We're honored and humbled to have received the support that has come our way! It's been long enough and now it's time to close out our founding patron tiers, but no fear! Along with the change comes tons of new perks and freebies.

As for our show, we have so many more changes to put in place but no matter how things change, we'll continue to be here every Sunday to ask what you believe and why.

Skeptic Generation is LIVE every Sunday at 11:30am-1:00pm CT
Call on your phone: 585-LA-MURPH (585-526-8774)
Call online: https://tiny.cc/callSG

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TIMESTAMPS & SHOW NOTES
00:00 - Intro - Introducing Our New Patreon Tiers!
06:12 - Andrew (he/him) - PA - Is There Hope for the Atheist Community?
20:52 - Hayden (he/him) - AUS - Can Skeptics Use Tarot Cards?
30:42 - Nick (he/him) - TN - What Does The Bible *Really* Say About Abortion?
38:20 - Billy (they/them) - VA - What Are “Energies” and Are They Scientific?
1:03:52 - Matt (he/him) - KY - Did We Exist Before We Were Born?
1:13:24 - Alda (she/her) - SC - How Do We Fight Bad Legislation As Humanists?
1:19:50 - Johnathan (he/him) - AL - How Can Skeptics Support Each Other?
1:27:19 - Outro - Use The Potato, Dude!

00:00
Skeptic Generation has revamped their Patreon and class is in session! You can go to https://tiny.cc/donatetoSG to check out their new tiers. And if you read through the syllabus, you’ll see new perks and exclusive access are now available. See you over there.

06:12
It can feel very much like the atheist community at large is struggling to progress. Andrew calls in to talk about how he’s seen the online environment change since 2014, and Eric and Vi have a couple of calls to action for those who want to see the atheist community continue to grow in a positive direction.

20:52
Hayden is a skeptic, but his wife does tarot. What do? Vi describes what tarot cards do for them, why they find the practice helpful, and how you can ethically and skeptically utilize them as tools for well-being. Eric gives an example of a time tarot allowed him to reframe a negative situation in his own life.

30:42
The Ordeal of the Bitter Waters (Numbers 5:11-31, if you’re interested) is often used as a gotcha against Christians claiming God dislikes abortion. Nick is of the opinion that more atheists and skeptics should be aware of these verses when speaking to Evangelicals. Eric and Vi caution against using this argument in certain situations.

Link to the verses in question: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%205%3A16-28&version=NRSV

38:20
Can you dance so hard you heal someone? Is it all energy, man? A former Scottish witch calls in to explain how an atheist might still believe in things like energies, and Eric is frankly having none of it. Vi points out the difference between atheism and skepticism.

1:03:52
Honestly, the only thing I took away from this call is that Matt really has a soft spot for mice. Which is very nice of Matt. But this was a confusing one. On the subject of existence, he and Eric debate the definition of “consciousness” and Vi suggests a great resource for people interested in some mind-bendy philosophy questions.

1:13:24
A theist calls in to offer her allyship when it comes to fighting harmful bills being passed in the Texas legislature. Is Skeptic Generation going to be engaging in political activism in the future, and how can fans of the show help?

For those of you who don’t know the context of this call, check out this article on the voting rights restrictions being introduced in Texas: https://www.texastribune.org/2021/07/08/texas-voting-bill-special-session/

1:19:50
[content warning: self-harm] Johnathan calls in to ask for some guidance about how to handle an acquaintance dying by su*cide. Eric and Vi empathize hard, both having been in that situation as well. How do skeptics support each other in times of great psychological or emotional need?

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255
Recovering from Religion Hotline: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/#rfr-welcome
Secular Therapy Project: https://www.seculartherapy.org/

1:27:19
It’s Vi’s turn to find a sign off, right after these superchat questions…
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