TheThinkingAtheist

By The Thinking Atheist

Society & Culture Education

What's TheThinkingAtheist about?

Seth Andrews, a former Christian broadcaster and believer for 30 years, ultimately escaped the bonds of superstitious thinking to embrace the more satisfying explanations that science provides.

A professional video producer and host of one of the most popular atheist communities on the internet, Seth Andrews brings a polished format, a relaxed environment and a rage-free challenge to the religious beliefs that defined his youth.

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Fall River: Death and the D...

05.18.2021

The Epix Network just released the new 4-part docuseries, "Fall River," which chronicles the murders of 3 women against the backdrop of the Satanic Panic. Director/Producer James Buddy Day joins Seth Andrews for a conversation about the series, the story, ...

TheThinkingAtheist episodes:

05.18.2021 Fall River: Death and the Devil in a Massachusetts Town The Epix Network just released the new 4-part docuseries, "Fall River," which chronicles the murders of 3 women against the backdrop of the Satanic Panic. Director/Producer James Buddy Day joins Seth Andrews for a conversation about the series, the story, ...
05.11.2021 For Small Creatures Such As We: Rituals for Finding Meaning in our Unlikely World (with Sasha Sagan) Sasha Sagan is the daughter of the late (and legendary) cosmologist, Carl Sagan. A producer and author of the new book, "For Small Creatures Such As We," Sasha explores and explains how/why rituals can be so important for making the ...
05.04.2021 Attacked From Within: The Assault on State/Church Separation Rachel Laser, attorney, human rights activist, and President of www.au.org, speaks with Seth Andrews about the critical fight(s) to protect the United States from fundamentalism and unamerican Christian Nationalism.VIDEO of this conversation: https://youtu.be/ixIEcbcuCt0
04.27.2021 Hype: A Doctor's Guide to Medical Myths, Exaggerated Claims, and Bad Advice (with Dr. Nina Shapiro) Dr. Nina Shapiro is a renowned physician and author of "Hype," a terrific and practical guide for separating medical fact from fiction.Get the book at http://drninashapiro.com/hype
04.20.2021 The Creepy and the Culty: "Normal" Things that Mainstream Religions Do Every Day Often, mainstream religious practices don't seem strange to us...because we're accustomed to them. But are the mainstream faiths any less culty? We think not, and this show provides examples.
04.13.2021 The Satan Shoes: A Conversation About the Controversy (with Lucien Greaves) Lucien Greaves, co-founder of https://thesatanictemple.com, weighs in on the recent moral panic regarding Lil Nas X's recent video and The Satan Shoes.VIDEO of this conversation: https://youtu.be/qyn6EWg8u1ILucien's blog on Lil Nas X: https://www.patreon.com/posts/lil-nas-x-is-not-49717911Satanic Planet "Baphomet" Video: https://youtu.be/PghnCkolCd0
04.06.2021 Accidents of Birth (with the hosts of Cognitive Dissonance) In this lively show, hosts Tom and Cecil of https://dissonancepod.com join us for a conversation about life in this random, weird (post-truth?) world.VIDEO of this interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Cv_RDasAmyQ
03.30.2021 Always an Atheist: Stories of Lifelong Nonbelievers For all of the "apostate" shows we've done, many have requested that we dedicate a podcast to the lifelong non-believer. So for our never-bought-it listeners, here's an entire broadcast featuring your calls and your stories.
03.23.2021 The Catholic Divide: A Church in Conflict over Money and Power (with Katherine Stewart) The Catholic Church is at war with itself. Big Money players have weaponized the church for Christian Nationalism, while others are resisting religious overreach to install a theocracy and discriminate against others.Author/Journalist Katherine Stewart joins us to talk about her ...
