Episode 88: Friendly Atheist, Part 2

10 comments on Episode 88: Friendly Atheist, Part 2

  1. Matthew says:

    I run a Gay-Straight Alliance at my school, and I can relate to the posters being torn down thing. we put them up, basically with the knowledge that the will be gone within a day and a half.

  2. Thabiso says:

    I worked in a women’s prison teaching an arts workshop and the role of religious groups serves as the only time prisoners got to interact like human beings. The problem however is that prisoners buy into it as a message of hope. Whatever reforms they might have are built on really flimsy ground. It’s a lot like AA. They think that believing in Jesus is going to keep them from not committing crimes and they’re convincing themselves that this invisible guy in the sky really cares whether they do something or not. The minute that construct cracks they fall right back into their old ways.

    If secular folks are going to get involved we need to first figure out a method for reforming and rehabilitating prisoners that inspires them as easily holding hands in a room and singing kumbaya. I’d say the arts is where to start.

  3. Anonymous says:

    On the subject of the different interpretations of the audio clips… The muslim call to prayer sounds to me like “long wank man long wank man… a loooooooong wank maaaaaan…”. Frankly I have no idea how any English speaker can hear it differently. I was convinced it was a parody until I first heard you say it was real.

  4. Jeff says:

    For the love of no god, will one of you replace you smoke detector battery!!! I ran around the house like a jackass looking for 9 volt batteries until I realized it was on the podcast. Great podcast otherwise.

    1. diss0713 says:

      This was the guest. Not us.

    2. mikekoz68 says:

      Re: smoke detectors

      I find the same thing happens a lot on another podcast/show (The Atheist Exp.- if I can name it!) seems like a large number of crazy x-ians who call in lack enough scientific knowledge to perform a battery change!

      1. Mike.K. says:

        Well, that makes perfect sense. You see, batteries work because God stuffs them full of angels, and these angels each have a moment of Holy Magyk that will allow whatever they are released into a moment of electricity. By leaving the empty-of-angels batteries in the smoke alarm, the Good Christians are giving themselves a reminder that they have to pray longer and harder because Jezuz has not replenished their angel supply. In a way, the smoke detector also acts as a Devil warning, as it shows their household is running low on angels.

        If you had read Good Christian textbooks as a child:

        http://dangerousminds.net/comments/christian_4th_grade_school_textbook_tries_to_explain_electricity

        You would understand these sorts of things.

  5. Murff says:

    Tom says liken at one point, the way he said it made me think of Lycian…now we need a werewolf story next week!

    Great show guys, thanks!

  6. KittyMaehem says:

    Hey guys, LOVE your podcast, despite the *occasional* nationalistic ignorance found so often in those from the US… It’s a shame, cos you both come across as mostly very well intended, and you *do work* to ‘Fight the “Good Fight”‘, spreading Critical Thinking!

    Is it a product of home-schooling?

  7. KittyMaehem says:

    The second half of my comment appears to have been cut off… Sorry-

    OR Are U just lazy?

    U guys R funny & smart, U’ve access to google,& for a Skeptical podcast, it’s kindof a ‘pander to the lowest common denominator’, with the Blatant Ignorance of comments such as UR discussion on ‘the Duke of Edinburgh’ (Queen Elizabeth II’s husband) – a few weeks ago; and others, it can make all the *good* &reliable information, possibly appear less so.

    On a lighter note… This week, you mentioned “Chavs” from the UK. (Yes, U did pronounce it right!) &UR description was correct – being Australian, I’d not even thought about how Americans describe people in terms of race, then socioeconomic class, because, as U were trying to think of an equivalent, my first thought was, “In Australia, that would be a Bogan (pron Beau-gan ; rhymes with Joe can), & my 2nd though was, “Oh you mean ‘White Trash’ (Trailer Trash- little better)” JUST as U started to talk about the racism, & I was horrified at myself.

    So THANKYOU for teaching me this VALUABLE lesson! And that I have much to learn still.

    All the best with the show, I hope U continue to make people laugh & think for a V long time!

    Best, Kitty

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