Jamie claims that it's not that he is failing to make his case for God, it's that Scott is unfairly rejecting reasonable evidence! What do you think, is this a legitimate gripe or a convenient deflection? In this episode, Scott & Jamie explore epistemology, and its application to their arguments. In "Oh the Humanity", Scott talks about the difference between "prescriptive" and "descriptive", and how the distinction exposes a flaw in an argument from professional Christian apologist...

Scott goes on the offense and begins making his case that Jamie's foundational arguments, his "4 legs of the stool", do not support the conclusions they claim to. In part 1 of 2, Scott tries to "sweep the legs" of the Cosmological Argument and the Argument from Morality arguments Jamie presented. How do you think he did? In "Spin the Wheel", Scott and Jamie surprise each other with burning questions on "Circular Reasoning" and "People that Don't Know Jesus". As further study Jamie...

Are we free to act as we want to act? If so, how does that work in a mechanistic universe? Scott and Jamie have a very interesting discussion on the various definitions for free will, along with the compatibilist position, namely that a deterministic universe and free will are completely compatible. In "Spin the Wheel", Scott and Jamie surprise each other with burning questions on "The Overlap of Religion and Politics" and "Methodological vs Philosophical Naturalism". As further study,...

Don’t let the title mislead you. While it’s true that Scott did go to church, it’s also true that Scott is still an atheist. Scott was invited by Common Ground United Methodist Church (https://www.commongroundumc.org/) to speak to their congregation during a Sunday morning sermon series on the intersection of science and faith. Scott has always had a love for science and it was because of this, his extensive knowledge on the subject, and his ability to be fair, that he was asked to speak...

What does it mean to be rational? What is the difference between a rational person and a rational argument? Can a rational person make an irrational argument? Scott and Jamie dig deep exploring the nuances of what this means.In "What Say You", Scott and Jamie discuss two videos produced by Derren Brown, "The Push" and "The Sacrifice". Scott had recommended these videos in Episode 013, and Jamie liked them so much we decided to talk about them on the show.As further study Jamie recommends...

Have you ever actually pulled yourself up by your own bootstraps? It's an old saying about resourcefulness and initiative, but in reality it's an exercise in futility. Circular arguments work, or don't work, in much the same way. Can an argument prop itself up? Scott and Jamie talk about what exactly is a circular argument, and Scott makes an argument that many arguments for the existence of gods are circular.Recent events have put a lot of demand on the available time of our two warriors....

The Dialectic Duo is stepping away from the microphone to rest and replenish a bit. Look for Season 2 of the God or Not Podcast, coming in May 2020!Thank you for listening!

Our universe is set up just perfect for our existence … or is it? It seems as if certain aspects about our universe, if changed by even the slightest bit, would render our universe life prohibiting. If we live in a fine tuned universe what are the odds we would find ourselves in a life permitting universe as opposed to a life prohibiting universe? Can we calculate such odds? Is the universe fine tuned by an external something-or-other? God? Does a multiverse increase the odds we live in a...

Scott and Jamie continue their discussion on prejudice, touching on homophobia, transphobia, and sexism. They also discuss how the existence of prejudice fits into their own worldviews.In "Spin the Wheel", Scott and Jamie surprise each other with burning questions on "Church and State Separation" and "Sin".In their second installment of the "God or Not Book Club", Scott and Jamie discuss parts 1 - 5 of Section III (pages 63 - 134) of "Sense and Goodness Without God: A Defense of Metaphysical...

Bigotry, racism, sexism, homophobia and the like are terms that can broadly be categorized under the umbrella, prejudice.What does it mean to be prejudiced and who is prejudiced? Is it prejudice to be intolerant of certain behaviors? Scott and Jamie tackle this volatile topic head on flushing out each other‘s perspectives, highlighting some areas of difference and asking the tough questions.In their first installment of the "God or Not Book Club", Scott and Jamie discuss Sections I & II...

Is there an objective standard for morality? Can God be that standard? If God had a different nature would morality be different? Scott and Jamie tackle these issues and more as they investigate together the objective standard for morality.In "Spin the Wheel", Scott and Jamie surprise each other with burning questions on "Mercy and Justice" and "Valid Methods of Reasoning".The dialectic duo also get the ball rolling on the "God or Not Book Club", where they will be reading "Sense and Goodness...