03.16.2021 Wayward: Spiritual Warfare & Sexual Purity (with author Alice Greczyn) Actress and author Alice Greczyn escaped a high-control version of Christianity. She speaks about her book "Wayward" and her escape from the blame and shame of religion, and Seth Andrews reads from Chapter 17 in the last portion of the ...
03.09.2021 Is Cheese Powder Actual Cheese? (And more answers to life's burning questions) Here's another fun distraction from the usual topics, and a great chance to think about some of the things we do and say every day. Why do they call a ship's command center a "bridge?" What's up with useless human ...
03.02.2021 Can You Reason with Unreasonable People? Many of us have encountered the "brick wall" believers in superstition, woo, conspiracy, and really bad ideas. Are they still worth our time and energy? And are there ways to break through? We discuss the complex issue(s) regarding deep-seated beliefs ...
02.23.2021 Is Cancel Culture Real? Actor Gina Carano was just dropped by Disney over her controversial Twitter posts, with many decrying "Cancel Culture." Does Cancel Culture even exist? Join us for a thoughtful discussion.
02.16.2021 Insurrection and Christian Nationalism (with constitutional attorney Andrew Seidel) Andrew Seidel is a constitutional expert and author of "The Founding Myth: Why Christian Nationalism is Unamerican." He joins Seth Andrews for a frank discussion about the state of the United States. Andrew's book: https://amzn.to/3qgSxh3 VIDEO of this discussion: https://youtu.be/z0eVo5xNS1I
02.09.2021 Women Leaving Islam: Stories of Courage and Change (with Maryam Namazie) Maryam Namazie is a British-Iranian human rights activist and producer of the new documentary, "Women Leaving Islam." In this show, she speaks about the film, the stories, and the lives impacted by this high-control religion.Watch the documentary: https://youtu.be/ojpGBz9OxPMVIDEO of this ...
02.02.2021 Bad Apologetics: The Arguments We're Most Weary Of (PART TWO) We continue our conversation with various activists about apologetics arguments (and the refutations). Joining us this week: Shannon Q, Matt Dillahunty, Margaret Downey, Hemant Mehta, Thomas Smith, Andrew Torrez, Tracie Harris, Chris Shelton, Jimmy Snow, and Muhammad Syed.LINK TO PART ...
01.31.2021 A Skeptic's Guide to GameStop (with Phil Ferguson) In this bonus podcast, Phil Ferguson of Polaris Financial and The Phil Ferguson Show helps us break down the whole Reddit/GameStop story.VIDEO of this discussion is here: https://youtu.be/_9Oe77zpWag
01.26.2021 Bad Apologetics: The Arguments We're Most Weary Of (PART ONE) In this first of a two-part series, various atheist activists weigh in on the apologetics they're most tired of hearing. Guests this week include Aron Ra, Sci-Babe, Paulogia, Mandisa Thomas, Dr. Joshua Bowen, Godless Engineer, Dan Barker, and Gayle Jordan.Link ...
01.19.2021 The Story of Evolution in 25 Discoveries (with Dr. Donald Prothero) Renowned paleontologist and geologist Dr. Donald Prothero talks about his new book, "The Story of Evolution in 25 Discoveries." Join us for a fascinating discussion about the cosmos, evolved eyes, our "inner fish," dinosaurs, and so much more.Get the book: ...
01.12.2021 I Left Because #ILeftBecause is a Twitter hashtag popularized by Dr. Chrissy Stroop, and people worldwide are sharing the reasons they left religion. We talk to Dr. Stroop, and we share some of those stories on the show.Dr. Stroop's website: https://cstroop.comSubmissions for an ...
01.05.2021 Outbreak: A Crisis of Faith (with Noah Lugeons) Popular atheist activist, podcaster, and author Noah Lugeons just released a new book with commentary on our crazy world. He joins Seth Andrews for a conversation, and Seth reads a segment from the book.BOOK LINK: https://amzn.to/2WJQ9lz
12.29.2020 2020: The (mostly COVID-free) Year In Review Beyond the pandemic, a LOT of interesting stuff happened this year. We look back at some of the biggest non-COVID news, the most entertaining stories, the big names we lost, and as always, we'll end the broadcast with a segment ...
