Truth Wanted

By Atheist Community of Austin

WHAT IS TRUTH WANTED?

Truth Wanted is a show about getting to the bottom of beliefs, whether it’s karma or Christ, Bigfoot or crystals. Truth Wanted would like to know how you know it’s true. H... more

· Religion & Spirituality

4.6

148148 ratings

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FAQs about Truth Wanted:

How many episodes does Truth Wanted have?

The podcast currently has 330 episodes available.

Truth Wanted episodes:

June 28, 2025 Truth Wanted with ObjectivelyDan and Jon the Skeptick 08 26
In today’s episode of Truth Wanted, Objectively Dan and Jon the Skeptic, discuss religion taught in schools and the best belief systems that explain the world before diving into reliable methods of prediction.

Prisoner 24601 inTX has a good story and a bad story about religion being taught in school in a small town. The good story describes a teacher who had a way of teaching that allowed for separation of church and state. The bad story is when a math teacher referenced the story in the Bible where god froze the sun to explain the “missing day”. Jon mentions how different things are in the UK and how he went through an entire school year before learning his Geography teacher was a Jehovas Witness. How do you think Evangelicalism affects the differences in how religion is approached in schools?

Josh in KS, clarifies the hosts’ positions and asks if the hosts think atheism explains things better than theism. Why would we see a theist’s position as convincing? There is no argument that some of the greatest thinkers in history were theists, however, Christianity as a whole fails to provide answers. If you grew up in a different place in the world, how would that change the religion you practice? There are many claims that Christianity makes that are hard to justify such as pigs being possessed by spirits and running off a cliff. If these stories are allegorical, how do you know the difference between what is literal and allegorical? We would describe the explanation of things between atheism and theism as a false dichotomy, because the atheist position is not making positive claims.

Jon in Canada, has some thoughts on the harm and fraud of Evangelicaslm. When someone genuinely believes something, it does not come across as fraud in their minds, and they think they are doing a service. If someone genuinely believes a lie that is actively causing harm, what is the best way to move forward once the person learns the truth? As you continue to question your beliefs, think of one thing that has hit you hard and call us to talk through it. This is a true testament that people can change their minds and the lesson is to not give up on people.

Ben in AL needs an idea that makes predictions that come true with some reliability. If every science text book and religious text were to be erased, the science books would be what comes back as word for word for what they say now.

Flabbergasted, our backup host joins us to close out the show as Dan reminds of the prompt of the week: What is an offer Jesus could not refuse? Thank you for joining us this week!

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1h 31min
June 21, 2025 Truth Wanted 08.25 06-20-2025 with ObjectivelyDan and Jamie the Blind Limey
Show notes will be posted upon receipt.

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1h 32min
June 14, 2025 Truth Wanted 08.24 with ObjectivelyDan and @JLWarren 2025-06-13
In today’s episode of Truth Wanted, Objectively Dan and JL Warren go back into the womb to discuss whether or not we want the truth and what it would take to get us to believe in god.

Maggie in Canada, asks for some advice on how to respond to a variation of Pascal’s Wager that involves two babies discussing the possibility of something more than just the womb. The problem with this wager is it ignores all other gods and afterlifes. The minute you start asking questions about the details, this argument falls apart. Where does the one baby that believes there is more get the information from?

Al in CA watched a movie and now wants to know if the truth is really wanted. Knowing true things helps a person make rational, more informed decisions and increases the odds of survival. People who have problems with evolution because of their god concept will reduce their ability to believe true things and can show intellectual dishonesty. To prevent this dishonestly, allow yourself to ask questions. When wanting to know true things, think of Alder’s Razor that suggests that a claim is not worth debating if it can’t be settled through observation or experimentation.

Daniel in Australia wants to know what would change the hosts’ position about their god beliefs. This depends on the god claim; some god claims are different from others. We need a predictive model that utilizes the god concept to make better and more accurate descriptions about reality other than the ones we currently employ. What is the difference between a god action and a non-god action? Why do miracles that are supposed to come from god fall apart every time we investigate them? The god evaluation needs to stand on its own merit and be independent of Biblical prophecies. Rather than thinking the hosts owe you something, try to listen to the questions they are asking you if you are sincerely interested in what they have to say.

Thank you for tuning in this week! Kelley Laughlin joins us to close out the show and state the question of the week: What would the title of Jesus’ autobiography be?

