness, failures, and evolutionary dead ends. If design language is descriptive, not prescriptive, what does that mean for your argument? Why does the universe look exactly like we'd expect without a designer?Thank you for joining us this week! We'll see you next time!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/talk-heathen--3195702/support.
August 24, 20261h 30min
Number 5: Talk Heathen 10.37 with Christy Powell and Jamie the Blind Limey
In today's episode of Talk Heathen, Christy Powell, Jamie The Blind Limey, and Kelley Laughlin tackle religious trauma, indoctrination, and the question of whether religion causes more harm than good!Anne in CA shares her journey from a large Catholic family to atheism. Growing up, she struggled with contradictions like sins being forgiven yet purgatory and hell still existing. After years of questioning what she truly believed versus what she was told to believe, Anne deconstructed her faith. How do you reconcile doctrines that contradict each other? What happens when you realize fear was the foundation of your belief?Matt in VA argues Christianity does more good than harm, pointing to foreign aid and moral instruction like abstinence preventing AIDS. The hosts challenge his claims with evidence of religious harm and contradictions in his reasoning. Does charity justify institutional cover-ups and anti-science stances? If abstinence-only education fails, why defend it? What moral authority does Christianity actually hold?Thank you for joining us this week! We will see you next time!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/talk-heathen--3195702/support.
September 14, 20261h 26min