The Atheist Experience show

[bennychico11]

http://www.atheist-experience.com/

 

I just came across these guys a few weeks back. It's a weekly public access show located in Austin that promotes rational discussions to help "develop and support the atheist community, to provide opportunities for socializing and friendship, to promote secular viewpoints, to encourage positive atheist culture, to defend the first amendment principle of state-church separation, to oppose discrimination against atheists and to work with other organizations in pursuit of common goals."

 

You can catch their show live via stream on their website, I believe...however I usually just catch it when they upload it a few days later. There's also a lot of "best of" clips on Youtube.

One of the hosts, Matt Dillahunty (a former baptist fundamentalist and seminary student), is great at debating with callers. He's extremely concise in his responses and has a wealth of knowledge that has helped clarify many questions I've had in my own "lack of faith."

[74Hunter]

to defend the first amendment principle of state-church separation,

Too bad such a thing does not exist.

 

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

 

Not looking to debate, just pointing it out.

[bennychico11]

to defend the first amendment principle of state-church separation,

Too bad such a thing does not exist.

 

Maybe a better statement by them should have been "to defend the first amendment principle of separation between church and state...as defined by Thomas Jefferson"

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

I'll have to pass that along to a couple people I know

[huskerjack23]

I love this show. It's helped me not feel alone in my beliefs. You should go back in the archives and watch some of the 2008 shows. They're really good.

[Husker_x]

Dillahunty had a formal debate about a month ago on the source of human morality. Part 1 below. He's a sharp one, but sometimes he lets his red meat showmanship destroy what otherwise would be interesting discussions. Once a well meaning Christian gal called in because she had been required to as a part of a bible study. At one point in the discussion, he asked, "So why the F*^# did you call?" in response to her seeming unwillingness to even consider the other view. This shut the whole conversation down, which is sad, because you could tell this lady had roughly zero concept of any thought systems outside her own cradle-to-now christian worldview, and might have actually benefited from the challenge.

 

Trading barbs is okay. Vigorously attacking the issues or stances is okay. But sometimes stuff like that brings a screeching halt to productive conversation.

 

[bennychico11]

thanks for the vid Husker_x

 

I'm not familiar with the episode you are talking about...do you have a link? A lot of times they stop the callers short if they feel they are preaching or if the conversation is going nowhere. If they're just going around in circles and not answering any questions or allowing the conversation to be productive, they'll be cut off. They've only got an hour or so for the show!

 

 

one of my favorite vids (part 1):

 

"Your god's an ass"

[Husker_x]

thanks for the vid Husker_x

 

I'm not familiar with the episode you are talking about...do you have a link? A lot of times they stop the callers short if they feel they are preaching or if the conversation is going nowhere. If they're just going around in circles and not answering any questions or allowing the conversation to be productive, they'll be cut off. They've only got an hour or so for the show!

 

"Your god's an ass"

 

It was a couple of months ago, I think. I just listened to the podcast on a drive; can't remember the episode. Sorry.

 

I get the sense that Dillahunty may be getting tired/bored with the gig. He's been on there forever and I think after you hear the same asinine argument for the millionth time, your patience wears thin. Which I get. It's sometimes hard to remember that just because you've heard this baseless nonsense a million times doesn't mean the other person has heard your response even once.

 

If I were Matt I would try to arrange more of these formal debates. He has plenty of seasoning by now, and his co-hosts, while none of them are quite as good as him, can do the job when he's out crusading. He's intellectually way past the point of dealing with your average delusional caller. He's got the brain for the big stage, and now the experience in rhetoric. Plus quite a little following.

[huskerjack23]

thanks for the vid Husker_x

 

I'm not familiar with the episode you are talking about...do you have a link? A lot of times they stop the callers short if they feel they are preaching or if the conversation is going nowhere. If they're just going around in circles and not answering any questions or allowing the conversation to be productive, they'll be cut off. They've only got an hour or so for the show!

 

"Your god's an ass"

 

It was a couple of months ago, I think. I just listened to the podcast on a drive; can't remember the episode. Sorry.

 

I get the sense that Dillahunty may be getting tired/bored with the gig. He's been on there forever and I think after you hear the same asinine argument for the millionth time, your patience wears thin. Which I get. It's sometimes hard to remember that just because you've heard this baseless nonsense a million times doesn't mean the other person has heard your response even once.

 

If I were Matt I would try to arrange more of these formal debates. He has plenty of seasoning by now, and his co-hosts, while none of them are quite as good as him, can do the job when he's out crusading. He's intellectually way past the point of dealing with your average delusional caller. He's got the brain for the big stage, and now the experience in rhetoric. Plus quite a little following.