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1h 36min
June 07, 2025 Truth Wanted 08.23 with Kelley Laughlin and Aaron Jensen 2025-06-06
In today’s episode of the Truth Wanted, Aaron Jenson and Kelley Laughlin, discuss modern views of expertise, the importance of curiosity, and strategies to find facts.

Choe in MI calls to explain why she does not think that expertise is overrated and asks about the show opening. Aaron explains how disheartening it is to see people use Google search over the expertise of people who have dedicated their lives to subjects. Kelley describes how it is important not to gatekeep knowledge. How does having a sense of curiosity play into the desire to learn true things? When the curiosity of children does not align with the religious beliefs of the church, how does that affect the church’s opinion of experts?

Eric in CO believes that it is more difficult to discern fake from real in today’s world because of the lack of source citing internet. Sometimes we must pay for good information that is accurately sourced. How trustworthy are the top search returns on a subject? What are the advantages to using Wikipedia to gain a high level knowledge on something? Back in the stone age, we actually had to go to something called a library and find real books. People want to believe things and will rely on the websites that agree with them.

Jon in Canada agrees with a previous caller Choe about curiosity being a good thing and has been more curious in his life lately. Jon asks how people can believe things they have not seen. Kelley explains how indoctrination happens from childhood, and how people are taught not to even question it. How do you know when you believe something just because everyone around you believes it?

Thank you for joining us today! We Want The Truth segment of the week: Fill in the blank: If I were a ghost, I would______just to f*ck with people.

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1h 11min
May 31, 2025 Truth Wanted 08.22 05-30-2025 with ObjectivelyDan and Kelley Laughlin
In today’s episode of Truth Wanted, Objectively Dan and Kelley Laughlin revisit a discussion about photos on Mars before diving into the contrasting world of nostalgia and a light summary of a famous Allegedly Ian debate.

Daniel in Canada, who called in last week as Jupiter 2, adds some context to the second photo he shared and thought it might be a reenactment, and stands by the claim with the first photo shared where a magnifying glass was used to look at the detail. Modern technology allows for us to go far past magnifying glasses to look at photos. How is NASA supposed to do anything if we can just come up with a conspiracy for everything they say? It is not a lie that our technology is more advanced than it was 20 years ago. Why would NASA keep these things from us? Sometimes we just have to admit that pareidolia is nothing more than pareidolia.

Dee in IA is struck by how differently atheists and theists look at pivotal points in their life. Theists tend to use these times to glorify god. Dee explains how this is contrasted by Kelley who takes ownership of these things and is proud of how they changed him. At the end of the day, the theists are selling their product starting with the indoctrination of children. Dee is motivated today by the desire to alleviate suffering, another stark contrast to what motivates theists.

Daisy in WA recommends some videos such as the debate between Jordan Peterson and Allegedly Ian where Jordan dodged a question regarding his faith. Dan would love to be hooked up as someone who will debate JP. When JP talks about this and denies it, we find it weird.

Thank you for joining us this week! Ely Slack, our backup host joins us to close out the show and remind us of the question of the week: What is the least inappropriate introduction for door to door soul winning?

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1h 15min
May 24, 2025 Truth Wanted 08.21 with ObjectivelyDan and Calvin Smith
Join us with Truth Wanted today as Objectively Dan and Unquestionable Cal go to Mars to pass out flyers door to door advocating for atheism.

Nirro in TN practiced the Threefold Law devoutly for three years and not a thing ever came out of it, however, he did notice the positive mindset turning into positive action and results in the same way positive psychology works. Why do we need magic or extra layers to a working system of positive mindset?

Jupiter 2 from Canada shows us a photo of a rock formation on Mars from NASA. If you use a magnifying glass, it can show what looks like a little guy with a plate against the chest and a tube that goes into the ground. How do we know this is not just a weird shaped rock? Kelley used a gigantic magnifying glass(the biggest I have ever seen) to look at the photo and it still looks like a rock. Next, he shows a photo from an unknown source that is classic alien stuff from Roswell, NM. A random screenshot of a guy holding a photo of an alien does not even meet your own standards. Why did you settle for this? Hilarious at best.