Merry Christmas! I mean Happy Holidays, er Festivus for the rest of us!… Christmas has traditionally been a time to celebrate the birth of Christ, or has it? Is Christmas pagan? Does it matter? Can an atheist celebrate Christmas or are they too busy waging war on the rest of us who just want to celebrate in peace?In "The Crowd Goes Wild", Jamie addresses some listener feedback.As further study Scott recommends the book “The Atheist's Guide to Christmas” edited by Robin Marvie and Stephanie...

Scott and Jamie aren’t the kind to shy away from difficult or heavy subject matter. In this episode of the God or Not Podcast they discuss death, dying and grief. A naturalist and a theist give their thoughts on the subjects, sifting out some of the possible implications of each worldview. Do those who believe in an afterlife live more morally righteous lives because of the fear of punishment or the thought of reward? Do atheists take better advantage of opportunities in the here and now...

Scott and Jamie take a break from their usual sparring match to tackle a less contentious topic: swearing. Where do swear words come from? Why do we use them? Are there benefits to swearing? Is it wrong? Scott investigates Jamie’s religious position on swearing, and they discuss society's role in this often taboo subject. We hope you enjoy this *#!&%@ episode!In "Oh, the Humanity", Scott talks about the Halo Effect.As further study Scott recommends the book “Holy Sh*t” by Melissa Mohr,...

The story of the resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of Christianity. What should we think of that story? Did it really happen, or is there some other explanation? Why does it matter? Scott and Jamie break out the magnifying glass and examine this ancient story and its ramifications.In "Spin the Wheel", Scott and Jamie surprise each other with burning questions on "Becoming an atheist" and "Labor unions".As further study Scott recommends the book “The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe: How...

“Faith”, a volatile word with many meanings. Is faith believing something you know ain’t so? Or is faith trusting in something you have good reason to believe to be true? Scott and Jamie explore what it means to have faith, diving into the nuances of this word.In "Oh, the Humanity", Scott talks about risk-taking.As further study Scott recommends the book “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman, and Jamie recommends the book “Why Do You Believe?” by Skip Heitzig.Contact us with comments...

What does it mean to say "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence"? Is it an attempt to shut down an argument before it is even made, or is it simply holding up claims to a fair standard of proof? Scott and Jamie dive deep into the weeds discussing the kind and amount of evidence needed to warrant belief in something extraordinary.In "Spin the Wheel", Scott and Jamie surprise each other with burning questions on "What kind of documentary would you make" and "Exorcism".As further...

In the second part of their discussion on morality, Scott and Jamie record "behind the scenes" where they work through some miscommunications and figure out what kind of approach they will use as they continue their travels through this deep topic. If you're wondering what goes into making a podcast like this, this will give you a little peek into their process.In "Low Blow", Scott talks about what it means when someone says they're an atheist.As further study Scott recommends the book “Moral...

Abortion: Is it a woman exercising her rights to her own body, or is it the killing of a child? At what point in the development process should the unborn be considered a "person", and should the mother's rights be legally limited? Scott and Jamie explore this very sensitive subject.In "Oh, the Humanity", Jamie talks about confirmation bias.As further study Scott recommends the book “On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right Even When You're Not” by Robert A. Burton, and Jamie recommends the...

Are things really right or wrong regardless of what anyone thinks? If objective morality is real where did it come from and how can we know them? Can harm or benefit ground or be a reasonable explanation for right and wrong or does there need to be a higher authority? Jamie questions Scott about objective morality without the need of any gods.In "Spin the Wheel", Scott and Jamie surprise each other with burning questions on "Hell" and "The Best Arguments for God".As further study Scott...

Did the universe have a beginning or is it eternal in the past? If it began to exist, did it have a cause, and what would this cause have looked like? Scott questions Jamie on the Cosmological Argument for God.In "Oh, the Humanity", Scott talks about cognitive dissonance.As further study Scott recommends the book “The Grand Design” by the late Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow, and Jamie recommends the book “God’s Crime Scene” by J. Warner Wallace.Contact us with comments and questions:...