You're definitely right about the big stage. I think if he kept at it a couple more years and involved himself in more debates and speaking arrangemnets, he could write a Hitchens/Harris type book with his own thoughts as well. He could become a fifth guy to the four horsemen.

[HuskersNow]

 

I'm not familiar with the episode you are talking about...do you have a link?

 

I believe this is the video that Husker_x mentioned.

 

Go to 6:42 to hear him lose his temper. Honestly, I can't blame him for saying that. She goes on to say that the hosts have chosen hell because they have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior. Afterwards, she gets upset at his use of the f word and hangs up. I don't understand why some Christians are more worried about "salty language" than billions of innocent people burning in hell. Of course, in their minds, they are not innocent. Especially the unbaptized babies - they're the worst.

[bennychico11]

thanks HuskersNow...I'll listen to it tomorrow (no speakers on the computer I'm sitting at right now).

 

 

I get the sense that Dillahunty may be getting tired/bored with the gig. He's been on there forever and I think after you hear the same asinine argument for the millionth time, your patience wears thin. Which I get. It's sometimes hard to remember that just because you've heard this baseless nonsense a million times doesn't mean the other person has heard your response even once.

 

If I were Matt I would try to arrange more of these formal debates. He has plenty of seasoning by now, and his co-hosts, while none of them are quite as good as him, can do the job when he's out crusading. He's intellectually way past the point of dealing with your average delusional caller. He's got the brain for the big stage, and now the experience in rhetoric. Plus quite a little following.

You're definitely right about the big stage. I think if he kept at it a couple more years and involved himself in more debates and speaking arrangemnets, he could write a Hitchens/Harris type book with his own thoughts as well. He could become a fifth guy to the four horsemen.

 

I totally agree. It's obvious who the host is of the show by how much "time of posession" is in his favor. It's got to be excruciating listening to some of the callers. There are a handful who have called in with well worded thoughts on the topics. Even the Christians who call in because they just happened to be switching channels and thought they'd call Matt out on what little he knows...and then end up getting schooled...are extremely interesting to watch. But a majority of the callers seem to be saying the same thing over and over again. It's got to get old eventually. I'm sure that's why they mix it up with different hosts from time to time.

 

I'd love to see Matt debate other people. Especially someone like Ray Comfort (who I think Matt has said he has conversed with...but I haven't seen any video/audio of it if so). I think he could represent the atheists even more than Hitchens or Dawkins. I like them both in their own way...but Matt's just got something different about him. Maybe it's just the typical midwestern, former baptist fundamentalist-ness that seems to resonate better.

[NUance]

It’s kind of a mystery how Christianity can linger on 2000 years after the death of Christ. I mean, you’d think it would just die on the vine after a few years. But these Christians are just something else——they just keep plodding along. There’s no reasoning with them. And the born again ones are the worst. There’s something about being born again and receiving the Holy Spirit that makes them irrational. It completely changes their lives. Some would be willing to die rather than renounce their faith. And they are constantly trying to share this “faith” with others. The nerve of some people.

[Husker_x]

It’s kind of a mystery how Christianity can linger on 2000 years after the death of Christ. I mean, you’d think it would just die on the vine after a few years. But these Christians are just something else——they just keep plodding along. There’s no reasoning with them. And the born again ones are the worst. There’s something about being born again and receiving the Holy Spirit that makes them irrational. It completely changes their lives. Some would be willing to die rather than renounce their faith. And they are constantly trying to share this “faith” with others. The nerve of some people.

 

You could exchange Christianity with Islam in there and it would make the same non-point.

[bennychico11]

It’s kind of a mystery how Christianity can linger on 2000 years after the death of Christ. I mean, you’d think it would just die on the vine after a few years. But these Christians are just something else——they just keep plodding along. There’s no reasoning with them. And the born again ones are the worst. There’s something about being born again and receiving the Holy Spirit that makes them irrational. It completely changes their lives. Some would be willing to die rather than renounce their faith. And they are constantly trying to share this “faith” with others. The nerve of some people.

 

You could exchange Christianity with Islam in there and it would make the same non-point.

 

they are all crazy religions.

 

like huskerjack....this show has really helped me form my thoughts around my religious beliefs (or lack thereof)

With this holiday season, I'm glad I've had the opportunity to revisit AE's old shows. My fiance is Catholic (surprisingly) and we've had some really in depth conversations lately about our beliefs.

[zoogs]

My fiance is Catholic (surprisingly) and we've had some really in depth conversations lately about our beliefs.

 

By the way benny - how is that working out, if you don't mind me asking? Curious how religious/atheist couples work out differences sometimes (or maybe they just don't come up).