Ulises from FL has an idea of the animals being put into hibernation by god to survive a year on the ark during Noah’s Flood. Why should we believe the flood happened in the first place? How is it logical that animals will sleep for a year? The caller revealed that he is figuring some things out as a Jehovah Witness and there is so much more to the world, and how he just wants to live and die with the truth. If god is real and just, he will recognize this desire for you to find the truth. We are happy that you had the courage to call the show and you are always welcome to call! Recovering from religion is a helpful place to start as you navigate through this liberating way of living.

Daisy in WA wants to know what the hosts think about going door to door the way religious people do or at least doing some more outreach. We should make ourselves known, but approaching someone’s property is crossing a line. Calvin has over 100K followers on another platform and he knew almost no atheists to begin with. We can make an impact without going door to door. Be warned that many people view atheists in the same way they view Muslims and it is not in a positive light. If there is not a group around you, you can form one.

Bagel in Canada, explains that the only way to win the game is to forget you are playing the game. In other words, if you are a good person but never heard about Jesus, then you get a free pass at the pearly gates. This will work depending on the denomination and has been talked about by theologians. There is one extreme where Baptism is what counts and the other where children under 12 are innocent and get the pass. By introducing somebody to the concept of Christianity, you risk them going to hell.

Thank you for tuning in! Kelley Laughlin, our back-up host joins us to close out the show and remind us of the question of the week. Complete the sentence: Due to the cesspool of social media, people now believe god is _______.

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1h 38min
May 17, 2025 Truth Wanted 08.20 05-16-2025 with ObjectivelyDan and Secular Rarity
In today’s episode of the Objectively Dan and Secular Rarity, take calls that bring us back to the show basics with aliens out there, aliens changing religion, post death beings judging us, and aliens here on earth! Aliens, aliens, and more aliens!

Steve in NE, wants to talk about evidence for energy transmissions that is coming from an alien civilization near a sun-like star. How do we know that the alien civilization is the only explanation for this? Why is this the best explanation for these signals? It is cool, many of us are rooting for aliens to be out there too. We may find evidence for aliens later, but do not have it now. More space research is needed!

Michelle in NY wants to talk about another realm where we might be judged for the actions of this life and questions if the beings who judge us will have an ethical and moral structure. If there is an omnibenevolent being, they would probably make their identity known to us. Why would we change what we do if we are already doing the best we can? How do we determine the characteristics of this being that will judge us and how do we know what we are being judged on? The sound is worked between the caller and the screener and Caleb’s call is received before Michelle returns for more dialogue.

Caleb in WY has some thoughts on the K2 18-B planet that is showing signs of possible life and asks how that would change religious dogma. Some will drop their beliefs and yet others will double down and claim that god created this alien life. What would happen if we found alien dinosaurs? How would countries manage the panic about this discovery?
Nostromo from Canada saw a report where Harvard researchers say aliens may already live on earth. It has to be more than, “could be” and we are going to need to see the receipts. Why is the alien explanation the best conclusion? Finding more unexplained events does not explain other unexplained events. If there is no good reason to believe this, why should we entertain it?

Thank you for tuning in this week! Kelley Laughlin, our back-up host, joins us to close out the show. We want the truth of the week is: What would you expect with the apocalypse?

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1h 39min
May 10, 2025 Truth Wanted 08.19 05-09-2025 with ObjectivelyDan and @kaysemelone
In today’s episode of the Truth Wanted, ObjectivelyDan and Kayse Melone jump into hell to find it does not exist. They then sort through ways of telling people they are wrong and the merits of an atheist evangelizing in a church.

Sven in WA has some questions about the value of the soul from a Christian point of view and god as an entity vs. a mind. How useful is it to believe in the concept of a soul? Sven also has a second question about the Pope’s belief in hell and the infernalist mindset causing religious trauma. How would things change if masses of people stopped believing in hell? There is plenty of suffering in the here and now; how can we focus on easing that suffering now?

Bob in MS wants to know how to tell someone wrong in a good way, a flip on our question of the week. Starting with common ground and using empathy will get you further than picking apart the logic. When we start with empathetic questions, we find similarities. Understanding how people get their truths matters, and if you can examine a claim together by asking how they got to the claim can be effective. These types of conversations are not encouraged in church environments. Giving people tools to help them realize where their ideas are coming from can help them liberate themselves from their false beliefs, even if it takes some time. Check yourself: What is the purpose of telling someone they are wrong?