12.22.2020 Road Rage, the Crown, a Karen, and a Christmas Gargoyle In this "kitchen sink" broadcast, we get philosophical about angry drivers, royalty, relationships, and...a Christmas gargoyle. Happy holidays!Link to the Crissy Stroop meme: https://twitter.com/C_Stroop/status/1335295238508724224
12.15.2020 For Goodness' Sake: Surprise Calls and Gifts to Those in Need Let's play Santa Claus! This community donated funds and nominated specific needs. In this podcast, we call the recipients and do some godless good.
12.08.2020 What Christians (Probably) Don't Know About Christmas Isn't it strange that atheists often know more about the origins/symbols of Christmas than many believers? Join us as we examine the (bizarre) biblical nativity...and the fascinating history behind the holiday.
12.01.2020 Weaponized Stupidity & Monetized Myth: The Randy Quaid-ing of America In the wake of the recent presidential election, the prophets of apocalyptic doom are losing their minds. What is happening to America? Join us for a journey down the rabbit hole of prophecy, conspiracy, and Christian dominion theology.
11.24.2020 Holidays Beyond Belief: Coping and Celebrating without Religion Many atheists LOVE Thanksgiving and Christmas, while others avoid them. In this podcast, we talk about the holidays...beyond belief.
11.21.2020 Seth Andrews on The Atheist & Christian Book Club Seth fielded questions and challenges from Christians (and a few atheists) at their November online meeting of The Atheist & Christian Book Club. This is a rebroadcast with their permission.VIDEO of the event is here: https://youtu.be/_wmAPd6HfB4WEBSITE: https://atheistchristianbookclub.com
11.17.2020 Thanksgiving: The Dark History of a Beloved American Holiday We should embrace every opportunity to give thanks, but the American Thanksgiving holiday has a (very) dark backstory which should be acknowledged. For better and worse, this is a short history of the origins of the holiday.
11.10.2020 Grieving without a god Grief comes in so many forms. Grief surrounding death, the loss of a relationship, even grieving a religious culture from your past. In this show, we discuss grief and grieving beyond the coping mechanisms offered by religions and God-belief.If you're ...
11.10.2020 Introducing: Do No Harm Wondery (Dr. Death, Dirty John, The Shrink Next Door) and NBC News (Dateline, The Thing About Pam, Motive for Murder) present Do No Harm.The Bright family was thrust into a medical and legal system so committed to protecting vulnerable children ...
11.06.2020 The Refreshingly Honest Christian Seth Andrews was a recent guest on David Metcalf's podcast at www.refreshinglyhonestchristian.com, where the two had a candid conversation about the Christian faith.
11.03.2020 What Does "Agree to Disagree" Mean to You? When we decide to "agree to disagree" on something, when are we constructively choosing our battles, and when are we merely surrendering on an important moral issue? We discuss this.
10.27.2020 Fears, Phobias, and Frightening Films! This Halloween-themed show gets into the things that frighten us, our evolved fear mechanisms, and - just for fun - some recommendations for scary movies.
10.22.2020 Ghost Stories Bonus: "Clown" Here's something a little extra for the Halloween holiday. Totally free (and hopefully spooky). Enjoy! Ghost Stories audiobook: https://adbl.co/3kzy6Jv
10.20.2020 The Authoritarian Unveiled (with Dr. Eric Maisel) An authoritarian is defined as someone "favoring or enforcing strict obedience to authority, especially that of the government, at the expense of personal freedom." This applies to cult leaders, politicians, life partners, employers, and so many others.Psychotherapist Dr. Eric Maisel ...
10.13.2020 Ghost Stories 2020 It's our annual tradition. Lower the lights, crank up the sound, and Happy Halloween!