Billy Pilgrim in TX reminds us of how hard it is to get people to believe the truth when they want to believe in other things. People have an investment in these beliefs and oftentimes feel trapped. They may not have a concept of what it is like to be an atheist and do good things. What kind of bandwidth and time does it take to be a truth seeker? How would an atheist within a church provide a benefit?

Thank you for tuning in this week! Kelley Laughlin, our backup host joins to close us out and deliver the We Want The Truth segment of the week: What is a bad way to tell someone that they are wrong? We will see you next time!

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1h 24min
May 03, 2025 Truth Wanted 08.18 05-02-2025 with ObjectivelyDan and Jim Barrows
In today’s episode of the Truth Wanted, ObjectivelyDan and Jim Barrows jump into social media to separate the art from the artist, and are careful not to be echo chambers as they float through space to trigger a speciation event.

James in NY has some thoughts about how social media can help with deconstruction. The process of deconstruction is not just one time and happens repeatedly. Jim mentions some YouTube programs that not only help him but also are entertaining. This can also be helpful when it is hard to leave some things behind, Dan describes. What kinds of things can be difficult to accept as true?

Bagel in Canada wants to talk about separating the art from the artist and presents an example of a musician who did something awful yet still produces a great song. How can you separate the revenue stream from the artist? The thing that makes a person a moral monster is not necessarily their art. Knowing everything about every celebrity ever can give us some problems to wrestle with. How can you tell when the actual art is the problem? What if the cameraman of a series that you love comes out as a Nazi? Even bad people say and do good things on occasion. We can rephrase this as separating the science from the scientist.

Caleb in WY wants to figure out how to not be an echo chamber and take the proper approach to find what is true. Dan draws off his experience to explain how helpful it is to use five different news sources for every story you find. Information is misreported on all sides and you must take an active attempt at absorbing information. Jim will surf different sites in incognito mode so he is not recognized. This will help prevent the information being tailored to you. The same article will have different headlines depending on the audience. The hosts share other helpful tips: Never share an article on social media that you have not read yourself, paid subscriptions will generally give you better quality information, and look for news sources that expose the blind spots on the right and left.

Dan in Canada has a thought about the commercialization of space travel and asks if people will have a speciation event. Jim confirms that when the environment changes, we will definitely see this take place, and Dan explains that evolution does not just stop. If you stay in space long enough, you can’t return because of how it affects the body. How do you think humans will change if we were to colonize Mars?

Kelley Laughlin, joins us to close out the show. We want the truth of the week: Name something that people worry about too much. Jim reminds us that all hardware and software suck. People make mistakes. Thank you for joining us this week!

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1h 19min
April 26, 2025 Truth Wanted 08.17 with ObjectivelyDan and @Allegedly-Ian
In today’s episode of the Truth Wanted, Objectively Dan and Allegedly Ian, use words to interpret words as they are on troll alert.

John in Ca is a Biblical literalist that says we have mistranslated The Lord’s Prayer by using a different definition for the word, “bread”. Once he sees the Bible in a different light by replacing the word “God” with “food”, everything makes sense with evolutionary history. What process caused you to be convinced of this interpretation? How did the kangaroos get to Australia from the Middle East if Noah’s flood is true? How are the stories of Genesis allegorical from a literalist point of view?

Tweep in Canada wants to know how the word “objective” is being used and if it means 100% good when used as an adjective for good. There could be more than one value that has different worths under this umbrella. Knowing the rules of chess doesn't give you the ability to know what moves to make as an example.

Austin in the USA asks Ian how he thinks the earth was created. Ian describes how a solar nebula cooled and particles came together in bigger and bigger masses until the earth was formed and it is a fact that the earth is 4.5 billion years old.

Daisy in WA has observed atheists like Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins that have gone far right and have hateful opinions of trans people. We can’t tell you the individual psychology, but we did notice a cultural trend around 2010 that may have its roots in rage baiting. It is sad to see that some atheist influencers were part of this. Right wing spaces will take in a lot of people, especially when they are fringe. When the food in your mouth depends on you believing the thing that you believe, it is hard to think about anything else.

Thank you for tuning in this week! Supposedly Eli joins us to close us out. We want the truth question of the week: What conspiracy theories do you think will arise in the future? The unexamined life is not worth living.

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1h 24min

FAQs about Truth Wanted:

How many episodes does Truth Wanted have?

The podcast currently has 330 episodes available.

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