10.06.2020 The Brainwashing of my Dad (with documentary filmmaker Jen Senko) Jen Senko's father got hooked on radical, right-wing radio, and his transformation nearly tore his family apart. Jen joins Seth Andrews to talk about her dad...and the documentary about his brainwashing.Find out more: http://www.thebrainwashingofmydad.comVIDEO of this conversation: https://youtu.be/MW7Go6_sShI
09.29.2020 When the World Doesn't Suck: Faith in Humanity Stories It's been a crazy year, and often a difficult one. This show is - hopefully - a reminder that goodness still exists in the world. Enjoy!
09.22.2020 The Dark Reality of the Christian Music Industry (with documentary filmmaker Grace Baldridge) Grace Baldridge is a documentary filmmaker behind the documentary, "The Dark Reality of the Christian Music Industry." She joins Seth Andrews for a conversation.View the film here: https://youtu.be/IEbyzZE5nzAGrace is on Twitter at @GraceBaldridge
09.15.2020 What Would Satan Do: Religion, Moral Panic, and the Devils in the Dark (with Lucien Greaves) Lucien Greaves, co-founder of http://www.thesatanictemple.com, joins Seth Andrews for a conversation about the continuing Satanic Panic in the United States, the utility of non-theistic religions, and how the icon of Satan might approach today's evangelicals in power.VIDEO of this discussion: ...
09.11.2020 A Little Goodness On the anniversary of 9/11, Seth Andrews does a stream-of-consciousness show about life, love, and goodness.VIDEO of this stream is at https://youtu.be/W-t7AL6um1c
09.08.2020 The Rush to Anger: Right-Wing Radio and the Angry White Male In this free audio chapter from Seth Andrews' new book, we explore the Christian Nationalism, fearmongering, bigotry, and near-constant rage blasting daily out of American conservative radio. Get the book "Confessions of a Former Fox News Christian" today at http://www.sethandrews.com
09.01.2020 Unzipped: When the Purity Police Fall from Grace Seth Andrews speaks about the recent dust-up involving Jerry Falwell, Jr., as well as Ken Copeland's dismissal from the Trinity Broadcasting Network. Plus plenty of listener calls.
08.28.2020 Cow Yoga! Yoga...with cows? With the madness in the world, perhaps it's something we could try. Seth Andrews explores this little de-stresser and takes plenty of listener calls. Enjoy.
08.25.2020 War and Protest: A Candid Conversation with Vietnam Veteran John Musgrave John Musgrave was horribly wounded in the jungles of Vietnam. This near-fatal experience brought him home to a nation in turmoil, and as the bullets and bombs killed his brothers and sisters in arms, John began to re-think what it ...
08.20.2020 Young Humanists: with Elle and Bailey Harris Elle (9) and Bailey (14) are young authors who are promoting Humanism and science to their generation. Seth Andrews speaks to them (and Dad) about their attitudes, their work, and their promotion of goodness without gods.http://www.ellethehumanist.comhttp://www.baileystardust.comVIDEO of this interview at: ...
08.18.2020 My Mom Unfriended Me on Facebook Seth Andrews speaks about unfriending, unreason, and the vast ocean of conspiracy that is infecting the United States. It's random. It's ranty. It's refeshing. Enjoy.Washington Post article: https://wapo.st/3kMu3tC
08.16.2020 Make America Constitutional Again (with Sarah Levin) Sarah Levin is Program Director for Secular Democrats of America, an organization on the front lines of state/church separation in the United States. Find out more, and register for their online convention event on August 18th 1pm Central: http://www.seculardems.orgVIDEO of ...
08.11.2020 Former Christian Music Singer Jon Steingard: I No Longer Believe in God Jon Steingard was lead singer for the CCM band Hawk Nelson. On May 20, 2020, he posted on Instagram that he no longer believed in God, and his story went viral. Jon joins Seth Andrews for a candid conversation about ...

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